cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
People on Paper: Character, Characterization, and Represented Minds

‘What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?’ asked Henry James in his 1884 essay ‘The Art of Fiction.’ More than a century later, we can still ask the same questions when we begin thinking about the nature of fictional character in narratives. Separating plot from the characters who experience events, cause them through their actions, meditate on them, or react in one way or another, wrenches apart the two elements of fictional narrative that are most securely bound to one another. How indeed can we think about characters without discussing their actions? (We can’t!) How can we judge a set of actions in a plot without referring to the agents we come to know through those actions? (We shouldn’t!) This discussion thus begins with an acknowledgement that it artificially separates characters from the plot that couldn’t function without them. The benefit of temporarily isolating characters from their story-matrix lies in the observations that can be made about how writers build out of descriptive, illustrative, and demonstrative passages their invitations to imagine the people who populate story worlds. Some narratives emphasize character and some emphasize plot. No narrative can do without either element, though writers and critics have disagreed over which element should be given the higher priority. Furthermore, character and plot resemble one another functionally in that the reader’s knowledge of both shifts and changes during the reading experience.
A Network-Wide Bilevel Optimization-Simulation Approach for Variable Speed Limit Systems to Improve Travel Time Reliability

AbstractTraffic congestion is a serious challenge that urban transportation systems are facing. Variable speed limit (VSL) systems are one of the countermeasures to reduce traffic congestion and sm...
Angioleiomyoma of nasal septum: Case report and literature review

Abstract Introduction Angioleiomyoma is a benign soft tissue tumor of smooth muscle origin with a vascular component and is an uncommon form of leiomyoma. Angioleiomyoma presenting in the nasal cavity is exceedingly rare and there are 57 reported cases in the literature worldwide. We present a new case of angioleiomyoma of the nasal septum and review its diagnosis and treatment. Study design Case report and Literature Review. Methods The medical records of a 69-year-old patient with an angioleiomyoma of the nasal septum were reviewed. The PubMed database was searched for literature describing anglioleiomyoma of the nasal cavity using the key words "angioleiomyoma" with "nasal cavity," "nasal septum," "nose," or "sinus." Results A 69-year-old female patient presented with progressive right-sided nasal obstruction and epistaxis for one year in duration. Office examination revealed stigmata of recent bleeding and nasal endoscopy revealed a smooth, pink, vascular appearing mass arising from the right nasal septum. Computerized tomography with intravenous contrast revealed a 1.3 × 1.1 cm heterogeneously enhancing vascular lesion arising from the right nasal septum. The patient was taken to the operating room for endoscopic resection. Conclusion Angioleiomyoma of the nasal septum is a rare and challenging clinical diagnosis that requires detailed histopathologic examination. The differential diagnosis includes a variety of epithelial and mesenchymal derived tumors. Literature review suggests a female predilection with possible hormonal influence.
Behavioural changes in the family and community of HIV-infected people: A case study of Mumbai:

Stigma and discrimination is a major obstacle to combating HIV/AIDS, because it leads people to avoid being tested for HIV and disclosing their HIV status if tested. The paper tries to study the behavioural changes in the family and community of HIV-infected individuals and coping strategies adopted by HIV-infected people. Mumbai, which has acquired the dubious distinction of being called an AIDS capital of the country, was chosen to carry out the research. Sharing of HIV status was found to be highest with their spouses followed by any other family members. There were a few married males who did not share their HIV status even with their spouses. The clear evidences of discriminations like divorce, separation, etc. were found, especially among females. Disclosure of HIV status outside the family was very limited because of the fear of discrimination and various misconceptions related with its transmission. Special emphasis should be given during counselling sessions for sharing of HIV status to others in...
Office VI and Its Forerunner

You will recognize from this that even Office VI fulfills its responsibility and duty, and that it is surely worth the support by other offices and departments, if this is possible in the first place. Speech prepared for Heinz Jost, Amtschef Office VI 12 June 1941 On September 19, 1939 the office heads of the newly established RSHA convened for a meeting during which Heydrich took aim at the political foreign intelligence service, Office VI. Dr. Albert Filbert stood in for Heinz Jost, who was still on duty in Poland. In front of his peers and “[i]n unequivocal form,” Heydrich told Filbert that “the foreign reports were poor and had to be reorganized substantially. In their existing form they were a poor compilation of newspaper and radio news of foreign senders.”Heydrich impatiently requested the “commencement of the work, and [he] wishes [to receive] only those reports that are acquired through direct intelligence work.” Jost and his foreign intelligence service had been put on notice. Under Jost's leadership Office VI was engaged in an uphill battle. During the years that Schellenberg worked on remaking the Gestapo's counterintelligence department into an intelligence service with a broadened mandate and new methods, Office VI strove to establish itself as a respected foreign intelligence entity. Jost's office attempted to transcend its many conceptual problems – many of them related to its pedigree as part of the SS – and to forge a new identity in an environment defined by intense internal competition and the beginning of the Second World War. For Jost, this process ended in failure; in July 1941, Schellenberg took over the office's leadership. The following pages describe the history of Office VI and its predecessor and discuss their place and role in Nazi Germany's foreign intelligence universe. How did Office VI and its forerunner conceptualize, execute, and evaluate political foreign intelligence? Early SD foreign intelligence efforts were associated with Heinz Jost. Office VI of the RSHA had its origins in Office III of the Sicherheitshauptamt , SD Main Office, created in early 1935. The SD Main Office found itself in conflict with the police on the one hand and the Abwehr , Germany's military intelligence, service on the other: a party organization rooted in the SS, it intended to take on policing and intelligence functions in the state.
Objective Tests and Subjective Bias: Some Problems of Discriminatory Intent in Criminal Law

This article explores the relationship between the Supreme Court's efforts to combat racial discrimination in the criminal justice system and it's sometimes-conflicting goal of streamlining the pretrial and trial process. The Supreme Court has frequently stated its commitment to eliminating racial bias from the system, and in fact has made significant strides in that direction. Nevertheless, the article observes an interesting anomaly: on the one hand the Supreme Court continues to insist that defendants prove discriminatory intent to establish improperly race-based governmental action; on the other, the Court increasingly insists that objective rules govern the pre-trial and trial processes. The article offers by way of examples the recent Supreme Court holding that the subjective motive of a police officer is irrelevant to determining the reasonableness of his actions for Fourth Amendment purposes, as well as the long-standing rule preventing the use of juror testimony to impeach the deliberations of a jury. The article tries to explain precisely how such rules, though advancing judicial economy, make it more difficult to detect impermissible race-based decisionmaking, and notes that contrary rules in a variety of areas could either facilitate or obviate the difficult proof of purposeful discrimination. Given these limitations, the author proposes and evaluates some alternative solutions including improved collection of data and class action civil rights suits.
Writing Support in a Transnational Context: Decentring the Writing Centre in a Medical College in Qatar

This contribution situates the development of the writing centre at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (a Doha branch campus of Cornell University’s medical school in New York servicing native Arabic speakers) within sociological and geographical theories of liminality and the frontier. Making the writing centre—an innovative concept in educational institutions in Qatar—a culturally intelligible space within both the medical college and the State of Qatar was one of the greatest challenges to attracting students to use its services. Moreover, the pedagogical praxis of American-style education, including autonomous learning and peer consultation, was new to both Qatari and expatriate students.
Neuronal precursors in the brain of adult mammals: Biology and applications

Publisher Summary The brain of adult mammals retains a population of constitutively dividing cells called the subventricular zone (SVZ) cells. These cells have the capacity to generate neurons both in vivo and in vitro. Methods have been developed to grow these neuronal precursors in vitro. SVZ cells in the brain of adult mice migrate long distances and differentiate into neurons in vivo. These cells can successfully migrate and generate neurons when grafted between adult animals. These characteristics make SVZ cells a useful vehicleto introduce genes into the brain. The SVZ cells in the brain of adult mice are an ideal system to study the mechanisms involved in neuronal birth, migration, and differentiation. SVZ cells could be used to replace lost neurons and to restore function after neurological deficits resulting from disease or injury. Given the appropriate environmental conditions, these neural precursors may generate other types of cells in addition to the ones observed spontaneously under natural conditions.
Passion on the plate: A critical reflection on career change and personal cheffing

ABSTRACTThe culinary profession and discourses advocating the pursuit of passions have gained prominence in the American cultural landscape, along with having captured scholarly attention. Yet, research on career changes into culinary entrepreneurship is lacking. Drawing on interview and survey data, this article examines career changers' motivations for pursuing personal cheffing. Participants wanted to follow their passion, and they also were attracted to the autonomy and flexibility of personal cheffing. Most were satisfied with their new work, but this study also suggests some limitations to discourses promoting the pursuit of self-fulfillment through work. The physical toll and low and/or unstable pay were not ideal, and not everyone can feasibly prioritize self-fulfillment. Moreover, the social/cultural context and/or one's social position influence what passions are seen as possible careers and what activities feel self-fulfilling. The impetus to do what you love has the potential to reproduce exis...
Basin evolution during Cretaceous-Oligocene changes in sediment routing in the Eastern Precordillera, Argentina

Abstract The response of sedimentary basins to earliest onset of Andean contraction and lithospheric flexure in the southern Central Andes is debated and not well-resolved. The Upper Cretaceous to Oligocene strata of the Cuesta de Huaco anticline in the Argentine Precordillera record sedimentation, regional deformation, and climate patterns prior to the highly studied Oligocene-Miocene foreland basin phase. These deposits have recently been recognized as Cretaceous and Paleogene in age, prompting a re-evaluation of this depocenter as part of the early Andean system, prior to deposition of the aeolian foredeep sediments of the Oligocene Vallecito Formation. This work presents new data from the Argentine Precordillera fold-and-thrust belt at 30°S that sheds light on new reinterpretations of the timing of sedimentation for an important interval in Andean retroarc foreland basin history. We report the first Paleocene detrital radiometric ages from the Cuesta de Huaco ‘red strata’ of the pre-Oligocene Bermejo Basin. Detailed sedimentology and provenance data from the Cenomanian-Turonian Cienaga del Rio Huaco and Danian-Priabonian Puesto La Flecha formations reveal a Cenomanian-Turonian braided stream system that transitioned into a shallow freshwater lacustrine depocenter in Paleocene-Eocene time. During Late Cretaceous time, sediment in the braided river system was derived primarily from northeastern cratonic sources; during the Paleocene-Eocene, uplift and unroofing of the Andean arc and Frontal Cordillera resulted in an influx of western-derived sediment. We therefore suggest a revised timing of sedimentation for the transition to Andean retroarc foreland basin deposition.
Data spanning three decades illustrate racial disparities in likelihood of obesity.

Obesity rates have risen significantly in recent decades, with underprivileged Americans associated with higher rates of the condition. Risks associated with obesity, furthermore, appear unequally ...
DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF CORONARY CALCIUM IN COMBINATION WITH DIAMOND-FORRESTER SCORE IN ACUTE CHEST PAIN PATIENTS

Non-invasive testing of acute chest pain patients without electrocardiogram (ECG) or biomarker evidence of ischemia results in low diagnostic yield. Our aim was to evaluate if coronary calcium score (CS) combined with Diamond-Forrester (DF) pretest probability can safely rule out obstructive
CaMKII-dependent late Na+ current increases electrical dispersion and arrhythmia in ischemia-reperfusion.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation of Nav1.5 at Ser571 leads to a prolongation of action potential duration (APD), increased APD dispersion, and increased arrhythm...
Challenges and Directions in Fault-Tolerant Computing

Two decades of theoretical and experimental work and numerous recent successful applications have established fault tolerance as a standard objective in computer system design. As with the objective of correctness, and in contrast to the objective of high speed, satisfaction of fault-tolerance requirements cannot be demonstrated by testing alone, but requires formal analysis. Most of the work in fault tolerance has been concerned with developing effective design techniques. Recent work on reliability modeling and formal proof of fault-tolerant design and implementation is laying a foundation for a more rigorous design discipline. The scope of concerns has also expanded to include any source of computer unreliability, such as design mistakes in software, hardware, or at any system level.
Menetes berdmorei (Striped ground squirrel)

The specimens were collected by Dr. M. E. Hight in Thailand. Skin biopsies were used to initiate cell cultures for cytological preparations. Frozen fibroblast cells of the female (#TCH 2134) are available in the Houston laboratory.
Contemporary instruments for assessing early temperament by questionnaire and in the laboratory.

Research in behavioral science often succeeds or fails depending on the quality of its assessment instruments. Recognizing this, many temperament researchers have proposed questionnaires, interview schedules, home observation coding systems, and laboratory methods for assessing early temperament. These assessment instruments have been reviewed and evaluated from several perspectives (e. g., Bornstein, Gaughran, & Homel, 1986; Crockenberg & Acredolo, 1983; Goldsmith & Rieser-Danner, 1990; Hubert, Wachs, Peters-Martin, & Gandour, 1982; Neale & Stevenson, 1989; Rothbart & Goldsmith, 1985; Seifer & Sameroff, 1986; Slabach, Morrow, & Wachs, this volume). In this chapter, we preview some new instruments and review recent data on an established questionnaire, all developed in our laboratories. These instruments include the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire, and the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire, as well as a battery of laboratory temperament assessment techniques.
Diet, Neurotransmitters, and Behavior

In the preceding chapters, we have seen that nutritional variables play important roles in the functioning of the central nervous system and sub-sequent behavior. Deficiencies of essential nutrients can impair the function and development of the CNS, and result in profound behavioral disturbances. Brain functioning and behavior can also be adversely affected by contamination of food supplies with heavy metals (e. g., lead, mercury, and aluminum). In these situations, relatively long-term nutritional deficiencies or exposure to environmental toxins are necessary before alterations in brain functioning and behavior are observed.
Abstract 042: Association Between Preexisting Valvular Heart Disease and Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Among Hospitalized Patients in the United States

Background: The pathogenesis of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTCM) remains poorly understood. Several case reports have described the occurrence of TTCM in patients with preexisting valvular heart dis...
Harnessing the power of the patient perspective for rare disease therapeutics

In this issue, Mongiovi et al.1 report results from a survey of 359 adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) using a new patient-reported outcome measure. The PRISM-SMA (Patient Reported Impact of Symptoms in Spinal Muscular Atrophy) incorporates 207 questions across 20 themes to capture a broad range of symptoms in adults with SMA. The authors used a well-established qualitative framework technique using open-ended interviews in adults with SMA and other neuromuscular disorders to identify those issues deemed most clinically meaningful to patients.2
Depth of response post autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT) to predict outcome in high risk multiple myeloma (MM).

8019Background: Despite major advances in the treatment for MM, patients (pts) with high risk disease (HRD) have significantly worse outcomes. Emerging data supports the importance of the depth of ...
Abstract 55: The Probability of Ischemic Stroke Endovascular Targets: Extended Treatment Window for Women

Introduction: The decline in the probability of a therapeutic target over time from stroke onset may underlie the declining efficacy of stroke therapies over time. The persistence of a therapeutic ...
Advancements in image reconstruction for photoacoustic computed tomography (Conference Presentation)

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT), also known as optoacoustic tomography, is an emerging imaging technique that holds great promise for biomedical imaging. PACT is a hybrid imaging method that can exploit the strong endogeneous contrast of optical methods along with the high spatial resolution of ultrasound methods. Similar to X-ray CT or MRI, PACT is a computed imaging modality that utilizes a reconstruction method for image formation. In this talk, we provide an overview of image reconstruction methods for PACT that have been proposed over the past 25 years. This review will include an overview of classic backprojection-based methods as well as modern optimization-based approaches to image reconstruction.
Ethical Sales Leadership and Salesperson Performance: The Intervening Influence of Worthiness of being Followed: An Abstract

In the sales literature, researchers have identified that ethical leadership by sales managers influences various salesperson outcomes, including organizational identification, person-organization fit, extra-role behaviors, and reduced turnover intentions (DeConinck 2015; Schwepker 2015; Wu 2017). Yet, the process by which ethical leadership influences ethical behavior and improved performance by salespeople remains unknown.
The Search for Data, the Only True Justice:

The practice of congenital heart surgery faces intense public scrutiny. Collaboration is key to improve our processes and outcomes. Croti and colleagues report on one such collaboration between Children's Heart Link, IQIC, and a Brazilian congenital heart program and demonstrate the value of this approach convincingly.
Programmed intermittent epidural bolus as compared to continuous epidural infusion for the maintenance of labor analgesia: a prospective randomized single-blinded controlled trial

Background Programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB) techniques are a new area of interest for maintaining labor analgesia due to the potential to decrease motor block and improve labor analgesia. This study compares continuous epidural infusion (CEI) to 2 PIEB regimens for labor analgesia. Methods One hundred fifty patients undergoing scheduled induction of labor at term gestation having epidural labor analgesia were randomized to receive an epidural analgesia regimen of bupivacaine 0.125% with fentanyl 2 μg/ml at either PIEB 5 ml every 30 min (Group 5q30), PIEB 10 ml every 60 min (Group 10q60), or 10 ml/h continuous infusion (Group continuous epidural infusion [CEI]). The primary outcome is the pain scores throughout labor. Secondary outcomes include degree of motor block, dermatomal sensory levels, the number of physician-administered boluses, and patient satisfaction. Results While the average pain scores throughout labor did not differ significantly between groups, fewer patients in group 10q60 received physician-administered boluses for breakthrough pain (34.9% in 10q60 vs. 61.0% in 5q30 and 61.9% in CEI, P = 0.022). Dermatomal sensory levels, degree of motor block, and patient satisfaction did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions Our study suggests that high volume PIEB regimens for labor analgesia decrease breakthrough pain and physician-administered boluses.
PLASMA METABOLITE PROFILES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH RIGHT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION AND PROGNOSIS IN PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Disease-specific metabolomic signatures have been associated with mortality in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We explore whether this reflects right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. We analyzed quantitative targeted profiling of over 300 metabolites from a prospective cohort of PAH patients.
Real-Time Wide-Area Fault Locator for Power Transmission Networks Using Sparse PMU Measurements

This paper proposes a real-time fault location strategy using complex voltage data from sparse phasor measurement units (PMU) and the network topology. The strategy uses a least-squares based approach and modified breadth first search algorithm to locate buses closest to the fault. This strategy serves as the crucial first step towards wide-area measurement, protection and control schemes which use faster-than-real-time dynamics simulations to predict and avoid cascading failures. The proposed approach has been tested extensively on two transmission system models: a 23 bus case and a 200 bus case, for bus faults and line faults. The fault locator has shown to be sufficiently accurate in determining the bus closest to the fault without having to carry out any computationally expensive calculations. The algorithm also scales well to large systems and performs accurately with measurement noise.
O-GlcNAcylation Mediates Glucose-Induced Alterations in Endothelial Cell Phenotype in Human Diabetes Mellitus.

Background Posttranslational protein modification with O‐linked N‐acetylglucosamine (O‐GlcNAc) is linked to high glucose levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may alter cellular function. W...
Safety specific transformational leadership, safety motivation and personal protective equipment use among firefighters.

Abstract Personal protective equipment (PPE) use, although normally the last line of preferred hazard control, is vital to protecting firefighters. It is vital that research identify factors that positively influence firefighter behaviors associated with PPE use. Data were collected from 742 career firefighters working for metropolitan fire departments in both the eastern and western United States. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the hypothesized model and relationships between safety-specific transformational leadership, safety motivation and effective use of personal protective equipment. Safety-specific transformational leadership was positively associated with firefighter safety motivation and safety motivation was positively associated with personal protective equipment use. There was also a significant direct relationship between safety-specific transformational leadership and personal protective equipment use. Transformational leadership has not been an emphasis in the fire service because of its hierarchical structure and paramilitary-like traditions. Current fire service stakeholders have called for changes in leadership strategies and the overall culture within the fire service. This research provides additional evidence that safety-specific transformational leadership can bolster safety motivation among firefighters and can result in enhanced safety performance, including the proper and effective use of personal protective equipment.
Control of Boost Converter Module for Open-End Winding Permanent Magnet Motor Based, Dual Inverter Drive

This work explains how to control a boost converter module to vary the DC link voltage of a dual inverter motor drive. Doing so is shown to extend the speed range of an Open-end Winding Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (OWPMSM) compared to flux weakening control, enabling the use of more efficient and power dense high-speed motors. Furthermore, in agreement with results in literature for more conventional Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM), the boost converter modules enable the use of maximum torque-per-ampere (MTPA) control at all speeds while exhibiting constant power behavior above base speed. Compared to when using flux weakening control, this increases available torque while lowering conduction losses in the motor at high speeds.
Molecular analysis of EUS-acquired pancreatic cyst fluid for KRAS and GNAS mutations for diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia and mucinous cystic lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and Aims Although molecular analysis of pancreatic cyst fluid may aid pancreatic cyst classification, clinical practice remains highly variable. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of KRAS and GNAS mutations in EUS-acquired pancreatic cyst fluid for diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and mucinous cystic lesions (MCLs). Methods Individualized searches were developed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines and meta-analysis analyzed according to the Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy working group methodology. A bivariate model was used to compute the pooled sensitivity and specificity and to plot the summary receiver operating characteristics curve with summary point and corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results Six studies (785 lesions) were included. For IPMNs and MCLs, KRAS + GNAS (combination) had significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than KRAS alone and GNAS alone (all P Conclusions Molecular analysis for KRAS + GNAS mutations in EUS-acquired pancreatic cyst fluid has high sensitivity and specificity with significantly improved diagnostic accuracy for diagnosis of IPMNs and MCLs when compared with CEA alone.
Thermal ablation alone vs thermal ablation combined with transarterial chemoembolization for patients with small (<3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract Purpose Thermal ablation (TA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) may be used alone or in combination (TACE+TA) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of our study was to compare the time to tumor progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) for patients who received TA alone or TACE+TA for HCC tumors under 3 cm. Materials and methods This HIPAA-compliant IRB-approved retrospective analysis included 85 therapy-naive patients from 2010 to 2018 (63 males, 22 females, mean age 62.4 ± 8.5 years) who underwent either TA alone (n = 64) or TA in combination with drug-eluting beads (DEB)-TACE (n = 18) or Lipiodol-TACE (n = 3) for locoregional therapy of early stage HCC with maximum tumor diameter under 3 cm. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed using the log-rank test to assess TTP and OS. Results All TA and TACE+TA treatments included were technically successful. TTP was 23.0 months in the TA group and 22.0 months in the TACE+TA group. There was no statistically significant difference in TTP (p = 0.64). Median OS was 69.7 months in the TA group and 64.6 months in the TACE+TA group. There was no statistically significant difference in OS (p = 0.14). The treatment cohorts had differences in AFP levels (p = 0.03) and BCLC stage (p = 0.047). Complication rates between patient groups were similar (p = 0.61). Conclusion For patients with HCC under 3 cm, TA alone and TACE+TA have similar outcomes in terms of TTP and OS, suggesting that TACE+TA may not be needed for these tumors unless warranted by tumor location or other technical consideration.
HIV-1 Infection Does Not Change Disease Course or Inflammatory Pattern of SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients Presenting at a Large Urban Medical Center in New York City

Background The clinical impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among people with HIV (PWH) remains unclear. In this retrospective cohort study of COVID-19, we compared clinical outcomes and laboratory parameters among PWH and controls. Methods Sixty-eight PWH diagnosed with COVID-19 were matched 1:4 to patients without known HIV diagnosis, drawn from a study population of all patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 at an academic urban hospital. The primary outcome was death/discharge to hospice within 30 days of hospital presentation. Results PWH were more likely to be admitted from the emergency department than patients without HIV (91% vs 71%; P = .001). We observed no statistically significant difference between admitted PWH and patients without HIV in terms of 30-day mortality rate (19% vs 13%, respectively) or mechanical ventilation rate (18% vs 20%, respectively). PWH had higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates than controls on admission but did not differ in other inflammatory marker levels or nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral load estimated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction cycle thresholds. Conclusions HIV infection status was associated with a higher admission rate; however, among hospitalized patients, PWH did not differ from HIV-uninfected controls by rate of mechanical ventilation or death/discharge to hospice.
Preclinical model of type 1 diabetes and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in conscious rabbits-demonstration of cardioprotection with rapamycin.

Summary We developed a preclinical model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in conscious diabetic rabbits to identify an early pharmacological intervention for patients with diabetes and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Here, we describe a reproducible protocol for induction of diabetes with subsequent manifestation of myocardial I/R injury in conscious rabbits to mimic the real-life scenario observed in clinical settings. Further, we demonstrate the efficacy of rapamycin at the onset of reperfusion to limit the adverse effect of AMI. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Samidurai et al. (2020) .
Genetic Counseling and Testing

Genetic testing options are now widely available to pediatric cancer patients and their families. Thus, it is important for clinicians to become familiar with the features and patterns of hereditary cancers, the elements of the genetic testing process, and the implications of the various genetic test results. In this chapter, we discuss the indications for cancer genetics referrals, motivations for genetic counseling, collection of family history information, cancer risk assessment, pretest counseling, possible genetic test results, posttest counseling, and special genetic counseling situations. We conclude with two case narratives that help illustrate the complex nature of pediatric cancer genetic counseling and testing.
High spectral resolution remote sensing of the earth

Early results of a major advance in remote sensing called imaging spectrometry (IS), the simultaneous acquisition of images in many narrow contiguous spectral bands throughout the visible and solar-reflected infrared portions of the spectrum, are discussed. The motivation for IS is reviewed, and the performance of IS is examined, describing prototype sensors. The analysis of IS data is addressed, including the problem of visual interaction with hyperspectral images and their statistical properties, and the effect of data dimensionality on multispectral scene classification. A test of the capability of imaging spectrometry to identify minerals is reported.
Moral Hazard and Competitive Insurance Markets

Most work on the theory of moral hazard in the context of insurance investigates the properties of the schedule relating the net insurance payout to the accident damage in a partial equilibrium context. This paper reviews some results from a long-term research project undertaken by Joseph Stiglitz and the author, which in contrast focuses on moral hazard in general equilibrium. Topics addressed include the properties of indifference curves, the form of competitive insurance contracts, the existence of competitive equilibrium, and the descriptive and welfare properties of equilibrium.
Detection of wall motion abnormalities during ambulatory echocardiography using a novel ultrasound transducer.

Background: This investigation was designed to determine whether transient wall motion abnormalities due to myocardial ischemia induced by walking could be detected by ambulatory echocardiography. Methods: Two groups were studied. Group 1 consisted of 10 males (mean age 34 years) who had no symptoms of angina. Group 2 consisted of eight selected patients (mean 61 years) with angina and angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease. The 2.5 MHz transducer is spherical in its distal part and mounted in an external housing to permit steering in 360°. The external housing was attached to the chest wall using an adhesive patch. The transducer was placed in the 3rd or 4th intercostal space at the left sternal border to permit imaging of the left ventricle (LV) in its short axis and attached to the chest wall. The transducer was interfaced with an Acuson Cypress echocardiography system which was placed on a mobile cart. To permit portability, the echocardiography system was powered by a capacitor (UPS device). The subjects were asked to walk along the corridor as fast as possible for 10 minutes or until the onset of symptoms while pushing the cart. The short axis of the LV was displayed on a monitor and recorded on optical disks. Results: The heart rate, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and double product of Group 1 at rest were 77 ± 3 beats/min, 119 ± 13 mmHg, and 9,150 ± 868, respectively, and increased to 106 ± 8 beats/min, 129 ± 15 mmHg, and 1,3793 ± 2,176 with walking. The baseline heart rate, SBP, and double product were 71 ± 12 beats/min, 130 ± 14 mmHg, and 8,555 ± 1,928 in Group 2 and increased to 94 ± 14 beats/min, 135 ± 20 mmHg, and 12,480 ± 3,830 with walking. All patients in Group 1 had normal wall motion at rest and during walking. Patients in Group 2 had normal wall motion during rest and new wall motion abnormalities were noted in all subjects during walking (anterior septum and/or anterolateral wall in seven, posterolateral wall in one). The wall motion abnormalities resolved shortly after discontinuation of walking. Conclusion: Ambulatory echocardiography permitted the detection of transient wall motion abnormalities in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This technique could be potentially useful in evaluating selected patients for myocardial ischemia. (Echocardiography 2012;29:509-512)
Mississippian Habitation Components at Dickson Mounds in the Central Illinois River Valley

The Myer-Dickson area is a habitation component of the well-known Spoon River Mississippian mortuary site Dickson Mounds. About 20 domestic and public buildings were excavated at the site in the 1960s and 1970s, including the second-largest Mississippian building known in Illinois. Though sometimes characterized as a nucleated village, detailed analysis of material remains and their spatial distribution suggests two and possibly three periods of use during the Larson phase between A.D. 1200 and 1300. The large public building is one of several structures bordering a plaza, all of which are almost totally devoid of Mississippian artifacts. Domestic use of other sections of the site during the late Larson phase is part of a broader pattern of dispersed settlement on valley-edge ridges, a pattern that indicates at least some periods when fears of raiding were lessened despite the presence of contemporaneous palisaded towns.
Homotopy groups of pullbacks of varieties

In [2, § 9] there is a general result of Fulton and Lazarsfeld relating the homotopy groups of a subvariety of in a certain range of dimensions with those of its pullback under a holomorphic map in the corresponding range of dimensions. It is asked in [2, § 10] whether here is a corresponding result with replaced by a general rational homogeneous manifold, Y , and with the range of dimensions alluded to above shifted by the ampleness of the holomorphic tangent bundle of Y in the sense of [4]. In this paper we use the techniques of [4, 5, 6, 7] to answer this question in the affirmative.
Preferential input and output coupling of oval-shaped optical microcavities: fluorescence emission from oval-shaped dye-doped glass fibers

We report an experimental study of the preferential input and output side coupling of oval-shaped optical microcavities. The cavity was in the cross-section of an oval-shaped dye-doped glass fiber, which was optically pumped perpendicular to the fiber axis. Fluorescent emission perpendicular to the fiber axis was imaged with a lens onto a CCD camera. The integrated intensity of the image profile at different angles provided the far-field angular pattern of the fluorescent emission peaked at ~ 45 degree(s) relative to the cavity major axis. The near-field spatial profiles revealed refractive output coupling from an extended high- curvature region. A simple ray-path model was used to calculate the fluorescent near-field spatial profile. Preferential input side coupling was also observed in the direction ~45 degree(s) relative to the cavity major axis. By focusing the pump beam at the high-curvature region in the preferred coupling direction, we observed ~ a factor of 8 enhancement in the integrated intensity at the preferred fluorescence output angle. By imaging the fiber top surface, we demonstrated that the preferentially input coupled light could be guided along the cavity circumference.
Saturday Effects in Tanker Oil Spills: Comment

Abstract Goodstein identified and discussed a "Saturday effect" in data on the timing of tanker oil spills. This comment describes two ways in which the validity of the statistical analysis used to identify and confirm this effect can be strengthened.
Minimally Invasive Anorectal Surgery: From Parks Local Excision to Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery to Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery

Total mesorectal excision remains the preferred oncological treatment of tumors of the rectum, providing excellent cure rates and minimal local recurrence. Surgical advances have led to more sphincter-sparing procedures using coloanal anastomosis. However, abdominoperineal resection with permanent colostomy remains the most common procedure performed today for tumors of the distal rectum. In addition, even precise total mesorectal excision results in frequent incidence of sexual, urologic, and bowel dysfunction. Local excision has slowly gained popularity, but is still considered a substandard operation owing to higher recurrence rates. However, the innovation of potentially superior platforms (transanal endoscopic microsurgery/transanal minimally invasive surgery) designed to enable improved access and visualization to the rectum has allowed surgeons to excise lesions more proximally in the rectum and with improved precision, yielding diminished recurrence rates. More recent data demonstrate the use of transanal endoscopic microsurgery and transanal minimally invasive surgery in combination with multimodality therapy and careful patient selection results in outcomes approaching standard oncological treatment. The evolution of procedures, newer instrumentation, and increasing knowledge of the tumor biology is quickly closing the gap between classical resection and various modalities of local excision.
Unique Features of the Anti-parallel, Heterodimeric Coiled-coil Interaction between Methyl-cytosine Binding Domain 2 (MBD2) Homologues and GATA Zinc Finger Domain Containing 2A (GATAD2A/p66α)

The methyl-cytosine binding domain 2 (MBD2)-nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex recognizes methylated DNA and silences expression of associated genes through histone deacetylase and nucleosome remodeling functions. Our previous structural work demonstrated that a coiled-coil interaction between MBD2 and GATA zinc finger domain containing 2A (GATAD2A/p66α) proteins recruits the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein (CHD4/Mi2β) to the NuRD complex and is necessary for MBD2-mediated DNA methylation-dependent gene silencing in vivo (Gnanapragasam, M. N., Scarsdale, J. N., Amaya, M. L., Webb, H. D., Desai, M. A., Walavalkar, N. M., Wang, S. Z., Zu Zhu, S., Ginder, G. D., and Williams, D. C., Jr. (2011) p66α-MBD2 coiled-coil interaction and recruitment of Mi-2 are critical for globin gene silencing by the MBD2-NuRD complex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 7487–7492). The p66α-MBD2 interaction differs from most coiled-coils studied to date by forming an anti-parallel heterodimeric complex between two peptides that are largely monomeric in isolation. To further characterize unique features of this complex that drive heterodimeric specificity and high affinity binding, we carried out biophysical analyses of MBD2 and the related homologues MBD3, MBD3-like protein 1 (MBD3L1), and MBD3-like protein 2 (MBD3L2) as well as specific mutations that modify charge-charge interactions and helical propensity of the coiled-coil domains. Analytical ultracentrifugation analyses show that the individual peptides remain monomeric in isolation even at 300 μm in concentration for MBD2. Circular dichroism analyses demonstrate a direct correlation between helical content of the coiled-coil domains in isolation and binding affinity for p66α. Furthermore, complementary electrostatic surface potentials and inherent helical content of each peptide are necessary to maintain high-affinity association. These factors lead to a binding affinity hierarchy of p66α for the different MBD2 homologues (MBD2 ≈ MBD3 > MBD3L1 ≈ MBD3L2) and suggest a hierarchical regulatory model in tissue and life cycle stage-specific silencing by NuRD complexes.
Body Count: Autobiographies by Women Living with Breast Cancer

L'A. tente de mettre en perspective le discours et l'iconographie vehicules aux Etats-Unis sur le cancer du sein avec les enjeux englobants de la representation du corps feminin dans la culture nord-americaine. Elle soutient que le discours dominant sur le cancer du sein demande aux representations des femmes ayant un cancer du sein (ou ayant subi une mastectomie) de repondre aux memes exigences de la culture occidentale que d'autres representations du corps feminin, et plus particulierement des representations de la poitrine feminine - une poitrine normalisee, officielle. Elle insiste notamment sur l'importance de faire apparaitre dans la sphere publique la diversite des experiences et des recits des femmes vivant avec un cancer du sein.
Germ-line variant of human NTH1 DNA glycosylase induces genomic instability and cellular transformation

Base excision repair (BER) removes at least 20,000 DNA lesions per human cell per day and is critical for the maintenance of genomic stability. We hypothesize that aberrant BER, resulting from mutations in BER genes, can lead to genomic instability and cancer. The first step in BER is catalyzed by DNA N-glycosylases. One of these, nth endonuclease III-like (NTH1), removes oxidized pyrimidines from DNA, including thymine glycol. The rs3087468 single nucleotide polymorphism of the NTH1 gene is a G-to-T base substitution that results in the NTH1 D239Y variant protein that occurs in ∼6.2% of the global population and is found in Europeans, Asians, and sub-Saharan Africans. In this study, we functionally characterize the effect of the D239Y variant expressed in immortal but nontransformed human and mouse mammary epithelial cells. We demonstrate that expression of the D239Y variant in cells also expressing wild-type NTH1 leads to genomic instability and cellular transformation as assessed by anchorage-independent growth, focus formation, invasion, and chromosomal aberrations. We also show that cells expressing the D239Y variant are sensitive to ionizing radiation and hydrogen peroxide and accumulate double strand breaks after treatment with these agents. The DNA damage response is also activated in D239Y-expressing cells. In combination, our data suggest that individuals possessing the D239Y variant are at risk for genomic instability and cancer.
Genetic polymorphisms in XRCC1 associated with radiation therapy in prostate cancer

Radiation therapy is a potentially curative, important treatment option in localized prostate cancer. However, at 8 years after radiation therapy, even in the best risk subset of patients, approximately 10% of patients will experience clinical disease recurrence. The identification of molecular markers of treatment success or failure may allow for the development of strategies to further improve treatment outcomes. Herein, we investigated five molecular markers of DNA repair. 513 patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), including 284 patients who received radiotherapy, 229 patients without radiotherapy and 152 healthy individuals were genotyped for five polymorphisms in DNA excision repair genes:ERCC1 N118N (500C>T), XPD K751Q (2282A>C), XRCC1 R194W (685C>T), XRCC1 R399Q (1301G>A) and PARP1 V762A(2446T>C). The distribution of genetic polymorphisms in the patients with CRPC and in healthy controls was compared,and the association between the polymorphisms and overall survival was investigated. The polymorphisms evaluated did not show differences between the patient group and the healthy controls, nor did they show a trend toward an association with survival. However, in the radiation treated subgroup, the median survival time was associated with the XRCC1 haplotype. The median survival time was 11.75 years for patients with the R399Q AA /R194W CC haplotype,12.17 years for patients with the R399Q AG/R194W CC haplotype, 6.665 years for patients with the R399Q AG/R194WCT haplotype, and 6.21 years for patients with the R399Q GG/R194W CT haplotype (p = 0.034). This association was not found when all patients were investigated. We conclude that the genetic polymorphisms in XRCC1 may affect the outcome in patients who received radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer.