cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adhesion molecules--Part II: Blood vessels and blood cells.

Maintaining vascular integrity and defending against invasive pathogens require the rapid regulation of adhesive interactions among blood cells and between blood cells and the vessel wall. Control of these mechanisms depends on the activation of adhesion receptors that are already present on resting blood cells and endothelium, or the expression of new receptors on the cell surface. Some functional overlap of adhesion receptors and their ligands adds a measure of safety to the repair and defense systems, but defective adhesion can occur and cause tissue injury or disrupt homeostasis of the vascular system. The process that allows the extravasation of . . .
The Role of Diet and Nutrition in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is currently the leading global cause of cancer death, accounting for 18 % of all cancer deaths (CA Cancer J Clin; 61(2):69–90, 2011). The global lung cancer epidemic is largely due to a single predominant cause: cigarette smoking. In addition to cigarette smoking and other forms of combustible tobacco, many other environmental risk factors and clinical risk indicators for lung cancer have been identified. The potential influence of dietary factors on lung cancer risk has been a topic of considerable interest in recent decades, and a substantial body of evidence has now been generated on this topic.
Analog of superradiant emission in thermal emitters

When wave effects of thermal photons become significant, thermal emitters can exhibit intriguing coherent effects. Here, we show that the superradiant emission, which was originally found in quantum emitters, can be realized in resonant thermal emitters. Similar to the superradiance in quantum emitters, the in-phase oscillation of resonant emitters reduces the lifetime of thermal photons in the emitters. Unlike the atomic superradiance, one remarkable consequence of the thermal superradiance is the anomalous power scaling, where the emission power can scale inversely with the number of thermal emitters. More thermal emitters generate less power due to the coherent interference of thermal photons.
Experimental synthesis and stability of tourmaline: a historical overview

Experiments with tourmaline-group minerals began with synthesis, and later, synthesis with the aim of defining pressure–temperature limits on the stability fields of end-member compositions. As a result, experiments have confirmed what has been evident from natural occurrences, that the common tourmaline-group minerals (solid solutions among schorl, dravite, olenite, foitite and, to a lesser extent, uvite) can be stable from the conditions of diagenesis through the granulite facies. However, the stability field of elbaite, the most common Li-rich species, is not known with any certainty, and most attempts at its synthesis have been unsuccessful. No tourmaline-group mineral has yet been synthesized at atmospheric pressures. A second wave of experimentation focused on the chemical attributes of environments that determine the composition and stability of tourmaline. Most notably, the stability (saturation) of tourmaline has been related to the boron content of melts and fluids, to aluminosity of melt and alkalinity of fluid, to the activities of Y -site cations, oxidation state, and activities of H 2 O and F in fluids and melts. As a result, the chemical stability of common tourmaline compositions can now be explained in terms of the activity or concentration products of the constituent chemical components for each structural site. Experimental studies of isotopic exchange between tourmaline and aqueous fluid have focused mostly on Δ 11 B tourmaline–vapor. There is one experimental study of ΔD tourmaline–vapor, but Δ 18 O tourmaline–vapor or melt has not yet been measured. The absence of an experimental calibration Δ 18 O tourmaline–vapor or tourmaline–melt is a major limitation on the utilization of tourmaline for geothermometric purposes.
Primary biliary cirrhosis. Observations on the natural course of the disease in 25 women.

The natural course of primary biliary cirrhosis of unknown etiology has been described by presenting the case histories of 25 adult women seen during a 12-year period on the medical service of a teaching hospital. Twenty patients have died; autopsy data available in 12 patients have been briefly reviewed. Sixteen patients died as the result of bleeding esophageal varices or liver failure or a combination of the two processes. The disease lasted from 2 to 18 years (average 8 years) in the fatal cases. In the patients still surviving, the disease has existed from 3 to 11 years. This series of cases exhibited the following features of interest: xanthelasma and xanthoma (5 instances, severe and generalized in one); bone pain (3 instances); disappearance of arthritis (2 instances); intensification of jaundice following portacaval shunt (3 instances); transitory increase in jaundice following operative cholangiography (5 of 12 instances); development of hemochromatosis 10 months after a portacaval shunt (1 instance). The relentless course of the disease was not influenced by any therapeutic measure employed.
Applying matrix factorization in data reconstruction for heart disease patient classification

Heart disease is one of the most severe health illnesses. Developing accurate and efficient methods to diagnose heart disease is crucial in providing good heart healthcare to patients. In this paper, a data mining based technique for diagnosing heart disease is introduced, in which heart disease related patient data sets are utilized. A matrix factorization based technique for missing data reconstruction is presented. Numerical results show that recovery data sets are able to achieve reliable diagnosis or classification performance comparable to using original completed patient datasets.
Calcium activation mechanisms in the renal microvascular response to extracellular ATP

Previous studies have suggested a paracrine role for extracellular ATP in the regulation of afferent arteriolar tone. The current study was conducted to determine the dependence of this response on calcium entry mechanisms. Experiments were performed in vitro using the blood-perfused juxtamedullary nephron technique combined with video microscopy. The afferent arteriolar response to alpha, beta-methylene ATP was determined before and after treatment with the calcium channel blockers, diltiazem or felodipine. alpha, beta-Methylene ATP was used to obviate concerns over responses being elicited by ATP or by ATP hydrolysis products such as adenosine. Previous studies have shown that afferent arteriolar responses to alpha, beta-methylene ATP are comparable to those elicited by ATP. alpha, beta-Methylene ATP (1.0 microM) induced a rapid initial afferent vasoconstriction of 72.5 +/- 10.6%, which partially recovered to a stable diameter 11.3 +/- 1.7% smaller than control (P < 0.01 vs control). Afferent diameter returned to control diameter on removal of ATP from the bath. Diltiazem or felodipine treatment significantly increased afferent diameter by 5.6 +/- 2.3 and 16.4 +/- 4.6%, respectively (P < 0.05). In the presence of either diltiazem or felodipine, the initial vasoconstriction to alpha, beta-methylene ATP was attenuated, and the sustained vasoconstriction was completely blocked. Removal of calcium from the extracellular medium completely abolished both the initial and sustained vasoconstrictor response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Exchange Processes in Shibasaki’s Rare Earth Alkali Metal BINOLate Frameworks and Their Relevance in Multifunctional Asymmetric Catalysis

Shibasaki’s rare earth alkali metal BINOLate (REMB) catalysts (REMB; RE = Sc, Y, La – Lu; M = Li, Na, K; B = 1,1-bi-2-naphtholate; RE/M/B = 1/3/3) are among the most successful enantioselective catalysts and have been employed in a broad range of mechanistically diverse reactions. Despite the phenomenal success of these catalysts, several fundamental questions central to their reactivity remain unresolved. Combined reactivity and spectroscopic studies were undertaken to probe the identity of the active catalyst(s) in Lewis-acid (LA) and Lewis-acid/Bronsted-base (LA/BB) catalyzed reactions. Exchange spectroscopy provided a method to obtain rates of ligand and alkali metal self-exchange in the RE/Li frameworks, demonstrating the utility of this technique for probing solution dynamics of REMB catalysts. Isolation of the first crystallographically characterized REMB complex with substrate bound enabled stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity studies, wherein we observed that substrate deprotonation by the cat...
Signed social structure optimization for shift assignment in the nurse scheduling problem

Abstract This paper develops a mathematical framework that relies on modern social network analysis theories for treating the nurse team formation and nurse scheduling (shift assignment) problems, accounting for signed social connections. These problems lie in assigning nurses to teams/shifts such that the constraints regarding both the working regulations and nurses preferences are satisfied. Recent research indicates the dependence of nursing team performance on team social structure; however, so far, the social structure considerations have not been explicitly incorporated into the mathematical formulations of the nurse scheduling problem. The presented framework introduces models that quantitatively exploit such dependence. This paper explores instances of Nurse Team Formation Problem (NTFP) and Nurse Scheduling Problem (NSP) incorporating signed social structure with the measures based on such network structures as edges, full dyads, triplets, k-stars, balanced and unbalanced triangles, etc., in directed, signed networks. The paper presents the integer programming formulations for NTFP and NSP, and a problem-specific heuristic that performs variable-depth neighborhood search to tackle NTFP instances with signed social structures. Computational results for a real-world problem instance with 20 nurses are reported. The insights obtained from the presented framework and future research directions are discussed.
Alienation and a Challenge to Authority in Childbirth

A full-page color newspaper and billboard advertisement for the regional hospital during the course of the research study read:What is the relevance of this ad to a study on doula care in childbirth? Is it important to understand why a particular part of a hospital markets to patients and what that marketing is trying to portray? The answer is yes because this ad portrays two important elements about birth in the USA: First, women are viewed as the consumers of childbirth as opposed to the producers. Second, that the medical model, and technology specifically, imposes an authority over the domain of childbirth, limiting women’s own autonomy to control their own production. This chapter expands on these two arguments and explains how women have become alienated from the birthing process and their bodies devalued as an authority.
It’s Hard To Be Who You Don’t See: An Exploration of Black Male High School Students’ Perspectives on Becoming Teachers

The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of high school age Black males (N = 22) regarding factors that influence or deter their consideration of becoming teachers. Participants were enrolled in a yearlong, pre-collegiate course designed to introduce high school students to the teaching profession. Qualitative analysis of students’ interviews revealed that negative school experiences, including low expectations, racial stereotypes, and microaggressions, deterred consideration of becoming a teacher. Positive interactions with encouraging teachers and the opportunity to have direct teaching experience in the community helped students see themselves as potential future teachers. Implications for practice are discussed.
Can Patients with Known Intracranial and Intraspinal Vascular Lesions Be Anticoagulated

Known intracranial and intraspinal vascular lesions are a particularly difficult problem to manage due to their wide range in behavior, from the completely benign to the emergently malignant. That, along with the relative rarity of most of the lesions, makes it challenging to develop any evidence-based guidelines for their direct management, not to mention the management of secondary issues that arise, or unrelated medical issues whose treatment could have a major repercussion on the stability of a given lesion.
A High By Any Other Name: Exploring the Motivations for Consumption of “Legal Highs”

ABSTRACTA large number of legal, semi-legal, synthetic, and organic drugs are sold online or through commercial vendors as novelties, often labeled as “not for human consumption.” It is fairly common knowledge, however, that many, if not all, of the purchasers of such products buy them for personal use. This study conducted ethnographic interviews with 26 synthetic and organic drug users over a five month period. Using a grounded theory approach, the authors created a typology of users that fell into three general categories: Risk reducers (who saw these drugs as either safer or less likely to be detected than illegal drugs), plan “B” users (those who preferred illegal drugs but used these drugs when their preferred drugs were unavailable), and novelty seekers (who used these drugs experimentally, or simply for fun and recreation).
Austrodiplostomum sp., Bolbophorus sp. (Digenea: Diplostomidae), and Clinostomum marginatum (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae in inland silverside Menidia beryllina from catfish aquaculture ponds, with notes on the infectivity of Austrodiplostomum sp. cercariae in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus

In the southeastern USA, catfish aquaculture is burdened by predation from piscivorous birds and the digenetic trematodes they carry. In addition to cultured ictalurid fish, other forage or incidental fish species inhabit catfish production ponds. Of these, the inland silverside Menidia beryllina was recently found to harbor larval metacercariae of several trematode species. Three species of metacercariae were reported, two of which represent the first morphological descriptions of an Austrodiplostomum sp. and Bolbophorus sp. metacercaria, respectively. A total of 15 silversides were collected from a commercial catfish pond and examined for trematode infection. These fish were parasitized by metacercariae of an Austrodiplostomum sp. (100 % prevalence) in the eyes and brain, a Bolbophorus sp. (86.7 % prevalence) in the musculature, and Clinostomum marginatum (33.3 % prevalence) in the musculature and fins. All three trematode species were characterized morphologically and molecularly by sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (CO1). In addition, the internal transcribed spacer 1 region (ITS1), 5.8S rRNA gene, and ITS2 region were determined for the Bolbophorus sp., which linked this metacercaria to a Bolbophorus sp. cercaria from a planorbid snail Planorbella trivolvis and an unnamed Bolbophorus sp. adult from the American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. Furthermore, Biomphalaria havanensis snails were collected from the same pond and found actively shedding cercariae morphologically and molecularly consistent with a diplostomid cercaria reported from Bi . havanensis in catfish ponds in Mississippi, USA. Sequence comparisons deemed these cercariae conspecific to the Austrodiplostomum sp. from inland silverside described here. Channel catfish fingerlings were exposed to these cercariae at doses of 50 and 100 cercariae per fish. The infectivity of this Austrodiplostomum sp. in channel catfish was assessed at 10 and 20 days post exposure (dpe). Metacercariae were observed in both the eyes and brain of infected channel catfish, supporting molecular data that suggests the cercaria and metacercaria are both stages of a previously unidentified Austrodiplostomum sp. life cycle.
U.S. Offensive Cyber Operations in a China-U.S. Military Confrontation

While China is becoming an increasingly rich target for both tactical and strategic cyber attacks, the use of cyber operations are likely to be high escalatory, complicated by differing conceptions of deterrence and crisis management; opaque political control of cyber forces; and an expansive view of competition in cyberspace. Yet neither the United States nor China will eschew the use of offensive cyber operations so the two sides will want to consider how to prevent escalation from tactical to strategic attacks through dialogue and confidence building measures.
Effects of Changing Meteoric Precipitation Patterns on Groundwater Temperature in Karst Environments

Climate predictions indicate that precipitation patterns will change and average air temperatures will increase across much of the planet. These changes will alter surface water and groundwater temperatures which can significantly affect the local and regional environment. Here, we examine the role of precipitation timing in changes to groundwater temperature in carbonate-karst aquifers using measured groundwater level and temperature data from the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research Site, Kansas. We demonstrate that shifts to increased cool-season precipitation may mitigate the increases in groundwater temperature produced by increases in average annual air temperature. In karst, the solution-enlarged conduits allow faster and focused recharge, and the recharge-event temperature can strongly influence the groundwater temperature in the aquifer. Our field data and analysis show that predictions of future groundwater conditions in karst aquifers need to consider changes in precipitation patterns, in addition to changes to average annual air temperature.
The misleading narrative of the canonical faculty productivity trajectory

A scientist may publish tens or hundreds of papers over a career, but these contributions are not evenly spaced in time. Sixty years of studies on career productivity patterns in a variety of fields suggest an intuitive and universal pattern: Productivity tends to rise rapidly to an early peak and then gradually declines. Here, we test the universality of this conventional narrative by analyzing the structures of individual faculty productivity time series, constructed from over 200,000 publications and matched with hiring data for 2,453 tenure-track faculty in all 205 PhD-granting computer science departments in the United States and Canada. Unlike prior studies, which considered only some faculty or some institutions, or lacked common career reference points, here we combine a large bibliographic dataset with comprehensive information on career transitions that covers an entire field of study. We show that the conventional narrative confidently describes only one-fifth of faculty, regardless of department prestige or researcher gender, and the remaining four-fifths of faculty exhibit a rich diversity of productivity patterns. To explain this diversity, we introduce a simple model of productivity trajectories and explore correlations between its parameters and researcher covariates, showing that departmental prestige predicts overall individual productivity and the timing of the transition from first- to last-author publications. These results demonstrate the unpredictability of productivity over time and open the door for new efforts to understand how environmental and individual factors shape scientific productivity.
Afro-Iranian Lives

These two films will be of great interest for Iranian Studies scholars, students, and the thirsty-for-knowledge public. They help open the way for a neglected but now emerging area of investigation...
Defining “Church” in American Law

Balancing the autonomy of religious organizations against regulatory laws remains both a difficult and hotly contested issue. It is helpful to survey labor, property, tax, and education laws to illustrate the tensions between religion and government in American law. Labor law cases show the autonomy of religious organizations concerning governmental regulations through the National Labor Relations Act and Title VII. In regard to church property, the government has an interest in regulating how religious organizations buy and sell land, run day care centers and food kitchens, raise and borrow money, commit torts, and enter into contracts. Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code provides tax-exempt status for churches, integrated auxiliaries of churches, and charitable organizations. The IRS has promulgated numerous factors to distinguish among these three organizations. Although parents have the right to send their children to religious schools, the assistance they can obtain from the state to effectuate that choice is limited. The Supreme Court has decided a number of cases involving both the extent of religious symbolism and accommodation in public schools and the extent of aid to religious schools. These cases and laws show that although American law zealously guards the autonomy of religious organizations, it does not grant those organizations the right to be a law unto themselves.
Back Muscle Morphometry: Effects on Outcomes of Spine Surgery

Background This review seeks to synthesize emerging literature on the effects of back muscle size on outcomes in spine surgery. Risk factors that contribute to poor surgical outcomes continue to be an area of interest in spine surgery because proper risk stratification can result in reduction in morbidity and enhanced patient care. However, the impact of muscle size on spine surgical outcomes is an understudied avenue with paucity of data evaluating the relationship among back muscles and surgical outcomes, patient's quality of life, and functional improvement postoperatively. Methods This review was centered around identifying studies that assessed the impact of back muscle size on spine surgery outcomes. Results Five retrospective studies were selected for review. All studies set out to see if differences in muscle size existed in patients with disparate post-operative outcomes as a primary objective. The studies support the association between larger back muscles and improved outcomes. The size and relative cross sectional area of paraspinal muscles and the size of the psoas muscle were associated with functional outcomes, incidence of complications and also fusion rates. Conclusion With reduction in surgical complications and improvement in postoperative functional outcomes, back muscle morphometry ought to be included in the preoperative surgical planning as a predictor of outcomes.
Vulnerability and Risk Analysis of Two Commercial Browser and Cloud Based Password Managers

Web users are confronted with the daunting challenges of managing more and more passwords to protect their valuable assets on different online services. Password manager is one of the most popular solutions designed to address such challenges by saving users’ passwords and later auto-filling the login forms on behalf of users. All the major browser vendors have provided password manager as a built-in feature; third-party vendors have also provided many password managers. In this paper, we analyze the security of two very popular commercial password managers: LastPass and RoboForm. Both of them are Browser and Cloud based Password Managers (BCPMs), and both of them have millions of active users worldwide. We investigate the security design and implementation of these two BCPMs with the focus on their underlying cryptographic mechanisms. We identify several critical, high, and medium risk level vulnerabilities that could be exploited by different types of attackers to break the security of these two BCPMs. Moreover, we provide some general suggestions to help improve the security design of these and similar BCPMs. We hope our analysis and suggestions could also be valuable to other cloud-based data security products and research.
Entropy stable high order discontinuous Galerkin methods with suitable quadrature rules for hyperbolic conservation laws

Abstract It is well known that semi-discrete high order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods satisfy cell entropy inequalities for the square entropy for both scalar conservation laws (Jiang and Shu (1994) [39] ) and symmetric hyperbolic systems (Hou and Liu (2007) [36] ), in any space dimension and for any triangulations. However, this property holds only for the square entropy and the integrations in the DG methods must be exact. It is significantly more difficult to design DG methods to satisfy entropy inequalities for a non-square convex entropy, and/or when the integration is approximated by a numerical quadrature. In this paper, we develop a unified framework for designing high order DG methods which will satisfy entropy inequalities for any given single convex entropy, through suitable numerical quadrature which is specific to this given entropy. Our framework applies from one-dimensional scalar cases all the way to multi-dimensional systems of conservation laws. For the one-dimensional case, our numerical quadrature is based on the methodology established in Carpenter et al. (2014) [5] and Gassner (2013) [19] . The main ingredients are summation-by-parts (SBP) operators derived from Legendre Gauss–Lobatto quadrature, the entropy conservative flux within elements, and the entropy stable flux at element interfaces. We then generalize the scheme to two-dimensional triangular meshes by constructing SBP operators on triangles based on a special quadrature rule. A local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) type treatment is also incorporated to achieve the generalization to convection–diffusion equations. Extensive numerical experiments are performed to validate the accuracy and shock capturing efficacy of these entropy stable DG methods.
Stabilize Home Mortgage Borrowers, and the Financial System Will Follow

To halt the Great Depression, the federal government nullified all clauses in contracts that pegged debt to the price of gold. By taking these contracts off the gold standard, debts were reduced by roughly 40 percent. Economist Randall Kroszner, now a governor on the Federal Reserve Board, examined the effects of this sweeping debt reduction and found that both stocks and bonds responded favorably. Investors and creditors decided that the elimination of debt overhang and the avoidance of threatened corporate bankruptcies more than offset the cost to creditors of receiving 60 cents on the dollar. And the taxpayer did not pay a penny.This trick could only be performed once, now that gold clauses are out. So is there a way to eliminate today's mortgage debt overhang, staunch foreclosures, and restore liquidity and stability in our financial markets? Yes. We have not yet used our most potent weapon against the crisis: eminent domain.
Keeping time without a spine: what can the insect clock teach us about seasonal adaptation?

Seasonal change in daylength (photoperiod) is widely used by insects to regulate temporal patterns of development and behaviour, including the timing of diapause (dormancy) and migration. Flexibility of the photoperiodic response is critical for rapid shifts to new hosts, survival in the face of global climate change and to reproductive isolation. At the same time, the daily circadian clock is also essential for development, diapause and multiple behaviours, including correct flight orientation during long-distance migration. Although studied for decades, how these two critical biological timing mechanisms are integrated is poorly understood, in part because the core circadian clock genes are all transcription factors or regulators that are able to exert multiple effects throughout the genome. In this chapter, we discuss clocks in the wild from the perspective of diverse insect groups across eco-geographic contexts from the Antarctic to the tropical regions of Earth. Application of the expanding tool box of molecular techniques will lead us to distinguish universal from unique mechanisms underlying the evolution of circadian and photoperiodic timing, and their interaction across taxonomic and ecological contexts represented by insects. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals’.
Task-Driven Optimization of Fluence Field and Regularization for Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction in Computed Tomography

This paper presents a joint optimization of dynamic fluence field modulation (FFM) and regularization in quadratic penalized-likelihood reconstruction that maximizes a task-based imaging performance metric. We adopted a task-driven imaging framework for prospective designs of the imaging parameters. A maxi-min objective function was adopted to maximize the minimum detectability index ( ${d}\,'$ ) throughout the image. The optimization algorithm alternates between FFM (represented by low-dimensional basis functions) and local regularization (including the regularization strength and directional penalty weights). The task-driven approach was compared with three FFM strategies commonly proposed for FBP reconstruction (as well as a task-driven TCM strategy) for a discrimination task in an abdomen phantom. The task-driven FFM assigned more fluence to less attenuating anteroposterior views and yielded approximately constant fluence behind the object. The optimal regularization was almost uniform throughout image. Furthermore, the task-driven FFM strategy redistribute fluence across detector elements in order to prescribe more fluence to the more attenuating central region of the phantom. Compared with all strategies, the task-driven FFM strategy not only improved minimum ${d}\,'$ by at least 17.8%, but yielded higher ${d}\,'$ over a large area inside the object. The optimal FFM was highly dependent on the amount of regularization, indicating the importance of a joint optimization. Sample reconstructions of simulated data generally support the performance estimates based on computed ${d}\,'$ . The improvements in detectability show the potential of the task-driven imaging framework to improve imaging performance at a fixed dose, or, equivalently, to provide a similar level of performance at reduced dose.
Utilizing Indigenous Volunteers and Paraprofessionals for Disability Advocacy and Service in Rural America

There are disproportionately more people with disabilities in rural and frontier areas of the United States. Newly released data on disability in America show that the prevalence of impairments leading to disability is significantly higher in nonmetropolitan counties than in metropolitan counties. The numbers indicate that while approximately 13.4% of urban population have disabilities, the rate of disability in rural areas amounts to 16.5% of the population (Mattingly, & Stransky, (2009). Rural America and the South have the highest percent of veterans with service-related disabilities. Carsey Institute. Retrieved from http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/FS-Mattingly-Military-Disabilities-2009.pdf , RTC Rural. (2014). Map facts: Disability in Rural America. Retrieved from http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/_rtcBlog/wp-content/uploads/MapFacts.pdf ). Due to distance from state vocational rehabilitation (VR) offices which are typically located in urban or suburban areas, lack of public transportation services to urban areas, and challenging road and weather conditions, rural people with disabilities do not have the same access to VR services as their metropolitan counterparts. In the same token, rehabilitation counselors are unable to reach or adequately serve rural people with disabilities. Utilization of rural-based volunteers and paraprofessionals is a potentially viable approach to closing the service gap. Those nonprofessionals, indigenous to the rural culture and climate, may be well situated to provide VR services, support, and advocacy for people with disabilities in rural America who are currently significantly underserved.
Adding Facets to TNF Signaling: The JNK Angle

In the October 3 issue of Cell, Deng et al. (2003) report that a JNK-dependent mitochondrial signal, the release of Smac/DIABLO, is required for TNF-induced caspase 8 activation and apoptosis. This process is interceded by a novel processed form of the BH3 only protein Bid.
Adaptive Dynamic Simulations for Distribution Systems Using Multistate Load Models

The deployment of new sensors and devices on electric distribution systems is increasing the awareness of phenomena characterized by intermittent periods of highly dynamic activity that occur within extended periods of relatively static behavior. The deployment of new devices has enabled the observation of these phenomena; however, the currently available simulation methods cannot accurately reproduce the entire system behavior. Existing simulation methods, and their associated models, are able to capture portions of these phenomena, but there is not a method for efficiently modeling the entire event in a single simulation. This paper presents a novel method of adaptive simulation that enables automated transitions between quasi-static time-series and electromechancial simulation modes, as necessary to capture relevant system dynamics. The transitions between the simulation modes are triggered automatically during the running simulation based on the evolution of the system variables, utilizing multistate modes for generators and motors. This method allows for a single simulation that spans the entire time-frame, has the ability to capture dynamic events, and includes all relevant power system controls. The method of adaptive simulation can support the direct analysis of dynamic power system events, co-simulation of transmission and distribution systems, the development of control systems, and the development of reduced-order models.
Human GUCY2C-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-Expressing T Cells Eliminate Colorectal Cancer Metastases

One major hurdle to the success of adoptive T-cell therapy is the identification of antigens that permit effective targeting of tumors in the absence of toxicities to essential organs. Previous work has demonstrated that T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T cells) targeting the murine homolog of the colorectal cancer antigen GUCY2C treat established colorectal cancer metastases, without toxicity to the normal GUCY2C-expressing intestinal epithelium, reflecting structural compartmentalization of endogenous GUCY2C to apical membranes comprising the intestinal lumen. Here, we examined the utility of a human-specific, GUCY2C-directed scFv as the basis for a CAR construct targeting human GUCY2C-expressing metastases. Human GUCY2C-targeted murine CAR-T cells promoted antigen-dependent T-cell activation quantified by activation marker upregulation, cytokine production, and killing of GUCY2C-expressing, but not GUCY2C-deficient, cancer cells in vitro. GUCY2C CAR-T cells provided long-term protection against lung metastases of murine colorectal cancer cells engineered to express human GUCY2C in a syngeneic mouse model. GUCY2C murine CAR-T cells recognized and killed human colorectal cancer cells endogenously expressing GUCY2C, providing durable survival in a human xenograft model in immunodeficient mice. Thus, we have identified a human GUCY2C-specific CAR-T cell therapy approach that may be developed for the treatment of GUCY2C-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer.
The convergence theory for vitiligo: A reappraisal

Vitiligo is characterized by progressive loss of skin pigmentation. The search for aetiologic factors has led to the biochemical, the neurologic and the autoimmune theory. The convergence theory was then proposed several years ago to incorporate existing theories of vitiligo development into a single overview of vitiligo aetiology. The viewpoint that vitiligo is not caused only by predisposing mutations, or only by melanocytes responding to chemical/radiation exposure, or only by hyperreactive T cells, but rather results from a combination of aetiologic factors that impact melanocyte viability, has certainly stood the test of time. New findings have since informed the description of progressive depigmentation. Understanding the relative importance of such aetiologic factors combined with a careful selection of the most targetable pathways will continue to drive the next phase in vitiligo research: the development of effective therapeutics. In that arena, it is likewise important to acknowledge that pathways affected in some patients may not be altered in others. Taken together, the convergence theory continues to provide a comprehensive viewpoint of vitiligo aetiology. The theory serves to intertwine aetiologic pathways and will help to define pathways amenable to disease intervention in individual patients.
Hunger, Food Cravings, and Diet Satisfaction are Related to Changes in Body Weight During a 6-Month Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention: The Beef WISE Study

Previously published findings from the Beef WISE Study (Beef's Role in Weight Improvement, Satisfaction, and Energy) indicated equivalent weight loss between two energy-restricted higher protein (HP) diets: A HP diet with ≥4 weekly servings of lean beef (B; n = 60) and a HP diet restricted in all red meats (NB; n = 60). Long-term adherence to dietary prescriptions is critical for weight management but may be adversely affected by changes in appetite, food cravings, and diet satisfaction that often accompany weight loss. A secondary a priori aim of the Beef WISE Study was to compare subjective ratings of appetite (hunger and fullness), food cravings, and diet satisfaction (compliance, satisfaction, and deprivation) between the diets and determine whether these factors influenced weight loss. Subjective appetite, food cravings, and diet satisfaction ratings were collected throughout the intervention, and body weight was measured at the baseline, after the weight loss intervention (week 16), and after an eight-week follow-up period (week 24). Hunger and cravings were reduced during weight loss compared to the baseline, while fullness was not different from the baseline. The reduction in cravings was greater for B vs. NB at week 16 only. Higher deprivation ratings during weight loss were reported in NB vs. B at weeks 16 and 24, but participants in both groups reported high levels of compliance and diet satisfaction with no difference between groups. Independent of group assignment, higher baseline hunger and cravings were associated with less weight loss, and greater diet compliance, diet satisfaction, and lower feelings of deprivation were associated with greater weight loss. Strategies to promote reduced feelings of hunger, cravings, and deprivation may increase adherence to dietary prescriptions and improve behavioral weight loss outcomes.
Inclusion-type insect viruses.

The best known insect viruses cause the formation of inclusions in the cells they infect. They were first observed in the mid-nineteenth century and since then have received considerable attention from entomologists and microbiologists. In recent years, several authors have reviewed studies on this group of viruses (Bergold, 1958; Aizawa, 1963; Smith, 1963; Huger, 1963) and the present review will be concerned more specifically with structure and chemistry, the infection process, quantitative virus-host relationships and the natural occurrence of viruses in their host populations. The nuclear-polyhedroses of Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera (Sawflies), the cytoplasmic polyhedroses of Lepidoptera and the granuloses of Lepidoptera are discussed in detail.
An experimental investigation of crack-path directional stability

Using the criterion that a crack will extend perpendicular to the maximum circumferential stress,σθ, we show that the directional stability of crack growth is governed by the location of microcrack initiation ahead of the crack tip. At distances greater than a geometrical radiusro, the maximum value ofσθ deviates from the position of symmetry. Thus, if we assume that the physical processes involved in fracture lead to crack initiation at a distancerc ahead of the crack tip, the criterion for directional stability isro>rc. Experimental and theoretical values ofro verify that, asro becomes small, the crack's directional stability deteriorates.
Metals in Black Shales

Shales that are rich in organic matter occur throughout the geologic record, but special conditions are responsible for their occurrence (Tourtelot, 1979). Before considering organic matter- and metal-rich shales, some background information is necessary. A shale is a sedimentary rock that is composed of small (mostly less than 0.1 mm) particles dominated by phyllosilicate (clay) minerals and containing subordinate amounts of quartz, carbonate, and phosphate minerals and, in some cases, organic matter and pyrite [for a discussion, see Spears (1980)]. Usually, the only detrital minerals are quartz and kaolinite; the others are authigenic. Organic-rich shales often show bedding laminations ranging from less than millimeter to centimeter thickness that are the result of size sorting, organic content, or pyrite layers, caused by changes in depositional environment. Shales can be formed in fresh, brackish, marine, or hypersaline water bodies, but most of the examples in this chapter are from the marine environment (Degens, 1965). The organic matter in shales is mainly a macromolecular “geopolymer” called kerogen (Hunt, 1979) that is insoluble (in normal organic solvents and nonoxidizing inorganic acids and bases).
The Relationship between Fundus Lesions and Areas of Functional Change

A simple scheme, applicable to central visual field studies, has been developed for relating fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms to visual field test position. As interest in relating observed anatomical change with functional alterations evolves in many laboratories, it becomes important to consider the degree of congruence between observed lesions and functional changes. Evidence for disparity in area of involvement using tests of visual function and observed retinal involvement will be presented. Actually both approaches complement each other as means of characterizing an anomaly.
SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA ASSOCIATED WITH A DENTIGEROUS CYST OF THE MAXILLA. REVIEW AND REPORT OF A CASE.

Abstract Neoplastic changes within simple odontogenic cysts appear to be a rare but definite entity. Current American and foreign literature contains several well-documented cases of this condition. One case of early, well-differentiated malignant change within a chronic inflamed odontogenic cyst has been presented.
The Mongols & The Islamic World: From Conquest to Conversion. By Peter Jackson. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2017. Pp. 614. $40.00.)

Only a scholar with years of experience could possibly have composed this magisterial work. Peter Jackson's decades of painstaking research on the Mongols, the medieval world, and northern India ar...
Using anxiolytics in a pediatric otolaryngology clinic to avoid the operating room.

Abstract Introduction There is increasing concern regarding the risks associated with the use of general anesthesia in pediatric patients. Many otolaryngologic procedures performed under general anesthesia can also be performed in clinic. We hypothesize that anxiolytics can aid in performing common procedures in clinic thus avoiding the need to undergo general anesthesia in the OR. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing inoffice procedures with anxiolytics in our pediatric otolaryngology outpatient clinic between February 2013 and January 2017. Charts were reviewed for age, past medical history, procedure type/duration, and outcome. These results were then compared to a cohort undergoing similar procedures in the OR. Results A total of 34 patients underwent an in-office procedure with an anxiolytic. The success rate was 97% (33/34). The average age was 6.2 years. Six children (17%) had a known history of chromosomal abnormalities and 2 children (6%) had autism. The four most common procedures performed were cerumen impaction removal (8), flexible laryngoscopy (6), ear canal foreign body removal (5), and septal cautery (4). Performing similar procedures in the OR resulted in an average additional cost of $822. Conclusions Performing procedures with anxiolytics in a pediatric otolaryngology clinic is safe, expeditious, and cost-effective. Anxiolytics can provide an effective alternative to general anesthesia.
Axion-Dilaton Destabilization and the Hubble Tension

Abstract The discrepancy in measurements of the Hubble constant indicates new physics in dark energy, dark matter, or both. Drawing inspiration from string theory, where axions interact with the other moduli fields, including the dilaton, here we demonstrate that the dynamics of an interacting dilaton and axion naturally realizes the proposal of Early Dark Energy. In this setup, stabilization of the dilaton is in part due to the axion, and in the early universe the dilaton contributes to dark energy. The combined axion-dilaton system is destabilized when the Hubble constant falls below the mass of the axion, triggering a phase of fast-roll evolution of the dilaton wherein its equation of state is w = 1 , and the early dark energy redshifts away as a − 6 .
Impact of inflammatory signaling on radiation biodosimetry: mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease

Ionizing Radiation (IR) is a known pro-inflammatory agent and in the process of development of biomarkers for radiation biodosimetry, a chronic inflammatory disease condition could act as a confounding factor. Hence, it is important to develop radiation signatures that can distinguish between IR-induced inflammatory responses and pre-existing disease. In this study, we compared the gene expression response of a genetically modified mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (Il10−/−) with that of a normal wild-type mouse to potentially develop transcriptomics-based biodosimetry markers that can predict radiation exposure in individuals regardless of pre-existing inflammatory condition. Wild-type (WT) and Il10−/− mice were exposed to whole body irradiation of 7 Gy X-rays. Gene expression responses were studied using high throughput whole genome microarrays in peripheral blood 24 h post-irradiation. Analysis resulted in identification of 1962 and 1844 genes differentially expressed (p < 0.001, FDR < 10%) after radiation exposure in Il10−/− and WT mice respectively. A set of 155 genes was also identified as differentially expressed between WT and Il10−/− mice at the baseline pre-irradiation level. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the 155 baseline differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in inflammatory response, glutathione metabolism and collagen deposition. Analysis of radiation responsive genes revealed that innate immune response and p53 signaling processes were strongly associated with up-regulated genes, whereas B-cell development process was found to be significant amongst downregulated genes in the two genotypes. However, specific immune response pathways like MHC based antigen presentation, interferon signaling and hepatic fibrosis were associated with radiation responsive genes in Il10−/− mice but not WT mice. Further analysis using the IPA prediction tool revealed significant differences in the predicted activation status of T-cell mediated signaling as well as regulators of inflammation between WT and Il10−/− after irradiation. Using a mouse model we established that an inflammatory disease condition could affect the expression of many radiation responsive genes. Nevertheless, we identified a panel of genes that, regardless of disease condition, could predict radiation exposure. Our results highlight the need for consideration of pre-existing conditions in the population in the process of development of reliable biodosimetry markers.