cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rural Enrollment in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace

Purpose We sought to examine the demographic, market, and policy-related factors influencing first year enrollment rates for the population targeted by the Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) established as part of the Affordable Care Act. In particular, we analyzed differences in enrollment rates across urban and rural counties in 32 states served by the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. Methods We used enrollment data from the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the US Department of Health and Human Services and demographic data from the American Community Survey, supplemented with other market and policy-related information. Using multivariate regression, we investigated how county-level enrollment rates are associated with demographic, market and policy-related characteristics, including rurality. Findings Relative to an adjusted mean enrollment rate of 17.1% for large metropolitan counties, small metropolitan counties have a 2.8% lower enrollment rate and rural counties have a 2.7% lower enrollment rate. States’ decisions to expand Medicaid and to have the federal government fully manage the HIM are both negatively associated with enrollment rates. Partnership HIMs exhibit a positive association with enrollment rates as do navigator grants, but the latter relationship is only present in counties located in Medicaid expansion states. Conclusions Enrollment rates vary by rurality, but differences are statistically significant only between large metropolitan counties and all other types of counties—small metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore. State-level policies, particularly Medicaid expansion, have the largest association with enrollment rates among the explanatory variables examined in the model.
The Costs and Benefits of Consuming

Consuming is defined as behavior whereby entropy is increased in exchange for existential or experiential rewards. Existential rewards are well known—for example, the satisfaction of Maslowian needs. But experiential rewards are perhaps just as important: these refer to the temporary improvement in positive mood people experience when they are acting in goal‐directed, purposeful ways. Consuming is one way for obtaining such experiences. It is suggested that in order to evaluate the impact of consuming it is necessary to measure the entropy costs of the behavior balanced against the psychic benefits it provides.
Learning Experiences of Senior Travellers

Growing numbers of older adults are choosing to travel each year. Most research on older travellers focuses on how to market travel opportunities to this age segment. The purpose of this investigation was to examine learning experiences of older adults during travel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of eight individuals ranging in ages from 56 to 89. Questions were directed at the nature of significant travel experiences and what they learned. Four themes emerged from the data: learning about personal character, learning about trust, learning about the world, and learning about home.
Use of cultured cells to study alcohol metabolism.

The use of cells grown in the laboratory (i.e., cultured cells) in alcohol research has many advantages. Among these are the ability to investigate individual metabolic pathways, the ability to precisely control exposure to ethanol and its metabolites in the absence of confounding variables, and the uniformity of genetically identical (i.e., clonal) cell lines. Additionally, because of the cost and relative ease of culturing large quantities of cells, many more experimental replicas may be performed to confirm findings. As described in this article, the use of cultured cells has contributed greatly to the understanding of the mechanisms by which alcohol metabolism affects cells and ultimately
Comparison of self-obtained penile-meatal swabs to urine for the detection of C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae and T. vaginalis.

Background Self-obtained penile-meatal swabs and urine specimens have been used for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) for outreach screening in men. Objective To compare the sensitivity of self-collected male penile-meatal swabs and urine for the detection of CT , NG and TV . Methods Matching penile-meatal swabs and urines were collected at home after recruitment to the study; via the internet programme, http://www.iwantthekit.org. The instructions directed the participant to place the tip of a Copan flocked swab at the meatal opening of the urethra to collect the penile-meatal sample. Two ml of urine was collected after the swab onto a Copan sponge-on-a-shaft collection device. Both swab and urine were placed into individual Aptima transport media tubes and mailed to the laboratory for testing. All specimens were tested for CT and NG using the GenProbe Aptima Combo2 Assay and for TV using GenProbe Aptima Analyte Specific Reagents with TV oligonucleotides. Results Of 634 men, 86 (13.6%) were positive for CT, 9 (1.4%) were positive for NG and 56 (9.3%) positive for TV. For CT, swab sensitivity was 81/86 (94.2%), and urine sensitivity was 66/86 (76.7%). For NG, swab sensitivity was 9/9 (100%) and urine sensitivity was 8/9 (88.9%). For TV, swab sensitivity was 45/56 (80.4%) and urine sensitivity was 22/56 (39.3%). Conclusions Self-obtained penile-meatal swabs provided for the detection of more CT, NG and TV, than urine specimens.
Microdata disclosure limitation in statistical databases: query size and random sample query control

A probabilistic framework can be used to assess the risk of disclosure of confidential information in statistical databases that use disclosure control mechanisms. The authors show how the method may be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of two existing disclosure control mechanisms: the query set size restriction control and random sample query control mechanisms. Results indicate that neither scheme provides adequate security. The framework is then further exploited to analyze an alternative scheme combining query set size restriction and random sample query control. It is shown that this combination results in a significant decrease in the risk of disclosure. >
Vaccination with the Chlamydia trachomatis Major Outer Membrane Protein Can Elicit an Immune Response as Protective as That Resulting from Inoculation with Live Bacteria

BALB/c mice were vaccinated by the intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) routes with a native preparation of the Chlamydia trachomatis mouse pneumonitis (MoPn) major outer membrane protein (MOMP), using Montanide ISA 720 and CpG-1826 as adjuvants. A negative control group was immunized with ovalbumin and the two adjuvants, and a positive control group was immunized intranasally (i.n.) with 104 inclusion-forming units (IFU) of C. trachomatis. Four weeks after the last i.m.-plus-s.c. immunization, mice were challenged in the ovarian bursa with 105 IFU of C. trachomatis MoPn. Six weeks after the genital challenge, animals were mated, and the pregnancies were monitored. After vaccination with MOMP, the mice developed strong Chlamydia-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Following the genital challenge, of the mice vaccinated with the MOMP, only 15% (3/20) had positive vaginal cultures, while 85% (17/20) of the animals immunized with ovalbumin had positive cultures over the 6 weeks of observation (P 0.05). In contrast, only 10% (2/20) of the mice immunized with ovalbumin had embryos in both uterine horns (P < 0.05). In conclusion, immunization with a purified preparation of the MOMP is as effective as vaccination with viable C. trachomatis in eliciting a protective immune response against a genital challenge in mice.
A Measurement Model Approach to Estimating Community Policing Implementation

Considerable resources in the form of public expenditures, effort, and scholarship are focused on community policing, yet little attention has been given to the measurement of its implementation. T...
Topical capsaicin. The fire of a 'hot' medicine is reignited.

Importance of the field: Capsaicin and its receptor, TRPV1, occupy a central place in current neurophysiological studies regarding pain transmission and have opened new avenues for understanding the role of transient receptor potential (TRP) receptors in itch processing. Substantial efforts in drug discovery are at present directed at vanilloid receptors for finding new remedies for pain and itch.Areas covered in this review: We provide an overview of the major clinical indications of capsaicin, primarily targeting pain and itch of various origins, with an emphasis on the usefulness of capsaicin in treating pruritus and dermatological conditions. In particular, we cover the most relevant findings in recent years, from 2000 onward (although seminal discoveries and studies are discussed irrespective of their date of publication if deemed essential for understanding capsaicin's actions).What the reader will gain: Readers are offered a broad perspective on the areas of clinical application of capsaicin, empha...
Full order compensator-based feedback control of a cantilevered Euler-Bernoulli beam

This paper compares performance and robustness properties of full order linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG), MinMax, and central controllers as applied to a cantilevered Euler-Bernoulli beam. The numerical approximation of the beam is based on a Galerkin finite element scheme with cubic splines. The numerical results demonstrate that all three controllers offer comparable performance and robustness properties for this particular problem.
Determining three-phase permeability—saturation—pressure relations from two-phase system measurements

Abstract A mathematical model is outlined for fluid flow in porous media containing up to three fluid phases: air, water and nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL). Nonhysteretic saturation-pressure relations are described using a scaled parametric function, assumed to be unique to the porous medium and fluid-pair dependent scaling coefficients which scale S w ( h ow ) and S t (( h ao) in three fluid-phase systems or S w ( h aw) in two fluid-phase systems, where S w and S t are water and total liquid saturation and h ow , h ao and h aw are NPL-water, air-NAPL and air-water capillary pressures, respectively Expressions for fluid relative permeabilities are derived from the saturation-pressure functions using a generalized Kozeny-Carman-type analysis. Three methods are considered for calibration of the constitutive model from two-phase system measurements: (1) direct measurement of saturation-pressure relations in air-water, air-NAPL and NAPL-water systems, (2) direct measurement of saturation-pressure relations in a single two-phase system with scaling coefficients estimated from interfacial tension data and (3) numerical inversion of transient two-phase displacement experiments using a nonlinear optimization procedure. The three methods are evaluated for two porous media systems with p-cymene and trichloroethylene as the nonaqueous fluids.
A Verifier for Region-Annotated Java Bytecodes

This paper presents a verifier for the memory-safe execution of extended Java bytecodes that support region-based memory management and explicit deallocation primitives. The verifier reads in region-annotated bytecodes that augment the standard Java bytecodes with instructions for creating and removing memory regions, allocating objects in regions, and passing regions as parameters. The verification ensures that each region is live when objects in the region are in use and that the program does not follow dangling references. The verifier requires region-safety certificates to be provided along with the bytecodes. The verification process consists of a load-time verification of method bodies, and a lazy linkage verification of method calls. Our region system supports both regions that are not lexically scoped and dangling pointers; the verifier proposed in this paper can successfully handle both of these features. Our experiments indicate that the sizes of certificates are acceptable in practice, and that region verification incurs little run-time overhead.
An Integrated Model of Individual Web Security Behavior

Most users find security-informed decisions hard to make while utilizing web sites for social networking, online banking, or shopping. In order to solve security problems, it is critical that we understand how human factors influence users’ trust on web sites and users’ decisions involving computer security related risk. We propose an integrative model of human factors on decisions involving online security risk. The model will provide a comprehensive view of the impact of the situation and personal factors on trust, perceived security risk and web site functionality from both internal and external perspectives. The proposed model will extend existing theories by studying the human factors in terms of internal intrinsic traits such as personality, culture, risk beliefs and extrinsic factors such as experience and familiarity. Similarly it will study internal situation factors such as website performance and utility, and external situation factors such as context.
A Parametric Study of Mental Spatial Transformations of Bodies

TWO CLASSES OF MENTAL SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION CAN BE DISTINGUISHED: Object-based spatial transformations are imagined movements of objects; and egocentric perspective transformations are imagined movements of one's point of view. The hypothesis that multiple neural systems contribute to these mental imagery operations was tested with functional MRI. Participants made spatial judgments about pictures of human bodies, and brain activity was analyzed as a function of the judgment required and the time taken to respond. Areas in right temporal, occipital and parietal cortex and the medial superior cerebellum appear to be differentially involved in object-based spatial transformations. Additionally, midline structures and lateral parietal cortex were found to decrease in activity during the spatial reasoning tasks, independently of the judgment required or of the latency of response. The results are discussed in terms of a model of spatial reasoning that postulates specialized subsystems for performing object-based and egocentric perspective image transformations.
Social Media on Violent Ideological Group Websites

Recent research has shown dramatic benefits to incorporating social media in public facing websites. Using a perspective based on the duality of goals, we argue that social media, with emphasis on facilitating visitors’ unconstrained exchanges, may undermine the communicative purpose of an organization’s website and may not be desirable in some cases. We tested these ideas by examining the social media features on 105 websites that are supported by nationwide or international groups. Some of the websites are supported by ideological groups that have a strong interest in controlling their messages and clearly articulating their ideology to the public. A subset of the ideological groups also promoted or were affiliated with acts of violence in support of their ideology. As we predicted, we found that desire for control outweighed the benefits of social media, but only for the violent ideological groups. Nonviolent ideological groups and non-ideological groups were nearly identical.
Golf Fore Value: Robert Johnston

This case and its related case (UVA-QA-0731) examine both sides of a two-party negotiation, in which students are asked to find the net value of the deal. These cases fit well in negotiations courses and are suitable for both undergraduate and MBA students. This case is from the perspective of Robert Johnston, owner of Golf Fore Value. Johnston eagerly awaited David Deluna’s return to the golf shop with the clubs he was willing to trade for a new putter. Johnston already had a buyer for one of clubs that Deluna indicated could be included in the trade. Johnston had known Deluna for a number of years and was impressed by the young golfer’s skills and the respect with which he treated his clubs. As a result, Johnston was confident that he would be able to acquire used clubs with considerable resale value. In conducting the trade, Johnston wanted to maximize the profit potential of the used clubs he took in trade, being sure that it exceeded his profit on the Cameron putter.
Tread Groove Void and Developed Tread Width (Aspect Ratio): Their Joint Influence on Wet Traction

Abstract Other than treadwear testing, tires are normally evaluated for important performance features in the virgin or new state. One performance feature that changes, as the tire wears in service, is wet traction. For any given tread compound the wet traction performance is jointly influenced by the groove void level (it changes with wear) and a factor that is a function of the aspect ratio, the “developed tread width,” i.e., the actual width that contacts the road surface. Based on a comprehensive testing program, a wet traction performance parameter called the “specific discharge capacity” has been developed. This accounts for the interactive or joint influence of both of these factors and how this influence changes across a range of operating conditions (speed, pavement texture). The specific discharge capacity is especially important at high levels of “criticality”, i.e., deep water, slippery pavement, high speed.
A multi-material 3D printing approach for conformai microwave antennas

In this paper a new approach for implementing conformai antennas using direct digital manufacturing is presented. The new approach is based on fused deposition printing of a 150 micron-thick thermoplastic layer on top of Kapton tape forming a smooth, thin and flexible substrate. The antenna metallization is then printed on the smooth face of the flexible substrate using micro-dispensing, and the substrate is subsequently adhered to a 3D form. This approach represents a simple and versatile method for building microwave components as 3D structures. A 6 GHz 3D dipole is presented as an example to validate the fabrication approach. An acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) substrate (relative permittivity of 2.7 and a loss tangent of 0.008) and Dupont CB028 silver paste are used to fabricate the dipole antenna.
Potentiometric microtitration of anions with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

A new titrant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, has been evaluated for the potentiometric precipitation titration of small amounts of some large inorganic anions. Emf's were monitored with a fluoroborate ion-selective electrode and a double-junction reference electrode. The perchlorate, nitrate, and calcium electrodes also respond to the various anions. Sharp endpoint breaks were obtained for permanganate, hexafluoroarsenate, hexafluorophosphate, persulfate, tetrachloroplatinite, hexachloroplatinate, tetrachlorostannite, tetrachloroaurate, ferricyanide, tetrachloromercurate, tetrachlorothallate, hexachloroosmiate, and bismuth(III) in hydrochloric acid. Medium breaks were obtained for perrhenate, perchlorate, tetrafluoroborate, dichromate, hexafluoroantimonate, ferrocyanide, hexachlorostannate, and hexachloroiridate. Shallow breaks were obtained for iodide, periodate, and tetrachloropalladate. Because of the limited solubility of the titrant in water it cannot be used at concentrations higher than 0.01 N.
Study on work-in-process tracking and tracing to source technology for complex production patterns

By analyzing the features of plant production management under complex production patterns,bar code technology has been used to collect the workshop information of WIP which is also as the carrier of WIP tracking and tracing to source information.The tree structure has been applied to solve the blind spot of WIP tracking and tracing to source process,so that the WIP information can satisfy the Downward Traceability and Upward Traceability requirement.
The Late-Victorian Loss of Confidence

When an 1845 actuarial valuation revealed that the Oddfellows had a substantial deficit and faced the probability of future insolvency, the members reacted in one of two ways. Some heard a clarion call for reform. They demanded higher contributions and lower benefits to fortify the reserve fund and preserve their order for the future. These members accepted the accuracy of actuarial projections, believed the predictive power of forecasts of future sickness and mortality rates, and acted on the professionals’ recommendations. They believed that financial reform would further demonstrate their social respectability. Other members, suspicious of experts and doubtful that any outsider could guess the likely risks to which the Oddfellows would be exposed, decried the idea that so wealthy an organisation could be in a financial crisis of any sort, let alone of the magnitude the valuation suggested. This group criticised actuaries for making unwarranted assumptions about their finances and for ignoring the way in which lodges actually operated. Some of the dissenters seceded to form a new friendly society when successive annual movable conferences voted for a thorough actuarial reform.
Mindfulness as a Weight Loss Treatment for Veterans

Despite substantial evidence for their effectiveness in treating disordered eating and obesity, mindfulness-based treatments have not been broadly implemented among Veterans. A number of reviews have reported mindfulness to be beneficial in promoting healthy eating behaviors and weight loss among non-Veteran samples. We discuss this approach in the context of the Veterans Affairs system, the largest integrated healthcare provider in the United States and in the context of Veterans, among whom obesity is at epidemic proportions. In this article, we discuss what is known about treating obesity using a mindfulness approach, mindfulness interventions for Veterans, a new pilot mindfulness-based weight loss program designed for Veterans, and future directions for this type of obesity treatment in Veterans. We conclude that this population may be uniquely poised to benefit from mindfulness-based treatments.
Resonant Brillouin Scattering of Exciton Polaritons

Polaritons are coupled photon-polarization modes propagating in a dielectric medium. In this article the dielectric media of interest are semiconductors with zincblende and wurtzite crystal structures. Unless otherwise stated the polarization modes are excitons.l
Strengthening the international competitiveness of industries: the multi–functional development of executives in Japanese industries

Increasing international competitiveness requires supplementing technological advances with the more effective integration of highly specialized management functions. Japanese firms have been especially active in advancing such efforts. This paper reviews the processes involved from early stages of developing multi–functional experiences through successively later stages of broadening such capabilities. Finally, executive development efforts are placed within the context of broader strategic needs.
Paid Posting in Chinese Cyberspace: Commodification and Regulation

This research examines paid online posting and its regulation in China. Profit-driven manipulation of online conversations, including paid posting and the so-called “dark public relations,” is a widespread problem on the Chinese Internet. Governmental regulation on paid posting, however, is ambiguous and inadequate. This research proposes a new approach to conceptualize paid posting. It argues that paid posting is a controversial form of content production that emerges in relation to market-oriented exploitation of the media as well as commodification of communicative labor in digital settings. On this basis, this research analyzes the law’s role in the installation of market relations in digital media. It argues that the ambiguous regulation of paid posting is part of a long-term problem that resulted from media policies that prioritize economic growth and political control over disruptive impacts of the market.
Keynote Address: Materials Research Instrumentation Development: A New Paradigm

Graduate and postgraduate education in science and engineering in the U.S. has long been recognized as outstanding. In materials science and engineering, graduate and postgraduate education is not only outstanding, but as a result of its intrinsic multidisciplinary nature, it is having a positive pervasive impact upon the culture within major research universities in the U.S. Although generally excellent, this paper focuses on areas in which new initiatives are being taken to more broadly enhance education and training in materials science and engineering. We briefly discuss the issues of training modes, undergraduate materials education and research, vocational and “shop floor” level training, as well as some fundamental infrastructure issues that will impact our ability to broadly enhance materials science and engineering education in the U.S.
The Spatial Construction of Difference in Milton Hatoum’s Dois Irmãos

This essay offers a reading of Milton Hatoum’s novel Dois irmaos (2000) through the focus on the description of space. Central to the book is the discussion of the ways in which differences may or may not be reconciled. I argue that the dispute between the twin brothers reflects a concern for other kinds of oppositions that are made visible through the juxtaposition of spaces such as the Amazon/ the Orient, the city/ the forest, the house/ the maid quarters, among others.
A Critical Review of the Role and Limitations of JAK Inhibitors in Myelofibrosis Therapy

The discovery of JAK2V617F has rejuvenated interest in JAK-STAT, both as an oncogenic pathway and a drug target in BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). While the majority of MPN patients harbor gain-of-function JAK2 or MPL mutations, the complex clonal structure of these diseases and presence of additional mutations undermine the likelihood that JAK inhibitor therapy in MPN will replicate what has been achieved with imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia. Most of the currently available ATP-mimetic JAK inhibitors are effective in alleviating constitutional symptoms and reducing spleen size; the dominant mode of action may be downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines through anti-JAK1 activity. In contrast, myelosuppression that contributes to both the beneficial and detrimental effects on peripheral blood counts may be anti-JAK2-mediated. Nonhematologic toxicities include gastrointestinal disturbances, asymptomatic elevation of liver and pancreatic enzymes, peripheral neuropathy, and hyperacute relapse of symptoms during treatment interruption. Identification of the best-in-class JAK inhibitor in terms of overall efficacy and toxicity profile remains a work in progress.
Biliary Complications after Hepatic Trauma in Children.

Aim of the Study In pediatric patients with liver trauma and hemodynamic stability, conservative treatment is acknowledged as the gold standard. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 116 consecutive pediatric patients (<14-year-old) observed at our institution for closed abdominal trauma from January 2010 to January 2016. Among these, 16 patients (13%) had hepatic trauma Grade II or more, according to Moore liver trauma injury score. Results Only one patient underwent surgery for hemodynamic instability; all others children received conservative treatment according to the American Paediatric Surgical Association guidelines. Three patients had a biliary complication (2, 5%). two patients treated surgically by drainage insertion and one was managed conservatively. Conclusions Biliary complications of liver trauma in children may require aggressive surgical approach in selective patients.
Tuition Increases Geaux Away? Evidence from Voting on Louisiana's Amendment 2

ABSTRACTIn many states, public institutions of higher education have the autonomy to raise tuition. This has not been the case in Louisiana since a 1995 constitutional amendment required a two-thirds majority of the state legislature for any tuition increase. In November of 2016, voters in Louisiana rejected Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment that would have given state institutions of higher education autonomy in setting tuition. We examine parish-level voting on Amendment 2 using an empirical political economy model and find that parishes with a greater percentage of African-Americans and university employees were more likely to vote yes. Student enrolment at public institutions seemingly did not play a role in Amendment 2 losing.
THE EFFECT OF ANESTHESIA ON CANCER METASTASIS.

The question of the influence of anesthesia on the metastasis of cancer has been posed since 2006 (Buggy & Hemmings, 2014). The stress of surgery results in a neuroendocrine response, depressing the immune system, causing a decrease in cell-mediated immunity. This reduction in the immune respons
First Record of Aedes aurifer in Kentucky.

ABSTRACT Aedes aurifer were collected for the 1st time in Madison County, KY, during a survey of adult female mosquitoes in the summer of 2016. A total of 15 Ae. aurifer females were captured from ...
An examination of gender differences versus similarities in a virtual world

Abstract We derived competing hypotheses from the gender similarities perspective versus the gender differences perspective to examine participants' behavior in an online virtual world in which we manipulated participants' gender. To manipulate participants' gender in the virtual environment, we randomly assigned them to one of three avatars (female, male, or robot). Using a screen recording device, we measured the percentage of time participants spent interacting with empathizing (e.g., options for shopping, telephone) and systemizing (e.g., weapons, options for building) objects in a virtual reality house that we constructed to reflect evidence put forth by the differences perspective. Because we derived competing hypotheses we expected to find support for either the similarities perspective or the differences perspective; however, our results suggested support for both. Consistent with the differences perspective hypotheses, participants paid attention to objects in the environment that were consistent with the social representation of their own gender. However, our results were consistent with the similarities perspective hypotheses, such that the avatars’ gender also played a role in the percentage of time participants spent interacting with empathizing and systemizing objects. Therefore, we conclude that observable differences between men and women are the consequence of both biological and social forces, and research should focus on the interaction between the two as etiologies and explanations for sex and gender differences and similarities.
New zoning laws enforced by glucagon.

The liver exerts important systemic functions at multiple levels. Even though the tissue looks macroscopically uniform, it is very heterogeneous at the cellular level. Beyond hepatocytes, stellate cells, endothelial cells, and Kupffer cells, many additional cell types contribute to its architecture. Beyond the cellular heterogeneity, there is a significant degree of functional heterogeneity present within the tissue, with profound differences apparent with respect to the degree that different hepatocytes dedicate themselves to specific biochemical pathways. Which set of anabolic or catabolic pathways a hepatocyte commits itself to is not a stochastic process, however. Rather, there is a discrete spatial organization put in place, referred to as “liver zonation,” that is critically involved in the separation of different metabolic pathways (1). In PNAS, Cheng et al. (2) report that they have established an additional signaling axis within the liver, “the glucagon axis,” by which liver zonation becomes initiated and maintained. Hepatocytes within a functional liver unit, a hepatic lobule, assume distinct biochemical programs depending on their location. Blood flows from the portal vein and the hepatic artery through small blood vessels, referred to as sinusoids, to the central vein. While individual hepatocytes appear rather homogeneous along the axis, stretching from the periportal location (hepatic vein and hepatic artery) to the perivenous location (with the central vein), there are distinct differences within the microenvironment and biochemical properties of the cells themselves. The periportal region is exposed to nutrient- and oxygen-rich conditions. The portal vein supplies 75% of the blood supply to the liver and provides nutrients and hormones collected from the small intestine and much of the large intestine, the pancreas, and the spleen. The remaining 25% of the blood supply is contributed by the hepatic artery, which carries oxygen-rich blood (3). Together with the bile duct, these three vessels define the … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: philipp.scherer{at}utsouthwestern.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
In der Gemeinschaft der Dinge

Hannah Arendt gehort heute zu den meistgelesenen Theoretikerinnen aller Zeiten. Mehrere Spiel- und Dokumentarfilme, populare Briefsammlungen und Biografien, Theaterstucke sowie die anhaltende Diskussion uber ihre Beziehung zu Martin Heidegger und ihr Portrait Adolf Eichmanns haben zu der ausergewohnlichen Situation gefuhrt, dass Arendt popularwissenschaftlich und offentlich ebenso angeregt besprochen wird wie an den Universitaten. Der Einfluss ihrer Texte und die transatlantischen Wechselwirkungen, die diese angestosen haben, lassen sich deswegen kaum uberblicken, geschweige denn auf wenigen Seiten nachskizzieren. Eine Suche im weltweiten Bibliotheksverzeichnis WorldCat zeigt beispielsweise uber neuntausend verschiedene Ergebnisse mit ihrem Namen im Titel an, eine vergleichbare Suche nach der franzosischen Philosophin Simone Weil dagegen nur etwa dreitausend Treffer.
Genetic and developmental origins of a unique foraging adaptation in a Lake Malawi cichlid genus.

Phenotypic novelties are an important but poorly understood category of morphological diversity. They can provide insights into the origins of phenotypic variation, but we know relatively little about their genetic origins. Cichlid fishes display remarkable diversity in craniofacial anatomy, including several novelties. One aspect of this variation is a conspicuous, exaggerated snout that has evolved in a single Malawi cichlid lineage and is associated with foraging specialization and increased ecological success. We examined the developmental and genetic origins for this phenotype and found that the snout is composed of two hypertrophied tissues: the intermaxillary ligament (IML), which connects the right and left sides of the upper jaw, and the overlying loose connective tissue. The IML is present in all cichlids, but in its exaggerated form it interdigitates with the more superficial connective tissue and anchors to the epithelium, forming a unique ligament–epithelial complex. We examined the Transforming growth factor β (Tgfβ) → Scleraxis (Scx) candidate pathway and confirmed a role for these factors in snout development. We demonstrate further that experimental up-regulation of Tgfβ is sufficient to produce an expansion of scx expression and concomitant changes in snout morphology. Genetic and genomic mapping show that core members of canonical Tgfβ signaling segregate with quantitative trait loci (QTL) for snout variation. These data also implicate a candidate for ligament development, adam12 , which we confirm using the zebrafish model. Collectively, these data provide insights into ligament morphogenesis, as well as how an ecologically relevant novelty can arise at the molecular level.
Clinical Outcome of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Diagnosed With or Without Coronary Angiography

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is definitively diagnosed following the exclusion of acute coronary syndrome. We aimed to examine the rate of coronary angiography in patients diagnosed with TC and also the outcome of patients with TC diagnosed with or without coronary angiography. We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample database from 2010 to 2014 and identified patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of TC. We compared in-hospital mortality between patients who underwent coronary angiography and those who did not. We also evaluated the association between coronary angiography and in-hospital mortality using a propensity score-adjusted multivariable analysis. Among 22 818 patients diagnosed with TC, 87.4% underwent coronary angiography and 12.6% did not. Patients who did not undergo coronary angiography had a higher in-hospital mortality than those who did (3.0% vs 0.9%; P < .001). Increased mortality in patients who did not undergo coronary angiogram was observed in both male (8.0% vs 2.8%; P = .03) and female patients (2.6% vs 0.7%; P < .001) and in patients 61 to 80 years old and ≥81 years old, but not in patients ≤60 years old. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the lack of coronary angiography was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 2.92; 95% confidence interval: 1.52-5.65; P = .001).
Supervivencia de los nuevos exportadores en países en desarrollo: ¿es importante diversificar? .

Estudios recientes han demostrado que los paises en desarrollo pueden exportar con mayor rendimiento si son capaces de aumentar la duracion de sus relaciones comerciales. Las evidencias de la duracion de este tipo de relaciones a nivel empresarial son practicamente inexistentes. En este articulo, pretendemos rellenar esta laguna analizando que determina la supervivencia de las exportaciones mediante datos a nivel empresarial para toda la poblacion de nuevos exportadores peruanos en el periodo 2000-2006. En particular, planteamos una pregunta: ?es importante como diversifican las empresas? Concluimos que la diversificacion geografica aumenta la probabilidad de supervivencia en los mercados de exportacion que la diversificacion de los productos.
Prevalence of clinically actionable disease variants in exceptionally long-lived families.

Phenotypic expression of pathogenic variants in individuals with no family history of inherited disorders remains unclear. We evaluated the prevalence of pathogenic variants in 25 genes associated with Mendelian-inherited disorders in 3015 participants from 485 families in the Long Life Family Study (LLFS). Boot-strapping and Fisher’s exact test were used to determine whether allele frequencies in LLFS were significantly different from the allele frequencies reported in publicly available genomic databases. The proportions of pathogenic autosomal dominant mutation carriers in BRCA1 and SDHC in LLFS study participants were similar to those reported in publicly available genomic databases (0.03% vs. 0.0008%, p = 1 for BRCA1, and 0.08% vs. 0.003%, p = 0.05 for SDHC). The frequency of carriers of pathogenic autosomal recessive variants in CPT2, ACADM, SUMF1, WRN, ATM, and ACADVL were also similar in LLFS as compared to those reported in genomic databases. The lack of clinical disease among LLFS participants with well-established pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and SDHC suggests that penetrance of pathogenic variants may be different in long lived families. Further research is needed to better understand the penetrance of pathogenic variants before expanding large scale genomic testing to asymptomatic individuals.
TET1 Directs Chondrogenic Differentiation by Regulating SOX9 Dependent Activation of Col2a1 and Acan In Vitro.

Skeletal development is a tightly orchestrated process in which cartilage and bone differentiation are intricately intertwined. Recent studies have highlighted the contribution of epigenetic modifications and their writers to skeletal development. Methylated cytosine (5mC) can be oxidized to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) by the Ten-eleven-translocation (TET) enzymes leading to demethylation. We have previously demonstrated that 5hmC is stably accumulated on lineage-specific genes that are activated during in vitro chondrogenesis in the ATDC5 chondroprogenitors. Knockdown (KD) of Tet1 via short-hairpin RNAs blocked ATDC5 chondrogenic differentiation. Here, we aimed to provide the mechanistic basis for TET1 function during ATDC5 differentiation. Transcriptomic analysis of Tet1 KD cells demonstrated that 54% of downregulated genes were SOX9 targets, suggesting a role for TET1 in mediating activation of a subset of the SOX9 target genes. Using genome-wide mapping of 5hmC during ATDC5 differentiation, we found that 5hmC is preferentially accumulated at chondrocyte-specific class II binding sites for SOX9, as compared with the tissue-agnostic class I sites. Specifically, we find that SOX9 is unable to bind to Col2a1 and Acan after Tet1 KD, despite no changes in SOX9 levels. Finally, we compared this KD scenario with the genetic loss of TET1 in the growth plate using Tet1 -/- embryos, which are approximately 10% smaller than their WT counterparts. In E17.5 Tet1 -/- embryos, loss of SOX9 target gene expression is more modest than upon Tet1 KD in vitro. Overall, our data suggest a role for TET1-mediated 5hmC deposition in partly shaping an epigenome conducive for SOX9 function. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence in the Posttransplant Population: A Comparison of RETREAT and Cleveland Clinic Florida Scoring System

Abstract Background Liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is curative in most cases; however, recurrence is observed in some patients. The Risk Estimation of Tumor Recurrence After Transplant (RETREAT) score is an externally validated scoring system for prediction of post-LT HCC recurrence. The Cleveland Clinic Florida Scoring System (CCFSS) is a potential new scoring system for prediction of HCC recurrence. Our study aimed to compare the RETREAT and CCFSS. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 52 adult patients with HCC who underwent LT at a tertiary care center. Mantel-Haenszel chi-square analyses were conducted to compare the RETREAT and CCFSS classifications for detecting HCC recurrence. Results A total of 52 patients underwent LT. The median follow-up period was 37 months. Four patients had post-LT HCC recurrence, with all recurrences occurring within 2 years of LT. The RETREAT score was better able to detect low, moderate, and high levels of risk (P Conclusions This is the first study to evaluate the CCFSS as a potential new scoring system to predict HCC recurrence after LT. The RETREAT score is more specific than the CCFSS. The incorporation of alpha-fetoprotein level at the time of LT improves the estimation of HCC recurrence in the post-LT period.
Interleukin 6 trans-signaling is a critical driver of lung allograft fibrosis.

Histopathologic examination of lungs afflicted by chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) consistently shows both mononuclear cell (MNC) inflammation and mesenchymal cell (MC) fibroproliferation. We hypothesize that interleukin 6 (IL-6) trans-signaling may be a critical mediator of MNC-MC crosstalk and necessary for the pathogenesis of CLAD. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid obtained after the diagnosis of CLAD has approximately twofold higher IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) levels compared to matched pre-CLAD samples. Human BAL-derived MCs do not respond to treatment with IL-6 alone but have rapid and prolonged JAK2-mediated STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation when exposed to the combination of IL-6 and sIL-6R. STAT3 phosphorylation within MCs upregulates numerous genes causing increased invasion and fibrotic differentiation. MNC, a key source of both IL-6 and sIL-6R, produce minimal amounts of these proteins at baseline but significantly upregulate production when cocultured with MCs. Finally, the use of an IL-6 deficient recipient in a murine orthotopic transplant model of CLAD reduces allograft fibrosis by over 50%. Taken together these results support a mechanism where infiltrating MNCs are stimulated by resident MCs to release large quantities of IL-6 and sIL-6R which then feedback onto the MCs to increase invasion and fibrotic differentiation.
Transamniotic Stem Cell Therapy for Experimental Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Structural, Transcriptional, and Cell Kinetics Analyses in the Nitrofen Model.

PURPOSE We examined select pulmonary effects and donor cell kinetics after transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) in a model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). METHODS Pregnant dams (n = 58) received nitrofen on gestational day 9.5 (E9) to induce fetal CDH. Fetuses (n = 681) were divided into 4 groups: untreated (n = 99) and 3 groups receiving volume-matched intra-amniotic injections on E17 of either saline (n = 142), luciferase-labeled amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (afMSCs; n = 299), or acellular recombinant luciferase (n = 141). Pulmonary morphometry, quantitative gene expression of pulmonary vascular tone mediators, or screening for labeled afMSCs were performed at term (E22). Statistical comparisons were by Mann-Whitney U-test, nested ANOVA, and Wald test. RESULTS TRASCET led to significant downregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and endothelin receptor-A expressions compared to both untreated and saline groups (both p < 0.001). TRASCET also led to a significant decrease in arteriole wall thickness compared to the untreated group (p < 0.001) but not the saline group (p = 0.180). Donor afMSCs were identified in the bone marrow and umbilical cord (p = 0.035 and 0.015, respectively, vs. plain luciferase controls). CONCLUSIONS The effects of TRASCET in experimental CDH appear to be centered on the pulmonary vasculature and to derive from circulating donor cells.
Abstract MP65: Transgender Adolescents Have High Prevalence Of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Before And After Taking Hormone Therapy For 1 Year

Introduction: The United States has a growing population of transgender adolescents aged 12-21y presenting for medical transition via gender affirming hormone therapy (HT). Transgender people do no...
Image based CD SEM tool Real Time Monitoring

A new method is proposed to effectively monitor CD SEM measurement tool’s focusing performance and fine shift level, by using a proprietary computer program to constantly analyze in real time the SEM images obtained during normal inline measurements on production wafers. Thus, a deterioration in measurement tool performance may be detected at an early stage to avoid potential large quantity wafer scrap arising from erroneous measurements.
No Cost/Low Cost: A Solution for Creative Physical Education Activities

This article describes how the use of Pringles cans and other tube containers can help physical education teachers gain a new perspective on incorporating a reusable, recyclable, durable product to create fun activities that support the development of fundamental skills in the physical education environment.