cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase (GAPDH) Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase Cδ (PKCδ) Inhibits Mitochondria Elimination by Lysosomal-like Structures following Ischemia and Reoxygenation-induced Injury

After cardiac ischemia and reperfusion or reoxygenation (I/R), damaged mitochondria propagate tissue injury by promoting cell death. One possible mechanism to protect from I/R-induced injury is the elimination of damaged mitochondria by mitophagy. Here we identify new molecular events that lead to mitophagy using a cell culture model and whole hearts subjected to I/R. We found that I/R induces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) association with mitochondria and promotes direct uptake of damaged mitochondria into multiorganellar lysosomal-like (LL) structures for elimination independently of the macroautophagy pathway. We also found that protein kinase C δ (PKCδ) inhibits GAPDH-driven mitophagy by phosphorylating the mitochondrially associated GAPDH at threonine 246 following I/R. Phosphorylated GAPDH promotes the accumulation of mitochondria at the periphery of LL structures, which coincides with increased mitochondrial permeability. Either inhibition of PKCδ or expression of a phosphorylation-defective GAPDH mutant during I/R promotes a reduction in mitochondrial mass and apoptosis, thus indicating rescued mitophagy. Taken together, we identified a GAPDH/PKCδ signaling switch, which is activated during oxidative stress to regulate the balance between cell survival by mitophagy and cell death due to accumulation of damaged mitochondria.
The state of motherhood among professional women

Faculty women at Northwestern University were studied. The focus was on their rate of childlessness and attitude toward having children. The 151 subjects were classified into two age groups: women of childbearing age — under 40 — and women much less likely to have children — 40 and over. Although women ever married in the professional sample had a higher rate of childlessness than women ever married in the general population in all age groups, there seemed to be a trend toward permanent childlessness among younger professional women: Their rate of childlessness (67%) is much higher than that of the older professionals (22%) or the younger women in the general population. Based on additional qualitative and quantitative data, a possible explanation for the younger professional women's behavior seems to be that they are not confident that they can successfully combine motherhood and career. Possible implications of this phenomenon are discussed.
3-D rotation of double-couple earthquake sources

SUMMARY We discuss 3-D rotations by which one double-couple earthquake source can be rotated into another arbitrary double-couple. Due to the symmetry of double-couple sources, there are four such rotations. An algorithm is obtained in analytical form which is also available as a computer program solving the inverse problem of 3-D rotation of double-couple earthquake sources, i.e., for each pair of focal mechanisms or seismic moment tensor solutions the program finds all four rotations which rotate one mechanism into another. This algorithm may be used in a wide variety of studies of stress field causing earthquakes, investigations of the relationship between the focal mechanisms and the tectonic features of a seismogenic region, etc. The same inversion algorithm can be used to study the 3-D rotation of any symmetric second-rank tensor, such as the stress or strain tensor.
The weight of the self: care and compassion in Guatemalan dietary choices

The Public Health Nutrition (PHN) community categorizes dietary-related chronic illnesses as "noncommunicable," fixing these afflictions within individual bodies where they are best managed by individual choices. Yet within clinical encounters in Guatemala, nutritionists and patients treat eating and dieting as relational, transmissible practices. Patients actively seek nutritionists' care, asserting their self-care attempts have failed and they need support from others; nutritionists meanwhile develop treatment plans that situate "personal choice" as lying outside the control of a solitary individual. This article moves between international policy-pedagogy and patient-nutritionist interactions to examine forms of personhood, responsibility, and rationalities of choice present in body weight-management practices in Guatemala. Although nutrition discourses might appear to exemplify how institutional (bio)power manifests through internalized self-monitoring and preoccupation for one's own self, I argue that within the lived experiences of "nutrition-in-action," the self-body of the patient becomes broadly conceived to include the nutritionist, the family, and the broader community.
Improving determinization in hindsight for online probabilistic planning

Recently, 'determinization in hindsight' has enjoyed surprising success in on-line probabilistic planning. This technique evaluates the actions available in the current state by using non-probabilistic planning in deterministic approximations of the original domain. Although the approach has proven itself effective in many challenging domains, it is computationally very expensive. In this paper, we present three significant improvements to help mitigate this expense. First, we use a method for detecting potentially useful actions, allowing us to avoid estimating the values of unnecessary ones. Second, we exploit determinism in the domain by reusing relevant plans rather than computing new ones. Third, we improve action evaluation by increasing the chance that at least one deterministic plan reaches a goal. Taken together, these improvements allow determinization in hindsight to scale significantly better on large or mostly-deterministic problems.
An LP planning model for a mental health community support system

In this paper we develop a resource planning and allocation model for a mental-health community-support system. The intent of the model is to provide a tool to system managers and planners to support resource planning and allocation decision-making. More and more, mental health care is being delivered by a variety of community-based service agencies instead of single, comprehensive institutions. The service needs of a client population are continually changing, and depend upon the relative functioning of the population, which depends upon the efficacy of the services provided. The availability of resources is becoming scarcer, and is more closely scrutinized. Consequently, the system manager must attempt to apply the available resources as effectively as possible. We develop a conceptual framework for planning that includes aggregating patients according to their functional level and service needs, and defining "service package options" for each aggregate patient group. We also estimate the effect of giving a particular service package to a patient group, in terms of functional improvement or regression. The planning problem is then to assign service packages to aggregate groups over a multi-period planning horizon to maximize some measure of system welfare within the available resources. This planning problem is a linear programming problem that we illustrate using representative data.
Use of chemically modified activated carbon as a support for immobilized enzymes.

Loading and activity assays of the enzymes α-chymotrypsin, α-chymotrypsinogen, and glucose oxidase covalently bound to an activated carbon support are presented. The activated carbon support material was pretreated using either a radio-frequency oxygen plasma or an electrochemical oxidation to maximize the enzyme attachment. Cyanuric chloride or water-soluble carbodiimide linking reactions were used to covalently attach the enzymes to the carbon support. Discussion of the relative merits of each reaction scheme is presented.
The Perils of Inpatient Hyperglycemia Management: How We Turned Apathy Into Action

As the number of Americans with prediabetes and diabetes continues to grow, so too will the number of patients who come into the hospital with hyperglycemia. Although tight glycemic control has been a well-established goal in the outpatient setting, it has only recently gained heightened interest in the inpatient arena. There is a growing body of knowledge supporting the benefits of strict glycemic control in hospitalized patients, yet there is little or no formal didactic training for health care professionals in inpatient management of patients with diabetes. Despite widespread inpatient hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events, there are few systems in place for effective diabetes care and management. In January 2006, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, and the American Diabetes Association convened a meeting titled “Improving Inpatient Diabetes Care: A Call to Action Consensus Development Conference,” which concluded that facilitating these changes required a paradigm shift that involves modifying both individual and institutional beliefs and practices that have been status quo for decades. One of the key consensus recommendations was the formation of an interdisciplinary steering committee to identify deficits, develop strategies, and facilitate the implementation of interventions to improve inpatient care. This article illustrates the planning and implementation of a systems-wide model to conquer inpatient hyperglycemia in an academic medical center.
Effect of thermally stimulated discharges on partial discharges and tree growth in PMMA

Treeing is an important aging process, which leads to electrical breakdown of solid dielectrics. A study of literature indicates that trapped charges play a significant role in the initiation and propagation of electrical tree channels. Experiments have been conducted in which charges have been modified by subjecting the samples aged by Partial Discharges (PD) to thermally stimulated discharging (TSD) procedure. Our earlier results have indicated that treeing could be characterized by PDs. The parameters of Weibull distribution are affected by the removal of charges by TSD. The parameters of Weibull distribution are correlated to one another and with time of aging. The parameters also respond to TSDs. Several Weibull plots, TSD curves and a number of microphotographs have been studied. In this work, the variation of bush growth with respect to aging time and variation of charge input with respect to aging time have been investigated.
CYP1A1 regulates breast cancer proliferation and survival.

Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) is an extrahepatic phase I metabolizing enzyme whose expression is suppressed under physiologic conditions, but can be induced by substrates via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Nonetheless, recent studies show that the majority of breast tumors constitutively express CYP1A1. These findings led us to test the hypothesis that CYP1A1 promotes breast cancer progression by evaluating the effects of CYP1A1 knock down on the proliferation and survival of the MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 lines. Independently of estrogen receptor status, CYP1A1 knock down decreases cell proliferation, decreases colony formation, blocks the cell cycle at G0/G1 associated with reduction of cyclin D1, and increases apoptosis associated with reduction of survivin. CYP1A1 knock down markedly increases phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreases phosphorylation of AKT, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and 70kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (P70S6K). AMPK inhibition by compound C partially abrogates the pro-apoptotic effects of CYP1A1siRNA, suggesting that CYP1A1siRNA effects are mediated, in part, through AMPK signaling. Consistent with CYP1A1 knock down results, pharmacologic reduction of CYP1A1 levels by the phytopolyphenol carnosol also correlates with impaired proliferation and induced AMPK phosphorylation. These results indicate that reduction of basal CYP1A1 expression is critical for inhibition of proliferation, which is not affected by alpha-naphthoflavone-mediated inhibition of CYP1A1 activity nor modulated by AhR silencing. This study supports that CYP1A1 may promote breast cancer proliferation and survival, at least in part, through AMPK signaling and that reduction of CYP1A1 levels is a potential strategy for breast cancer therapeutics.
Tracking of multiple maneuvering targets using multiscan JPDA and IMM smoothing [radar sensor example]

We consider the problem of tracking multiple maneuvering targets in the presence of clutter using switching multiple target motion models. A novel suboptimal fixed-lag smoothing algorithm is developed by applying the basic interacting multiple model (IMM) approach and joint probabilistic data association (JPDA) technique to a state augmented system. But unlike the standard single scan JPDA approach, we exploit a multiscan JPDA (Mscan-JPDA) approach to solve the data association problem. The algorithm is illustrated via a simulation example.
Evaluation of Techniques to Improve Cache Access Uniformities

While higher associativities are common at L-2 or Last-Level cache hierarchies, direct-mapped and low associative caches are still used at L-1 level. Lower associativities result in higher miss rates, but have fast access times on hits. Another issue that inhibits cache performance is the non-uniformity of accesses exhibited by most applications: some sets are underutilized while others receive the majority of accesses. Higher associative caches mitigate access non-uniformities, but do not eliminate them. This implies that increasing the size of caches or associativities may not lead to proportionally improved cache hit rates. Several solutions have been proposed in the literature over the past decade to address the non-uniformity of accesses, and each proposal independently claims improvements. However, because the published results use different benchmarks and different experimental setups, it is not easy to compare them. In this paper we report a side-by-side comparison of these techniques. The conclusion of our work is that, each application may benefit from a different technique and no single scheme works universally well for all applications. Our research is investigating the use of multiple techniques within a processor core and across cores in multicore system to improve the performance of cache memory hierarchies. The study reported in this paper allows us to select best possible solutions for each running application. In this paper, we have included some preliminary results of using multiple solutions simultaneously when running multiple threads.
Cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women: myths and reality

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) has traditionally been considered a disease that affects middle-aged men, it also has a profound effect on women. By age 65, the number of deaths from CVD in women surpasses deaths in men by 11%. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in women. Despite the impact of CVD, women as a group, as well as healthcare professionals, have not focused on this disease entity. As a result, women may not make adjustments that could reduce their risk for CVD, and healthcare professionals may not adequately counsel women on risk modification, which may include lifestyle changes and pharmaceutical intervention. Although there are many similarities, women differ from men in both disease presentation and prognosis for CVD. Because of the difference in presentation, diagnoses in women may be delayed, potentially causing further harm. Although the number of deaths caused by CVD has been decreasing in men, this trend has yet to be observed in women.
Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Do Funding Sources Influence Spending Patterns?

Concern over the funding of nonprofit organizations has raised issues concerning the amount of money available for the provision of services and the potential that changes in the nature of funding ...
Out from behind the curtain: learning from a human auditory display

In this paper we describe an approach to gathering design requirements for a software auditory display by analyzing user interactions with an ideal partner: a talking human controlling a computer. We explain the potential benefits of studying such unconstrained user interaction before detailing the design and execution of our qualitative evaluation. We report the results of our thematic coding analysis and give examples of each of the seven major user techniques, difficulties, and preferences identified. To conclude the paper, we summarize the application of our results to the design of a software auditory display for common office computing tasks.
Supporting high-performance I/O in QoS-enabled ORB middleware

To be an effective platform for high-performance distributed applications, off-the-shelf Object Request Broker (ORB) middleware, such as CORBA, must preserve communication-layer quality of service (QoS) properties both vertically (i.e., network interface${}\leftrightarrow{}$application layer) and horizontally (i.e., end-to-end). However, conventional network interfaces, I/O subsystems, and middleware interoperability protocols are not well-suited for applications that possess stringent throughput, latency, and jitter requirements. It is essential, therefore, to develop vertically and horizontally integrated ORB endsystems that can be (1) configured flexibly to support high-performance network interfaces and I/O subsystems and (2) used transparently by performance-sensitive applications. This paper provides three contributions to research on high-performance I/O support for QoS-enabled ORB middleware. First, we outline the key research challenges faced by high-performance ORB endsystem developers. Second, we describe how our real-time I/O (RIO) subsystem and pluggable protocol framework enables ORB endsystems to preserve high-performance network interface QoS up to applications running on off-the-shelf hardware and software. Third, we illustrate empirically how highly optimized ORB middleware can be integrated with real-time I/O subsystem to reduce latency bounds on communication between high-priority clients without unduly penalizing low-priority and best-effort clients. Our results demonstrate how it is possible to develop ORB endsystems that are both highly flexible and highly efficient.
Development of an ionomer tracer for extruder residence time distribution experiments

A polymeric tracer was developed from the tributylamine salt of lightly sulfonated polystyrene. The residence time distribution (RTD) measured for the extrusion of polystyrene with this tracer was compared with that measured using conventional particulate tracers. In general, the particulate tracers had a longer mean residence time and a broader RTD, which were attributed to increased mixing of the particulates.
Successful Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in an Adult Patient With Toxic Shock-Induced Heart Failure

Cardiomyopathy secondary to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening problem. We report the case of a 51-year-old male who presented with profound cardiogenic shock and multiorgan failure that could not be managed by conventional therapy with intravenous fluids, vasopressors and inotropes. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) was instituted as a bridge to recovery. After administration of antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient's condition improved and he was successfully weaned off ECMO after 6 days. The patient recovered from multiorgan failure, and left ventricular ejection fraction improved from <10% pre-ECMO to 65% 8 months after discharge. This case supports the view that VA ECMO can be used successfully to support vital organ perfusion in patients with profound but reversible cardiomyopathy attributed to TSS.
Coverage Bias in Variances, Associations, and Total Error From Exclusion of the Cell Phone-Only Population in the United States

Although landline telephone household surveys often draw inference about the general population, a proportion with only cell phones is excluded. In the United States, like in much of the world, this proportion is substantial and increasing, providing potential for coverage bias. Studies have looked at bias in means, but undercoverage can affect other essential statistics. The precision of point estimates can be biased, leading to erroneous conclusions. Research examining multivariate relationships will be further affected by bias in associations. A national landline telephone survey was conducted, followed by a survey of adults with only cell phones. In addition to estimates of means and proportions, differences were found for variances and associations. Bias in some point estimates was reduced through poststratification but became larger and in opposite direction for others. Different uses of survey data can be affected by omitting the cell-only population, and reliance on postsurvey adjustments can be misleading.
Double base lesions in DNA X-irradiated in the presence or absence of oxygen.

Abstract Box, H. C., Patrzyc, H. B., Dawidzik, J. B., Wallace, J. C., Freund, H. G., Iijima, H. and Budzinski, E. E. Double Base Lesions in DNA X-Irradiated in the Presence or Absence of Oxygen. Previously, double lesions in which two adjacent bases are modified were identified in DNA oligomers exposed in solution to ionizing radiation. However, the formation of such lesions in polymer DNA had not been demonstrated. Using reference oligomer containing a specific double lesion and employing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), it was possible to show directly that double lesions are formed in irradiated calf thymus DNA. The double lesion in which a pyrimidine base is degraded to a formamido remnant and an adjacent guanine base is oxidized to 8-oxoguanine was detected in DNA X-irradiated in oxygenated aqueous solution. The double lesion in which the methyl carbon atom of a thymine base is covalently linked to carbon at the 8-position of an adjacent guanine base was detected in DNA irradiated in ...
The Pathogenesis of HIV-Associated Dementia: Recent Advances Using a SCID Mouse Model of HIV-Encephalitis

In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) there has been a decrease in AIDS death rates and a reduction in HIV-related neurological complications. However, Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV)-associated dementia (HAD) still affects at least 7% of HIV-positive individuals. Despite significant advances in HIV research there are still questions surrounding the pathogenesis of HAD. Clinical information and pathological studies suggest that the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and hippocampus are important neuroanatomical areas involved in HAD. Recent studies utilizing a severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse model of HIV-encephalitis (HIVE) indicate that central nervous system (CNS) viral load determines the severity of astrogliosis, an important feature of HIVE. Human and animal studies suggest that viral strains may also be important in the pathogenesis of HAD. A recent study suggests that HAART does not eradicate virus in the brain, and therefore, the CNS is a reservoir for HIV. Future research efforts need to focus on the role of viral strain and mutations in the pathogenesis of HAD.
Protein Kinase C-Promoted Inhibition of Gα11-Stimulated Phospholipase C-β Activity

The effects of protein kinase C (PKC) activation on inositol lipid signaling were examined. Using the turkey erythrocyte model of receptor-regulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis, we developed a membrane reconstitution assay to study directly the effects of activation of PKC on the activities of Gα11, independent of potential effects on the receptor or on PLC-β. Membranes isolated from erythrocytes pretreated with 4β-phorbol-12β-myristate-13α-acetate (PMA) exhibited a decreased capacity for Gα11-mediated activation of purified, reconstituted PLC-β1. This inhibitory effect was dependent on both the time and concentration of PMA incubation and occurred as a decrease in the efficacy of GTPγS for activation of PLC-β1, both in the presence and absence of agonist; no change in the apparent affinity for the guanine nucleotide occurred. Similar inhibitory effects were observed after treatment with the PKC activator phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate but not after treatment with an inactive phorbol ester. The inhibitory effects of PMA were prevented by coaddition of the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide. Although the effects of PKC could be localized to the membrane, no phosphorylation of Gα11 occurred either in vitro in the presence of purified PKC or in intact erythrocytes after PMA treatment. These results support the hypothesis that a signaling protein other than Gα11 is the target for PKC and that PKC-promoted phosphorylation of this protein results in a phosphorylation-dependent suppression of Gα11-mediated PLC-β1 activation.
User-Generated Content & the Open Source/Creative Common Movements: Has the Time Come for Users' Rights?

This paper, written for the 4th Asian IP Law & Policy Day co-organized by the IP Academy of Singapore (Singapore) and Fordham Law School (USA) in conjunction with the annual Fordham Conference on International IP Law & Policy, traces the development of the free software/open source (FOSS) and creative commons (CC) movements and the rise of user-generated content (UGC). In light of existing international treaty standards for copyright protection, growing global Internet penetration and various case law developments, the article considers whether the combined phenomena of FOSS, CC and UGC provide sufficient basis for a re-tilting of the copyright balance toward the user rather than the original copyright owner. Finally, the article examines whether the philosophy, rhetoric and experiences of the FOSS and CC movements make them appropriate models for copyright protection for UGC.
Telomeres and Telomerase

Abstract Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that are present at the end of each chromosome. They protect the chromosomal ends from nucleolytic degradation, chromosome fusion and unwanted activation of DNA damage response. The maintenance of telomere is very crucial for cells as dysfuctional telomere leads to genome instability, cancer and aging. The telomeric length is maintained by ‘telomerase’, a ribonucleoprotein complex which adds the telomeric repeat DNA to the end of the telomere. This article focuses on the structure and functions of telomeres and telomerase and their role in cancer and aging.
32 – Proanthocyanidins in Hops

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MSn) coupled with various two-dimensional NMR methods are among the most practical approaches for analyzing proanthocyanidins from hops. Using these and other analytical approaches, it has been shown that hops contain a preponderance of polymeric material, including proanthocyanidins which are dominant, but small quantities of prodelphinidins and propelargonidins are also present. The flavanoids (+) catechin and proanthocyanidin B3 are the most representative followed by B1, B4 and C2. The relative proportions of the various proanthocyanidins vary greatly depending on the variety and climatic conditions as shown by differences in the proanthocyanidins in the same cultivar from different geographic regions. Proanthocyanidins have received a considerable amount of attention in the brewing industry because of their tendency to complex with proteins and contribute to non-biological haze formation, but they stabilize the organoleptic properties and color, and contribute to the astringency and bitterness, which are desirable attributes. Recent studies also show that these compounds, which are classic antioxidants, may also have significant beneficial health effects. Numerous proanthocyanidins including catechin, prodelphinidin B3, procyanidin B3 and epicatechin are present in beer.
Untangling the Gordian knot of HIV, stress, and cognitive impairment

As individuals live longer with HIV, this “graying of the HIV epidemic” has introduced a new set of challenges including a growing number of age and inflammation-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, cancer, and dementia. The biological underpinnings of these complex and co-morbid diseases are not fully understood and become very difficult to disentangle in the context of HIV and aging. In the current review we examine the contributions and interactions of HIV, stress, and cognitive impairment and query the extent to which inflammation is the linchpin in these dynamic interactions. Given the inter-relatedness of stress, inflammatory mechanisms, HIV, and cognitive impairment, future work will either need to address multiple dimensions simultaneously or embrace the philosophy that breaking the aberrant cycle at any one point will subsequently remedy the other related systems and processes. Such a single-point intervention may be effective in early disease states, but after perpetuation of an aberrant cycle, adaptations in an attempt to internally resolve the issue will likely lead to the need for multifaceted interventions. Acknowledging that HIV, inflammation, and stress may interact with one another and collectively impact cognitive ability is an important step in fully understanding an individual's complete clinical picture and moving towards personalized medicine.
Distributing coil elements in three dimensions enhances parallel transmission multiband RF performance: A simulation study in the human brain at 7 Tesla.

Purpose We explore the advantages of using a double-ring radiofrequency (RF) array and slice orientation to design parallel transmission (pTx) multiband (MB) pulses for simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging with whole-brain coverage at 7 Tesla (T). Methods A double-ring head array with 16 elements split evenly in two rings stacked in the z-direction was modeled and compared with two single-ring arrays consisting of 8 or 16 elements. The array performance was evaluated by designing band-specific pTx MB pulses with local specific absorption rate (SAR) control. The impact of slice orientations was also investigated. Results The double-ring array consistently and significantly outperformed the other two single-ring arrays, with peak local SAR reduced by up to 40% at a fixed excitation error of 0.024. For all three arrays, exciting sagittal or coronal slices yielded better RF performance than exciting axial or oblique slices. Conclusions A double-ring RF array can be used to drastically improve SAR versus excitation fidelity tradeoff for pTx MB pulse design for brain imaging at 7 T; therefore, it is preferable against single-ring RF array designs when pursuing various biomedical applications of pTx SMS imaging. In comparing the stripline arrays, coronal and sagittal slices are more advantageous than axial and oblique slices for pTx MB pulses. Magn Reson Med, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Probing the Limits of Rights Discourse in the Obama Era: A Crossroads for Labor and Liberalism

In the August 8, 2008, edition of the Wall Street Journal , an editorial denounced the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), organized labor's most recent effort to reform US labor law, as a measure that would lead to worker intimidation and the end of free and fair workplace representation elections. That the nation's leading business journal carried an editorial outlining the familiar EFCA opponent's trope of worker intimidation by unions was not surprising. That the author's identity was former South Dakota senator George McGovern—that aging icon of American liberalism and a self-described “longtime friend of labor unions”—foreshadowed the uphill battle and ultimate defeat labor and its allies would face in enacting the measure.
Pregnancy-Associated Atypical Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome

Introduction Early diagnosis of atypical uremic–hemolytic syndrome may be challenging during the puerperium period. Correct diagnosis and timely management are crucial to improve outcomes. Background Pregnancy-associated atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome (p-aHUS) is a rare condition characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury. Triggered by pregnancy, genetically predisposed women develop the syndrome, leading to a disastrous hemolytic disease characterized by diffuse endothelial damage and platelet consumption. This disease is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt diagnosis and therapy. Case A 19-year-old G1P1 Caucasian female with suspicion of HELLP syndrome was treated at our facility for severe thrombocytopenia and acute kidney injury. A diagnosis of atypical uremic–hemolytic syndrome was later confirmed. The patient's condition improved with normalization of platelets and improvement in kidney function after 14 days of plasmapheresis. She was subsequently treated with eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody against C5. The patient tolerated well the therapy and is currently in remission. Conclusion Diagnosis of p-aHUS is challenging, as it can mimic various diseases found during pregnancy and the postpartum. Plasma exchange should be promptly initiated within 24 hours of diagnosis. Eculizumab has risen to become an important tool to improve long-term comorbidities and mortality in this group population.
Blood pressure lowering and renin-angiotensin system blockade.

Angiotensin II (ANG II), the main effector peptide of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), is implicated in the development of vascular, cardiac and renal pathologies. Considered to be central to the whole cardiovascular continuum, recent investigations have also established a role for ANG II in the recovery of the brain after cerebral insult. ANG II exerts Its actions through two receptors: ANG II type 1 (AT 1 ) and type 2 (AT 2 ). Characterization of these receptors and their functions has led to an understanding of the role that ANG II plays in the body and has opened new avenues for therapeutic research. Investigations in animal models of hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy and stroke have established the part that the ANG II receptors play in vascular, cardiac and cerebral pathologies using selective inhibitors of AT 1 and AT 2 receptors. The AT 1 receptor mediates most of the deleterious effects of ANG II, such as vasoconstriction, endothelial damage and cell growth. Selective inhibition of the AT 1 receptor not only inhibits these effects, but also leaves the AT 2 receptor open to stimulation by ANG II. Among the many potential effects mediated by stimulation of the AT 2 is the neuronal regeneration after injury and inhibition of pathological growth. Thus, AT 1 receptor blockade appears to offer both active and passive therapeutic benefits. With high penetration through the blood-brain barrier, effective and selective inhibition of the AT 1 receptor and prolonged duration of the receptor blockade for more than 24 h, telmisartan is strongly placed for the emerging therapeutic opportunities.
Modeling of submarine cyclic steps: Controls on their formation, migration, and architecture

Submarine cyclic steps are a newly recognized manifestation of fundamental morphodynamic instability of Froude-supercritical flow over an erodible bed. There is a growing recognition of the global presence and importance of cyclic steps. An attempt was made here to: (1) outline submarine cyclic steps in the context of the sediment waves of various origins; (2) elucidate the physics and key parameters governing their formation, migration, and architecture; and (3) summarize selected numerical experiments on net-depositional and net-erosional cyclic steps in a useful form. The paper also addresses frequent terminology confusion between net-depositional cyclic steps and sediment waves in general.
Differences of Variable Number Tandem Repeats in XRCC5 Promoter Are Associated with Increased or Decreased Risk of Breast Cancer in BRCA Gene Mutation Carriers.

Ku80 is a subunit of the Ku heterodimer that binds to DNA double-strand break ends as part of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. Ku80 is also involved in homologous recombination (HR) via its interaction with BRCA1. Ku80 is encoded by the XRCC5 gene that contains a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) insertion in its promoter region. Different VNTR genotypes can alter XRCC5 expression and affect Ku80 production, thereby affecting NHEJ and HR pathways. VNTR polymorphism is associated with multiple types of sporadic cancer. In this study, we investigated its potential association with familial breast cancer at germline level. Using PCR, PAGE, Sanger sequencing and statistical analyses, we compared VNTR genotypes in the XRCC5 promoter between healthy individuals and three types of familial breast cancer cases: mutated BRCA1 (BRCA1+), mutated BRCA2 (BRCA2+), and wildtype BRCA1/BRCA2 (BRCAx). We observed significant differences of VNTR genotypes between control and BRCA1+ group (P<0.0001) and BRCA2+ group (P=0.0042) but not BRCAx group (P=0.2185), and the differences were significant between control and cancer-affected BRCA1+ cases (P<0.0001) and BRCA2+ cases (P=0.0092) but not cancer-affected BRCAx cases (P=0.4251). Further analysis indicated that 2R/2R (OR=1.94, 95%CI=1.26-2.95, P=0.0096) and 2R/1R (OR=1.58, 95%CI=1.11-2.26, P=0.0038) were associated with increased risk but 1R/1R (OR=0.55, 95%CI=0.35-0.84, P=0.0196) and 1R/0R (OR=0, 95%CI=0-0.29, P=0.0012) were associated with decreased risk in cancer-affected BRCA1+ group; 2R/1R (OR=1.94, 95%CI=1.14-3.32, P=0.0242) was associated with increased risk in cancer-affected BRCA2+ group. No correlation was observed for the altered risk between cancer-affected or -unaffected carriers and between different age of cancer diagnosis in cancer-affected carriers. The frequently observed VNTR association with in BRCA1+ and BRCA2+ breast cancer group indicates that VNTR polymorphism in the XRCC5 promoter is associated with altered risk of breast cancer in BRCA1+ and BRCA2+ carriers.
Sex (steroids) is in the AIRE

Women are more susceptible to most autoimmune diseases, and although there is a clear role for hormonal factors and environmental interactions, molecular mechanisms for this effect have not been well defined. Recently, two groups have substantially advanced our understanding of this process by
Rewriting A History of the Lyre

At the beginning of Letitia Landon’s A History of the Lyre, a male speaker looks at the portrait of a female poet and meditates on the function of memory and autobiographical self-construction: ‘Tis strange how much is mark’d on memory, In which we may have interest, but no part; How circumstances will bring together links In destinies the most dissimilar. This face, whose rudely-pencill’d sketch you hold, Recalls to me a host of pleasant thoughts, And some more serious. — This is EULALIE.1
Thoracoscopic-Assisted Pneumonectomy

Pneumonectomy is commonly performed via thoracotomy, although some centers are performing thoracoscopic pneumonectomy. Longer follow-up is needed to determine whether thoracoscopic pneumonectomy is equivalent or superior to pneumonectomy via thoracotomy. Robotic pneumonectomy has been reported in a handful of patients. However, it may be performed more frequently as more surgeons become proficient with thoracic robotic surgery and appropriate robotic instrumentation is developed.
Sugar and Civilization: American Empire and the Cultural Politics of Sweetness (Merleaux)

This work is a book review considering the title Sugar and Civilization: American Empire and the Cultural Politics of Sweetness by April Merleaux.
More than a Question of Agency: Privatized Project Implementation, Accountabilities, and Global Environmental Governance

With limited success, international relations scholars have used principal-agent theory (P-A) to understand gaps in global governance. While P-A may not provide robust explanations, it is still useful for mapping long chains of complex, boundary-crossing relationships and locating the gaps that characterize global environmental governance (GEG). In this article, first I argue that we can get beyond merely locating and describing governance gaps, and start explaining them, by considering the problems of accountability that contribute to those gaps. Second, I argue that outsourced sustainable development projects, implemented by for-profit contractors, provide an under-studied and under-theorized body of cases for examining the relationship between agency and accountability. Finally, I use the example of a United States Agency for International Development post-hurricane recovery project in Grenada to suggest that when development assistance agencies privatize implementation they prioritize more economistic logics of accountability. As a result, they may enhance short-term economic efficiency and even become more accountable to their principals. But they fail to connect the means and ends of GEG, despite firmly stated, official commitments to “taking the environment into account.”
SIRS, qSOFA and new sepsis definition.

A 2016 task force convened by national societies including the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) proposed a new definition of sepsis, termed Sepsis-3 (1). The new proposal defines sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection (1-3).
American Exceptionalism and the American Surgical Association: The Rise of Surgery in the United States.

OBJECTIVE To explore use of the notion of American exceptionalism by fellows of the American Surgical Association (ASA) (1880 through World War I) and how this proved instrumental in the rise of surgery in the United States. BACKGROUND American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is innately different from other nations because of its economic, geographic, political, religious, and social foundations. Although, currently, the concept of American exceptionalism implies superiority, in its original 19th century connotation, the idea referred to the distinctive character of America as a free nation. METHODS An analysis of published literature along with unpublished documents to provide new knowledge and unique insight into the use of American exceptionalism by members of the ASA as they promoted their specialty. RESULTS Beginning with Samuel Gross's desire that the organization he founded represent "the genius of our republican institutions," to Frederick Dennis's declaration that "American surgery eclipses all other nations because of the wonderful adaptability of the American mind," plus Lewis Pilcher's explanation of how the "stimulating climate, prevailing religious tone, regard for learning, and pride of citizenship are the fruit of the American mind when turned to surgical problems," and ending with Edmond Souchon's 106 page article in the Transactions on surgical firsts, the ASA was the avenue that helped the nation's surgeons define and defend themselves. CONCLUSIONS Use of the concept of American exceptionalism by fellows of the ASA was a key factor in the development of surgery in the United States.
Walking in Another’s Shoes: Enhancing Experiential Learning Through Design Thinking:

There exists an “innovation gap” where students are not prepared to meet the demands of an increasingly complex world. Skills such as creative confidence help close this gap and also foster innovat...
Robotic inguinal lymph node dissection for melanoma: a novel approach to a complicated problem.

Indications for superficial inguinal lymph node (ILN) dissection in melanoma include fine needle aspiration or clinically positive ILN and sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). Open inguinal lymphadenectomy may be complicated by poor wound healing, deep vein thrombosis, and lymphedema. Technical considerations and case series of a novel surgical approach, robotic inguinal lymphadenectomy, are presented. This is a case series of four robotic ILN dissections for melanoma at a tertiary care facility. Each patient had previously diagnosed melanoma by lymph node biopsy. Physician and patient jointly decided on robotic procedure after disclosure of this novel approach. Demographic, complication, pathological outcome, estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time, and length of stay (LOS) data were collected. No cases were aborted due to technical difficulty. The median patient age was 44.5 years (range 22–53 years) and median BMI was 27.5 (range 20.4–40.2). Operative time range was 120–231 min and EBL from 0 to 100 mL. Median nodal count was 5.5 (range 1–14 nodes). Patient LOS ranged from 0 (discharged from post anesthesia care unit) to 96 h. There was one complication of port site cellulitis, one seroma formation, and no instances of lymphedema. To date, there have been no deaths or melanoma recurrences in this population. Recent data suggest a minimum node count of six to seven for inguinal dissection. Of our four dissections, two were above this threshold and there were minimal postoperative complications. Given our limited sample size, future focus should be on increasing the data on this approach to optimize surgical outcomes and oncologic results.
Characteristic, Counting, and Representation Functions Characterized

Given a set A of natural numbers, i.e., nonnegative integers, there are three distinctive functions attached to it, each of which completely determines A. These are the characteristic function \(\chi _{A}(n)\) which is equal to 1 or 0 according as the natural number n lies or does not lie in A, the counting function A(n) which gives the number of elements a of A satisfying \(a\le n\), and the representation function \(r_{A}(n)\) which counts the ordered pairs (a, b) of elements \(a, b\in A\) such that \(a+b=n\). We establish direct relations between these three functions. In particular, we express each one of them in terms of each other one. We also characterize the representation functions by an intrinsic recursive relation which is a necessary and sufficient condition.
Numbers, Narratives, and Nation: Mainstream News Coverage of U.S. Latino Population Growth, 1990–2010:

Ideologies that support racial domination and White supremacy remain foundational in U.S. society, even as the nation becomes increasingly diverse and progressively focused on quantitative measurem...
Equilibrio funcional de las organizaciones basado en el poder

El presente documento expone el pensamiento de Henry Mlntzberg y de Thomas Hobbes en relacion al tema de poder, como factor esencial para el equilibrio de las organizaciones. De acuerdo con Mintzberg se describen los sistemas los sistemas que intervienen en la coalicion interna de las organizaciones. Segun las ideas de Hobbes, se fundamenta como a partir de la divergencia entre el estado de naturaleza humana y el estado de la sociedad civil, debe existir un poder que obliga a cumplir acuerdos, no por simple voluntades verbales, sino por una ley que compromete.
Anxiety and Fear

Publisher Summary Anxiety is a common experience of childhood, and for a subset of children, it becomes interfering and clinically significant. Epidemiological studies indicate that anxiety disorders are among the most common disorders of childhood and adolescence, underscoring the need for accurate and developmentally informed assessment, conceptualization, and treatment planning. This chapter examines assessment strategies, including their research basis, clinical utility, and illustrative use in a case study. The chapter highlights the considerations in assessing anxiety in children. In particular, familial factors, and developmental and cultural issues need to be considered in assessing anxiety in children. A critical issue for further examination is the construct validity of anxiety as it is currently defined. Assessment approaches and diagnostic nomenclature view anxiety in children as a younger version of adult anxiety. However, although the experience of anxiety tends to persist, its form often changes over time in children. Whether the separate diagnostic categories adequately define childhood anxiety awaits further examination of the longitudinal experience of childhood anxiety, which will further inform approaches to assessment as more is known about the construct of anxiety and its expression in childhood.