cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery of cellular traction in three-dimensional nonlinear hyperelastic matrices

Abstract The traction exerted by a cell on the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) is critical to understanding and manipulating important biological processes such as stem cell differentiation, cancer cell metastasis, and embryonic morphogenesis. This traction is typically quantified through traction force microscopy (TFM). In TFM, the displacement of select markers inside the ECM is tracked, and is used in conjunction with an elasticity problem to reconstruct the traction field. Most applications of this technique thus far have assumed that the matrix behaves as a linear elastic solid that undergoes small deformation and infinitesimal strains. In this manuscript, we develop and implement a robust and efficient TFM methodology that overcomes these limitations by accounting for geometric and material nonlinearities in the ECM. We pose the TFM problem as an inverse problem and develop efficient adjoint-based minimization techniques to solve it. We test the effect of measurement noise on the proposed method, and examine the error incurred by not including nonlinear effects when solving the TFM problem. We present these results for in-silico traction fields that are applied to realistic geometric models of microglial and neuronal cells.
Streptococcal Sore Throat and Throat Culture

In view of the availability of laboratory aids applicable in modern medical practice, it is difficult indeed for the general practitioner to cite inconvenience, delay or inaccessibility as a reason for failure to employ these technics to determine whether or not a case of pharyngitis or tonsillitis is due to streptococci. As the general practitioner employs these aids, benefits will accrue in terms of more accurate diagnosis, applied specific therapy, and decreased opportunity for drug sensitivity and development of resistant strains of staphylococci, as well as possible clarification of the epidemiology of nonsuppurative sequelae of streptococcal sore throat.
Addendum: Miniaturized Technologies for Enhancement of Motor Plasticity

Reason for Addendum: In the original article, I neglected to thank a couple of sponsors, which are now included below (with the original Acknowledgments).
Use of microcellular foam materials in constrained layer damping treatments

Constrained layer damping (CLD) treatment is a widely used surface damping treatment for vibration and noise control. In this paper, two feasibility studies were conducted using microcellular foam in CLD applications. The first study explores the feasibility of using modified polyethylene teraphthalate (PETG) microcellular foam as a damping material. Two foam configurations were tested: uncompressed (regular) and compressed foam. The second feasibility study evaluated damping performance of CLD with microcellular foam as a standoff layer. Results of the feasibility studies show that the loss factor of PETG foam with densities from 42 kg/m 3 to 240 kg/m 3 is in the range of 2% to 8%. In addition, there is no significant difference in loss factor between the uncompressed and compressed foams. Also, use of microcellular foam as standoff layer can reduce vibration amplitude up to 80% with only a 2% to 3% weight penalty.
Scattering with Ionized Impurities

Impurity scattering in semiconductors is discussed presenting the Brooks–Herring and Conwell–Weisskopf models. More advanced treatments, such as Ridley’s statistical screening and partial-wave analysis, are also briefly discussed.
Quantifying the emissions impacts of smart grid projects with a publically available web calculator

A new methodology and web calculator, known as the emissions quantification tool (EQT), are designed to estimate the emissions impacts of a growing range of specific smart grid technologies and project types. Significant CO2, NOx, and SO2 reductions are possible with these technologies, but results are highly context dependent. This transparent, modular, reproducible, and publically accessible screening tool draws on well-vetted methodologies from trusted sources and allows comparison of possible and completed smart grid project impacts by diverse stakeholders. The live web calculator and full documentation are available at http://eqt.pnnl.gov.
The University of Iowa Tractatus Map

Drawing on recent work on the nature of the numbering system of the Tractatus and Wittgenstein’s use of that system in his composition of the Prototractatus , the paper sets out the rationale for the online tool called The University of Iowa Tractatus Map . The map consists of a website with a front page that links to two separate subway-style maps of the hypertextual numbering system Wittgenstein used in his Tractatus . One map displays the structure of the published Tractatus ; the other lays out the structure of the Prototractatus . The site makes available the full text of the German and the two canonical English translations. While we envisage the map as a tool that we would like a wide variety of readers to find helpful, we argue that our website amounts to a radically new edition of Wittgenstein’s early masterpiece, with far-reaching implications for the interpretation of that text. In particular, we claim that our visually compelling presentation of the book’s overall structure delivers on Wittgenstein’s cryptic claim in a letter to his publisher that it is the numbers that “make the book surveyable and clear”.
Alternative Pathways of Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Aggregation Distinguished by 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Detected Kinetics of Monomer Consumption

Amyloid formation, a complex process involving many intermediate states, is proposed to be the driving force for amyloid-related toxicity in common degenerative diseases. Unfortunately, the details of this process have been obscured by the limitations in the methods that can follow this reaction in real time. We show that alternative pathways of aggregation can be distinguished by using 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to monitor monomer consumption along with complementary measurements of fibrillogenesis. The utility of this technique is demonstrated by tracking amyloid formation in the diabetes-related islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Using this technique, we show IAPP fibrillizes without an appreciable buildup of nonfibrillar intermediates, in contrast to the well-studied Aβ and α-synuclein proteins. To further develop the usage of 19F NMR, we have tracked the influence of the polyphenolic amyloid inhibitor epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on the aggregation pathway. Polyphenols have been shown to ...
Performance analyses of plasmonic lithography

We analyzed the field contrast, aspect ratio, pattern uniformity as well as the line-edge roughness (LER) of the patterns fabricated in plasmonic lithography. Deep subwavelength patterns with high aspect-ratio and large-area uniformity were achieved by coupling the evanescent waves into an optical waveguide as well as the selection of a single high spatial frequency mode. In addition, the impacts of defects on photomasks and the surface roughness on thin films are studied in two exemplary plasmonic lithography systems: superlens and hyperbolic metamaterials (HMM). Superlens is capable of replicating arbitrary patterns, which also inherently make it vulnerable to roughness of the thin film and imperfections on the mask; while HMM system is more immune to such imperfections due to its spatial frequency selection function property.
The Temperature and Frequency Dependence of the Bulk Compliance of Poly(Vinyl Acetate). A Re-Examination

Measurements are described and analyzed for the determination of thedynamic bulk compliance for Poly(vinyl acetate) [PVAc] as a function offrequency and temperature at atmospheric pressure to generate a mastercompliance curve over a total frequency range of about 12 decades.Measurements are based on the compressibility of a specimen confined to anoil-filled cavity resulting from pressurization by a piezoelectricdriver and response of a like receiver. Experimental problems addressinglimitations in resolution capability are discussed. The results arecompared with the classical measurements obtained by McKinney andBelcher over thirty years ago. Further comparison of the bulk with shearcompliance data shows that the extent of the transition ranges for thetwo material functions are comparable, but the two transitions belong todifferent time scales, that of the bulk response falling mostly into theglassy domain of the shear behavior. One concludes thus that forlinearly viscoelastic response the molecular mechanisms contributing toshear and bulk deformations have different conformational sources.
Why Feminist Legal Theory Still Needs Mary Joe Frug: Thoughts on Conflicts in Feminism

This brief essay is an addition to the Mary Joe Frug Memorial Symposium that the New England Law Review published on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Professor Frug’s death in a first volume at 50 New Eng. L. Rev. 269-318 (2016). It explores dimensions of Professor Frug’s work and its continuing vitality and importance to feminist legal scholarship. It argues that her work has special significance in grappling with contemporary conflicts in feminist legal theory.
PDGFA Regulation of Dermal Adipocyte Stem Cells

Adipose tissue is widely studied for its central role in regulating systemic metabolism and contribution to obesity-related diseases; however, skin resident dermal white adipose tissue (dWAT) also contributes to many aspects of skin function. Skin-resident mature adipocytes are thought to prevent hair growth activation through the secretion of BMP molecules (1). Furthermore, following S. aureus infection, adipose tissue in the skin expands and produces an antibacterial peptide (2). During wound healing, defects in adipogenesis can abrogate fibroblast recruitment into wound beds, leading to defects in extracellular matrix deposition and tissue repair (3). Migration of adipocyte precursors into the wounded area might also contribute to the mesenchymal repopulation of the wounded site (4) and in wounds where hair follicle neogenesis is observed fully functional adipocyte precursors are present (5). These findings highlight the breadth of the role of adipose tissue in the skin.
Methadone as a First-Line Opioid in Cancer Pain Management: A Systematic Review.

Abstract Aim The objective of this review was to assess the existent evidence for the use of methadone as a first-line therapy in cancer pain management. Methods A systematic literature search on MEDLINE and Embase databases was carried out from each database, setting up the date to August 30, 2017. Studies were included if methadone was a first-line drug as a Step 3 of World Health Organization analgesic ladder, or at low doses (Step 2), if they were conducted in adult patients with cancer pain, and if they contained outcomes on pain- and opioid-related adverse effects. Results The initial search yielded 219 records. Ten articles were considered after the initial screening according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. They included three longitudinal open-label studies. In two studies methadone was initiated at low doses (≤10 mg/day). These studies suggested that methadone was effective in providing analgesia and well tolerated as first opioid at different starting doses and in different conditions and settings. Five additional studies were randomized controlled studies with morphine in patients who had received opioids for moderate pain. Methadone, compared with oral morphine, or transdermal fentanyl, either at low (Step 2 level) or relatively higher doses (Step 3 level), provided similar analgesia with similar adverse effects profile with limited dose escalation in time. Conclusion Available data are not sufficient to draw net conclusion. However, open-label and controlled studies have shown that methadone may be effective as first-line drug in the management of cancer pain, providing analgesia and adverse effect profiles similar to those produced by other opioids. The finding that methadone doses tend to remain stable suggests that metabolic characteristics and extraopioid analgesic effects, as its well antihyperalgesic properties may be interesting potential advantages. Further studies should provide information regarding the long-term use of methadone or the need to switch from methadone to other opioids when a loss of analgesic response occurs.
Wave Functions, Density Functionals, and Artificial Intelligence for Materials and Energy Research: Future Prospects and Challenges

Semiconducting materials, crystalline or amorphous, feature a diverse family of emergent transient properties (excitons, free carriers, plasmons, polarons, etc.) of interest to energy science, which are observed (indirectly or directly) in carefully designed experiments. Theoretical methods, which provide detailed and accurate information about the excitations of small molecules, have trouble with large systems because of computational limitations, such that a thorough selection of algorithms plays a crucial role. With a wide range of research opportunities in mind, in this Perspective we consider, from a first-principles perspective, the techniques available to calculate optical and electronic properties of materials and discuss (i) challenges in density-functional and wave function methods for materials and energy science, (ii) a method developed by us for describing excited-state phenomena (which consists of the linear response analysis of perturbed initial states), and (iii) opportunities for using ma...
B-Cell Receptor

The subunit structure of the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) and its associated compartmentalization of function confer enormous flexibility for generating signals and directing these toward specific and divergent cell fate decisions. Like all the multichain immune recognition receptors discussed in this volume, assembly of these multi-unit complexes sets these receptors apart from almost all other cell surface signal transduction proteins and affords them the ability to participate in almost all of the diverse aspects of, in this case, B-cell biology. We discuss here the structural aspects of the BCR and its associated coreceptors and relate these mechanistically to how BCR signaling can be directed towards specific fate decisions. By doing so, the BCR plays a pivotal role in ensuring the effective and appropriate B-cell response to antigen.
Half-time myocardial perfusion imaging with Philips Astonish reconstruction

2240 Objectives: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) at our institution is performed using 32 stops with 25 seconds per stop for the rest acquisition and 20 seconds per stop for the stress acquisition. Philips’ Astonish filter increases resolution and can allow for half time imaging. The purpose of this study is to compare the resultant half-time images using the Astonish filter for reconstruction with full time images using Iterative reconstruction. Methods: The acquisitions were performed on a Precedence SPECT/CT system (Philips, Milpitas, CA). The SPECT acquisition protocol was programmed to save data from both the standard time and half-time point on each of the stops. The full-time data was reconstructed using the Iterative maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) method while the half-time data was reconstructed using Astonish. Two nuclear medicine physicians blindly compared the two methods and decided which images they preferred. Results: Upon visual comparison of both reconstruction methods there is significant variation in image appearance. The full-time study (MLEM) has an over filtered appearance whereas the half-time image with Astonish has a much sharper appearance. Defects in the full-time study tend to be somewhat masked by the lack of sharpness but with Astonish the defects tend to stand out much more and edges are more defined. One physician preferred the half-time Astonish reconstructed images on 4 of the 5 patients. Another physician favored the image quality from Astonish but preferred the iterative for reading results. Conclusions: Half-time imaging using Astonish is much sharper than full time imaging using iterative reconstruction. Depending on the facility and physician preference, half-time imaging could be used for MPI studies.
Crime: Sociological Aspects

The study of sociological aspects of crime is marked by controversy, beginning with definitional issues. The continually evolving nature of criminal law, and differences among nations, render crime difficult to measure, describe, and explain. Yet it is the focus on law—law making and breaking, law breakers and their victims, and the control of law breaking and law breakers—that serves as a unifying theme for an otherwise extremely diverse discipline and profession. Discussion of sociological issues in the study of crime and criminals focuses on issues in the sociology of law, conceptual and measurement issues, the social distribution and explanation of crime, and issues related to crime control. This is followed by discussion of the history of explanations of crime (the major focus of most studies of sociological aspects of crime), change in focus or emphasis over time, and continuity and change in sociological theory and research concerning crime and criminals. The article closes with discussion of continuing methodological issues and future directions of theory and research.
Case Study: Tiles from Blue Marble Imagery

This chapter takes the reader through a case study of creating image tiles from raw bluemarble source imagery.
Effect of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) on overall survival in metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (metMTC).

e17547Background: CTCs have been shown to be a valuable prognostic marker for breast, colon and prostate cancers. We have previously reported that ≥ 5 CTCs per tube can be detected using the Veride...
Felix-Marie Abel and his Vision of Nature in Palestine: Géographie de la Palestine revisited

Felix-Marie Abel was in the early 20th century one of the most prominent “Bible scholars” and, despite limitations, contributed to a better knowledge of Palestinian history and geography. The present paper is an overview of Abel's monumental Geographie de la Palestine focusing on chapters dealing with plants and animals of Palestine. We show that this analysis of historical texts could be useful to make comparative studies with the situation of nature in Palestine today.
The Chemistry of Lanthanides in Biology: Recent Discoveries, Emerging Principles, and Technological Applications

The essential biological role of rare earth elements lay hidden until the discovery in 2011 that lanthanides are specifically incorporated into a bacterial methanol dehydrogenase. Only recently has this observation gone from a curiosity to a major research area, with the appreciation for the widespread nature of lanthanide-utilizing organisms in the environment and the discovery of other lanthanide-binding proteins and systems for selective uptake. While seemingly exotic at first glance, biological utilization of lanthanides is very logical from a chemical perspective. The early lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr, Nd) primarily used by biology are abundant in the environment, perform similar chemistry to other biologically useful metals and do so more efficiently due to higher Lewis acidity, and possess sufficiently distinct coordination chemistry to allow for selective uptake, trafficking, and incorporation into enzymes. Indeed, recent advances in the field illustrate clear analogies with the biological coordination chemistry of other metals, particularly CaII and FeIII, but with unique twists-including cooperative metal binding to magnify the effects of small ionic radius differences-enabling selectivity. This Outlook summarizes the recent developments in this young but rapidly expanding field and looks forward to potential future discoveries, emphasizing continuity with principles of bioinorganic chemistry established by studies of other metals. We also highlight how a more thorough understanding of the central chemical question-selective lanthanide recognition in biology-may impact the challenging problems of sensing, capture, recycling, and separations of rare earths.
O-032 Microcatheter delivery of neurotherapeutics: compatibility with mesenchymal stem cells

Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being studied for the treatment of several neurological disorders. The use of MSCs as delivery modality for targeted viral therapeutic agents for the treatment of intracranial pathologies has not been explored. Delta-24-RGD, a tumor-selective oncolytic adenovirus designed to target malignant glioma cells, has been shown effective in animal models. However, the most efficient viral tissue delivery modality is unclear. Bone marrow human MSCs (BM-hMSC) have been shown to have homing capability toward glioma xenografts and the feasibility of oncolytic virus particles loaded in MSCs being delivered to the tumor vascular bed via selective intra-arterial (IA) infusion is being investigated. To evaluate the feasibility of endovascular IA delivery, catheter compatibility with MSCs was tested in vitro. Methods BM-hMSCs were cultured, transfected with Delta-24, and re-suspended in 1% Human Serum Albumin. hMSC-Delta-24 solution was then injected via three microcatheters of different inner diameters (Marathon, Echelon-14, and Marksman). Cell count and viability after injection through the microcatheters based on injection velocity and catheter configuration were assessed. Transwell assay was performed with the injected cells to test the Delta-24 activity against U87 glioma cells. hMSC-Delta-24 compatibility was also tested with commonly used medications in neuroendovascular therapy (Omnipaque, verapamil, and heparin). Results BM-hMSC cell count prior to infusion was 0.123 × 106 cells/mL, 98.7% viability. There was no significant difference in cell count after infused through any of the catheters under standard conditions, with a mean concentration of 0.126 × 106 cells/mL and 97.9% (±1.7%) viability. Injection velocity ranged from 1.01 to 73.17 cc/min, with no significant difference in cell count or viability. The same result was seen in either tortuous or straight microcatheter configurations. Cell count and viability did not change significantly when the hMSC in solution was stored for up to 5 hours on ice or mixed with Omnipaque, verapamil, and heparin. Notably, anti-glioma activity was maintained after microcatheter infusion. Conclusions BM-hMSCs are compatible with a wide variety of commonly used neuroendovascular microcatheters and medications. Stem cell viability and viral agent activity do not appear to be affected by catheter configuration or injection velocity. Commercially available microcatheters can be used to deliver IA stem cell neurotherapeutics. Disclosures V. Srinivasan: None. J. Gumin: None. K. Camstra: None. S. Chen: None. J. Johnson: None. F. Lang: None. P. Kan: 2; C; Stryker, Medtronic, Cerenovus.
Trajectories of Autism Symptom Severity Change During Early Childhood

Autism symptom severity change was evaluated during early childhood in 125 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children were assessed at approximately 3 and 6 years of age for autism symptom severity, IQ and adaptive functioning. Each child was assigned a change score, representing the difference between ADOS Calibrated Severity Scores (CSS) at the two ages. A Decreased Severity Group (28.8%) decreased by 2 or more points; a Stable Severity Group (54.4%) changed by 1 point or less; and an Increased Severity Group (16.8%) increased by 2 or more points. Girls tended to decrease in severity more than boys and increase in severity less than boys. There was no clear relationship between intervention history and membership in the groups.
Pathological nodal disease defines survival outcomes in patients with lung cancer with tumour major pathological response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES Major pathological response (MPR) is prognostic of outcomes for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and is used as the primary end point in neoadjuvant immunotherapy trials. We studied the influence of pathological nodal disease on patterns and timing of recurrence among patients with MPR. METHODS Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stages I-III non-small-cell lung cancer were identified. Surgical specimens were histopathologically examined for tumour viability, categorized as ≤10% viability (MPR) or >10% (NoMPR). Overall survival and disease-free survival were evaluated with emphasis upon MPR and pathological nodal disease. RESULTS Among 307 patients, 58 (19%) had MPR within primary tumour and 42 (14%) had MPRypN0. In the MPR group, the frequency of cN0 and cN+ disease was 18 (31%) and 40 (69%); similarly, the frequency of ypN0, ypN1 and ypN2 was 72% (42/58), 16% (9/58) and 12% (7/58), respectively. When evaluating only those with MPR, recurrence rates among those with MPRypN0, MPRypN1 and MPRypN2 were 33% (14/42), 44% (4/9) and 71% (5/7) (P = 0.16). The median time-to-recurrence in MPRypN0, MPRypN1 and MPRypN2 was 40, 10 and 14 months (P = 0.006). Distant recurrences were less common among those with MPRypN0 [MPRypN0, 26% (11/42); MPRypN1, 44% (4/9); MPRypN2, 71% (5/7); P = 0.047]. Though the median disease-free survival was prolonged among those with MPR vs NoMPR (120 vs 25 months, P < 0.0001), only those with MPRypN0 had prolonged disease-free survival in comparison to other groups upon pairwise comparisons, while MPRypN+ experienced no benefit. CONCLUSIONS MPRypN0 represents the most favourable surrogate end point following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with ypN1-2 are at the risk of early recurrence regardless of primary tumour MPR, warranting intensive surveillance and consideration for additional adjuvant therapy. We highlight that MPRypN0 is the most rigorous end point and should be considered as a surrogate end point in future neoadjuvant trials.
Orientation data for coherent sheaves on the local projective plane

In this note, we show that the canonical orientation data on the quiver hearts are compatible under the autoequivalence $\_\otimes\pi^*O(1)$, and hence glue to give an orientation data for the stack of coherent sheaves on local P2.
The Shared Genetic Basis of Human Fluid Intelligence and Brain Morphology

Human intelligence differences are linked to diverse cognitive abilities and predict important life outcomes. Here we investigate the biological bases of fluid intelligence in a large sample of participants from the UK Biobank. We explore the genetic underpinnings of fluid intelligence via genome-wide association analysis (N=108,147), and examine brain morphological correlates of fluid intelligence (N=7,485). Importantly, we develop novel statistical methods that enable high-dimensional co-heritability analysis, and compute high-resolution surface maps for the co-heritability and genetic correlations between fluid intelligence and cortical thickness measurements. Our analyses reveal the genetic overlap between fluid intelligence and brain morphology in predominately left inferior precentral gyrus, pars opercularis, superior temporal cortex, supramarginal gyrus, and their proximal regions. These results suggest a shared genetic basis between fluid intelligence and Broca9s speech and Wernicke9s language areas and motor regions, and may contribute to our understanding of the biological substrate of human fluid intelligence.
Dyadic trust as a mediator in the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and relationship distress in community couples

Background:Trust is an important component in romantic relationships. However, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can alter an individual’s appraisal of others resulting in difficulties with inte...
Soft tissue vibration: A biologically-inspired mechanism for stabilizing bipedal locomotion

Humans are made up of mostly soft tissue that vibrates during locomotion. This vibration has been shown to store and dissipate energy during locomotion. However, the effects of soft tissue vibration (wobbling masses) on the dynamics of bipedal walking have not been assessed in terms of stability. Given that much of the human body is vibrating just following foot-ground contact, it may have dynamic implications on the stability of walking. A rigid bipedal walker and a bipedal walker with soft tissue were simulated to quantify the effects of soft tissue vibration on gait periodicity, orbital stability, global stability, and robustness to uneven terrain. It was found that moderate amounts of energy dissipation resulted in much more stable walking dynamics relative to that of a rigid bipedal walker.
Linearized General Relativity and Gravitational Waves

Gravitational waves are the analog of radio waves in electromagnetic theory. They were first predicted soon after the advent of general relativity theory, and after about a century of theoretical research and decades of experimental work they have been finally detected. In this chapter we develop the theory of the production, the propagation, and the detection of gravitational waves. Gravitational waves provide an entirely new observational window on the universe; the mergers of black holes and neutron stars are the sources of the waves so far observed.
Strain Relaxation via Phase Transformation in High-Mobility SrSnO3 Films

SrSnO3 (SSO) is an emerging ultrawide band gap (UWBG) semiconductor with potential in high-power applications. In-plane compressive strain was recently shown to stabilize the high-temperature tetra...
PODO: Trial Design: Phase 2 Study of PF-06730512 in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Introduction Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is characterized by proteinuria and a histologic pattern of glomerular lesions of diverse etiology that share features including glomerular scarring and podocyte foot process effacement. Roundabout guidance receptor 2 (ROBO2)/slit guidance ligand 2 (SLIT2) signaling destabilizes the slit diaphragm and reduces podocyte adhesion to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Preclinical studies suggest that inhibition of glomerular ROBO2/SLIT2 signaling can stabilize podocyte adhesion and reduce proteinuria. This clinical trial evaluates the preliminary efficacy and safety of ROBO2/SLIT2 inhibition with the ROBO2 fusion protein PF-06730512 in patients with FSGS. Methods The Study to Evaluate PF-06730512 in Adults With FSGS (PODO; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03448692 ), an open-label, phase 2a, multicenter trial in adults with FSGS, will enroll patients into 2 cohorts (n = 22 per cohort) to receive either high- or low-dose PF-06730512 (intravenous) every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. Key inclusion criteria include a confirmed biopsy diagnosis of FSGS, an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥45 ml/min/1.73 m2 based on the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula (30–45 with a recent biopsy), and urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) >1.5 g/g. Key exclusion criteria include collapsing FSGS, serious/active infection, ≥50% tubulointerstitial fibrosis on biopsy, and organ transplantation. The primary endpoint is change from baseline to week 13 in UPCR; secondary endpoints include safety, changes in eGFR, and PF-06730512 serum concentration. Results This ongoing trial will report the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and biomarker results of PF-06730512 for patients with FSGS. Conclusion Findings from this proof-of-concept study may support further development and evaluation of PF-06730512 to treat FSGS and warrant assessment in phase 3 clinical trials.
DSM-5 symptom expression in toddlers.

Although the early behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder have been well characterized, many behaviors are also commonly observed in young children with other developmental delays and e...
Extending the "Reach" of the Short-Scar Facelift with Energy Devices-An Early Report.

Facial rejuvenation has become more popular. A wider breadth of the patient population is seeking procedures to preserve their youthful facial attributes and to remedy age-related deleterious changes. Along with this increasing interest in facial rejuvenation is also the expressed desire for any interventions to be relatively low risk, with limited recovery, and with achievable positive results. Many new technologies have become available in an attempt to improve age-related facial changes. The radiofrequency (RF)-based technologies are largely directed toward skin tightening and toward reducing and remodeling subcutaneous fat. It can be contemplated that the combination of RF-based technology with limited surgical procedures may extend the patient selection for less invasive procedures while improving potential results. This is a report of the combination of radiofrequency technologies—percutaneous and transcutaneous—with short scar face techniques in facial rejuvenation.
Hemodynamic course during ablation and selective hepatic artery embolization for metastatic liver carcinoid: a retrospective observational study.

Abstract Background Manipulation of carcinoid tumors during ablation or selective hepatic artery embolization (transarterial embolization, TAE) can release vasoactive mediators inducing hemodynamic instability. The main aim of our study was to review hemodynamics and complications related to minimally invasive treatments of liver carcinoids with TAE or ablation. Methods Electronic medical records of all patients with metastatic liver carcinoid undergoing ablation or TAE from 2003 to 2019 were abstracted. Noted were severe hypotension (mean arterial pressure [MAP] ≤ 55 mmHg), severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 180 mmHg), and perioperative complications. Associations of procedure type and pre-procedure octreotide use with intraprocedural hemodynamics were assessed using linear regression. A robust covariance approach using generalized estimating equation method was used to account for multiple observations. Results A total of 161 patients underwent 98 ablations and 207 TAEs. Severe hypertension was observed in 24 (24.5%) vs. 15 (7.3%), severe hypotension in 56 (57.1%) vs. 6 (2.9%), and cutaneous flushing observed in 2 (2.0%) vs. 48 (23.2%) ablations and TAEs, respectively. After adjusting for preprocedural MAP, ablation was associated with lower intraprocedural MAP compared to TAE (estimate -27 mmHg, 95%CI -30 to -24 mmHg, p Conclusions Ablation of liver carcinoids was associated with substantial hemodynamic instability, especially hypotension. In contrast, a higher number of TAE patients had cutaneous flushing. Preprocedural use of octreotide was not associated with attenuation of intraprocedural hypotension.
Quantifying disease pathology and predicting disease progression in multiple sclerosis with only clinical routine T2-FLAIR MRI

BACKGROUND Although quantitative measures from research-quality MRI provide a means to study multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology in vivo, these metrics are often unavailable in legacy clinical datasets. OBJECTIVE To determine how well an automatically-generated quantitative snapshot of brain pathology, measured only on clinical routine T2-FLAIR MRI, can substitute for more conventional measures on research MRI in terms of capturing multi-factorial disease pathology and providing similar clinical relevance. METHODS MRI with both research-quality sequences and conventional clinical T2-FLAIR was acquired for 172 MS patients at baseline, and neurologic disability was assessed at baseline and five-years later. Five measures (thalamus volume, lateral ventricle volume, medulla oblongata volume, lesion volume, and network efficiency) for quantifying disparate aspects of neuropathology from low-resolution T2-FLAIR were applied to predict standard research-quality MRI measures. They were compared in regard to association with future neurologic disability and disease progression over five years. RESULTS The combination of the five T2-FLAIR measures explained most of the variance in standard research-quality MRI. T2-FLAIR measures were associated with neurologic disability and cognitive function five-years later (R2 = 0.279, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.382, p < 0.001), similar to standard research-quality MRI (R2 = 0.279, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.366, p < 0.001). They also similarly predicted disability progression over five years (%-correctly-classified = 69.8, p = 0.034), compared to standard research-quality MRI (%-correctly-classified = 72.4%, p = 0.022) in relapsing-remitting MS. CONCLUSION A set of five T2-FLAIR-only measures can substitute for standard research-quality MRI, especially in relapsing-remitting MS. When only clinical T2-FLAIR is available, it can be used to obtain substantially more quantitative information about brain pathology and disability than is currently standard practice.
The intersection of race and opioid use disorder treatment: A quantitative analysis.

Abstract Introduction Racial health inequities exist in the United States. Racial minorities and whites have different health care experiences and health outcomes. Past studies examined this relationship for health care treatment, but additional research on whether and how race affects treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is needed. Based on systematic racism theory, this study examines the relationship between race and OUD treatment in three ways, representing three different phases in the treatment process: referral source for treatment, whether the treatment plan includes medications for OUD (MOUD), and reason for discharge. Methods This study examines the relationship between race and treatment for OUD. The study uses data from the 2013 and 2017 Treatment Episode Data Set Discharges (TEDS-D) dataset to run logistical and multinomial regression models. Results This study found that a relationship between race and treatment for OUD exists in all three areas that we examined. Specifically, this study found that being a minority was associated with a decreased likelihood of being referred to treatment by a medical professional, a decreased likelihood of having MOUD as part of the treatment plan (although the opposite was true in 2013), and a decreased likelihood of leaving treatment because the treatment episode was complete. Conclusion Policymakers should use these findings to develop policy interventions for OUD that recognize the systematic racism that exists rather than our current colorblind policies.
Aptamer : An Emerging Biorecognition System

Nucleic acid aptamers in recent years have garnered a lot of attention as potential synthetic ligands in biosensing applications. This is due to several advantages offered by aptamers over other biorecognition elements like low or no immunogenicity, increased shelf life, no batch-to-batch variations, and the ease of chemically modifying them for various applications. This chapter introduces the reader to the basic steps of aptamer selection, the downstream characterization steps, and the use of aptamers in diverse sensing platforms. It is meant to serve as a guide for beginners to have a general idea of the common SELEX processes used frequently and the downstream processing for selecting an aptamer.
George Steiner: Fragmentos sobre un pensador de (la) excepción

Este articulo presenta la obra de George Steiner, critico literario de formacion cultural europea, que ha publicado su obra en el contexto de la academia norteamericana. Ademas de servir de puente entre ambas culturas, Steiner se ha preocupado por plantear una posicion polemica frente a algunas tendencias dominantes en la critica estadounidense. Su primer y segundo libros, Tolstoi o Dostoievsky (1959) y La muerte de la tragedia (1961), se opusieron a la nocion del New Criticism de que una obra debe estudiarse en forma aislada; mas adelante, Steiner se enfrento a posiciones deconstruccionistas que afirman que el texto se origina a partir de una ausencia. La obra de Steiner es muestra de un pensamiento original y de una afirmacion del valor estetico de la literatura.
A Comparative Study of Symbolic Algorithms for the Computation of Fair Cycles

Detection of fair cycles is an important task of many model checking algorithms. When the transition system is represented symbolically, the standard approach to fair cycle detection is the one of Emerson and Lei. In the last decade variants of this algorithm and an alternative method based on strongly connected component decomposition have been proposed. We present a taxonomy of these techniques and compare representatives of each major class on a collection of real-life examples. Our results indicate that the Emerson-Lei procedure is the fastest, but other algorithms tend to generate shorter counter-examples.
History of Social Psychology: Insights, Challenges, and Contributions to Theory and Application

In his classic Handbook of Social Psychology chapter, Jones (1985) offered a particularly comprehensive account of five decades of social psychology, beginning with the late 1930s. His treatment of the contributions of Kurt Lewin, whom he rightly identified as the most important shaper of modern experimental social psychology—and the groundbreaking work of Leon Festinger, whose discrepancy reduction model (borrowed from Lewin’s tension-system concept) was applied to both pressures toward uniformity within groups and consonant versus dissonant cognitions of actors—remains essential reading for aspiring researchers who want to understand what social psychologists study, how they study it, and the “middlerange” level of theorizing they find most comfortable. Jones also offered balanced assessments of the most provocative debates that had taken place within the field and a clear-eyed account of the waxing and waning of specific research programs (which he characterized as “bandwagons” and “sinking ships”). Although we generally refrain from summarizing these debates and contributions, we do try to build upon them—not only with some updating, but also with further consideration of the challenges confronting our discipline, and the various ways in which those challenges have been met. Any history of a field of study reflects particular values and tastes. Ours include a fondness for studies that employ consequential behavioral measures and an appreciation of social psychology’s potential to speak to applied problems in the real world. In short, this chapter represents a history, rather than the history of social psychology, an account of contributions, problems, insights, and events seen through the particular interpretive lenses of its authors. The chapter includes five sections, each of which includes various subsections:
Translinear circuit for 2-D analog error correction

Analog error correction allows discrete-time continuous-alphabet signals to be protected against channel impairment without the need for a digital representation or digital circuit. This is a powerful way to distribute the representation of an analog value across multiple wires or multiple devices in a manner similar to how digital representations distribute bits across multiple wires and devices to create digital words. In this paper we propose a translinear circuit implementation of a class of analog error correction schemes proposed in [1]. We use subthreshold analog CMOS circuits as our medium of choice due to their strong potential for enabling ultra-low power processing and powerful native universal computational ability. We focus on the simplest case of a two-dimensional analog codeword (one analog value represented across two wires) and contrast this formulation with simple two-dimensional digital quantization. We demonstrate through SPICE simulations that our analog codec attains a strong performance advantage over digital quantization methods, and we give an example of analog source-channel coding applied to images.
Spatial Ability in Learning Engineering Mechanics: Critical Review

AbstractEngineering mechanics (EM) is considered one of the most difficult introductory courses in undergraduate education in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and material science and engineering. Built on the foundation and framework of mathematics and physics, the course requires students to have not only strong abstract thinking and reasoning skills, but also solid spatial abilities. However, the role of spatial ability in learning engineering mechanics has not been investigated adequately in the literature. This paper serves four purposes. First, it presents a critical analysis of findings from an extensive literature review regarding the role of spatial ability in solving physics problems and makes connections to relevant problems of engineering mechanics. Second, this paper applies theories from cognition science and psychology to interpret the role of spatial ability in learning abstract concepts and complex motions in an engineering mechanics course. Third, this pa...
Relationship of insulin, glucose, leptin, IL-6 and TNF-α in human breast milk with infant growth and body composition

Numerous appetite, growth, obesity-related hormones and inflammatory factors are found in human breast-milk, but there is little evidence on their relationship with infant body composition. The purpose of the present cross-sectional pilot study was to assess the cross-sectional associations of appetite-regulating hormones and growth factors (leptin, insulin, glucose) and inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α) in human breast-milk with infant size, adiposity, and lean tissue at 1-month of age in healthy term infants. Human breast-milk was collected from nineteen exclusively breast-feeding mothers using one full breast expression between 8:00 and 10:00 am. The milk was then mixed, aliquoted, stored at −80°C and then centrifuged to remove the milk fat, prior to analyses using commercially available immunoassay kits; milk analytes were natural log transformed prior to analysis. Infant body composition was assessed using a Lunar iDXA v11-30.062 scanner (Infant whole body analysis enCore 2007 software, GE, Fairfield, CT). Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was positively associated with milk leptin concentration (p=0.0027), and so maternal-BMI-adjusted Spearman correlations were examined between breast-milk analytes and infant growth and body composition variables. As previously reported, greater milk leptin was associated with lower BMIZ (r= −0.54, p=0.03). Glucose was positively associated with relateive weight (r = 0.6, p=0.01), and both fat and lean mass (0.43 – 0.44, p<0.10). Higher concentrations of milk insulin were associated with lower infant weight, relative weight, and lean mass (r = −0.49 – 0.58, p<0.06). Higher milk IL-6 was associated with lower relative weight, weight gain, percent fat, and fat mass (r = −0.55 – 0.70, p<0.03 for all), while higher TNF-α was associated with lower lean mass (r=−0.58, p=0.05), but not measures of adiposity. These preliminary data suggest for the first time that in the first months of life, breast-milk concentrations of insulin, glucose, IL-6 and TNF-α, in addition to leptin, may be bioactive and differentially influence the accrual of fat and lean body mass.
Fatty Acid-Based Monomers as Styrene Replacements for Liquid Molding Resins

Abstract One method of reducing styrene emissions from vinyl ester (VE) and unsaturated polyester resins (UPE) is to replace some or all of the styrene with fatty acid-based monomers. Methacrylated fatty acid (MFA) monomers are ideal candidates because they are inexpensive, have low volatilities, and free-radically polymerize with vinyl ester. The viscosity of VE resins using these fatty acid monomers ranged from 700–2000 cP, which is considerably higher than that of VE/styrene resins (∼100 cP). In addition, the T g of VE/MFA polymers were only on the order of 80 °C, which is significantly lower than that of VE/styrene polymers. Decreasing the length of the base fatty acid chains from 18 to 12 carbon atoms improved the T g by 20 °C, while lowing the resin viscosity from ∼2500 to ∼1000 cP. Residual unsaturation sites on the fatty acid backbone decreased the cure rate of the resins thereby decreasing polymer properties. Ternary blends of VE, styrene, and fatty acid monomers also effectively improved the flexural, fracture, and thermo-mechanical properties and reduced the resin viscosity to acceptable levels, while using less than 15 wt% styrene, far less than commercial VE resins.