cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated Discovery of Functional Generality of Human Gene Expression Programs

An important research problem in computational biology is the identification of expression programs, sets of coexpressed genes orchestrating normal or pathological processes, and the characterization of the functional breadth of these programs. The use of human expression data compendia for discovery of such programs presents several challenges including cellular inhomogeneity within samples, genetic and environmental variation across samples, uncertainty in the numbers of programs and sample populations, and temporal behavior. We developed GeneProgram, a new unsupervised computational framework based on Hierarchical Dirichlet Processes that addresses each of the above challenges. GeneProgram uses expression data to simultaneously organize tissues into groups and genes into overlapping programs with consistent temporal behavior, to produce maps of expression programs, which are sorted by generality scores that exploit the automatically learned groupings. Using synthetic and real gene expression data, we showed that GeneProgram outperformed several popular expression analysis methods. We applied GeneProgram to a compendium of 62 short time-series gene expression datasets exploring the responses of human cells to infectious agents and immune-modulating molecules. GeneProgram produced a map of 104 expression programs, a substantial number of which were significantly enriched for genes involved in key signaling pathways and/or bound by NF-jB transcription factors in genome-wide experiments. Further, GeneProgram discovered expression programs that appear to implicate surprising signaling pathways or receptor types in the response to infection, including Wnt signaling and neurotransmitter receptors. We believe the discovered map of expression programs involved in the response to infection will be useful for guiding future biological experiments; genes from programs with low generality scores might serve as new drug targets that exhibit minimal ‘‘cross-talk,’’ and genes from high generality programs may maintain common physiological responses that go awry in disease states. Further, our method is multipurpose, and can be applied readily to novel compendia of biological data.
Concept of assessing nanoparticle hazards considering nanoparticle dosemetric and chemical/biological response metrics.

Engineered nanoparticles (NP) are being developed and incorporated in a number of commercial products, raising the potential of human exposure during manufacture, use, and disposal. Although data concerning the potential toxicity of some NP have been reported, validated simple assays are lacking for predicting their in vivo toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate new response metrics based on chemical and biological activity of NP for screening assays that can be used to predict NP toxicity in vivo. Two cell-free and two cell-based assays were evaluated for their power in predicting in vivo toxicity of eight distinct particle types with widely differing physicochemical characteristics. The cell-free systems comprised fluorescence- and electron spin resonance-based assays of oxidant activity. The cell-based systems also used electron spin resonance (ESR) as well as luciferase reporter activity to rank the different particle types in comparison to benchmark particles of low and high activity. In viv...
The impact of the classroom environment on defining function in school-based practice

Objective Whether the environment is stressed in function-dysfunction decisions appears to depend on where in the hierarchy of components of complex tasks and of role skills the evaluating therapist is focused. This study examined the intervention planning decisions of occupational therapists who used the Model of Student Role Adaptation, which emphasizes the complex tasks involved in the student role. The purpose of the study was to determine whether these therapists were responding to environmental demands in planning their interventions. Method Special education teachers selected tasks that they believed were the most essential for student functioning within their classroom environments. These selections were compared with the goals and objectives developed by occupational therapists who serve children in these settings. Results Chi square analysis indicated a significant relationship between tasks designated by the teacher participants as environmental demands and those included in occupational therapy intervention planning. Conclusion The results suggest that the occupational therapist participants were responding to the environmental demands of the classroom when constructing their intervention plans.
Key parameters for precise lateral displacement estimation in ultrasound elastography

Complementary to axial, lateral and elevational displacement and strain can provide important information on the mechanical properties of biological soft tissues. In this paper, the effects of key parameters on the lateral displacement estimation were investigated in simulations and validated in phantom experiments. The performance of the lateral estimator was evaluated by measuring its associated bias, and jitter (i.e., standard deviation). Simulation results showed that the bias and jitter undergo periodic variations depending on the lateral displacement, with a period equal to the pitch (i.e., adjacent element distance). The performance of the lateral estimation was improved, when a smaller pitch, or a larger beamwidth, was used. The effects of the pitch were found to be greater than those of the beamwidth. The results of the phantom experiments were shown in good agreement with the simulation findings, including the periodic variation of the performance with lateral displacement, effects of pitch and beamwidth. In conclusion, smaller pitches and wider beamwidths were found to be key in reducing the jitter error in the lateral displacement estimation. The same results also hold for tracking in the elevational direction.
Neutrophil migration across a cultured epithelial monolayer elicits a biphasic resistance response representing sequential effects on transcellular and paracellular pathways.

Migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes across epithelia is a hallmark of many inflammatory disease states. Neutrophils traverse epithelia by migrating through the paracellular space and crossing intercellular tight junctions. We have previously shown (Nash, S., J. Stafford, and J.L. Madara. 1987. J. Clin. Invest. 80:1104-1113), that leukocyte migration across T84 monolayers, a model human intestinal epithelium, results in enhanced tight junction permeability--an effect quantitated by the use of a simple, standard electrical assay of transepithelial resistance. Here we show that detailed time course studies of the transmigration-elicited decline in resistance has two components, one of which is unrelated to junctional permeability. The initial decrease in resistance, maximal 5-13 min after initiation of transmigration, occurs despite inhibition of transmigration by an antibody to the common beta subunit of neutrophil beta 2 integrins, and is paralleled by an increase in transepithelial short-circuit current. Chloride ion substitution and inhibitor studies indicate that the early-phase resistance decline is not attributable to an increase in tight junction permeability but is due to decreased resistance across epithelial cells resulting from chloride secretion. Since T84 cells are accepted models for studies of the regulation of Cl- and water secretion, our results suggest that neutrophil transmigration across mucosal surfaces (for example, respiratory and intestinal tracts) may initially activate flushing of the surface by salt and water. Equally important, these studies, by providing a concrete example of sequential transcellular and paracellular effects on transepithelial resistance, highlight the fact that this widely used assay cannot simply be viewed as a direct functional probe of tight junction permeability.
Fast rotational matching.

A computationally efficient method is presented – `fast rotational matching' or FRM – that significantly accelerates the search of the three rotational degrees of freedom (DOF) in biomolecular matching problems. This method uses a suitable parametrization of the three-dimensional rotation group along with spherical harmonics, which allows efficient computation of the Fourier Transform of the rotational correlation function. Previous methods have used Fourier techniques only for two of the rotational DOFs, leaving the remaining angle to be determined by an exhaustive search. Here for the first time a formulation is presented that makes it possible to Fourier transform all three rotational DOFs, resulting in notable improvements in speed. Applications to the docking of atomic structures into electron-microscopy maps and the molecular-replacement problem in X-ray crystallography are considered.
Developing Students' Appreciation for What Is Taught in School

This article elaborates a presentation made upon reception of the E. L. Thorndike Career Achievement Award in Educational Psychology from Division 15 of the American Psychological Association. It considers how value aspects of motivation apply to efforts to develop students' appreciation for school learning. Currently, we have only limited knowledge about situations that afford opportunities for learning school content with appreciation of its value, how to exploit those affordances, or even their benefits to learners. We need to develop our theorizing about the benefits that students may derive from learning in school and determine what curriculum makers and teachers might do to foster students' appreciation for these benefits. Teaching for appreciation requires ensuring that what is taught is worth learning, explaining the value of this content and modeling its applications, and scaffolding learning by engaging students in activities that allow them to experience its valued affordances.
The science achievement of various subgroups on alternative assessment formats

The purpose of this study was to examine the science achievement outcomes for different subgroups of students using different assessment formats. A nationally representative sample of approximately 3,500 ninth grade science students from 13 high schools throughout the United States completed a series of science assessments designed to measure their level of achievement on the national science education standards. All of the schools were using a curriculum designed to meet the standards. The assessments included a multiple-choice test, a written open-ended test, a hands-on lab skills test, and a hands-on full investigation. The results show that the student outcomes on the different assessment formats are more highly correlated for higher achieving students than for lower achieving students. Patterns for different cultural groups also vary by assessment format. There were no differences found for sex. The results support the notion that different assessment formats assess different competencies and that the achievement of students from different subgroups varies by assessment format. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed85:279–290, 2001.
Using Appropriate Use Criteria to Address Pre-Authorization

![Figure][1] The American College of Cardiology (ACC) started producing appropriate use criteria (AUC) in 2005 with the goal of providing a practical standard to address variability, while helping cardiovascular professionals define “when to do” and “how often to do” a given
Polymorphism in sodium-channel alpha 1-subunit (SCN1A) predicts response, TTP, survival, and toxicity in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with 5-FU/oxaliplatin

3533 Background: Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair and drug metabolism pathways have been shown to be associated with efficacy and toxicity in patients with metastatic colon cancer treated with 5...
Rouche´'s theorem for polynomials

(1990). Rouche's Theorem for Polynomials. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 97, No. 9, pp. 834-835.
Chain Morphologies in Blue-Emitting Polyfluorenes: Impact on Light-Emitting Diodes

Dioctyl-substituted polyfluorene (PF) is especially well known for the presence of an unusual spectral feature identified as the beta phase, known to originate in regions of enhanced chain planarity. Although this phase appears as a minority constituent it dominates the emission, resulting in a red shift of the luminescence. We present Raman scattering studies of poly[9,9'-(di n, octyl) fluorene] as a function of thermal cycling that establish a connection between the conformational isomers and chain morphology. Density-functional theory calculations of the vibrational spectra of single chain oligomers in conjunction with our experimental results demonstrate the incompatibility of the beta phase with the overall alpha crystalline phase. Further, electroluminescence and photoluminescence measurements from PF-based light-emitting diodes are presented and discussed in terms of the crystalline phases and chain morphologies in the PFs.
The Lumbar Disk Syndrome and Its Operative Treatment

In terms of man-hours of lost productivity, the lumbar disk syndrome remains as one of man's more disabling disorders. Improved diagnostic and surgical technics permit a more optimistic attitude toward treatment. The basic decision in treatment is whether to operate. At the Mayo Clinic the percentage of patients in whom grafting is combined with disk excision has risen gradually and is now almost 50 percent.
Influence of microporous membrane properties on the desalination performance in direct contact membrane distillation

Abstract To evaluate the influence of membrane properties on direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) performance, a variety of microporous hydrophobic flat sheet membranes of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) were employed in this study over a range of hot brine temperatures, 65–85 °C. The membrane thickness was varied between 23 µm and 125 µm; the nominal pore size was varied from 0.05 µm to 0.45 µm; the porosity was generally high in the range of 0.7–0.8. Experiments were done using two different flat test cells, a stainless steel cell and a chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) cell. Boundary layer heat transfer resistances in the membrane cell on both sides of the membrane and the two membrane surface temperatures were determined from the experimental data over a range of hot brine and cold distillate flow rates by the Wilson plot technique. Membrane properties such as the maximum pore size and tortuosity were characterized and employed in checking out model assumptions and model results for water vapor transport in the Knudsen regime and the transition region. Good agreements (within 5% deviation) of the membrane mass transfer coefficient of water vapor and the observed water vapor fluxes were obtained between the experimental values and the simulated results predicted for either the Knudsen regime or the transition region.
Genetic toxicity assessment of aloe capsule

Objective:To study the genetic toxicity of aloe capsule.Methods:A cute toxicity test of mice,micronucleus test of bone marrow PCE cell in mice,Ames test,sperm shape abnormality test of mice.Results:The aloe capsule was a substance with no toxicity according to the acute toxicity.The results of genetic toxicity test were all negative,including micronucleus test,Ames test and sperm shape abnormality test.Conclusion:The aloe capsule has no genetic toxicity in this test.
Integrating genetic and behavioral models in the study of substance abuse mechanisms.

Over the past several years it has become broadly accepted that genetic factors play an important role in determining the robustness of certain drug-seeking behaviors. However, relatively little effort has been made to integrate the elegant methods established in behavioral genetics and the sophisticated techniques that form the basis for studying operant behavior. This chapter will hopefully serve to aid in this effort by reviewing some of the findings obtained in studies that have combined these approaches, and by illustrating how genetic methods can be used as a tool for achieving a greater understanding of the behavioral mechanisms of substance abuse.
A Comparison amongst Face-to-Face, Hybrid, and Partially Online Course Involving a Freshman Database Course

This poster session is based upon the author's observations in 4-secitons of a freshman database 1 course over a two year period in which students were given the option of attending nearly every class, taking a blended version of the course, or taking it partially online. Attendance was kept for all classes and a comparison of the final grades were tabulated with some interesting results.
Federalism and Moral Disagreement

States form federalist unions when they want to align for economic or security reasons in spite of fundamental moral disagreements. By decentralizing policy-making authority, federalism allows such states to enjoy the benefits of union without being made to live under laws their citizens find immoral. But such federalist compromises are frequently unstable, because one part of a union will sometimes seek to impose its strong moral views on the whole. When this happens, conflict and, especially when the central government is weak, secession may follow. This Article analyzes situations where federalist political unions risk failing and falling apart because of such moral conflicts. It focuses in particular on the American civil war and the contemporary politics of the European Union. It also considers how federalism operates in normal, but morally charged, politics, looking at the institutional and strategic dynamics at work in conflicts over segregation, abortion, religious freedom, marriage, capital punishment, and other value-laden questions.
Aleksei Yevgen'evich Chichibabin (1871–1945): A Century of Pyridine Chemistry†

Tutor, journalist, patriot, and defector: Aleksei Yevgen'evich Chichibabin made seminal contributions to the chemistry of pyridines. As the Chichibabin reaction enters its second century, it is appropriate to re-examine the life of this remarkable chemist and his legacy to heterocyclic chemistry.
Mathematical continuity in dynamic social networks

A rigorous concept of continuity for dynamic networks is developed. It is based on closed, rather than open, sets. It is local in nature, in that if the network change is discontinuous it will be so at a single point and the discontinuity will be apparent in that point’s immediate neighborhood. Necessary and sufficient criteria for continuity are provided when the change involves only the addition or deletion of individual nodes or connections (edges). Finally, we show that an effective network process to reduce large networks to their fundamental cycles is continuous.
Increasing cell density globally enhances the biogenesis of Piwi-interacting RNAs in Bombyx mori germ cells

Piwi proteins and their bound Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are predominantly expressed in the germline and play crucial roles in germline development by silencing transposons and other targets. Bombyx mori BmN4 cells are culturable germ cells that equip the piRNA pathway. Because of the scarcity of piRNA-expressing culturable cells, BmN4 cells are being utilized for the analyses of piRNA biogenesis. We here report that the piRNA biogenesis in BmN4 cells is regulated by cell density. As cell density increased, the abundance of Piwi proteins and piRNA biogenesis factors was commonly upregulated, resulting in an increased number of perinuclear nuage-like granules where Piwi proteins localize. Along with these phenomena, the abundance of mature piRNAs also globally increased, whereas levels of long piRNA precursor and transposons decreased, suggesting that increasing cell density promotes piRNA biogenesis pathway and that the resultant accumulation of mature piRNAs is functionally significant for transposon silencing. Our study reveals a previously uncharacterized link between cell density and piRNA biogenesis, designates cell density as a critical variable in piRNA studies using BmN4 cell system, and suggests the alteration of cell density as a useful tool to monitor piRNA biogenesis and function.
Resonantly enhanced optical transmission through a single subwavelength aperture using nanostructured dielectrics

We demonstrate that by using periodically nanostructured dielectric features fabricated around a single sub-wavelength aperture, the optical transmission can be enhanced at wavelengths related to the periodicity.
Fate of tetracycline antibiotics in dairy manure-amended soils

The US dairy industry has changed significantly during the past 20 years. The number of dairies declined 63% from 1997 to 2012 owing to the rise in concentrated animal feeding operations and the co...
Recombinant Zika Virus Subunits Are Immunogenic and Efficacious in Mice

Following the 2015 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks in the South Pacific, Caribbean, and Americas, ZIKV has emerged as a serious threat due to its association with infantile microcephaly and other neurologic disorders. Despite an international effort to develop a safe and effective vaccine to combat congenital Zika syndrome and ZIKV infection, only DNA and mRNA vaccines encoding the precursor membrane (prM) and envelope (E) proteins, an inactivated-ZIKV vaccine, and a measles virus-based ZIKV vaccine are currently in phase I or II (prM/E DNA) clinical trials. A ZIKV vaccine based on a nonreplicating, recombinant subunit platform offers a higher safety profile than other ZIKV vaccine candidates but is still highly immunogenic, inducing high virus-neutralizing antibody titers. Here, we describe the production and purification of Drosophila melanogaster S2 insect cell-derived, soluble ZIKV E protein and evaluate its immunogenicity and efficacy in three different mouse strains. As expected, significant virus-specific antibody titers were observed when using formulations containing clinically relevant adjuvants. Immunized mice challenged with live virus demonstrate inhibition of virus replication. Importantly, plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs) indicate the high-titer production of neutralizing antibodies, a correlate of protection in the defense against ZIKV infection. ZIKV challenge of immunocompetent mice led to full protection against viremia with two doses of adjuvanted vaccine candidates. These data demonstrate a proof of concept and establish recombinant subunit immunogens as an effective vaccine candidate against ZIKV infection. IMPORTANCE The recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in French Polynesia, the Caribbean, and the Americas have highlighted the severe neuropathological sequelae that such an infection may cause. The development of a safe, effective ZIKV vaccine is critical for several reasons: (i) the difficulty in diagnosing an active infection due to common nonspecific symptoms, (ii) the lack of a specific antiviral therapy, and (iii) the potentially devastating pathological effects of in utero infection. Moreover, a vaccine with an excellent safety profile, such as a nonreplicating, noninfectious vaccine, would be ideal for high-risk people (e.g., pregnant women, immunocompromised patients, and elderly individuals). This report describes the development of a recombinant subunit protein vaccine candidate derived from stably transformed insect cells expressing the ZIKV envelope protein in vitro, the primary antigen to which effective virus-neutralizing antibodies are engendered by immunized animals for several other flaviviruses; the vaccine candidate elicits effective virus-neutralizing antibodies against ZIKV and provides protection against ZIKV infection in mice.
Space Mobile Network (SMN) User Demonstration Satellite (SUDS) for a Practical On-Orbit Demonstration of User Initiated Services (UIS)

This paper will discuss the various aspects of implementation of the Space Mobile Network (SMN) architecture framework within the context of operations of various nodes equipped with the User Initiated Services (UIS) protocol. These aspects include development of a Client-Server architecture in which space based Clients can create links with ground based Servers to negotiate passes with ground stations or contacts with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet. A key feature of this concept is that Users may require a mix of low data rate continuous contacts with one or more of the TDRS fleet and sporadic contacts with ground stations as passes become available. SUDS (SMN User Demonstration Satellite) will have the availability of TDRS contacts, the U.S. Naval Academy's ground station, NASA Near Earth Network ground sites and others. This mode of operations must be integrated within the traditional mode of scheduling contacts and passes. Thus, SUDS fits into a heterogeneous network operations concept of operations.
Changes in Respiration and Anaerobic Nutrient Regeneration during the Transition Phase of Reservoir Development

A study was conducted to assess changes in water quality that accompany oxygen depletion and anaerobic conditions during the initial or “transition” period following the filling of a new impoundment. Variations in respiration and in release patterns of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were monitored for 3 successive aerobic/anaerobic cycles during laboratory simulations of the flooding of soils taken from a potential impoundment area. Release rates and maximum concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N), soluble total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), and orthophosphate phosphorus (OPO4-P) attained in reactor water columns decreased somewhat after the first two aerobic/anaerobic simulations; however, these were still much larger than values that would be expected in the hypolimnion of a mesotrophic lake. By the third cycle, the oxygen depletion rate had decreased to half of the initial value, and release rates for TOC, TIC, NH4-N, and OPO4-P showed similar declines. The significance of the gradual improvement of water quality as a result of changes in anaerobic nutrient regeneration during aging is considered with respect to both man-made and natural lakes.
The Changing Faces of Rural America

Rural Americans can still be Norwegian bachelor farmers. They can also be Hmong seamstresses, Latino businessmen, Pakistani landlords, and Filipino computer programmers. The Norwegians, meanwhile, are buying radicchio at the co-operated by newly retired women lawyers or organic basil grown by hobby farmers living on 20-acre ranchettes. Nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) places in the 21st century are very different than they were just 30 years ago. Rural populations have also changed as a significant number of retirees have moved into nonmetro places, while increasing tourism has helped to shift the nature of rural livelihoods. Simultaneously, as young people leave high schools in some rural areas to move to cities, schools and businesses are closing due to a lack of students and customers. In other places, rural schools and hospitals now must provide bilingual teachers and nurses to educate and care for new immigrants’ children. As a result, nonmetro people are now older, more likely to be female, and more ethnically diverse than in the recent past. Why did rural populations transform so dramatically in the latter part of the 20th century? Partly these changes had been coming for more than 30 years. As the economy shifted from resource extraction and manufacturing to services, and as family farms were replaced by corporate farms, the types of employment that could be found in nonmetro places was transformed. The need for low wage labor on corporate farms and in processing plants greatly augmented already existing streams of immigrant labor. At the other end of the spectrum, these technological developments, in association with rising personal affluence, also allowed people with higher incomes to move to rural places for non-economic reasons. For example, an IBM employee could have her phone ring in Atlanta; her secretary could answer the phone in Boston; and transfer the call to her actual location in Logan, Utah. Finally, while the total U.S. population was aging because of declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancy, the overall age of people in nonmetro places increased even more rapidly than in metropolitan (metro) areas
The Next Generation in Detection of Leukemia-Associated Translocations.

This commentary highlights the article by Kim et al that suggests use of two different next-generation sequencing-based assays for detection of fusion RNAs in patients with acute leukemia.
Data Compression via Low Complexity Delta Transition Lossless Encoding for Remote Physiological and Environmental Monitoring

Continuous remote physiologic and environmental monitoring, employing an ever-increasing array of sensors, is now commonplace. Given the significant amount of data being digitized, two common sources of energy consumption can be targeted to improve device runtime: data storage and data transmission. One embedded method to maximize device runtime is inline low energy data compression. Herein we present a low complexity data encoding scheme. We list and characterize the parameters necessary for encoding. The encoding method is then evaluated and tuned using contrived data with varying degrees of covariance, as well as open-source electrocardiography (ECG) data. Finally, the encoding method is evaluated with tri-axial accelerometry and ECG data previously collected on a Mount Everest Expedition using a remote physiologic monitor that was specifically designed for long autonomous runtimes. With the described low overhead delta transition lossless encoding method, the Mt. Everest device runtime would have doubled from two to four weeks of continuous recording. Finally, this approach would be beneficial given a requirement to transmit data wirelessly in real time, since the total transmission power and energy would be reduced by an amount related to the compression ratio.
Pseudo-volumetric fluorescence endomicroscopy with a fiber bundle (Conference Presentation)

The development of high resolution, 3D imaging endomicroscopy has recently been gaining interest due to needs in in vivo studies of neuronal dynamics and interactions in deep brain tissue. However, most types of endomicroscopy techniques adopting micro-objectives can hardly perform 3D imaging due to the lack of minimally invasive scanning mechanism. Here, we present a GRIN-lens based fluorescence endomicroscopy capable of obtaining pseudo 3D image of a fluorescent sample without scanning the probe. We use a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) to scan the proximal end of a coherent fiber bundle and obtain an extended depth of focus at the distal end. Preliminary results using fluorescent beads showed that a single bead can be detected throughout hundreds of microns depth. In the detection path, we use two reflecting pinholes of different size to form two confocal and one non-confocal images of the proximal end of the fiber bundle - one pinhole conjugates to the single core being illuminated and the other pinhole conjugates to the surrounding cores. The intensity ratio of an object in these three images almost explicitly depends on its distance from the distal end of the fiber bundle. Thus, we can determine the relative depths of objects in a volume sample in a single acquisition. Future works will include calibrating the setup to obtain the true depth instead of relative depth and applying this technique to brain samples.
Reply to Dr Araujo et al.

To the Editor We would like to thank Araujo et al [1][1] for their interest in our study[2][2] and their thoughtful comments. We are excited that anesthesiologists from other countries are also investigating post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) treatments, and we are happy to address any questions
Loeb Measure and Probability

In these notes I give an introduction to nonstandard measure theory and probability theory. As with any short introduction, the number of topics that can be covered is a tiny subset of all that one would really like to discuss; in particular, I don’t always present theorems in their strongest form. However, this development should be adequate for all but an infinitesimal number of applications.
Comparison of antimicrobial activity between intraoperatively soaked bacitracin sutures and triclosan coated suture

With the easily available option for surgeons to soak their suture in anti-biotic irrigating solution intraoperatively in mind, this study was designed to evaluate the ability of suture soaked in bacitracin irrigating solution to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Using standard experimental procedure, sterile suture was soaked in Bacitracin suture, and dried for 10 minutes or 6 hours, incubated for 24 h on inoculated plates, and examined for zone of inhibition around the suture. This was compared to control unsoaked suture and antimicrobial suture (AMS) currently on the market to determine if the minor intra operative procedural change of placing suture in antibiotic irrigation solution instead of on the sterile table could confer some antimicrobial activity. The study found the Bacitracin soaked suture (BSS) consistently inhibited the growth of the test organisms. For both organisms, the BSS exhibited a significantly larger zone of inhibition compared to the unsoaked control suture. However, the AMS currently on the market exhibited a larger zone of inhibition compared to the BSS. Placing sutures in a bacitracin irrigation solution intraoperatively instead of directly on the sterile table can achieve some of the in vitro antimicrobial effect seen from AMS currently on the market. This may result in reduced rates of SSIs and associated costs without major procedural change and at reduced overhead.
Targeting the Protective Arm of the Renin-Angiotensin System: Focused on Angiotensin-(1-7)

The in vivo application and efficacy of many therapeutic peptides is limited because of their instability and proteolytic degradation. Novel strategies for developing therapeutic peptides with higher stability toward proteolytic degradation would be extremely valuable. Such approaches could improve systemic bioavailability and enhance therapeutic effects. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a hormonal system within the body essential for the regulation of blood pressure and fluid balance. The RAS is composed of two opposing classic and protective arms. The balance between these two arms is critical for the homeostasis of the body's physiologic function. Activation of the RAS results in the suppression of its protective arm, which has been reported in inflammatory and pathologic conditions such as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Clinical application of angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], a RAS critical regulatory peptide, augments the protective arm and restores balance hampered by its enzymatic and chemical instability. Several attempts to increase the half-life and efficacy of this heptapeptide using more stable analogs and different drug delivery approaches have been made. This review article provides an overview of efforts targeting the RAS protective arm. It provides a critical analysis of Ang-(1-7) or its homologs' novel drug delivery systems using different administration routes, their pharmacological characterization, and therapeutic potential in various clinical settings. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Ang-(1-7) is a unique peptide component of the renin-angiotensin system with vast potential for clinical applications that modulate various inflammatory diseases. Novel Ang-(1-7) peptide drug delivery could compensate its lack of stability for effective clinical application.
GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY AND REDISTRIBUTION

I study the effect of progressive taxation on internal migration and welfare using a quantitative dynamic model of geographic mobility. The model, which is analytically tractable, predicts that a more progressive tax‐transfer scheme reduces internal migration rates. The magnitude of this relationship is consistent with reduced‐form evidence for OECD countries. The internal migration channel contributes to significantly lower optimal tax progressivity relative to the one‐location version of the economy. The optimal sequence of tax progressivity along the transition features a relatively high degree of tax progressivity early on, followed by a declining path of tax progressivity over time.
Using Role-Play to Scale the Integration of Ethics Across the Computer Science Curriculum

In response to widespread calls for computer scientists to better engage with the ethical dimensions of their work, there has been a surge of interest to embed ethics across the computer science (CS) curriculum. Yet one key set of barriers to doing so can be broadly described as scaling challenges -- in the number and breadth of courses in a curriculum and in the number of students in the CS major. Our paper describes and makes available a novel activity for teaching ethics using role-play that has advantages for scaling across different courses and in different delivery modes, including synchronous and asynchronous online course offerings. We describe our design process and early findings from developing the activity in a large first year seminar course, a senior-level computing and society class, and three different online graduate level courses. Further, we describe an evaluation survey that instructors can use to assess the short-term impact of the activity. We analyze survey results and our direct observations to reflect on the strengths and challenges of the activity. Our experiences suggest that role-play as a pedagogical tool can be particularly useful to broaden student perspectives and meaningfully incorporate ethics into CS courses.
Pedal Acceleration Time (PAT): A Novel Predictor of Limb Salvage.

Background In the setting of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), pedal arch interrogation by ultrasound has not been well described. Patients with noncompressible vessels and/or open wounds of the foot may preclude the use of ankle-brachial indices, toe pressure measurements, or TcPO2, respectively. We propose that pedal artery interrogations with Pedal Acceleration Time (PAT) can be a predictor for limb salvage in patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI). Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively kept database was performed from 2018 to 2019. Patients with pending amputation due to severe infection (WIFI infection class 2 and 3) were excluded from the study. We identified 73 limbs with CLTI that fit the inclusion criteria. Data included WIFI classification, age, gender, cardiovascular risk factors, PAT, ABI, and TBI when reliable, were collected. PAT measurements were categorized into 4 classifications; 1 (40–120 msec), 2 (121–180 msec), 3 (181–224 msec), and 4 (Greater than 225 msec). Statistical analyses were performed. Results Seventy-three limbs with CLTI were included in our study. All patients underwent arterial revascularization with either percutaneous technique or arterial bypass. Limb salvage was achieved in 59 (81%) of the 73 limbs. All 59 limbs had a 2-classification improvement in their PAT following interventions. A total of 14 (19%) limbs without improvement in their PAT underwent above ankle level amputations. An improvement in PAT classes to class 1 or 2 is associated with limb salvage. Conclusions Patients with noncompressible ankle pressures or nonobtainable toe pressures poses a challenge in the complete assessment of WIFI classification. Our group has shown that PAT can be used in the scoring system for severity of ischemia in conjunction with current WIFI classification. Our data suggests that limb salvage correlates with post procedure PAT in category 1 and 2. Therefore we propose that PAT be added as part of the WIFI classification.
Shifting gears: the search for group 3 pulmonary hypertension treatment.

Purpose of review Treatment options for Group 3 pulmonary hypertension, characterized as secondary to chronic hypoxia or lung disease, remain an elusive holy grail for physicians and patients alike. Despite increasing identification and investigation into this pulmonary vasculopathy group with the second-highest frequency and highest mortality, there are no therapeutic interventions that offer the significant improvements in morbidity and mortality comparable to those benefiting other pulmonary hypertension groups including pulmonary arterial hypertension. This review examines the data on available and emerging Group 3 pulmonary hypertension treatments. Recent findings Pulmonary vasodilators have yielded equivocal results in this patient population, although recent evidence shows modestly improved outcomes with inhaled treprostinil in interstitial lung disease-associated pulmonary hypertension. With pulmonary vasodilators providing limited benefit, emerging data support the right ventricle as a potential treatment target in Group 3 pulmonary hypertension. Summary Group 3 pulmonary hypertension is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary vasodilators offer only limited haemodynamic and exertional benefits, and lung transplantation remains the only cure for this deadly disease. The right ventricle may provide a novel intervention target.
Chronic meningitis

Chronic meningitis may be caused by a large number of infectious agents, including spirochetes (Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and fungi (primarily Cryptococcus neoformans). The incidence of these specific causes of chronic meningitis has been impacted since the advent of HIV infection, and new information is also available on how this epidemic has affected populations in developing countries of the world. In the area of diagnostics, the development of polymerase chain reaction has been a major advance that has increased our capabilities for identifying etiologic agents (such as M. tuberculosis) that are difficult to culture. Finally, the management of patients with chronic meningitis has evolved, and the availability of new antifungal agents and adjunctive strategies has changed the approach to the patient with cryptococcal meningitis.
Clinically recognized varicose veins and physical function in older individuals: the ARIC study.

BACKGROUND Although a few studies reported an association between varicose veins and physical function, this potentially bi-directional association has not been systematically evaluated in the general population. METHODS In 5,580 participants (aged 71-90 years) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, varicose veins were identified in outpatient and inpatient administrative data prior to (prevalent cases) and after (incident cases) visit 5 (2011-2013). Physical function was evaluated by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB, score ranging from 0-12). We evaluated 1) cross-sectional association between prevalent varicose veins and physical function, 2) association of prevalent varicose veins with subsequent changes in physical function from visit 5 to visits 6 (2016-2017) and 7 (2018-2019), 3) association of physical function at visit 5 with incident varicose veins during a median follow-up of 3.6 years (105 incident varicose veins among 5,350 participants without prevalent cases at baseline). RESULTS At baseline, varicose veins were recognized in 230 (4.1%) participants and cross-sectionally associated with reduced physical function. Longitudinally, prevalent varicose veins were not significantly associated with a decline in SPPB over time. In contrast, a low SPPB ≤6 was associated with a greater incidence of varicose veins compared to SPPB ≥10 (adjusted hazard ratio 2.13 [95% CI 1.19, 3.81]) . CONCLUSION In community-dwelling older adults, varicose veins and low physical function were associated cross-sectionally. Longitudinally, low physical function was a risk factor for incident varicose veins, but not vice versa. Our findings suggest an etiological contribution of low physical function to incident varicose veins.
Load-Displacement Behavior Clustering of RC Shear Walls Using Functional Data Analysis

Reinforced concrete shear walls are one of the most common bracing systems in buildings. A significant number of existing buildings use RC shear walls designed for gravity loads and lateral loads. Several experimental studies have investigated the load-displacement behavior of these walls. As a standard approach, quasi-static cyclic loading is applied to the walls, and the load-displacement behavior (i.e. hysteresis loops) is captured. Due to the high number of points in these hysteresis loops, the comparison of the behavior of walls is complicated. This research takes advantage of functional data analysis (FDA) to analyze the hysteresis loops of walls. Functional principal component analysis (FPCA), as a dimension reduction tool, is used to reduce the dimensionality of hysteresis loops to just six dimensions. In this regard, test results of 189 different RC shear walls from 45 different research groups are used. Then, the K-means clustering method is applied to cluster the hysteresis loops based on their harmonic FPCA scores. The results show that just six dimensions are enough to represent the overall shape of hysteresis loops.
The structure of the mammalian egg.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the structure of the mammalian egg, and discusses the recent concepts of some of its functions that have come mostly through the application of submicroscopic techniques. The oocytes in most eutherian mammals are in the meiotic prophase at the time of birth, having thus completed the mitotic phase of their development. Following the diplotene stage (of meiotic prophase) most mammalian oocytes pass through a dictyate period-with the exception of the human gamete, which appears to remain in a prolonged diplotene stage. The nuclear membrane of the oocyte seems to pass through a number of morphological variations, some of them possibly indicative of nucleocytoplasmic exchanges (annuli, nuclear pores, and annulate lamellae), and it also seems to contribute to the formation of the meiotic spindle. The old question of granulosa cell and oocyte connections has been clarified by submicroscopic techniques. It is now certain that the two cells are separated by a double set of membranes. These membranes undergo a number of morphological changes (apposition, folding, invagination) during oocyte growth and development, ultimately acquiring a large number of villous processes. Of the cell organelles in all the eutherian eggs studied, mitochondria alone have been observed to undergo morphological changes, possibly also converting into “cytoplasmic bodies”. Of vitellus, or “vitelline material,” with the exception of the aforementioned “cytoplasmic bodies,” only free lying lipid granules and crystalloid inclusions have been observed in the egg of the eutherian mammal. And also the multivesicular bodies seem to be regular cytoplasmic components in the egg of eutherian mammals.