cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Will My Soul Go to Heaven If They Take My Brain? Beliefs and Worries About Brain Donation Among Four Ethnic Groups

Purpose of the study Studying the brain through autopsy is an essential component of Alzheimer's disease research. Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in Alzheimer's research generally and, in particular, in the number of completed brain autopsies. We explored beliefs about and attitudes toward brain donation among African American, Chinese, Caucasian, and Latino research subjects and their family members through focus groups at 4 NIH-funded Alzheimer's Disease Centers. Design and methods Eighteen focus groups were conducted with 61 research subjects and 34 family members. Because the primary purpose of the focus groups was to identify the range of considerations that may influence the decision to participate in brain donation, data from focus groups were pooled and then analyzed. Results We found that many of the concerns, attitudes, and beliefs about brain donation were similar across the 4 ethnic groups. Concerns and attitudes fell into 3 categories: (a) concerns and misconceptions about brain research and the process of brain removal, (b) religious beliefs, and (c) the role of the family. Implications Our findings suggest that interventions to enhance enrollment in brain donation that target factors identified in this study are likely to be relevant to people from a broad range of backgrounds and ethnicities. Nonetheless, we observed some potential differences among racial/ethnic groups that may affect how research volunteers and their families approach a decision about donating their brain for research. Further study is warranted to explore these and other possible culturally distinct attitudes and beliefs about brain donation.
Gamma Irradiation of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae): Effects of Puparial Age under Induced Hypoxia on Female Sterility

Female Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were subjected to sterilizing doses of 15 krad CO60 in a nitrogen atmosphere at the late puparial and newly emerged adult stages. Ovarian dissection and cross-mating experiments were conducted to determine whether egg development is enhanced during maturation of the puparial content and whether hypoxic atmospheres during irradiation might contribute to egg viability. When irradiated 2 days before eclosion, germinal ovarian tissue was severely damaged and no eggs occurred. However, a logarithmic increase in eggs was discovered in adult females from pupae irradiated 1 day before emergence, 3 h before emergence, and 3-h-old adults. Although no regeneration of germinal tissue was found, retention of eggs in the ovaries for varying lengths of time simulated ârecovery of fertility.â Replicated cross matings with irradiated males of the same age distribution produced no offspring. However, matings of normal males A females from pupae irradiated a few hours before emergence and newly emerged, produced viable offspring. The surviving F1, generation mated and produced a normal complement of eggs. This report describes discovery of a mechanism for remnant fertility which, if present in a pest species of such high reproductive potential, could adversely affect the success of sterile insect technique application.
Phenylpropanolamine and the Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke

Background Phenylpropanolamine is commonly found in appetite suppressants and cough or cold remedies. Case reports have linked the use of products containing phenylpropanolamine to hemorrhagic stroke, often after the first use of these products. To study the association, we designed a case–control study. Methods Men and women 18 to 49 years of age were recruited from 43 U.S. hospitals. Eligibility criteria included the occurrence of a subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage within 30 days before enrollment and the absence of a previously diagnosed brain lesion. Random-digit dialing identified two matched control subjects per patient. Results There were 702 patients and 1376 control subjects. For women, the adjusted odds ratio was 16.58 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.51 to 182.21; P=0.02) for the association between the use of appetite suppressants containing phenylpropanolamine and the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke and 3.13 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.86 to 11.46; P=0.08) for the association wi...
T-cell translocation gene 1 (Ttg-1) encodes a nuclear protein normally expressed in neural lineage cells.

We previously identified and cloned T-cell translocation gene 1 (Ttg- 1), a putative zinc finger protein, as a result of its deregulated expression in a T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (RPMI 8402) with a t(11;14)(p15;q11). We have now characterized its genomic organization and identified the major transcriptional start site to lie within an initiator-like motif. Ttg-1 is normally expressed in mouse brain and not in thymus. The mouse neuroblastoma cell line, N2a, also expresses Ttg-1. Antibodies raised against a TrpE-Ttg-1 fusion protein precipitate an 18-Kd nuclear protein from metabolically labeled 8402 cells. Immunofluorescence of N2a cells shows a nuclear pattern. The two potential zinc finger domains in Ttg-1 are highly homologous to similar regions in lin-11, mec-3, and lsl-1. This data suggests that Ttg-1 may be involved in gene regulation.
Paramyxoviruses of fish

Abstract The first fish paramyxovirus was isolated from normal adult Chinook salmon returning to a coastal hatchery in Oregon in the fall of 1982. Subsequently, the virus was isolated from other stocks of adult Chinook salmon and one stock of adult coho salmon in California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, leading to its designation as the Pacific salmon paramyxovirus (PSPV). The slow-growing virus can be isolated from tissues and ovarian fluids of healthy adult fish returning to spawn and apparently causes no clinical signs of disease or mortality. In 1995, a different and widely disseminated paramyxovirus was isolated from farmed Atlantic salmon in Norway and was designated as Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus (ASPV). Although this virus caused no disease or mortality when injected into juvenile Atlantic salmon, ASPV has been associated with proliferative gill inflammation in sea-reared yearling fish; however, additional infectious agents may be involved in the etiology of the condition. Sequence analysis of PSPV and ASPV isolates using the polymerase gene established their placement in the family Paramyxoviridae and has shown the two viruses to be closely related but sufficiently different from each other and from other known paramyxoviruses to possibly represent new genera within the family. The viruses can be diagnosed by isolation in cell culture with final confirmation by molecular methods. Other paramyxovirus-like agents have been observed or isolated from rainbow trout in Germany, from seabream in Japan associated with epithelial necrosis, from turbot in Spain associated with erythrocytic inclusion bodies and buccal/opercular hemorrhaging and from koi and common carp associated with gill necrosis in the European Union.
Structural Brain Abnormality in JME

An automated and objective technique of statistical parametric mapping was employed in the analysis of structural MRI from 20 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and 30 control subjects studied at the Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Diffusion-controlled reaction rates for clusters of binding sites on a cell

The Berg-Purcell expression for the diffusion-controlled binding rate to N sites uniformly distributed on the surface of a sphere is generalized to clusters of receptors located at the poles of a cell. By replacing a partially reactive surface with one that is covered with N circular sites that act independently, one can derive analytic expressions for the diffusion-controlled rate constant for clusters of binding sites. This has application to systems where the reactive sites are located in a specific region or regions on the surface of the protein or cell. These include peptide hormones reacting with target receptors, protein-ligand reactions and bacterial chemotaxis. Multiple sensory receptors both at one and two poles of a sphere are studied.
Small molecule modulator of sigma 2 receptor is neuroprotective and reduces cognitive deficits and neuroinflammation in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease

Accumulating evidence suggests that modulating the sigma 2 receptor (Sig2R) can provide beneficial effects for neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we report the identification of a novel class of Sig2R ligands and their cellular and in vivo activity in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report that SAS-0132 and DKR-1051, selective ligands of Sig2R, modulate intracellular Ca2+ levels in human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. The Sig2R ligands SAS-0132 and JVW-1009 are neuroprotective in a C. elegans model of amyloid precursor protein-mediated neurodegeneration. Since this neuroprotective effect is replicated by genetic knockdown and knockout of vem-1, the ortholog of progesterone receptor membrane component-1 (PGRMC1), these results suggest that Sig2R ligands modulate a PGRMC1-related pathway. Last, we demonstrate that SAS-0132 improves cognitive performance both in the Thy-1 hAPPLond/Swe+ transgenic mouse model of AD and in healthy wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that Sig2R is a promising therapeutic target for neurocognitive disorders including AD.
Genome Editing for Sickle Cell Disease: A Little BCL11A Goes a Long Way.

Gene therapy may finally lead to a cure for sickle cell disease, the most common form of inherited blood disorders. In particular, genome editing aimed at increasing fetal hemoglobin production or replacing the sickle cell mutation with a wild-type sequence has gained momentum. Recent publications demonstrate feasibility in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) when subsequently evaluated in mouse transplantation studies. CRISPR/Cas9 or zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) have proven to be useful tools to delete or replace sequences involved in the production of hemoglobin.
Interconnection of the Lattices of Extensions of Four Logics

We show that the lattices of the normal extensions of four well-known logics—propositional intuitionistic logic \(\mathbf {Int}\), Grzegorczyk logic \(\mathbf {Grz}\), modalized Heyting calculus \(\mathbf {mHC}\) and \(\mathbf {K4.Grz}\)—can be joined in a commutative diagram. One connection of this diagram is an isomorphism between the lattices of the normal extensions of \(\mathbf {mHC}\) and \(\mathbf {K4.Grz}\); we show some preservation properties of this isomorphism. Two other connections are join semilattice epimorphims of the lattice of the normal extensions of \(\mathbf {mHC}\) onto that of \(\mathbf {Int}\) and of the lattice of the normal extensions of \(\mathbf {K4.Grz}\) onto that of \(\mathbf {Grz}\). The link between \(\mathbf {Int}\) and \(\mathbf {Grz}\) is a well-known isomorphism established by the Blok–Esakia theorem.
New Constraints on Dark Matter Production during Kination

Our ignorance of the period between the end of inflation and the beginning of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis limits our understanding of the origins and evolution of dark matter. One possibility is that the Universe's energy density was dominated by a fast-rolling scalar field while the radiation bath was hot enough to thermally produce dark matter. We investigate the evolution of the dark matter density and derive analytic expressions for the dark matter relic abundance generated during such a period of kination. Kination scenarios in which dark matter does not reach thermal equilibrium require $\langle \sigma v \rangle 3\times 10^{-26} \,\mathrm{cm^3\,s^{-1}}$ in order to generate the observed dark matter abundance. We use observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope and observations of the Galactic Center by the High Energy Stereoscopic System to constrain these kination scenarios. Combining the unitarity constraint on $\langle \sigma v \rangle$ with these observational constraints sets a lower limit on the temperature at which the Universe can become radiation dominated following a period of kination if ${\langle \sigma v \rangle > 3\times 10^{-31} \,\mathrm{cm^3\,s^{-1}}}$. This lower limit is between ${0.05 \, \mathrm{GeV}}$ and ${1 \, \mathrm{GeV}}$, depending on the dark matter annihilation channel.
Tritium Plasma Experiment Upgrade and Improvement of Surface Diagnostic Capabilities at STAR Facility for Enhancing Tritium and Nuclear PMI Sciences

AbstractRecently, Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE), a unique high-flux linear plasma device that can handle beryllium, tritium and neutron-irradiated plasma facing materials, has undergone major upgrades in its electrical and control systems. The upgrade has improved worker occupational safety, and enhanced TPE plasma performance to better simulate extreme plasma-material-interaction (PMI) conditions expected in ITER, Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) and demonstration fusion power plant (DEMO). The PMI determines a boundary condition for diffusing tritium into bulk plasma-facing components (PFCs) and plays critical role in in-vessel and ex-vessel safety assessments. Enhancing surface capabilities for tritium-contaminated and radioactive samples is crucial for the PMI sciences in burning plasma long pulse operation. The TPE Upgrade and improvement of surface diagnostic capabilities for tritium-contaminated and radioactive samples at STAR facility help enhance tritium and nuclear PMI sciences for the d...
Refractive Surgery in Flux

For many years, ophthalmic professionals have pursued the correction of ametropia without spectacles or contact lenses. This has led to the burgeoning field of refractive surgery, a significant portion of which is directed toward modification of the cornea. This review will briefly discuss some of the more widely used modalities, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as developmental trends, with emphasis on current studies of the use of phakic intraocular lenses (IOLs) for correction of ametropia.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Hypoglycemia Avoidance and Glucose Counterregulation in Long-Standing Type 1 Diabetes.

Context Patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at increased risk for severe hypoglycemia because of defects in glucose counterregulation and recognition of hypoglycemia symptoms, in part mediated through exposure to hypoglycemia. Objective To determine whether implementation of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as a strategy for hypoglycemia avoidance could improve glucose counterregulation in patients with long-standing T1D and hypoglycemia unawareness. Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention Eleven patients with T1D disease duration of ∼31 years were studied longitudinally in the Clinical & Translational Research Center of the University of Pennsylvania before and 6 and 18 months after initiation of CGM and were compared with 12 nondiabetic control participants. Main Outcome Measure Endogenous glucose production response derived from paired hyperinsulinemic stepped-hypoglycemic and euglycemic clamps with infusion of 6,6-2H2-glucose. Results In patients with T1D, hypoglycemia awareness (Clarke score) and severity (HYPO score and severe events) improved (P < 0.01 for all) without change in hemoglobin A1c (baseline, 7.2% ± 0.2%). In response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, endogenous glucose production did not change from before to 6 months (0.42 ± 0.08 vs 0.54 ± 0.07 mg·kg-1·min-1) but improved after 18 months (0.84 ± 0.15 mg·kg-1·min-1; P < 0.05 vs before CGM), albeit remaining less than in controls (1.39 ± 0.11 mg·kg-1·min-1; P ≤ 0.01 vs all). Conclusions Real-time CGM can improve awareness and reduce the burden of problematic hypoglycemia in patients with long-standing T1D, but with only modest improvement in the endogenous glucose production response that is required to prevent or correct low blood glucose.
Text Data Sources in Archival Accounting Research: Insights and Strategies for Accounting Systems' Scholars

ABSTRACT This paper reviews the emerging computer-aided text analysis (CATA) accounting literature through proposing a model of the corpus linguistic research production process, followed by analys...
A Quality Improvement Initiative Reduces Cast Complications in a Pediatric Hospital.

Background Casts, while frequently used as routine treatment in pediatric orthopaedic practice, are not without complications. At our large tertiary care pediatric hospital, the baseline rate of all casting complications was 5.6 complications per 1000 casts applied (0.56%). We tested the hypothesis that we could use quality improvement (QI) methodology to decrease the overall cast complication rate and improve patient care. Methods We initiated a QI program implementing concepts derived from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement models, including Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, to decrease our cast complication rate. A resident casting education program was developed with a competency "checklist" to ensure that casts are applied, bivalved, and removed in a safe and standardized manner to prevent patient harm. AquaCast Saw Stop Protective Strips were required to be applied with every cast application. A review of our facility's processes and procedures determined adequate measures were in place to effectively manage inventory and maintenance of cast-saw blades. Results With the multimodal QI intervention, our cast complication rate was reduced to 1.61 complications per 1000 applications, a >90% improvement. Conclusions Implementation of QI concepts to perform a QI initiative resulted in a shift toward fewer cast complications, leading to overall improved patient care at a large tertiary pediatric hospital. Level of evidence Level II-prospective cohort study.
Suicide Ideation in Adolescents Following Inpatient Hospitalization: Examination of Intensity and Lability Over 6 Months.

Understanding suicide ideation (SI) in adolescents, especially during the high-risk time following hospitalization for a suicidal event, is a crucial component of improving risk assessment. Most studies rely on single assessments of SI, despite the potential for SI to vary considerably over time. This study examined how indices of SI intensity (mean values) and lability (mean squared successive difference values) over a 6-month period predict suicide attempts (SAs) and self-harm, as well as how they relate to psychosocial risk factors and affective functioning, in a sample of 103 adolescents hospitalized for a SA or significant SI. Across the sample, SI intensity, but not lability, was associated with SAs and nonsuicidal self-injury at 6-month follow-up. SI intensity performed similarly to single time point SI assessments, and its relations were not moderated by SI lability. SI intensity was also associated with borderline personality disorder criteria and a history of sexual abuse. In contrast, SI lability was associated with greater negative affect intensity and lability. These findings suggest that intensity of SI may confer more risk posthospitalization, and provide support for using these statistical methods to capture two distinct parameters of SI.
Synthesis of (E)-cinnamyl ester derivatives via a greener Steglich esterification.

Abstract Cinnamic acid derivatives are known antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer compounds. We have developed a facile and mild methodology for the synthesis of (E)-cinnamate derivatives using a modified Steglich esterification of (E)-cinnamic acid. Using acetonitrile as the solvent, rather than the typical chlorinated solvent, and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) as the coupling agent enables ester conversion in 45 min with mild heating (40–45 °C) and an average yield of 70% without need for further purification. These conditions were used to couple (E)-cinnamic acid with 1° and 2° aliphatic alcohols, benzylic and allylic alcohols, and phenols. This work demonstrates a facile and greener methodology for Steglich esterification reactions.
Repetitive Behaviors and Sensory Features: Evidence-Based Intervention Strategies

There is a history of clinical and first-person accounts reflecting the impact of repetitive behaviors and sensory features on the daily lives and occupations of individuals with autism. In Kanner’s (Nervous Child 2:217–250, 1943) original account, he remarks on the odd, repetitive patterns of behavior displayed by case number one, Donald T., the first known individual to be diagnosed with autism, stating, “Most of his actions were repetitions carried out in exactly the same way in which they had been performed originally. If he spun a block, he most always started with the same face uppermost. When he threaded buttons he arranged them in a certain sequence that had no pattern to it but happened to be the order used by the father when he first had shown them to Donald” (p. 219). In her autobiography of childhood autism, Grandin (Emergence: Labeled autistic, 1996) recollects difficulties modulating responses to sensory stimuli across visual, auditory, and tactile modalities that subsequently interfered with overall social and adaptive development. She describes several examples of extreme sensory responsiveness: “The pain that racked my head when the fog horn sounded was excruciating. Even with my hands over my ears the hurtful sound assaulted them to the point that I’d throw myself down on the deck and scream” (p. 22). She adds paradoxically, “Intensely preoccupied with the movement of the spinning coin or lid, I saw nothing or heard nothing. People around me were transparent. And no sound intruded on my fixation. It was as if I were deaf. Even a sudden loud noise didn’t startle me from my world” (p. 23). Although repetitive behaviors and sensory features are quite salient symptoms of autism, there has been debate about whether or not they represent distinct phenomena, and thus, whether differential treatment approaches should be used.
Asymmetric localization of alkyldihydroxyacetone-P synthase and acyldihydroxyacetone-P acyltransferase in microsomal vesicles.

A number of investigations have made it clear that proteases and phospholipases can be used effectively in combination with detergents to determine the topographical distribution of microsomal membrane components. For example, experiments of this type have shown that glucose-6-phosphatase and nucleoside diphosphatase are located on the lumenal side of microsomal vesicles, whereas cytochrome b 5 resides at the surface [1]. Similar asymmetry is seen with lipids. Studies done with phospholipase A2 indicate phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine are localized on the cytoplasmic side of microsomal membranes, in contrast to phosphatidylinositol, sphingomyelin, and cardiolipin, which are at the inner surface; on the other hand, phosphatidylcholine appears to be equally distributed between the two microsomal surfaces [2]. These types of membrane-mapping experiments are based on the fact that microsomes prepared from tissue homogenates are vesicular in nature, with their cisternal content preserved [3]. Furthermore, low detergent concentrations render the vesicles permeable to macromolecules [4,5] or ions [6,7] without causing significant loss of phospholipids or detachment of ribosomes [4,5]. Under these conditions, the effect of detergents is reversible, since the membranes reseal after the detergents are removed so that macromolecules can no longer penetrate to the cisternal side [6,7].
Paradox of power: the logics of state weakness in Eurasia

What role does reverence for an idealized Kyrgyzstani state play in the retention of primary school teachers in a rural and impoverished region? How does the single Russian concept of derzhavnost’,...
Physics–Dynamics Coupling with Element-Based High-Order Galerkin Methods: Quasi-Equal-Area Physics Grid

AbstractAtmospheric modeling with element-based high-order Galerkin methods presents a unique challenge to the conventional physics–dynamics coupling paradigm, due to the highly irregular distribut...
Can a Virtual Human Facilitate Language Learning in a Young Baby

There is a significant paucity of work on language learning systems for young infants [2, 5, 19] despite the widely understood critical importance that this developmental period has for healthy language and cognitive growth, and related reading and academic success [6, 14]. Deaf babies constitute one vulnerable population as they can experience dramatically reduced or no access to usable linguistic input during this period [18]. This causes potentially devastating impact on children's linguistic, cognitive, and social skills [9, 10, 15, 16, 20]. We introduced an AI system, called RAVE (Robot, AVatar, thermal Enhanced language learning tool), designed specifically for babies within the age range of 6-12 months [8, 17]. RAVE consists of two agents: a virtual human (provides language and socially contingent interactions) and an embodied robot (provides socially engaging physical cues to babies and directs babies' attention to the virtual human). Detailed description of the system's constituent components and dialogue algorithms are presented in [17] and [8].
Monte Carlo simulations of black hole mergers in AGN discs: Low χeff mergers and predictions for LIGO

Accretion disks around supermassive black holes are promising sites for stellar mass black hole mergers detectable with LIGO. Here we present the results of Monte-Carlo simulations of black hole mergers within 1-d AGN disk models. For the spin distribution in the disk bulk, key findings are: (1) The distribution of $\chi_{\rm eff}$ is naturally centered around $\tilde{\chi}_{\rm eff} \approx 0.0$, (2) the width of the $\chi_{\rm eff}$ distribution is narrow for low natal spins. For the mass distribution in the disk bulk, key findings are: (3) mass ratios $\tilde{q} \sim 0.5-0.7$, (4) the maximum merger mass in the bulk is $\sim 100-200M_{\odot}$, (5) $\sim 1\%$ of bulk mergers involve BH $>50M_{\odot}$ with (6) $\simeq 80\%$ of bulk mergers are pairs of 1st generation BH. Additionally, mergers at a migration trap grow an IMBH with typical merger mass ratios $\tilde{q}\sim 0.1$. Ongoing LIGO non-detections of black holes $>10^{2}M_{\odot}$ puts strong limits on the presence of migration traps in AGN disks (and therefore AGN disk density and structure) as well as median AGN disk lifetime. The highest merger rate occurs for this channel if AGN disks are relatively short-lived ($\leq 1$Myr) so multiple AGN episodes can happen per Galactic nucleus in a Hubble time.
Are Universities Schools? The Case For Continuity in the Regulation of Student Speech

Are universities schools? The question seems almost silly to ask: of course universities are schools. They have teachers and students, like schools. They have grades, like schools. There are classes and extracurricular activities, also like schools. But recent writings on the issue of free speech on campus" have raised the improbable specter that universities are less educational institutions than they are public forums like parks and sidewalks, where a free-wheeling exchange of ideas and opinions takes place, unrestricted by any sense of academic mission or school discipline. Some of this rhetoric is of course exaggerated, and some of it can be taken out of context. Nonetheless, the overall impression is that public universities are required to host and accommodate all viewpoints, no matter how loathsome, and protect any expression in any place and at any time or else risk running afoul of the First Amendment.
Computational fluid dynamics simulation of the melting process in the fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing technique

Abstract Numerical simulation is used to understand the melting and pressurization mechanism in fused filament fabrication (FFF). The results show the incoming fiber melts axisymmetrically, forming a cone of unmelted material in the center surrounded by melted polymer. Details of the simulation reveal that a recirculating vortex of melted polymer is formed at the fiber entrance to the hot end. The large viscosity within this vortex acts to effectively seal the system against back-pressures of order 1000 psi (10 MPa), which are typical under standard printing conditions. The Generalized Newtonian Fluid (GNF) model was appropriate for simulation within the region that melts the fiber, however, a viscoelastic model, the Phan-Thien-Tanner (PTT) model, was required to capture flow within the nozzle. This is due to the presence of an elongational flow as molten material transitions from the melting region (diameter of 3 mm) to the nozzle at the exit (diameter of 0.5 mm). Remarkably, almost half the pressure drop occurs over the short capillary (0.5 mm in length) attached to the end of the converging flow region. Increased manufacturing rates are limited by high pressures, necessitating more consideration in the nozzle design of future FFF printers.
Focusing the Lens on the CAMERA Concepts: Early Combination β-Lactam and Vancomycin Therapy in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has grown to become a major burden on health care systems. The cumulation of limited therapeutic options and worsened patient outcomes with persistent MRSA bacteremia has driven research in optimizing its initial management. The guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America currently recommend combination therapy for refractory MRSA bacteremia, but the utility of combining antibiotics from the start of therapy is under investigation. The alternative strategy of early use of β-lactam antibiotics in combination with vancomycin upon initial MRSA bacteremia detection has shown promise. While this concept has gained international attention, providers should give this strategy serious consideration prior to implementation. The objective of this review is to examine retrospective and prospective evidence for early combination with vancomycin and β-lactam antibiotics, as well as explore potential consequences of combination therapy.
Monozygotic vanishing twin after single euploid blastocyst transfer

A 33-year-old gravida 0 woman with a 15-month history of involuntary infertility presented to the office for an infertility consultation. Her menstrual history was unremarkable. Her hysterosalpingogram and ovarian reserve testing was normal. Her partner’s semen analysis was within normal limits.
An analytic model for [O iii] fine structure emission from high redshift galaxies

Recent ALMA measurements have revealed bright OIII 88 micron line emission from galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) at redshifts as large as $z \sim 9$. We introduce an analytic model to help interpret these and other upcoming OIII 88 micron measurements. Our approach sums over the emission from discrete Str$\ddot{\mathrm{o}}$mgren spheres and considers the total volume of ionized hydrogen in a galaxy of a given star-formation rate. We estimate the relative volume of doubly-ionized oxygen and ionized hydrogen and its dependence on the spectrum of ionizing photons. We then calculate the level populations of OIII ions in different fine-structure states for HII regions of specified parameters. In this simple model, a galaxy's OIII 88 micron luminosity is determined by: the typical number density of free electrons in HII regions ($n_e$), the average metallicity of these regions ($Z$), the rate of hydrogen ionizing photons emitted ($Q_{\mathrm{HI}}$), and the shape of the ionizing spectrum. We cross-check our model by comparing it with detailed CLOUDY calculations, and find that it works to better than 15$\%$ accuracy across a broad range of parameter space. Applying our model to existing ALMA data at $z \sim 6-9$, we derive lower bounds on the gas metallicity and upper bounds on the gas density in the HII regions of these galaxies. These limits vary considerably from galaxy to galaxy, with the tightest bounds indicating $Z \gtrsim 0.5 Z_\odot$ and $n_{\mathrm{H}} \lesssim 50$ cm$^{-3}$ at $2-\sigma$ confidence.
Organic compounds alter the preference and rates of heavy metal adsorption on ferrihydrite.

The availability of heavy metals in terrestrial environments is largely controlled by their interactions with minerals and organic matter, with iron minerals having a particularly strong role in heavy metal fate. Because soil organic matter contains a variety of compounds that differ in their chemical properties, the underlying impact organic matter-soil mineral associations bestow on heavy metal binding is still unresolved. Here, we systematically examine the binding of Cd, Zn and Ni by a suite of organic-ferrihydrite assemblages, chosen to account for various compound chemistries within soil organic matter. We posited that organic compound functionality would dictate the extent of association with the organic-ferrihydrite assemblages. Increased heavy metal binding to the assemblages was observed and attributed to the introduction of additional binding sites by the organic functional groups with differing metal affinities. The relative increase depended on the metal's Lewis acidity and followed the order Cd > Zn > Ni, whereas the reverse order was obtained for metal binding by pristine ferrihydrite (Ni > Zn > Cd). Citric acid-, aspartic acid- and cysteine-ferrihydrite assemblages also enhanced the metal binding rate. X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that the organic coating contributed significantly to Zn binding by the assemblages, despite relatively low organic surface coverage. Our findings provide valuable information on the nature of heavy metal-organic-mineral interactions and metal adsorption processes regulating their bioavailability and transport.
A polynomial time test to detect numbers with many exceptional points

For each algebraic number α and each positive real number t, the t-metric Mahler measure mt(α) creates an extremal problem whose solution varies depending on the value of t. The second author studi...
Cochlear development, cellular patterning and tonotopy

Mammalian audition is mediated through the organ of Corti (OC), a rigorously patterned mosaic of mechanosensitive hair cells and associated supporting cells arrayed along the long (coiled) axis of the cochlea. Incoming sounds stimulate hair cells along the spiral based on a frequency-place, or tonotopic, code. Using the temporal bones of human cadavers, Georg von Bekesy first showed that decreasing stimulus frequencies elicited motion at increasingly distal locations along the cochlea. Subsequent studies revealed that sound frequencies are carried in parallel streams throughout the brainstem and cortex, demonstrating that tonotopy is the fundamental organizing principle of the mammalian auditory system. In this review we describe cochlear development, tonotopic features of the mature structure, and finally discuss existing knowledge regarding how positional (tonotopic) identity is specified along the auditory organ.
Mother’s Milk Messaging™ (MMM): Mixed Methods Evaluation of Bilingual App and Texting Program to Support Breastfeeding (BF)

Background: Breastfeeding (BF) provides optimal health benefits for mothers and their infants. Most new mothers experience BF challenges but evidence-based support online and through mobile apps is limited. We developed and evaluated an app (MMM) in English and Spanish to help mothers from late third trimester through 2 months postpartum meet their BF goals. Objective: 1. To describe engagement with and usage of the app. 2. To measure efficacy (changes in attitudes, confidence, and perceived social supports) with regards …
The Role of the Internist in the Care of Elderly Patients Undergoing Emergency Surgery

The internist plays a vital role in managing the elderly patient undergoing emergency surgery. Internists are involved in each stage of care, not only as primary care physicians but also as hospitalists. As the primary care provider (PCP), the internist develops a relationship with the patient, is familiar with the medical history, and understands the patient’s preferences for treatment. When a patient suffers an acute event requiring hospitalization, it is often the internist who is charged with the management of care. Before pursuing surgery, the internist conducts a medical evaluation, including a risk assessment, to determine whether the benefits of surgery will outweigh the potential risks. Elderly patients often have comorbidities that may complicate postsurgical outcomes. The internist determines if the patient is too frail for surgery.
Advanced Diagnostic Topic for Austere Providers: Skin and Soft Tissue

Ultrasound (US) is a critical skill for the assessment of soft tissue infections in the austere environment. US is more accurate than palpation for the identification of abscesses, can identify foreign bodies of various compositions, and is useful in the diagnosis of cellulitis. It can also be used to plan for the drainage of abscesses as well as the identification of deep abscess tracts and complications. US can be used to guide the removal of foreign bodies and decreases the size of surgical incision during removal. Regardless of the setting and availability of resources, US is portable, mobile, and provides real-time information that can make a difference in the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue infections.
Risk factors for metabolic and cardiovascular disease in inpatients with severe mental illness

Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) have increased burden of somatic illnesses, especially cardiovascular disease. Characterizing the cardiovascular risk profile of patients with SMI is therefore crucial to understanding how to decrease morbidity and mortality in these vulnerable populations. In this observational study, entropy balancing (a form of propensity score matching) was used to compare cardiometabolic health in a sample of the general population from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets to inpatients hospitalized in a large, urban, academic psychiatric hospital in Harris County, Texas. Data were analyzed using independent linear regression models for blood pressure, blood glucose, TG:HDL ratio, total cholesterol, and body mass index as outcome variables. Systolic blood pressure (F=34•75, p<0•0001), diastolic blood pressure (F=90•53, p<0•0001), blood glucose (F=12•89, p<0•0001), and the TG:HDL ratio (F=3•16, p<0•0001) were all elevated in the psychiatric inpatient sample vs. the NHANES sample. Contrary to expectations, total cholesterol (F=32•18, p<0•0001) and BMI (F=15•05, p<0•0001) were lower in this sample vs. the NHANES sample. Patients hospitalized with SMI show a cardiometabolic profile which confers greater risk of diabetes- and hypertension-related mortality. Approaches should be developed to target indicators of cardiometabolic health in this population to reduce long-term mortality.
Hortas Comunitárias in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro: How New Ideas Are Adopted and Spread Across Communities

This paper applies the Diffusion of Innovation Theory popularized by Everett Rogers to examine the adoption and dissemination of community gardens in favelas in Rio de Janeiro. The study involved interviewing adopters of hortas comunitarias in ten communities. The findings suggest that the five traits that Rogers puts forward to explain diffusion of innovation fit reasonably well the adoption and dissemination of hortas. The results also suggest that, with minimal support from the municipal government, experiments in Urban Agriculture in general can become more widespread, which is especially important as food insecurity increases in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Leveraging the social networks and developing robust linkages with existing NGOs that support urban agroecology are key to the dissemination of this socioenvironmental innovation.
Trained Innate Immunity Induced by Vaccination with Low-Virulence Candida Species Mediates Protection against Several Forms of Fungal Sepsis via Ly6G+ Gr-1+ Leukocytes.

We recently discovered a novel form of trained innate immunity (TII) induced by low-virulence Candida species (i.e., Candida dubliniensis) that protects against lethal fungal/bacterial infection. Mice vaccinated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation are protected against lethal sepsis following Candida albicans/Staphylococcus aureus (Ca/Sa) intra-abdominal infection (IAI) or Ca bloodstream infection (BSI). The protection against IAI is mediated by long-lived Gr-1+ leukocytes as putative myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and not by prototypical trained macrophages. This study aimed to determine if a similar TII mechanism (Gr-1+ cell-mediated suppression of sepsis) is protective against BSI and whether this TII can also be induced following intravenous (i.v.) vaccination. For this, mice were vaccinated with low-virulence Candida strains (i.p. or i.v.), followed by lethal challenge (Ca/Sa i.p. or Ca i.v.) 14 days later, and observed for sepsis (hypothermia, sepsis scoring, and serum cytokines), organ fungal burden, and mortality. Similar parameters were monitored following depletion of macrophages or Gr-1+ leukocytes during lethal challenge. The results showed that mice vaccinated i.p. or i.v. were protected against lethal Ca/Sa IAI or Ca BSI. In all cases, protection was mediated by Ly6G+ Gr-1+ putative granulocytic MDSCs (G-MDSCs), with no role for macrophages, and correlated with reduced sepsis parameters. Protection also correlated with reduced fungal burden in spleen and brain but not liver or kidney. These results suggest that Ly6G+ G-MDSC-mediated TII is induced by either the i.p. and i.v. route of inoculation and protects against IAI or BSI forms of systemic candidiasis, with survival correlating with amelioration of sepsis and reduced organ-specific fungal burden. IMPORTANCE Trained innate immunity (TII) is induced following immunization with live attenuated microbes and represents a clinically important strategy to enhance innate defenses. TII was initially demonstrated following intravenous inoculation with low-virulence Candida albicans, with protection against a subsequent lethal C. albicans intravenous bloodstream infection (BSI) mediated by monocytes with enhanced cytokine responses. We expanded this by describing a novel form of TII induced by intraperitoneal inoculation with low-virulence Candida that protects against lethal sepsis induced by polymicrobial intra-abdominal infection (IAI) via Gr-1+ leukocytes as putative myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). In this study, we addressed these two scenarios and confirmed an exclusive role for Ly6G+ Gr-1+ leukocytes in mediating TII against either IAI or BSI via either route of inoculation, with protection associated with suppression of sepsis. These studies highlight the previously unrecognized importance of Ly6G+ MDSCs as central mediators of a novel form of TII termed trained tolerogenic immunity.
Brief Overview of Scleroderma: Localized Scleroderma and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)

Scleroderma is characterized by and gets its name from the (almost) universal feature of skin thickening. Skin manifestations of scleroderma can be dramatic and impressive. However, because it is a relatively uncommon disease, these manifestations can be overlooked or misinterpreted by physicians and patients alike. The purpose of this book is to provide clinicians, physicians in training, and other medical professionals with a practical guide to the identification of the most common features of this condition.
Influence of Actinomycin D and Puromycin on Net Synthesis of Plasma Albumin and Fibrinogen by the Isolated Perfused Rat Liver

Abstract Rat livers were perfused 6 hours with defibrinated rabbit blood with dl-lysine-1-14C and 250 mg of glucose infused for the first 4 hours. Net changes in rat albumin and fibrinogen in perfusate plasma were measured serologically. Fibrinogen was also measured chemically by clotting with thrombin. Puromycin (15 mg at outset plus 15 mg infused) stopped virtually all 14C incorporation into plasma and hepatic proteins after 30 min; net rat serum albumin and fibrinogen increased until 2 hours, indicating release of preformed plasma proteins from the liver. Average synthesis rates (milligrams per g of liver per hour) in control perfusions, estimated from net increases above those in puromycin perfusions, were: 0.47 ± 0.05 for rat serum albumin; 0.58 ± 0.15 for fibrinogen, measured serologically; and 0.64 ± 0.20 for fibrinogen, measured chemically. Actinomycin D (117 µg at outset plus 117 µg infused) was added to perfusions of livers from normal rats and from rats that had been injected intraperitoneally with actinomycin D (150 µg/100 g) 3 hours before perfusion. Decreases in protein synthesis rates after treatment with actinomycin D were interpreted as secondary to decay of messenger ribonucleic acid following inhibition of its synthesis, allowing the following estimates of average messenger ribonucleic acid half-life: rat serum albumin, 2 to 4 hours; fibrinogen, 1½ to 2 hours; plasma proteins synthesized by the liver other than rat serum albumin and fibrinogen, 3 to 4 hours; and hepatic proteins, less than 6 hours. Net changes in urea, glucose, and α-amino acids in perfusate were similar in actinomycin D and control perfusions, but were elevated in puromycin perfusions. In comparison with control perfusions, both inhibitors caused similar increases in the rate of oxidation of l-lysine-1-14C to 14CO2.
Solar Cycles and the Weather: Successful Experiments in Autosuggestion?

Claims relating the single and double sunspot cycles to weather and climate are critically reviewed in the light of what is known about the sun/weather/climate system. Various pitfalls in the application or lack of application of statistics to the problem are discussed and illustrated from the literature. Following a survey of the literature it is concluded that despite the great number of papers on the subject, little convincing evidence has yet been produced for real correlations between sunspot cycles and weather or climate, although evidence for correlations between weather and solar events on time scales of days appears to exist. The conclusions tend to support A. S. Monin’s impression of “successful experiments in autosuggestion” and S. J. Gould’s recent suggestion that unconscious manipulation of data may be a scientific norm. Some guidelines are offered as an aid to critical evaluation of our own and other scientists’ work and it is suggested that progress is more likely on shorter time-scale solar-weather effects. A longer version of this paper may be found in the August 1978 issue of Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics.
Evaluation of Nd:YAG photocoagulation using a new experimental ulcer model with a single bleeding artery.

Abstract A new model of an acute bleeding gastric ulcer with a single bleeding artery in its base has been developed. A suction ulcer defect is created over a large, submucosal artery. Small bleeding marginal vessels are electrocoagulated with a fine-tipped bipolar forceps. The artery in the base of the ulcer is dissected free and then incised longitudinally; brisk bleeding results. A combination of heparin, aspirin, and dipyridamole is used to prevent spontaneous hemostasis. Bleeding from the incised artery of the single vessel ulcer does not decrease over a 10-min interval. No damage to the muscularis externa of the underlying gastric wall results from preparation of the ulcer. The effect of Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation in this new model was compared with the results of photocoagulation in the standard suction ulcer model. In both models the Nd:YAG laser stopped equivalent bleeding from all ulcers. However, there was a marked difference in the depth of tissue injury, with much less damage observed in the single vessel ulcer. This model may provide a better method to assess depth of tissue injury resulting from endoscopic hemostatic techniques.