cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Muscle hypertrophy is associated with increases in proteasome activity that is independent of MuRF1 and MAFbx expression

The regulation of skeletal muscle mass depends on the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. The role of protein degradation and in particular, the ubiquitin proteasome system and increased expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligases, MuRF1 and MAFbx/atrogin-1, in the regulation of muscle size in response to growth stimuli is unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to measure both proteasome activity and protein synthesis in mice over a 14-day period of chronic loading using the functional overload (FO) model. Further, the importance of MuRF1 and MAFbx expression in regulating muscle hypertrophy was examined by measuring muscle growth in response to FO in mice with a null deletion (KO) of either MuRF1 or MAFbx. In wild type (WT) mice, the increase in muscle mass correlated with significant increases (2-fold) in protein synthesis at 7 and 14 days. Interestingly, proteasome activity significantly increased in WT mice after one day, and continued to increase, peaking at 7 days following FO. The increase in proteasome activity was correlated with increases in the expression of the Forkhead transcription factors, FOXO1 and FOXO3a, which increased after both MuRF1 and MAFbx increased and returned to baseline. As in WT mice, hypertrophy in the MuRF1 and MAFbx KO mice was associated with significant increases in proteasome activity after 14 days of FO. The increase in plantaris mass was similar between the WT and MuRF1 KO mice following FO, however, muscle growth was significantly reduced in female MAFbx KO mice. Collectively, these results indicate that muscle hypertrophy is associated with increases in both protein synthesis and degradation. Further, MuRF1 or MAFbx expression is not required to increase proteasome activity following increased loading, however, MAFbx expression may be required for proper growth/remodeling of muscle in response to increase loading.
Million city traveling salesman problem solution by divide and conquer clustering with adaptive resonance neural networks

The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a very hard optimization problem in the field of operations research. It has been shown to be NP-complete, and is an often-used benchmark for new optimization techniques. One of the main challenges with this problem is that standard, non-AI heuristic approaches such as the Lin-Kernighan algorithm (LK) and the chained LK variant are currently very effective and in wide use for the common fully connected, Euclidean variant that is considered here. This paper presents an algorithm that uses adaptive resonance theory (ART) in combination with a variation of the Lin-Kernighan local optimization algorithm to solve very large instances of the TSP. The primary advantage of this algorithm over traditional LK and chained-LK approaches is the increased scalability and parallelism allowed by the divide-and-conquer clustering paradigm. Tours obtained by the algorithm are lower quality, but scaling is much better and there is a high potential for increasing performance using parallel hardware.
Engaging public health in end-of-life issues: it is time to step up to the plate.

This commentary discusses the recent report from the Institute of Medicine Committee on Approaching Death, noting that it is the first Institute of Medicine report on the end of life to explicitly ...
Targeted treatment for bacterial infections: prospects for pathogen-specific antibiotics coupled with rapid diagnostics

Antibiotics are a cornerstone of modern medicine and have significantly reduced the burden of infectious diseases. However, commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics can cause major collateral damage to the human microbiome, causing complications ranging from antibiotic-associated colitis to the rapid spread of resistance. Employing narrower spectrum antibiotics targeting specific pathogens may alleviate this predicament as well as provide additional tools to expand an antibiotic repertoire threatened by the inevitability of resistance. Improvements in clinical diagnosis will be required to effectively utilize pathogen-specific antibiotics and new molecular diagnostics are poised to fulfill this need. Here we review recent trends and the future prospects of deploying narrower spectrum antibiotics coupled with rapid diagnostics. Further, we discuss the theoretical advantages and limitations of this emerging approach to controlling bacterial infectious diseases.
Passing: Impact on the Quality of Same-Sex Couple Relationships

Passing is the social process by which gay men and lesbians present themselves to the world as heterosexuals. A questionnaire survey of same-sex couples, recruited through a national support organization, examined the impact of passing on relationship quality. Passing was not related to self-reported love for partner. However, respondents who were known to significant others as homosexual were more likely to report satisfaction with their relationships. Social workers providing services to gay and lesbian couples are alerted to the primary role played by significant others in the same-sex couple relationship.
Effects of beef, soy and conventional diets on body composition and plasma lipids of young pigs fed restricted or liberal amounts of diet.

Effects were determined of restricted and liberal feeding of beef-based, soy-based and conventional diets on growth rate, nutrient absorption, body composition and plasma lipid and urea concentrations of young pigs. Beef and soy diets contained more fat (40-50% of calories vs. 8-9%) and cholesterol (0.09 vs. 0%) than did conventional diets; calorie and protein intakes were equal across diets. Beef-fed pigs had greater average daily gain and absorption of fat and gross energy than did conventionally fed pigs; soy-fed pigs had intermediate growth rates but the greatest absorption of fat and gross energy. With restricted intakes, percentage of body fat was greater in soy-fed pigs than in pigs fed a conventional diet or beef and with liberal feeding, greater in soy- and beef-fed pigs than in pigs provided with a conventional diet. Plasma free fatty acid, triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were greater in soy- and beef-fed pigs than in conventionally fed pigs. These results indicate that absorption and subsequent partitioning of nutrients toward body fat are influenced by composition as well as the amount of diet consumed. Our results also demonstrate that the pig can successfully be fed diets resembling human diets (i.e., high fat) and because of its physiological similarities to humans our understanding of nutrition and lipid metabolism of humans may be advanced.
“Mais vous savez, c'est un peu degoutant, ça”: Katherine Mansfield, Food, and the Indiscretions of the Great War

The short fiction of modernist author Katherine Mansfield, in particular her work written during World War I, provides a distinctive glimpse into the civilian culture of war. Mansfield uses food imagery in her writing to accentuate a shifting sensibility and profoundly emotional response to her own experience of the war. Embedded throughout her letters, notebooks, and short fiction written during and soon after the Great War, are references to food, especially to meat. Mansfield9s food imagery and her artistic manipulation of the act of consuming food politicizes her work and compels a reconsideration of several pieces of short fiction which engage the event of war.
How Does Nanoscale Crystalline Structure Affect Ion Transport in Solid Polymer Electrolytes

Polymer electrolytes have attracted intensive attention due to their potential applications in all-solid-state lithium batteries. Ion conduction in this system is generally considered to be confined in the amorphous polymer/ion phase, where segmental relaxation of the polymer above glass transition temperature facilitates ion transport. In this article, we show quantitatively that the effect of polymer crystallization on ion transport is twofold: structural (tortuosity) and dynamic (tethered chain confinement). We decouple these two effects by designing and fabricating a model polymer single crystal electrolyte system with controlled crystal structure, size, crystallinity, and orientation. Ion conduction is confined within the chain fold region and guided by the crystalline lamellae. We show that, at low content, due to the tortuosity effect, the in-plane conductivity is 2000 times greater than through-plane one. Contradictory to the general view, the dynamic effect is negligible at moderate ion contents....
Standardization of Laboratory Tests for Controlling Anticoagulant Therapy

Standardization of laboratory methodology for controlling anticoagulation is an important prerequisite to developing uniform guidelines for safe and effective coumarin control. This report describes a method for standardizing thromboplastin reagents by performing parallel tests on specimens from a large group of patients treated with coumarin. By means of least-square regression analysis, results obtained using five rabbit tissue thromboplastins and the ox brain Thrombotest reagent were compared to the results with the Manchester Comparative Reagent (human brain thromboplastin). Although the Manchester and Thrombotest reagents yielded greater discrimination in assaying the “prothrombin complex,” the commercial rabbit tissue reagents appeared sufficiently sensitive to provide safe anticoagulant control. Regardless of the reagent employed, a thorough understanding of the reactivity of the thromboplastin is essential to provide the patient treated with anticoagulants with maximum protection from thrombosis and minimum risk of hemorrhage.
From one Out-In to another: : What’s missing in Wacquant’s structural analysis

Loic Wacquant’s trenchant and much needed structural analysis owes its originality, in part, to the fact that he is an intellectual Out-In. That is, someone who observes and analyses from the perspective of both the outsider (a Frenchman who has studied ethnoracial dynamics in his native land) and an insider (a Franco-American who has studied and lived long enough in America to be able to claim true insider status). I too am an Out-In (a Jamerican who can claim equal intellectual engagement in Jamaican and American academic and social life), which is perhaps why I can better appreciate the strengths of his analysis and what is missing.
Status Inconsistency, Racial Separatism, and Job Satisfaction

This study examined the effects of status inconsistencies between time in service and rank on attitudes concerning racial separatism and job satisfaction for white males serving in the enlisted ran...
BRANCHING DYNAMICS IN CLADINA SUBTENUIS

The fruticose thallus of mature Cladina subtenuis is characterized by a variable branching pat- tern. While the shape of the mature thallus is not easily predictable, early branch initiation follows a highly predictable pattern. Branching is determined by meristemlike bundles of fungal cells located at the apices of the thallus. When the bundles split, branch- ing is initiated. Meristem growth is limited to a uni-
Improved Flux of Levodopa via Direct Deposition of Solid Microparticles on Nasal Tissue

Epithelial flux and permeability across bovine olfactory tissue were compared when levodopa (L-DOPA) was loaded in different physical states. Aqueous solution of L-DOPA was prepared in Krebs-Ringer buffer (KRB), at a concentration (0.75 mg/mL) verified to be less than the saturation solubility at both 25 and 37°C. Sodium metabisulfite was added to solution to minimize L-DOPA oxidation; chemical stability of aqueous L-DOPA was evaluated using HPLC-UV. Solid-state characterization of unprocessed, dry, crystalline L-DOPA powder was performed using TGA, DSC, PXRD, and optical microscopy to ensure that preparation of L-DOPA microparticles used for diffusion experiments did not elicit a phase change. Measurements of in vitro flux were made for all preparations, using freshly excised bovine olfactory mucosal membrane. Samples obtained from transport studies were analyzed by HPLC-UV. Tissue viability was measured before and after experiments using transdermal epithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The average steady-state flux (J ss ) of L-DOPA from solid microparticles directly deposited on nasal epithelial tissue was 6.08 ± 0.69 μg/cm2/min, approximately three times greater than the J ss measured for L-DOPA from solution (2.13 ± 0.97 μg/cm2/min). The average apparent permeability coefficient (P app ) of L-DOPA was calculated to be 4.73 × 10-5 cm/s. These findings suggest that nasal delivery of L-DOPA by administration of solid microparticles not only benefits from improved chemical and microbiological stability by avoiding the use of aqueous formulation vehicle but also does not compromise cumulative mass transport across the olfactory membrane.
Cochlear implant programming for children

Cochlear implant device programming is a skill that develops with training and experience. For children, the audiologist relies on many aspects of professional training, including diagnostic skill and intuition, knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of hearing, psychophysical measurements, electrophysiological measures, speech acoustics, normal child development, and all facets and features of hearing technologies. With substantial diversity among recipients, the audiologist learns how various aspects of the child and their social and educational environments affect outcomes. The unique characteristics of each individual should be considered and appreciated to obtain the best outcome. A team approach to patient management, including partnering with parents, before and after cochlear implantation is critical. The process of creating speech processor programs requires knowledge of cochlear implant software and hardware that must be continually updated. This chapter reviews the use of behavioral and objective measures, consideration of the various speech processor program parameters, and how to optimize device settings for young cochlear implant recipients.
Democracy, Deliberation, and Education, by Robert Asen

In the United States, public education is related intimately to the democratic system of government. In Democracy, Deliberation, and Education, Robert Asen examines relationships among these concep...
Leukoreduction of Blood Products

Leukocytes (white blood cells [WBCs]) remain in red blood cell and platelet components after component preparation. These residual leukocytes have the potential to cause deleterious effects in the transfusion recipient, including febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions, HLA alloimmunization, and transmission of cytomegalovirus. Other possible effects include transmission of other leukocyte- associated herpes viruses and transfusion-related immunomodulation. The removal of the leukocytes either through filtration or through apheresis technologies has resulted in decreased risk of these complications. Thus the use of leukoreduction methodologies has become commonplace in most developed nations.
Emulating batteries with deferrable energy demand

We investigate the ability of a homogeneous collection of deferrable energy consumers to behave as a battery; that is, to absorb and release energy in a controllable fashion up to fixed and predetermined limits on volume, charge rate and discharge rate. We derive bounds on the batteries that can be emulated and show that there is a fundamental conflict between the ability to absorb and release energy at high rates. Finally, we introduce a new class of dynamic priority-driven feedback policies that balance these abilities, and characterize the batteries that they can emulate. This work is done in collaboration with Daria Madjidian, Mardavij Roozbehani.
Unconventional Imaging Techniques

A 60-year-old male with malignant melanoma in the 3rd digit of the right foot undergoes disarticulation and excision of 14 inguinal nodes which does not show metastases. After 6 months, physical exam reveals ten small black “moles” on the anterior and inner part of the right thigh. A PET/CT scan is requested and shows that the “moles” have low-grade FDG uptake, SUVs = 0.9, 0.7, and looking like reconstruction artifacts in the attenuation corrected (AC) images (Fig. 10.1). The non-attenuation corrected (NAC) images, however, confirm the FDG-avidity of these lesions. Some of the “moles” are not seen in the AC images. The CT images confirm the presence of these lesions.
Hierarchical Structured Cu/Ni/TiO2 Nanocomposites as Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The electrochemical performance of anodes made of transition metal oxides (TMOs) in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) often suffers from their chemical and mechanical instability. In this research, a novel electrode with a hierarchical current collector for TMO active materials is successfully fabricated. It consists of porous nickel as current collector on a copper substrate. The copper has vertically aligned microchannels. Anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles of ∼100 nm are directly synthesized and cast on the porous Ni using a one-step process. Characterization indicates that this electrode exhibits excellent performance in terms of capacity, reliable rate, and long cyclic stability. The maximum insertion coefficient for the reaction product of LixTiO2 is ∼0.85, a desirable value as an anode of LIBs. Cross-sectional SEM and EDS analysis confirmed the uniform and stable distribution of nanosized TiO2 nanoparticles inside the Ni microchannels during cycling. This is due to the synergistic effect of n...
Carbohydrate-last meal pattern lowers postprandial glucose and insulin excursions in type 2 diabetes.

Background There are limited data regarding the timing of carbohydrate ingestion during a meal and postprandial glucose regulation. Methods Sixteen subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) consumed the same meal on 3 days in random order: carbohydrate first, followed 10 min later by protein and vegetables; protein and vegetables first, followed 10 min later by carbohydrate; or all components together. Blood was sampled for glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucagon measurements at baseline (just before meal ingestion) and subsequently at 30 min intervals up to 180 min. Results The incremental areas under the curve for glucose (iAUC 0–180 ) and incremental glucose peaks were 53% and 54% lower, respectively, when carbohydrate was consumed last compared with carbohydrate consumed first (3124.7±501.2 vs 6703.5±904.6 mg/dL×180min, p 0–180 : 7354.1±897.3 vs 9769.7±1002.1 µU/mL×min, p=0.003) and GLP-1 excursions higher (iAUC 0–180 : 3487.56±327.7 vs 2519.11±494.8 pg/mL×min, p=0.019) following the carbohydrate-last meal order compared with carbohydrate first. Conclusion The carbohydrate-last meal pattern may be an effective behavioral strategy to improve postprandial glycemia.
Directly Photopatternable Polythiophene as Dual-Tone Photoresist

We report a directly photopatternable polythiophene derivative PToNB with o-nitrobenzyl (oNB)-functionalized side chains. PToNB has unique phototunable solubilities programmed through three stages: (i) organic-soluble/aqueous-insoluble, (ii) organic-insoluble/aqueous-insoluble, and (iii) organic-insoluble/aqueous soluble. The capability to control conjugated polymer solubility with spatiotemporal precision and orthogonal developer solvents through three stages allows for direct patterning of this conjugated polymer and provides flexibility to choose between positive and negative tone photolithography. This approach to photomodulate solubility also enables all-solution processing of multilayer stacked conjugated polymer films; we demonstrate here direct two-layer photopatterning with this novel conjugated polymer photoresist.
Assessment of interrater and intermethod agreement in the kinesiology literature

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article was two-fold (1) provide an overview of the commonly reported and under-reported absolute agreement indices in the kinesiology literature for continuous data; and (2) present examples of these indices for hypothetical data along with recommendations for future use. It is recommended that three types of information be reported as evidence for agreement because no one type is superior to another. Report one graphical display (bivariate plot of raw scores with identity line or Bland-Altman plot), one scaled index (intraclass correlation coefficient with agreement definition or Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient), and at least one unscaled index (root mean squared deviation, total deviation index, coverage probability, or limits of agreement) when there are two methods/raters with no replication. The amount of information recommended exceeds what has commonly been reported in absolute agreement studies published in the kinesiology literature.
Commentary: A Huge Ependymoma of the Cervical Spinal Cord with Subtle Atypical Manifestations and Hyperhidrosis

Commentary A Huge Ependymoma of the Cervical Spinal Cord with Subtle Atypical Manifestations and Hyperhidrosis
Teaching for transformation: converting the intercultural experience of preservice teachers into intercultural learning

AbstractFostering intercultural learning among preservice teachers has become increasingly important. This article describes the results of a three-year study of semester-long projects in which cohorts of undergraduate education majors (N = 41) engaged with first-semester international students and were asked to reflect on becoming involved participants in a linguistically and culturally diverse learning community. The findings reveal the transformative effect of intercultural encounters on future teachers.
Population choice and variable selection in the estimation and application of risk models.

This paper shows that risk adjustment models based on demographic and employment variables are not easily transferable from one population to the next, and that administrative variables are not useful in predicting medical expenditures. We found statistically significant differences between models built on populations of employees from a single employer enrolled in two different health plans, and between models built on populations of enrollees from a single health plan employed at two different companies. Employment-based variables (e.g., length of employment) had little predictive power in any of these risk models. We conclude that policymakers should be careful in applying risk models across populations, and that future versions of risk models for use within large employers need not include employment-based variables.
No Place to Hide: Political Skill and the Social Psychology of Consensus

No image of modern Swedish politics is more widely celebrated than that of the rational, pragmatic Swede, studying problems carefully, consulting widely, and devising solutions that reflect centuries of practice at the art of compromise. For some observers of Swedish political behavior, schooled in different traditions, Swedish practices seem impossibly civil and altogether impenetrable. Andrew Schonfield, in his interesting examination of Modern Capitalism, captures the essence of the frustration outsiders often experience in their efforts to understand Swedish practices: “I recall,” he writes, “a British trade union leader after an organized visit to Sweden—there were several such visits undertaken by the British trade union movement in the early 1960’s in an attempt to discover the secret of Swedish labor’s success-expressing his frustration over the whole business. The secret was either too banal or too opaque to yield intelligent investigation. ‘All they can tell you when you ask them how they do it,’ he said, describing some particularly difficult decision which involved the conceited action of competing interest groups, ‘is, “We has a meeting.” We has a meeting! I’d like to see how they’d make out with our blokes over here.’”1
A new ply model for interlaminar stress analysis

An accurate estimate of interlaminar stresses is crucial to understanding, as well as predicting, many delamination-related failures in composite materials. A new model for ply-level sublaminate analysis is presented and applied. The homogeneous plate theory developed earlier by the authors (Valisetty and Rehfield, 1983) is further refined, and the equations are reduced appropriately for the classical finite-width free-edge laminate elasticity problem and a related delamination crack growth problem. It is applied to the laminate on a ply-by-ply basis. This theory incorporates all the essential physical effects and appears to be an adequate model for predicting the behavior of individual layers in equilibrium. On the basis of the number of equations and boundary conditions required for the implementation of layer equilibrium, this theory also appears to be the simplest of its kind presented so far. The stress induced in the free-edge region of a (0,90,90,0) laminate in uniform extension and the energy release rates for the delamination between the -30 deg and 90 deg plies of a (+, -30,+, -30, 90,90)s laminate are computed using the new analysis. The results are in excellent agreement with the existing numerical solutions. The new ply behavioral model appears to be very promising; it yields stresses and displacements that are statically and kinematically compatible at interlaminar surfaces.
Intramural conduction system gradients and electrogram regularity during ventricular fibrillation.

Abstract Introduction The His-Purkinje system has been shown to harbor triggers for ventricular fibrillation (VF) initiation. However, the substrate responsible for VF maintenance remains elusive. We hypothesized that standard, electrode-based, point-to-point mapping would yield meaningful insight into site-specific patterns and organization which may shed light on the critical substrate for maintenance of VF. Methods VF was induced under general anesthesia by direct current (DC) application to the right ventricle in 7 acute canines. A standard EPT Blazer mapping catheter (Boston Scientific, Natuck, MA) was used for mapping in conjunction with a Prucka recording system. We collected 30 consecutive electrograms at 24 distinct sites, confirmed by fluoroscopy and intracardiac echo. These sites included both endocardial and epicardial locations throughout the ventricles and conduction system. Results A total of 5040 individual data points were collected in 7 separate canine studies. During VF mapping, a transmural disparity was found between the epicardium (average cycle length [CL] of 1136 m s) and the endocardium (average CL of 123 m s) with a p value of Conclusion Our data are supportive of a novel observation of intramural difference between insulated and non-insulated regions of the His-Purkinje network in canines. In addition, certain areas exhibited periods of regular electrogram characteristics; this was despite the heart remaining in terminal VF. These early canine data merit further study to investigate if specific ablation of the distal conduction system can perturb or extinguish VF.
Enteric Feeding and Decompression Tubes

There are multiple indications for placement of enteral tubes. Gastroenteric tube feeding plays a major role in the management of patients with poor voluntary intake, chronic neurological or mechanical dysphagia, or gut dysfunction and patients who are critically ill. Likewise, patients with partial small-bowel obstruction are often initially treated conservatively with nasogastric tube decompression. These tubes are most frequently placed blindly and then their position within the stomach confirmed with abdominal radiographs. However, difficult tube placement is frequently encountered and can benefit from fluoroscopic-assisted visualization during tube placement. Therefore, if difficulty is encountered during enteric tube placement or if there is question of positioning post-blind enteric tube placement, surgical teams would benefit from radiology consult for assistance when radiologically assisted methods can be employed to achieve enteral access.
Multilayer integration of nonlinear silicon-based photonics (Conference Presentation)

The broad functionality of the silicon-based photonic platform has led to a number of exciting demonstrations in both linear and nonlinear integrated photonics. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films exhibiting nonlinear refractive indices an order of magnitude larger than c-Si can be deposited at a low temperature (typically 200 - 400 °C) and patterned by the same technology as c-Si, making them compatible with back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) CMOS technology. SiNx waveguides can be fabricated with extremely low losses providing long on-chip interconnects with high optical efficiency. Such specialty waveguiding layers can be combined into a multilayer silicon-based photonic platform for sophisticated, multi-material and multi-functional platforms. Here we will discuss our recent work in the a-Si:H waveguide platform demonstrating highly nonlinear interactions with mW-level peak pump powers, as well as the ability to integrate this waveguide platform in a multi-layer configuration with low-loss SiNx waveguides. We show four-wave mixing (FWM) frequency conversion in an a-Si:H waveguide addressed with a SiNx waveguide through interlayer coupling devices. Additionally, we will discuss a variety of demonstrations in silicon-based waveguides that exploit nonlinear optical interactions including frequency conversion and signal depletion. We will show the multilayer integration of these devices with their counterparts made from low-loss SiNx waveguides, etc. Furthermore, we will discuss these devices for a variety of applications including optical signal processing, logic, and security.
Pragmatic considerations for fostering reproducible research in artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence and deep learning methods hold great promise in the medical sciences in areas such as enhanced tumor identification from radiographic images, and natural language processing to extract complex information from electronic health records. Scientific review of AI algorithms has involved reproducibility, in which investigators share protocols, raw data, and programming codes. Within the realm of medicine, reproducibility introduces important challenges, including risk to patient privacy, challenges in reproducing results, and questions regarding ownership and financial value of large medical datasets. Scientific review, however, mandates some form of resolution of these inherent conflicts. We propose several approaches to permit scientific review while maintaining patient privacy and data confidentiality.
“Extreme pressure”: gendered negotiations of violence and vulnerability in Japanese antiracism movements

Situated in the emergence of hate speech and anti-racism counter protest in Japan, this article poses two questions: why do activists enact exclusions while attempting to fight against social inequ...
The Fifteenth-Century Councils: Francisco de Vitoria, Melchor Cano, and Bartolomé Carranza

The Dominican theologian Francisco de Vitoria, founder of the School of Salamanca, was cautiously positive about general councils as useful to the church. However, he was not supportive of the strong conciliarism of the University of Paris. Vitoria’s successor at Salamanca, Melchor Cano, was much more a papalist, an opinion partially shared by Bartolome Carranza, who attended the opening sessions of the Council of Trent (1545–63) and became archbishop of Toledo. Both Cano and Carranza rejected any claim to conciliar power over a reigning pope, although Carranza wrote more favourably about councils than did Cano. Their criticisms of the fifteenth-century councils of Constance (1414–18) and Basel (1431–49) foreshadowed the categorization of councils by Robert Bellarmine based on loyalty to the papacy. All of these theologians shared the belief that the ideal council was that of Ferrara–Florence (1438–45), which was summoned and directed by a pope.
Diet quality and its association with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and all-cause and cause-specific mortality

Background & aims Healthy diet has been recommended for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), although it is not clear whether improving diet quality can prevent mortality. We aim to assess the impact of quality of diet on NAFLD and mortality in subjects with and without NAFLD. Methods We performed cohort study using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988 to 1994 and linked mortality data through 2015. We used the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores to define diet quality, with higher HEI scores (Q4) indicating better adherence to dietary recommendations. NAFLD was defined as ultrasonographic hepatic steatosis. Results Multivariate analysis showed that subjects with higher diet quality were inversely associated with NAFLD in a dose-dependent manner. During the median follow-up of 23 years, having a higher diet quality was associated with reduction in risk of all-cause mortality in the age, sex, Race/ethnicity-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (Q4, HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.52-0.68) and the multivariate model (Q4, HR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71-0.92). Higher diet quality was associated with a lower risk for all-cause mortality in subjects without NAFLD; however, this protective association with diet quality was not noted in those with NAFLD. Furthermore, a high diet quality was associated with a lower risk for cancer-related mortality in the total population and among those without NAFLD. This association was not noted in those with NAFLD. Conclusions High diet quality was inversely associated with NAFLD and was positively associated with a lower risk for cancer-related and all-cause mortality in those without NAFLD.
Understanding Our People at Scale.

Human psychology plays an important role in organizational performance. However, understanding our employees is a difficult task due to issues such as psychological complexities, unpredictable dynamics, and the lack of data. Leveraging evidence-based psychology knowledge, this paper proposes a hybrid machine learning plus ontology-based reasoning system for detecting human psychological artifacts at scale. This unique architecture provides a balance between system's processing speed and explain-ability. System outputs can be further consumed by graph science and/or model management system for optimizing business processes, understanding team dynamics, predicting insider threats, managing talents, and beyond.
Chapter 16 – Gene Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene and is the most common life-shortening genetic defect in Caucasians. Life expectancy in CF has improved substantially during the past 75 years because of treatments aimed at end-organ complications. Since the CFTR gene was discovered in 1989, more than 1900 mutations have been reported to cause CF, and significant effort has been put forth into gene therapy to find a mutation-independent “cure” for CF. Gene-based approaches have not yet led to a viable therapy but have provided insights into hurdles that limit the efficacy and tolerability of gene therapy. This chapter will address the nomenclature of CFTR mutations, attempts at viral and nonviral gene therapy, and recent advances in mutation-specific protein repair molecules.
Competition and Manipulation in Derivative Contract Markets

This paper studies manipulation in cash-settled derivative contract markets. When traders hedge factor risk using cash-settled derivatives, which are settled based on the price of a spot good, traders can manipulate settlement prices by trading the spot good. In equilibrium, manipulation can make all agents worse off. I define two measures of manipulation-induced welfare losses, which can be estimated using commonly observed market data. Using these measures, I estimate how large manipulation-induced distortions would be if COMEX gold futures were cash-settled using the London Bullion Market Association gold price benchmark.
Simultaneous bilateral versus unilateral tibial tubercle fractures

Abstract Purpose Tibial tubercle/tuberosity fractures are rare injuries in young patients accounting for less than one percent of physeal fractures. Bilateral simultaneous fractures are even rarer, with only a few case reports in literature. The purpose of our study was to describe the largest case series of bilateral simultaneous tibial tuberosity avulsion fractures and compare it with unilateral fractures. We also wanted to compare our bilateral fractures case series with all the cases reported in the last 65 years. Methods IRB approved retrospective study involving patients under age 18 years with tibial tuberosity avulsion fractures. Bilateral simultaneous fractures were compared to a unilateral group including demographic data, mechanism of injury, clinical exam findings, complication rates, and outcomes including return to function. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney and Fisher Exact tests to compare the different groups. Results 138 patients (131 males, 7 females) from a tertiary children’s hospital between 2012 and 2019 with tibial tuberosity avulsion fractures were included. 11 bilateral simultaneous fractures (BL Group) were identified and compared to age matched cohort from the 127 unilateral fracture patients (UL group). There was no significant difference found in BMI, height, weight, age, sex, mechanism of injury, return to functional range of motion, and return to sports between the groups. 7/11 (63%) of the patients in the BL group who sustained simultaneous fractures had to be home bound and could not attend school for an average of 8.3 weeks. There was a higher rate of complications in the BL group (63.3%) compared to the UL group (21.1%), which was statistically significant. The most common complications in the bilateral group were hardware removal and wound dehiscence. Conclusion This first case series comparing unilateral versus bilateral simultaneous tibial tuberosity avulsion fractures suggests that the final outcomes of the two groups are similar, however it shows a significantly higher complication rate and hardware removal rate in the BL group. This study is also the first to highlight the significant initial morbidity in the BL fracture group with issues with regards to early mobility and loss of school-days. Keeping in mind the profound initial impact the bilateral injury poses to the patient; surgeons can possibly plan for rigid fixation for early mobilization to better prepare bilateral fracture patients for the early post-operative recovery process.
Parameter estimation using neural networks in the presence of detector effects

Histogram-based template fits are the main technique used for estimating parameters of high energy physics Monte Carlo generators. Parametrized neural network reweighting can be used to extend this fitting procedure to many dimensions and does not require binning. If the fit is to be performed using reconstructed data, then expensive detector simulations must be used for training the neural networks. We introduce a new two-level fitting approach that only requires one dataset with detector simulation and then a set of additional generation-level datasets without detector effects included. This simulation-level fit based on reweighting generator-level events with neural networks (SRGN) is demonstrated using simulated datasets for a variety of examples including a simple Gaussian random variable, parton shower tuning, and the top quark mass extraction.
An uncertain risk and an uncertain future: assessing the legal implications of mercury amalgam fillings.

Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/lsfp Part of the Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Food and Drug Law Commons, Health Law Commons, Law and Society Commons, Legal Education Commons, Legal History, Theory and Process Commons, Legal Writing and Research Commons, Medical Jurisprudence Commons, Organizations Commons, Partnerships Commons, and the Social Welfare Law Commons
Interview with Micha Espinosa and Garrett Johnson

In this interview with Fitzmaurice Voicework practitioner and La Pocha Nostra performer Micha Espinosa and her collaborator Garrett Johnson, Patricia Ybarra and her interlocutors ask: "How do we fight through sound against the state under fascism and racial capitalism?"
Application Note: μPolar - An Interactive 2D Visualization Tool for Time-Series Microscopic Images

Time-lapse microscopy is an effective research tool to monitor cell behavior and cell divisions. Recent advances in microfluidics have accelerated the adoption of time-lapse microscopy in research. However, it is challenging to visualize and interpret the time-series data gathered through time-lapse microscopy. We have developed a circular plotting software tool, μPolar, to visualize the trends and patterns of the cell movements and cell division events in a time-series. μPolar is interactive and easy to use. We demonstrate the utility of μPolar by visualizing the events of dividing yeast cells where cell divisions lead to oscillating plotting patterns, and in migrating mouse fibroblasts where cell shapes change during the migration. μPolar potentially could be applied to other types of time-series of microscopic images. This R package μPolar is available through GitHub.
Ranking the States by Fiscal Condition, 2016 Edition

Based on the fiscal year 2014 comprehensive annual financial reports of the 50 states and Puerto Rico, this study ranks states fiscal solvency using 14 metrics that assess the extent to which the states can meet short-term bills and longer-term obligations. State finances are analyzed according to five dimensions of solvency: cash, budget, long-run, service-level, and trust fund solvency. These five dimensions are combined to produce an overall ranking of state fiscal solvency. Alaska, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota rank as the top five most fiscally solvent states. Kentucky, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut rank as the bottom five states, with Puerto Rico taking 51st place.
Arteriovenous Fistula Nonmaturation: What’s the Immune System Got to Do with It?

Background Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) nonmaturation is a persistent problem, particularly among female and Black patients. Increasingly, the immune system has been recognized as an important contributor to vascular disease, but few studies have examined immune factors relative to AVF maturation outcomes. This study evaluated the association of serum panel reactive antibodies (PRA), a measure of immune system reactivity assessed in patients undergoing kidney transplant evaluation, with AVF nonmaturation. Methods We identified 132 patients at our institution who underwent surgical AVF placement between 2010–2019 and had PRA testing within 1 year of AVF creation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association of patient demographic and clinical factors, class I and class II PRA levels, and preoperative arterial and venous diameters with AVF maturation outcomes. Results AVF nonmaturation was more likely in females than males (44% versus 20%, P=0.003) and in Black than white patients (40% versus 13%, P=0.001). Class II PRA was higher in females than males (12%±23% versus 4%±13%, P=0.02). In the multivariable model, AVF nonmaturation was associated with class II PRA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.34 per 10% increase; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.04 to 1.82, P=0.02) and Black race (aOR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.02 to 10.89, P=0.03), but not with patient sex or preoperative arterial or venous diameters. Conclusions The association of elevated class II PRA with AVF nonmaturation suggests the immune system may play a role in AVF maturation outcomes, especially among female patients.
Application of mathematical methods in optimization of distribution transport

This article is oriented to solution of concrete travelling salesman problem in condition of daily demand goods with aim at optimization of the whole road alignment length for relevant operated supply lines in condition of given relevant restrictive factors. Obtained solution is orientated to transport costs optimization and to decreasing of negative effects of transport on environment. For realizing of research purpose chosen heuristic methods where applied.
Suicide in happy places revisited: the geographical unit of analysis matters.

BACKGROUND: A recent study reported that the highest suicide rates in the US occurred in the happiest states. This is a counter-intuitive finding. The present research investigated whether the same result occurred when the unit of analysis was city. The association between happiness (of most) and suicide (by some) might differ in cities versus states because those in a city provide a more immediate influence. METHODS: Suicide rates were examined in 44 large US cities as a function of the average happiness reported by residents. RESULTS: According to our results, happier cities had lower suicide rates (Spearman's rho = -.37, p CONCLUSIONS: The appropriate geographical unit of analysis needs to be considered seriously in psychological studies. Language: en
Pneumonia Due to Mycoplasma in Gnotobiotic Mice IV. Localization and Identification of Mycoplasma pulmonis in the Bronchi of Infected Gnotobiotic Mice by Immunofluorescence and by Light Microscopy

The model of pneumonia produced by intranasal inoculation of Mycoplasma pulmonis in gnotobiotic mice provided the opportunity to study the localization and identification of the infecting organisms in the tissues by immunofluorescence techniques. Frozen sections of pneumonic mouse lung were fixed in acetone, layered with rabbit anti-M. pulmonis serum, washed, layered again with fluorescein-isothiocyanate-labeled goat anti-rabbit globulin, washed again, and examined by fluorescence microscopy. A bright line of fluorescence was seen at the bronchial epithelial surface, usually in a continuous layer. Occasional masses of fluorescence were seen in the polymorphonuclear leukocytic exudate in the bronchial lumen. Sections of tissues fixed in Helle's or 10% Formalin fixatives and stained with hematoxylin and eosin were reviewed by light microscopy and revealed a zone of blue-staining material composed of tiny coccoid bodies in the same locations at the bronchial epithelial surface as in the immunofluorescent preparations and in previously reported electron microscope studies.
The gene for replication factor C subunit 2 (RFC2) is within the 7q11.23 Williams syndrome deletion.

Williams syndrome (WS) is a developmental disorder with multiple system manifestations, including supraval var aortic stenosis (SVAS), peripheral pulmonic stenosis, connective tissue abnormalities, short stature, characteristic personality profile and cognitive deficits, and variable hypercalcemia in infancy. It is caused by heterozygosity for a chromosomal deletion of part of band 7q11.23 including the elastin locus (ELN). Since disruption of the ELN gene causes autosomal dominant SVAS, it is assumed that ELN haploinsufficiency is responsible for the cardiovascular features of WS. The deletion that extends from the ELN locus in both directions is {ge}200 kb in size, although estimates of {ge}2 Mb are suggested by high-resolution chromosome banding and physical mapping studies. We have searched for additional dosage-sensitive genes within the deletion that may be responsible for the noncardiovascular features. We report here that the gene for replication factor C subunit 2 (RFC2) maps within the WS deletion region and was found to be deleted in all of 18 WS patients studied. The protein product of RFC2 is part of a multimeric complex involved in DNA elongation during replication. 14 refs., 3 figs.