cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
‘What Do You Really Want in German East Africa, Herr Professor ?’ Counterinsurgency and the Science Effect in Colonial Tanzania

‘What do you really want in German East Africa, Herr Professor?’ was a question asked of the anthropologist Karl Weule by more than a few of his fellow passengers on board a ship bound for the German colony that is today Tanzania, in 1906. At least this was what Weule himself recalled after he returned from a journey during which he was caught up, and participated in, the counterinsurgency operations that followed one of the greatest anti-colonial uprisings that Africa had ever seen, the Maji Maji uprising. One elegant woman, Weule wrote, demanded: ‘And what do you want, Herr Professor, from all these tribes? Simply to collect for your museum in Leipzig? Or does the anthropology of today also have other, higher goals?’ Anthropology did indeed, Weule explained, have ‘other, higher goals’: ‘The museum you speak of, my dearest, exists out in reality, as even the most hard-hearted Philistine would have to admit. ... But how will anthropology be able to assert its much-contested status as a science, when it knows nothing higher and better than simply to bring together bows, arrows, spears, and thousands of other things? This collecting and preserving is really just ... the elementary branch of our work. The other, higher part is the study [Aufnahme] of mental culture [geistige Kulturbesitzes].’
Lef-1: NOTCHed up in T-cell lymphomas.

In this issue of Blood, Spaulding and colleagues show that Lef-1, one of the transcription factors mediating Wnt signaling, is a transcriptional target of Notch in T-cell lymphomas. Notch-activating mutations are commonly found in human T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cases, while activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling has recently been shown to induce T-cell leukemia in mice. The proposed regulation of Lef-1 transcription by Notch suggests the intriguing possibility that the Notch and Wnt pathways are closely intertwined in the etiology of T-cell leukemia.
Real-Time Visualization of HIV-1 GAG Trafficking in Infected Macrophages

HIV-1 particle production is driven by the Gag precursor protein Pr55Gag. Despite significant progress in defining both the viral and cellular determinants of HIV-1 assembly and release, the trafficking pathway used by Gag to reach its site of assembly in the infected cell remains to be elucidated. The Gag trafficking itinerary in primary monocyte-derived macrophages is especially poorly understood. To define the site of assembly and characterize the Gag trafficking pathway in this physiologically relevant cell type, we have made use of the biarsenical-tetracysteine system. A small tetracysteine tag was introduced near the C-terminus of the matrix domain of Gag. The insertion of the tag at this position did not interfere with Gag trafficking, virus assembly or release, particle infectivity, or the kinetics of virus replication. By using this in vivo detection system to visualize Gag trafficking in living macrophages, Gag was observed to accumulate both at the plasma membrane and in an apparently internal compartment that bears markers characteristic of late endosomes or multivesicular bodies. Significantly, the internal Gag rapidly translocated to the junction between the infected macrophages and uninfected T cells following macrophage/T-cell synapse formation. These data indicate that a population of Gag in infected macrophages remains sequestered internally and is presented to uninfected target cells at a virological synapse.
Pliny the Elder on Science and Technology

The Elder Pliny's Natural History is essentially a work of reference providing a wide-ranging account of human mores and achievement in the arts and sciences in the first century AD. It influenced the content and character of subsequent technical literature, but errors in transmission of the manuscripts led to undeserved criticism from the time of Niccolo Leoniceno, the late fifteenth-century Italian humanist. Pliny's work is here re-examined for the first time since the 1920s. Modern experiments, simulating the techniques described by Pliny, and an in-depth study of his development of a technical language, confirm his unique contribution to our knowledge of science in early imperial Rome. Pliny does not, in general, understand the principles underlying the phenomena he observes but makes a significant input - especially in the fields of crystallography, chemistry, and physics as well as of the applied sciences - from which beginnings those scientific disciplines would evolve many centuries later. Ironically, Pliny's scientific curiosity led to his death in AD 79 while observing the eruption of Vesuvius at close quarters.
A new model of glucocorticoid-induced metanephric maldevelopment

A new experimental model of glucocortocoid-induced tubular cyst formation has been developed in metanephric organ culture. The addition of cortisol (1.4×10−5 M) to chemically defined serum-free culture medium produces cystic changes during in vitro nephrogenesis. The model isolates the role of glucocorticoids in experimental cyst formation.
Solitary pulmonary nodules and masses: a meta-analysis of the diagnostic utility of alternative imaging tests

The purpose was to assess the clinical utility of diagnostic tests for identifying malignancy within a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN), and to create a nomogram or "look-up" table using clinical data and non-invasive radiology (positive) test results to estimate post-test probability of malignancy. Studies that examined computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for the evaluation of SPN. Two reviewers independently abstracted data and assessed study quality. Study-specific and overall positive likelihood ratios (LRs) for each diagnostic test confirming a diagnosis of malignancy and negative LR for each diagnostic test excluding a diagnosis of malignancy within an SPN were calculated. Forty-four of 242 articles were included. Positive LRs for diagnostic tests were: CT 3.91 (95% confidence interval 2.42, 5.40), MRI 4.57 (3.03, 6.1), PET 5.44 (3.56, 7.32) and SPECT 5.16 (4.03, 6.30). Negative LRs were: CT 0.10 (0.03, 0.16), MRI 0.08 (0.03, 0.12), PET 0.06 (0.02, 0.09) and SPECT 0.06 (0.04, 0.08). Differences in performance for all tests were negligible; therefore, the clinician may confidently use any of the four tests presented in further evaluating an SPN. Given the low cost and prevalence of the technology, SPECT appears to be the leading choice for additional testing in SPN evaluation.
Issues in research on aging and suicide

Objective: Late-life suicide is a complex clinical and public health problem. Method: In this article, some of the key complexities inherent in studying late-life suicide are discussed in the service of promoting high-quality late-life suicide prevention science. Results: We discuss the following research issues: the relatively greater lethality of suicidal behavior in later life (compared to younger ages); the lack of data on whether thoughts of death in later life are indicators of suicide risk; the fact that older adults do not tend to seek specialty mental health care, necessitating moving research into primary care clinics and the community; the lack of theory-based research in late-life suicide; the unclear role of cognitive impairment; and the promise of taking a ‘patient centered’ and ‘participatory research’ approach to late-life suicide research efforts. Conclusion: We believe that these perspectives are too often not capitalized upon in research on suicide prevention with older adults and that ...
Human soleus muscle architecture at different ankle joint angles from magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging

The orientation of muscle fibers influences the physiological cross-sectional area, the relationship between fiber shortening and aponeurosis shear, and the total force produced by the muscle. Such architectural parameters are challenging to determine particularly in vivo in multicompartment structures such as the human soleus with a complex arrangement of muscle fibers. The objective of this study was to map the fiber architecture of the human soleus in vivo at rest in both neutral and plantarflexed ankle positions using an MRI-based method of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Six subjects were imaged at 3 Tesla with the foot at rest in the two ankle positions. Eigenvalues, fractional anisotropy (FA), and eigenvector orientations of fibers in the different soleus subcompartments were evaluated after denoising of the diffusion tensor. The fiber architecture from DTI was similar to earlier studies based on a 3D fiber model from cadavers. The three eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor increased by ∼14% on increasing the joint plantarflexion angle in all of the soleus subcompartments, whereas FA showed a trend to decrease in the posterior and marginal soleus and to increase in the anterior soleus. The angle change in the lead eigenvector between the two foot positions was significant: ∼41° for the posterior soleus and ∼48° for the anterior soleus. Fibers tracked from the subcompartments support these changes seen in the eigenvector orientations. DTI-derived, subject-specific, muscle morphological data could potentially be used to model a more complete description of muscle performance and changes from disease.
Note: On s-hamiltonian-connected line graphs

A graph G is hamiltonian-connected if any two of its vertices are connected by a Hamilton path (a path including every vertex of G); and G is s-hamiltonian-connected if the deletion of any vertex subset with at most s vertices results in a hamiltonian-connected graph. In this paper, we prove that the line graph of a (t+4)-edge-connected graph is (t+2)-hamiltonian-connected if and only if it is (t+5)-connected, and for s>=2 every (s+5)-connected line graph is s-hamiltonian-connected.
Intra-Step Interaction ?

For a while it seemed possible to pretend that all interaction between an algorithm and its environment occurs inter-step, but not anymore. Andreas Blass, Benjamin Rossman and the speaker are extending the Small-Step Characterization Theorem (that asserts the validity of the sequential version of the ASM thesis) and the Wide-Step Characterization Theorem (that asserts the validity of the parallel version of the ASM thesis) to intra-step interacting algorithms.
Savings in acute care costs if all older adults treated for fall-related injuries completed matter of balance

Falls among older adults are a common and serious public health problem. Evidence-based fall prevention programs delivered in community settings and targeting older adults living independently are increasingly deployed throughout the nation. These programs tend to be offered by public and private organizations that serve older adults, and recruitment usually occurs through direct marketing to the target population, rather than through referrals from healthcare providers. Matter of Balance, a program developed to reduce fear of falling and associated activity restriction in community-dwelling older adults, is currently being delivered in 38 of the 50 United States. In this study, we estimate the one-year medical care cost savings if older adults treated at Massachusetts hospitals for fall-related injuries were referred by healthcare providers to participate in Matter of Balance. Data from several sources were used for this study. We estimated annual cost savings in older adult falls recidivism for a hypothetical 100 patients presenting at an emergency department for a fall-related injury, assuming that all were referred to, and 50 % completed, Matter of Balance. This cost-saving estimate was subsequently expanded based on the actual number (43,931) of older adult patients presenting at, and discharged from Massachusetts emergency departments for all fall-related injuries in 2012. Cost savings were calculated for two additional participation rates: 25 % and 75 %. The return on investment (ROI), was calculated based on the percentage of return per each dollar invested. The calculated ROI for Matter of Balance was 144 %. Statewide savings ranged from $2.79 million assuming a 25 % participation rate to $8.37 million, assuming a 75 % participation rate. Referral to evidence-based falls prevention programs of older adult patients presenting at EDs with a fall-related injury could reduce subsequent falls and associated treatment costs.
The analysis and design of architecture systems for speech recognition on modern handheld-computing devices

Growing demand for high performance in embedded systems is creating new opportunities to use speech recognition systems traditionally executed only on high performance systems. In several ways, the needs of embedded computing differ from those of more traditional general-purpose systems. Embedded systems have more stringent constraints on cost and power consumption that lead to design bottlenecks for many computationally-intensive applications. This paper characterizes the speech recognition process on hand-held mobile devices and evaluates the use of modern architecture features and compiler techniques for performing real-time speech recognition. We evaluate the University of Colorado Sonic speech recognition software on the IMPACT architectural simulator and compiler framework. Experimental results show that by using a strategic set of compiler optimization, a 500MHz processor with moderate levels of instruction-level parallelism and cache resources can meet the real-time computing and power constraints of an advanced speech recognition application.
Current understanding of fungal microflora in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis

Inflammatory bowel diseases are a current and growing public health problem, with a prevalence that appears to be increasing in most countries and cultures. While most research into the triggering phenomenon has focused on the interaction between commensal bacteria and inflammatory bowel disease, enteric fungi may also be important in determining disease susceptibility. Herein we review what is known about enteric fungi and the mechanisms by which they and their dysregulation might be involved in triggering inflammatory diseases of the bowel.
Continuous renal replacement therapy outcomes in acute kidney injury and end-stage renal disease: a cohort study.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a widely used but resource-intensive treatment. Despite its broad adoption in intensive care units (ICUs), it remains challenging to identify patients who would be most likely to achieve positive outcomes with this therapy and to provide realistic prognostic information to patients and families. We analyzed a prospective cohort of all 863 ICU patients initiated on CRRT at an academic medical center from 2008 to 2011 with either new-onset acute kidney injury (AKI) or pre-admission end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We examined in-hospital and post-discharge mortality (for all patients), as well as renal recovery (for AKI patients). We identified prognostic factors for both in-hospital and post-discharge mortality separately in patients with AKI or ESRD. In-hospital mortality was 61% for AKI and 54% for ESRD. In patients with AKI (n = 725), independent risk factors for mortality included age over 60 (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3, 2.7), serum lactate over 4 mmol/L (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5, 3.1), serum creatinine over 3 mg/dL at time of CRRT initiation (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43, 0.92) and comorbid liver disease (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.1, 2.9). Among patients with ESRD (n = 138), liver disease was associated with increased mortality (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.1, 11.1) as was admission to a medical (vs surgical) ICU (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1, 4.7). Following discharge, advanced age became a predictor of mortality in both groups (AKI: HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2, 3.0; ESRD: HR 4.1, 95% CI 1.5, 10.9). At the end of the study period, only 25% (n = 183) of patients with AKI achieved dialysis-free survival. Among patients initiating CRRT, risk factors for mortality differ between patients with underlying ESRD or newly acquired AKI. Long-term dialysis-free survival in AKI is low. Providers should consider these factors when assessing prognosis or appropriateness of CRRT.
Floating Electrode Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma in Air Promoting Apoptotic Behavior in Melanoma Skin Cancer Cell Lines

Initiation of apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an important issue in cancer treatment as cancer cells frequently have acquired the ability to block apoptosis and thus are more resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs. Targeted and perhaps selective destruction of cancerous tissue is desirable for many reasons, ranging from the enhancement of or aid to current medical methods to problems currently lacking a solution, i.e., lung cancer. Demonstrated in this publication is the inactivation (killing) of human Melanoma skin cancer cell lines, in vitro, by Floating Electrode Dielectric Barrier Discharge (FE-DBD) plasma. Not only are these cells shown to be killed immediately by high doses of plasma treatment, but low doses are shown to promote apoptotic behavior as detected by TUNEL staining and subsequent flow cytometry. It is shown that plasma acts on the cells directly and not by “poisoning” the solution surrounding the cells, even through a layer of such solution. Potential mechanisms of interaction of plasma with cells are discussed and further steps are proposed to develop an understanding of such systems.
Effect of Ronnel upon the Adult Rice Weevil, Sitophilus oryza

Laboratory studies using Hard Red Winter wheat treated at 1.85 and 4.00 p.p.m. with ronnel, sampled as Korlan 24 E, produced mortalities of 50% and 95%, respectively, immediately following a 14-day exposure. A dosage of 1.00 p.p.m. produced a mortality of only 7% but reduced reproduction approximately 94%. Odor, feel or appearance of the wheat was unaffected at. 5.0 p.p.m.; however, 10.0 and 25.0 p.p.m. produced odors.
Reactions of Stannous Fluoride with Some Inorganic Compounds

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUA REACTIONES DE FLUORURO STANNOSE CON CERTE COMPOSITOS INORGANIC.—Le hic-reportate studios del chimia de SnFl concerneva su reactiones con varie cationes, incluse Ba, Ca, Na, e St e altere species que exerce un distincte effecto in le pH. Le concentrationes de solubile iones stannose e fluoruric esseva determinate in liquido supernatante de suspensiones de 0,4 pro cento de SnFl, e iste compositos inorganic esseva studiate como function del tempore. Compositos que augmentava le pH o que provideva un cation que forma un fluoruro insolubile reduceva le concentration de solubile iones stannose. Le concentration de solubile iones fluoruric non esseva un function del pH.
Effect of Postnatal Maternal Protein Intake on Prenatal Programming of Hypertension

This study examined whether postnatal maternal dietary protein deprivation during the time of nursing can program hypertension when the offspring are studied as adults. Rats were fed either a 6% or 20% protein diet during the second half of pregnancy and continued on the same diet while rats were nursing their pups. The neonates of all of the rats were cross-fostered to a different mother and studied as adults. Adult rats that had a normal prenatal environment but were reared by mothers fed a low-protein diet until weaning (20%-6%) were hypertensive, had a higher renal Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC2) and Na+-Cl− cotransporter (NCC) protein abundance yet a comparable number of glomeruli, and had higher plasma renin and angiotensin II levels compared to control (20%-20%). Rats whose mothers were fed a 6% protein diet and cross-fostered to a different rat fed a 6% protein diet until weaning (6%-6%) were hypertensive, had elevated plasma renin and angiotensin II levels, and had a reduction in nephron number but had NKCC2 and NCC levels comparable to 20% to 20% offspring. The 6% to 20% had blood pressure and glomerular numbers comparable to 20% to 20% rats. The hypertension resulting from prenatal dietary protein deprivation can be normalized by improving the postnatal environment. Combined prenatal and postnatal maternal dietary protein deprivation and maternal dietary protein deprivation while nursing alone (20%-6%) results in hypertension, but the mechanism for the hypertension in these groups is different.
Aerosol deposition and dispersion characterize lung injury in a canine model of emphysema

The deposition and dispersion of inhaled aerosol boluses were investigated as markers of lung injury in three dogs before and after emphysema was induced by papain exposure. After the experiments, lung damage was assessed histologically. Four unexposed dogs were used as controls. Effective air space diameter (EAD) was determined from aerosol deposition during a 5-s breath hold. Nonuniform ventilation was assessed from the spreading of the expired bolus, quantified as a coefficient of dispersion (CD), and from expired bolus skewness (SK). Experiments were done with a range of bolus penetrations and ventilatory flow rates. After papain exposure, EAD measured with the most penetrating boluses increased an average of 89% (P < 0.0001); CD and SK measured with boluses of medium penetration and a flow rate of 0.5 l/s increased an average of 24% (P < 0.02) and 98% (P < 0.002), respectively. The effects of lung injury on CD and SK increased with flow rate. Lung injury was confirmed by changes in lung mechanics and by histology. EAD measured with deeply penetrating boluses correlated significantly with the mean chord length measured morphometrically (P < 0.05). No correlation was found with more shallow boluses. The results indicate that EAD, CD, and SK are sensitive markers of lung injury in experimental emphysema and that EAD is a specific marker of increased air space size.
Interspecies chimeric complementation for the generation of functional human tissues and organs in large animal hosts.

The past decade’s rapid progress in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) research has generated hope for meeting the rising demand of organ donation, which remains the only effective cure for end-stage organ failure, a major cause of death worldwide. Despite the potential, generation of transplantable organs from hPSCs using in vitro differentiation is far-fetched. An in vivo interspecies chimeric complementation strategy relying on chimeric-competent hPSCs and zygote genome editing provides an auspicious alternative for providing unlimited organ source for transplantation.
Deterministic drift counteraction optimal control and its application to satellite life extension

The paper considers a class of optimal control problems for deterministic nonlinear discrete-time systems, where the objective is to maximize the total yield or time until the system exits a specified set. While algorithms such as value iteration or policy iteration may be used to solve the Bellman equation and find the optimal cost-to-go function and control policy, these algorithms may require a relatively large number of iterations to converge and the computational effort grows exponentially with the dimension of the system. This paper proposes a novel algorithm with the potential of achieving convergence of value iterations significantly faster. The new algorithm is based on adaptive proportional updates. This algorithm is applied to an optimal control problem of maximizing the lifetime of a satellite subject to J2 and atmospheric drag perturbations.
System Reliability and Component Importance Under Dependence: A Copula Approach

ABSTRACTSystem reliability and component importance are of great interest in reliability modeling, especially when the components within the system are dependent. We characterize the influence of dependence structures on system reliability and component importance in coherent systems with discrete marginal distributions. The effects of dependence are captured through copula theory. We extend our framework to coherent multi-state system. Applications of the derived results are demonstrated using a Gaussian copula, which yields simple interpretations. Simulations and two examples are presented to demonstrate the importance of modeling dependence when estimating system reliability and ranking of component importance. Proofs, algorithms, code, and data are provided in supplementary materials available online.
Ex Vivo Mechanical Evaluation of a Sternal ZipFix® Implant for Prosthetic Laryngoplasty in Horses

Objective To evaluate the properties of a ZipFix® (ZipFix) implant in equine laryngeal cartilages. Study Design Ex vivo biomechanical study. Sample Population Equine arytenoid (n=36) and cricoid cartilages (n=18). Methods Suture bites were placed in arytenoid or cricoid cartilages using a ZipFix® implant or a single strand of USP 5 braided polyester (TiCron™), and arytenoid and cricoid cartilages were separately subjected to single load to failure (25 N preload) or cyclic loading for 1,000 cycles, followed by single load to failure. Load, distraction, and stiffness were recorded. Results Four arytenoid-ZipFix cartilages fractured on implant placement. Under single load, arytenoid-ZipFix (n=9) failed at a greater mean load (359.01 ± 57.98 N) than arytenoid-Ticron (159.11 ± 22.98 N; n=12; P<.001). Arytenoid-ZipFix stiffness (31.32 ± 4.26 N/mm) was significantly greater than arytenoid-Ticron (13.18 ± 2.60 N/mm; P<.001). Cricoid-ZipFix stiffness (20.83 ± 3.37 N/mm) was significantly greater than cricoid-Ticron (13.6 ± 3.82 N/mm; n=6; P=.006). Under cyclic load, arytenoid-ZipFix distraction (2.53 ± 0.63 mm; n=5) was significantly less than arytenoid-Ticron (5.06 ± 1.37 mm; n=6, P=.006). After cyclic load, arytenoid-ZipFix failure load (295.16 ± 54.95 N) was significantly greater than arytenoid-Ticron (127.69 ± 32.67 N; P=.002). Arytenoid-ZipFix stiffness (35.59 ± 1.58 N/mm) was significantly greater than arytenoid-Ticron (24.10 ± 6.85 N/mm; P=.019). Conclusion In arytenoid cartilages, the sternal ZipFix® implant was significantly stronger and stiffer compared to a single strand of Ticron. During placement of the ZipFix® implant, frequent arytenoid cartilage failure occurred before testing, suggesting the implant is not suitable for clinical application.
Japanese Beetle: Influence of Larval Feeding on Bluegrass Yields at Two Levels of Soil Moisture

Third-stage larvae of Popillia japonica Newman at densities equivalent to 54–861/m were allowed to feed for 4–7 wk in established bluegrass turf in 15cm diam pots maintained at Soil moisture levels of 60 and 90% of field capacity. At the highest levels of infestation, there were significant reductions in yields of harvested grass after one week followed by severe reductions in yields and eventual death of plants. Grass yields from pots with moisture maintained at 90% soil moisture were 34–55% greater than yields from pots maintained at 60%, showing that the higher level of soil moisture mitigated the effects of the larval feeding.
Results of monitoring food contamination with foodborne pathogenic bacterium in Chengdu city in 2010

Objective:To survey the status of food contamination with foodborne pathogens in Chengdu and preliminarily determine the food in potential pollution,which aims to provide scientific basis for disease control.Methods: Food of 10 types in 5 districts were collected in Chengdu according to the requirements of Sichuan monitoring net.8 kinds of foodborne pathogenic bacterium,such as salmonella,lysteria monocytogenes,EHEC O157:H7,V.parahemolyticus,vibrio vulnficus,CJ,staphylococcus aureus and enterobacter sakazakii were detected according to the international method.Results: A total of 21 foodborne pathogens in 6 types were isolated from 1119 samples with relevance ratio of 1.88%.Conclusion: The food including the aquatic food,bean products,juice,salad and raw poultry in Chengdu were contaminated by several foodborne pathogens in various extent.It is suggested that proper control measures should be taken to get rid of the risk factors asssociated with foodborne diseases.
Continuous Microfluidic Particle Separation via Elasto-Inertial Pinched Flow Fractionation.

Many of the fluids encountered in chemical and biomedical applications exhibit non-Newtonian behavior. However, the majority of current particle separation methods have been demonstrated in Newtonian fluids only. This work presents an experimental study of continuous particle separation in viscoelastic solutions via a combined action of elastic and inertial lift forces, which we term elasto-inertial pinched flow fractionation (eiPFF). The parametric effects on eiPFF are systematically investigated in terms of dimensionless numbers. It is found that eiPFF offers much higher particle throughput and separation resolution than the traditional steric effects-based PFF. Moreover, eiPFF works most efficiently when the Reynolds number, Re, is of order 1 and hence fills perfectly into the gap of our recently proposed inertia-enhanced PFF (iPFF) technique (Anal. Chem. 2015, 87, 4560−4565) that favors Re of the order 10 or more. However, the particle separation via eiPFF does not increase monotonically with the elas...
Making Black Lives Matter in the Information Technology Profession

The phrase "social change is a beautiful thing," appeared in a tweet from a student during demonstrations at the University of Missouri in November 2015. The events that motivated this tweet point to the work that still needs to occur to bring greater racial equality to American society. In this regard, a question for IT professionals, both academics and practitioners, is: "What can the SIGMIS CPR community do to foster greater inclusion of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into our profession?" These panelists provide some answers to this question by discussing their research and interventions to diversify the IT field and promote greater racial and ethnic representation within it.
The Receptor-Binding Site of Relaxin

The new chemical synthesis of human relaxin finally provided the tool to deny or confirm earlier observations with CHD-modified relaxin, and if the basic idea was correct one should be able to obtain unequivocal answers as to which of the arginines is important if not both, or whether merely a positive charge is required. Another important question pertains to the distance between the core of relaxin and the guanidino group which could be answered by incorporation of homoarginine at the binding-site.
10. Electrical breakdown: Electrical breakdown in highly pressurized water

A modular pulsed power system with a matched source impedance of five Ohms was set up to investigate the breakdown phenomena in pressurized water. The hydrostatic pressure applied to the test cell could be varied from 0.1 MPa to 10 MPa. Experiments have been carried out under well defined conditions: sample purity, applied voltage waveshape (ns-rise time, 100 ns duration), electrode conditions (stainless steel hemispheres). The development of the breakdown phase in water at different hydrostatic pressures was investigated by measuring the voltage collapse and the emitted light from the discharge with high time resolution.
PerC Manipulates Metabolism and Surface Antigens in Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli is an important cause of profuse, watery diarrhea in 32infants living in developing regions of the world. Typical strains of EPEC (tEPEC) possess a virulence plasmid, while related clinical isolates that lack the EAF plasmid are termed atypical EPEC (aEPEC). tEPEC and aEPEC tend to cause acute versus more 35chronic type infections, respectively. The EAF plasmid encodes an attachment factor as well as a regulatory operon, perABC. PerC, a poorly understood regulator, was previously shown to regulate expression of the type III secretion system through Ler. Here we elucidate the regulon of PerC using RNA sequencing analysis to better our understanding of the role of the pEAF in tEPEC infection. We demonstrate that PerC controls anaerobic metabolism by increasing expression of genes necessary for nitrate reduction. A tEPEC strain overexpressing PerC exhibited a growth advantage compared to a strain lacking this regulator, when grown anaerobically in the presence of nitrate, conditions mimicking the human intestine. We show that PerC strongly down-regulates type I fimbriae expression by manipulating fim phase variation. The quantities of a number of non-coding RNA molecules were altered by PerC. In sum, this protein controls niche adaptation, and could help to explain the function of the PerC homologs (Pch), many of which are encoded within prophages in related, Gram-negative pathogens.
Effects of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency upon sickle cell anemia

We studied the interactions of the A- variety of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and sickle cell anemia (HbSS) to see if G6PD deficiency influenced laboratory and clinical features of HbSS. A total of 801 male patients over age 2 had G6PD electrophoresis on cellulose acetate membranes. Assays of both G6PD activity and hexokinase activity were then done on all samples that had an electrophoretic pattern other than the normal wild type (GdB). The collection of clinical data used a standardized protocol. Using cluster analyses we classified 10.4% males to be G6PD deficient, while 18.4% had the functionally normal GdA+ enzyme. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency did not change significantly when age was stratified by decade, suggesting little survival advantage or disadvantage of the combination of G6PD deficiency and HbSS. Compared to patients who were not G6PD deficient, there were no significant differences in the hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, reticulocyte count, bilirubin, or SGOT level in patients with HbSS who had G6PD deficiency. The incidence of painful episodes, sepsis, or acute anemic episodes was similar in both groups. Our results are consistent with recent studies of smaller numbers of patients that have found little influence of G6PD deficiency upon HbSS. Specifically, we found no evidence that G6PD enhanced the severity of hemolysis or increased the incidence of acute anemic episodes or sepsis in HbSS.
An Overview of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a disease of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance which complicates 5–7% of all pregnancies. Gestational diabetes can have deleterious effects on maternal and neonatal health. Proper care for the pregnant woman with gestational diabetes involves timely diagnosis, management, and assessment of capillary glucose levels to decrease adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in these women. Treatment of gestational diabetes includes a calorie-restricted diet, exercise if not contraindicated, and pharmacologic therapy if needed with insulin or certain oral hypoglycemic agents. With tight control of maternal glucose levels, the deleterious effects of gestational diabetes can be mitigated. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes can have lasting effects on both the mother and offspring. Mothers have increased rates of gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies and increased rates of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Newborns are at risk for childhood and adult obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. After delivery, practitioners should educate women regarding their diabetes risks and remain vigilant in monitoring women for the development of type 2 diabetes.
Sand ridge morphology and bedform migration patterns derived from bathymetry and backscatter on the inner-continental shelf offshore of Assateague Island, USA

Abstract The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration conducted geophysical and hydrographic surveys, respectively, along the inner-continental shelf of Fenwick and Assateague Islands, Maryland and Virginia over the last 40 years. High resolution bathymetry and backscatter data derived from surveys over the last decade are used to describe the morphology and presence of sand ridges on the inner-continental shelf and measure the change in the position of smaller-scale (10–100 s of meters) seafloor features. Bathymetric surveys from the last 30 years link decadal-scale sand ridge migration patterns to the high-resolution measurements of smaller-scale bedform features. Sand ridge morphology on the inner-shelf changes across-shore and alongshore. Areas of similar sand ridge morphology are separated alongshore by zones where ridges are less pronounced or completely transected by transverse dunes. Seafloor-change analyses derived from backscatter data over a 4–7 year period show that southerly dune migration increases in magnitude from north to south, and the east-west pattern of bedform migration changes ~ 10 km north of the Maryland-Virginia state line. Sand ridge morphology and occurrence and bedform migration changes may be connected to observed changes in geologic framework including topographic highs, deflated zones, and sand availability. Additionally, changes in sand ridge occurrence and morphology may help explain changes in the long-term shoreline trends along Fenwick and Assateague Islands. Although the data presented here cannot quantitatively link sand ridges to sediment transport and shoreline change, it does present a compelling relationship between inner-shelf sand availability and movement, sand ridge occurrence and morphology, geologic framework, and shoreline behavior.
Stamping out hypoglycemia in a surgical Intensive Care Unit: A multidisciplinary approach

Context: Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can significantly impact outcomes in critically ill patients. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), hypoglycemia is often the result of intensive insulin therapy. Aims: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of insulin infusion associated hypoglycemia using a multidisciplinary quality improvement approach with targeted education and real-time follow-up in a surgical ICU. Setting and Design: A concurrent study in a surgical ICU of an academic medical center. Materials and Methods: Our clinical pharmacists concurrently reviewed all cases of hypoglycemia (glucose Statistical Analysis: Fisher's exact test for nominal data. Results: Four hundred and twenty-nine hypoglycemic events (188 patients) occurred in 2233 patient admissions. Most events involved administration of insulin (40%), including 106 (25%) involving insulin infusions and 59 (14%) associated with sliding scale insulin administration. Education significantly reduced the percentage of hypoglycemic events due to noncompliance (47% pre vs. 17% post, P = 0.002). Conclusions: Education and unit feedback with concurrent staff follow-up were associated with a significant reduction in the rate of hypoglycemic events. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Patient care, practice-based learning and improvement.
Franz Galich’s Tikal Futura and the Perpetuation of History’s Violent, Eurocentric Cycles

Guatemalan-Nicaraguan Franz Galich’s dystopian novel Tikal Futura: Memorias para un futuro incierto (novelita futurista) (2012) is an unmistakably anti-imperialist text that criticizes U.S. foreign policies and global capitalism broadly. This article argues, however, that the work’s strong focus on external impositions results in the dismissal of Cane, a fictional Indigenous character, and her project of cultural decolonization as represented through the rewriting of official history and the recuperation of marginalized cultural epistemologies. The ethnic and cultural inequalities within Guatemala that Cane confronts thus remain unchallenged by the novel, consequently aligning the work with assimilationist tendencies that reaffirm the Eurocentric hierarchies that the novel supposedly criticizes. These power dynamics are questioned and critically analyzed utilizing a theoretical approach including critics such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo and Linda Tuhiwai Smith. These theorists call particular attention to the repetitive nature of history and forms of social and intellectual resistance, prevalent themes throughout the narrative.
Psychopathic features across development: Assessing longitudinal invariance among Caucasian and African American youths

Abstract Objectives Psychopathy is associated with severe forms of antisocial and violent behavior in adults. There is also a rapidly growing body of research focused on extending features of adult psychopathy downward to youth. To date however, the degree to which these features can be consistently and comparatively assessed at these younger ages, remains unclear. This study addresses this issue by investigating measurement invariance of underlying features of psychopathy across childhood and adolescence in a racially diverse sample of youth. Methods Three cohorts of youth (n = 1517) were assessed annually from childhood to adolescence (ages ∼7–16). Underlying features of psychopathy commonly assessed in youth (e.g. lack of guilt, impulsivity) were examined within a longitudinal bi-factor framework using multi-dimensional item-response theory (IRT) techniques. Differential item functioning was used to assess invariance across development and participant’s race (African-American and Caucasian), using two distinct approaches: (1) traditional item-response theory (IRT) methods; and (2) a recently developed Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) approach. Results Psychopathy features assessed in this study exhibited measurement consistency across development (∼ages 7–16) and were found to tap into the same underlying construct as intended across measurement occasions, and equivalently for African-American and Caucasian youth. Results were similar when assessed using traditional IRT procedures for longitudinal invariance testing and when implementing the more recent BSEM methodology. Conclusions Findings provide the first evidence that features of psychopathy can be assessed consistently in youth and improve our understanding of important developmental and sociocultural factors associated these features during earlier periods of development.
Hyper‐immunoglobulin D syndrome with novel mutations in an afebrile infant

Hyper-immunoglobulin D syndrome is a rare autosomal-recessive autoinflammatory syndrome in which a mevalonate kinase deficiency results due to mutations of the mevalonate kinase gene. We report a case of an Asian male infant who was found to have hyper-immunoglobulin D syndrome in the absence of fever. His skin manifestations included cephalic pustulosis as well recurrent transient and fixed pink plaques and nodules on the face and extremities. Subsequent examination revealed hyper-immunoglobulin D syndrome with two novel allelic mutations in the mevalonate kinase gene: c.895G > A (p.D299N) and c.1168C > T (p.Q390). It is important for dermatologists to recognize the varied cutaneous presentations of hyper-immunoglobulin D syndrome because rapid diagnosis and treatment can significantly affect outcomes.
Safety and efficacy of daily Revactin ® in men with erectile dysfunction: a 3-month pilot study

Background: The earliest sign of an ongoing change in a man’s erectile function (EF) is the increase in his refractory period. This is due to the onset of an aging related apoptosis of the corporal smooth muscle cells (CSMC) as a result of oxidative stress (ROS) within the CSMC itself. In response, the CSMC begin to upregulate the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme presumably to achieve high levels of nitric oxide (NO) used to combat ROS. Treatment of aged rats for 2 months with the nutraceutical Revactin ® , known to stimulate the iNOS-NO-cGMP pathway in CSMC, resulted in (I) an increase in CSMC content with a decrease in corporal fibrosis, (II) decrease in systemic ROS, and (III) improvement in EF. To determine whether Revactin ® could be used in the clinical setting, a pilot safety study was conducted. Methods: Fifty-four middle aged men (mean age 57.8±10.7; range, 33–77 years) were recruited for this safety study. Patients were given Revactin ® twice daily (total daily dose of 500 mg of ginger root, muira puama, and Paullinia cupana and 1,600 mg of L-citrulline) and were asked to complete the IIEF-15 questionnaire [domains: EF, orgasmic function (OF), sexual desire (SD), intercourse satisfaction (IS), overall satisfaction (OS)] at baseline (B), 1 month (M1), 2 months (M2) and 3 months (M3) and report any side effects. Those on erectogenic medications at B were requested to stop taking them during the trial. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon paired test and Friedman rank test for trend. Results: Revactin ® was safe with only 5 patients reporting treatment side effects (e.g., dyspepsia, heartburn, migraine) and none considered severe. For those who stayed on the regimen (M1 =32; M2 =22; M3 =16), there was an increase in median domain scores for EF, OF, SD, IS, and OS over 3 months compared to baseline median scores but statistical significance was found only in the EF, IS, and OS median domain scores. Trend analysis indicated significant trend in EF, OS & IS (P Conclusions: Revactin ® , a combination of 3 nutraceuticals packaged with L-citrulline, appears to have the same excellent safety profile known for each of its individual four components. The early improvement in EF seen in about 50% of these patients may be due to the elevated levels of cGMP produced via this iNOS-cGMP pathway. Further longitudinal studies with Revactin ® appear warranted.
Nephrotoxicity of Cancer Immunotherapies: Past, Present and Future

Nephrotoxicity from cancer therapies is common and increasingly encountered in clinical practice, such that the subfield of “onco-nephrology” has emerged. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs and novel agents targeting specific genes/proteins are effective cancer therapies but suffer from a number of adverse kidney effects. An effective avenue of cancer treatment is immunotherapy, which uses drugs that augment immune system–mediated recognition and targeting of tumor cells. As such, leveraging the immune system to target malignant cells represents an important modality in eradicating cancer. IFN and high-dose IL-2 are older immunotherapies used in clinical practice to treat various malignancies, whereas new cancer immunotherapies have emerged over the past decade that offer even more effective treatment options. The immune checkpoint inhibitors are an exciting addition to the cancer immunotherapy armamentarium. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells are also a new immunotherapy used to treat various hematologic malignancies. However, as with the conventional and targeted cancer agents, the immunotherapies are also associated with immune-related adverse effects, which includes nephrotoxicity.
Gene Transfer and Vascular Remodeling

Substantial progress has been made in our understanding of the genetic causes of human diseases. Advances in genomic research has resulted in the identification of many disease causing genes and their chromosomal localization. Along with discoveries in human genetics has been the development of methods to treat human diseases with recombinant DNA, that is, human gene therapy. While this field is still in its infancy, several principles have been established. Recombinant genes can be introduced into human somatic cells in vivo where their expression and function can be detected and quantified. Major challenges exist to refine delivery methods and vectors in order to increase expression within cells and minimize possible toxicity of vectors to the host. In addition, it is likely that genetic treatments will be used in many diseases, and the challenge to physicians is to determine “which genes for which diseases.” In this chapter, we will review the prospects for using gene therapy to treat coronary artery restenosis and other vascular diseases characterized by abnormalities in cell proliferation. In addition, we will discuss the role of gene therapy for the vascular remodeling process.
Abstract 2284: Reliability and Validity of the MGHS Dysphagia Screening Tool for Stroke Patients

Background Dysphagia occurs in approximately 55% of acute stroke patients and is associated with aspiration pneumonia. Clinical practice guidelines recommend that all patients who are admitted with...