cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Uses of Active Videogames: A Systematic Review

Abstract Background: Active videogames (AVGs) may be useful for promoting physical activity for therapeutic uses, including for balance, rehabilitation, and management of illness or disease. The literature from 64 peer-reviewed publications that assessed health outcomes of AVGs for therapeutic purposes was synthesized. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Medline, and PyschInfo were queried for original studies related to the use of AVGs to improve physical outcomes in patients who were ill or undergoing rehabilitation related to balance, burn treatment, cancer, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, extremity dysfunction or amputation, hospitalization, lupus, Parkinson's disease, spinal injury, or stroke. The following inclusion criteria were used: (1) human subjects; (2) English language; (3) not duplicates; (4) new empirical data; and (5) tests an AVG, including commercially available or custom-designed. Studies were included regardless of participants' age or the study design. Results and Limitations: Overall, th...
Probabilistic Time-Dependent Multihazard Life-Cycle Assessment and Resilience of Bridges Considering Climate Change

AbstractClimate change and an increase in the number of hazards and/or their intensities may increase the probability of failure associated with civil infrastructure systems. Understanding how natural hazards affect the life-cycle performance of highway bridges can lead to improved preparedness prior to extreme disasters and can ultimately benefit society. In this paper, a framework for time-variant loss and resilience assessment of highway bridges under time-dependent multiple hazards is presented. The effects of earthquakes and floods on bridges are both investigated. The life-cycle hazard losses with and without aging effects and climate change are computed. Additionally, the probabilistic changes in the hazard intensity and frequency resulting from climate change on the total life-cycle hazard loss are also investigated. The proposed framework is applied to a highway bridge located in California.
Onset of sex difference in circulating levels of SHBG in humans with age

Using a membrane filter method serum concentrations of SHBG were directly measured in 187 healthy children and adolescents as well as in 42 adults. No significant sex difference was observed during infancy and in the first stages of pubertal development. Adult males were found to have significantly lower SHBG levels than females of comparable ages (1.9 ± 0.9 mg/l vs. 4.0 ± 0.5 mg/l; p < 0.05). When the SHBG levels of all subjects were related to age, a significant negative correlation (r=0.59, p < 0.001) was found. On the other hand, when only the prepubertal subjects were considered no significant correlation with age was observed. The declining trend in SHBG concentration becomes only evident after puberty stage 2. This pattern of behaviour has been also seen in another β-globulin, namely TBG. It ist possible that this decline in SHBG level is related to the estrogen/androgen balance recording a sex difference with maturation.
Next generation of an intermediate depth drill

Many of the ice-coring objectives in the Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) Long Range Science Plan, such as those in the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) 2k array and 40k network, are attainable in many locations with an intermediate depth drill (IDD) that can collect core from a fluid-filled hole down to 1500 m depth. The Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) group has designed and is in the process of building an agile IDD to meet this objective. The drill tent, power distribution and core-processing systems are an integral part of the IDD, which can be deployed by small aircraft and assembled by hand to minimize logistic requirements. The new drill system will be ready for testing in Greenland beginning in late spring 2014. The first production drilling is scheduled for the 2014/15 field season at the South Pole.
The Biomedical Aspects of Autism

Over the last several decades, autism has become an increasingly prevalent developmental disorder that has received attention both in the medical and public communities. In the 1960’s, the incidence was 1/10,000 which has since increased to 1/150 from 1991 to 1997. In 2007, more children were diagnosed with autism compared with diseases like cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. On average a new case of Autism is diagnosed every 20 minutes in the USA. 1 Autism costs more than $90 billion a year nationwide, however, the research grant available for autism accounts only to 0.3% of the total NIH funding, which is still lower than what is available for other less common disorders. Autism is more of a clinical syndrome than a disease. It is a behaviorally defined disorder. 2 It was first described by Leo Kanner in 1943, 3 and a milder form was described by a German doctor Hans Aspergers, now known as Asperger Syndrome. 4 Since then, many subtypes have been proposed and its cause, diagnosis and treatments remain controversial. This clinical syndrome is characterized by impaired social interaction, qualitative impairment in communication and restrictive, repetitive and stereotypic behaviors.
Relief of Cardiac Pain by Local Block of Somatic Trigger Areas

ConclusionsData secured in 9 patients with effort angina and acute myocardial infarction indicate that local block of somatic trigger areas by procaine infiltration or ethyl chloride spray under suitable conditions may afford complete and prolonged relief of pain. Because of their simplicity and effectiveness, these procedures deserve extensive clinical trial.
THE SECTIONS OF SCHLICHT FUNCTIONS

Let the k-symmetric function be regular and schlicht in the unit circle |z|1. WriteSzego proves that all σ_n(z) are schlicht in the circle |z| 1/4.The present author establishes that all σ_n~((2))(z) are schlicht in the circle. The last result has been conjectured by, Joh. As for σ_n~((3)) (z), the problem has been studied by Ilief, and is solved completely in this note. We prove the following theorems:Theorem 1. All σ_n~((3))(z) are schticht in the circle The number can not be replaced by any large one.Comrbining the above results, we can stateTheorem 2. All σ_n~((k)) (z) are schlicht in the circle where k=1 2, 3. The number can not be replaced by any larger one.Let be regular and schlicht in the domain 1 |ζ| ∞. Denoting we can establish the followingTheorem 3. (i) If n12,φ_n(ζ) is schlicht in the domain ∞|ζ|≥(1-5lnn/n)~(-1/2).(ii) All φ_n(ζ) are schlicht in the domain ∞|ζ|≥3/2.
Surgical treatment of renal hypertension in children.

AbstractEleven hypertensive children were found to have a remediable lesion, involving either the renal vasculature or renal parenchyma. Vigorous and persistent diagnostic evaluation is crucial and should include good quality renal arteriography as well as peripheral and differential renal vein renin determinations. Revascularization procedures can be successfully undertaken in this age group although nephrectomy is frequently the only possible therapeutic modality.
A genomic analysis of factors driving lincRNA diversification: lessons from plants

Transcriptomic analyses from across eukaryotes indicate that most of the genome is transcribed at some point in the developmental trajectory of an organism. One class of these transcripts is termed long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs). Recently, attention has focused on understanding the evolutionary dynamics of lincRNAs, particularly their conservation within genomes. Here, we take a comparative genomic and phylogenetic approach to uncover factors influencing lincRNA emergence and persistence in the plant family Brassicaceae, to which Arabidopsis thaliana belongs. We searched 10 genomes across the family for evidence of > 5000 lincRNA loci from A. thaliana. From loci conserved in the genomes of multiple species, we built alignments and inferred phylogeny. We then used gene tree/species tree reconciliation to examine the duplication history and timing of emergence of these loci. Emergence of lincRNA loci appears to be linked to local duplication events, but, surprisingly, not whole genome duplication events (WGD), or transposable elements. Interestingly, WGD events are associated with the loss of loci for species having undergone relatively recent polyploidy. Lastly, we identify 1180 loci of the 6480 previously annotated A. thaliana lincRNAs (18%) with elevated levels of conservation. These conserved lincRNAs show higher expression, and are enriched for stress-responsiveness and cis-regulatory motifs known as conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs). These data highlight potential functional pathways and suggest that CNSs may regulate neighboring genes at both the genomic and transcriptomic level. In sum, we provide insight into processes that may influence lincRNA diversification by providing an evolutionary context for previously annotated lincRNAs.
P-450 Cytochromes in the Human Placenta: Oxidations of Xenobiotics and Endogenous Steroids

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a concise view of current concepts concerning the family of P-450 hemoproteins as they exist and function in the human placenta. The subject is discussed with focus on the monooxygenation of small, foreign organic molecules (xenobiotics) in placental tissues and cells, and of the relationships of these monooxygenation reactions to placental P-450-dependent oxidations of endogenous steroids. Several past reviews of placental biotransformation of xenobiotics have appeared in the open literature and references to these are provided for readers more seriously interested in this highly specialized topic. The first review of this research area appeared in 1969 (Juchau and Yaffe, 1969). A very comprehensive and detailed review of the earlier literature appeared in 1973 (Juchau, 1973). A more recent, comprehensive, and readily accessible review appeared in 1980 (Juchau, 1980) and the latest review is in press at the time of this writing (Juchau and Rettie, 1985). Dr. Olvai Pelkonen of Finland has actively researched this area and has also provided relatively recent reviews (Pelkonen, 1980; Pelkonen and Pasanen, 1984). Other reviews appearing between 1969 and 1985 are referenced in those cited above.
Examples of Constructive Mathematics

Before studying the foundations of any subject, it is desirable (and perhaps necessary) to have a thorough grasp of the subject itself. In the case of constructive mathematics, this grasp can best be attained by the actual practice of constructive mathematics, combined with a comparison of constructive and classical (not-necessarily-constructive) mathematics. With this in mind, we shall give a series of illustrative examples. This chapter is more nearly a review of the subject than an introduction to it; the reader who is truly without experience of constructive mathematics should first turn to Bishop [1967] or Bridges [1979] for an introduction.
The STRATegy COLUMN for Precollege Science Teachers The Just-Right Planet

(1996). The STRATegy COLUMN for Precollege Science Teachers The Just-Right Planet. Journal of Geoscience Education: Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 584-590.
Incorporating Patients’ Social Determinants of Health into Hypertension and Depression Care: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this study was to carry out a randomized controlled pilot trial to test the effectiveness of an integrated intervention for hypertension and depression incorporating patients' social determinants of health (enhanced intervention) versus an integrated intervention alone (basic intervention). In all, 54 patients were randomized. An electronic monitor was used to measure blood pressure, and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) assessed depressive symptoms. Patients in the enhanced intervention had a significantly improved PHQ-9 mean change from baseline in comparison with patients in the basic intervention group at 12 weeks (p = 0.024). Patients in the enhanced intervention had a significantly improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure mean change from baseline in comparison with patients in the basic intervention group at 12 weeks (p = 0.003 and p = 0.019, respectively). Our pilot trial results indicate integrated care management that addresses the social determinants of health for patients with hypertension and depression may be effective.
Eyelid: Levator Resection

The levator resection procedure is most commonly used in cases of congenital ptosis with a moderate amount of levator function (>6 mm). Due to the high incidence of concurrent amblyopia, patients should have a thorough ophthalmologic evaluation prior to surgery including a cycloplegic refraction to screen for meridional amblyopia or other refractive errors. Patients should have been evaluated and deemed appropriate for such surgical intervention. The amount of resection performed is multifactorial and depends on the degree of ptosis as well as the amount of levator function. For very large resections, a portion of the conjunctiva may need to be excised to avoid prolapse postoperatively. Patients (or the patient’s guardian) should have been educated about the risks and benefits of the procedure, including alternatives.
Experiments on thinning grapes with alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid and dinitro-sec-butylphenol

Zinfandel vines at various stages of flower and fruit dev,elopment were sprayed in the years 1954, 1955, and 1956 with NAA in the range from 0 to 500 ppm. NAA at 5 to 10 ppm applied at bloom stage or 10 ppm NAA applied at fruit-set stage resulted in suitable loosening of clusters. In order to destroy the second-crop clusters, Zinfandel and Muscat of Alexandria vines were sprayed with NAA in a range from 0 to 300 ppm. Spraying was done when the second crop was in full-bloom or fruit-set stage, and the berries on primary clusters were larger and less susceptible to injury. NAA at 25 to 50 ppm sharply reduced the secondary crop without injury to the primary crop. DN-289 (dinitro-sec-butylphenol) in a range from 0.001 % to 0.3% was applied to Muscat of Alexandria vines at bloom and Zinfandel vines at fruit-set stage to determine its value in flower cluster and cluster thinning. DN-289 at 0.05% killed 95% of the clusters in both varieties; in Muscat only 3 to 5% of the leaves showed injury.
Synthesis, crystal structure, and topological analysis of a La-p-bromobenzoic acid-terpyridine 1D-coordination polymer with repeating decameric units and a new 3, 3, 3, 5, 5 pentanodal net topology with a novel point symbol

Abstract A one-dimensional La3+ coordination polymer, [La5(C15H11N3)(C7H4O2Br)15(H2O)]2·H2O (compound 1), has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized via single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and crystallizes in the space group P 1 ¯ . This compound has an asymmetric unit containing five lanthanum (La3+) metal centers and a repeating unit of ten lanthanum centers that form an infinite 1D chain, recognized here as a secondary building unit (SBU), which further assembles into a three dimensional network through halogen-based non-covalent interactions. The local coordination environment and extended supramolecular structure exhibited in this La3+ compound is relatively uncommon in rare-earth solid-state chemistry, and a topological analysis reveals a novel 3,3,3,5,5 pentanodal net with point symbol: {3.4.5}2{3.42}2{32.43.5}2{32.46.52}{32.4}. Finally, thermogravimetric analysis on 1 reveals a relatively high thermostability (450 °C), with subsequent decomposition to lanthanum oxybromide (LaOBr).
Modeling the drivers of interannual variability in cyanobacterial bloom severity using self-organizing maps and high-frequency data

AbstractIt is well established that cyanobacteria populations in shallow lakes exhibit dramatic fluctuations on both interannual and intraannual timescales; however, despite extensive research, disentangling the drivers of interannual variability in bloom severity has proved challenging. Critical thresholds of abiotic drivers such as wind, irradiance, air temperature, and tributary inputs may control the development and collapse of blooms, but these thresholds are difficult to identify in large and complex datasets. In this study, we compared high-frequency estimates of oxygen metabolism in a shallow bay of Lake Champlain to concurrent measurements of physical and chemical parameters over 3 years with very different bloom dynamics. We clustered the data using supervised and unsupervised self-organizing maps to identify the environmental drivers associated with key stages of bloom development. We then used threshold analysis to identify subtle yet important thresholds of thermal stratification that drive t...
„Digital Lifestyle“ – Zukünftige Mitarbeiter und Kunden

Die Digitalisierung wird umfassend in die Gesellschaft und Unternehmen eindringen und dort Ablaufe und Organisationen massiv verandern. Mehr und mehr Kunden und alle heutigen Berufseinsteiger der Unternehmen gehoren der Generation der sogenannten Digital Natives an. Daneben arbeiten in den Unternehmen sogenannte Digital Immigrants, die oft erst im Erwachsenenalter lange nach ihrer Ausbildung oder dem Studium den Umgang mit den neuen Technologien erlernt haben. Das Kapitel erlautert, welchen Erwartungshaltungen die Natives als Auto-Kunden haben und auch wie sie als Mitarbeiter in den Unternehmen agieren und welche neuen Arbeitsformen sich daraus entwickeln, wie beispielsweise Sharing, Crowdsourcing, Open Innovation und auch Wikinomic. Unternehmen sollten Masnahmen aufsetzen, um diese Modelle zu nutzen und so die Digitalisierungsbestrebungen unter Einbezug sowohl der Digital Natives als auch der Digital Immigrants zum Erfolg zu fuhren.
Regular Article: A Semi-implicit Numerical Scheme for Reacting Flow

A stiff,^1 operator-split projection scheme is constructed for the simulation of unsteady two-dimensional reacting flow with detailed kinetics. The scheme is based on the compressible conservation equations for an ideal gas mixture in the zero-Mach-number limit. The equations of motion are spatially discretized using second-order centered differences and are advanced in time using a new stiff predictor-corrector approach. The new scheme is a modified version of the additive, stiff scheme introduced in a previous effort by H. N. Najm, P. S. Wyckoff, and O. M. Knio (1998, J. Comput. Phys.143, 381). The predictor updates the scalar fields using a Strang-type operator-split integration step which combines several explicit diffusion sub-steps with a single stiff step for the reaction terms, such that the global time step may significantly exceed the critical diffusion stability limit. Convection terms are explicitly handled using a second-order multi-step scheme. The velocity field is advanced using a projection scheme which consists of a partial convection-diffusion update followed by a pressure correction step. A split approach is also adopted for the convection-diffusion step in the momentum update. This splitting combines an explicit treatment of the convective terms at the global time step with several explicit fractional steps for diffusion. Finally, a corrector step is implemented in order to couple the evolution of the density and velocity fields and to stabilize the computations. The corrector acts only on the convective terms and the pressure field, while the predicted updates due to diffusion and reaction are left unchanged. The correction of the scalar fields is implemented using a single-step non-split, non-stiff, second-order time integration. A similar procedure is used for the velocity field, which is followed by a pressure projection step. The performance and behavior of the operator-split scheme are first analyzed based on tests for a nonlinear reaction-diffusion equation in one space dimension, followed by computations with a detailed C"1C"2 methane-air mechanism in one and two dimensions. The tests are used to verify that the scheme is effectively second order in time, and to suggest guidelines for selecting integration parameters, including the number of fractional diffusion steps and tolerance levels in the stiff integration. For two-dimensional simulations with the present reaction mechanism, flame conditions, and resolution parameters, speedup factors of about 5 are achieved over the previous additive scheme, and about 25 over the original explicit scheme.
Joint contracture is reduced by intra-articular implantation of rosiglitazone-loaded hydrogels in a rabbit model of arthrofibrosis

Trauma, surgery, and other inflammatory conditions can lead to debilitating joint contractures. Adjunct pharmacologic modalities may permit clinical prevention and treatment of recalcitrant joint contractures. We investigated the therapeutic potential of rosiglitazone by intra-articular delivery via oligo[poly(ethylene glycol)fumarate] (OPF) hydrogels in an established rabbit model of arthrofibrosis. OPF hydrogels loaded with rosiglitazone were characterized for drug elution properties upon soaking in minimum essential media (MEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum and measurements of drug concentrations via High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Drug-loaded scaffolds were surgically implanted into 24 skeletally mature female New Zealand White rabbits that were divided into equal groups receiving OPF hydrogels loaded with rosiglitazone (1.67 mg), or vehicle control (10 µl DMSO). After 8 weeks of joint immobilization, rabbits were allowed unrestricted cage activity for 16 weeks. Contracture angles of rabbit limbs treated with rosiglitazone showed statistically significant improvements in flexion compared to control animals (mean angles, respectively, 64.4° vs. 53.3°, p < 0.03). At time of sacrifice (week 24), animals in the rosiglitazone group continued to exhibit less joint contracture than controls (119.0° vs. 99.5°, p = 0.014). The intra-articular delivery of rosiglitazone using implanted OPF hydrogels decreases flexion contractures in a rabbit model of arthrofibrosis without causing adverse effects (e.g., gross inflammation or arthritis). Statement of Clinical Significance: Post-traumatic joint contractures are common and debilitating, with limited available treatment options. Pharmacologic interventions can potentially prevent and treat such contractures. This study is translational in that a commercially approved medication has been repurposed through a novel delivery device. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:2949-2955, 2018.
Thermoelastic wave propagation in an elastic solid containing a finite crack

Investigated in this paper is the scattering of plane harmonic thermoelastic waves around the tip of a finite crack. Integral transform techniques are used to formulate the problem and reduce it to Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. The equations are solved numerically and the singular stress field near the crack tip is determined. In particular, the variation of the stress intensity factor with the frequency of the incoming wave is exhibited graphically. The peak in the magnitude of the stress intensity factor is of paramount interest in the application of fracture mechanics to thermal stress problems.
Numerical Computations for the Flow of Liquid Crystals

We report here calculations for average properties -viscosity, thermal conductivity, and dielectric constant — when a nematic liquid crystal is undergoing flow in three situations: Poiseuille flow in a capillary, and Couette and Poiseuille flow between flat plates including the presence of a magnetic field. By presenting the results in dimensionless form we are able to derive “universal” curves for these average properties in their dependence on the appropriate driving forces: pressure drop, surface velocity and magnetic field. The “universal” curves are nearly the same for p, p’-dimethoxy-azoxybenzene (PAA) and p’ methoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (MBBA) even though their respective viscosities differ markedly.
A Review of Site Formation Processes and Their Relevance to Geoarchaeology

Someone unfamiliar with the history of archaeological methods and theory who read the title of this chapter would guess that the content addresses the processes responsible for the formation of archaeological sites. That guess would be based on the English use of the word “formation”; an act of giving form or shape to something, or of taking form. The word formation in archaeology, however, has a connotation that goes well beyond this English definition.
Public and Occupational Risk: The Double Standard

According to classical economic theory, the existence of some jobs which are more hazardous than others does not constitute a social inequity. After all, movie stuntmen, coal miners, and high-rise construction workers appear to be well compensated. This means, according to the theory, that workers are free to choose among occupations so as to balance their desire for income against their desire for safety.
Systemic bevacizumab for the treatment of chronic bleeding in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare hereditary multisystem vascular disorder causing visceral arteriovenous malformations and mucocutaneous bleeding. Chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and epistaxis often produce profound anaemia refractory to conventional treatment. Bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, may be effective in treatment of bleeding in HHT. METHODS All HHT patients treated with systemic bevacizumab for chronic bleeding were selected for retrospective analysis. Data collected included demographics, baseline HHT characteristics, epistaxis grade, surgical interventions, bevacizumab dosing, adverse events, haemoglobin, red cell transfusions, intravenous iron infusions, and other anaemia and/or bleeding-directed therapies. RESULTS Thirteen HHT patients were treated with bevacizumab for a median of 13.9 (range 4.9-30.1) months. Compared with pretreatment values, bevacizumab treatment increased the mean haemoglobin by 4.0 g dL-1 (95% CI, 2.6-5.3 g dL-1 ) [mean (95% CI) haemoglobin 8.5 (7.8, 9.9) g dL-1 vs. 12.5 (11.2, 13.7) g dL-1 , P < 0.001)], reduced red cell units transfused by 92% [median of 6 (range 0-59) units vs. 0 (range 0-15) units, P = 0.004] and reduced quantity of iron infused by 73% [mean (95% CI) 462 (257, 668) mg month-1 vs. 126 (75, 178) mg month-1 , P = 0.002]. Epistaxis control was achieved in 85% with bevacizumab versus 0% before treatment (P < 0.001). No patient required nasal or GI procedures during the maintenance period. Two patients (15%) developed grade 3 hypertension requiring medical management. CONCLUSION Systemic bevacizumab was highly effective to treat chronic bleeding in HHT. Further study is needed to confirm the magnitude of benefit and further define optimal dosing, treatment duration and long-term safety.
Phase II clinical trial of eribulin (E) in advanced/recurrent cervical cancer.

5526Background: Eribulin (E), a Halichondrin B analog from the marine sponge H. okadai has clinical efficacy in pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients (pts) and preclinical antitumor activity...
MRI-Guided Cryoablation of Epidural Malignancies in the Spinal Canal Resulting in Neural Decompression and Regrowth of Bone.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of MRI to safely monitor cryoablation for the treatment of spinal epidural malignancies. CONCLUSION. Use of MRI guidance to monitor per...
Emerging Role of Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Pancreatic Cancer.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)/programmed death ligand -1(PD-L1) antibodies has revolutionized the management of several cancers, especially non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, urothelial, and renal cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers associated with high morbidity and mortality. Based on available data, it’s obvious that ICB has limited success in PDACs, which can be explained by the low immunogenicity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of these tumors. In this review article, we focus on PD-L1 expression and microsatellite instability (MSI) in PDAC, and their roles as prognostic and predictive markers. We also discuss data supporting combination therapies to augment cancer immunity cycle. Combining anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents with other modalities such as vaccines, chemotherapy, and radiation could potentially overcome resistance patterns and increase immune responsiveness in PDAC.
The emergence and development of tradition in reform Jewish worship, 1970–1999

It is axiomatic to note the increased amount of traditional ritual, customs, ceremonies and observances in Reform Jewish worship in the past three decades. These include hakafot, talitot, kippot and bowing the head and bending the knee during prayer. Although we may disagree about when to mark the beginning of this increase (Maurice Eisendrath, then president of the umbrella organization of Reform congregations, insisted in his 1964 autobiography, Can Faith Survive?, that he “wanted no neo-Orthodoxy in Reform today”), I argue that the end of the dignified English service with hymns such as “All the World has Come to Serve Thee” became widespread only in the 1970s, primarily because of the influence of a generation of Reform rabbis who, beginning in 1970, were required to spend a year in Jerusalem. I explore the use of the word mitzvah as a test case, noting its absence before this period, the continued discomfort with it on theological grounds (the increase in tradition was not accompanied by any return to traditional theological categories), but the comfort with it when used as an equivalent for tsedakah or tikkun olam. And I use several synagogues as case studies of the implications — better, ambivalence — about this phenomenon.
An extract of Artemisia dracunculus L. stimulates insulin secretion from β cells, activates AMPK and suppresses inflammation.

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Artemisia dracunculus L. (Russian tarragon) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Compositae and has a history of medicinal use in humans, particularly for treatment of diabetes. Aim of the study: In this study a defined plant extract from A. dracunculus L. (termed PMI-5011) is used to improve beta(β) cells function and maintain β cell number in pancreatic islets as an alternative drug approach for successful treatment of diabetes. Materials and methods Mouse and human pancreatic beta cells were treated with defined plant extract of A. dracunculus L. (PMI-5011) to understand the mechanism(s) that influence beta cell function and β cell number. Results We found that the PMI-5011 enhances insulin release from primary β cells, isolated mouse and human islets and it maintains β cell number. Insulin released by PMI-5011 is associated with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and protein kinase B (PKB). Furthermore, PMI-5011 suppresses LPS/INFγ-induced inflammation and inflammatory mediator(s) in macrophages. PMI-5011 inhibited Nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) at the protein level and also attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) production in macrophages. Conclusion PMI-5011 has potential therapeutic value for diabetes treatment via increasing insulin release from β cells and decreases capacity of macrophages to combat inflammation.
Development of a Multi-Layer Systems Engineering Visualization for Diabetes Team Coordination:

Systems engineering tools have proven helpful for healthcare organizations to map sociotechnical systems, particularly prior to health IT implementation. However, these systems engineering tools ar...
[4-(4-Meth­oxy­phen­yl)-8-oxo-3-(phenyl­selan­yl)spiro­[4.5]deca-3,6,9-trien-2-yl]methyl­cyanamide

The title compound, C25H22N2O2Se, crystallizes in the space group P21/c with one mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit. The compound was synthesized by the addition of phenyl­selenyl bromide to a cyanamide. The phenyl­selenyl portion and the cyano group, as well as the ketone functional group in the cyclo­hexa-2,5-dien-1-one portion of the structure, are disordered, with occupancy factors of 0.555 (14) and 0.445 (14).
Acoustofluidic sonoporation for gene delivery to human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Advances in gene editing are leading to new medical interventions where patients' own cells are used for stem cell therapies and immunotherapies. One of the key limitations to translating these treatments to the clinic is the need for scalable technologies for engineering cells efficiently and safely. Toward this goal, microfluidic strategies to induce membrane pores and permeability have emerged as promising techniques to deliver biomolecular cargo into cells. As these technologies continue to mature, there is a need to achieve efficient, safe, nontoxic, fast, and economical processing of clinically relevant cell types. We demonstrate an acoustofluidic sonoporation method to deliver plasmids to immortalized and primary human cell types, based on pore formation and permeabilization of cell membranes with acoustic waves. This acoustofluidic-mediated approach achieves fast and efficient intracellular delivery of an enhanced green fluorescent protein-expressing plasmid to cells at a scalable throughput of 200,000 cells/min in a single channel. Analyses of intracellular delivery and nuclear membrane rupture revealed mechanisms underlying acoustofluidic delivery and successful gene expression. Our studies show that acoustofluidic technologies are promising platforms for gene delivery and a useful tool for investigating membrane repair.
A simplified technique for converting antegrade femoral access to retrograde access for catheterization.

ObjectivesFemoral access conversion is sometimes required in clinical practice. Various techniques have been reported to convert a retrograde femoral access to antegrade access with a high success ...
DHHC21 deficiency attenuates renal dysfunction during septic injury

Renal dysfunction is one of the most common complications of septic injury. One critical contributor to septic injury-induced renal dysfunction is renal vascular dysfunction. Protein palmitoylation serves as a novel regulator of vascular function. Here, we examined whether palmitoyl acyltransferase (PAT)-DHHC21 contributes to septic injury-induced renal dysfunction through regulating renal hemodynamics. Multispectral optoacoustic imaging showed that cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced septic injury caused impaired renal excretion, which was improved in DHHC21 functional deficient (Zdhhc21dep/dep) mice. DHHC21 deficiency attenuated CLP-induced renal pathology, characterized by tissue structural damage and circulating injury markers. Importantly, DHHC21 loss-of-function led to better-preserved renal perfusion and oxygen saturation after CLP. The CLP-caused reduction in renal blood flow was also ameliorated in Zdhhc21dep/dep mice. Next, CLP promoted the palmitoylation of vascular α1-adrenergic receptor (α1AR) and the activation of its downstream effector ERK, which were blunted in Zdhhc21dep/dep mice. Vasoreactivity analysis revealed that renal arteries from Zdhhc21dep/dep mice displayed reduced constriction response to α1AR agonist phenylephrine compared to those from wild-type mice. Consistently, inhibiting PATs with 2-bromopalmitate caused a blunted vasoconstriction response to phenylephrine in small arteries isolated from human kidneys. Therefore, DHHC21 contributes to impaired renal perfusion and function during septic injury via promoting α1AR palmitoylation-associated vasoconstriction.
Criticality in sheared, disordered solids. II. Correlations in avalanche dynamics.

Disordered solids respond to quasistatic shear with intermittent avalanches of plastic activity, an example of the crackling noise observed in many nonequilibrium critical systems. The temporal power spectrum of activity within disordered solids consists of three distinct domains: a novel power-law rise with frequency at low frequencies indicating anticorrelation, white-noise at intermediate frequencies, and a power-law decay at high frequencies. As the strain rate increases, the white-noise regime shrinks and ultimately disappears as the finite strain rate restricts the maximum size of an avalanche. A new strain-rate- and system-size-dependent theory is derived for power spectra in both the quasistatic and finite-strain-rate regimes. This theory is validated using data from overdamped two- and three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations. We identify important exponents in the yielding transition including the dynamic exponent $z$ which relates the size of an avalanche to its duration, the fractal dimension of avalanches, and the exponent characterizing the divergence in correlations with strain rate. Results are related to temporal correlations within a single avalanche and between multiple avalanches.
Attentional shifting in children with developmental language disorder: A meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose: A meta-analysis investigating attentional shifting in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) was conducted. Task type, participant age, and dependent variable metric were examined as significant moderators. Method: A systematic literature review identified 20 studies that met the following inclusionary criteria:(a) were published between 1994-2018; (b) included children with DLD aged 3;00 to 17;11 years; and (c) used behavioral performance-based measures of attentional shifting. Results: Children with DLD performed poorer than age-matched peers with typically developing language (TL) by 0.42 SD across attentional shifting studies. Moderator analyses showed an effect of task type, as children with DLD performed comparatively poorer on set-shifting (g = -.52) but not alternating tasks (g = -.18). Neither age nor dependent variable used to measure attentional shifting were significant moderators. Discussion: Children with DLD exhibit deficits in attentional shifting relative to same-age peers. Results of moderator analyses reveal that deficits were found on set-shifting but not alternating tasks and that these deficits remained consistent whether researchers measure accuracy or response time switch costs to ascertain attentional shifting ability. In addition, moderator analysis results suggest that attentional shifting deficits are consistent in preschool-age and school-age children with DLD.
Asian Americans, Racial Stereotypes, and Elite University Admissions

Asian Americans have long occupied a precarious position in American’s racial landscape, exemplified by controversies over elite university admissions. Recently, this has culminated with the SFFA v. Harvard case, which is now being appealed to the Supreme Court. SFFA (Students for Fair Admissions) has attempted to link “negative action”—discrimination against Asian Americans in admissions in favor of White Americans—with “affirmative action”—race-conscious admissions policies intended to increase the enrollment of underrepresented applicants. This Article examines SFFA v. Harvard and the social and historical context for the case, focusing on the role of racial stereotypes of Asian Americans. The Article is novel in three respects. First, it goes beyond the “model minority stereotype” of Asian Americans as high academic achievers. The model minority stereotype is important, but there are other stereotypes of Asian Americans that are also significant in admissions controversies. Second, this Article examines the negative action not only from a legal and empirical lens, but also from a contextual and perceptual standpoint. It argues that Asian Americans’ perceptions of negative action are as important as the realities, and that these should be addressed. The divides created by allegations of negative action could have implications beyond the affirmative action debate. Third, the Article integrates legal scholarship and analysis with the work of scholars in Asian American Studies. This integration provides valuable insights on the positioning of Asian Americans in America’s racial hierarchy. The Article ultimately argues that Asian Americans should support affirmative action, and that racial justice advocates should address negative action even if its tangible impact is small. Although SFFA v. Harvard attempts to create political divides between people of color, it also brings opportunities for mutual understanding and coalition-building. In the process, Asian Americans can become more prominent in the discourse on American racism.
David Oliver: The cultural problems still affecting PPE provision.

In February I wrote a news story in The BMJ about failings in the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline NHS hospital staff. It was based on freedom of information (FOI) requests sent to 130 trusts, triangulated against the Doctors’ Association UK’s database of reports from its members.1 I went to press with 66 responses, but I’ve now received a further 21. I asked each trust the same four questions: In my report I found the default mode to be denial, and the same is true of the more recent responses. My initial story …
Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Weight Loss and CVD Risk Management

Obesity affects more than one-third of U.S. adults and is a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality, primarily from cardiovascular disease. Traditional behavioral interventions for weight loss typically focus on diet and exercise habits and often give little attention to the role of stress and emotions in the initiation and maintenance of unhealthy behaviors, which may account for their modest results and considerable variability in outcomes. Stress eating and emotional eating are increasingly recognized as important targets of weight loss interventions. Mindfulness-based interventions were specifically developed to promote greater self-efficacy in coping with stress and negative emotions, and appear to be effective for a variety of conditions. In recent years researchers have begun to study mindfulness interventions for weight loss and CVD risk management. This review describes the rationale for the use of mindfulness in interventions for weight loss and CVD risk management, summarizes the research to date, and suggests priorities for future research.
Secrecy and Fear in Confessional Discourse: Subversive Strategies, Heretical Inquisition, and Shifting Subjectivities in Vernacular Middle English and Anglo-French Poetry.

"This project looks at confessional moments in three texts from the late Fourteenth and early Fifteenth centuries in which the subjectivities of the central figures shift noticeably in relation to challenges to orthodox behaviors and beliefs, both on a secular and a sacral level: John Gower's 'Confessio Amantis,' the anonymously translated 'Partonope of Blois,' and Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Troilus and Criseyde.' In all these confessional moments, which involve secrecy and fear, the interiority of the confessant and that of the confessor contour the confession and reveal potentially subversive and political criticisms. Late medieval English poets use the very discourses of the institutions under scrutiny in order to challenge institutional corruption as well as cultural, social, and political corruption. By bringing an insular mechanism to challenge itself, such as confessional discourse to challenge confessional efficacy, poets enable a dual dialectic in order to illuminate the inefficacy of ideologies, social and cultural codes and structures, and institutional hierarchies; once brought under scrutiny, poets can position various subjectivities through mobile figurations in order to posit reformation on an individual level." [JGN 33.2.]
An Effective Theory for the Four-Body System with Short-Range Interactions

We discuss the application of an effective theory with contact interactions to the non-relativistic four-body system with short-range interactions. We have computed the binding energies of the 4He tetramer and the alpha-particle. A well-known linear correlation between three- and four-body binding energies can be understood as a result of the absence of a four-body force at leading order within this framework. Further, we give results for the binding energies of the four-boson system in two spatial dimensions.
Mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking sphingolipids synthesize novel inositol glycerophospholipids that mimic sphingolipid structures.

Mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, termed SLC, make no detectable sphingolipids when cultured without a sphingolipid long chain base such as phytosphingosine (Dickson, R.C., Wells, G.B., Schmidt, A., and Lester, R.L. (1990) Mol. Cell. Biol. 10, 2176-2181). When grown with phytosphingosine they make sphingolipids in normal amounts. SLC strains carry a secondary suppressor mutation that bypasses the need to synthesize a long chain base. Hypothetically, the suppressor mutation could function by mutating a gene whose protein product required a sphingolipid for function, by increasing the level of one or more endogenous lipids, or by making new lipid(s). Here we demonstrate that SLC strains make novel inositol glycerophospholipids when cultured without a long chain base. The novel lipids are phosphatidylinositol (PI), mannosyl-PI, and inositol-P-(mannosyl-PI), containing 1 mol of C26 fatty acid, ordinarily found in yeast sphingolipids but not usually found in glycerophospholipids; the C26 fatty acid appears to be located at the SN-2 position of the glycerol. In addition, mono-fattyacyl versions of these three compounds were also identified. The polar head groups and hydrophobic portions of these novel lipids are strikingly similar to S. cerevisiae sphingolipids found in wild-type cells. We speculate that the novel lipids structurally mimic sphingolipids and thereby compensate for some sphingolipid function(s) necessary for growth.
Diminished A-type potassium current and altered firing properties in presympathetic PVN neurones in renovascular hypertensive rats

Accumulating evidence supports a contribution of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to sympathoexcitation and elevated blood pressure in renovascular hypertension. However, the underlying mechanisms resulting in altered neuronal function in hypertensive rats remain largely unknown. Here, we aimed to address whether the transient outward potassium current (IA) in identified rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM)-projecting PVN neurones is altered in hypertensive rats, and whether such changes affected single and repetitive action potential properties and associated changes in intracellular Ca2+ levels. Patch-clamp recordings obtained from PVN-RVLM neurons showed a reduction in IA current magnitude and single channel conductance, and an enhanced steady-state current inactivation in hypertensive rats. Morphometric reconstructions of intracellularly labelled PVN-RVLM neurons showed a diminished dendritic surface area in hypertensive rats. Consistent with a diminished IA availability, action potentials in PVN-RVLM neurons in hypertensive rats were broader, decayed more slowly, and were less sensitive to the K+ channel blocker 4-aminopyridine. Simultaneous patch clamp recordings and confocal Ca2+ imaging demonstrated enhanced action potential-evoked intracellular Ca2+ transients in hypertensive rats. Finally, spike broadening during repetitive firing discharge was enhanced in PVN-RVLM neurons from hypertensive rats. Altogether, our results indicate that diminished IA availability constitutes a contributing mechanism underlying aberrant central neuronal function in renovascular hypertension.