cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low oxygen and argon in the Neoproterozoic atmosphere at 815 Ma

Abstract The evolution of Earth's atmosphere on > 10 6 -yr timescales is tied to that of the deep Earth. Volcanic degassing, weathering, and burial of volatile elements regulates their abundance at the surface, setting a boundary condition for the biogeochemical cycles that modulate Earth's atmosphere and climate. The atmosphere expresses this interaction through its composition; however, direct measurements of the ancient atmosphere's composition more than a million years ago are notoriously difficult to obtain. Gases trapped in ancient minerals represent a potential archive of the ancient atmosphere, but their fidelity has not been thoroughly evaluated. Both trapping and preservation artifacts may be relevant. Here, I use a multi-element approach to reanalyze recently collected fluid-inclusion data from halites purportedly containing snapshots of the ancient atmosphere as old as 815 Ma. I argue that those samples were affected by the concomitant trapping of air dissolved in brines and contaminations associated with modern air. These artifacts lead to an apparent excess in O2 and Ar. The samples may also contain signals of mass-dependent fractionation and biogeochemical cycling within the fluid inclusions. After consideration of these artifacts, this new analysis suggests that the Tonian atmosphere was likely low in O2, containing ≤10% present atmospheric levels (PAL), not ∼50% PAL as the data would suggest at face value. Low concentrations of O2 are consistent with other geochemical constraints for this time period and further imply that the majority of Neoproterozoic atmospheric oxygenation occurred after 815 Ma. In addition, the analysis reveals a surprisingly low Tonian Ar inventory—≤60% PAL—which, if accurate, challenges our understanding of the solid Earth's degassing history. When placed in context with other empirical estimates of paleo-atmospheric Ar, the data imply a period of relatively slow atmospheric Ar accumulation in the Paleo- and Meso-Proterozoic, followed by extensive degassing in the late Neoproterozoic or early Cambrian, before returning to a relatively quiescent state by the Devonian. This two-step structure resembles that for the evolution of atmospheric O2, hinting at a common driving force from the deep Earth. Some caution is warranted, however, because still more enigmatic contaminations than the ones presented here may be relevant. Gases trapped in minerals may offer important constraints on the evolution of Earth's surface, climate, and atmosphere, but potential contaminations and other confounding factors need to be considered carefully before these records can be considered quantitative.
High-force linear iron-core fine-tooth motor

This paper presents the design and testing of a high force linear fine-tooth iron-core permanent magnet motor. We present the design and experimental results in comparison with a commercially-available iron-core linear motor. Our new fine-tooth motor shows predicted shear stress improvements of 28 % at the prototype practical power level of 10 W/mm and 85 % at an anticipated ultimate root mean square (RMS) current density limit in the coil wires of 50 A/mm2, relative to the conventional iron-core motor. This force performance of our new motor is also experimentally validated. The new motor shows strong potential for industry applications requiring precision motion along with high speed of production, such as in photo-lithography machines.
Mitochondrial Respiration and Atherosclerosis: R-E-S-P-I-R-E. Find Out What it Means to Mϕ (and VSMC)

Atherosclerosis is an underlying cause of various cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm development, stroke, and heart failure.1,2 This progressive vascular disease is characterized by subendothelial lipoprotein retention, immune cell infiltration, a maladaptive inflammatory response, and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)–mediated fibrous cap formation.1 As atherosclerotic lesions progress, cellular and tissue dysfunction give way to cell death and fibrous cap thinning, leading to thrombotic events and plaque rupture.3 See accompanying article on page 2322 Mitochondrial function is a critical regulator of cellular homeostasis because of its role in ATP production, ion transport, reactive oxygen species generation, and apoptotic signaling.4 Given the evidence for cellar dysfunction and the metabolic underpinning of atherosclerosis, mitochondrial dysfunction is largely hypothesized to contribute to lesion development and progression.5 Indeed, recent work has pointed to a role for mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in animal models of atherosclerosis.6,7 In particular, mtDNA damage has been found to precede lesion development, and genetic inhibition of mouse mitochondrial polymerase-γ exonuclease activity results in increased mtDNA damage, decreased respiratory function, and augmented lesion development and necrosis.8 In …
Judicial Discipline and the Appearance of Impropriety: What the Public Sees Is What the Judge Gets

Judges are required to forego a litany of professional and personal behaviors deemed to be inconsistent with the role of the neutral magistrate. For example, codes of judicial conduct prohibit ex parte communications, the misuse of office, public commentary on prohibited topics, and participation in certain civic, religious, and political activities. In addition to specific rules barring actual improprieties, it is commonly believed that a broader disciplinary standard is necessary to fully safeguard the public's faith in the judiciary. As a result, under virtually every state judicial code, discipline may be imposed upon a judge for conduct which violates no particular rule but which is thought to create an "appearance of impropriety".This Article examines the disciplinary use of the appearance of impropriety standard from a theoretical and practical standpoint. The history of the standard is explored together with the most debated aspect of the rule - whether the appearance of impropriety prohibition can survive a vagueness challenge. The inescapable conclusion is that it cannot. A cost-benefit analysis further discloses that the disadvantages of the rule clearly outweigh its oft-touted but, nevertheless, illusory benefits. It is proposed that the use of the appearance standard as a disciplinary rule should be discontinued or, in the alternative, that a limiting construction should be placed on the "appearance of impropriety" thereby supplying the specificity needed to meet due process requirements.
Achieving Relaxor Ferroelectric-like Behavior in Nylon Random Copolymers and Terpolymers

High dielectric constant polymers, exhibiting relaxor ferroelectric (RFE) behaviors (i.e., slim single and double hysteresis loops, SHLs and DHLs), are attractive for high energy density and low loss dielectric applications. Utilizing the principle of nanosized ferroelectric domains (nanodomains), this study has designed and developed novel RFE-like polyamides (PAs) based on 11-aminoundecanoic acid, 12-aminododecanoic acid, and N-methyl-11-aminoundecanoic acid (NM11) as an alternative to the high-cost and difficult-to-synthesize poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based RFE polymers. In the first attempt, quenched and stretched (QS) PA(11-co-12) copolymers exhibited enhanced ferroelectricity as compared with either nylon-11 or nylon-12. Although relatively narrow hysteresis loops could be achieved at 75 °C, the hydrogen-bonding interaction was not weak enough to induce nanodomains in the nylon copolymers. To further reduce the hydrogen-bonding interaction and achieve nanodomains, a PA(11-co-12-co-NM11) 30/60...
Endothelial cell leptin receptors, leptin and interleukin-8 in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia: An in-vitro study.

Objective: Increased leptin hormone and leptin receptor may enhance the generation of proinflammatory cytokines by endothelial cells and lead to endothelial dysfunction. This study assessed the umbilical cord endothelial leptin receptor levels in preeclampsia and investigated the effect of leptin on endothelial interleukin-8 (IL-8) production. Materials and methods: The association between IL-8 levels with leptin stimulation was investigated in leptin-treated human endothelial cells. Endothelial cell leptin receptor levels were evaluated using immunohistochemistry staining, and endothelial IL-8 protein expression by Western blot analysis. Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Statistical significance was analyzed using Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Leptin receptor immunoreactivity increased significantly in umbilical cord venous and arterial endothelial cells in normal pregnancy (n=12) compared with preeclampsia (n=7) endothelial cells. The corresponding preeclampsia versus control histologic scores (mean ± SEM) were 67.9±8.8 vs. 127.6±23.1, (p=0.011) for the leptin receptor and 55.4±8,0 vs. 93.7±17.1 (p=0.035), respectively, for the vein endothelial cells. Leptin treatment significantly increased IL-8 protein levels (control vs. 100 and 1000 ng/mL, p=0.003). Conclusion: The findings of increased umbilical cord endothelial leptin receptor levels in preeclampsia and increased endothelial IL-8 expression with exposure to higher leptin concentrations may indicate the contribution of leptin to endothelial dysfunction and increased neutrophil-endothelial interaction, which are significant pathophysiologic features of preeclampsia.
Literature and Empathy in Nursing Students

As the world becomes more diverse, effectiveness of interaction and empathy continue to decrease. In the nursing career, it is important to keep an open mind and an empathetic heart to execute the maximum quality of care. Fiction literature has proven to engender prosocial skills along with empathy and cognitive participation. FMRIs have shown significant correlations between literary pieces and neural activity in parts of the brain associated with empathy. Because nursing students have shown tremendous decrease in empathy approaching their graduation date, this study tests the effectiveness of fiction literature to prove the enhancement of empathy in the nursing students. This research included an equal number of female and male participants entering the nursing program at West Coast University. Subjects were evaluated on empathy before entering the program, then once more as they were about to graduate. The participants were divided into two groups; one of them received a fiction literature course that focused on empathy and the other did not. The group that was enrolled in the fiction literature course excelled remarkably compared to the group who was not stimulated through fiction literature. Because fiction literature allows nursing students (through guided imagery and other literary tools), the group with the additional course comprehended empathy and embraced it better than the control group.
Yoga tourism – a catalyst for transformation?

Yoga tourism has experienced increased interest and relevance in recent years due to the changing landscape of spirituality in the western world. However, research addressing this phenomenon is sca...
The Role of the Social Class Worldview Model in the Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Mental and Physical Health

This chapter provides an introduction to social class and classism in mental health care practice (assessment, diagnosis, and treatment), and uses the Social Class Worldview Model (SCWM) as a framework from which social class may be used to strengthen clinical practice. The authors provide counseling-relevant definitions for inequality, poverty, and affluence. As presented in the Social Class Worldview Model, it is imperative that mental health practitioners have applied definitions and frameworks to use with clients. The authors also review literature on psychological diagnosis and assessment and discuss the impact of social class on these practices. Finally, the authors discuss an important bias, Upward Mobility Bias, that may influence the ways in which clients are treated.
Endotoxin stimulation in patients with lymphoma: correlation with the myelosuppressive effects of alkylating agents.

Estimates of the bone marrow granulocyte reserve were made in 97 patients with lymphoma utilizing the endotoxin Pyrexal. Normal granulocyte responses were observed in most patients who had not received prior myelosuppressive therapy. Patients with lymphosarcoma responded as well as those with Hodgkin’s Disease. All patients with leukopenia due to previous therapy or marrow infiltration failed to respond. In the absence of leukopenia only 47% of previously treated patients achieved normal responses. The severity of granulocytopenia produced by intravenous alkylating agent therapy was correlated with pretreatment Pyrexal responses. Patients with normal granulocyte reserves, as demonstrated by this test, tolerated subsequent chemotherapy with significantly less severe granulocytopenia ( p <0.02) than patients with abnormal test responses. Nadir granulocyte values below 1000 cells/cu mm developed in 7 of 33 patients with normal Pyrexal responses and in 11 of 15 abnormal responders, despite comparable pretreatment granulocyte values.
Author Correction: What models eat.

In the version of this article originally published, there was an error in the sentence “That quest, which started in the 1980s, continues through until today: For a paper published online in 2017, a group of researchers based at Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul tested Sprague Dawley rats on either a high-fat diet, a cafeteria diet or what they called a ‘Western diet’, formulated to match up more closely with eating patterns in developed nations (it had 42.5% of its calories from fat and added salt and carbohydrates).” Wistar rats were used in the experiment, not Sprague Dawley rats. Also, in ref. 7, the first author’s last name was listed as Bortoloin. The correct spelling is Bortolin. The errors have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of this article.
An Evidence-Based Review of Statin Use in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common complication in patients with metabolic syndrome. The role of statin therapy specifically for the treatment of NAFLD remains unknown....
THE COMPOSITION OF THE TISSUE LIPIDS OF THE VIRGINIA WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS BOREALIS)

This report on the composition of the lipids extracted from six different tissues of the Virginia white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis) was made possible through the cooperation of the Department of Forest Zoology, School of Forestry, University of Michigan.l For some time this Department has been observing a herd of these animals living on the Edwin S. George Reserve, Museum of Zoology, located in Livingston County 24 miles northwest of Ann Arbor. The present herd is from a stock of four does and two bucks transported from Grand Island during the years 1926-27. These animals are all in good nutritional condition and their diet is one which most nearly simulates their natural one. A study of the lipids seemed desirable, since no record has been made of the chemical composition of the fatty substances of this species. In our study the tissues from five animals were available. The deer were all shot on the same day during the winter of 1938. Two of the animals (Nos. 2 M. and 3 M.) were found to be infected with a lung parasite, but their remaining tissues were toallappearantes normal. The tissues were removed as soon as possible after death, immediately placed in jars, covered with 95 per cent alcohol, and transported to Ann Arbor where they were stored in a refrigerator until analysis. The lipids were extracted and prepared for analysis in the following manner. The alcohol was poured off from the sample and
Synthesis of Spirocyclic Ethers by Enantioselective Copper‐Catalyzed Carboetherification of Alkenols

Spirocyclic ethers can be found in bioactive compounds. This copper-catalyzed enantioselective alkene carboetherification provides 5,5-, 5,6- and 6,6-spirocyclic products containing fully substituted chiral carbon centers with up to 99 % enantiomeric excess. This reaction features the formation of two rings from acyclic substrates, 1,1-disubstituted alkenols functionalized with either arenes, alkenes, or alkynes, and clearly constitutes a powerful way to synthesize chiral spirocyclic ethers.
Sudden death from rupture of cerebral abscess into subarachnoid space.

A Mexican man in his mid-30s with a medical history of atrial septal defect presented with sudden onset of left lower extremity weakness and a 2-week history of fever, headache and purulent rhinorrhoea. On examination, he was alert, had no cranial nerve deficits and had full strength except for mild
Switching Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Adolescents with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder: Balancing Tolerability and Efficacy.

Abstract Objective: To guide clinicians in selecting the “next line” selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for adolescents with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, we sought to c...
California roach (Hesperoleucus symmetricus) in the Eel River of northwestern California: native or introduced?

To explore the history of California roach (Hesperoleucus symmetricus) in the Eel River, we compiled mitochondrial DNA data for the putatively introduced Eel River population and comparative collections from throughout the native range. Consistent with an introduction scenario, we found that: 1) one haplotype occurred at high frequency in the Eel River, Russian River and Clear Lake populations, making the Russian River and Clear Lake likely source areas, and 2) the introduced population exhibited reduced haplotype diversity in comparison to populations from the native range. However, we also detected four private haplotypes in the putatively introduced population, despite examining 269 individuals from the likely source areas. Extrapolation of the haplotype richness of the likely source population suggested that even with the large sample size, many haplotypes in the source population remained uncollected. The most parsimonious conclusion of our results is a recent introduction of a small number of California roach to the Eel River of California from a nearby drainage. This result aligns with findings for two other California cyprinids introduced into the Eel River from adjacent drainages, Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) and speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus).
Conjuring, Expanding, and Blurring Boundaries of Sexual Subcultures: The Grounding of the Fluid

This paper creates a fluid model with which to research the connection between sexual subcultures and online spaces, as well as, the impact of online spaces on the creation and proliferation of sex...
Hypersonic flow over a wedge in the detached shock range

In a recent publication Hornung (2019) showed that the shock wave stand-off distance and the drag coefficient of a cone in inviscid hypersonic flow of a perfect gas can be expressed as the product of a function of the inverse normal-shock density ratio and a function of a cone-angle parameter, thus reducing the number of independent parameters from three (Mach number, specific heat ratio and angle) to two. By making a large number of Euler computations, analytic forms of the functions were obtained. In this article the same approach is applied to the symmetrical flow over a wedge. It turns out that the same simplification applies and corresponding analytical forms of the functions are obtained. The functions of the normal-shock density ratio are compared with newly determined corresponding functions for flow over a circular cylinder.
Adult Cardiomyocyte Cell Cycle Detour: Off-ramp to Quiescent Destinations

Ability to promote completion of mitotic cycling of adult mammalian cardiomyocytes remains an intractable and vexing challenge, despite being one of the most sought after ‘holy grails’ of cardiovascular research. While some of the struggle is attributable to adult cardiomyocytes themselves that are notoriously post-mitotic, another contributory factor rests with difficulty in definitive tracking of adult cardiomyocyte cell cycle and lack of rigorous measures to track proliferation in situ . This review summarizes past, present, and future directions to promote adult mammalian cardiomyocyte cell cycle progression, proliferation, and renewal. Establishing relationship(s) between cardiomyocyte cell cycle progression and cellular biological properties is sorely needed to understand the mechanistic basis for cardiomyocyte cell cycle withdrawal to enhance cardiomyocyte cell cycle progression and mitosis.
New algorithms for verifying the null space conditions in compressed sensing

The null space condition is a condition under which k-sparse signal can be recovered uniquely in compressed sensing (CS) problems. In this paper, new efficient algorithms are introduced to verify the null space condition for l 1 minimization in compressed sensing. Suppose A is an (n − m) × n (m > 0) sensing matrix, we can verify whether the sensing matrix A satisfies the null space condition or not for k-sparse signals by computing α k = ‖z K ‖ 1 /‖z ‖ 1 where K represents subsets of {1, 2,…, n}, and |K| is the cardinality of K. However, computing α k is known to be extremely challenging because of high computational complexity. In this paper, a series of new polynomial-time algorithms are proposed to compute upper bounds on α k . Based on these new polynomial-time algorithms, we further design new algorithm, which is called the sandwiching algorithm, to compute the exact a k with much lower complexity than exhaustive search.
Thermal and Physico-Mechanical Characterizations of Thromboresistant Polyurethane Films

Hemocompatibility remains a challenge for injectable and/or implantable medical devices, and thromboresistant coatings appear to be one of the most attractive methods to down-regulate the unwanted enzymatic reactions that promote the formation of blood clots. Among all polymeric materials, polyurethanes (PUs) are a class of biomaterials with excellent biocompatibility and bioinertness that are suitable for the use of thromboresistant coatings. In this work, we investigated the thermal and physico-mechanical behaviors of ester-based and ether-based PU films for potential uses in thromboresistant coatings. Our results show that poly(ester urethane) and poly(ether urethane) films exhibited characteristic peaks corresponding to their molecular configurations. Thermal characterizations suggest a two-step decomposition process for the poly(ether urethane) films. Physico-mechanical characterizations show that the surfaces of the PU films were hydrophobic with minimal weight changes in physiological conditions over 14 days. All PU films exhibited high tensile strength and large elongation to failure, attributed to their semi-crystalline structure. Finally, the in vitro clotting assays confirmed their thromboresistance with approximately 1000-fold increase in contact time with human blood plasma as compared to the glass control. Our work correlates the structure-property relationships of PU films with their excellent thromboresistant ability.
Breast Microcalcifications as the Only Imaging Manifestation of Metastatic Serous Peritoneal Adenocarcinoma in the Breast

We present a case of a 65 year old female with newly diagnosed primary peritoneal serous carcinoma who was found to have indeterminate segmental microcalcifications in the right upper outer quadrant with a mildly enlarged right axillary node on mammogram. There was no associated breast mass on ultrasound. Core biopsy of the right axillary lymph node and right upper outer quadrant breast microcalcifications confirmed the presence of breast metastases at both sites from primary peritoneal serous carcinoma. This case highlights the importance of histopathological correlation of any breast and axillary abnormalities in patient with primary extramammary malignancy. Imaging features of metastatic lesions to the breast are also reviewed.
A niche of their own: population dynamics, niche diversification, and biopolitics in the recent biocultural evolution of hunter-gatherers

Abstract Three decades have passed since Keeley published his comprehensive exploration of cross-cultural variation in hunter-gatherer social complexity, sedentism, and storage across diverse environmental and demographic conditions (Keeley, L.H., 1988. Hunter-gatherer economic complexity and “population pressure”: A cross-cultural analysis. J. Anthropol. Archaeol. 7, 373–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4165(88)90003-7). This article reconsiders Keeley’s work, shifting theoretical focus to niche construction, biocultural adaptation, and the biopolitics of inclusion and exclusion. In recent millennia, human niche construction has become defined by intense matter and energy extraction at or across key hydrospheric, atmospheric, and lithospheric regime boundaries. Associated global population growth has depended on the biocultural evolution of positive elasticity in energy extraction rates, with respect to labor inputs. This article presents a statistical reanalysis of Keeley’s cross-cultural data, documenting the niche-divergence between immediate-returns hunter-gatherers and delayed-returns, storage-dependent foragers. It is argued that the intricate relationships among niche elasticity, population-growth elasticity, niche diversification, and the biopolitics of inclusion and exclusion have dynamically shaped ecological enrichment—in the form of patch engineering—and demographic disruption—mainly in the form of dispersal, migration, raiding, and warfare. This article aims to offer new perspectives on the systemic coupling among political complexity, economic development, inequality, and environmental impacts in post-Pleistocene human systems.
Sex differences in traumatic stress reactivity of rats with a history of alcohol drinking

Background: Alcohol misuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid and treatment outcomes are worse in individuals with both conditions. Although more men report experiencing traumatic events than women, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is twice as high in females. Despite these data trends in humans, preclinical studies of traumatic stress reactivity have been performed almost exclusively in male animals. Methods: This study was designed to examine sex differences in traumatic stress reactivity in alcohol-naive rats and rats given intermittent access to 20% ethanol in a 2-bottle choice paradigm for 5 weeks. Rats were exposed to predator odor (bobcat urine) and tested for avoidance of the odor-paired context 24 hours later; unstressed Controls were never exposed to odor. Two days after stress, we measured physiological arousal using the acoustic startle response (ASR) test. We also measured anxiety-like behavior using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and circulating corticosterone levels before and immediately after odor exposure. Results: Male and female rats exposed to predator odor displayed blunted weight gain 24 hours post-stress, but only a subset of stressed animals exhibited avoidance behavior. Chronic intermittent alcohol drinking increased the proportion of Avoiders in males and predator odor exposure increased ASR in these animals. Predator odor stress reduced ASR in females relative to unstressed females and stressed males, regardless of alcohol drinking history. Bobcat urine exposure did not promote persistent anxiety-like behavior, but alcohol-experienced males exhibited reduced activity in the EPM in comparison to alcohol-experienced females. Furthermore, predator odor increased circulating corticosterone levels in females relative to males and baseline. Conclusions: We report robust sex differences in behavioral and endocrine responses to bobcat urine exposure in adult Wistar rats. Also, chronic moderate alcohol drinking increased traumatic stress reactivity in males but not females. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in the investigation of traumatic stress effects on physiology and behavior.
Utility of Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS) in Connective Tissue Disorders (CTDs) for the Evaluation of Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis – A Systematic Review

Objective To assess the current state of knowledge for the utility of coronary calcium scoring (CCS) in connective tissue disorders (CTDs) as it relates to the presence and quantification of coronary atherosclerosis. Methods Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search via PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Review retrieved 1019 studies (since database inception on May 7, 2018) from which 121 manuscripts were eligible for review. Inclusion criteria consisted of studies that investigated CCS in adults with respective CTDs. Studies were excluded if a complete manuscript was not written in English or was a case report. Results Thirty-one studies were included (27 with healthy age-/gender-matched control group for comparison and 4 without). CTDs analyzed in articles with control group: 11 rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 14 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 4 systemic sclerosis (SSc), 1 idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), 1 Takayasu arteritis, and 1 psoriasis. Nine out of 11 RA studies, 12 out of 14 SLE studies, and 2 out of 4 SSc studies showed statistically significant increased CCS when compared with the control group. CTDs analyzed in studies without control group: two Kawasaki disease, one juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and one antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) article, which demonstrated increased coronary arterial calcium burden, however, without statistically significant data. Conclusion CTDs, especially SLE and RA, are associated with higher CCS compared with the control group, indicating increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis. Our search did not elicit sufficient publications or statistically significant results in many other CTDs.
Chapter 5 – Mechanical and Tribological Behaviors

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews fatigue, fracture, and biotribological actions, such as friction, wear, and wear debris toxicity. Materials in bioengineering range widely from very small units, such as a virus or bacteria, to very large and complex units, such as a healthy human body. They also cover the various products manufactured by using the methodologies in connection with biological disciplines. Fatigue is the loss of strength and other important properties as a result of stressing over a quite long period of time. It is very important, as it is the single largest cause of failures in metals, estimated as about 90% of the metallic failures. Polymers and ceramics are also susceptible to this type of failure. The mechanical environments related to fatigue are divided into two distinct groups: strain-controlled and stress-controlled. Clasps can undergo permanent deformation to cause fatigue fracture under repeated flexures during the denture insertion and removal, and masticatory actions. Permanent deformation and fatigue fracture are caused by the stress created in the clasp.
Environmental and behavioral controls on juvenile Chinook salmon migration pathways in the Columbia River estuary

Abstract Juvenile Chinook salmon population dynamics in the Columbia River estuary are influenced by physical processes, hatchery practices, and behavioral decision-making. To better understand how environmental forcing and swimming behavior influence estuarine migration and travel times, we developed an individual-based model (IBM) that uses 3-D outputs from a hydrodynamic model to simulate Lagrangian transport as well as swimming and bioenergetics sub-models to simulate active swimming and growth. Simulations were run in 2010 during the migration seasons for yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon. For both life history types, alternative behaviors were simulated, from random walks to behaviors that optimized efficient system migration for yearling Chinook salmon and growth for subyearling Chinook salmon. Simulation results compared well against observed data on travel times and common migration pathways; the simulated travel times for both yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon were within several hours of the observed travel times. In general, residence times and pathways were largely driven by river discharge and the phase of the tide. During periods of greater river discharge, simulated estuarine residence times were reduced and variability across individuals was minimal. The timing of estuarine exit was closely tied to the phase of the tide, with most simulated individuals exiting the system during the ebb phase. While travel times were largely driven by flow velocities, swimming behavior was likewise important. Simulated yearling Chinook salmon behaviors that optimized movement with surrounding flows resulted in reduced estuarine residence times when compared to passive and random walk behaviors. Similarly, simulated subyearling Chinook salmon behaviors that optimized growth directed individuals to shallow peripheral habitats, resulting in longer residence times and higher growth rates. Even if potentially important factors such as predator avoidance were not included, this IBM provides an informative tool to model migration pathways, growth, and residence times of juvenile salmon in an estuarine environment and could be used to inform management decisions by evaluating various scenarios.
Graduate students mentoring undergraduate students’ business innovation pitches

Abstract Pitch competitions are commonplace throughout undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship curricula. Although they are valuable exercises, advancements are available to further their usefulness and reach a wider audience. Accordingly, we developed an experiential learning exercise rooted in the tenets of corporate entrepreneurship that allows for greater collaboration, learning, and critical thinking. In the exercise, undergraduate student groups develop and present an innovative initiative, then are scored and mentored by MBA student groups prior to the final pitches. The benefits include improved student learning by undergraduate students from graduate student mentors as well as improved mentoring and leadership skills for graduate students through the practical and experiential process of helping undergraduate students improve their pitches.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN SHIP-ACCOUNTING PRACTICES TO 1900: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THREE VESSELS

Accounting has always been utilitarian in nature. It adapts to the changes in the business environment by meeting the need for new types of information. The change in waterborne transportation in the U.S. during the 19th century provides an example of such an environmental change that led to a need for accounting adaptation. With the advent of the steamboat, old accounting methods were modified and new ones created to meet the changes in the business environment. In the process, a standardized ships-accounting model was developed. The model can be seen in the accounting records of three ships that sailed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Development of the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (ShoCCS)

Critical consciousness represents the analysis and critique of structural inequalities, the motivation and perceived capacity to effect change, and social action to redress inequity. A wave of rece...
Reseña de Juan Pérez de Montalbán, «Auto sacramental famoso de las Santísimas Formas de Alcalá», edición de Ignacio Arellano, J. Enrique Duarte y Carlos Mata Induráin, New York, IDEA, 2019, 226 pp. ISBN: 978-1-938795-57-2

Resena de Juan Perez de Montalban, Auto sacramental famoso de las Santisimas Formas de Alcala , edicion de Ignacio Arellano, J. Enrique Duarte y Carlos Mata Indurain, New York, IDEA, 2019, 226 pp. ISBN: 978-1-938795-57-2
Evaluating Lethal Pulmonary Hypoplasia in the CDH Registry

BACKGROUND: The Severe Pulmonary Hypoplasia and Evaluation for Resuscitative Efforts (SPHERE) protocol developed to identify those with likely lethal pulmonary hypoplasia selects potential candidates based on prenatal imaging. Those that meet postnatal physiologic criteria are offered ECMO; those that fail the protocol proceed to palliation. Institutional data showed 26% survival in those selected for the SPHERE protocol and 46% survival in …
The Use Of Professional Designations in the Real Estate Industry

A series of surveys investigates the recognition by consumers of professional designations in a variety of financial services fields, but with an emphasis on the real estate industry. The results from the 1991, 1994 and 1996 surveys are consistent in revealing a general lack of recognition by consumers of professional designations, with the notable exception of the CPA. The CFP and CLU also fared somewhat better than the real estate designations examined both in terms of consumer recognition and perceived competence of those holding the designation. Consumers, however, exhibited a generally strong desire for dealing with professionally designated individuals when making financial decisions.
Associations of Baseline Frailty Status and Age With Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Vestibular Schwannoma Resection.

Importance Although numerous studies have evaluated the influence of advanced age on surgical outcomes following vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection, few if any large-scale investigations have assessed the comparative prognostic effects of age and frailty. As the population continues to age, it is imperative to further evaluate treatment and management strategies for older patients. Objective To conduct a population-based evaluation of the independent associations of chronological age and frailty (physiological age) with outcomes following VS resection. Design, setting, and participants In this large-scale, multicenter, cross-sectional analysis, weighted discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample were searched to identify adult patients (≥18 years old) who underwent VS resection from 2002 through 2017 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Data collection and analysis took place September to December 2020. Main outcomes and measures Complex samples regression models and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used to evaluate the independent associations of frailty and age (along with demographic confounders) with complications and discharge disposition. Frailty was evaluated using the previously validated 11-point modified frailty index (mFI). Results Among the 27 313 patients identified for VS resection, the mean (SEM) age was 50.4 (0.2) years, 15 031 (55.0%) were women, and 4720 (21.0%) were of non-White race/ethnicity, as determined by the National Inpatient Sample data source. Of the included patients, 15 090 (55.2%) were considered robust (mFI score = 0), 8204 (30.0%) were prefrail (mFI score = 1), 3022 (11.1%) were frail (mFI score = 2), and 996 (3.6%) were severely frail (mFI score ≥3). On univariable analysis, increasing frailty was associated with development of postoperative hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke (odds ratio [OR], 2.44 [95% CI, 2.07-2.87]; area under the curve, 0.73), while increasing age was not. Following multivariable analysis, increasing frailty and non-White race/ethnicity were independently associated with both mortality (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.32 [95% CI, 1.70-3.17], and aOR, 3.05 [95% CI, 1.02-9.12], respectively) and extended hospital stays (aOR, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.41-1.67], and aOR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.42-2.05], respectively), while increasing age was not. Increasing frailty (aOR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.56-0.67]), age (aOR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.97-0.99]), and non-White race/ethnicity (aOR, 0.62 [95% CI 0.51-0.75]) were all independently associated with routine discharge. Conclusions and relevance In this cross-sectional study, findings suggest that frailty may be more accurate for predicting outcomes and guiding treatment decisions than advanced patient age alone following VS resection.
Imagining a personalized scenario selectively increases perceived risk of viral transmission for older adults

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a serious and prolonged public health emergency. Older adults have been at substantially greater risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and death due to COVID-19. As of February 2021, over 81% of COVID-19-related deaths in the US occurred in people over the age of 65 (refs. 1,2). Converging evidence from around the world suggests that age is the greatest risk factor for severe COVID-19 illness and for the experience of adverse health outcomes3,4. Therefore, effectively communicating health-related risk information requires tailoring interventions to the needs of older adults5. Using a new informational intervention with a nationally representative sample of 546 US residents, we found that older adults reported increased perceived risk of COVID-19 transmission after imagining a personalized scenario with social consequences. Although older adults tended to forget numerical information over time, the personalized simulations elicited increases in perceived risk that persisted over a 1–3 week delay. Overall, our results bear broad implications for communicating information about health risks to older adults and suggest new strategies to combat annual influenza outbreaks. A cognitive intervention study for communicating information about COVID-19 transmission risk found that older adults tended to forget numerical information but reported increased perceived risk after imagining a personalized scenario with social consequences.
Tethered UAV with High Gain Antenna for BVLOS CNPC: A Practical Design for Widespread Use

This paper presents the design of a hovering, tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of lifting a high gain antenna which can be used as a relay node for Control and Non-Payload Communications (CNPC) from a ground control station to a distant UAV. Ground based remote controllers are constrained by the terrain and the curvature of the Earth. The proposed design overcomes these limitations and provides a tower alternative, which is inexpensive, easily deployable, and moveable in all three dimensions. We show that a typical battery-powered UAV flight time is limited to just above one hour, or under half an hour with its maximum liftable payload, and therefore propose a power tether that connects the UAV to a ground power source. This is important to be able to serve rover UAVs that can be asynchronously launched. The hovering UAV will turn to steer the high gain antenna based on position reports from the roving UAV. The prototype design leverages commercial off the shelf equipment as much as possible and uses the L-band unlicensed frequency range of 902-928 MHz which is close to the aviation protected frequency band.
Imbalanced Adversarial Training with Reweighting.

Adversarial training has been empirically proven to be one of the most effective and reliable defense methods against adversarial attacks. However, almost all existing studies about adversarial training are focused on balanced datasets, where each class has an equal amount of training examples. Research on adversarial training with imbalanced training datasets is rather limited. As the initial effort to investigate this problem, we reveal the facts that adversarially trained models present two distinguished behaviors from naturally trained models in imbalanced datasets: (1) Compared to natural training, adversarially trained models can suffer much worse performance on under-represented classes, when the training dataset is extremely imbalanced. (2) Traditional reweighting strategies may lose efficacy to deal with the imbalance issue for adversarial training. For example, upweighting the under-represented classes will drastically hurt the model's performance on well-represented classes, and as a result, finding an optimal reweighting value can be tremendously challenging. In this paper, to further understand our observations, we theoretically show that the poor data separability is one key reason causing this strong tension between under-represented and well-represented classes. Motivated by this finding, we propose Separable Reweighted Adversarial Training (SRAT) to facilitate adversarial training under imbalanced scenarios, by learning more separable features for different classes. Extensive experiments on various datasets verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Generation and characterization of an anti-PD1-resistant lune cancer line (TUM2P.1040)

Immunotherapies targeting PD1/PDL1 have shown unprecedented rates of durable clinical responses in patients with melanoma and lung cancer. However, there is a substantial portion of patients who do not respond to these therapies. The goal of this study is to generate an anti-PD1-resistant tumor line and identify mechanisms of resistance, which should provide novel insights to extend the benefit of immunotherapies. A preclinical lung cancer model was generated by inoculation of a murine lung cancer cell line 344SQ (containing p53 and kras mutations) into syngeneic 129SV/ev mice. Anti-mouse PD1 antibodies were administrated at day 4 post tumor inoculation for a total of 5 doses. The anti-PD1 resistant line was successfully generated after sequential in vivo passaging of a nonresponsive tumor followed by anti-PD1 treatment. Upon the anti-PD1 treatment, the parental line showed 70% tumor reduction, whereas the resistant line showed only 12% tumor reduction. PDL1 expression did not alter in the resistant line. Instead, anti-PD1 treatment remarkably increased MHC I expression in the parental line, whereas the resistant line showed significantly lower MHC I and II expression and failed to upregulate MHC I upon anti-PD1 treatment. The parental and resistant lines showed distinct profiles of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and costimulatory molecule expression in vivo . Next we will study if inducing MHC expression through radiation or HDAC inhibitors will overcome anti-PD1 resistance.
WY14,643, a PPARα ligand, attenuates expression of anti-glomerular basement membrane disease

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) ligands are medications used to treat hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis. Increasing evidence suggests that these agents are immunosuppressive. In the following studies we demonstrate that WY14,643, a PPARalpha ligand, attenuates expression of anti-glomerular basement membrane disease (AGBMD). C57BL/6 mice were fed 0.05% WY14,643 or control food and immunized with the non-collagenous domain of the alpha3 chain of Type IV collagen [alpha3(IV) NC1] in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). WY14,643 reduced proteinuria and greatly improved glomerular and tubulo-interstitial lesions. However, the PPARalpha ligand did not alter the extent of IgG-binding to the GBM. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the prominent tubulo-interstitial infiltrates in the control-fed mice consisted predominately of F4/80(+) macrophages and WY14,643-feeding decreased significantly the number of renal macrophages. The synthetic PPARalpha ligand also reduced significantly expression of the chemokine, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1/CCL2. Sera from mice immunized with AGBMD were also evaluated for antigen-specific IgGs. There was a significant increase in the IgG1 : IgG2c ratio and a decline in the intrarenal and splenocyte interferon (IFN)-gamma mRNA expression in the WY14,643-fed mice, suggesting that the PPARalpha ligand could skew the immune response to a less inflammatory T helper 2-type of response. These studies suggest that PPARalpha ligands may be a novel treatment for inflammatory renal disease.