cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Prevalence of Atherosclerosis in Those with Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease by Race, Age, and Traditional Risk Factors

Systemic inflammation promotes cardiovascular disease. Inflammatory connective tissue diseases (CTD) like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis associate with cardiovascular risk, but it is unknown whether particular groups of patients have enhanced propensity for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) associated with their CTD. Analysis of aggregate health record data at a large U.S. academic center identified CTD and ASCVD status for 287,467 African American and white adults. ASCVD prevalence in those with CTD was 29.7% for African Americans and 14.7% for white patients with prevalence ratios, compared to those without CTD, of 3.1 and 1.8, respectively. When different types of CTD were analyzed individually (rheumatoid arthritis; lupus; scleroderma; Sjogren Syndrome; dermatomyositis/polymyositis; unspecified/mixed CTD; other inflammatory arthropathy), increased ASCVD rates were found in nearly all subsets, always with higher prevalence ratios in African Americans. The prevalence ratio of ASCVD was particularly high in young African Americans. Furthermore, individuals lacking traditional cardiovascular risk factors had more ASCVD if they had CTD (prevalence ratio 2.9). Multivariate analysis confirmed a positive interaction between CTD and African-American race and a negative interaction between CTD and age. The factors driving the observed disproportionate CTD-associated ASCVD in African Americans, young adults, and those without traditional risk factors warrant further study.
TALE-light imaging reveals maternally guided, H3K9me2/3-independent emergence of functional heterochromatin in Drosophila embryos.

Metazoans start embryogenesis with a relatively naive genome. The transcriptionally inert, late-replicating heterochromatic regions, including the constitutive heterochromatin on repetitive sequences near centromeres and telomeres, need to be re-established during development. To explore the events initiating heterochromatin formation and examine their temporal control, sequence specificity, and immediate regulatory consequence, we established a live imaging approach that enabled visualization of steps in heterochromatin emergence on specific satellite sequences during the mid-blastula transition (MBT) in Drosophila. Unexpectedly, only a subset of satellite sequences, including the 359-base-pair (bp) repeat sequence, recruited HP1a at the MBT. The recruitment of HP1a to the 359-bp repeat was dependent on HP1a's chromoshadow domain but not its chromodomain and was guided by maternally provided signals. HP1a recruitment to the 359-bp repeat was required for its programmed shift to later replication, and ectopic recruitment of HP1a was sufficient to delay replication timing of a different repeat. Our results reveal that emergence of constitutive heterochromatin follows a stereotyped developmental program in which different repetitive sequences use distinct interactions and independent pathways to arrive at a heterochromatic state. This differential emergence of heterochromatin on various repetitive sequences changes their replication order and remodels the DNA replication schedule during embryonic development.
Computational interactions between decision and emotion

Decision is often influenced by emotions, such that the decision can often be biased by the emotional influences, such as happiness, sadness, fear and anger. Previous experimental studies in human subjects have shown that decisions are often related to emotional levels [1,2]. It is also often assumed that decision is influenced by emotion, but there is evidence that decision can also influence emotions. Thus, the interrelationship between decision and emotion requires in-depth re-examination to determine the interactions between decision and emotion.
The President, Congress and the Security Council: Counterterrorism and the Use of Force Through the Internationalist Lens

This contribution to the 2008 Willamette Law School symposium, “Presidential Power in the 21st Century,” addresses the question of presidential powers to carry counterterrorism policies - in particular the use of force against terrorist groups - through an internationalist lens. Viewed through that lens, domestic constitutional understandings of appropriate democratic constraints on presidential counterterrorism powers can be seen as interacting with international institutional understandings of democratic accountability for the use of force. This intersystemic process can be engaged to address “democracy deficits” at both the international and domestic level and to promote reform at international organizations. Part I of the article explains that U.S. counterterrorism policy post-September 11, 2001 has been more multilateral in its orientation than is generally assumed, and that counterterrorism policy going forward is likely to rely more, rather than less, on multilateral institutions. Part II examines the question of U.S. constitutional practice where the war powers have been exercised through international institutions. Part III argues that international institutional legitimacy should be more explicitly invoked as a rationale for closer consultation with and participation by Congress in counterterrorism use of force decisions. A more explicit acknowledgment of the dynamic, dialectical interaction between domestic democratic accountability for a state’s participation in U.N. counterterrorism programs and the international and domestic accountability for the action taken by the U.N. offers several advantages. Open embrace of more robust congressional participation in U.S./U.N. counterterrorism practice can contribute to overcoming the democracy gaps at home and within the U.N. by: (1) strengthening democratic accountability domestically; (2) modeling “best practices” for nascent democracies and regimes in transition; (3) promoting procedural legitimacy within the Council; (4) promoting legitimacy of emerging international legal norms concerning the use of force against terrorists and terrorist groups; (5) harmonizing U.N. counterterrorism programs with international human rights protections; and (6) clarifying the role of judicial review (at the domestic and international level) of Security Council actions.
Pacific Coast Wireworm: Relationship Between Injury and Damage to Potatoes

Data from 60 paired observations of total injury and official damage to potatoes caused by Limonius canus LeConte indicated that percentage ratings based on tuber counts or weights were directly comparable. The regression formula for converting injury ( I) to damage ( D) was D = 0.987 + 0.8361.
Continuing Bonds, Society, and Human Experience: Family Dead, Hostile Dead, Political Dead:

In most times and places, the focus of continuing bonds is on the well-being and activity of the dead that are linked to the well-being and activity of the living. In this article we describe continuing bonds across cultures by focusing on the dead. Three relationships between the living and the dead organize our thinking. First, the family dead in which living and dead offer help to each other. Second, the hostile dead that threaten the well being of the living. Third, the political dead in which the living enlisting the dead in political conflicts, and the dead motivate the living to battle on their behalf. Shifting the focus this way allows us to see that continuing bonds play important roles in larger narratives as well as in individual and family narratives.
Evaluation of EuII-based positive contrast enhancement after intravenous, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous injections

Eu(II) -based contrast agents offer physiologically relevant, metal-based redox sensing that is unachievable with Gd(III) -based contrast agents. To evaluate the in vivo contrast enhancement of Eu(II) as a function of injection type, we performed intravenous, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous injections in mice. Our data reveal a correlation between reported oxygen content and expected rates of diffusion with the persistence of Eu(II) -based contrast enhancement. Biodistribution studies revealed europium clearance through the liver and kidneys for intravenous and intraperitoneal injections, but no contrast enhancement was observed in organs associated with clearance. These data represent a step toward understanding the behavior of Eu(II) -based complexes in vivo. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Should We Use Model-Based Methods for Phylogenetic Inference When We Know That Assumptions About Among-Site Rate Variation and Nucleotide Substitution Pattern Are Violated?

An often-expressed concern regarding the use ofmaximum likelihoodandothermodelbased methods in phylogenetic analysis is that the assumedmodels are too simple, violating known aspects of sequence evolution in several ways (e.g., Sanderson and Kim, 2000). For example,we know that sites do not truly evolve independently, that the substitution process is not completely homogeneous across sites and through time, and that simple stochastic models fail to adequately represent the complexity of the nucleotide substitution process. Many advances have been made in an effort to model sequence evolution more realistically, including allowance for unequal base composition (Felsenstein, 1981), complex substitution patterns (e.g., Tavare, 1986; Yang, 1994), among-site rate variation (Yang, 1993), compensatory base substitution (Schoniger and Von Haeseler, 1994), and heterogeneity of the substitution process across the tree (Galtier and Gouy, 1998). Nevertheless, even with these improvements, there is no reason to believe that even the most general and parameter-rich evolutionarymodels currently available capture all the nuances of the processes that have generated any particular set of sequences. Furthermore, accurate estimation of the parameters of complex evolutionary models can be very difcult, anddata sets containing many taxa and sites may be needed for likelihood estimation to consistently yield reliable parameter estimates (Nielsen, 1997; Sullivan et al., 1999). Fortunately, perfect models are not necessarily a prerequisite for reliable statistical inference (e.g., Burnham and Andersen, 1998). Many statistical methods performwell in the face ofviolationof commondistributional assumptions such as normality (e.g., Boneau, 1960; Donaldson, 1968). However, this observation does not guarantee the robustness of maximum likelihood when applied to the phylogenetic estimation problem. It is therefore important to examine the impact of various model violations on the accuracy of phylogenetic estimation (e.g., Huelsenbeck, 1995). In some cases, biases introduced by violation of a model’s assumptions can actually favor recovery of the true tree rather than an incorrect tree (Yang, 1997; Siddall, 1998). For example, Yang (1997) simulated data under a Jukes–Cantor (JC) model with variable rates across sites (following a gamma distribution) and demonstrated that estimation under the JC model with equal rates could be more efcient than estimation in which among-site rate variationwas correctly modeled by a gamma distribution. However, the reasons for the improvement in efciency shouldbedisconcerting (Bruno andHalpern, 1999; Swofford et al., 2001). These results suggest that application of increasingly general and complex models would sometimes lead to decreased efciency, despite the fact that themore complex models almost always provide signicantly better t to real data than the simplermodels. However, in Yang’s study, the improvement
Atrial Fibrillation Post-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Cause, Consequence, or Confounder?∗

Atrial fibrillation is a disease not necessarily confined to the atria, but rather a systemic disease. In the elderly patient, it is more commonly associated with aortic atherosclerosis, increased vascular stiffness, heart failure, diabetes hypertension, and age, although atrial anatomical
Revisiting Salesperson Knowledge: The Role of Optimism

In a recent reaffirmation of past research, Ahearne et al. (2005) and DeCarlo et al. (2007) have shown the positive relationship between product knowledge and performance. The latter also indicate that level of product knowledge and selling skills mediate not just past performance but also future performance expectations. While salesperson knowledge has received considerable attention in marketing (see Sharma et al. 2007 for a recent review) there has been less focus on salespersons’ product knowledge. Given the pace of technological advancement, product knowledge is a critical component of a salesperson’s ability. Based on data collected from automobile salespeople, this research first hypothesizes and confirms that:
5.8 GHz ISM band energy harvester utilizing Dickson charge pump

This paper introduces a 5.725–5.850GHz ISM band energy harvester that utilizes a Dickson charge pump to harvest enough charge to light up an LED from 50cm away with less than 1W of transmitted power. The design utilizes two arrays of dual patch antennas with a staggered feed to enable a wider radiation gain pattern.
Interactive Nonlinear Learning Environments.

E‑learning materials often have a linear design where all learners are forced into a single‑mode pedagogy, which is contrary to the interaction that occurs in face‑to‑face learning. Ideally, e‑learning materials should be nonlinear, interactive, contain context‑sensitive and active learning elements, and accommodate various learning levels and styles. This paper presents an educator's perspective on approaches to designing such e‑learning materials, which are essential to enhancing the education of future generations of students.
Peeling flexible beams in viscous fluids: Rigidity and extensional compliance

We describe small angle peeling measurements in completely submerged environments to study the coupling between viscous forces and the mechanical properties of the plates being peeled. During the experiments, the plates resist motion because of lubrication forces while van der Waals forces between the plates and the static surface are negligible. In particular, we study the role played by flexural rigidity in the force-displacement curves and in the energy release rate. We show that the coupling between the viscous forces and the flexural rigidity of the plates dictates the shape and magnitude of the force-displacement curves. We develop simple scaling relationships that combine the lubrication forces with an Euler-Bernoulli beam to extract how the peak force and energy release rates depend on the ratio between rigidity and viscosity, and show good agreement between the predictions and experimental results. We also show that increasing the extensional compliance leads to a decrease in both the force-displacement curve and in the energy release rate. We then demonstrate that this reduction can be interpreted in terms of a stress decay length.
The mutual aid model of group supervision

ABSTRACTGroup supervision has gained in popularity due to cost-effectiveness. However, a conceptual framework that adequately explains its benefits has yet to be articulated. Research findings are mixed. Participation in a group enhances supervisees’ learning by exposing them to alternative points of view and bolsters confidence, but fears of being judged and poor time management undermine its utility. In this article, the author presents a model of group supervision that integrates key supervisory tasks with core responsibilities associated with group work practice. Case examples illustrate how the supervisor integrates the two sets of responsibilities to create a unique learning environment.
Higher Surgical Morbidity for Ulcerative Colitis Patients in the Era of Biologics.

OBJECTIVE To investigate differences in surgical approach and postoperative outcomes for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) before and after the introduction of biologic therapy. BACKGROUND Biologic use has dramatically increased since Food and Drug Administration approval of infliximab. Studies conflict as to the effect of these agents on surgical outcomes with some demonstrating worse surgical outcomes whereas others have found no difference. METHODS We used an administrative, all-payer, all-age group database located in New York State. Patients were included if they had a diagnosis of UC and underwent surgery for their disease from 1995 to 2013. Outcomes were compared for the index admission, at 90-day, and 1-year follow up. RESULTS A total of 7070 patients were included for analysis; 54% patients underwent surgery between 1995 and 2005 and the remaining 46% patients underwent surgery between 2005 and 2013. There was a significant increase in the proportion of patients who underwent at least 3 procedures after 2005(14% vs 9%, P < 0.01). On adjusted analysis, patients undergoing surgery after 2005 had higher likelihood of major events (odd s ratio, OR = 1.42; 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.13-1.78), procedural complications (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.20-1.68), and nonroutine discharge (OR = 3.17; 95% CI = 2.79-3.60) during the index admission. Similar trends for worse adjusted outcomes in patients initially undergoing surgery after 2005 were seen at 90-day and 1-year follow up. CONCLUSIONS Since the introduction of biologic agents in 2005, surgery for patients with UC is more likely to require multiple procedures. Despite robust adjustments, patients having surgery recently have worse postoperative morbidity during the index hospitalization, at 90-day and 1-year follow up. More work is necessary to improve outcomes in these higher risk patients that undergo surgery.
Irradiation-induced damage evolution in concentrated Ni-based alloys ☆

Abstract Understanding the effects of chemical complexity from the number, type and concentration of alloying elements in single-phase concentred solid-solution alloys (SP-CSAs) on defect dynamics and microstructure evolution is pivotal for developing next-generation radiation-tolerant structural alloys. A specially chosen set of SP-CSAs with different chemical complexity (Ni 80 Fe 20 , Ni 80 Cr 20 and Ni 40 Fe 40 Cr 20 ) are investigated using 1.5 MeV Mn ions over a wide fluence range, from 2 × 10 13 to 1 × 10 16 ions cm −2 at room temperature. Based on an integrated study of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy in channeling geometry and molecular dynamics simulations, the results demonstrate that Ni 40 Fe 40 Cr 20 is more radiation tolerant than Ni 80 Fe 20 , Ni 80 Cr 20 and elemental Ni in the low fluence regime. While chemical complexity of this set of SP-CSAs is clearly demonstrated to affect defect evolution through suppressed defect production and enhanced recombination at early stages, the effect of the mixed ferro- and anti-ferromagnetic interactions is not the only controlling factor responsible for the improved radiation performance. The observed strong alloying effect on defect evolution is attributed to the altered defect migration mobilities of defect clusters in these alloys, an intrinsic characteristic of the complex energy landscapes in CSAs.
Teaching Notes for Quality of Earnings and Accounting Estimates: A Case of Decisions

Accounting inherently incorporates the use of estimates and assumptions in developing financial statements. The approaches managers take in arriving at estimates affect the perception of earnings quality and decisions made by financial statement users. This case requires students to make accounting estimate decisions based upon a hypothetical scenario with realistic pressures and conditions. Students develop critical‐thinking skills by documenting the reasons for their decisions and participating in open‐ended classroom dialogue about the influence of environmental factors on accounting estimates and the resulting quality of earnings. These notes include possible factors affecting student decisions, alternative solutions, quality of earnings considerations, questions for classroom discussion, and approaches to grading the written assignments.
Student Success in Introductory Psychology: The Value of Teachers Knowing More about Their Students.

This project describes the results from a large enrollment introductory psychology course specially designed to improve performance of first-year students. The main objective of the project was to ...
Dual port SRAM read-disturb-write mechanism and design for test

Dual Port (DP) needs asynchronous clock skew test to screen out read-disturb-write during simultaneous row access from both ports. We will explain read-disturb-write failure mechanism from simulation and Si. The BL clamped design and longer write word-line-pulse scheme can improve DP Vmin. 2D adaptive shmoo is also proposed to reduce test time.
An experimental investigation of forced mixing of a turbulent boundary layer in an annular diffuser

The forced mixing process of a turbulent boundary layer in an axisymmetric annular diffuser using conventional wing-like vortex generators was studied. Flow field measurements were made at four axial locations downstream of the vortex generators. At each axial location, a total of 25 equally spaced profiles were measured behind three consecutive vortex generators which formed two pairs of vortex generators. Hot film anemometry probes measured the boundary layer turbulence structure at the same locations where pressure measurements were made. Both single and cross film probes were used. The diffuser turbulence data was teken only for a nominal inlet Mach number of 0.3. Three vortex generator configurations were tested. The differences between configurations involved changes in size and relative vortex generator positions. All three vortex generator configurations tested provided increases in diffuser performance. Distinct differences in the boundary layer integral properties and skin friction levels were noted between configurations. The axial turbulence intensity and Reynolds stress profiles measured displayed similarities in trends but differences in levels for the three configurations.
Cytochalasin B Inhibition of Luteinizing Hormone Action on Bovine Luteal Cells

The mechanism of action of luteinizing hormone (LH)1 in stimulating steroidogenesis in the corpus luteum has been studied for some time, and a concept of some of the major aspects of this mechanism has emerged (1). LH binds to receptors on the luteal cell surface and this binding brings about an activation of adenylate cyclase and an increase in the concentration of cyclic AMP. This cyclic AMP in turn binds to the regulatory subunit of a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase causing the release and activation of the catalytic subunit. The increase in protein kinase is believed to mediate most if not all of the effects of LH on the steroidogenic pathway, but its precise mechanism is not known at this time. The limiting step in the steroidogenic pathway appears to be between cholesterol and pregnenolone but there are several ways in which this step might be accelerated (1). One possibility is that LH and cyclic AMP might promote the transport of cholesterol into mitochondria, and there is some experimental support for this from studies on the mechanism of action of ACTH in stimulating adrenal corticosteroidogenesis (2,3). Furthermore, microfilaments, a contractile element of the cells, have been implicated in the ACTH stimulated transport of cholesterol into the mitochondria of Y-1 mouse adrenal tumor cells (4). We have attempted to investigate the possible role of microfilaments in the mechanism of action of LH in the luteal cell. Our approach has been to study the effect of an inhibitor of microfilament function, namely cytochalasin B.
Helm and Boltzmann: Energetics at the Lübeck naturforscherversammlung

The energetics controversy is understood variously as energy vs. atoms, thermodynamics vs. statistical mechanics, phenomenalism vs. realism, equations vs. pictures, and especially Ostwald vs. Boltzmann. It is generally thought that at Lubeck in 1895 Boltzmann and Planck demolished energetics, but while its momentum was slowed, energetics in one or more of the above senses still retained supporters as late as the great physics conference at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Indeed, after Ostwald himself abandoned it in 1908, Ernst Mach began for the first time to defend it. The main emphasis in this paper, however, is on Georg Helm (1851–1923) who had been invited to Lubeck to be the main speaker on energetics. He had adopted his position earlier than Ostwald and his views avoided many of the errors and oversights in Ostwald’s approach. Indeed, Helm could be called the strongest defender of energetics, even if Ostwald was Boltzmann’s main target. Helm was largely Machist in philosophy at that time and did not reify energy.
Beyond Basel2: Modeling loss given default through survival analysis

In the last years the majority of European Banking Groups has chosen to adopt the advance status under Basel2. This has required banks to develop statistical models for estimating Probability of Default, Loss Given Default and Exposure at Default, within a horizon time of 1 year. Such models make no attempt at describing the exact timing of default, in particular, beside an extensive academic and practitioner’s literature on PD, LGD studies are in a less advance status. One of the main reasons could be due to the difficulties in modeling and forecasting the danger rates. The aim of this paper is to show the results of the first application on an Italian Bank Retail portfolio of survival analysis technique for estimating LGD, by modeling the danger rate. Two issues arise from the forecasting of danger rates: dealing positions that change, or not, their status towards charge off and obtaining a certain level of accuracy across time, thus resulting more difficult than in simpler classification methods. This paper analyzes the use of a parametric survival model, where time is assumed to follow some distribution whose PDF can be expressed in terms of unknown parameters: hazard and shape.
Natural Variability and Waste Disposal Options

On the land and in the sea there is considerable natural variability in the physical and chemical environment and in the communities that inhabit these environments. These variations occur at all space and time scales and affect our choice of areas which are suitable or unsuitable for disposal of wastes. The natural variability also places major constraints on our capability to assess the consequences of disposal. Without adequate understanding of the underlying processes causing these changes we cannot determine what are appropriate options, particularly if we are concerned with effects on species other than man.
Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis–Attributable Years of Potential Life Lost to Life Expectancy and Potential Life Lost Before Age 65 Years — United States, 1999–2016

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a preventable occupational lung disease caused by inhaling coal mine dust that can lead to premature* death (1,2). To assess trends in premature mortality attributed to CWP (3), CDC analyzed underlying† causes of death data from 1999 to 2016, the most recent years for which complete data are available. Years of potential life lost to life expectancy (YPLL) and years of potential life lost before age 65 years (YPLL65)§ were calculated (4). During 1999-2016, a total of 38,358 YPLL (mean per decedent = 8.8 years) and 2,707 YPLL65 (mean per decedent = 7.3 years) were attributed to CWP. The CWP-attributable YPLL decreased from 3,300 in 1999 to 1,813 in 2007 (p<0.05). No significant change in YPLL occurred after 2007. During 1996-2016, however, the mean YPLL per decedent significantly increased from 8.1 to 12.6 per decedent (p<0.001). Overall, CWP-attributable YPLL65 did not change. The mean YPLL65 per decedent decreased from 6.5 in 1999 to 4.3 in 2002 (p<0.05), sharply increased to 8.9 in 2005, and then gradually decreased to 6.5 in 2016 (p<0.001). Increases in YPLL per decedent during 1999-2016 indicate that over time decedents aged ≥25 years with CWP lost more years of life relative to their life expectancies, suggesting increased CWP severity and rapid disease progression. This finding underscores the need for strengthening proven prevention measures to prevent premature CWP-associated mortality.
Black box, a concept design: grief work and the digitized self

Death is the end of us all. Yet, the identity of the dead lives on in the possessions they leave behind. Traditionally, it is the responsibility of the bereaved to sort through the deceased's belongings. This responsibility has been complicated by the digital age, leaving the remains of our digital self on social media, our devices, and more. To probe cultural narratives of grief work and letting go, we have designed a conceptual artifact called Black Box.
Trauma-Informed Care — Reflections of a Primary Care Doctor in the Week of the Kavanaugh Hearing

Trauma-Informed Care Stories of abuse, of trauma inflicted by people with power, have permeated a primary care physician’s sessions with patients over recent weeks. Many patients name the Kavanaugh hearings as a source of dread: the news has brought back memories of their own experiences.
Long-term durability of Oakes salvage procedure to preserve Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistula.

Abstract Background In 2002, Oakes et al described a novel procedure designed to salvage the distal cephalic venous outflow of a Brescia-Cimino fistula by placing a prosthetic graft between the brachial artery in the antecubital space and the cephalic vein at the wrist. In this fashion, the more proximal veins were saved for future procedures. Their approach was reported and found to be successful in the short term, but the long-term durability of the Oakes procedure has not been described. This study aimed to determine the long-term primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency rates of the brachial to distal cephalic vein Oakes procedure. Methods This is a retrospective review of a prospective database in a large, single institution. All patients who underwent the Oakes procedure from 1998 to 2012 were followed up to 2018. We reviewed the time to intervention, type of intervention, patency rates, and mortality of this patient population. Results Over the 5-year study period, 14 patients were identified who underwent the Oakes procedure, of whom seven (50%) were female. The average age was 55.7 years (range, 38-73 years). All patients had a previously placed Brescia-Cimino that was not suitable for dialysis but was patent. The average number of days to placement of an Oakes brachial to distal cephalic graft was 396 (range, 119-1167) days. A total of 71% (10) of patients underwent an intervention to maintain the graft, of whom 50% (5) underwent an angioplasty and 50% (5) had a thrombectomy/revision procedure. The average number of days to first intervention was 367.3 (range, 21-1048) days from Oakes placement. Of this cohort, 30% (3) of patients had a second intervention, of whom one (33%) underwent an angioplasty and two (66%) had revisions. One patient had a third and a fourth intervention at 39 days and 74 days, respectively, that were both angioplasties. The overall number of days the Oakes procedure remained usable from placement was 843.6 (range, 21-3790) days or 2.3 years. Conclusions This study concluded that the Oakes procedure may extend the use of the distal dialysis access site by 2.3 years without increasing infection and is hence a durable solution that should be considered in patients requiring dialysis access.
The effect of hypoxia on chondrogenesis of equine synovial membrane-derived and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Joint injury is extremely common in equine athletes and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a progressive and debilitating disease, is estimated to affect 60% of horses in the USA. The limited potential for intrinsic healing of articular cartilage has prompted intense efforts to identify a cell-based repair strategy to prevent progression of PTOA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to become an ideal source for cell-based treatment of cartilage lesions; however, full chondrogenic differentiation remains elusive. Due to the relatively low oxygen tension in articular cartilage, hypoxia has been proposed as a method of increasing MSC chondrogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of hypoxic culture conditions on chondrogenesis in equine synovial membrane-derived MSCs (SM-MSCs) and bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). MSCs were isolated from synovial membrane and bone marrow collected from 5 horses. Flow cytometric analysis was used to assess cell surface marker expression including CD29, CD44, CD90, CD105, CD45, CD-79α, MHCI and MHCII. MSC pellets were cultured in normoxic (21% O2) or in hypoxic (5% O2) culture conditions for 28 days. Following the culture period, chondrogenesis was assessed by histology, biochemical analyses and gene expression of chondrogenic-related genes including ACAN, COL2b, SOX9, and COL10A1. Both cell types expressed markers consistent with stemness including CD29, CD44, CD90, CD105, and MHCI and were negative for exclusion markers (CD45, CD79α, and MHCII). Although the majority of outcome variables of chondrogenic differentiation were not significantly different between cell types or culture conditions, COL10A1 expression, a marker of chondrocyte hypertrophy, was lowest in hypoxic SM-MSCs and was significantly lower in hypoxic SM-MSCs compared to hypoxic BM-MSCs. Hypoxic culture conditions do not appear to increase chondrogenesis of equine SM-MSCs or BM-MSCs; however, hypoxia may downregulate the hypertrophic marker COL10A1 in SM-MSCs.
Blocking Formation of the Stable HIV Reservoir: A New Perspective for HIV-1 Cure.

Recent studies demonstrate that the stable HIV-1 reservoir in resting CD4+ T cells is mostly formed from viruses circulating when combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) is initiated. Here we explore the immunological basis for these observations. Untreated HIV-1 infection is characterized by a progressive depletion of memory CD4+ T cells which mostly express CD127, the α chain of the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R). Depletion results from both direct infection and bystander loss of memory CD4+ T cells in part attributed to dysregulated IL-7/IL-7R signaling. While IL-7/IL7R signaling is not essential for the generation of effector CD4+ T cells from naive cells, it is essential for the further transition of effectors to memory CD4+ T cells and their subsequent homeostatic maintenance. HIV-1 infection therefore limits the transition of CD4+ T cells from an effector to long-lived memory state. With the onset of ART, virus load (VL) levels rapidly decrease and the frequency of CD127+ CD4+ memory T cells increases, indicating restoration of effector to memory transition in CD4+ T cells. Collectively these data suggest that following ART initiation, HIV-1 infected effector CD4+ T cells transition to long-lived, CD127+ CD4+ T cells forming the majority of the stable HIV-1 reservoir. We propose that combining ART initiation with inhibition of IL-7/IL-7R signaling to block CD4+ T cell memory formation will limit the generation of long-lived HIV-infected CD4+ T cells and reduce the overall size of the stable HIV-1 reservoir.
3D thermal-hydraulic analysis of a symmetric wavy parabolic trough absorber pipe

Abstract We analyzed a symmetric wavy parabolic trough absorber pipe using an experimentally validated 3D FEM coupled to a semi-analytical optical model. The proposed absorber design was assessed based on the first and second law efficiency as well as the performance evaluation criteria (PEC), which accounted for both heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop relative to a conventional design, as we varied the wave amplitude, periodicity length, and fluid mass flow rate. Significant improvement in the first law efficiency was observed with the proposed design, especially at high mass flow rates due to the accelerated flow across the pipe throat which in turn enhanced the mixing. The second law efficiency variation shifted from an increasing to a decreasing trend with respect to the wave amplitude as the mass flow rate increased, and the exergy destruction due to pressure drop became evident accordingly. The PEC verified the superior performance of the proposed absorber design over the traditional straight pipe as its peak value was approximately 1.25. We also determined critical wave amplitude, periodicity length, and mass flow rate below which the PEC was less than unity due to an escalated pressure drop that offset the heat transfer enhancement.
Personality Prediction of Social Network Users Using Ensemble and XGBoost

Machine learning has gained tremendous attention from researchers recently. It has wide applications in tasks such as prediction and classification. Current work focuses on the effective detection of the personality of social network users. Personality is a combination of one’s thinking and behavior. Having knowledge about personality of a person has many applications in real world such as varied recommendation systems or HR departments. Personality of a person can be better understood by interacting with him/her. Predicting personality using social media is a new approach where direct interaction with people can be eliminated and accurate predictions can be built. Although different machine learning methods have been used by researchers recently for the task of prediction, the use of Ensembles has not been explored. Current work focuses on advanced classifiers such as XGBoost and Ensemble for prediction. Experimentation on the real-time Twitter dataset indicates high accuracy of 82.59% with an Ensemble. These results are encouraging for future research.
Objecting, subjecting, and epistemic diversity:

Held (2020) portrays critical and Indigenous psychologists as subscribing to an epistemological “anti-objectivism” that inhibits their ability to combat oppression. She believes that their anti-obj...
Preparation and Purification of GdCl3

GdCl3 has been prepared from high purity Gd3O3 with NH4Cl as the chlorinating agent. The optimum time, temperature, air flow rate, and the mixing ratio of Gd2O3 and NH4Cl for chlorination were determined. Almost complete conversion (99. 8%) of Gd2O3 to GdCl3 was obtained with 2.5 times or more the theoretical amount of NH4Cl and with at least a 20 hr reaction time at 250° C under a dried air flow. The excess NH4Cl was removed from the GdCl3 by sublimation at 350° C in vacuum. The resulting GdCl3 was purified to a dense crystalline GdCl3 by distillation in vacuum using Ta crucibles and condensers.
Farmers Markets and Seafood: Where Is It Feasible?

AbstractNational-level empirical research can inform how policy can effectively support direct seafood markets. The US Department of Agriculture maintains a directory of farmers markets that has no...
Social acceptability and product attributes of smart apparel: their effects on consumers’ attitude and use intention

We aimed to investigate the influence of social acceptability along with functional, expressive, aesthetic, and tracking attributes on consumers’ attitude and intention of using smart apparel. An o...
“I’m not Sweet, Bro”: LGBQ Spanish Teachers’ Experiences in the Southeastern U.S

The Southeastern U.S. is often a socially and politically conservative environment that can be challenging for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) teachers in the classroom. Language teachers’ identities are central to language teaching and learning, wielding influence on pedagogical decisions (Fogle and Moser,.Journal of Language, Identity, & Education 16:65–79, 2017), yet LGBTQ-identified teachers’ identities and experiences have often been absent in research (Nelson,.Sexual identities in English language education, Routledge, 2009). This study utilized a queer theoretical perspective in analysis of interviews with ten lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) Spanish teachers from the Southeastern U.S. to examine their school/classroom experiences. Findings and implications address the intersectional nature of place, sexuality, and gender in language teaching and learning.
Obesity protects against sepsis-induced and norepinephrine-induced white adipose tissue browning.

White adipose tissue browning is detrimental in patients with burn injury and cancer. WAT browning occurs in nonobese mice and can be induced by β receptor norepinephrine infusion, but obese mice a...
Updated Outcomes of Split Course Radiotherapy in Elderly or Infirm Patients With Advanced Cancers of the Head and Neck.

BACKGROUND/AIM Head and neck cancers are often treated with extended courses of radiotherapy (RT), which may prove excessively toxic for frail patients. Split course RT (SCRT) delivers two courses of RT separated by 4-6 weeks, personalizing treatment intensity based on response. In this study, we present our updated experience using this technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS From a single institution database, we identified patients considered for SCRT. For patients undergoing a second course of RT, cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence (LRR) and overall survival (OS) are reported. RESULTS A total of 98 patients were included, of whom seventy-five percent underwent a second course of RT. The most common fractionation was 30 Gy in 10 fractions for each course, with a median cumulative dose of 60 Gy. In those undergoing a second course of RT, median OS was 9.7 months and cumulative incidence of LRR at 6, 12, and 24 months was 17.0%, 23.1%, and 29.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION SCRT offers an attractive treatment paradigm to personalize radiation intensity based on patient tolerance, while maintaining reasonable safety and efficacy in those unfit for standard full course RT.
Effective teaching in elementary mathematics: Identifying classroom practices that support student achievement

Recent investigations into the education production function have moved beyond traditional teacher inputs, such as education, certification, and salary, focusing instead on observational measures of teaching practice. However, challenges to identification mean that this work has yet to coalesce around specific instructional dimensions that increase student achievement. I build on this discussion by exploiting within-school, between-grade, and cross-cohort variation in scores from two observation instruments; further, I condition on a uniquely rich set of teacher characteristics, practices, and skills. Findings indicate that inquiry-oriented instruction positively predicts student achievement. Content errors and imprecisions are negatively related, though these estimates are sensitive to the set of covariates included in the model. Two other dimensions of instruction, classroom emotional support and classroom organization, are not related to this outcome. Findings can inform recruitment and development efforts aimed at improving the quality of the teacher workforce.
Abstract 1456: MicroRNA improves the efficacy of imatinib on the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a malignancy of pluripotent hematopoietic cells that is caused by the deregulated activity of the tyrosine kinase that is encoded by the chimeric bcr-abl oncogene. Given that CML cells are usually highly resistant to chemotherapy, novel and more efficacious strategies against this disease are urgently needed. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a set of newly discovered 20-22 nucleotides RNA molecules, and they broadly repress their cognate target genes at post-transcriptional/trans-lational level. To date, there are approximately 2,500 human miRNA transcripts have been characterized, which are estimated to modulate more than 30% human genes by being involved in many essential normal biological and pathological processes including differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis as well. In this study, we studied let-7a, a miRNA with tumor suppressive signature, for its therapeutic potential in CML. When treating CML K562 and KU812 cell by imatinib, let-7a can be significantly induced. Overexpression of let-7a can sensitize K562 and KU812 cells to imatinib, while knock-down of let-7a can increase the resistance of these cells towards this drug. The functional studies found that let-7a was able to promote apoptosis of CML cells, inhibit the tumor cell proliferation, and lead to a cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. These results demonstrate that let-7a is a potential target for treating CML by imatinib and/or other anti-cancer drugs. The pro-apoptosis and anti-proliferation roles of let-7a in CML cells may provide novel insights into discovery and development of more efficacious drugs for treating this malignant disease. Citation Format: Bin Yi, Ruixia Ma, Xiangling Feng, Zhiwei Xing, Xiaoguo Zhang, Gary Piazza, Yaguang Xi. MicroRNA improves the efficacy of imatinib on the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1456. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1456
A Mechanistic Study of Fuel Freezing, Channel Plugging, and Continued Coolability During Fast Reactor Overpower Excursions

A mechanistic model is presented which describes events following fuel pin failure which may lead to in-channel fuel plate-out. The thermal and hydraulic effects of the plate-out fuel are also evaluated. Given the amount and particle size of the fuel injected into the coolant channel during fuel pin failure, and the initial conditions of the interaction zone, the physical states of the fuel particles and the coolant in the interaction zone can be determined. The trajectories of the fuel particles in the coolant channel are determined by assuming a slip factor between the local tangential velocities of the coolant and the fuel particles. The time and distance after which a fuel particle hits a wire wrap are then determined and the impact stresses induced in the thin solid fuel crust can be evaluated.
Disability in the Hebrew Bible: Physical Disabilities Classified as “Defects”

I n this chapter i undertake a systematic investigation of congenital or acquired alterations to the body that are classified by biblical texts as “defects” ( mumim ). “Defects” constitute a significant, although by no means comprehensive, category of disability in the biblical anthology. Even though blindness, lameness, and several other physical conditions are included among biblical “defects,” deafness, muteness, and various diseases, as well as mental disability, are not categorized as such, and this chapter attempts to identify the rationale behind what constitutes a “defect.” Biblical “defects” tend to have negative social ramifications for those who possess them, and therefore, the social dynamics of “defects” are explored in some depth. Persons with “defects” are frequently stigmatized by biblical authors, who also assign them marginal social positions. This is accomplished through the deployment of discourses of profanation, curse, and hatred, among others, as well as through association with devalued characteristics (e.g., weakness, vulnerability, ignorance) and other marginal categories of persons (e.g., the poor, the alien). The degree to which the stigmatizing and marginalizing “defect” is a particular social construction native to a specific cultural context is brought into relief by the exceptional case of male circumcision. Constructed by biblical texts as normative, although it is an imposed alteration to the body not unlike other imposed alterations cast as “defects” (e.g., the cutting off of a lip or an eyelid), circumcision is socially and ritually enabling rather than disabling.