cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE ABUNDANCE OF CULEX NIGRIPALPUS AND CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS IN WASTEWATER PONDS AT TWO FLORIDA DAIRIES

Patterns of seasonal variation in the relative abundance of immature Culex mosquitoes in wastewater ponds at dairies located in 2 different regions of peninsular Florida were compared. Culex nigripalpus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were by far the most common mosquitoes collected during the study (99,344 and 106,225 individuals, respectively). Within-station differences in abundance of Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were evident depending upon time of year. There were also between-station differences in the abundances of the 2 species depending upon time of year and station. Environmental and behavioral factors are implicated in some of the observed differences. We discuss mosquito control options for dairy ponds as well as possible impacts of mosquito production from these areas to humans and to animal health and production.
Tonsils and Adenoids

1. Charles W. Gross, MD* 2. Scott E. Harrison, MD† 1. 2. *Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatrics. 3. 4. †Instructor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, VA. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the structures generically termed “tonsils” and “adenoids.” 2. Explain the repercussions of the differences between the bacterial pathogens on the surface of the tonsils or adenoids and those deep within the folds or crypts of these structures. 3. List the percentage of children who have adenotonsillar disease that will yield beta-lacatamase-producing bacteria. 4. Delineate the sequelae of severe, longstanding upper airway obstruction. 5. Describe velopharyngeal incompetence and the management of those at risk. Almost every parent has a familiarity with tonsils and adenoids. They or their children may have had tonsillitis or sore throats, may snore, may have difficulty breathing, or may know someone who has undergone a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy. Suspected tonsillar or adenoidal abnormalities prompt frequent visits to physicians. Because tonsils and adenoids are addressed so frequently, it is important to understand these structures, possible abnormalities and potential sequelae, and management options. “Tonsils” and “adenoids” are generic terms applied to the lymphatic tissues located within the oral cavity. In reality, they are part of a ring of lymphatic tissues around the nasopharynx and oropharynx at the entry point to the upper aerodigestive tract. Several separate structures form this ring, classically known as the Waldeyer ring. Adenoids or pharyngeal tonsils are the superior extent of the ring and are located within the nasopharynx. They are a diffuse or nodular collection of lymphoid tissue that forms a number of folds within the mucosa of the roof and posterior wall of the nasopharynx. The adenoids receive blood supply from branches of the external carotid artery. Venous drainage goes through the pharyngeal plexus into the internal jugular vein, and innervation originates from the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves. Hypertrophy of the adenoids commonly results in snoring, rhinorrhea, or both; may cause otitis media or obstruction of the …
The Syntheses of Choline and Acetylcholine in Brain

The rates at which neurons synthesize and release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) can be affected by the levels of its precursor, choline. Under appropriate circumstances, treatments that raise brain choline levels cause parallel increases in ACh synthesis1–3 and enhance cholinergic neurotransmis-sion.4–6 Thus, it becomes important to understand the factors that determine brain choline levels. These factors include both the flux of choline between the blood and brain and its synthesis and metabolism within the brain itself.
Critical Roles for Both STAT1-Dependent and STAT1-Independent Pathways in the Control of Primary Dengue Virus Infection in Mice

Dengue virus (DEN), a flavivirus, causes dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome, the most common mosquito-borne viral illnesses in humans worldwide. In this study, using STAT1(-/-) mice bearing two different mutant stat1 alleles in the 129/Sv/Ev background, we demonstrate that IFNR-dependent control of primary DEN infection involves both STAT1-dependent and STAT1-independent mechanisms. The STAT1 pathway is necessary for clearing the initial viral load, whereas the STAT1-independent pathway controls later viral burden and prevents DEN disease in mice. The STAT1-independent responses in mice with primary DEN infection included the early activation of B and NK cells as well as the up-regulation of MHC class I molecules on macrophages and dendritic cells. Infection of bone marrow-derived dendritic cell cultures with either DEN or Sindbis virus, another positive-strand RNA virus, confirmed the early vs late natures of the STAT1-dependent and STAT1-independent pathways. Collectively, these data begin to define the nature of the STAT1-dependent vs the STAT1-independent pathway in vivo.
Effects of calcitonin on GH response to pyridostigmine in combination with hGHRH (1-29) NH2 in normal adult subjects.

SUMMARY Studies in man demonstrated that salmon calcitonin (sCT) administration blunts the pituitary GH response to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH). However, the mechanisms underlying this inhibitory action of CT in man are unclear. Pyridostigmine (PD), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, is hypothesized to enhance the GH response to GHRH in normal subjects probably via a decrease in the somatostatinergic tone. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of the inhibitory action of sCT on the GH response to human GHRH (1–29) NH2 by concomitant PD administration in normal humans. The GH response to GHRH was significantly suppressed by prior administration of sCT. Pretreatment of subjects with PD significantly enhanced the GH response to GHRH but did not alter the inhibitory actions of sCT. We conclude that sCT is able to inhibit GHRH-stimulated GH secretion in man without influencing the hypothalamic somatostatinergic tone.
Effects of Initial Graft Tension on the Tibiofemoral Compressive Forces and Joint Position After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: The initial tension applied to an anterior cruciate ligament graft at the time of fixation modulates knee motion and the tibiofemoral compressive loads.Purpose: To establish the relationships between initial graft tension, tibiofemoral compressive force, and the neutral tibiofemoral position in the cadaveric knee.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: The tibiofemoral compressive forces and joint positions were determined in the anterior cruciate ligament-intact knee at 0°, 20°, and 90° of knee flexion. The anterior cruciate ligament was excised and reconstructed with a patellar tendon graft using graft tensions of 1, 15, 30, 60, and 90 N applied at 0°, 20°, and 90° of knee flexion. The compressive forces and neutral positions were compared between initial tension conditions and the anterior cruciate ligament-intact knee.Results: Increasing initial graft tension increased the tibiofemoral compressive forces. The forces in the medial compartment were 1.8 times those in the lateral c...
THERAPEUTIC GROUPS ONLINE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNKNOWN

In an era of diminishing health care resources, the number of online support groups is increasing. These groups consist of individuals seeking assistance with problems such as depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, cancer, and eating disorders. Although online support groups are apparently popular, little is known about their therapeutic efficacy. Seminal findings suggest that these groups offer some advantages over their traditional face-to-face counterparts; however, disadvantages have also been identified. It is clear that additional research is required to better understand what role these groups should play in mental health care.
Pharmacoepidemiologic study of acute exacerbations of COPD: challenges and opportunities.

Evaluation of: Rothberg MB, Pekow PS, Lahti M, Brody O, Skiest DJ, Lindenauer PK. Antibiotic therapy and treatment failure in patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. JAMA 303(20), 2035–2042 (2010).Guideline recommendations for the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are derived from randomized clinical trials; they usually have a small sample size and are unrepresentative of patient populations. By contrast, observation data represent real-world patient population with large sample sizes and greater generalizability; however, appropriate methodologies are needed to analyze the data and make sound inference. This article reviews the study by Rothberg et al., summarizes the key findings, and extends the discussion to the challenges and opportunities of pharmacoepidemiologic studies in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Multiple Self-Aspects Framework: Self-Concept Representation and Its Implications

The multiple self-aspects framework (MSF) conceives of the self-concept as a collection of multiple, context-dependent selves. From this perspective, five principles are derived, addressing issues such as how context activates particular regions of self-knowledge and how self-relevant feedback affects self-evaluations and affect. Support for these principles is discussed. Furthermore, the MSF advances several novel predictions, including how active self-aspects filter one's experiences and perceptions, how the impact of chronic accessibility is more circumscribed than previously realized, and how self-concept representation modulates the experience of affect. In addition, the MSF helps integrate isolated lines of research within several diverse literatures, including self-regulation, stability and variability for the self, the integration of others into the self-concept, and several individual difference factors as well. Overall, the current work speaks to issues of relevance to several subdisciplines in psychology (e.g., cultural, developmental, personality, social) interested in the self, providing conceptual and methodological insights.
Resistant hyponatremia and hypokalemia treated successfully with nephrectomy

Persistent hyponatremia and hypokalemia in the setting of hypertension may be a manifestation of an underlying hyperreninemic state. We present here a case of a patient who presented with a constellation of hypertension with severe polydipsia, subnephrotic proteinuria, with resistant hyponatremia and hypokalemia. Workup revealed an elevated plasma renin activity and elevated plasma aldosterone. Magnetic resonance imaging of the renal vasculature revealed complete occlusion of the right renal artery and a nuclear medicine renal scan showed a split renal function of 87% for the left kidney and 13% for the right kidney. The use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors was contraindicated due to a history of angioedema. Nephrectomy of the ischemic kidney was thus planned, and it resulted in a dramatic and complete resolution of his laboratory abnormalities and hypertension.
Richard Epstein's Mortal Peril: Ebenezer Scrooge Meets the American Health Care System

Professor Henry Greely views Richard Epstein's Mortal Peril as a provocative, but ultimately failed work. It provokes with both its sharp analysis and its pointed language. Yet it fails in its goal of demonstrating the useful application of Epstein's first principles to the problems of access to health care. Greely first argues that several of Epstein's chapters focus on the need to change the health care system to let people who cannot afford care die, without providing empirical support for his claims about the costs of the current system. He asserts that Epstein never assesses the possible benefits of the programs he attacks, including the value in their correspondence to the popular unwillingness to let people die for lack of money. He contends that Epstein's rhetoric about these deaths is harsh and likely counterproductive. Greely then contends that Epstein's examination of access to health care delivers far less than the sweeping assessment the book promises. Mortal Peril fails to recommend specific reforms or describe, even in general terms, how the health care system would operate if its principles were adopted. Greely then constructs a health care system that he argues would meet Epstein's principles. He claims that it would provide more health coverage for those who need it least, and less health coverage for those who need it most: a result both substantively and politically unacceptable. Epstein's first principles, Greely urges, do not provide solutions to the problems of access to health care and are, at best, irrelevant to them. Finally, Greely argues that the book's provocative premise, combined with its flaws, creates the danger that many will disregard future attempts to bring the tools of economic analysis to bear on health care reform. To Greely, this danger is more real than the danger that Epstein's proposals will be followed by health care policy makers.
Properties of High Strength Concrete for Structural Design

The current ultimate strength design practice is based on experimental information obtained from concretes of compressive strengths in the range of 21 to 42 Mpa. For developing a satisfactory procedure for design of structures using higher strength concretes, additional considerations, and validation or modification of existing strength design methods may be necessary.
Adaptive Averaging in Accelerated Descent Dynamics

We study accelerated descent dynamics for constrained convex optimization. This dynamics can be described naturally as a coupling of a dual variable accumulating gradients at a given rate $\eta(t)$, and a primal variable obtained as the weighted average of the mirrored dual trajectory, with weights $w(t)$. Using a Lyapunov argument, we give sufficient conditions on $\eta$ and $w$ to achieve a desired convergence rate. As an example, we show that the replicator dynamics (an example of mirror descent on the simplex) can be accelerated using a simple averaging scheme. We then propose an adaptive averaging heuristic which adaptively computes the weights to speed up the decrease of the Lyapunov function. We provide guarantees on adaptive averaging in continuous-time, prove that it preserves the quadratic convergence rate of accelerated first-order methods in discrete-time, and give numerical experiments to compare it with existing heuristics, such as adaptive restarting. The experiments indicate that adaptive averaging performs at least as well as adaptive restarting, with significant improvements in some cases.
Fusion proteins of Arabidopsis cap-binding proteins: Cautionary "tails" of woe.

ABSTRACTThe use of fluorescent proteins fused to other proteins has been very useful in revealing the location and function of many proteins. However, it is very important to show that the fusion of these reporter proteins does not impact the function of the protein of interest. Plants have 2 forms of the cap-binding protein that function in initiation of translation, eIF4E and a plant specific form, eIFiso4E. In an attempt to determine the cellular localization of eIFiso4E, fusions to GFP were made, but were found to not be competent to rescue the lethal phenotype of plants lacking eIF4E and eIFiso4E. This suggested that the GFP fusions at either the N- or C-terminus of eIFiso4E were not functional. Biochemical analysis of the fusions revealed that eIFiso4E•GFP fusions were not able to bind to m7GTP Sepharose indicating that they were not functional as cap-binding proteins. Analysis of eIF4E•GFP fusions, both in yeast and in vitro, showed that the N-terminal fusion may be functional, whereas the C-termin...
Countability distinctions and semantic variation

To what extent are countability distinctions subject to systematic semantic variation? Could there be a language with no countability distinctions—in particular, one where all nouns are count? I argue that the answer is no: even in a language where all NPs have the core morphosyntactic properties of English count NPs, such as combining with numerals directly and showing singular/plural contrasts, countability distinctions still emerge on close inspection. I divide these distinctions into those related to sums (cumulativity) and those related to parts (divisiveness, atomicity, and related notions). In the Sahaptian language Nez Perce, evidence can be found for both types of distinction, in spite of the absence of anything like a traditional mass–count division in noun morphosyntax. I propose an extension of the Nez Perce analysis to Yudja (Tupi), analyzed by Lima (The grammar of individuation and counting, 2014) as lacking any countability distinctions. More generally, I suggest that at least one countability distinction may be universal and that languages without any countability distinctions may be unlearnable.
Acceleration and Dissolution of Stars in the Antibang

If the universe is spatially closed, and the simplest cosmological models are valid approximations, then in ~ 1011 years the universe will recollapse into an antibang. (A “bang” is explosive, whereas an “antibag” may be considered implosive.) In this note I shall add one or two details to the seminal work of Rees (1969).
DANE, Barbara O. and Carol LEVINE, eds., AIDS AND THE NEW ORPHANS: Coping with Death

DANE, Barbara 0. and Carol LEVINE, eds., AIDS AND THE NEW ORPHANS: Coping with Death. West Port, CT: Auburn House, 1994, 158pp., $17.95 softcover. Since the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) appeared on the scene in late 1970s, it has been treated often as a political and moral issue because it was initially viewed as a disease of the gay and lesbian people who were suspected to be intravenous drug users, and in many ways outcasts. The most disappointing aspect of this situation has been that for several years the people who suffered from this disease, which still remains incurable, were stigmatized and their suffering continues. In AIDS and the New Orphans. by Dane and Levine, the authors fill a void by putting together recent research in nine articles by scholars who have focused their recent attention on grief, death and bereavement. These include not only those who contacted AIDS but also those whose loved ones are also infected or suffered from the death of the loved ones, thus leaving behind orphans who have no one to care for. Thus the title of the book, The New Orphans. To accomplish this end, of exploring the coping strategies of the new orphans, Dane and Levine obtain support from other contributors to the book. Dane introduces the subject of grieving in the time of AIDS, death and bereavement with relevant history and extent of the disease supported by figures with cross-national, racial and ethnic comparisons, and the number of U.S. children and youth involved in the bereavement process. To an extent surprising and also gratifying for an edited book, that the authors of the nine contributions were quite self-disciplined in addressing the issues of coping with death, in many instances illustrating distress and grief through case reports. By seeking to analyze, Dane focuses on the concept of death in Western culture suggesting that the denial of AIDS death is culturally constructed. Such a denial is further necessitated because AIDS death is especially stigmatizing. She challenges the antiquated view that fear of death has no meaning to children; on the contrary, children are capable of a wide range of grief responses. In the next chapter, Kenneth Doka examines the role of religion and spirituality and their relationship to AIDS and resultant grief in the lives of the children. The following two chapters by Karolynn Siegel and Barbara Freund and by Luis Zayas and Kathleen Romano, explore the natural reactions and feelings of unfairness marked by guilt and anguish among latency-age children and adolescents, respectively. Although the book does not include chapters on all major minority groups, it does includ a chapter on the Latino community by Esther Chachkes and Regina Jennings, and another on Black American communities by Penelope Johnson-Moore and Lucretia Phillips. …
Il metodo della diffusione inversa

Questo capitolo tratta di un metodo che e stato sviluppato da Gardner, Greene, Krustal e Miura [31], adatto a risolvere i problemi alle condizioni iniziali di certi tipi di equazioni non lineari alle derivate parziali. Questo metodo chiamato trasformazione della diffusione inversa, produce una soluzione di queste equazioni non lineari alle derivate parziali con l’aiuto della soluzione dei problemi di diffusione diretta e inversa utilizzando una equazione differenziale lineare associata. Il dato di diffusione associato con la equazione differenziale ordinaria, abitualmente consiste in un coefficiente di riflessione che e in funzione di un parametro spettrale λ. Poiche certe soluzioni mostrano un andamento tipico di una particella, la metodologia viene utilizzata per studiare le proprieta di un corpo le cui caratteristiche fisiche possono essere ricavate dalle frequenze naturali di vibrazione. Questo accade in parecchi fenomeni naturali, ad esempio per la luce blu del cielo, raggi x, sonar, fisica delle particelle. Le caratteristiche vibrazionali della Terra e del Sole possono essere invertite per ottenere la densita e la struttura elastica di questi due corpi. Lo studio dei fenomeni che si generano nell'acqua bassa e stato affrontato con questa tecnica e anche vari aspetti di oceanografia. Le frequenze risonanti della stazione spaziale sono state ricavate con questo metodo.
Ergonomics in design: methods & techniques.

The aim of Ergonomics in Design: Methods & Techniques is to provide a comprehensive review of the contemporary ergonomics methods and techniques that are being applied to the existing and new techn...
Presence of depression and anxiety is associated with greater affective sickness response following influenza vaccination

Sickness behavior is a universal response to inflammation, including neurovegetative and affect components. Based on the theory that depression is physiologically related to sickness, we hypothesized that patients with depression and anxiety should have a more pronounced change in affect after receiving a mild immune stimulus. We assessed 112 adults before and after (mean 32.3 h) receiving inactivated influenza vaccine, collecting a brief mental and physical health history, mood state on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and two measures of interoceptive sensitivity: the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ), and the Body Vigilance Scale (BVS). Pre- and post-vaccination PANAS scores were compared using two-tailed, paired-samples t-tests. Change in positive affect (PA) between participants with and without depression and/or anxiety was compared using two-way ANOVA. A multiple linear regression model assessed whether clinical or demographic factors affected change in affect. PA decreased following vaccination (p
On the Elusive Link between Adsorbate's Binding Energy and Bond Strength: An Illustration from CO Adsorption on Metal‐Doped Graphene

Adsorbates’ binding energy is often used as an indicator of the adsorbate-substrate bond strength. Although one can compute any binding energy, models to gauge bond-strength are developed to rationalize and anticipate it for the rational search for efficient catalysts. Unfortunately, bond-strength alone fails to predict trends in binding energy because, as hinted by models since the 1970s, the binding energy is the outcome of a complex response of the system to the created bond. Therefore further understanding the difference between binding energy and bond strength is essential to catalysts design. Indeed, the adsorbate-substrate bond formation perturbs, not only the geometry of the system, but also the substrate and adsorbate's electronic charge density. Both effects overall reduce the binding energy by an energy attached to such perturbations, the so-called perturbation energy. Here, with the example of carbon monoxide adsorption on metal-doped graphene, we show that such perturbation energy may exceed 1 eV and render an unusual situation: Namely, although the binding energy of CO to the Au-doped graphene indicates that binding does not happen, we find evidence of a strong bond between CO and such substrate. Thus, in this case, the large perturbation energy totally disrupts the equivalency between bond strength and binding energy. Here we propose a method to compute the perturbation energy that bypasses dealing with an excited electronic state of the system.
Engaging with Records and Archives: Histories and Theories . Fiorella Foscarini, Heather MacNeil, Bonnie Mak, and Gillian Oliver, eds. London: Facet Publishing, 2016. Paper, $85.00 (ISBN 978-1-78330-158-4).

For participants, the ferment and excitement of an intellectual conference can almost seem palpable. The presentation of papers on a field’s varied facets can be stimulating—enough to prompt a professional’s rededication to his or her discipline. For those left back at work, however, there is only the consolation of the conference’s published proceedings. For that to be successful, it takes good papers, insightful editors, and very deft editing. In Records and Archives: Histories and Theories , a selection of papers from the Seventh International Conference on the History of Records and Archives (held in Amsterdam July 29–31, 2015), they all come together almost seamlessly.
Barriers, facilitators, and potential strategies for increasing HPV vaccination: A statewide assessment to inform action.

Abstract Objective The objective was to investigate how state level strategies in South Carolina could maximize HPV vaccine uptake. Design An environmental scan identified barriers, facilitators, and strategies for improving HPV vaccination in South Carolina. Interviews were conducted with state leaders from relevant organizations such as public health agencies, medical associations, K-12 schools, universities, insurers, and cancer advocacy organizations. A thematic content analysis design was used. Digital interview files were transcribed, a data dictionary was created and data were coded using the data dictionary. Results Thirty four interviews were conducted with state leaders. Barriers to HPV vaccination included lack of HPV awareness, lack of provider recommendation, HPV vaccine concerns, lack of access and practice-level barriers. Facilitators included momentum for improving HPV vaccination, school-entry Tdap requirement, pharmacy-based HPV vaccination, state immunization registry, HEDIS measures and HPV vaccine funding. Strategies for improving HPV vaccination fell into three categories: 1) addressing lack of awareness about the importance of HPV vaccination among the public and providers; 2) advocating for policy changes around HPV vaccine coverage, vaccine education, and pharmacy-based vaccination; and 3) coordination of efforts. Discussion A statewide environmental scan generated a blueprint for action to be used to improve HPV vaccination in the state.
A standardized test for visual analysis of human sperm morphology

Objectives To develop a method to train and test simultaneously a large number of observers in the practice of visual sperm morphology analysis. Design Photographs of fixed and stained sperm were prepared. Fields of suitable sperm images were selected and individual images were numbered on each negative. Two tests, which contained a total of 100 sperm images, were created. Thirty images in each test consisted of three repeats of 10 images, while 70 images in each test were unique. The tests were administered to individuals participating in an American Fertility Society postgraduate course. Sperm images were projected on a screen and participants classified each sperm using the method that was used in their own laboratory. Setting Postgraduate course of The American Fertility Society. Results The majority of individuals participating in the tests used some version of the World Health Organization method. The group using the Strict method reported a lower value for the percentage of normal sperm than the groups using the other methods. The variability for the percentage of normal sperm was highest for the Strict method. The degree of classification reversal, i.e., classifying a sperm as normal during one repeat and then reversing the classification during another repeat, was high for all groups (26% to 44% of the classifications). Some degree of improvement was seen from test 1 to test 2. Conclusions It is possible to develop efficient and inexpensive methods to train observers to perform the sperm morphology assay. Such methods also enable the objective measurement of the acquisition of proficiency, comparison between different classification methods, and identification of specific differences between observers. Such methods will become more important with implementation of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act.
An exploration of the utilization of electroencephalography and neural nets to control robots

It has long been known that as neurons fire within the brain they produce measurable electrical activity. Electroencephalography (EEG) is the measurement and recording of these electrical signals using sensors arrayed across the scalp. The idea of Brain-Computer interfaces (BCIs), which allow the control of devices using brain signals, naturally present themselves to many extremely useful applications including prosthetic devices, restoring or aiding in communication and hearing, military applications, video gaming and virtual reality, and robotic control, and have the possibility of significantly improving the quality of life of many disabled individuals. The purpose of this research is to examine an off the shelf EEG system, the Emotiv EPOC© System, as a costeffective gateway to non-invasive portable EEG measurements and to build a BCI to control a robot, the Parallax Scribbler®. We built middleware to interpret the outputs from the Emotiv and map them into commands for the Scribbler robot.
Associations between preterm infant stress, epigenetic alteration, telomere length and neurodevelopmental outcomes: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm ( Objective This paper identifies epigenetic alterations and incidence of telomere erosion that have been studied in preterm infants while in the NICU and as a long-term outcome measure. Better understanding of epigenetic alterations and telomere erosion might aid in early detection and prevention/alleviation of the negative effects of cumulative painful/stressful experiences in this population. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards were used to guide this review. Systematic searches of databases included PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS and PsychInfo. Results Twenty-one studies were included, appraised and then synthesized into a narrative summary. Discussion Several putative epigenetic markers were identified although there was a paucity of studies related to telomere length. The interaction of disease entity combined with therapeutic interventions intended to treat may inadvertently increase infant allostatic load or ability to adapt to stress. Future research should include not only human studies but leverage newly available large data sets to conduct additional analysis.
Heat shock protein 70 vaccines activate NK cells through NKG2D

10044 Background: We have previously reported that vaccination with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) induced natural killer (NK) cell activity in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The ...
Multi-stimuli responsive tetra-PPO60-PEO20 ethylene diamine block copolymer enables pH, temperature, and solvent regulation of Au nanoparticle composite plasmonic response

A gold nanoparticle (NP) hydrogel composite prepared by multi-step cascade synthesis undergoes temperature, pH, and solvent dependent nanoscale structural transformations promoting modulation of the plasmon resonance. The composite is spontaneously prepared from a non-covalent lamellar structured lyotropic mesophase (complex fluid) composed of amphiphiles (DMPC and Triton X-100) that support the reactive constituents, a mixture of hydroxyl and acrylate end-derivatized Tetronic (Poloxamine) polymer and [AuCl4]−. The reaction sequence begins with the reduction of [AuCl4]− by the ethylene diamine linkage and PEO blocks of the Tetronic, yielding Au NPs. The redox reaction generates free radicals initiating crosslinking of the acrylate end-derivatized polymer producing a chemical hydrogel. Optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy confirm Au NP formation. ATR/FT-IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis establish acrylate crosslinking and network formation. X-ray scattering reveals the composite reversibly converts between multilamellar and bicontinuous cubic structures as temperature is increased above 35 °C for composites containing protonated ethylene diamine linkages (un-buffered water or acidic buffer). The reversible changes in nanoarchitecture red shifts and broadens the collective plasmon (from 523 nm to 575 nm) of the composite, an observation attributed to re-organization of confined NPs from 2D sheets (lamellae) to 1D columns (bicontinuous cubic channels). Composites prepared in alkaline buffer do not undergo a structural conversion with temperature, retaining a multilamellar architecture. In addition to pH and thermo-responsivity, the composite swells reversibly in polar solvents, which acts to de-aggregate and aggregate the encapsulated NPs and varies the plasmon resonance by Δ52 nm. This work reports the first combined use of a polymer to achieve both the in situ synthesis of spatially confined plasmonic NPs and their reversible stimuli-triggered re-organization mediated by interconvertible changes in scaffold nanoarchitecture.
Chapter 36 – DYT1 Dystonia

Publisher Summary Dystonia is a movement disorder, characterized clinically by involuntary twisting and repetitive movements and abnormal postures. The DYTl locus on human chromosome 9q34is responsible for the most severe form of hereditary dystonia, early-onset, generalized torsin dystonia. The disorder is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with reduced penetrance. A 3-bp (GAG) deletion causing the loss of one of a pair of glutamic acids from the encoded protein torsinA, accounts for over 90% of individuals with this form of dystonia. One other mutation is identified in this gene in a single family, an 18-bp in-frame deletion that removes six amino acids within the carboxy terminus. The DYTl gene is a member of a larger gene family including three other mammalian members, TORIB sharing 70% homology and T0R2A and T0R3A with about 50% identity. The proteins encoded by these genes show homology to the AAA+ superfamily of ATPases. The function of torsinA remains elusive, however, descriptive studies show that it localizes to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum but can also associated with vesicles in neural cells and extends to the ends of processes. Both, the message and protein are widely distributed throughout the brain primarily staining neurons and neuronal processes with the most intense expression localized in substantia nigra compacta dopamine neurons.
Predicting Survival After Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation by Using Machine Learning.

Background Venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) undoubtedly saves many lives, but it is associated with a high degree of patient morbidity, mortality, and resource use. This study aimed to develop a machine learning algorithm to augment clinical decision making related to VA-ECMO. Methods Patients supported by VA-ECMO at a single institution from May 2011 to October 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Laboratory values from only the initial 48 hours of VA-ECMO support were used. Data were split into 70% for training, 15% for validation, and 15% withheld for testing. Feature importance was estimated, and dimensionality reduction techniques were used. A deep neural network was trained to predict survival to discharge, and the final model was assessed using the independent testing cohort. Model performance was compared with that of the SAVE (Survival After Veno-arterial ECMO) score by using a receiver operator characteristic curve. Results Of the 282 eligible adult patients who were undergoing VA-ECMO, 117 (41%) survived to discharge. A total of 1.96 million laboratory values were extracted from the electronic medical record, from which 270 different summary variables were derived for each patient. The most important variables in predicting the primary outcome included lactate, age, total bilirubin, and creatinine. For the testing cohort, the final model achieved 82% overall accuracy and a greater area under the curve than the SAVE score (0.92 vs 0.65; P = .01) in predicting survival to discharge. Conclusions This proof of concept study demonstrates the potential for machine learning models to augment clinical decision making for patients undergoing VA-ECMO. Further development with multi-institutional data is warranted.
The Berlin Mission: The American Who Resisted Nazi Germany from Within: by Richard Breitman (New York: PublicAffairs, 2019), 336 pages

No student of pre-World War II history fantasizes that, given the opportunity, he or she would have been Neville Chamberlain. In hindsight we are all Winston Churchill, bold and inspiring, with the...
Critical Evaluation of Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowship Program Websites in North America.

Objective To investigate the accessibility and content of interventional neuroradiology (INR) fellowship program websites in North America. Methods We obtained a list of INR/endovascular surgical neuroradiology (ESN) fellowship programs from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training, the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, and the Neurosurgical Fellowship Training Program Directory websites. Individual program websites were evaluated for 27 different fellow recruitment and education criteria. U.S. programs were grouped based on census region and national ranking, and differences between these groups with regard to fellow recruitment and education characteristics were analyzed using nonparametric statistics. Results A total of 79 INR/ESN fellowship websites were evaluated for presence of fellow recruitment and education features. Approximately one third of all features pertinent to recruitment (32.11%) and approximately 1 in 5 features regarding education (19.11%) were described in these websites. Program description (69.6%), program coordinator/administrator contact e-mail (59.5%), program director's name (59.5%), program eligibility requirements (51.9%), research opportunities (40.5%), and faculty listing (39.2%) were among the most frequently described features, whereas details about parking (1.3%), interview day itinerary (1.3%), meal allowance (2.5%), retirement and benefits (3.8%), and call schedule (5.1%) were the least frequently described features. There was no significant difference between surveyed features and programs when stratified by U.S. census region, neurosurgery/neurology hospital rankings, or accreditation status. Conclusions INR/ESN fellowship website content is variable across North America and there is room for improvement to develop and enhance comprehensiveness of program website content.
Eplet mismatches associated with de novo donor-specific HLA antibody in pediatric kidney transplant recipients

Optimizing amino acid (eplet) histocompatibility at first transplant decreases the risk of de novo donor-specific antibody (dnDSA) development and may improve long-term graft survival in pediatric kidney transplant recipients (KTR). We performed a retrospective analysis of pediatric KTR and their respective donors to identify eplets most commonly associated with dnDSA formation. Eplet mismatch analysis was performed in a cohort of 125 pediatric KTR-donor pairs (2006–2018). We determined the prevalence of each eplet mismatch and quantified the percentage of exposed patients who developed dnDSA for each mismatched eplet. Recipient median age was 14 (IQR 8–17) years with a racial distribution of 42% Black, 48% Caucasian, and 5.6% Middle-Eastern. Median eplet load varied significantly by recipient race, Black 82 (IQR 58–98), White 60 (IQR 44–81) and Other 66 (IQR 61–76), p = 0.002. Forty-four percent of patients developed dnDSA after median 37.1 months. Compared to dnDSA− patients, dnDSA+ patients had higher median eplet load, 64 (IQR 46–83) vs. 77 (IQR 56–98), p = 0.012. The most common target of dnDSA were eplets expressed in HLA-A*11 and A2 in Class I, and HLA-DQ6 and DQA5 in Class II. The most commonly mismatched eplets were not the most likely to result in dnDSA formation. In a racially diverse population, only a subset of eplets was linked to antibody formation. Eplet load alone is not a sufficient surrogate for eplet immunogenicity. These findings illustrate the need to optimize precision in donor selection and allocation to improve long-term graft outcomes.
A big white dot after CPR.

INTRODUCTION Patients may remain comatose after the resumption of spontaneous circulation with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A primary neurologic event may precede a cardiac standstill. CASE REPORT We present a 33-year-old patient with successful resuscitation for pulseless electrical activity and a "normal computed tomography (CT) scan." Further scrutiny showed a hyperdense basilar artery sign ('big white dot') that led to a CT angiogram confirming an embolus to the proximal basilar artery. His examination showed fixed and dilated midsize (mesencephalic) pupils and extensor posturing. Endovascular retrieval of the clot was successful, but there was a devastating ischemic injury to the brainstem. CONCLUSION This case reminds us to consider neurologic causes of cardiac arrest.
Anaerobic 5-Hydroxybenzimidazole Formation from Aminoimidazole Ribotide: An Unanticipated Intersection of Thiamin and Vitamin B12 Biosynthesis

Comparative genomics of the bacterial thiamin pyrimidine synthase (thiC) revealed a paralogue of thiC (bzaF) clustered with anaerobic vitamin B12 biosynthetic genes. Here we demonstrate that BzaF is a radical S-adenosylmethionine enzyme that catalyzes the remarkable conversion of aminoimidazole ribotide (AIR) to 5-hydroxybenzimidazole (5-HBI). We identify the origin of key product atoms and propose a reaction mechanism. These studies represent the first step in solving a long-standing problem in anaerobic vitamin B12 assembly and reveal an unanticipated intersection of thiamin and vitamin B12 biosynthesis.
Test In the Era of What You see Is NOT What You Get

Increasing design complexities conspire to threaten long held assumptions about the predictability of design closure. Yield may no longer be dominated by process issues, but equally by unexpected and unpredicted design weaknesses. Structural test has been developed on the presumption that the main purpose of test is to detect localized manufacturing process defects. The unpredictability of design closure, by contrast, mainly affects parametric performance. One interesting question, hence, is to what extent structural test methods are capable of or can be extended to validate the parametric performance. We also explore how manufacturing test can evolve from being a simple pass/fail screen to becoming a capable contributor to continuous design-process characterization.
Kathleen Mears Memorial Lecture: ASET and OSET, Patterns and Parallels

ABSTRACT.OSET is the international Organisation of Societies for Electrophysiological Technology, a federation of professional societies from around the world. Just as ASET grew out of the national physicians' society, OSET grew out of an international physicians' consortium. Both ASET and OSET are independent groups that address the many issues specific to technologists, from entry-level education to standards of practice and legal conditions of practice. The present “members” of OSET are the technologist societies of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US; the individual members of those societies are members of OSET by extension. OSET holds a week-long Congress every four years, hosted by one of the member societies. Technologists from all over the world gather to share information via platform papers and posters. Just as ASET meetings provide an opportunity for technologists to learn from each other, formally and inform...
Oleosin genes in maize kernels having diverse oil contents are constitutively expressed independent of oil contents Size and shape of intracellular oil bodies are determined by the oleosins/oils ratio

In seeds, the subcellular storage oil bodies have a matrix of oils (triacylglycerols) surrounded by a layer of phospholipids embedded with abundant structural proteins called oleosins. We used two maize (Zea mays L.) strains having diverse kernel (seed) oil contents to study the effects of varying the oil and oleosin contents on the structure of the oil bodies. Illinois High Oils (IHO, 15% w/w oils) and Illinois Low Oils (ILO, 0.5%) maize kernels were the products of breeding for diverse oil contents for about 100 generations. In both maize strains, although the genes for oil synthesis had apparently been modified drastically, the genes encoding oleosins appeared to be unaltered, as revealed by Southern blot analyses of the three oleosin genes and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with immunoblotting of the oleosins. In addition, both strains contained the same three oleosin isoforms of a defined proportion, and both accumulated oils and oleosins coordinately. Oleosins in both strains were restricted to the oil bodies, as shown by analyses of the various subcellular fractions separated by sucrosedensity-gradient centrifugation. Electron microscopy of the embryos and the isolated organelles revealed that the oil bodies in IHO were larger and had a spherical shape, whereas those in ILO were smaller and had irregular shapes. We conclude that in seeds, oleosin genes are expressed independent of the oil contents, and the size and shape of the oil bodies are dictated by the ratio of oils to oleosins synthesized during seed maturation. The extensive breeding for diverse oil contents has not altered the apparent mechanism of oil-body synthesis and the occurrence of hetero-dimer or -multimer of oleosin isoforms on the oil bodies.
Physical activity intensity and biological markers among adults with diabetes: considerations by age and gender.

Abstract Epidemiological studies demonstrate a beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) on various biological health outcomes associated with diabetes; however, these studies have been limited by the use of self-report measures of PA. To provide the most accurate association between PA and health among adults with diabetes, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between accelerometer-assessed PA and numerous biological markers associated with diabetes. Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Adult participants with diabetes were included in the present study and wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer. Light and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) intensity was determined from accelerometer-derived estimates. Various biological measures, such as triglycerides and C-reactive protein, were measured from a blood sample. Results showed that both light-intensity and MVPA were inversely associated with several biological health outcomes. Additionally, active adults were less likely to have multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors. Findings also differed by age and gender, suggesting that PA interventions may need to consider the influence that age and gender may have on the efficacy of physical activity interventions.
Regulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Circadian rhythmicity in mammals is generated by a pair of nuclei in the anterior hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), whose neurons express a variety of neuropeptides that are t...