cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of rat mesangial cell mitogenesis by nitric oxide-generating vasodilators

Recent studies indicate that endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) may be identical with nitric oxide (NO). The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimitogenic effect of NO-generating drugs in cultured mesangial cells. S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, sodium nitroprusside, and isosorbide dinitrate, which generate NO, dose dependently inhibited serum-stimulated DNA synthesis. All three drugs also inhibited the rate of cell proliferation, whereas sodium nitroprusside and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine decreased cell density at confluence. The antimitogenic activity of S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine was labile in culture medium and could be inhibited by hemoglobin, supporting the view that NO, in free or bound form, was the ultimate effector. All three vasodilators increased cellular guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) levels dose dependently; moreover, 8-bromo-cGMP mimicked the effects of the NO-generating drugs, suggesting that cGMP may be an intracellular mediator of antimitogenesis. The growth-inhibitory effect of S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine was reversible and was not due to cell toxicity as shown by several criteria of cell viability. The results raise the possibility that EDRF/NO may be a modulator of mesangial cell growth in vivo.
The Core Pathobiology and Integrated Medical Science of Adult Acute Respiratory Insufficiency

Facts needed for the clinician’s basic understanding of the clinical course and pathophysiology of progressive acute respiratory insufficiency seen in surgical practice are summarized and detailed evidence for elucidating its morphogenesis is provided.
Model Structure Identification

In practice, determination of the model structure is the first problemthat a modeler has to deal with when modeling a complicatedphysical system. Model structure error is often the major cause ofmodel failure. Even a carefully calibrated model may produceunreliable results when it is used for prediction and decision-makingpurposes. In this chapter, an extended inverse problem (EIP) isformulated for identifying both the model structure and modelparameters using observation data and prior information. After themodel structure is parameterized, the solution of EIP becomes a minminoptimization problem. In the statistical framework, structureidentification requires estimation of both shape parameters andstatistical parameters. Statistical parameters are hyperparametersthat do not appear directly in the model but must be estimated duringthe inversion process. Model parameters and hyperparameters canbe estimated simultaneously or iteratively by hierarchical Bayesianinversion. Geostatistical inversion uses kriging and cokriging asparameterization for estimating a distributed parameter. The pilotpoint method is a flexible parameterization method for inversion thatcan decrease the model structure error of a geostatistical modeleffectively.
Dimming and Modulation for VLC-Enabled Lighting

Advances in high brightness light emitting diode (LED) technology are enabling myriad applications in lighting including visible light communications (VLC) technology that has the potential to complement RF technology to provide wireless data access for indoor coverage. This chapter reviews various dimming techniques suitable for VLC, and presents an LED driver circuit architecture incorporating digitally controlled analog circuit blocks to deliver concurrent dimming control and data transmission for VLC-enabled lighting. To achieve this target, a bi-level pulse-width modulation (PWM) driving scheme is applied to enable data transmission during the “off” period of the LED drive current while concurrently providing dimming control. The proposed architecture is compatible with digital baseband modulation schemes and implements a mechanism for ease of integration with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) LED drivers for VLC system realization. This chapter also discusses a dimming compatible analog baseband modulation scheme. The reverse polarity optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (RPO-OFDM) is a recent approach to realize compatibility between any format of an analog OFDM signal suitable for optical transmission and the concept of a digital pulse-width modulation (PWM) technique for dimming control. We also describe an implementation of the RPO-OFDM approach as part of a wireless access testbed. Experiments reveal that bit-error and bit-rate performances are maintained over a wide range of dimming.
The effects of interface gap on weld strength during overlapping fiber laser welding of AISI 304 stainless steel and AZ31 magnesium alloys

This paper reports on an experimental study involving examination of the effects of an interfacial gap in the range of 0–0.3 mm on the weld strength and weld appearance of lap welds produced by laser welding. AISI 304 stainless steel and AZ31 magnesium alloy joints were processed separately using an IPG YLR-1000 fiber laser. The weld joint strengths were mechanically tested by both tensile shear and T-peel testing. The test results indicate that an adequate amount of interface gap significantly improves weld strength and surface appearance for both AISI 304 stainless steel and the AZ31 magnesium alloy. In addition, it is shown that porosity formation in laser welding AZ31 magnesium alloy can be mitigated by adding an optimal interface gap. Finding the optimum gap size can maximize the quality of lap welds within the constraints of the laser equipment.
The Impact of Charged Grain Boundaries on CdTe Solar Cell: EBIC Measurements Not Predictive of Device Performance

We conduct 2-D simulations of device structures typical of electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) imaging and solar cell structures for p-type CdTe absorber layers with charged grain boundaries. A large signal enhancement is found near depleted (positively charged) grain boundaries for EBIC simulation, but in contrast with previous claims, solar cell performance drops. In contrast, little EBIC contrast is seen, but the cell performance improves when accumulated (negatively charged) grain boundaries are introduced. We explore the impact of doping level, lifetimes, and grain boundary charge to provide insight for design of improved thin film solar cells.
Redirecting the Focus of the Agenda: Testing the Zero-Sum Dynamics of Media Attention in News and User-Generated Media

This study uses the attention-allocation approach to examine the dynamics of media attention. Based on the assumption that media attention is limited, we tested the notion of zero-sum issue competition wherein increasing attention to one agenda decreases attention to existing agendas. Analyzing comprehensive data sets of Twitter, blogs, and online news for a four-month period after the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea, this study finds displacing relationships between media attention to the Korean government and another target for blame: the ferry’s owner, Byung-eun Yu. This zero-sum principle prevailed regardless of the media’s political orientation, with mainstream and social media displaying similar patterns. Our follow-up time-series analysis hints at the intermedia influence from news coverage to Twitter posts.
Mitophagy as a Protective Mechanism against Myocardial Stress.

Abstract Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that can undergo fusion, fission, biogenesis, and autophagic elimination to maintain mitochondrial quality control. Since the heart is in constant need of high amounts of energy, mitochondria, as a central energy supply source, play a crucial role in maintaining optimal cardiac performance. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the pathophysiology of heart diseases. In non-dividing, post-mitotic cells such as cardiomyocytes, elimination of dysfunctional organelles is essential to maintaining cellular function because non-dividing cells cannot dilute dysfunctional organelles through cell division. In this review, we discuss the recent findings regarding the physiological role of mitophagy in the heart and cardiomyocytes. Moreover, we discuss the functional role of mitophagy in the progression of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial ischemic injury, diabetic cardiomyopathy, cardiac hypertrophy, and heart failure. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:1407-1424, 2017.
Some Practical Issues and Possible Solutions for Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Several practical issues (e.g., excessive on-line computational time) associated with a conventional Nonlinear Model Predictive Control algorithm are illustrated through simulation studies on two chemical processes — a binary distillation column and the Tennessee Eastman Challenge Process. We show why it is generally not a good idea to use a small control horizon to reduce the on-line computational time. The effectiveness of the Nonlinear Model Predictive Control algorithm recently proposed by Zheng in resolving these issues is illustrated.
Alginate-liposomal construct for bupivacaine delivery and MSC function regulation

Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies have become potential treatment options for multiple ailments and traumatic injuries. In the clinical setting, MSC are likely to be co-administered with local anesthetics (LA) which have been shown to have dose- and potency-dependent detrimental effects on the viability and function of cells. We previously developed and characterized a sustained-release LA delivery formulation comprised of alginate-encapsulated liposomal bupivacaine. The current studies were designed to evaluate the effect of this formulation on the secretion of three key MSC regulatory molecules, interleukin 6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1). MSCs were treated with several bupivacaine formulations—bolus, liposome, or alginate-liposome construct (engineered construct)—in the presence or absence of inflammatory stimulus to stimulate an injured tissue environment. Our results indicated that compared to bolus or liposomal bupivacaine, the engineered construct preserved or promoted MSC anti-inflammatory PGE2 secretion; however, the engineered construct did not increase TGF-β1 secretion. Bupivacaine release profile analyses indicated that mode of drug delivery controlled the LA concentration over time and pathway analysis identified several shared and cytokine-specific molecular mediators for IL-6, PGE2, and TGF-β1 which could explain differential MSC secretion responses in the presence of bupivacaine. Collectively, these studies support the potential utility of alginate-encapsulated LA constructs for anti-inflammatory cell therapy co-administration and indicate that mode of local anesthetic delivery can significantly alter MSC secretome function.
Human Brown Adipose Tissue Plasticity: Hormonal and Environmental Manipulation

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), brown-in-white (“brite”) and “beige” adipocytes share the unique ability of converting chemical energy into heat and play a critical role in the adaptive thermogenesis response promoting nonshivering thermogenesis. Uncoupling Protein-1 (UCP1), which allows the uncoupling of substrate oxidation from phosphorylation of ADP, represents the molecular signature of BAT and beige adipocytes. Until recently, the physiologic role of BAT and beige adipocytes depots was thought to be limited to small mammalians and newborns.
Extended-Field Chemoradiation Therapy for Definitive Treatment of Anal Canal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Involving the Para-Aortic Lymph Nodes

Purpose To report cancer control rates and adverse events (AEs) of curative-intent, extended-field chemoradiation therapy administered to patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anal canal presenting with distant metastasis limited to the para-aortic (PA) lymph nodes. Methods This was a retrospective review of patients with SCC of the anal canal metastatic to the PA lymph nodes at initial diagnosis who were treated with curative-intent, extended-field chemoradiation therapy between September 2002 and February 2016 at two tertiary care centers. Outcomes assessed included treatment-related AEs (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0), disease control (cumulative incidence estimates), and survival (Kaplan-Meier estimates). Results Thirty patients were included. Involved and elective PA nodes were treated to median doses of 51 Gy (range 45-57.6) and 45 Gy (range 30.6-50.4) in 29 fractions (range 17-32). All patients received one of these concomitant regimens: 6 weekly cycles of cisplatin with 5-fluoruracil/capecitabine (5-FU) (n = 22), 2 cycles of mitomycin-C with 5-FU (n = 7), or daily capecitabine (n = 1). After a median follow-up period of 3.1 years, 18 patients (60%) remained alive and 17 patients were without evidence of anal cancer after definite and salvage treatments. Overall and disease-free survival at 3 years was 67% (95% CI 49%-89%) and 42% (95% CI 25%-69%). Fifteen (50%) patients experienced a recurrence at a median of 0.9 year (range 0.5-3.5 years). The predominant site of recurrence was distant metastases, with a 3-year cumulative incidence of 50% (95% CI 20%-68%). There was no acute grade 5 AE. Grade 3 to 4 gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and hematologic AEs occurred in 30%, 27%, and 20% of patients respectively. Conclusions Extended-field chemoradiation therapy is a potentially curative treatment option for patients presenting with SCC of the anal canal with metastases limited to the PA lymph nodes.
Ontological and Terminological Commitment and the Methodological Commensurability of Theories

Scientific revolutions have been described as episodes in the history of science in which old empirical research activities, standards of achievement, problem fields and even ontologies have been exchanged for new (Kuhn, 1962; Feyerabend, 1962).
64Cu-Labeled polyethyleneimine (PEI) for cell trafficking and tumor imaging

562 Objectives: Direct visualization of cell migration patterns in vivo will greatly assist the cellular therapy regime as it supplies definitive evidence of successful targeting and allows quantification of the degree of migration to a particular site. Suitably radiolabeled cells have been proven to be a simple and sensitive technique for cell trafficking. In this study, we developed 64Cu-polyethyleneimine (64Cu-PEI) to radiolabel cells ex vivo for in vivo positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging. Its tumor imaging ability was also investigated by PET. Methods: U87MG cells were labeled with both 64Cu-PEI and 64Cu-PTSM and their in vivo distributions were tracked with PET in living mice. The tumor imaging ability of 64Cu-PTSM and 64Cu-PEI was investigated in U87MG human glioblastoma xenograft model. PEI-PEG was also synthesized and cell uptake, cell efflux, MTT assay, and bio-distribution were carried out to evaluate these agents in vitro and in vivo. Results: Both 64Cu-PEI and 64Cu-PEI-PEG were obtained in high labeling yield. 64Cu-PEI showed comparable cell tracking ability with 64Cu-PTSM. 64Cu-PEI had higher tumor uptake (18.7 ± 2.2 %ID/g at 24 h) and better imaging quality than 64Cu-PTSM (12.4 ± 1.7 %ID/g at 24 h). 64Cu-PEI-PEG reduced the toxicity of 64Cu-PEI and maintained the tumor imaging ability. Conclusions: 64Cu-labeled polyethylenimine can be used for both cell labeling and tumor imaging. As one of the most popularly employed cationic gene carriers, suitably labeled PEI may also be potentially useful for tracking the delivery of DNA and RNA in vivo. Research Support: This work was supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI) (R01 CA119053, R21 CA121842, R21 CA102123, P50 CA114747, U54 CA119367, and R24 CA93862), and Department of Defense (DOD) (W81XWH-07-1-0374, W81XWH-04-1-0697, W81XWH-06-1-0665, W81XWH-06-1-0042, and DAMD17-03-1-0143).
Thermoeconomic analysis of residential rooftop photovoltaic systems with integrated energy storage and resulting impacts on electrical distribution networks

Abstract This paper investigates residential rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems for long-term thermoeconomic benefits from PV homeowners’ perspectives and for impacts on the electrical distribution network from grid operators’ perspectives. The costs of generating electricity from grid-connected PV systems are studied with and without energy storage at the PV homeowners’ sites. Three selling scenarios for excess PV energy conversion are considered: net metering, wholesale pricing, and no payback. PV systems in Utah are utilized as case studies in this analysis. The presence of PV systems gives homeowners economic benefits such as reduced annual electricity bills. However, the levelized costs of electricity are considerably higher than the weighted electricity price in Utah. Currently, the addition of energy storage only benefits customers in Utah under the no payback policy. The impacts of PV systems toward electrical distribution networks are then studied on a distribution test system. Excess PV generation from residential PV systems causes voltage rise in the electrical distribution network. The results from this paper can educate consumers about the lifetime benefit of integrating solar energy into their homes. For grid operators, residential PV systems with energy storage can reduce the negative impacts on the grid compared with high PV penetration alone.
Redox cycles with doped calcium manganites for thermochemical energy storage to 1000 °C

Abstract Redox cycles of doped calcium manganite perovskites (CaMnO3−δ) are studied for cost-effective thermochemical energy storage at temperatures up to 1000 °C for concentrating solar power and other applications. If the thermodynamics and kinetics for heat-driven reduction can be tailored for high temperatures and industrially accessible low O2 partial pressures ( P O 2 ⩾ 10 - 4 bar), perovskite redox cycles can offer high specific energy storage at temperatures much higher than state-of-the-art molten-salt subsystems. To this end, a range of A-site and B-site doped CaMnO3−δ were screened for their reducibility at 900 °C and P O 2 ≈ 10 - 4 bar via thermogravimetric analysis. For compositions with high reducibility, notably A-site doped Ca1−xSrxMnO3−δ ( x = 0.05 and 0.10) and B-site doped CaCryMn1−yO3−δ ( y = 0.05 and 0.10), oxygen non-stoichiometry δ with respect to temperature and P O 2 were measured and used to fit thermodynamic parameters of a two-reaction, point-defect model of the redox process for the two prominent crystalline phases (orthorhombic and cubic) that the perovskites occupy during the cycle. The fits compare favorably to differential scanning calorimetry measurements with the magnitude of the overall reduction enthalpies decreasing as the degree of reduction increases and the perovskites shift from orthorhombic to cubic crystalline phases. Based on thermodynamic limits, redox cycles of both Ca1−xSrxMnO3−δ compositions between air at 500 °C and P O 2 ≈ 10 - 4 bar at 900 °C can store and release up to ≈ 700 kJ kg−1 with over 50% of the total energy stored as chemical energy. This is approximately 140 kJ kg−1 more chemical energy than the thermodynamic limits for CaCryMn1−yO3−δ compositions under the same cycle conditions. Approaching these thermodynamic limits for the specific energy storage of these redox cycles in a concentrating solar plant requires fast kinetics for perovskite reduction in the solar receiver and for reoxidation in the heat recovery reactor. Isothermal packed-bed redox cycling experiments of Ca1−xSrxMnO3−δ and CaCryMn1−yO3−δ compositions at temperatures up to 1000 °C show that reoxidation is fast compared to reduction. Thus, specific thermochemical energy storage is limited by residence times available for high-temperature reduction. The Sr-doped compositions approach higher fractions ( ≈ 90 % or more) of the specific energy storage equilibrium limit after 300 s of reduction in the packed bed configuration above 800 °C and completely reoxidize in ⩽ 20 s in air. Non-isothermal cycling with heating from 500 °C to 900 °C in low P O 2 ≈ 10 - 4 bar and subsequent reoxidation during cooling in air back to 500 °C demonstrate excellent chemical stability over 1000 cycles for all doped CaMnO3−δ compositions tested. The results suggest that these redox cycles may offer a viable energy storage subsystem with long-term stability for future concentrating solar plants and other high-temperature energy storage applications.
Effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on concussion-induced vertigo: a systematic review

Background: Approximately 5% of all Americans have experienced a concussion sometime during their lifetime. The predominant symptoms associated with a concussion are physical issues, cognit...
Homeostatic cAMP regulation by the RGS7 complex controls depression-related behaviors

Affective disorders arise from abnormal responses of the brain to prolonged exposure to challenging environmental stimuli. Recent work identified the orphan receptor GPR158 as a molecular link between chronic stress and depression. Here we reveal a non-canonical mechanism by which GPR158 exerts its effects on stress-induced depression by the complex formation with Regulator of G protein Signaling 7 (RGS7). Chronic stress promotes membrane recruitment of RGS7 via GPR158 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The resultant complex suppresses homeostatic regulation of cAMP by inhibitory GPCRs in the region. Accordingly, RGS7 loss in mice induces an antidepressant-like phenotype and resiliency to stress, whereas its restoration within the mPFC is sufficient to rescue this phenotype in a GPR158-dependent way. These findings mechanistically link the unusual orphan receptor-RGS complex to a major stress mediator, the cAMP system and suggest new avenues for pharmacological interventions in affective disorders.
RNA sequencing identifies common pathways between cigarette smoke exposure and replicative senescence in human airway epithelia

Aging is affected by genetic and environmental factors, and cigarette smoking is strongly associated with accumulation of senescent cells. In this study, we wanted to identify genes that may potentially be beneficial for cell survival in response to cigarette smoke and thereby may contribute to development of cellular senescence. Primary human bronchial epithelial cells from five healthy donors were cultured, treated with or without 1.5% cigarette smoke extract (CSE) for 24 h or were passaged into replicative senescence. Transcriptome changes were monitored using RNA-seq in CSE and non-CSE exposed cells and those passaged into replicative senescence. We found that, among 1534 genes differentially regulated during senescence and 599 after CSE exposure, 243 were altered in both conditions, representing strong enrichment. Pathways and gene sets overrepresented in both conditions belonged to cellular processes that regulate reactive oxygen species, proteasome degradation, and NF-κB signaling. Our results offer insights into gene expression responses during cellular aging and cigarette smoke exposure, and identify potential molecular pathways that are altered by cigarette smoke and may also promote airway epithelial cell senescence.
Fluctuations in Human Corticospinal Activity Prior to Grasp.

Neuronal firing rate variability prior to movement onset has been found to contribute to trial-to-trial variability in primate behavior. However, in humans, whether similar mechanisms contribute to trial-to-trial behavioral variability remains unknown. We investigated the time-course of trial-to-trial variability in corticospinal excitability (CSE) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during a self-paced reach-to-grasp task. We hypothesized that CSE variability will be modulated prior to the initiation of reach and that such a modulation would explain trial-to-trial behavioral variability. Able-bodied individuals were visually cued to plan their grip force before exertion of either 30% or 5% of their maximum pinch force capacity on an object. TMS was delivered at six time points (0.5s, 0.75s, 1s, 1.1s, 1.2s, and 1.3s) following a visual cue that instructed the force level. We first modeled the relation between CSE magnitude and its variability at rest (n=12) to study the component of CSE variability pertaining to the task but not related to changes in CSE magnitude (n=12). We found an increase in CSE variability from 1.2s to 1.3s following the visual cue at 30% but not at 5% of force. This effect was temporally dissociated from the decrease in CSE magnitude that was observed from 0.5s to 0.75s following the cue. Importantly, the increase in CSE variability explained at least ~40% of inter-individual differences in trial-to-trial variability in time to peak force rate. These results were found to be repeatable across studies and robust to different analysis methods. Our findings suggest that the neural mechanisms underlying modulation in CSE variability and CSE magnitude are distinct. Notably, the extent of modulation in variability in corticospinal system prior to grasp within individuals may explain their trial-to-trial behavioral variability.
A Sentinel COVID-19 Case in Houston, Texas: Informing Frontline Emergency Department Screening and Preparedness

Abstract In December 2019, a cluster of severe pneumonia cases of unknown cause was reported in Wuhan, Hubei province, China A novel strain of coronavirus belonging to the same family of viruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) was identified In February 2020, cases began being identified in the United States We describe a sentinel CoVID-19 patient in Houston,Texas, who first presented on March 1, 2020 The patient did not meet criteria for a Person Under Investigation (PUI) as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at the time This case has broad implications for emergency department screening and preparedness for CoVID-19 and other future infectious diseases This article is protected by copyright All rights reserved
Repurposing Molecular Imaging and Sensing for Cancer Image–Guided Surgery

Gone are the days when medical imaging was used primarily to visualize anatomic structures. The emergence of molecular imaging (MI), championed by radiolabeled 18F-FDG PET, has expanded the information content derived from imaging to include pathophysiologic and molecular processes. Cancer imaging, in particular, has leveraged advances in MI agents and technology to improve the accuracy of tumor detection, interrogate tumor heterogeneity, monitor treatment response, focus surgical resection, and enable image-guided biopsy. Surgeons are actively latching on to the incredible opportunities provided by medical imaging for preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance, and postoperative monitoring. From label-free techniques to enabling cancer-selective imaging agents, image-guided surgery provides surgical oncologists and interventional radiologists both macroscopic and microscopic views of cancer in the operating room. This review highlights the current state of MI and sensing approaches available for surgical guidance. Salient features of nuclear, optical, and multimodal approaches will be discussed, including their strengths, limitations, and clinical applications. To address the increasing complexity and diversity of methods available today, this review provides a framework to identify a contrast mechanism, suitable modality, and device. Emerging low-cost, portable, and user-friendly imaging systems make the case for adopting some of these technologies as the global standard of care in surgical practice.
Glyphosate-based herbicide formulations and reproductive toxicity in animals

The adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops in agriculture has increased dramatically over the last few decades. Among the transgenic plants, those tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate are among the most common. Weed resistance to glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) has been on the rise, leading to increased herbicide applications. This, in turn, has led to increased glyphosate residues in feed. Although glyphosate has been considered to be generally safe to animal health, recent studies have shown that GBHs have potential to cause adverse effects in animal reproduction, including disruption of key regulatory enzymes in androgen synthesis, alteration of serum levels of estrogen and testosterone, damage to reproductive tissues and impairment of gametogenesis. This review emphasizes known effects of GBHs on reproductive health as well as the potential risk GBH residues pose to animal agriculture.
Female pediatric and adolescent genitalia trauma: a retrospective analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank

Pediatric genitalia injury represents 0.6% of all pediatric trauma. It is crucial for providers to understand whether pediatric patients are at risk for violent mechanisms, such as rape, assault, or other abuse. Therefore, we sought to perform a large database analysis of pediatric and adolescent female genitalia trauma, comparing mechanisms of injury (i.e., sexual abuse) and need for operative intervention between adolescent and pediatric cohorts. The National Trauma Data Bank was queried (years 2007–2015) for female patients ≤ 16 years old with external genitalia (vaginal or vulvar) trauma. Two groups were compared: pediatrics (< 12 years old) and adolescents (12–16 years old). Out of 303,992 female patients, 3206 (1.1%) were identified to have genitalia trauma with the majority being pediatric patients (92.1%) and with injury to the vagina (62.6%). Pediatric patients with vaginal injury were less likely to be victims of rape (4.1% vs. 17.3%, p < 0.001) and assault (2.1% vs. 7.2%, p < 0.001) but more likely to be victims of other abuse (9.5% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.003). More of the adolescent patients with vaginal trauma required repair (58.7% vs. 43.2%, p < 0.001). Pediatric patients with injury to the vulva were less likely to be victims of rape (0.7% vs. 2.8%, p = 0.01) and motor vehicle accidents (4.2% vs. 11.0%, p < 0.001). Genitalia trauma occurs in 1.1% of pediatric and adolescent trauma cases with the vagina being more commonly injured compared to the vulva. Adolescent patients with vaginal injuries were more likely to be victims of rape and assault and required repair more often, while those with vulvar injuries were more likely due to motor vehicle accidents. Health care providers must be aware of these at-risk populations and the differences between them to identify female victims of violence and provide resources to assist with recovery.
General methods and properties to evaluate continuum limits of the 1D discrete time quantum walk

Models of quantum walks which admit continuous time and continuous spacetime limits have recently led to quantum simulation schemes for simulating fermions in relativistic and nonrelativistic regimes (Molfetta GD, Arrighi P. A quantum walk with both a continuous-time and a continuous-spacetime limit, 2019). This work continues the study of relationships between discrete time quantum walks (DTQW) and their ostensive continuum counterparts by developing a more general framework than was done in Molfetta and Arrighi (A quantum walk with both a continuous-time and a continuous-spacetime limit, 2019) to evaluate the continuous time limit of these discrete quantum systems. Under this framework, we prove two constructive theorems concerning which internal discrete transitions (“coins”) admit nontrivial continuum limits. We additionally prove that the continuous space limit of the continuous time limit of the DTQW can only yield massless states which obey the Dirac equation. Finally, we demonstrate that for general coins the continuous time limit of the DTQW can be identified with the canonical continuous time quantum walk when the coin is allowed to transition through the continuous limit process.
Sleep time and efficiency in patients undergoing laboratory-based polysomnography

Study Objectives: Sleep quality in patients studied with laboratory-based polysomnography may differ from sleep quality in patients studied at home but remains clinically relevant and important to ...
The aftermath of convective events near Jupiter’s fastest prograde jet: Implications for clouds, dynamics and vertical wind shear

Abstract The 24 ° N jet borders the North Tropical Belt and North Tropical Zone, and is the fastest prograde jet on Jupiter, reaching speeds above 170 m∕s . In this region, observations have shown several periodic convective plumes, likely from latent heat release from water condensation, which affect the cloud and zonal wind structure of the jet. We model this region with the Explicit Planetary hybrid-Isentropic Coordinate model using its active microphysics scheme to study the phenomonology of water and ammonia clouds within the jet region. On perturbing the atmosphere, we find that an upper tropospheric wave develops that directly influences the cloud structure within the jet. This wave travels at a net (eastward) phase speed of ∼ 75 m∕s in our model, and leads to periodic chevron-shaped features in the ammonia cloud deck. These features travel with the wave speed, and are subsequently much slower than the zonal wind at the cloud deck. This unique morphology of the ammonia cloud, and the slower drift rate, were both observed following the convective outbreak in this region in 2016 and 2020. We find that an upper level circulation is responsible for these cloud features in the aftermath of the convective outbursts. The comparatively slower observed drift rates of these features, relative to the wind speed of the jet, provides constraints on the vertical wind shear above the cloud tops, and we suggest that wind velocities determined from cloud tracking should correspond to a different altitude compared to the 680 hPa pressure level. We also diagnose the convective potential of the atmosphere due to water condensation, and find that it is strongly coupled to the wave.
Perseverance: An Essential Trait of Military Interprofessional Healthcare Teams.

Introduction Perseverance-doing something despite difficulty-is an asset to healthcare professionals, yet not all providers display this trait. The literature offers no conceptualization of perseverance as it relates to military caregivers. This research sought to explore the perseverance displayed by members of military interprofessional healthcare teams (MIHTs) and to construct a framework for explaining the role of perseverance in MIHTs' collaborative work. Methods Using Grounded Theory, this interview-based study collected insights from 30 individuals who had participated in MIHTs and/or led MIHTs. Participants represented 11 different health professions, both officers and enlisted military members, and three branches of the U.S. military (i.e., Army, Navy, and Air Force). Data were collected and analyzed in iterative cycles until theme saturation was achieved. Results We identified practices through which perseverance was exhibited by members of MIHTs: (1) humility, (2) mission focus, (3) team effort, (4) failure is not an option, (5) comfort with discomfort, and (6) continuous improvement. We then clustered these practices into three subcategories, reflecting how certain practices may connect to support MIHT perseverance. Conclusions These six practices appear connected in significant ways to support the MIHTs' efforts. Humility, mission focus, and team effort can help team members collaborate as a unified and mutually supportive team. From this base, MIHTs seemed able to become comfortable with discomfort and to refuse failure as an option. These orientations then allowed the team to engage in continuous improvement. Together, these practices may enhance team perseverance and ultimately team performance.
A New History of Medieval French Literature

Is it legitimate to conceive of and write a history of medieval French literature when the term "literature" as we know it today did not appear until the very end of the Middle Ages? In this novel introduction to French literature of the period, Jacqueline Cerquiglini-Toulet says yes, arguing that a profound literary consciousness did exist at the time. Cerquiglini-Toulet challenges the standard ways of reading and evaluating literature, considering medieval literature not as separate from that in other eras but as part of the broader tradition of world literature. Her vast and learned readings of both canonical and lesser-known works pose crucial questions about, among other things, the notion of otherness, the meaning of change and stability, and the relationship of medieval literature with theology. Part history of literature, part theoretical criticism, this book reshapes the language and content of medieval works. By weaving together topics such as the origin of epic and lyric poetry, Latin-French bilingualism, women's writing, grammar, authorship, and more, Cerquiglini-Toulet does nothing less than redefine both philosophical and literary approaches to medieval French literature. Her book is a history of the literary act, a history of words, a history of ideas and works-monuments rather than documents-that calls into question modern concepts of literature.
Oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans: protective effects of superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetics.

Summary The lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans can be extendedby the administration of synthetic superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetics (SCMs) without any effects on develop-ment or fertility. Here we demonstrate that the mimetics,Euk-134 and Euk-8, confer resistance to the oxidativestress-inducing agent, paraquat and to thermal stress. Theprotective effects of the compounds are apparent withtreatments either during development or during adult-hood and are independent of an insulin/IGF-I-like signal-ling pathway also known to affect thermal and oxidativestress resistance. Worms exposed to the compounds donot induce a cellular stress response and no detrimentaleffects are observed.Key words: antioxidants; Caenorhabditis elegans ; oxidativestress; SOD/catalase mimetics; stress resistance. Introduction Accumulation of macromolecular damage caused by reactiveoxygen species (ROS) is believed to be one of the main under-lying causes of aging and is implicated in a number of diseasestates (Harman, 1956, 1992; Martin
The mechanism of the anemia associated with Hodgkin's disease.

1. The survival of autotransfused Cr51-tagged erythrocytes was shortened in a group of five patients with the anemia of Hodgkin’s disease, but since the normal marrow is believed to be capable of compensating for destruction rates of six to eight times greater than normal, it is felt that the increased rate of hemolysis was not sufficient to account for the development of anemia in any of these patients. 2. There was evidence of an increased rate of erythropoiesis in all of the patients with Hodgkin’s disease. This was manifested by normoblastic hyperplasia of the marrow, a moderate reticulocytosis and increased plasma iron clearance rates. The shortened red cell survival times were associated with the increased plasma iron clearance rates. However, in view of the fact that all of the patients were anemic, it is evident that these patients were incapable of increasing the rate of red cell production sufficiently to compensate for the increased rate of destruction. 3. Intravenously injected Fe59 citrate was incorporated more rapidly into the circulating red cell mass in the patients with Hodgkin’s disease than in the normal subjects. 4. The tissue iron stores of the liver and spleen were greatly increased, but no iron was demonstrated in the marrow of a group of seven patients with Hodgkin’s disease. 5. The plasma iron was low and the UIBC normal in a group of 12 patients with active Hodgkin’s disease. 6. It is suggested that one of the factors which limits the ability of the marrow to produce hemoglobin in the anemia of Hodgkin’s disease may be a relative hypoferremia caused by a defect in the mobilization of iron from tissue stores.
In Vitro Motility Assay to Study Translocation of Actin by Myosin

A basic property of myosin is its ability to interact with and translocate actin. This unit describes an in vitro motility assay that can be used to study the translocation, or sliding, of actin filaments by myosin bound to a coverslip. The assay makes use of the ability to image single F-actin filaments labeled with rhodamine phalloidin, a high-affinity fluorescent ligand using fluorescence microscopy. The system is fast, easy to set up and maintain, uses only small amounts of protein, and yields quantitative results.
An Exonuclease Induced by Bacteriophage Lambda. I. Preparation of the Crystalline Enzyme

Abstract The deoxyribonucleic acid exonuclease induced by bacteriophage λ has been obtained in crystalline and physically homogeneous form. The purified preparation is free of detectable contamination by the endonuclease I, DNA polymerase, DNA phosphatase-exonuclease, alkaline phosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase, and ribonuclease activities known to be present in Escherichia coli; it may contain a trace (0.01%) of exonuclease I.
Robust stability and adaptive control of time-varying neutral systems

The Lyapunov-Krasovskii theory is extended to obtain sufficient conditions for the robust stability (independent of the delay) of linear neutral systems. Riccati-like equations are derived, relating the existence of a triple of positive definite matrices to the robust stability. By allowing time dependence of the delay itself, earlier results are extended. The approach is fruitful as it is readily adaptable to the design of stabilizability conditions under state and output feedback. As the existence proofs are constructive, they yield prescriptive stabilizing gains. An application to MRAC design for neutral systems is shown.
Architectural organization in the interphase nucleus of the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei: location of telomeres and mini-chromosomes.

Abstract We studied the spatial organization of chromatin in the interphase G1, S and G2 nucleus of the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei, applying in situ hybridization with conventional fluorescence and confocal scanning optical microscopy. The majority of the trypanosome telomere GGGTTA repeats from different chromosomes were found clustered together, either extending in a network through the nuclear interior or localized at the nuclear periphery. The population of one hundred mini-chromosomes was often asymmetrically located: either clustered in a narrow band in close association with the nuclear envelope or distributed into several clusters that segregated into roughly one half of the nucleus. The nuclear organization may undergo modifications during the cell cycle and development. We conclude that non-random spatial positioning of DNA exists in the nucleus of this protozoan. Finding a high level of structural organization in the interphase nucleus of T.brucei is an important first step towards understanding chromosome structure and functioning and its role in the control of gene expression.
Proton impact ionization and a fast calculation method

[1] We present a coupled Monte Carlo and multistream model simulating primary ionization and secondary electron ionization, respectively, from energetic proton precipitation in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Good agreement is obtained with previous model results. It is found that while secondary electrons make a negligible contribution to ionization from low-energy (≤10 keV) auroral proton precipitation, their importance increases with increasing incident proton energy, confirming earlier findings. It becomes significant or even comparable to primary ionization from protons and generated hydrogen atoms in charge-changing collisions. Our calculations of the mean energy loss per ion pair production show a nearly monotonic increase with incident proton energy, ranging from about 22 eV to 33 eV when incident energy increases from 100 eV to 1 MeV. To facilitate a fast calculation in large-scale computations, we develop a parameterization for total (primary plus secondary) ionization from monoenergetic proton precipitation. This is obtained by fitting to a large set of numerical results from the coupled model. The quick method applies to a wide energy range of 100 eV to 1 MeV for incident monoenergetic protons, and its validity has been extensively tested under a variety of background atmospheric conditions. Our new parameterization can be used to rapidly calculate the ionization altitude profile from precipitating protons with any spectral distributions without any significant compromise in accuracy. By considering branching ratios of ionized atmospheric species, the fast calculation method is thus useful for self-consistently including proton impact effects in large community models.
Learning From History: The Legacy of Title VII in Academic Family Medicine

The current renaissance of interest in primary care could benefit from reviewing the history of federal investment in academic family medicine. The authors review 30 years of experience with the Title VII, Section 747 Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (Title VII) grant program, addressing three questions: (1) What Title VII grant programs were available to family medicine, and what were their goals? (2) How did Title VII change the discipline? and (3) What impact did Title VII family medicine programs have outside the discipline?Title VII grant programs evolved from broad support for the new discipline of family medicine to a sharper focus on specific national workforce objectives such as improving care for underserved and vulnerable populations and increasing diversity in the health professions. Grant programs were instrumental in establishing family medicine in nearly all medical schools and in supporting the educational underpinnings of the field. Title VII grants helped enhance the social capital of the discipline. Outside family medicine, Title VII fostered the development of innovative ambulatory education, institutional initiatives focusing on underserved and vulnerable populations, and primary care research capacity. Adverse effects include relative inattention to clinical and research missions in family medicine academic units and, institutionally, the development of medical education initiatives without core institutional support, which has put innovation and extension of education to communities at risk as grant funding has decreased. Reinvestment in academic family medicine can yield substantial benefits for family medicine and help reorient academic health centers. This article is part of a theme issue of Academic Medicine on the Title VII health professions training programs.
Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: definition, treatment and future efforts

The identification of patients with high-risk bladder cancer is important for the timely and appropriate treatment of this lethal disease. The understanding of the natural history of bladder cancer has improved; however, the criteria used to define high-risk disease and the relevant treatment strategies have remained the same for the past several decades, despite multiple large, randomized, prospective clinical trials that have evaluated the use of intravesical, surgical and systemic therapies. The genetic signature of high-risk bladder cancer has been a focus of investigation and has led to the discovery of potential molecular targets for disease identification, risk stratification and therapy. These advances, combined with a comprehensive risk assessment profile that incorporates available pathological and clinical characteristics, might improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with bladder cancer.