cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initial Results Of A New Vesicoscopic Technique For The Treatment Of Low-Pressure Incontinence In Children

PURPOSE Surgery for sphincter incontinence remains challenging. Regardless of the methods the final success rates not usually exceed 70-80%. Short term results of a new vesicoscopic technique for bladder neck reconstruction are presented. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between Nov 2007 and Sept 2008 eight children (mean age 11,7 years), four with non-neurogenic, four with neurogenic sphincter dysfunction were operated. All had failed earlier surgery. All had leak-point pressure below 30 cm H2O. Mean follow up period is 5.8 months. Technique: In supine position, 3 ports are inserted into the bladder under direct visual control. U-shaped incision is done of the mucosa around the bladder neck leaving a strip mucosa on the anterior bladder wall that is tubularised. One lateral mucosal flap is used to cover the tube. A transurethral catheter is left for 3 weeks. RESULTS Mean operation time was 161 min (110 – 198 min). There was one conversion to open procedure. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.7 days (2 – 4 days). Transurethral CIC has been resumed in 4 children without any complication. Four patients are dry, two are sporadically wet but satisfied with the result and two patients are wet. CONCLUSIONS Short time results of vescicoscopic U-Bladder neck plasty are encouraging but long follow-up of a large group is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of this technique. Major advantage is the fact that it is a relatively minor surgery with excellent cosmetic results and quick recovery.
The efficacy of photopheresis for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation

Background Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has been used to treat acute and chronic rejection after solid organ transplantation. However, data supporting the use of ECP for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after lung transplantation are limited. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of ECP for progressive BOS at our institution. Between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2007, 60 lung allograft recipients were treated with ECP for progressive BOS. Results During the 6-month period before the initiation of ECP, the average rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) was −116.0 ml/month, but the slope decreased to −28.9 ml/month during the 6-month period after the initiation of ECP, and the mean difference in the rate of decline was 87.1 ml/month (95% confidence interval, 57.3–116.9; p 1 improved in 25.0% of patients after the initiation of ECP, with a mean increase of 20.1 ml/month. Conclusions ECP is associated with a reduction in the rate of decline in lung function associated with progressive BOS.
An Indirect Technique for Establishing Preferences for Categories of Reinforcement for Severely and Profoundly Retarded Individuals

The development of a reinforcement survey hierarchy is described for programming severely and profoundly retarded individuals. The survey identifies reinforcement preferences of severely and profou...
The nerve ring of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: Sensory input and motor output

The general organization and structure of the nerve ring, the main mass of central nervous system neuropil, in the small soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is described. The nerve ring receives sensory input from the anterior tip of the animal by means of six nerve bundles, all nerve fibers of which have centrally located cell bodies. The anterior sensory structures are classically divided into two types, papillary and amphidial, and are assumed responsible for mechano- and chemoreception, respectively. Papillary fibers enter directly into the nerve ring, whereas amphidial fibers enter the ventral ganglion, a posterior extension of the nerve ring, in a circuitous manner which is not discussed in detail. Of those papillary fibers which project into the nerve ring neuropil, 22 end in easily characterized sensory structures whereas 14 terminate distally near sensory organs but have no function which can be deduced on the basis of comparative morphology. After entering the ring the fibers maintain their identity and do not anastamose with one another. Cell bodies of each papillary sensory neuron have been mapped around the nerve ring. The cephalic musculature is shown to consist of 32 muscle cells which form four longitudinal submedial groups of eight muscles each. Innervation of this musculature occurs wholly within the CNS by means of processes of the muscle cells which are sent centrally. The anterior 16 cephalic muscle cells are innervated by the ring only, in well delimited regions termed muscle plates. The posterior 16 are dually innervated by means of processes sent both to the nerve ring plates and to their nearest medial longtitudinal nerve cord. The nerve ring neuropil is characterized as having fibers containing one of four morphologically distinct vesicle types. Gap junction contacts are observed within the main neuropil involving one of these fiber types and within the muscle plate regions among muscle processes, which do not contain vesicles. An evolutionarily primitive sensory-motor synapse within the nerve ring is described from an identified sensory neuron onto an identified cephalic muscle cell process. Comparisons are made with the nervous system of Ascaris lumbricoides, the only other nematode to be extensively studied, to illustrate the conservativeness of the nemic nervous system.
Algorithm for the Measure of Vitreous Hyperreflective Foci in Optical Coherence Tomographic Scans of Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema

Importance Developing a noninvasive measure of diabetic retinopathy disease progression may provide physicians with information needed for patient-specific intervention. Objective To develop an algorithm to measure vitreous hyperreflective foci (VHRF) from standard, 3-dimensional optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images in an unbiased manner. Design, Setting, and Participants We retrospectively analyzed OCT scans from 97 patients who were evaluated at the Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan. Patients with diabetes mellitus without signs of retinopathy (n = 29) and patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) (n = 31) were compared with healthy control participants (n = 37). The algorithm was used to determine whether the VHRF score is associated with DME and may serve as a noninvasive measure of inflammation. The study was conducted from November 14, 2011, to August 5, 2015. Data analysis was performed from May 15, 2014, to August 13, 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures An algorithm was developed to enhance the vitreous imaging from OCT to allow automated quantification of VHRF and calculation of a VHRF score. This score was compared between the healthy control, diabetes without retinopathy, and DME groups. Results In the 97 scans evaluated, VHRF scores, reported as mean (SD), were increased in patients with DME by 2.95-fold (5.60 [8.65]) compared with healthy controls (1.90 [3.42]; 95% CI, 0.75-7.45; P = .012) and by 6.83-fold compared with patients with diabetes without retinopathy (0.82 [1.26]; 95% CI, 1.46-8.82; P = .005). Conclusions and Relevance Scores obtained using the VHRF algorithm may be obtained from OCT images that include the vitreous and could provide a rapid, noninvasive clinical correlate for ocular inflammation. Higher VHRF scores in patients with DME compared with controls and diabetic patients without retinopathy warrant further population-based and longitudinal studies to help determine the value of the VHRF score in selecting therapeutic intervention.
Factors Contributing to the Regulation and Clinical Assessment of Muscular Strength

This paper reviews the physiological, anatomical, and biomechanical factors that contribute to the regulation of muscular strength and the factors to be considered in the clinical assessment of strength. In light of the procedural and mechanical aspects discussed, a comparison of various strength testing methods is made in order to assist the therapist in selecting the appropriate testing procedure to meet his objectives.
The evolution of integrated photonics at Sandia National laboratories

Sandia's broad national security mission has supported novel optoelectronics and integrated photonics R&D and technology transfer for over 30 years. Examples of this history, current capabilities, and potential future directions will be discussed.
Myopia: Nature, Nurture, and the Blur Hypothesis

Both inheritance and visual experience contribute to the de of myopia. The blur hypothesis, which asserts that myopia may be iuduced by ahnormal levels of or sensitivity to retinal image blur, can be used to describe how nature may work together to induce myopia. Each physiological mechanism that in uceu blurred vision may be inherited and most of these can act as parallel causal links connecting near work with the mechanisms that translate a blurred image into axial myopia.
Review of “Imaging Anatomy of the Human Brain: A Comprehensive Atlas Including Adjacent Structures,” by Neil M. Borden, Cristian Steffan, and Scott E. Forseen

As you can see from the publication date, this book is hot off the presses! I was very happy to be able to review this wonderful resource, which is packed with information and illustrations. Dr. Bo...
Legal and ethical issues relating to AIDS.

The worldwide AIDS epidemic has posed an extraordinary array of ethical and legal challenges. The work presented here reviews three issues at the heart of the matter: discrimination against HIV-infected people, the limits of confidentiality, and the exercise of coercive government powers to limit spread of the disease. Because the authors are most familiar with the U.S. experience, the review deals primarily with the history of the epidemic in the United States and public responses to it in that country.
Emergence of the Larger Black Flour Beetle as a Major Pest of Farm-Stored Grain in Minnesota

The significance of the larger black flour beetle (LBFB), Cynaeus angustus (LeConte), as a major insect pest of farm stored grain in Minnesota was investigated during 1977 and 1980. Between 21.6 and 63.9% of the storages of farm stored shelled corn sampled were infested by LBFB. Data collected during 1980 indicated that LBFB established infestations during the first summer of storage and overwintered in storage, and that rates of infestation increased with storage time and contributed to the heating of farm-stored corn. This pest was not common or abundant in farm-stored wheat sampled.
Optimal Design of Permeable Fiber Network Structures for Fog Harvesting

Fog represents a large untapped source of potable water, especially in arid climates. Numerous plants and animals use textural and chemical features on their surfaces to harvest this precious resource. In this work, we investigate the influence of the surface wettability characteristics, length scale, and weave density on the fog-harvesting capability of woven meshes. We develop a combined hydrodynamic and surface wettability model to predict the overall fog-collection efficiency of the meshes and cast the findings in the form of a design chart. Two limiting surface wettability constraints govern the re-entrainment of collected droplets and clogging of mesh openings. Appropriate tuning of the wetting characteristics of the surfaces, reducing the wire radii, and optimizing the wire spacing all lead to more efficient fog collection. We use a family of coated meshes with a directed stream of fog droplets to simulate a natural foggy environment and demonstrate a five-fold enhancement in the fog-collecting eff...
Cytochrome P450 MA expression in insecticide-resistant German cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae).

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are detoxification enzymes commonly involved in insecticide resistance by insects. Recently, an overexpressed form of this enzyme, P450 MA, was purified from an insecticide-resistant strain of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), and polyclonal antisera (anti-P450 MA) was produced. To test hypotheses that the overexpressed condition of P450 MA has evolved in >1 geographic location and that P450 MA might be involved in insecticide resistance to specific insecticides, investigations were conducted using 4 insecticide-resistant and 1 susceptible German cockroach strains. In western blots that used anti-P450 MA antiserum as a probe, substantial differences in expression of P450 MA were observed. Strains showing the highest P450 MA expression had both the highest tolerance to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos and cytochrome P450-mediated demethylation activity. Results support the hypothesis that cytochrome P450 MA is potentially overexpressed in insecticide-resistant populations on a global scale.
Inhibition of azo dye carcinogenesis by adrenalectomy and treatment with desoxycorticosterone trimethylacetate.

Summary1) Feeding of a semi-synthetic diet containing 0.058 percent 3-methyl-paradimethylaminoazobenzene (3′-Me-DAB) to intact rats for four months resulted in liver enlargement and development of large neoplastic nodules in 100 percent of the cases. 2) Ad lib. or restrictive feeding of azo dye were equally effective in inducing liver carcinogenesis. 3) Treatment of dye-fed, intact rats with large doses of desoxycorticosterone trimethylacetate (DCT), over a 4-month period, had no effect on liver carcinogenesis. 4) Treatment of dye-fed, totally adrenalectomized rats for 4 months with large doses of DCT prevented marked liver enlargement and inhibited development of macroscopic lesions and neoplastic nodules. 5) The presence of small amounts of adrenal cortical tissue allowed the carcinogenic process to proceed in rats fed azo dye and treated with large doses of DCT.
Isolation and characterization of mitochondrial F1-ATPase from crayfish (Orconectes virilis) gills

A soluble F(1)-ATPase was isolated from the mitochondria of crayfish (Orconectes virilis) gill tissue. The maximal mitochondrial disruption rate (95%) was obtained by sonicating for 4 min at pH 8.6. A 15-fold purification was estimated. The properties for both soluble and membrane-bound enzyme were studied. Both enzyme forms were stable at 4 to -70 degrees C when kept in 20% glycerol. Soluble F(1)-ATPase was more stable at room temperature than membrane-bound enzyme. It displayed a narrower pH profile (pK(1) =6.58, pK(2)=7.68) and more acid pH optimum (7.13) than membrane-bound enzyme (pK(1)=6.42, pK(2)=8.55, optimum pH 7.49). The anion-stimulated activities were in the order HCO(3)(-)>SO(4)(2-)>Cl(-). The apparent K(a) values for soluble enzyme were 11.4, 11.2, and 10.9 mM, respectively, but the K(a) of HCO(3)(-) for membrane-bound enzyme (14.9 mM) was higher than for soluble enzyme. Oligomycin and DCCD inhibited membrane-bound F(1)-ATPase with I(50) of 18.6 ng/ml and 2.2 microM, respectively, but were ineffective in inhibiting soluble enzyme. Both enzyme forms shared identical sensitivity to DIDS (I(50)=12.5 microM) and vanadate (I(50)=9.0 mM). Soluble ATPase was significantly more sensitive to pCMB (I(50)=0.15 microM) and NO(3)(-) (I(50)=28.6 mM) than membrane-bound enzyme (I(50)=1.04 microM pCMB and 81.5 mM NO(3)(-)). In addition, soluble F(1)-ATPase was slightly more sensitive to azide (I(50)=91.8 microM) and NBD-Cl (I(50)=9.18 microM) than membrane-bound enzyme (I(50)=111.6 microM azide and 12.88 microM NBD-Cl). These data suggest a conformational change transmission between F(0) and F(1) sectors and slight conformational differences between soluble F(1) and membrane-bound F(1). In addition, an unmodified F(0) stabilizes F(1) and decreases F(1) sensitivities to inhibitors and modulators.
Scalable and Robust Management of Dynamic Graph Data.

Most real-world networks evolve over time. This evolution can be modeled as a series of graphs that represent a network at different points in time. Our G* system enables efficient storage and querying of these graph snapshots by taking advantage of the commonalities among them. We are extending G* for highly scalable and robust operation. This paper shows that the classic challenges of data distribution and replication are imbued with renewed significance given continuously generated graph snapshots. Our data distribution technique adjusts the set of worker servers for storing each graph snapshot in a manner optimized for popular queries. Our data replication approach maintains each snapshot replica on a different number of workers, making available the most efficient replica configurations for different types of queries.
Using Behavior Analysis to Examine the Outcomes of Unproven Therapies: An Evaluation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Children with Autism

It has become increasingly common for parents of children with autism to supplement behavior analytic interventions with therapies that have not yet been subjected to adequate scientific scrutiny. When caregivers elect to use unproven therapies despite advice to the contrary, practitioners should employ the methods of applied behavior analysis to experimentally evaluate the outcomes. Controlled evaluations of unproven therapies can be challenging, however, particularly when ongoing behavioral services are supplemented with biomedical interventions. This paper describes the methods and results of a behavior analytic evaluation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, an unproven intervention that has been growing in popularity over the past several years. Three young children with autism participated. No benefits of the therapy were evident beyond those obtained through the behavioral intervention alone. Considerations for conducting this type of research are highlighted, along with suggestions for practitioners.
Abstract 2061: DK049, a novel acid-sensitive prodrug of gemcitabine: design,in vitroproperties andin vivoefficacy

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Gemcitabine (Gemzar®) is an anticancer nucleoside that is widely used to treat solid tumors. Unfortunately, at its recommended dose of ∼1000 mg/m2 approximately 90% are deactivated by cytidine deaminase to the inactive uridine metabolite and excreted in the urine. A further disadvantage resulting in chemo-resistance is the low expression level of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) on the cell surface of cancer cells thus preventing substantial uptake of gemcitabine. In order to circumvent these disadvantages, we designed an innovative gemcitabine prodrug DK049 that a.) is capped at the amino group of the cytosine moiety with acetyl benzoic acid preventing deamination, and b.) incorporates a proprietary maleimide-bearing LADR™ linker forming a stable, but acid-sensitive hydrazone bond. At its 5′-OH position a phosphate group was introduced rendering water-solubility. Following intravenous administration, DK049 binds rapidly and selectively to circulating albumin and utilizes the advantages of albumin-mediated tumor uptake as well as cellular uptake by endocytosis (1). After cleavage of the acid-sensitive benzoyl hydrazone bond, we could show that the acetyl benzoic acid is decapped by carboxylesterase 2. In a head-to-head comparison with gemcitabine (4 × 240 mg/kg on a weekly basis) in four subcutaneous human patient-derived tumor xenografts (NSCLC: LXFE397, LXFE937, ovarian cancer: OVXF899, and pancreatic cancer: Panc11159; 8-10 nude mice per group), DK049 (4 × 24 mg/kg gemcitabine equivalents or 8 × 18 mg/kg gemcitabine equivalents over 4 weeks) demonstrated distinctly superior antitumor efficacy versus gemcitabine (p < 0.05). In the LXFE937 and OVXF899 model, DK049 induced long-term significant regressions for several weeks after end of therapy without any loss in body weight or bone marrow toxicity. In summary, these results show a superior long-term antitumor efficacy of DK049 compared to gemcitabine at a significantly reduced dose. (1) Felix Kratz, Albumin as a drug carrier: design of prodrugs, drug conjugates and nanoparticles. J Control Release 8;132:171-83, 2008. Citation Format: David Koester, Javier Garcia, Olga Fuchs, Felix Kratz. DK049, a novel acid-sensitive prodrug of gemcitabine: design, in vitro properties and in vivo efficacy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2061.
Produktion von G-CSF und IL-6 und Aktivierung von STAT Proteinen in Mukosa und Tunica Muscularis des Jejunums im Hämorrhagischen Schock

Im Rahmen des hamorrhagischen Schocks kommt es zu ausgepragten Perfusionsanderungen aufgrund einer regulatorischen Vasokonstriktion in der Splanchnikus Zirkulation [1]. Aktivierte Zellen der Darmwand setzen proinflammatorische Zytokine [1] frei, die zur Rekrutierung von polymorphkernigen Leukozyten (PMN) fuhren. Veranderungen in der Mucosa wahrend Ischamie und hamorrhagischem Schock sind mehrfach dokumentiert worden [2]. Die Rolle der glatten Darmmuskulatur in der inflammatorischen Reaktion im hamorrhagischen Schock blieb bisher unklar. In vorangegangenen Untersuchungen konnten wir zeigen, das die Muskulatur in den ersten 12 Stunden nach hamorrhagischem Schock fokale Areale mit dichten Infiltrationen von PMN aufweist. Gleichzeitig war die muskulare Kontraktilitat erheblich beeintrachtigt. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war die Untersuchung, ob die beiden Zytokine, Granulozyten Colonie-stimulierender Faktor (G-CSF) und Interleukin 6 (IL-6), im hamorrhagischen Schock gebildet werden und ob STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) Proteine aktiviert werden. Die Aktivierung von STAT Proteinen stellt einen wichtigen intrazellularen Mechanismus der Signaltransduktion zwischen Zellmembran und Zellnukleus dar. Die Produktion von Zytokinen und die nachfolgende Aktivierung von STAT Proteinen tragen zur Entzundungsreaktion und zur Aktivierung von PMN im hamorrhagischen Schock bei.
Associative and Entanglement Contributions to the Solution Rheology of a Bacterial Polysaccharide

We report the viscosity of semidilute solutions of a bacterially synthesized polysaccharide—a partially deacetylated poly-N-acetylglucosamine—as measured by microrheology. This polymer, commonly called polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), is synthesized by Staphylococcal strains; it is a principal component of the biofilms of these bacteria. We show that the concentration-dependent viscosity of PIA at a pH in which it is associated can be predicted using the Heo–Larson equation for entangled polymers [J. Rheol. 2005, 49 (5), 1117−1128], if the molecular parameters of the equation are measured in its associated state. This agreement is consistent with PIA adopting a concentration-dependent scaling of the viscosity that is dominated by entanglements and intermolecular associations, as described in the theory of Rubinstein and Semenov [Macromolecules 2001, 34 (4), 1058−1068]. The zero-shear specific viscosity, ηsp, measured in the concentration range, cPIA = 0.1–13 wt %, scales as ηsp ∼ cPIA1.27±0.15 ...
Integration of Biomarkers with Plaque Imaging

The clinical utility of a biomarker in cardiovascular disease prediction depends on its ability to identify high-risk individuals for optimal patient management. While circulating biomarkers are relatively inexpensive and easy to measure repeatedly and monitor for changes, they are not as specific and reliable for identifying high-risk plaques as imaging techniques. Data are now accumulating on the potential clinical utility of integrating imaging technologies and circulating biomarkers for the identification of patients at high risk for future cardiovascular events. The combination of biomarkers that are already used in cardiovascular disease prevention with imaging data may improve our ability to identify high-risk patients. Molecular imaging is a new approach that uses biomarkers as target for imaging. Molecular imaging may help in identification of new cellular processes that are closer to the mechanism of a therapeutic intervention than other biomarkers or clinical endpoints and, therefore, facilitate the in vivo evaluation of drugs with novel mechanisms in small, rapid trials.
Assessment of Elevation Uncertainty in Salt Marsh Environments using Discrete-Return and Full-Waveform Lidar

ABSTRACT Rogers, J.N.; Parrish, C.E.; Ward, L.G., and Burdick, D.M., 2016. Assessment of elevation uncertainty in salt marsh environments using discrete-return and full-waveform lidar. In: Brock, J.C.; Gesch, D.B.; Parrish, C.E.; Rogers, J.N., and Wright, C.W. (eds.), Advances in Topobathymetric Mapping, Models, and Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 76, pp. 107–122. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Lidar data can serve as an important source of elevation information for studying, monitoring and managing salt marshes. However, previous studies have shown that lidar data tend to have greater vertical uncertainty in salt marshes than in other environments, hindering the ability to resolve small elevation differences that can be ecologically significant in marshes. For coastal scientists and managers to effectively collect, evaluate, and/or use lidar data in salt marshes, factors affecting elevation uncertainty (e.g., plant species, season, and lidar processing methods) mus...
Housing demand, regional house prices and consumption

Thesis: S.M. in Management Science Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2018.
Is energy efficiency underprovided? An analysis of the provision of energy efficiency in multi-attribute products

The paper investigates the provision of energy efficient products in a differentiated product market. We build a model to understand the provision of quality and energy efficiency in products when a tradeoff exists between these two product attributes represented by a technological frontier. In our model, a monopoly firm offers a high-end and a low-end version of a product to two groups of consumers who differ in their willingness to pay for the product. We find that the relative energy efficiency of the two products depends on the energy price. We show that price discrimination distorts the choice of energy efficiency and quality of the low-end product on the frontier. In addition, it may cause the firm to offer an energy efficiency/quality combination for the low-end product that is below the frontier, to induce the high-end consumers to buy the high-end product. This suggests that the firm’s desire to price discriminate in markets is one reason for the slow diffusion of energy saving technologies, a phenomenon known as the “energy paradox.” It also suggests that the technology to improve energy efficiency, even when available to firms, may not be fully utilized.
The ‘Tinker-Bell’ Framework: The Fifth Circuit Places Facebook inside the Schoolhouse Gate in Bell v. Itawamba County School Board

Taylor Bell, a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Mississippi, posted on his personal Facebook page a rap song he composed and recorded away from school. The main thrust of the lyrics depicted a pattern of sexual harassment of female students by two of the school's coaches. Word of the song soon spread to the school's administrators, and the Itawamba County School Board (Board) informed Bell that because the song allegedly contained threats to specific coaches at the school, he would be suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. At the hearing, the disciplinary committee mostly ignored the song's underlying allegations, instead focusing on whether some of the lyrics violated school policy by containing “threatening, harassing, and intimidating” language directed at students or teachers. Specifically, the committee expressed concern about one line of the song, which reads “you've f--ed with the wrong one / going to get a pistol down your mouth,” asserting that the lyrics were “threats to a teacher.” Bell denied that he was making threats, contending that the lyrics “reflect the possibility that a parent or relative of one of the female students might eventually react violently upon learning that the coaches were harassing their children.” Although the disciplinary committee found that the issue of whether or not the lyrics constituted threats was “vague,” the Board unanimously decided that Bell had violated school policy and decided to place him in alternative school for the remainder of the grading period. Bell filed an action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, seeking to enjoin the suspension as a violation of his First Amendment rights. The district court granted the Board's motion for summary judgment, and Bell appealed. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, held that under United States Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit precedent, the school had the right to suspend Bell under the circumstances, affirming the district court's grant of summary judgment. Bell v. Itawamba County School Board, 799 F.3d 379 (5th Cir. 2015) (en banc).
A new long form of SOX5, SOX6, and SOX9 are co-expressed in chondrocytes and cooperatively activate the type ii collagen gene

Transcripts for a new form of Sox5, called L-Sox5, and Sox6 are coexpressed with Sox9 in all chondrogenic sites of mouse embryos. A coiled-coil domain located in the N-terminal part of L-Sox5, and absent in Sox5, showed >90% identity with a similar domain in Sox6 and mediated homodimerization and heterodimerization with Sox6. Dimerization of L-Sox5/Sox6 greatly increased efficiency of binding of the two Sox proteins to DNA containing adjacent HMG sites. L-Sox5, Sox6 and Sox9 cooperatively activated expression of the chondrocyte differentiation marker Col2a1 in 10T1/2 and MC615 cells. A 48 bp chondrocyte-specific enhancer in this gene, which contains several HMGlike sites that are necessary for enhancer activity, bound the three Sox proteins and was cooperatively activated by the three Sox proteins in non-chondrogenic cells. Our data suggest that L-Sox5/Sox6 and Sox9, which belong to two different classes of Sox transcription factors, cooperate with each other in expression of Col2a1 and possibly other genes of the chondrocytic program.
Regional Heterogeneity of Lobar Ventilation in Asthma Using Hyperpolarized Helium-3 MRI.

Rationale and Objectives To determine lobar ventilation patterns in asthmatic lungs with hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance imaging (HP 3He MRI). Materials and Methods Eighty-two subjects (14 normal, 48 mild-to-moderate asthma, and 20 severe asthma) underwent HP 3He MRI, computed tomography (CT), and pulmonary function testing. After registering proton to 3He images, we segmented the lungs from proton MRI and further segmented the five lung lobes (right upper lobe [RUL], right middle lobe [RML], and right lower lobe [RLL]; left upper lobe and left lower lobe [LLL]) by referring to the lobar segmentation from CT. We classified the gas volume into four signal intensity levels as follows: ventilation defect percent (VDP), low ventilation percent, medium ventilation percent, and high ventilation percent. The local signal intensity variations in the ventilated volume were estimated using heterogeneity score (Hs). We compared each ventilation level and Hs measured in the whole lung and lobar regions across the three subject groups. Results In mild-to-moderate asthma, the RML and RUL showed significantly greater VDP than the two lower lobes (RLL and LLL) (P ≤ .047). In severe asthma, the pattern was more variable with the VDP in the RUL significantly greater than in the RLL (P = .026). In both asthma groups, the lower lobes (RLL and LLL) showed significantly higher high ventilation percent and Hs compared to the three upper lobes (all P ≤ .015). Conclusions In asthma, the RML and RUL showed greater ventilation abnormalities, and the RLL and LLL were more highly ventilated with greater local heterogeneity. These findings may facilitate guided bronchoscopic sampling and localized airway treatment in future studies.
Gene Expression in Preimplantation Embryos

Gene expression in preimplantation embryos has been excellently reviewed several times in recent years, Particularly useful are the reviews by Magnuson and Epstein (1), Schultz (2), and Fleming and Johnson (3). Although preimplantation genetic diagnosis is likely to be based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodologies which are highly useful because the DNA is the same in each cell, there may be some use for diagnosis based on gene products. Thus, this review will try to outline some of the general conclusions which come from a vast amount of work by a large number of researchers in the last several decades. One general conclusion is that maternal RNA has a brief role in the mammalian embryo. In this regard, Dyban (this volume) and I share some beliefs about the role of maternal RNA and have some differences of opinion. I think that maternal mRNA, at least in the mouse, cannot do very much related to differentiation except, perhaps, to turn on many of the transacting factors that are going to lead to the panorama of gene expression that occurs in a short time.
The Role of University-Based Induction in Beginning Elementary Teacher Enactment of Effective Mathematics Teaching.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the school-based contextual constraints perceived by beginning elementary teachers as they attempted to enact their visions of effective mathematics teachin...
PREJUNCTIONAL ADRENOCEPTORS IN RAT PERIPHERAL TISSUES

ABSTRACT Chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine decreased (50%) or increased (10%) specific binding of 1 nM [3H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA) to β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR) in spleen and heart particulate fractions, respectively. The specific binding of 1.25 nM [3H]dihydroergokryptine (DHEC) to α-adrenergic receptors (α-AR) decreased in heart (71%) and did not change in spleen following administration of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). These results provide evidence for prejunctional localization of α- and β-AR in the heart and spleen, respectively.
Complete validation of a continuous and blood-correlated sweat biosensing device with integrated sweat stimulation

A wearable sweat biosensing device is demonstrated that stimulates sweat and continuously measures sweat ethanol concentrations at 25 s intervals, which is then correlated with blood ethanol during a >3 hour testing phase. The testing involves a baseline condition (no ethanol) followed by a rapid blood and sweat rise of ethanol (oral bolus), and finally, the physiological response of the body as ethanol concentrations return to baseline (metabolized). Data sets include multiple in vivo validation trials and careful in vitro characterization of the electrochemical enzymatic ethanol sensor against likely interferents. Furthermore, the data is analyzed through known pharmacokinetic models with a strong linear Pearson correlation of 0.9474-0.9996. The continuous nature of the data also allows analysis of blood-to-sweat lag times that range between 2.3 to 11.41 min for ethanol signal onset and 19.32 to 34.44 min for the overall pharmacokinetic curve lag time. This work represents a significant advance that builds upon a continuum of previous work. However, unresolved questions include operation for 24 hours or greater and with analytes beyond those commonly explored for sweat (electrolytes and metabolites). Regardless, this work validates that sweat biosensing can provide continuous and blood-correlated data in an integrated wearable device.
Assessing Author Identifiers: Preparing for a Linked Data Approach to Name Authority Control in an Institutional Repository Context

AbstractLinked data solutions for name authority control in digital libraries are an area of growing interest, particularly among institutional repositories (IRs). This article first considers the ...
A 76-Year-Old Woman With Incidental Right Middle Lobe Atelectasis.

Case Presentation A 76-year-old nonsmoking woman visiting from Honduras for the last 6 months with no known medical history originally presented to the ED complaining of abdominal pain. While in the ED, an incidental right middle lobe collapse was found on CT abdomen scan. Review of systems was positive for a chronic productive cough with white sputum for 3 years. She denied association with fevers, chills, night sweats, hemoptysis, appetite changes, or weight loss.
Mechanisms of Actions of Longwave-UV on Marine Organisms

As a result of the interaction between sunlight UV and sensitive molecular species in the internal and external environments of marine organisms, photoproducts are formed that interfere with metabolic events, so as to inhibit survival and growth. This discussion deals with events not directly involving the genetic material or the synthesis of macromolecules, although these may be influenced secondarily by such events. It does deal with the central role of tryptophan in near-UV induced cellular photosensitization.
Identifying perianal fistula complications in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease using administrative claims

Background Although perianal fistulas occur commonly in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD), evaluations of health services have been limited since no validated claims-based methods exist for identifying cases. Objective To develop and validate accurate case definitions for perianal fistulas among pediatric patients with CD from administrative claims. Methods Retrospective cohort study in which we developed and tested candidate case definitions for perianal fistula. Patients (age 5-21 years between 2005-2012) with CD enrolled in Michigan Medicaid with healthcare at University of Michigan were identified via claims. Medical records were obtained from all identified patients, whose entire records were abstracted. Medical record evidence for perianal fistula was considered the "gold standard" against which candidate case definitions were compared. The reference case definition of perianal fistula (ICD9 565.1) and candidate case definitions were evaluated. Results Of 843 patients identified via claims, 274 (33%) met CD criteria for inclusion. The true perianal fistula rate among CD patients was 18% (n = 49). The top-performing candidate case definition identified 15% (n = 42), had sensitivity of 77.6%, specificity of 98.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) 90.5%, negative predictive value (NPV) 95.3%, and area under receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) of 0.88. In contrast, the reference case definition identified 9% (n = 26), sensitivity 51.0%, specificity 99.6%, PPV 96.2%, NPV 90.3%, and had an area under ROC of 0.75. Conclusions We demonstrated that it is feasible to use administrative claims data to accurately identify pediatric patients with perianal fistula complications. Claims-based case definitions were found to be highly accurate through medical record review, providing a high degree of confidence for future studies where chart review is not feasible. These claims-based methods can be applied to claims data in other settings for the evaluation of health services utilization as well as to assess the comparative effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies.
Distance-based Formation Control of a Three-Robot System

Distance-based formation control becomes popular since it does not require absolute positions to be sensed by each agent, which makes it suitable for vision-based robot formation control tasks. In this paper, we present a distributed control law for a group of three differential-drive robots to maintain a desired formation with a common desired velocity. As a first step, the control law for a group of three single-integrator modeled agents is presented and proved. Then, the control law is extended to a group of nonholonomic robots by using a coordinate transformation technique while considering the input saturation nonlinearity. Finally, the designed controller is verified in a robot simulator V-REP. Simulation results have shown that the control performance is satisfactory.
Using Twitter Content to Crowdsource Opinions on Tanning in the United States

Benutzer des Mediendienstes Twitter stellen bewusst und unbewusst eine Reihe von Informationen und Geodaten offentlich zur Verfugung. Viele soziale Medienanalysen hat eine bedingte Aussagekraft, da die thematischen Visualisierungen haufig nur den Standort der verschickten Tweets darstellen. Eine wesentliche Anforderung ist die Entwicklung von Bereinigungsmechanismen fur soziale Mediendaten sowie die Darstellung von Netzwerkstrukturen, Dynamiken, Interessensgemeinschaften und thematischen Schwerpunkten. Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt wie mithilfe von Twitter-lnformationen die offentliche Meinung und Diskussion zum Sonnenbraunen in den USA untersucht, werden kann. 25 Millionen Tweets wurden uber einen Zeitraum von sechs Wochen zu diesem Thema gesammelt. Diese Daten wurden gefiltert, bereinigt und mithilfe von thematischen Karten, Dendrogrammen sowie netzwerkbasierten Analyseverfahren fur Interessensgemeinschaften aufbereitet. Erste Ergebnisse zeigen, dass viele soziale Mediendaten durch Werbung und Spam verunreinigt sind. Nach dem Herausfiltern dieser Datensatze kann eine bessere Analyse der offentlichen Diskussion zu Einstellung und Gefahren des Sonnenbraunens vorgenommen werden. Dieser Beitrag zeigt neue Forschungspotenziale innerhalb der Kartographie auf sowie interdisziplinare Entwicklungsanforderungen zur besseren Analyse von sozialen Mediendaten.
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation as an Intervention for Major Depressive Disorder: Case Report

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global problem with an increasing incidence and prevalence. There has additionally been an increase in depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Behavioral activation is considered an evidence-based treatment for MDD. However, there are many barriers that could hinder one’s ability to engage in behavioral activation, with COVID-19 “shelter-in-place” and social distancing orders being current and large impediments. Virtual reality (VR) has been successfully used to help treat a variety of mental health conditions, but it has not yet been used as a method of administering behavioral activation to a clinical population. Using VR to engage in behavioral activation could eliminate barriers that pandemic precautions place and help decrease symptoms of depression that are especially exacerbated in these times. Objective: The following case report examines the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of VR behavioral activation for an adult with MDD during a global pandemic. This participant was part of a larger pilot study, and the case serves as a description of the VR intervention. Methods: The participant engaged in a weekly 50-minute psychotherapy Zoom session for 4 weeks, in which a modified behavioral activation protocol was administered using a VR headset to simulate activities. Data on mood ratings, homework compliance, and headset use were obtained from the headset. Acceptability, tolerability, and depression symptoms were obtained using self-report rating scales. Results: The intervention was feasible, acceptable, and tolerable, as reported by this participant. The participant’s depressive symptoms decreased by five-points on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 over a month, with a beginning score of 10 (moderate depression) and a final score of 5 (mild depression). Conclusions: The implications of these findings for future research are discussed. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04268316; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04268316
Risk and Abnormal Returns in Markets for Congestion Revenue Rights

In organized energy markets that use locational pricing, power generators and energy suppliers procure financial transmission rights (FTRs) to hedge against grid con- gestion charges, while third-party speculators attempt to capture a return with these extremely volatile contracts. This paper develops a novel methodology for estimating the systematic risk of individual FTRs and detecting the presence of abnormal returns among these financial instruments. The prevalence of congestion paths with abnormal returns could be used by policy experts as an efficiency measure when assessing the performance of FTR markets. Being the only organized energy market in the Western Interconnection, California has implemented a version of FTRs officially known as congestion revenue rights (CRRs). This paper applies the proposed methodology to all auctioned CRRs from 2009 to 2015. Our analysis identifies the paths that exhibit persistent abnormal returns, with the majority of them being positive. We also compare the patterns of risk and abnormal returns between on-peak and off-peak CRRs, and find no significant differences.
Cathepsin L regulates pathogenicCD4 T cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Previously we reported that IL-17-producing CD4 T cells (Th17) were increased in mice lacking the protease inhibitor SerpinB1 and several SerpinB1-inhibitable cysteine cathepsins were induced in the Th17 cells, most prominently cathepsin L (CtsL). Since CtsL also mediates invariant chain processing in thymic epithelial cells, deficiency of CtsL leads to impaired CD4 T cell thymic selection, which hinders the direct investigation of CD4 T cells in CtsL -/- mouse. In the current study, through transplanting the CtsL -/- bone marrow into lethally irradiated CtsL-sufficient Rag/- mice (bone marrow chimeras), we reconstituted the immune system of CtsL -/- chimeric mice, which possessed normal CD4 T cell development and allowed us to study the intrinsic role of CtsL in CD4 T cells in Th17 cell-driven autoimmune diseases. Surprisingly, we found that CtsL -/- CD4 T cells had no defects in differentiation of naive CD4 T cells into Th1, Treg and Th17 cells in vitro. However, in vivo, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, deficiency of CtsL significantly decreased the activation of IL-17, GM-CSF and IFN-γ producing pathogenic CD4 T cells. Compared with wild type (wt) controls, CtsL -/- CD4 T cells were also less accumulated in the spinal cord in EAE. Thus, for the first time, our study provided the direct in vivo evidence that CtsL was involved in CD4 T cells acquiring pathogenicity in the autoimmune disease.
Improving Antibiotic Timing in Febrile Neutropenia for Pediatric Oncology Patients with a Central Line

Background: Febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology patients is considered a medical emergency. This population is at risk for infection-related complications due to their immunocompromised state...
A theoretical analysis of graph evolution caused by triadic closure and algorithmic implications

Social networks have become an inseparable part of human life and processing them in an efficient m anner is a top priority in the study of networks. These networks are highly dynamic and they are growing incessantly. Inspired by the concept of triadic closure, we propose a probabilistic mechanism to model the evolution of these dynamic graphs. Although triadic closure is ubiquitous in social networks and its presence helps forming communities, probabilistic models encapsulating it have not been studied adequately.We theoretically analyze our model and show how to bound the growth rate of some characteristics of the graph, such as degree of vertices. Leveraging our theoretical results, we develop a scheduling subroutine to process modifications o f t he graph in batches. Our scheduling subroutine is then used to speed up the state-of-the-art algorithms with negligible loss in their approximation guarantees. We demonstrate the applicability of our method by applying it to the densest subgraph discovery problem.