cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The epigenetic modifier JMJD6 is amplified in mammary tumors and cooperates with c-Myc to enhance cellular transformation, tumor progression, and metastasis

Oncogene overexpression in primary cells often triggers the induction of a cellular safeguard response promoting senescence or apoptosis. Secondary cooperating genetic events are generally required for oncogene-induced tumorigenesis to overcome these biologic obstacles. We employed comparative genomic hybridization for eight genetically engineered mouse models of mammary cancer to identify loci that might harbor genes that enhance oncogene-induced tumorigenesis. Unlike many other mammary tumor models, the MMTV-Myc tumors displayed few copy number variants except for amplification of distal mouse chromosome 11 in 80 % of the tumors (syntenic to human 17q23-qter often amplified in human breast cancer). Analyses of candidate genes located in this region identified JMJD6 as an epigenetic regulatory gene that cooperates with Myc to enhance tumorigenesis. It suppresses Myc-induced apoptosis under varying stress conditions through inhibition of p19ARF messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein, leading to reduced levels of p53. JMJD6 binds to the p19ARF promoter and exerts its inhibitory function through demethylation of H4R3me2a. JMJD6 overexpression in MMTV-Myc cell lines increases tumor burden, induces EMT, and greatly enhances tumor metastasis. Importantly, we demonstrate that co-expression of high levels of JMJD6 and Myc is associated with poor prognosis for human ER+ breast cancer patients. A novel epigenetic mechanism has been identified for how JMJD6 cooperates with Myc during oncogenic transformation. Combined high expression of Myc and JMJD6 confers a more aggressive phenotype in mouse and human tumors. Given the pleiotropic pro-tumorigenic activities of JMJD6, it may be useful as a prognostic factor and a therapeutic target for Myc-driven mammary tumorigenesis.
2 Nuclear Dynamics and Cell Growth in Fungi

Fungal systems provide an especially excellent model for understanding the fundamentals of nuclear behavior in all cells. Fungal nuclei are highly dynamic organelles capable of long-range movements and rapid changes in gene expression as well as large-scale genomic alterations to adapt to their environment. Nuclei are strategically and actively positioned to facilitate their interactions with other cellular components and contribute to successful growth and reproduction of the organism. Each nucleus is a potential unit of selection, and yet different genotypes may come together in one cell to increase the fitness of multinucleate organisms as a whole. Despite the rich history of research into fungal nuclear dynamics, it is clear that we still have much to learn and there are numerous avenues of investigation that have yet to be thoroughly explored.
Control of the Stem Cell Gene Expression Program

The gene expression programs that establish and maintain specific cell states in humans are controlled by thousands of transcription factors, cofactors, and chromatin regulators. Our understanding of the DNA elements and regulators that control gene expression programs has advanced considerably in the last year. I will describe new insights into the roles that these elements and regulators play in global gene control during normal development and in various diseases. These insights provide opportunities for the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics. Disclosures: Young: Syros Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Enzon Pharmaceuticals: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees.
On the Roles of the Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 3 (TRPC3) Channel in Endothelium and Macrophages: Implications in Atherosclerosis

In the cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems the Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 3 (TRPC3) channel has a well-recognized role in a number of signaling mechanisms that impact the function of diverse cells and tissues in physiology and disease. The latter includes, but is not limited to, molecular and cellular mechanisms associated to the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. Despite several of these functions being closely related to atherorelevant mechanisms, the potential roles of TRPC3 in atherosclerosis, the major cause of coronary artery disease, have remained largely unexplored. Over recent years, a series of studies from the authors’ laboratory revealed novel functions of TRPC3 in mechanisms related to endothelial inflammation, monocyte adhesion to endothelium and survival and apoptosis of macrophages. The relevance of these new TRPC3 functions to atherogenesis has recently began to receive validation through studies in mouse models of atherosclerosis with conditional gain or loss of TRPC3 function. This chapter summarizes these novel findings and provides a discussion of their impact in the context of atherosclerosis, in an attempt to delineate a framework for further exploration of this terra incognita in the TRPC field.
Immunodeficiencies Associated with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Non–Hodgkin’s Lymphomas

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non–Hodgkin’s lymphomas represent a malignant proliferation of immunocytes. They are commonly associated with a variety of immune deficiency states. Some of these immune abnormalities are as characteristic as are hemodynamic disturbances in cardiac disorders. Since a classic immune response (comprised of afferent, central, and efferent limbs) involves humoral immunity, cellular immunity, phagocytic cell system, and amplifying systems (e.,g., the complement system), an attempt is made to discuss the immune deficiencies associated with each of these disorders under these four broad categories.
Dorsal anterior cingulate glutamate is associated with engagement of the default mode network during exposure to smoking cues.

Abstract Background When exposed to smoking cues, nicotine dependent individuals activate brain regions overlapping with the default mode network (DMN), a network of regions involved in internally-focused cognition. The salience network (SN), which includes the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), is thought to interact with the DMN and aids in directing attention toward salient internal or external stimuli. One possibility is that neurochemical variation in SN regions such as the dACC impact DMN reactivity to personally relevant stimuli such as smoking cues. This is consistent with emerging evidence suggesting an association between midline cortical glutamate (Glu) and activity in brain regions overlapping with the DMN. Methods In 18 nicotine-dependent individuals, we assessed the relationship between DMN activation to smoking relative to neutral cues using functional magnetic resonance imaging and dACC Glu as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This association also was tested in a replication sample of 14 nicotine-dependent participants. Results Not only was the DMN significantly less suppressed during smoking cue exposure, but also there was a positive association between DMN reactivity to smoking relative to neutral cues and dACC Glu (r = 0.56, p Conclusions The current findings confirm that the DMN is less suppressed when smokers view smoking relative to neutral cues, suggesting that smoking cues engage self-relevant processing. Furthermore, these results indicate that dACC Glu is associated with enhanced DMN engagement when nicotine-dependent individuals are exposed to self-relevant smoking cues.
Catheter Ablation for Atrial Arrhythmias in Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Catheter Ablation for Atrial Arrhythmias in Patients With CABackground Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is associated with increased atrial arrhythmias risk. The efficacy/safety of catheter-based ablation therapy in patients with CA has not been adequately assessed. Methods and Results All diagnosed CA patients who underwent atrial arrhythmia ablation therapy from 1995 to 2015 were reviewed. Arrhythmia recurrence, NYHA symptoms, and mortality were recorded. A total of 26 patients with CA and atrial arrhythmias were included; there were 7 light-chain (AL), 17 wild-type transthyretin (ATTRwt), and 2 mutated transthyretin (ATTRm) amyloidosis patients in total. Of which 13 underwent atrial arrhythmia ablation (CA-A) and 13 underwent AV nodal ablation (CA-AVN). In the CA-A group, there were: 3 with atrial fibrillation (AF); 6 with atrial flutter (AFL); 2 with AF/AFL; and 2 with atrial tachycardia (AT). One-year and 3-year recurrence-free survival were 75% and 60%, respectively. NYHA symptom improvement 6 months postablation was observed in both CA-A and CA-AVN groups: 7/10 (70%) and 4/8 (50%), respectively. Eleven patients with CA died (8 in CA-AVN group vs. 3 in CA-A group). Conclusions Catheter-based ablation for patients with CA appears to provide important symptomatic relief. However, mortality from the underlying disease remains a significant issue for the amyloid light-chain subtype.
The Crisis of Modernity

Attitudes toward societal organization and religious belief evolved markedly over the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This new thinking eventuated in two great revolutions in America and France, which reshaped the structure of Western societies. Semi-autonomous agencies like the pre-modern Jewish community were dismantled. Jews were granted the boon of equal citizenship, but were deprived of their separate educational system. Jews were now able to enjoy access to general educational facilities, and education of Jews began to take place largely outside the Jewish community. In the process, Jews had to create new and voluntary educational settings that could cope effectively with traditional and innovative challenges to maintenance of Jewish identity.
Social Correlates and Questions of Etiology: Twentieth-Century Studies—Since 1940

The findings from earlier twentieth-century studies provided data about the prevalence of mental illness and the need for extensive services but little new information about the genetic, familial, or social correlates of mental illness. Furthermore, the widely discrepant results showed that future investigations would require methodologic refinements, especially for identification of cases. Psychiatric epidemiology needed a catalyst to generate questions about etiology that could be formulated as hypotheses and tested scientifically.
Experimental Techniques in Photoimmunology

Exposing an experimental sample to nonionizing radiation is similar in some ways to adding a chemical reagent to the sample, except that photons instead of molecules are being added. Just as interpretation of chemical experiments requires that one know the nature and amount of the chemical reactant, interpretation of photobiologic experiments requires that one know the characteristics and amount of radiation given. The distribution of energy at different wavelengths, irradiance, and total exposure dose are important factors. The sequence and times of exposure in relation to other events are also important. In this chapter, we will give a practical introduction to optical radiation sources and their measurement as they are used in photoimmunologic research. Excellent, more general discussions of this topic have been published elsewhere.1–3 Detailed information on sources and radiometry4,5 and specific manufacturer’s data6,7 are also available.
The Relationship Between Neighborhood Disorder and Barriers to Cessation in a Sample of Impoverished Inner-City Smokers in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

Introduction Economic disparities in rates of smoking have been well documented in many countries. These disparities exist on an individual and geographic or neighborhood level. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between neighborhood physical and social disorder and barriers to smoking cessation among an impoverished urban sample. Methods A sample of current smokers were recruited through street outreach, posted advertisements, and word of mouth from impoverished neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland, USA for a study of psychosocial factors and smoking behaviors. Neighborhood disorder was assessed with a 10-item scale from the Block Environmental Inventory and barriers to cessation with a 9-item scale. Results In the multiple logistic regression model, perceived stress (aOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.32 to 1.95), neighborhood disorder (aOR= 1.34, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.63), and level of nicotine dependence (aOR = 1.97), 95% CI = 1.62 to 2.40) were all strongly associated with barriers to cessation. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that neighborhood disorder may lead to barriers to cessation among low-income populations. The findings also indicate that tobacco control interventions should examine and address social and physical aspects of impoverished neighborhoods. Implications In many countries, tobacco control programs and policies have been less effective among low-income populations as compared to more affluent populations. Little is known about how neighborhood factors influence smoking cessation. This study examined the relationship between neighborhood disorder and barriers to cessation among a low-income population. We recruited a convenience sample of hard-to-reach cigarette smokers from low-income neighborhoods. Even after controlling for level of nicotine dependence and stress, neighborhood disorder was found to be associated with barriers to cessation. The findings suggest the important role of neighborhood disorder as a barrier to smoking cessation.
Local sequence features that influence AP-1 cis-regulatory activity

In the genome, most occurrences of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) have no cis-regulatory activity, which suggests that flanking sequences contain information that distinguishes functional from nonfunctional TFBS. We interrogated the role of flanking sequences near Activator Protein 1 (AP-1) binding sites that reside in DNase I Hypersensitive Sites (DHS) and regions annotated as Enhancers. In these regions, we found that sequence features directly adjacent to the core motif distinguish high from low activity AP-1 sites. Some nearby features are motifs for other TFs that genetically interact with the AP-1 site. Other features are extensions of the AP-1 core motif, which cause the extended sites to match motifs of multiple AP-1 binding proteins. Computational models trained on these data distinguish between sequences with high and low activity AP-1 sites and also predict changes in cis-regulatory activity due to mutations in AP-1 core sites and their flanking sequences. Our results suggest that extended AP-1 binding sites, together with adjacent binding sites for additional TFs, encode part of the information that governs TFBS activity in the genome.
Effect of correlated decay on fault-tolerant quantum computation

We analyze noise in the circuit model of quantum computers when the qubits are coupled to a common bosonic bath and discuss the possible failure of scalability of quantum computation. Specifically, we investigate correlated (super-radiant) decay between the qubit energy levels from a two- or three-dimensional array of qubits without imposing any restrictions on the size of the sample. We first show that regardless of how the spacing between the qubits compares with the emission wavelength, correlated decay produces errors outside the applicability of the threshold theorem. This is because the sum of the norms of the two-body interaction Hamiltonians (which can be viewed as the upper bound on the single-qubit error) that decoheres each qubit scales with the total number of qubits and is unbounded. We then discuss two related results: (1) We show that the actual error (instead of the upper bound) on each qubit scales with the number of qubits. As a result, in the limit of large number of qubits in the computer, $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, correlated decay causes each qubit in the computer to decohere in ever shorter time scales. (2) We find the complete eigenvalue spectrum of the exchange Hamiltonian that causes correlated decay in the same limit. We show that the spread of the eigenvalue distribution grows faster with $N$ compared to the spectrum of the unperturbed system Hamiltonian. As a result, as $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, quantum evolution becomes completely dominated by the noise due to correlated decay. These results argue that scalable quantum computing may not be possible in the circuit model in a two- or three- dimensional geometry when the qubits are coupled to a common bosonic bath.
Project Schedule Uncertainty Analysis using Fuzzy Logic

There is continuing interest by academics and practitioners alike in measuring and coping with project schedule uncertainty. Fuzzy logic has been proposed as an alternate approach to probability th...
Psychiatric rating scales.

Abstract A wide array of psychiatric rating scales have been developed and refined over the past 50 years to provide reliable and objective assessments of the symptom severity of a large number of psychiatric disorders. Although primarily used to assess changes in illness severity during treatment trials (i.e., as dependent measures in randomized controlled trials), psychiatric rating scales also may be used as relatively brief screening tools for diagnosis and as useful tools in nonresearch settings to monitor illness activity and response to treatment within disease management or measurement-based care paradigms. In this chapter, we briefly review the development and psychometric characteristics of some of the most widely used psychiatric rating scales for depression, mania, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia, as well as several of the common conditions in children and adolescents.
Synergistic negative effects of thermal stress and altered food resources on echinoid larvae

Multiple changes to the marine environment under climate change can have additive or interactive (antagonistic or synergistic) effects on marine organisms. Prompted by observations of anomalously warm sea temperatures and low chlorophyll concentrations during the 2013–2016 warm “Blob” event in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, we examined the combined effects of thermal stress and a shift in food resources on the development of a larval echinoid (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) in the laboratory. A high concentration of phytoplankton yielded faster echinus rudiment development at warm versus historical temperature, indicating a mitigating effect of abundant food on thermal stress; however, low phytoplankton concentration or a shift in diet to suspended kelp detritus, yielded slow development and high mortality at warm temperature. The results indicate a synergistic negative effect of thermal stress and altered food resources on larvae of a keystone marine species.
A forensic case report involving unequivocal severe brain injury and unequivocal response bias

ABSTRACTThe following case report illustrates the value of neuropsychological expertise in disentangling the effects of brain injury and malingering when evaluating competency to stand trial (CST)....
A Safety and Cost Analysis of Outpatient Versus Inpatient Hindfoot Fusion Surgery

Background. Hindfoot fusion procedures are increasingly being performed in the outpatient setting. However, the cost savings of these procedures compared with the risks and benefits has not been cl...
Highest Testosterone Concentration Ever: Pathology or Laboratory Error?

The laboratory obtained a testosterone result of 30117 ng/dL for a 51-year-old man and called the medical director to assess whether this value was feasible because it would represent the highest testosterone concentration ever reported by the laboratory. The patient was an avid runner with a history of a right testicular mass and orchiectomy 10 years previously. The patient was supplemented with testosterone …
Rich Club Network Analysis Shows Distinct Patterns of Disruption in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Diffusion imaging and brain connectivity analyses can reveal the underlying organizational patterns of the human brain, described as complex networks of densely interlinked regions. Here, we analyzed 1.5-Tesla whole-brain diffusion-weighted images from 64 participants—15 patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal (bvFTD) dementia, 19 with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD), and 30 healthy elderly controls. Based on whole-brain tractography, we reconstructed structural brain connectivity networks to map connections between cortical regions. We examined how bvFTD and EOAD disrupt the weighted ‘rich club’—a network property where high-degree network nodes are more interconnected than expected by chance. bvFTD disrupts both the nodal and global organization of the network in both low- and high-degree regions of the brain. EOAD targets the global connectivity of the brain, mainly affecting the fiber density of high-degree (highly connected) regions that form the rich club network. These rich club analyses suggest distinct patterns of disruptions among different forms of dementia.
Turbulent nonpremixed cool flames: Experimental measurements, Direct Numerical Simulation, and manifold-based combustion modeling

Abstract Turbulence, low-temperature chemistry, and their interactions in the form of turbulent cool flames are critical to understanding and improving advanced engines. Design of such engines requires tractable simulations which in turn necessitate turbulent combustion models that can account for cool flames. While manifold-based turbulent combustion models are an attractive option for hot flames, their applicability to cool flames is not yet fully understood. This is partially due to the lack of turbulent cool flame experiments, which has made model validation difficult. This work addresses these points with a combined experimental and computational investigation of turbulent nonpremixed dimethyl ether cool flames. First, a Co-flow Axisymmetric Reactor-Assisted Turbulent (CARAT) burner is developed and tested. Turbulent cool flames are studied using the formaldehyde planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), acetone PLIF, and planar Rayleigh scattering techniques. The acetone PLIF signals are converted into mixture fraction values, and measurements of time-averaged temperature are derived from the Rayleigh scattering signals by taking advantage of the similarities between cool flames and unburned mixtures. Second, a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of the CARAT burner is conducted. The flame is shown to be sensitive to thermal boundary conditions such that the stabilization method is dependent on a 10 K change in inlet temperature. Comparisons of first- and second-order statistics of temperature, mixture fraction, and formaldehyde between the DNS and experiment show good agreement. The validity of manifold-based turbulent combustion models in turbulent cool flames is then explored by first studying the effective Lewis numbers in the flame using a local differential diffusion parameter analysis. Turbulent cool flames are shown to have effective unity Lewis number transport even at a much lower Reynolds number than typically required for hot flames. Good agreement is shown for temperature and formaldehyde between DNS conditional means and one-dimensional nonpremixed flame solutions. Additionally, the motion of the cool flame in mixture fraction space is shown to be well described by one-dimensional nonpremixed flame solutions. These points indicate that the fundamental physics of turbulent cool flames are analogous to turbulent hot flames, implying that the same reduced-order manifold-based modeling approaches utilized for turbulent hot flames can be utilized for turbulent cool flames.
Vowel context, rate and loudness effects on linguopalatal contact patterns in Hindi retroflex /t/

A 96-channel electropalatograph was used to monitor linguopalatal contact patterns during normal, fast and loud productions of retroflex /t/ in the nonsense words /bitib/, /butub// and /batab/ spoken in a carrier sentence by a native speaker of Hindi. A complete constriction was observed in all three vowel contexts and in all three speech conditions, suggesting that a tongue-palate constriction is a critical articulatory parameter for /t/. The contact pattern during maximal constriction in each token was examined for the anterior-posterior (A-P) location of the contact, its length in the A-P dimension, and its extent (as measured by number of contacted electrodes). The location of the constriction was more posterior in the context of /a/ than /u/ than /i/, indicating a strong coarticulatory effect of vowel context on /t/. This coarticulatory shift in the A-P location of /t/ constriction suggests that the degree of retroflexion decreased systematically from /a/ to /u/ to /i/ context. The A-P location of the /t/ constriction was also more posterior in the fast than normal or loud speech. However, other aspects of the contact pattern suggest that this shift reflects locational undershoot. The hypothesis that the extent of linguopalatal contact and the A-P length of /t/ constriction might increase in loud and fast speech compared with that in normal speech was only partially supported for loud speech, and remained largely unsupported for fast speech.
Annual benthic irradiance levels at the Northwestern Cuban shelf

Abstract This study, aimed at determining the average annual benthic light irradiance in the northwestern shelf to later calculate its macrophytobenthos total primary production, is the first and only one ever conducted on this subject in Cuban waters to date. Organic mud constitutes 39% of all bottom types, sand is 37%, and the remaining 24% is made up of carbonate mud, hard bottom, rubble, coral, and their combinations. The water average depth is 7.9 m (2 to 28 m range), with an average color 6 (2 to 14 range) in the Forel-Ule scale. Average water temperatures are 28.1 oC at bottom, and 28.4 oC at 0.5 m depth, indicating a well-mixed water column; the average bottom water currents speed of 0.116 m s−1 is unremarkable. Visible down to bottom in 73% of all stations, the average Secchi disk depth is 7.1 m (90% transparency) at the remaining 27% stations. The value of the diffuse attenuation coefficient of down welling irradiance “k” is affected by the hour of day, seasons, water color, runoffs, distance from the coast, and depth where it is determined. With an average surface-to-bottom “k” ( k 0−bottom ) value of 0.13 m−1, this shelf water is 34% less transparent than nearby open ocean water. The bottom light illumination is 49% of that at surface, allowing an instantaneous irradiance energy at bottom of 0.31 kW m−2, which is almost twice the average energy most abundant macrophytobenthos species require to reach maximum photosynthesis rates.
Chapter 11 – Northern Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the options regarding choice of filter membranes, transfer techniques, and methods for nucleic acid fixation on the filter. The Northern analysis is the transfer, or blotting, of electrophoretically separated RNAs from a gel to a filter membrane for subsequent fixation and hybridization. Northern analysis provides a qualitative and semi-quantitative profile of the sample. It is compatible with RNA from tissue samples as well as cells grown in culture and continues to be a commonly used technique to assess mRNA length. The selection of the filter membrane to which electrophoretically resolved RNA is transferred prior to hybridization must be taken carefully. This selection must be influenced by the knowledge that different types of filters exhibit wide variations in nucleic acid binding capacity and support different transfer and immobilization methodologies. Nitrocellulose, nylon, and polyvinylidene difluoride are used as filter membranes and should be handled only with gloves and cut with sharp scissors or a scalpel. The actual transfer of electrophoretically separated RNA species from the gel to a solid support can be accomplished using any of the following: capillary transfer, turboblotter, vacuum blotting, electroblotting, or alkaline blotting. Although filters can be stored confidently before hybridization, it is necessary to immobilize the sample on the filter as soon as possible after transfer. Thorough immobilization of target RNA and DNA on a filter membrane after the transfer has been completed is just as important as ensuring that the transfer process itself is complete.
Design and Controlling of Low-Cost Prosthetic Hand Using Force Sensor

Birth defects or several tragic events can result in the loss of a hand that can be physically and emotionally incredibly difficult to bear. In the study, a low-cost, prosthetic hand has been developed and managed, irrespective of geographical and financial conditions. It would be feasible and affordable to many people to create a prosthetic hand with basic materials, available in most areas and powered by servomotors, based on muscle motion detected by the use of Resistive Force Sensor (RFS). Due to its simplicity and low cost, the Arduino controller is used as a main control unit for the operation of this prosthesic. It is shown that throughout the experimental work it has been figured out that a developed low-cost prosthetic hand is working well and affordable. The findings of experiments indicate that the success rate for choosing big and light weight items is about 78%. But because of the simple lightweight materials used in constructing it, it cannot withstand large and small items very well.
Polymicrobial Intracerebral Abscess Growing Mycobacterium avium Complex and Achromobacter xylosoxidans: Case Report and Literature Review.

Background Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Achromobacter xylosoxidans (AX) are uncommon sources of neurosurgical infections, particularly in immunocompetent hosts. We report the first published case of intracranial AX abscess and polymicrobial AX-MAC abscess, as well as the fourth MAC abscess in a non-immunocompromised patient. Methods This case report was conducted via retrospective chart review. A literature review was completed in compliance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Results Ten years following mucocele resection, a 60-year-old man presented with sinus congestion and headache. Head imaging revealed a left frontal lesion abutting the cribriform plate and ethmoid roof. The patient had a left frontal craniotomy for abscess drainage. Intraoperative cultures demonstrated polymicrobial growth of AX and MAC, managed with antimicrobial therapy and staged skull base reconstruction. Three cases of MAC abscess and 16 cases of AX ventriculitis or meningitis have been reported in immunocompetent patients. All MAC cerebral abscesses occurred in adults, one of whom succumbed to the infection. Of the 9 AX meningitis cases, 4 occurred in neonates and 2 in pediatric patients. Six of the 7 AX ventriculitis cases occurred after neurosurgical operations at the same hospital from contaminated chlorhexidine basins. Except for the neonates, AX ventriculitis or meningitis patients had undergone neurosurgery or had a history of cranial trauma. There were no reports of polymicrobial AX-MAC intracranial abscess. Conclusions AX and MAC are rare causes of intracranial infection. Patients with these pathogens identified in the central nervous system require a multidisciplinary approach for successful management.
Residential Segregation by Skin Color: Brazil Revisited

This article examines residential segregation by skin color in forty of the largest metropolitan areas in Brazil, using census tract data from the 2010 Brazilian census. Residential dissimilarity among whites, browns, and blacks is moderate to low by US standards, and residential segregation correlates positively with socioeconomic status. By contrasting our findings with results from the 1980 Brazilian census, we observe that in thirty years, residential segregation decreased significantly in many metropolitan areas, particularly white-brown and brown-black dissimilarities. We speculate as to why these changes should have occurred. Resumo Este artigo examina a segregacao residencial por raca em quarenta das maiores areas metropolitanas do Brasil, usando dados do setor censitario do censo Brasileiro de 2010. A dissimilaridade residencial entre brancos, pardos e negros e moderada a baixa pelos padroes dos EUA, e a segregacao residencial se correlaciona positivamente com o status socioeconomico. Ao contrastar nossos resultados com o do censo Brasileiro de 1980, observamos que, em trinta anos, a segregacao residencial diminuiu significativamente em muitas areas metropolitanas, particularmente nas dissimilaridades branco-pardo e pardo-negro. Especulamos os motivos pela qual essas mudancas ocorreram.
The Potential Interaction Is Important, but the Consequences and Solutions Are Paramount.

* Abbreviations: ADE — : adverse drug event DDI — : drug-drug interaction Medication errors in pediatric and adult patients occur at similar rates. However, pediatric patients are three times more likely to experience harm as a result of a medication error.1 Significant drug-drug interactions (DDIs) occur that may result in adverse drug events (ADEs) sometimes leading to patient harm.2 DDIs cause patient harm by altering medication effectiveness or increasing the potential for toxicity.3 We applaud Antoon et al4 for examining the prevalence, identifying pediatric DDI risk factors, and prescribing practice variation associated with significant DDIs in patients hospitalized in US children’s hospitals. In their study, they describe “what is.” Their results are not surprising and, importantly, the information provides a platform for driving improved outcomes. We agree with the authors that the next steps should include focused efforts to identify DDI-related harm in children and subsequent interventions to prevent such harm. Specifically, additional studies to prevent DDIs should include mitigation strategies children’s hospitals are using or could use to reduce DDIs with a focus on the impact these mitigations have on preventable harm. There are items in the article by Antoon et al4 that require clarification and further discussion. First, newborns and infants in … Address correspondence to Jenna Merandi, PharmD, MS, CPPS, Department of Pharmacy, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH 43205. E-mail: jenna.merandi{at}nationwidechildrens.org
Canonical forms, higher rank numerical ranges, totally isotropic subspaces, and matrix equations

CHI-KWONG LI AND NUNG-SING SZEAbstract. Results on matrix canonical forms are used to give a completedescription of the higher rank numerical range of matrices arising from thestudy of quantum error correction. It is shown that the set can be obtainedas the intersection of closed half planes (of complex numbers). As a result,it is always a convex set in C. Moreover, the higher rank numerical range ofa normal matrix is a convex polygon determined by the eigenvalues. Thesetwo consequences conﬁrm the conjectures of Choi et al. on the subject. Inaddition, the results are used to derive a formula for the optimal upper boundfor the dimension of a totally isotropic subspace of a square matrix, and verifythe solvability of certain matrix equations.
Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools

This chapter overviews Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools, an interactive role-play simulation for educators to build skills, confidence, and empathy that better support students whose behavior might be related to sources of psychological distress or trauma. The chapter is divided into several parts that include: (1) the introduction that overviews the problem, provides a brief case study, discusses the vital role teachers can assume in helping students, and explains the development process in creating Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools, (2) background to the learning experience that includes a case study and an overview of the signs of distress and trauma that can be observed in the classroom, (3) a brief review of adverse childhood experiences discussed in a previous chapter, (4) the impact of trauma on learning, (5) teacher burnout, (6) description of the Trauma-Informed Practices for K12 Schools simulation, (7) an overview of a study that examined the impact of the simulation that includes the method and results and, lastly, (8) the discussion and conclusion.
Book Review / Reseña: Ana Peluffo. En clave emocional. Cultura y afecto en América Latina (2016)

En su libro En clave emocional. Cultura y afecto en America Latina la investigadora Ana Peluffo invita a repensar los paradigmas sobre la emocion, los sentimientos y afectos para brindar una nueva perspectiva en torno a las teorias del “giro afectivo” y lo que de estas se ha investigado en obras del siglo diecinueve, fundamentalmente. Propone un debate sobre la construccion y modernizacion de las naciones en el que, por lo general, se ha privilegiado el lado racional de los imaginarios nacionales dejando a un lado el componente emocional. In this book Ana Peluffo invites us to rethink paradigms on emotion, sentiments, and affects to offer a new perspective on theories of the “affective turn” and how they are applied to principally nineteenth-century works. She proposes a debate on the construction and modernization of nations in which, in general, the rational side of national imaginaries has been privileged, casting aside the emotional component.
Enhancing Linear Accelerator and X-ray Free Electron Laser Brightness with Tailored Laser-Electron Interactions

we will review spatio-temporally tailored laser-electron interactions that enhance linear accelerator and free electron laser brightness to advance ultrafast X-ray spectroscopies.
African American Unemployment and the Disparity in Periviable Births

Periviable infants (i.e., born before 26 complete weeks of gestation) represent fewer than .5% of births in the US but account for 40% of infant mortality and 20% of billed hospital obstetric costs. African American women contribute about 14% of live births in the US, but these include nearly a third of the country's periviable births. Consistent with theory and with periviable births among other race/ethnicity groups, males predominate among African American periviable births in stressed populations. We test the hypothesis that the disparity in periviable male births among African American and non-Hispanic white populations responds to the African American unemployment rate because that indicator not only traces, but also contributes to, the prevalence of stress in the population. We use time-series methods that control for autocorrelation including secular trends, seasonality, and the tendency to remain elevated or depressed after high or low values. The racial disparity in male periviable birth increases by 4.45% for each percentage point increase in the unemployment rate of African Americans above its expected value. We infer that unemployment-a population stressor over which our institutions exercise considerable control-affects the disparity between African American and non-Hispanic white periviable births in the US.
Feasibility of a blind perineural injection technique for brachial plexus blockade in eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina): a cadaver study.

Abstract Objective To describe the anatomy of the brachial plexus in eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina), develop a blind perineural injection technique for brachial plexus blockade and evaluate the distribution of three volumes of new methylene blue dye for injection in cadavers. Study design Prospective, randomized, blinded cadaveric study. Animals A total of 24 frozen-thawed box turtle cadavers; two turtles identified with shoulder injuries were subsequently excluded from the study. The remaining 22 turtles weighed 397 (190–581) g, median (range). Methods The brachial plexus and regional anatomy were identified by dissection of seven cadavers to determine anatomic landmarks for a perineural injection technique. This technique was tested by randomizing 15 cadavers into one of three groups to be injected bilaterally with one of three volumes (0.1, 0.2 or 0.3 mL) of methylene blue dye 1% aqueous solution. Investigators blinded to the assigned group dissected cadavers 15 minutes after injection and used staining of the four cervical spinal nerves (C5–C8; 25% for each nerve) to record a staining score of the brachial plexus (0–100%). Results Based on descriptions of the anatomy of the brachial plexus, an injection technique was designed. Injections of 0.1 mL methylene blue dye resulted in nine/10 injections with 100% nerve stained, and one/10 injection with 50% (two) nerves stained. All injections of 0.2 or 0.3 mL of methylene blue dye resulted in 100% nerves stained. Conclusions and clinical relevance Perineural injection of the brachial plexus with 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3 mL methylene blue dye was successful in 29/30 injections in box turtle cadavers weighing 190–581 g. Further studies are needed to determine the minimum volume of injectate that can be successfully used for this technique, and to evaluate its application and efficacy in live turtles.
What Kind of Firm is More Responsive to the Unconventional Monetary Policy? A Theoretical Approach

The Unconventional Monetary Policy (UMP) of purchasing corporate bonds by the Federal Reserve has been one of the main policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis. An important question for policy design is whether this policy has been effective in boosting the firm's production and investment. While answering this question is challenging from a theoretical and empirical perspective, I provide a step forward in understanding the possible effects of this policy on firms' decisions using a theoretical and analytical model. The model suggests that the firm's default probability plays a key role in transmitting the effects of COVID-19 shock and the UMP. Using the model to evaluate two kinds of heterogeneities (size and initial credit risk), I show that large firms and high-risk firms are more affected by COVID-19 shock and are more responsive to the UMP. I then use a cross-sectional regression to evaluate the model’s prediction on the heterogeneity effects of UMP across firm size and to study the role of firms' characteristics in the effects of UMP. The estimation results support the size-firm hypothesis and suggest that firm's characteristics such as assets and operating income are relevant to understand the effects of the UMP.
Hiring Teams, Firms, and Lawyers: Evidence of the Evolving Relationships in the Corporate Legal Market

How are relationships between corporate clients and law firms evolving? Drawing on interview and survey data from 166 chief legal officers of SP (2) these relationships continue to be enduring; and (3) clients focus not only on law firm platforms and lead partners, but also on teams and departments within preferred providers, allocating work to these subunits at rival firms over time and following “star” lawyers, especially if they move as part of a team. The combination of long-term relationships and subunit rivalry provides law firms with steady work flows and allows companies to keep cost pressure on firms while preserving relationship-specific capital, quality assurance, and soft forms of legal capacity insurance. Our findings have implications for law firms, corporate departments, and law schools.
Premature deindustrialization

I document a significant deindustrialization trend in recent decades that goes considerably beyond the advanced, post-industrial economies. The hump-shaped relationship between industrialization (measured by employment or output shares) and incomes has shifted downwards and moved closer to the origin. This means countries are running out of industrialization opportunities sooner and at much lower levels of income compared to the experience of early industrializers. Asian countries and manufactures exporters have been largely insulated from those trends, while Latin American countries have been especially hard hit. Advanced economies have lost considerable employment (especially of the low-skill type), but they have done surprisingly well in terms of manufacturing output shares at constant prices. While these trends are not very recent, the evidence suggests both globalization and labor-saving technological progress in manufacturing have been behind these developments. The paper briefly considers some of the economic and political implications of these trends.
Inhibitory co-transmission from midbrain dopamine neurons relies on presynaptic GABA uptake

Dopamine (DA)-releasing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNcDA) inhibit target cells in the striatum through postsynaptic activation of {gamma}-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for GABAergic signaling remain unclear, as SNcDA neurons lack enzymes typically required to produce GABA or package it into synaptic vesicles. Here we show that aldehyde dehydrogenase 1a1 (Aldh1a1), an enzyme proposed to function as a GABA synthetic enzyme in SNcDA neurons does not produce GABA for synaptic transmission. Instead, we demonstrate that SNcDA axons obtain GABA exclusively through presynaptic uptake using the membrane GABA transporter Gat1 (encoded by Slc6a1). GABA is then packaged for vesicular release using the vesicular monoamine transporter Vmat2. Our data therefore show that presynaptic transmitter recycling can substitute for de novo GABA synthesis and that Vmat2 contributes to vesicular GABA transport, expanding the range of molecular mechanisms available to neurons to support inhibitory synaptic communication.
Tools for the design process

In this chapter an overview of the categories of tools applicable to the design process is presented. Furthermore, some special tools are described which can be used later to solve the models newly developed in chapter 8.
Implications of Internal Model Control for PID Controllers

For a large number of single input-single output (SISO) typically used in the process industries the Internal Model Control (IMC) design procedure is shown to lead to PID controllers, occasionally augmented with a first order lag. These PID controllers have as their only tuning parameter the closed loop time constant or equivalently, the closed loop bandwidth. On-line adjustments are therefore much simpler than for general PID controllers. As a special case, PID tuning rules for systems modeled by a first order lag with deadtime are derived analytically. The superiority of these rules in terms of both closed loop performance and robustness is demonstrated.
Moving beyond a quick-fix: Revolutionizing engineering education at Penn State's Leonhard Center

The overriding purpose of the Leonhard Center is to achieve revolution in engineering education through innovation, implementing creative ideas that add value to students' educational experience. The current Leonhard Center Strategic Plan embraces a three-phase approach for the revolution. First, the Center seeks to re-orient the curriculum to focus on design as a primary engineering activity. Secondly, the plan calls for widescale use of instructional methods that will promote active learning experiences for students. Faculty would take on new roles as facilitators in the educational process, encouraging students to become more self-directed in their learning. Finally, the Leonhard Center will endeavor to develop students' leadership skills in a professional context, preparing them to become technically-educated leaders in their careers and in society. >