cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 299: Targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells using Honokiol, a natural phenolic compound.

Introduction: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) presents a critical step in the acquisition of metastatic state. Tumor cells undergoing EMT not only exhibit increased migration and invasion potential but also acquire increased resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Hence, EMT is an attractive target for therapeutic interventions directed against tumor metastasis. Honokiol (HNK) is a natural phenolic compound isolated from an extract of seed cones from Magnolia grandiflora. Recent studies from our lab show that honokiol inhibits breast carcinogenesis. The present study is designed to systematically elucidate if nontoxic lower doses of honokiol can be used to specifically inhibit EMT in breast cancer cells. Results: Our studies show that HNK inhibits EMT in human breast cancer cells. Exposure of estrogen-independent and estrogen-responsive breast cancer cells to nontoxic lower doses of HNK results in significant downregulation of mesenchymal marker proteins (Fibronectin, Vimentin) along with simultaneous upregulation of epithelial markers (E-cadherin, Cytokeratin-18). HNK also inhibits expression and nuclear translocation of transcriptional modulators of EMT-related genes (Snail, ZEB1/2 and Twist). Experimental EMT induced by exposure to TGFβ and TNFα in a spontaneously immortalized nontumorigenic human mammary epithelial cell line (MCF-10A) was also completely reversed by HNK treatment as evidenced by morphological changes (inhibition of fibroblast-like appearance, decreased pseudopodia and actin reorganization to membrane-bound location in TGFβ and TNFα treated MCF10A cells) as well as molecular changes (downregulation of Fibronectin, Vimentin, Snail, Zeb1/2 and upregulation of E-cadherin and Cytokeratin-18). Mechanistically, HNK inhibits MTA1-Wnt1 axis leading to stabilization and nuclear translocation of β-catenin to inhibit EMT. Analysis of breast tumors treated with honokiol show modulation of EMT markers and inhibition of key molecules of MTA1-Wnt1-β-catenin axis corroborating our in vitro findings. Conclusions: Taken together, these data provide the first in vitro and in vivo evidence of the potential of HNK as a novel, non-toxic and non-endocrine therapeutic strategy for breast carcinoma. MTA1, Wnt1 and β-catenin appear to be novel biomarkers associated with HNK treatment. Citation Format: Dimiter B. Avtanski, Arumugam Nagalingam, Panjamurthi Kupusamy, Neeraj K. Saxena, Dipali Sharma. Targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells using Honokiol, a natural phenolic compound. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 299. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-299
Influence of Interatomic Potentials in MD Investigation of Ordering in a -SiC

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a -SiC using several Tersoff potentials have been performed and their influences on structure ordering were studied. It was found that using different potential cutoffs leads to remarkably different structures. An abrupt cutoff at 2.5 A greatly increases the chemical ordering of a -SiC by disfavoring the formation of Si-Si bonds. In addition, annealing of SiC cascades embedded in β-SiC was simulated, and the final structures were compared. Again, much stronger topological and chemical ordering was observed in the structure modeled with the 2.5 A potential cutoff.
Mission 2: Creating a Comprehensive Historical Archive

This chapter centers on the two key steps prior to analyzing data at the global level: ‘harmonizing’ datasets to prepare them for linkage to one another and ‘aggregation’ to create files of steadily expanded scale, up to global levels in space, time, and topic. Objectives include creating comparable units in time and place, for instance by presenting big countries (Russia and China) in terms of regional subunits. Population, the most basic of human data, must be estimated for all regions. Harmonization requires consistent documentation — through algorithms developed by CHIA staff — by source, time, space, weights and measures, and uncertainty in observations. Particular effort goes into locating datasets for data-poor regions, to ensure that their metadata are included in the overall ontology.The data processed to this level are housed at Level 3 of CHIA’S distributed archive.
Feasibility analysis on including AIDS patients' expenses of ART in funds of new Rural Cooperative Medical System in poor rural areas,China

By investigating the rural area with higher HIV epidemic,the differences of income and expenditure,demands and utilizations of health service between general rural residents and rural AIDS patients were analyzed;family economic risk of disease were compared in these two groups;AIDS patients' medical expense,financing and reimbursement of ART(Anti-retrovirus therapy) were measured;the attitudes of the relevant governmental departments(Heath administration sector,Administration agencies of new Rural Cooperative Medical System(RCMS),AIDS Prevention and Control centers and hospitals) and different population groups including expense of ART in funds of RCMS were explored;In addition,the policy recommendations were made in accordance with the results.
Neutron Inelastic Scattering Cross Sections From 159Tb(n, nʹϒ)

Scattering cross sections for fast neutrons were investigated for low-lying levels of 159Tb by a Ge detector with a NaI(Tl) Compton suppression annulus in conjunction with the pulsed-beam time-of-flight technique. Thirty-eight transitions from 27 levels were observed and differential gamma-ray production cross sections for the 159Tb(n, n, nʹϒ) reaction were measured at 125° for incident neutron energies from 400 to 1000 keV. Level cross sections were also inferred. Neutron scattering cross sections for the states at 241, 348, 363.5, 535 and 580.7 keV are compared to the ENDF/B-VI, JEF-2, and JENDL-3 evaluations.
Examining the relationship between firms financial records and security vulnerabilities

We examine the correlation between firms financial records and vulnerabilities.Financial records are significantly associated with the number of vulnerabilities.There is positive correlation between vulnerabilities and firms size and performance.Vulnerabilities and marketing expenditure are positively correlated.Vulnerabilities and R&D expenditure are negatively correlated. Security vulnerabilities and breaches remain a major concern for firms as they cost billions of dollars in downtime, maintenance and disruptions. Although researchers in the fields of security and vulnerability prediction have made significant contributions, the number of vulnerabilities continues to increase. Contrary to existing vulnerability studies, this research examines vulnerabilities from a financial perspective. We explore whether firms financial records are associated with vulnerabilities. In particular, we examine the correlation between the number of vulnerabilities and each of firms size, financial performance, marketing and sales, and research and development expenditures. The empirical analysis of this study is based on data collected from 89 publicly traded technology firms over a 10-year period. Our results reveal that financial records are significantly associated with vulnerabilities. More specifically, our results show that as technology firms increase their marketing and sales expenditures, the number of vulnerabilities increases as well. Interestingly, the analysis shows that firms can counter this rise by increasing their spending on research and development. We also find a positive correlation between the number of vulnerabilities and each of firms size and performance.
SU-C-207A-05: Feature Based Water Equivalent Path Length (WEPL) Determination for Proton Radiography by the Technique of Time Resolved Dose Measurement.

Purpose: Studies show that WEPL can be determined from modulated dose rate functions (DRF). However, the previous calibration method based on statistics of the DRF is sensitive to energy mixing of protons due to scattering through different materials (termed as range mixing here), causing inaccuracies in the determination of WEPL. This study intends to explore time-domain features of the DRF to reduce the effect of range mixing in proton radiography (pRG) by this technique. Methods: An amorphous silicon flat panel (PaxScan™ 4030CB, Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA) was placed behind phantoms to measure DRFs from a proton beam modulated by a specially designed modulator wheel. The performance of two methods, the previously used method based on the root mean square (RMS) and the new approach based on time-domain features of the DRF, are compared for retrieving WEPL and RSP from pRG of a Gammex phantom. Results: Calibration by T80 (the time point for 80% of the major peak) was more robust to range mixing and produced WEPL with improved accuracy. The error of RSP was reduced from 8.2% to 1.7% for lung equivalent material, with the mean error for all other materials reduced from 1.2% to 0.7%. The mean error of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of retrieved inserts was decreased from 25.85% to 5.89% for the RMS and T80 method respectively. Monte Carlo simulations in simplified cases also demonstrated that the T80 method is less sensitive to range mixing than the RMS method. Conclusion: WEPL images have been retrieved based on single flat panel measured DRFs, with inaccuracies reduced by exploiting time-domain features as the calibration parameter. The T80 method is validated to be less sensitive to range mixing and can thus retrieve the WEPL values in proximity of interfaces with improved numerical and spatial accuracy for proton radiography.
New Models of Open and Distributed Learning

The last 100 years have seen a significant transformation in the way we understand teaching and learning. This chapter documents that change. We now understand that learning is neither merely the passive reception of new information nor that it need not be limited to formal classrooms and educational institutions. Now technologies have enabled the development of open and distributed learning, with access enabled for all, and with materials licensed and shared freely. This, in turn, has led to new ways of looking at pedagogy, as typified by trends in social learning, personal learning, and the massive open online course.
Flexible-bandwidth optical interconnects for datacom networks

This paper presents flexible bandwidth solutions for Datacom optical networks exploiting AWGR technology, DVFS and channel bonding techniques. Benchmarking simulations and experiments demonstrate up to 2× reduction in energy consumption and 1.77× throughput increase.
Prospective assessment of renal function using cystatin C and functional MRI in children with newly diagnosed renal tumors.

10053 Background: Serum creatinine (sCr) is an imprecise renal function marker in children. Serum cystatin C (cysC) is a more sensitive marker to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Function...
Sociological Evidence in Courts-Martial Pertaining to War Crimes

I discuss some key issues that pertain to offering evidence as an expert witness in sociology at courts-martial that involve war crimes, or violations of the Laws of Armed Conflict. Four such events and subsequent courts-martial are used as illustration and empirical grounding: the Abu Ghraib torture and abuse cases, the Operation Iron Triangle killings, the Baghdad Canal killings, and the Maywand District killings. Specific legal issues pertaining to these cases as well as the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) are discussed, including: the doctrine of command responsibility, the defense of a dysfunctional command climate, the overuse of the charge of conspiracy, and the hurdles of introducing expert testimony that the military judge will rule as “relevant.” It is argued that the field of forensic sociology is relatively novel and the application of this field to military courts-martial involving war crimes is even more novel. Expert witnesses in psychology at courts-martial are relatively common, but expert testimony in sociology at courts-martial is rare. The expert witness in sociology must connect sociological conceptualizations of healthy versus dysfunctional social groups to the military concepts of command climate and group cohesion. A sociological understanding of responsibility must confront the fact that the doctrine of command responsibility exists in the military, but is rarely invoked. Finally, the sociologist is at the mercy of attorneys and the judge who mutually decide whether or not such sociological evidence is “relevant.” In the end, the definition of relevance turns out to be whatever the judge rules as relevant versus irrelevant testimony.
Self-Assembly of Mesoscale Artificial Clathrin Mimics

Fluidic control and sampling in complex environments is an important process in biotechnology, materials synthesis, and microfluidics. An elegant solution to this problem has evolved in nature through cellular endocytosis, where the dynamic recruitment, self-assembly, and spherical budding of clathrin proteins allows cells to sample their external environment. Yet despite the importance and utility of endocytosis, artificial systems which can replicate this dynamic behavior have not been developed. Guided by clathrin’s unusual structure, we created simplified metallic microparticles that capture the three-legged shape, particle curvature, and interfacial attachment characteristics of clathrin. These artificial clathrin mimics successfully recreate biomimetic analogues of clathrin’s recruitment, assembly, and budding, ultimately forming extended networks at fluid interfaces and invaginating immiscible phases into spheres under external fields. Particle curvature was discovered to be a critical structural m...
The Changing Face of Cardiac Inflammation: New Opportunities in the Management of Myocarditis.

See Articles by Berg et al and Muller et al The search for noninvasive tests to diagnose myocardial inflammation has developed from the use of 67Gallium through antimyosin antibodies to the current standards of 18fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).1,2 In CMR, a combination of 2 of 3 signal intensity measurements from native T2-weighted images and T1-weighted images obtained before and after gadolinium contrast provides a reasonable diagnostic performance with an estimated sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 91%.3 Since these original Lake Louise criteria were published, newer mapping techniques that quantify T1 and T2 relaxation times have significantly improved the performance of CMR for the diagnosis of inflammation.4 Early in the course of suspected myocarditis, CMR can predict meaningful clinical outcomes. In most but not all studies, the risk of ventricular arrhythmias is increased in patients with delayed gadolinium enhancement.5–7 CMR sequences that estimate extracellular volume and edema can also inform management decisions. For example, an increase in T2 relaxation time may suggest greater myocardial water content and a greater likelihood of improved cardiac function.8 Because exercise can trigger arrhythmias in the setting of acute myocarditis, current American Heart Association scientific and European Society of Cardiology position …
Basic Organic Chemicals

As we saw in Table 7.1 the major organic chemicals are all derived from seven basic ones: ethylene, propylene, the C4 fraction, benzene, toluene, xylene and methane. The production of methane, the major constituent in natural gas, has already been examined. We now consider in detail the manufacture, uses, and economic aspects of the other basic six organics. This will lead us into a discussion of the derivatives of each of them and their technology. We treat the basic ones first because, in addition to their importance, there is some similarity in their manufacture. Ethylene, propylene, and the C4 fraction are all made by steam (thermal) cracking of hydrocarbons. Benzene, toluene, and the xylenes are made by catalytic reforming. Just how significant are these seven basic organics? Nearly all organic chemicals and polymers are derived from them.
A World of Points of View

This chapter provides a preliminary account to the notion of points of view. After distinguishing between the epistemological and metaphysical character of points of view, it establishes the later as prior, and argues for its fundamentality. The chapter also offers a negative definition of metaphysical points of view by actually resisting its reduction to other traditional notions, such as natural kinds and scientific models. The chapter ends potencing the novelty of the proposal here defended, Modal Perspectivism, in regard to other contemporary options, allowing for a positive definition of metaphysical points of view according to their structural possession conditions, which establish their role.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Case Study in FDA Expedited Program Designations

Background:FDA expedited program designations (EPDs) are intended to facilitate drug development for serious conditions with an unmet medical need. There are over 10 FDA-approved therapies for the ...
Hyperthermia induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a rare presentation. (P4.067)

Objective: To report an atypical case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) induced by hyperthermia. Background: PRES is an increasingly recognized clinical and radiographic syndrome typically associated with hypertension, use of immunosuppressive agents, sepsis, and vasculitides. Hyperthermia is not listed as one of the classic conditions associated with PRES. Review of the literature reveals only one other documented case of hyperthermia induced PRES. Design/Methods: Chart review including clinical evaluation, diagnostic investigations, treatment, and hospital course. Results: A 54 year old Caucasian male was admitted to the burn unit for severe burns to greater than 70% surface area after a gas tank explosion. Initially, the patient suffered from fevers ranging 38.1–38.9 degrees Celsius. Numerous blood cultures were negative. 3 weeks into his hospitalization, fevers suddenly spiked to a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius for 4–5 days during which the wife noticed a change in the patient’s mental status. On review of medical chart, there were no hypertensive episodes and there was no use of immunosuppressive agents. Thorough infectious workup including numerous blood, urine, and sputum cultures as well as chest x-rays and transthoracic echo were unrevealing. Neurologic examination revealed an awake and alert patient unable to follow any commands with absent blink to threat. There were no focal neurologic deficits, though examination was limited. A head CT without contrast demonstrated bilateral temporo-occipital hypodensities, which were not present on head CT at the time of admission. MRI brain with and without contrast confirmed the CT findings and suggested PRES. MRA/MRV head and neck were unremarkable. Conclusions: Hyperthermia secondary to heat exposure could be a precipitating factor for PRES. Aggressive treatment of hyperthermia might be important in preventing PRES in patients with heat exposure. Disclosure: Dr. Rodriguez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yassin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fang has nothing to disclose.
Recovery from medical errors: the critical care nursing safety net.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Safety initiatives have primarily focused on physicians despite the fact that nurses provide the majority of direct inpatient care. Patient surveillance and preventing errors from harming patients represent essential nursing responsibilities but have received relatively little study. Methods The study was conducted between July 2003 and July 2004 in a 10-bed academic coronary care unit. Direct observation of nursing care and solicited and institutional incident reports were used to find potential incidents. Two physician reviewers rated incidents as to the presence, preventability, and potential severity of harm of errors and associated factors. Results Overall data were collected for 147 days, including 150hours of direct observation. One hundred forty-two recovered medical errors were found, including 61% (86/142) during direct observations. Most errors (69%; 98/142) were intercepted before reaching the patients. Errors that reached patients included 13% that were mitigated before resulting in harm and 18% that were ameliorated before more severe harm could occur. Discussion Protecting patients from the potentially dangerous consequences of medical errors is one of the many ways critical care nurses improve patient safety. Interventions designed to increase the ability of nurses to recover and promptly report errors have the potential to improve patient outcomes.
Traumatic hyphema: outcomes of outpatient management.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to compare the outcomes of outpatient and inpatient management of layered hyphema. Design The charts of all patients with traumatic layered hyphema treated in the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Emergency Ward between January 1991 and November 1995 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with a diagnosis of microscopic hyphema, ruptured globe, or posterior segment injury other than commotio retinae on their initial emergency department visit were excluded. The study patients were compared with an historic control group of patients with hyphema who had been treated at the same institution from July 1986 to February 1989. Participants A total of 154 patients met the study criteria. These were compared with 119 patients in the historic control group. Intervention Of the study patients, 5% were admitted on the day of presentation, 95% were treated initially as outpatients, and 4% subsequently were admitted. All of the patients in the historic control group were treated with initial hospital admission. Main outcome measures The rebleed rates of the study and control groups were compared. The final recorded visual acuity and causes of best-corrected visual acuity worse than 20/30 were analyzed for the study group. Results The rebleed rates of the study group and the historic control group were 4.5% and 5.0%, respectively ( P > 0.05). The rebleed rates of the study patients initially treated as outpatients and the historic control group were 3.4% and 5%, respectively ( P > 0.05). The rebleed rates of study patients who did not receive aminocaproic acid and the subset of historic control patients who received aminocaproic acid were 3.3% and 4.8%, respectively ( P > 0.05). Ninety-six percent of study patients achieved a final best-corrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Causes of a final documented visual acuity worse than 20/30 included loss of patient follow-up before resolution of the hyphema, traumatic cataract, macular hole, and macular degeneration. Conclusions In the authors' predominantly white patient population, close outpatient follow-up of traumatic hyphemas appears to be safe and effective. Hospitalization for hyphema does not appear to decrease the rate of rebleeding. Decreased vision in the setting of traumatic hyphema generally results from comorbidities not affected by inpatient management.
Arab Christians and the Qur’an from the Origins of Islam to the Medieval Period

This collection of essays originated in the seventh Woodbrooke-Mingana Symposium on Arab Christianity held in Birmingham, England, in September 2013. Alongside an introduction by the editor, Mark B...
A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Aspirin and N-Acetylcysteine as Adjunctive Treatments for Bipolar Depression.

Objective Neuroinflammation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. Some evidence shows that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have promising antidepressant effects. The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may enhance the effects of NSAIDs. No study has, however, tested the adjunctive therapeutic benefits of an NSAID and NAC in bipolar disorder. Methods The sample included 24 medicated patients diagnosed with DSM-IV-TR bipolar disorder who were aged 18-65 years and had a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score ≥ 20. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either aspirin (1,000 mg), NAC (1,000 mg), combined aspirin and NAC (1,000 mg each), or placebo. Data were collected between 2013 and 2017. The primary outcome was a ≥ 50% reduction in MADRS scores. Participants completed mood and global functioning questionnaires. They also underwent blood tests prior to and following 8 and 16 weeks of treatment. A Bayesian analytic method was adopted, and posterior probability distributions were calculated to determine the probability of treatment response. Results Following the first 8-week treatment phase, individuals on treatment with placebo and NAC + aspirin had a similar probability for successful treatment response (about 70%). Following a 16-week treatment period, NAC + aspirin was associated with higher probability of treatment response (67%) compared to placebo (55%), NAC (57%), and aspirin (33%). There was no treatment effect on interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels at either 8 or 16 weeks. Conclusions The coadministration of NAC and aspirin during a period of 16 weeks was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms. The adverse effects were minimal. These preliminary findings may serve as a starting point for future studies assessing the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents in the treatment of bipolar depression. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01797575.
Non–IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food-induced allergic disorders can mimic necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates with congenital heart diseases with left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction

Abstract Aim Patients with congenital cardiac disease and left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction are at high risk of necrotizing enterocolitis. However, non–IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food-induced allergic disorders might present themselves with a similar clinical picture and we believe that these clinical entities have been underestimated and could be misinterpreted as necrotizing enterocolitis. In our analysis, we highlight the increased incidence of food protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome and allergic proctocolitis, discuss their possible pathophysiological pathways and their impact on morbidity and clinical care in this patient group. Methods and results Twenty-four patients with left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction were included in the analysis. Six patients (25%, 3 female) showed symptoms (onset at 33 ± 21 days of age) compatible with food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis or enterocolitis syndrome. Clinical picture was inconsistent with classical necrotizing enterocolitis, nevertheless three patients received conservative treatment for a necrotizing enterocolitis. Blood cultures, C-reactive protein ( Conclusions Non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food-induced allergic disorders can mimic necrotizing enterocolitis and need to be taken in account in well-appearing neonates with congenital heart disease and left-ventricular outflow tract obstructions presenting atypical necrotizing enterocolitis symptoms. The partially insufficient perfusion of the bowel wall due to left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction can enhance bacterial translocation and seems to be responsible for an aberrant immune response to ingested milk protein. Improving the systemic perfusion with an earlier relief of the obstruction of the left-ventricular outflow tract should be aimed for. To protect the homeostasis of the intestinal flora hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula milk together with complementary or prophylactic strategies (such as stimulating intestinal motility or treating intestinal bacterial overgrowth) should be used.
Hedychium Essential Oils: Composition and Uses

Hedychium spp., composed of about 80 species, are multipurpose plants that are generally used as ornamental plants because of their showy, diverse, and scented colorful flowers. Hedychium extracts are widely used in traditional medicine to treat a multitude of ailments, while their essential oils have shown antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal properties. Because of these properties, Hedychium essential oils have the potential for use in plant-based formulations of preservatives to improve shelf life of stored food products.
The Association between Medication Adherence and Visual Field Progression in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study

Purpose To evaluate the relationship between medication adherence and visual field progression in participants randomized to the medication arm of the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS). Design The CIGTS was a randomized, multicenter clinical trial comparing initial treatment with topical medications to trabeculectomy for 607 participants with newly diagnosed glaucoma. Participants Three hundred seven participants randomized to the medication arm of the CIGTS. Methods Participants were followed up at 6-month intervals for up to 10 years. Self-reported medication adherence and visual fields were measured. Medication adherence was assessed by telephone from responses to the question, “Did you happen to miss any dose of your medication yesterday?” The impact of medication adherence on mean deviation (MD) over time was assessed with a linear mixed regression model adjusting for the effects of baseline MD and age, cataract extraction, interactions, and time (through year 8, excluding time after crossover to surgery). Medication adherence was modeled as a cumulative sum of the number of prior visits where a missed dose of medication was reported. Main Outcome Measure Mean deviation over time. Results Three hundred seven subjects (306 with adherence data) were randomized to treatment with topical medications and followed up for an average of 7.3 years (standard deviation, 2.3 years). One hundred forty-two subjects (46%) reported never missing a dose of medication over all available follow-up, 112 patients (37%) reported missing medication at up to one third of visits, 31 patients (10%) reported missing medication at one third to two thirds of visits, and 21 patients (7%) reported missing medication at more than two thirds of visits. Worse medication adherence was associated with loss of MD over time (P = 0.005). For subjects who reported never missing a dose of medication, the average predicted MD loss over 8 years was 0.62 dB, consistent with age-related loss (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17–1.06; P = 0.007); subjects who reported missing medication doses at one third of visits had a loss of 1.42 dB (95% CI, 0.86–1.98; P Conclusions This longitudinal assessment demonstrated a statistically and clinically significant association between medication nonadherence and glaucomatous vision loss.
Using Behavioral Skills Training and Equivalence-Based Instruction to Teach Children Safe Responding to Dangerous Stimuli: A Proof of Concept

Over 3,000 children under 10 years old died in 2017 as a result of unintentional injuries (e.g. suffocation, drowning, firearm discharge, burns, and accidental poisonings). Some of these deaths likely occurred when children came across a dangerous item while unsupervised. In the current study two typically developing 4-year-olds were taught to engage in a safety response in the presence of a variety of dangerous stimuli. Behavioral skills training plus in-situ training was used to teach a three-step response in the presence of one dangerous stimulus. Following mastery of this response, equivalence-based instruction was used to create classes of dangerous (i.e., medicine bottle, a lighter, and a handgun) and nondangerous (i.e., container, a flash drive, and a hair dryer) stimuli. Results demonstrated that the addition of equivalence-based instruction to behavioral skills training plus in-situ training was effective at training a safety response across multiple dangerous stimuli.
Prepregnancy Counseling for People of All Genders: Enhancing Safe and Accessible Family Building for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Non-binary Individuals

The purpose of this narrative review is to expand routine prepregnancy counseling and anticipatory guidance to include people of all genders. Transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary (TGNB) individuals who were assigned female at birth may wish to parent, conceive, and carry a pregnancy, but are not included in guidelines for routine prepregnancy counseling. In addition to the topics covered in routine prepregnancy counseling, there are several unique considerations for prepregnancy care for TGNB individuals including perinatal testosterone use, gender dysphoria and distress, chest/breastfeeding, and navigation of clinical environments. Research in the area of TGNB medical care continues to grow as the visibility of these communities increases. However, data are limited surrounding pregnancy and prepregnancy-related care. Therefore, we present prepregnancy medical, surgical, social, and practice of care considerations for TGNB populations in light of other known health and healthcare experiences of TGNB patients. We outline several clinical recommendations to support clinicians in providing inclusive prepregnancy care. These recommendations aim to highlight the unique needs of TGNB individuals while recognizing that each patient’s experience and goals must be individualized to them.
Intersectionality Awakening Model of Womanista: A Transnational Treatment Approach for Latinx Women

A transnational feminism framework, which aims to reshape the politics surrounding ideologies of feminism by decentering White Women as the model of womanhood, is used to explicitly center the role...
Sheltered Neurosurgery During COVID-19: The Emory Experience.

Background The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has directly and indirectly impacted health care systems, including residency programs. Social distancing, cancellation of elective cases, and staff re-deployment have compromised clinical and academic teaching. We describe the neurosurgical experience at Emory University during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of COVID-19-related policies on resident experience. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all neurosurgical cases performed at Emory University Hospital between March 16, the day cancellation of elective cases was effective, and April 15, 2020, and the same period in the preceding 3 years. For the study period, we collected the number of cases and their distribution by subspecialty along with total hospital charges. Results Compared with an average of 606 cases performed during the study period over the past 3 years, only 145 neurosurgical cases were performed between March 16 and April 15, 2020, which corresponds to an 80% reduction in case volume and 66% decrease in hospital revenue in 2020. When divided by subspecialty, the most significant reduction was observed in functional (84%; P 0.1). Conclusions Even at academic centers that were not hugely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, prophylactic and preparedness measures still exhibited an unprecedented toll on neurosurgical resident and fellow experience.
A de novo binuclear zinc enzyme with DNA cleavage activity.

Metallohydrolases are broadly used throughout biology, often to catalyze the degradation of macromolecules such as DNA and proteins. Many of these enzymes function with zinc in their active site, and an important subset of these enzymes utilize a binuclear zinc active site. Mimics of these enzymes have been developed, some of which catalyze the digestion of DNA. However, the majority of the mimics that utilize zinc are small molecules, and most are mononuclear. Herein, we report DNA cleavage activity by the de novo designed Due Ferri single-chain (DFsc) protein containing a binuclear zinc active site. This binuclear zinc–protein complex is able to digest plasmid DNA at rates up to 50 ng/h, and these cleavage rates are affected by changes to amino acid residues near the zinc-binding site. These results indicate that the DFsc scaffold is a good model system to carry out careful structure–function relationship studies to understand key structural features that influence reactivity in natural binuclear zinc hydrolases, as it is the first report of a binuclear model system in a protein scaffold.
Withholding Injunctions in Copyright Cases: The Impact of eBay

Before the Supreme Court’s 2006 decision in eBay, Inc. v. MercExchange, LLC, which ruled that courts should exercise equitable discretion when considering whether to issue permanent injunctions in patent infringement cases, courts routinely granted injunctions in copyright cases when plaintiffs proved that defendants had infringed or had likely infringed copyrights. Such findings triggered presumptions of irreparable harm, which were almost never rebutted. Only rarely would courts consider a balancing of hardships or effects of injunctions on public interests. In the first several years after eBay, commentators reported that eBay had had little impact on the availability of injunctive relief in copyright cases. However, after a key Second Circuit ruling in 2010 concluded that eBay requires plaintiffs to prove all four factors and that eBay had overturned presumptions of irreparable harm, courts have dutifully followed the dictates of eBay and have more frequently denied injunctions in four types of cases: 1) when copyright owners failed to offer persuasive evidence of irreparable harm and/or inadequacy of legal remedies, 2) when a balance of hardships favored defendants, 3) when public interests would be better served by denying the requested injunctions, and 4) when the plaintiff was seeking to vindicate non-copyright interests. While injunctions are still quite common in simple piracy cases, eBay has radically changed the injunctive relief calculus for copyright plaintiffs. Although numerous private law scholars have criticized eBay for its departures from traditional principles of equity, this Article explains why the post-eBay copyright rulings comport with those principles. It concludes that the eBay four-factor test has had, by and large, salutary effects on the exercise of equitable discretion in considering injunctions in copyright infringement cases. eBay notwithstanding, there are numerous reasons why courts in copyright cases continue to be reluctant to grant damage-only awards. After eBay courts have eschewed categorical pro-injunction rules and induced them to carefully tailor copyright infringement remedies.
Surgical removal of a mummified fetus via colpotomy

This article reports on the use of colpotomy on three cows (Jersey, Holstein, and Hereford) referred at a Animal Health Centre in Mississippi, USA, diagnosed with mummified fetus.
Plasma engineering for MARS

The two-year Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS) has resulted in the conceptual design of a commercial, electricity-producing fusion reactor based on tandem mirror confinement. The physics basis for the MARS reactor was developed through work in two highly coupled areas of plasma engineering: magnetics and plasma performance.
Amino acid starvation in an Escherichia coli auxotroph. I. Effects on protein and nucleic acid synthesis and on cell devision.

We have studied the effects of amino-acid starvation and subsequent refeeding in a leucine auxotroph of Escherichia coli, K-i2. During starvation, protein and RNA synthesis cease but DNA synthesis continues to a limited extent and half the cells divide. Ribonucleotides accumulate within the cells and related substances are excreted into the medium. After 90 min starvation, supplying leucine again causes immediate resumption of protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis. Cell division, however, only resumes after a lag of one-quarter to one-half generation time. During this lag most of the cells become unusually vulnerable to death by dehydration. We have discussed these findings with reference to events in the cell growth and division cycle. The normal synthesis of RNA appears to require concomitant protein synthesis. DNA synthesis does not absolutely require concomitant protein or RNA synthesis, but the amount of DNA synthesized under such conditions is far less than would result from a single replication. It appears that about half of the normal growth cycle in Escherichia coli entails preparations for cell division that do not require concomitant protein or RNA synthesis.
A detailed look at microfailure processes in a brittle matrix fiber composite

FRASTA (fracture surface topography analysis), a newly developed fractographic technique that shows how a crack front interacts with microstructural features, is described and applied to a continuous fiber-reinforced intermetallic matrix composite. The fracture surfaces of a tensile specimen were examined and their topographies quantified. The fracture process was reconstructed in microscopic detail by comparing the conjugate topographic features at various relative displacements using FRASTA. The results show the sequence of microfailure events occurring in the matrix, in the fiber, at the fiber/matrix interface, and in the fiber core, and hence they provide information useful for developing composite materials that promise to be more resistant to failure.
The Interdependence of Organizational Knowledge and Financing: Studies of Technological Innovation, Learning, and Corporate Restructuring in U.S. Medical Device Ventures - Executive Summary

This dissertation explores the relationships among organizational innovation, learning, and corporate restructuring in medical device ventures. The first study examines how and when private ventures’ capabilities for technological innovation affect their rates of IPO versus acquisition. Exploratory search building on knowledge developed by technologically distant firms has a positive effect on IPO rates, but a negative effect on acquisition rates. The second study investigates how going public affects firm innovation. IPOs increase a firm’s overall rate of innovation, the proportion of innovative search that exploits internally developed knowledge, and the rate of exploratory innovation building on public-sector knowledge.
Studies on the Active Site of Clostripain THE SPECIFIC INACTIVATION BY THE CHLOROMETHYL KETONE DERIVED FROM α-N-TOSYL-l-LYSINE

Abstract Clostripain is rapidly and selectively inactivated by the chloromethyl ketone derived from α-N-tosyl-l-lysine (TLCK) with an apparent second order rate constant of 8.7 x 104 m-1 sec-1 at pH 6.5. Alkylation by TLCK occurs only with catalytically active enzyme, the rate of which is considerably retarded by the competitive inhibitors, α-N-tosyl-l-homoarginine methyl ester and benzamidine. In contrast, the chloromethyl ketone derived from α-N-tosyl-l-phenylalanine (TPCK) does not inhibit clostripain at molar concentrations 100 times greater than the effective concentration of TLCK. A very large molar excess of TPCK does inhibit the enzyme with an apparent rate constant of 46.7 m-1 sec-1 at pH 6.5. Other irreversible inhibitors of clostripain such as dibromoacetone and iodoacetate require molar concentrations 300 and 3000 times greater, respectively, than TLCK for equivalent inactivation. Such results are in accord with the substrate specificity of the enzyme and support an active site-directed mechanism for inhibition by TLCK. The rapidity of alkylation of the active site of clostripain by TLCK is consistent with the large kcat (643 sec-1) observed for substrate hydrolysis (benzoylarginine ethyl ester) and the tentative identification of an essential —SH group in the catalytic mechanism. These results extend the use of TLCK in labeling the active site of a protease with high arginine specificity and offer a method for the specific irreversible inactivation of clostripain which occurs as the major proteolytic contaminant in both crude and highly purified collagenase preparations.
The Neutral Envelopes of Planetary Nebulae: Molecules and H I

This paper summarizes recent developments in the study of planetary nebulae using observations of molecular lines and the 21 cm line of H I. The observations reveal that many planetary nebulae are surrounded by envelopes of neutral gas, whose mass often exceeds that of the ionized nebulae. They also provide valuable information on the physical and chemical properties of the envelopes, their structure, and kinematics. The neutral envelopes firmly link the formation of planetary nebulae with the mass loss by AGB stars, and can play an important role in the subsequent evolution of the nebulae.
Target tracking with distributed sensors: the focus of attention problem

In this paper, we investigate data fusion techniques for target tracking using distributed sensors. Specifically, we are interested in how pairs of bearing or range sensors can be best assigned to targets in order to minimize the expected error in the estimates. We refer to this as the focus of attention (FOA) problem. In its general form, FOA is NP-hard and not well approximable. However, for specific geometries we obtain significant approximation results: a 2-approximation algorithm for stereo cameras on a line, a PTAS for when the cameras are equidistant, and a 1.42 approximation for equally spaced range sensors on a circle. By reposing as a maximization problem - where the goal is to maximize the number of tracks with bounded error - we are able to leverage results from maximum set-packing to render the problem approximable. We demonstrate the results in simulation for a target tracking task, and for localizing a team of mobile agents in a sensor network. These results provide insights into sensor/target assignment strategies, as well as sensor placement in a distributed network.
CO2 laser myringoplasty

Introduction: We performed laser myringoplasty to treat retraction pockets of the tympanic membrane using a CO 2 laser via flexible photonic band-gap fibers manufactured by Omni-Guide. Similar techniques to treat retraction pockets using laser myringoplasty have been described with both the CO 2 and KTP lasers. Objective: To report the efficacy of treating tympanic membrane retraction pockets using laser myringoplasty with a novel hand-held flexible photonic band gap fiber CO 2 laser. Methods: A hand-held flexible photonic band gap fiber CO 2 laser system (Omniguide) was used to treat tympanic membrane retraction pockets. Prior to use of the laser, attempts were made to release membrane adherent to the middle ear space structures. Tympanostomy tubes were placed in all patients. Results: Laser myringoplasty was performed on nineteen patients, for a total of 24 ears. Audiograms were performed on average three weeks after surgery. Air- bone gaps were calculated for pure tones at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 kHz. The average preoperative ABG for the 25 ears was 13.9dB. The average postoperative ABG was 8.5dB. (P=0.02) The twenty ears with no effusion experienced an ABG closure from 12.1dB to 7.8dB whereas the four ears found to have an effusion had an average ABG closure from 22.7dB to 7.00dB. Conclusion: Laser myringoplasty using the Omni-Guide hand-held flexible fiber CO 2 laser independently produces hearing improvement. The handheld laser allows the surgeon to control the amount of energy delivered to the tympanic membrane and allows the surgeon to work outside of direct line of sight of the microscope resulting in improved accuracy and precision of the procedure. Ears found to have effusions experience the greatest hearing improvement. Patients with membrane adherence not amendable to valsalva may be at greater risk for sub-optimal hearing results.