cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testosterone Increases: Sodium Reabsorption, Blood Pressure, and Renal Pathology in Female Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats on a High Sodium Diet

Estrogen (E) and testosterone (T) are important in the sexually dimorphic pattern of blood pressure (BP) development. The goal was to examine the effects of endogenous E and exogenous T in the development of hypertension in female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) on a high sodium diet. Female SHR (, 5-week) were divided into four groups: (1) control (), (2) ovariectomized (OVX, ), (3) testosterone implants with intact ovaries (T, ), and (4) ovariectomized
Teaching thermodynamics with Physlets? in introductory physics

This paper describes the use of interactive, Physlet®-based curricular material designed to help students learn concepts of thermodynamics with a particular focus on the use of kinetic theory models. These exercises help students visualize ideal gas particle dynamics and engine cycles, make concrete connections between mechanics and thermodynamics, and develop a conceptual framework for problem solving. Examples of curricular material from thermodynamics will be presented as well as the Web address for its download.
Abstract 612: ACE2-Independent Sex Differences In Oxidative Stress

Many of the pathophysiological effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) are attributed to its stimulation of NADPH oxidases and the consequent production of reactive oxygen species. Female sex has generally lower cardiovascular morbidity and is also less susceptible to kidney injury than males. The basis of these phenomena is not well understood but it is possible that sex-differential regulation of oxidative stress through activation of the RAS and its key effector, Ang II, plays an important contributor role. Here we hypothesized that Ang II levels are higher in male mice and that this is associated with sex-differences in kidney levels of ACE2, an Ang II-degrading enzyme abundantly expressed in the kidney. Parameters of oxidative stress such as, NADPH oxidase activity and malondialdehyde levels (MDA) were measured in kidneys from female and age-matched male C57BL6 mice. At 40 weeks of age, NADPH oxidase activity (p<0.01) and MDA levels (p<0.05) were significantly lower in female than in male mice. Female mice had lower kidney levels of the pro-oxidant peptide, Ang II (0.94±0.19 vs. 1.66±0.17 fmol/mg total protein, p<0.05, respectively). The difference in kidney Ang II levels between females and males was also observed in the face of complete ACE2 genetic deficiency (1.08±0.16 vs 1.97±0.25 fmol/mg total protein, p<0.05, respectively). Consistent with kidney Ang II levels, urinary Ang II levels measured in urines from female WT mice were also significantly lower than in male WT mice (23.6±2.2 vs. 47.9±8.8 pg/mg creatinine, p<0.05) despite significantly higher levels of urinary ACE2 activity in male mice as compared to female mice (7.0±0.5 vs. 3.6±0.3, p<0.01, respectively). Female mice have lower basal levels of kidney oxidative stress than males and exhibit lower levels of kidney and urinary Ang II. The mechanism involved in sex differences in the levels of kidney and urine Ang II does not appear to depend on ACE2.
Organic Radicals as Ligands

In viewing the field of organometallic chemistry one is struck by the fact that, except for highly electronegative groups and unsaturated groups capable of accepting back-bonding, little use has been made of CHATT’s original suggestion that much could be gained by considering organic radicals in organometallic compounds as ligands.
The Clinical Result of Aqua puncture Applied for Pain-relieving in Delivery

Objective To explore the Influence of aqua puncture to both mother and baby in pain-relieving delivery.Method One hundred and ten parturients volunteering to receive aqua puncture in delivery are randomly sampled as trial group and another 110 parturients who have the same relative situation as control group.Result There demonstrates significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of stages of labor postpartum hemorrhage and emotion relieving while no differences in ways of laboring fetal distress or asphyxia.Conclusion Aqua puncture is found to have no side-effect to both mother and baby which is a safe effective and simple method for pain relieving in delivery.
Chromosomal and dermatoglyphic changes in twins.

A review of 15 chromosomally abnormal twin pairs indicates that finger and hallucal patterns of the affected twin are more similar to other patients than to the normal cotwin. Correlation coefficients of TFRC and atd angle differences tend to remain similar in spite of the presence of chromosome abnormality in the cotwin. This supports the use of dermatoglyphic analysis as a means for diagnosing twin zygosity. Correlation coefficients of intrapair TFRC and atd angle differences in 25 control MZ twin pairs shows good agreement in zygosity determinations, when compared to results obtained by blood group and clinical observation studies. In a series of 155 female and 142 male MZ twin pairs, TFRC and atd angle differences plotted on a graph against the frequency of occurrence illustrate that the range of variation is greater among females. Further study of a large series of twin pairs, however, is necessary to determine whether this is an effect of lyonization or the alteration of the polygenic complex of dermal configuration by the X chromosome.
Energy-efficient communication strategies for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are characterized by limited amount of energy supply at sensor nodes. Hence, energy efficiency is an important issue in system design and operation of WSNs. In this work we focus on solving the energy efficiency problems of data gathering processes in WSNs. We first address this problem on a macroscopic level by investigating the efficiency of data gathering trees when data sent by different sensors are correlated. Such correlation aware data gathering strategies typically shift the aggregation structure from a default shortest-path tree (SPT) to a Steiner minimum tree (SMT) in order to achieve the required efficiency. We study the energy efficiency of correlation aware data aggregation trees under various sensor network conditions and the tradeoffs involved in using them. Comprehensive simulations results as well as inferences and theoretical analysis of those results are presented in the thesis. Based on the insights gained through the investigation, we propose a simple, scalable and distributed correlation aware aggregation structure that achieves good energy performance across a wide range of sensor network configurations, and at the same time addresses the practical challenges of establishing a correlation aware data aggregation structure in resource-constrained WSNs. On a microscopic level, we propose a novel communication strategy called Communication through Silence (CtS) to achieve energy-efficient data gathering without significant degradation on overall throughput in WSNs. The proposed scheme primarily uses time, along with a minimal amount of energy to deliver information among sensors. CtS can be used to replace the conventional energy-based transmissions between each pair of sensor nodes during a data gathering process. We analyze in detail the primary energy-throughput tradeoff inherent in this approach as well as other challenges related to the realization of the proposed communication strategy. Finally, we propose a practical realization of CtS strategy that includes radio technology, MAC layer, and higher layer solutions. Performance evaluation results prove that this solution effectively realizes the CtS strategy in a WSN setting, at the same time achieves considerable energy savings compared to conventional communication strategies.
SU-G-BRA-12: Development of An Intra-Fractional Motion Tracking and Dose Reconstruction System for Adaptive Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Prostate Cancer

Purpose: A clinical trial on stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for high-risk prostate cancer is undergoing at our institution. In addition to escalating dose to the prostate, we have increased dose to intra-prostatic lesions. Intra-fractional prostate motion deteriorates well planned radiation dose, especially for the small intra-prostatic lesions. To solve this problem, we have developed a motion tracking and 4D dose-reconstruction system to facilitate adaptive re-planning. Methods: Patients in the clinical trial were treated with VMAT using four arcs and 10 FFF beam. KV triggered x-ray projections were taken every 3 sec during delivery to acquire 2D projections of 3D anatomy at the direction orthogonal to the therapeutic beam. Each patient had three implanted prostate markers. Our developed system first determined 2D projection locations of these markers and then 3D prostate translation and rotation via 2D/3D registration of the markers. Using delivery log files, our GPU-based Monte Carlo tool (goMC) reconstructed dose corresponding to each triggered image. The calculated 4D dose distributions were further aggregated to yield the delivered dose. Results: We first tested each module in our system. MC dose engine were commissioned to our treatment planning system with dose difference of <0.5%. For motion tracking, 1789 kV projections from 7 patients were acquired. The 2D marker location error was <1 mm. For 3D motion tracking, root mean square (RMS) errors along LR, AP, and CC directions were 0.26mm, 0.36mm, and 0.01mm respectively in simulation studies and 1.99mm, 1.37mm, and 0.22mm in phantom studies. We also tested the entire system workflow. Our system was able to reconstruct delivered dose. Conclusion: We have developed a functional intra-fractional motion tracking and 4D dose re-construction system to support our clinical trial on adaptive high-risk prostate cancer SBRT. Comprehensive evaluations have shown the capability and accuracy of our system.
The tasty, the bold, and the beautiful

AbstractI call into question a pair of closely related assumptions that are almost universally shared in the literature on predicates of taste. The assumptions are, first, that predicates of taste – words like ‘tasty’ – are semantically evaluative. In other words, that it is part of the meaning of a word like ‘tasty’ to describe an object as in some sense good, or to say that it is pleasing. And second, that the meaning of predicates of taste is in some way relativized to an experiencer or standard – the person that the object is pleasing to or the standard according to which the object is good. Parties to the literature on these terms tend to disagree about the role of context in determining the truth of claims involving predicates of taste, or in determining which proposition is expressed. But they agree that to call some dish ‘tasty’ is to say something positive about that dish, to suggest that someone or other finds, or is disposed to find, the dish pleasing. I suggest instead that ‘tasty’, and indeed...
Observed features of GPS Block IIF satellite yaw maneuvers and corresponding modeling

After comparing the modeled and the estimated yaw angles during yaw maneuvers for eight Block IIF Global Positioning System satellites over 1 year, we have observed discrepancies between the yaw directions in the vicinity of zero beta angle. Two features of the turn maneuvers are extracted after analysis of the observed differences: (1) The noon-turns reverse yaw direction when the beta angle falls between [ź0.7°, 0°]; (2) midnight-turns always take the direction that completes <180° of total yaw. We present the approach implemented to account for the discrepancies between the observed and modeled yaw attitudes. In particular, an empirical beta angle bias is applied in the noon-turn model to correct the yaw direction error, and a short-route constraint is applied in the midnight-turn model for more robust performance.
Indigenous Student Learning Outcomes and Education Policies in Peru and Ecuador

This chapter compares education policies and outcomes in Peru and Ecuador, two countries with large populations of monolingual and bilingual Indigenous children. Using data from the Second and Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Studies (SERCE and TERCE) on the academic performance of sixth-grade students in 2006 and 2013, it documents differences between the reading and mathematical proficiencies of Indigenous children and their non-Indigenous counterparts. In both countries, students who reported speaking an Indigenous language at home scored below their non-Indigenous peers, with the largest gap in Peru. Using student and teacher background questionnaires, the authors identify factors that can explain these differences in academic performance. The chapter also compares and contrasts the two policy contexts to account for the different observed outcomes.
2016 WHO Classification update-What's new in lymphoid neoplasms.

In the 8 years since the publication of the 4th edition of the WHO Classification of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tumours in 2008, there has been rapid accumulation of knowledge in the molecular genetics, biology, clinical behavior of many hematologic malignancies. Concepts and models have advanced to the point at which updates were deemed necessary prior to the formal WHO process of publication of a 5th edition as part of the WHO “blue book” series. This overview will focus on lymphoid tumors and highlight important changes and updates to these neoplasms.
Chapter 29 – Chemotaxis Receptor in Bacteria: Transmembrane Signaling, Sensitivity, Adaptation, and Receptor Clustering

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an understanding of the chemotaxis receptor in bacteria. Chemotaxis is the phenomenon in which somatic cells, bacteria, and other single-cell or multicellular organisms direct their movements according to certain chemicals in their environment. Bacteria rapidly respond to changes in concentrations of critical chemicals in their environment by chemotaxis—that is, a swimming pattern biased toward or away from particular stimuli. The chemotaxis pathway includes chemosensory receptors and a phosphotransfer system known as the two-component signal transduction pathway. Most bacterial chemoreceptors belong to a family of transmembrane methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs). This study begins by describing signaling at the periplasmic ligand binding domain, using the examples of Salmonella tryphimurium aspartate receptor (Tar) mutant in apo and liganded (Asp bound) forms and the wild-type Tar of apo and liganded forms. Ligand binding induces small conformational changes, which are transmitted through the transmembrane helices to the cytoplasmic domain and affect the phosphorylation rate of the bound histidine kinase. Following this, the study provides an understanding of signaling in the cytoplasmic domain, using the example of E coli serine receptor (Tsr), Q mutant. Furthermore, it describes adaptation of the chemotaxis pathway, which enables the cell to adapt to a constant background stimulus so that it can chemotax up a small concentration gradient superimposed on a large background level of attractant. Finally, it deals with clustering of the chemoreceptor and sensitivity.
Lifestyle Interventions in Patients With Serious Mental Illness

Abstract The body of evidence regarding the efficacy of lifestyle interventions within the SMI population is somewhat mixed, but multiple authors assert that there is cause for optimism. Ultimately, we are in need of more large well-designed studies. Health promotion programs should be designed to include factors that are associated with more robust outcomes: longer duration, multifactorial interventions (including both nutrition and exercise), active monitoring, and incentivizing goals. Personalizing interventions can help to maximize outcomes, especially if attention is paid to the challenges specific to the SMI population: poverty, psychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment, and medication side effects. Weight management is an important aspect of care, but other health measures (biomarkers, fitness, quality of life, and decreased medical hospitalization) can be valuable targets as well. Additionally, we must keep in mind that lifestyle interventions are only one piece of the puzzle. Screening and recognition of cardiovascular risk factors is of paramount importance and must occur within both primary care and mental health settings. Thoughtful management of psychotropic medications regimens is also necessary. Risks and benefits of medication administration must be weighed continuously throughout the treatment process. Prescribers should reconcile and streamline medication lists frequently. In some cases, it may be prudent to adjust the dose of medications or even consider switching to a less metabolically active agent. While outside the scope of this chapter, there are medications that may be effective in offsetting the weight gain associated with SGAs (De Hert 2012). Future directions may focus on early interventions and incorporating mobile technologies into lifestyle interventions. Finally, improving the physical health of those with SMI remains a multidisciplinary effort. Ongoing collaboration between generalists, mental health providers, allied health workers, and policy makers will ultimately shape the future of this issue.
Finiteness Conditions on the Normal and Subnormal Structure of a Group

In this chapter we are concerned with finiteness conditions which refer only to the normal or subnormal subgroups of a group. Now a simple group has only two subnormal subgroups and its subnormal structure is therefore very obvious; yet a simple group may have exceedingly complex general structure—as we will show in the first section of this chapter. For this reason we will often investigate finiteness conditions referring to the normal or subnormal structure of a group in conjunction with an additional property such as generalized solubility of a suitable type.
Another manifestation of cyber conflict: attaining military objectives through cyber avenues of approach

Cyberspace is an avenue of approach through which a military force can attain objectives of value. Through these cyber avenues of approach, military forces can engage, vet, organize, and direct hum...
Does exercise aid smoking cessation through reductions in anxiety sensitivity and dysphoria

Objective Research shows that high anxiety sensitivity (AS) and dysphoria are related to poor smoking cessation outcomes. Engaging in exercise may contribute to improvement in smoking cessation outcomes through reductions in AS and dysphoria. In the current study, we examined whether exercise can aid smoking cessation through reductions in AS and dysphoria. Method Participants were sedentary and low activity adult daily smokers (N = 136) with elevated AS who participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing smoking cessation treatment (ST) plus an exercise intervention (ST + EX) to ST plus wellness education (ST + CTRL). Self-reported smoking status was assessed in-person weekly from baseline through week 16 (end of-treatment; EOT), at week 22 (4 months postquit day), and at week 30 (6 months postquit day), and verified biochemically. Results Results indicated that both AS and dysphoria at 6-month follow-up were significantly lower in the ST + EX group compared to the ST + CTRL group (controlling for baseline levels). Moreover, reductions in AS and dysphoria emerged as independent mechanisms of action explaining success in quitting. Conclusions These novel findings offer clinically significant evidence suggesting that vigorous-intensity exercise can effectively engage affective constructs in the context of smoking cessation. (PsycINFO Database Record
CHAPTER 36 – Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2

It has been difficult to study the natural history of hyperparathyroidism in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 (MEN-2) because of its low incidence (5–20%) and the frequent late onset of clinical features of hyperparathyroidism. Nonetheless, several interesting points have emerged: (1) In some kindreds hyperparathyroidism occurs with greater frequency than others and, (2) observation made in several families, is the lack of hyperparathyroidism in gene carriers who were thyroidectomized for early C cell abnormalities, despite follow-up periods of 15–25 years. Hypercalcemia and nephrolithiasis are the most common presenting manifestations found in MEN-2 patients. Pheochromocytoma may rarely cause hypercalcemia, possibly related to production of parathyroid hormone-related protein, and should be excluded prior to surgical exploration. Hyperplasia of multiple parathyroid glands is the most common abnormality found in hyperparathyroidism associated with MEN-2, although many reports emphasize the occurrence of multiple parathyroid adenomas in individuals who present with the fully developed MEN-2 syndrome, generally after the age of 35 years.
The Evolution of Human Female Sexual Orientation

Female sexual orientation has received less theoretical and empirical attention than male sexual orientation and few reviews are devoted to female sexual orientation. Moreover, research investigating female sexual orientation often underappreciates insights afforded by evolutionary theory. This review begins with an overview of the literature on female sexual identification, sexual perception, sexual fluidity, sexual expression, and the biology of female sexual orientation. Female same-sex sexual behaviors in the non-human apes are then described, providing a comparative context for the following discussion of hypotheses for the evolution of human female same-sex sexual attractions and behaviors. These hypotheses are organized as byproduct hypotheses or adaptation hypotheses and we include discussions of dysfunction, heterosis, sexual antagonism, epigenetics, weak selection, self-domestication, sexual frustration, mate attraction, alloparenting, polygyny, and other topics. We conclude by highlighting the challenges posed by evolutionary studies of human psychology.
The Influence of Human Demography on Land Cover Change in the Great Lakes States, USA

The Great Lakes region contains productive agricultural and forest lands, but it is also highly urbanized, with 32 of its 52 million residents living in nine large metropolitan areas. Urbanization of undeveloped areas may adversely affect the productivity of agricultural and forest lands, and the provision of ecosystem services. We combine demographic and remote sensing data to evaluate land cover change in the region using a two-phase statistical modeling approach that predicts the incidence and extent of land cover change for each of the region’s 10,579 county subdivisions. Observed patterns are spatially uneven, and the probability of land cover change is influenced by current land use, human habitation, industry, and demographic change. Pseudo R2 values varied from 0.053 to 0.338 for the first-phase logistic models predicting the presence of land cover change; second-stage beta models predicting the rate of change were more reliable, with pseudo R2 ranging from 0.225 to 0.675. Overall, changes from agriculture or greenspace to development were much more predictable than changes from agriculture to greenspace or vice versa, and demographic variables were much more important in models predicting change to development. Although models successfully predicted the general location of land cover change, and models from before the Great Recession were useful for predicting the location but not the amount of change during the recession, fine-grained prediction remained challenging. Understanding where future changes are most probable can inform planning and policy-making, which may reduce the impact of development on resource production, environmental health, and ecosystem services.
Response to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for multiple myeloma in African Americans versus whites.

Background Myeloma occurs disproportionately in African Americans, with disparities in outcomes potentially caused by access to care, cytogenetics, and immunity. A gap in knowledge of immune function dissimilarities between African Americans and whites exists. Data for other diseases suggest innate differences in immunity and inflammatory markers, with potential implications for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies reliant on secondary immune activation for activity. Methods Patients receiving daratumumab or elotuzumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone were retrospectively studied with a primary endpoint of response at 2 (daratumumab) or 4 months (elotuzumab). Secondary endpoints included stable disease or better at the same points, treatment duration, time to best response, and adverse events. Results Eighty patients were included; baseline characteristics were balanced with the exception of the stage at diagnosis, which was more advanced in African Americans. No statistically significant difference in response was seen: 37.9% in whites versus 11.8% in African Americans with daratumumab (P = .090) and 60% in whites versus 44% in African Americans with elotuzumab (P = .462). There were no differences in the duration of treatment, the time to best response, or adverse events. Common potential immune-related adverse events in both arms were fatigue (39%), back pain (30%), and infusion reactions (40%). Anemia was significantly associated with a response to daratumumab (P = .02); no patients without anemia responded at 2 months, whereas 34.4% of patients with anemia did. Conclusions No significant difference in response, duration of treatment, or time to response was seen by race, although a trend toward greater early response rates in whites was observed. In these cohorts, as in other analyses, African American patients tended to present with later stage disease.
Liquid-phase hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived phenolics on Pd/Fe: A mechanistic study

Abstract Although Pd/Fe bimetallic catalysts have been extensively studied in vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation of phenolics (i.e., guaiacol, cresol), little is yet known about their performance in liquid-phase reactions. In this work, we present a mechanistic study on the Pd/Fe bimetallic catalysts in liquid-phase hydrodeoxygenation of phenolics. The role of tautomerization in hydrodeoxygenation of the lignin-derived phenolics, particularly for ring saturation, is systematically studied by employing two representative modeling compounds: phenol (a molecule that is keto-enol tautomeric) and diphenyl ether (a molecule that does not allow ketol-enol tautomerization). It was found that although the addition of oxyphilic Fe inhibits the direct aromatic ring saturation reaction typically occurring on Pd, tautomerization opens another reaction pathway toward ring saturation products (i.e. cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, cyclohexane et al.), where both tautomerization and the hydrogenation of keto isomers are significantly enhanced to produce cyclohexanol followed by direct hydrogenolysis of the cyclohexanol to cyclohexane.
Deciphering the complexities of MECOM rearrangement-driven chromosomal aberrations.

Abstract MECOM rearrangement is associated with rapid disease progression and poor prognosis in myeloid neoplasms. Previous studies were often based on 3q26.2 abnormalities without confirmation of MECOM status. The frequency of MECOM rearrangement and attribution of various chromosomal aberrations remain poorly characterized. This study presented 129 cases with confirmed MECOM rearrangement by karyotyping and multiple FISH methodologies. MECOM rearrangement arose through translocation (49.6%, n = 64), inversion (40.3%, n = 52), insertion (5.4%, n = 7) or unknown mechanism(s) (4.7%, n = 6). The classic inv(3)(q21q26.2) was dominant (n = 50) in inversion-driven MECOM rearrangement; and 3 of them also had double inv(3). For translocation-driven MECOM rearrangement, t(3;21) was most common (n = 15), followed by t(2;3) (n = 13), t(3;12) (n = 10), t(3;3) (n = 9), t(3;8) (n = 6), t(3;6) and t(3;17) (n = 4 each), t(1;3) and t(3;?) (n = 1 each). Cases with t(3;3)-, t(3;12)-, and insertion-driven MECOM rearrangement were prone to exhibit a complex karyotype, while cases with t(2;3)-, t(3;21)- and insertion-driven MECOM rearrangement were prone to have an “unbalanced” MECOM FISH signal pattern, likely caused by uncommon breakpoint(s) within the target of 5’MECOM probe. Therefore, atypical chromosomal aberrations and/or mechanisms are involved in MECOM rearrangement. Confirmation/exclusion of MECOM rearrangement is necessary in all cases with a 3q26.2 abnormality. (Word count: 190)
Percutaneous debridement and washout of walled-off abdominal abscess and necrosis by the use of flexible endoscopy: an attractive clinical option when transluminal approaches are unsafe or not possible.

Background and Aims Walled-off pancreatic necrosis is a well-known serious adverse event of severe acute pancreatitis. EUS-guided transluminal access followed by direct endoscopic necrosectomy is increasingly used to remove necrosis, with good efficacy and a superior safety profile when compared with surgery. However, a percentage of patients is too critically ill to undergo this procedure or lack an appropriate transluminal window for access. Here we describe the use of percutaneous flexible endoscopic necrosectomy (PEN) with use of standard-sized upper endoscopes and accessories in a retrospective single-institution experience with a video demonstration of 1 patient in the series. Methods The authors present a 23-patient retrospective case series of PEN with standard-sized endoscopes. The series includes 12 patients from a previously published analysis in 2016 and 11 additional patients from 2013 to 2018. A representative case illustrates the described technique in a patient with severe acute pancreatitis complicated by multisystem organ failure who required immediate drainage of a pancreatic fluid collection and placement of a percutaneous drain into the collection for decompression. The drain was serially upsized to 28F, and its tract was used for PEN. Results A total of 23 patients have undergone PEN at our institution. On average, the size of the pancreatic fluid collection was 11.6 cm in cross-sectional diameter. Of those 23 patients, 11 presented with symptoms of severe disease. The median time from onset of symptoms to PEN was 84 days. The median number of procedures per patient was 2.1. The median time to complete resolution of symptoms and fluid collections was 67 days. In total, resolution was reached in 22 of 23 patients. Two patients died of unrelated causes. Conclusion PEN is a minimally invasive and effective treatment approach to walled-off pancreatic necrosis in patients who are not amenable to transluminal drainage and in whom percutaneous drains have been successfully placed. This case series demonstrates the efficacy and safety of this approach. A randomized prospective trial would be warranted to validate these results.
Head and neck cancer treatment: present status and future direction

The primary treatment for patients with localized squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck has been surgery and/or radiotherapy. The results of therapy will depend on the clinical stage, and resectability of the disease.
Pathogenesis of Human Gammaherpesviruses: Recent Advances

Human gammaherpesviruses have complex life cycles that drive their pathogenesis. KSHV and EBV are the etiological agents of multiple cancers worldwide. There is no FDA-approved vaccine for either KSHV or EBV. This review will describe recent progress over the past five years in understanding EBV and KSHV life cycles during infection. Determining how latency is established, particularly how non-coding RNAs influence latent and lytic infection, is a rapidly growing area of investigation into how gammaherpesviruses successfully persist in the human population. Many factors have been identified as restrictors of reactivation from latency, especially innate immune antagonism. Finally, new host proteins that play a role in lytic replication have been identified. In this review we discuss recent findings over the last five years on both host and viral factors that are involved in EBV and KSHV pathogenesis.
Influence of postpartum weight and body condition change on duration of anestrus by undernourished suckled beef heifers.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between change in weight and body condition on postpartum interval of thin first-calf beef heifers. Twenty-nine (Exp. I) and 36 (Exp. II) Angus and Angus-sired crossbred heifers were limit-fed to reduce their condition score (BCS) to 4 (scale of 1 to 9) at calving. After calving, heifers were assigned to one of four daily ME intakes (range of 198 to 305 kcal ME/kg BW. 75 ) designed to create a range of BCS changes. Each unit change in BCS was associated (R 2 =.72; P <.0001) with a 33-kg weight change. Mean postpartum interval (PPI ) from calving to initiation of luteal activity was 121 ± 6.0 d. As dietary energy density increased, PPI decreased (P < .01). Condition score at calving (CCS) accounted for a greater proportion of the variation (R 2 =.37) associated with PPI than did condition score change from calving to d 90 postpartum (CSCH90; R 2 =.27) or weight change from calving to d 90 postpartum (WTCH90; R 2 =.17). The best fit equation (R 2 = .56) for predicting PPI included CCS and CSCH90: PPI = 244.5 - 28.28(CCS) - 23.07(CSCH90) + 6.36(CSCH90 2 ). Maximum reduction in PPI occurred when heifers gained 1.8 units of BCS during the first 90 d of lactation. Gaining BCS at a faster rate was of no additional benefit.
Recurrent Bladder Cancer in a Teenage Male.

Abstract Urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder is exceedingly rare in pediatric patients. Based on current literature, bladder cancer in this population is thought to be low-grade, noninvasive, and unlikely to recur, suggesting significant biologic differences when compared to the adult population. This is a 15-year-old male diagnosed with low-grade urothelial cell carcinoma with subsequent multifocal recurrence on surveillance cystoscopy managed by induction and maintenance intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. This case highlights the challenges of management and surveillance of this rare disease.
Veteran Treatment Court Clients’ Perceptions of Procedural Justice and Recidivism:

Studies surrounding the effectiveness of veterans’ treatment courts (VTCs) are now emerging. Absent from this scholarship is an examination of the presence of procedural justice within VTCs and the...
Multiscale Frequent Co-movement Pattern Mining

Thanks to recent prevalence of location tracking technologies, collecting massive spatiotemporal datasets containing moving object trajectories has become possible, providing an exceptional opportunity to derive interesting insights about the behavior of moving objects such as people, animals, and vehicles. In particular, mining patterns from "co-movements" of objects (such as movements by players of a sports team, joints of the human body while walking, and vehicles in a transportation network) can lead to the discovery of interesting patterns (e.g., offense tactics of a sports team, gait signature of a person, and driving behaviors causing heavy traffic). Various trajectory mining and frequent pattern mining techniques have been proposed to discover patterns in trajectory datasets and more generally, event sequences. However, existing approaches are inapplicable for co-movement pattern mining from multi-trajectory datasets. In this paper, we propose a novel and efficient framework for co-movement pattern mining. We also extend this framework for efficient mining of such patterns at multiple spatial scales. The performance of the proposed solutions is evaluated by conducting extensive experiments using two real datasets, a soccer game dataset and a human gait dataset. Our experimental results show that our proposed algorithms are promising.
Food Insecurity in Households with Children Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the Household Pulse Survey

As the coronavirus pandemic stretched on, millions of U.S. children and their families faced food insecurity. However, limited empirical studies have systemically investigated food insecurity and f...
Biology Beyond the Classroom: Experiential Learning Through Authentic Research, Design, and Community Engagement

This paper introduces the collection of manuscripts from the symposium, "Biology Beyond the Classroom: Experiential Learning through Authentic Research, Design, and Community Engagement," presented at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. The following papers showcase innovative approaches for engaging undergraduate students in experiential science learning experiences. Specifically, we focus on three high-impact practices that allow students to take their learning outside of the classroom for increased relevance and authenticity: (1) Course-Based Undergraduate Research, (2) Digital Fabrication in Makerspaces, and (3) Service or Community-based Learning Opportunities. Although each topic is unique, all provide an alternative approach to the traditional lecture and have proven effective at appealing to diverse groups of students who are traditionally underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics workforce.
Sex and context differences in the effects of trauma on comorbid alcohol use and post-traumatic stress phenotypes in actively drinking rats.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and affective disorders are frequently comorbid and share underlying mechanisms that could be targets for comprehensive treatment. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has high comorbidity with AUD, but comprehensive models of this overlap are nascent. We recently characterized a model of comorbid AUD and PTSD-like symptoms, wherein stressed rats receive an inhibitory avoidance (IA)-related footshock on two occasions followed by two-bottle choice (2BC) voluntary alcohol drinking. Stressed rats received the second footshock in a familiar (FAM, same IA box as the first footshock) or novel context (NOV, single-chambered apparatus); the FAM paradigm more effectively increased alcohol drinking in males and the NOV paradigm in females. During abstinence, stressed males displayed avoidance-like PTSD symptoms, and females showed hyperarousal-like PTSD symptoms. Rats in the model had altered spontaneous action potential-independent GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala (CeA), a brain region key in alcohol dependence and stress-related signaling. However, PTSD sufferers may have alcohol experience prior to their trauma. Here, we therefore modified our AUD/PTSD comorbidity model to provide 3 weeks of intermittent extended alcohol access before footshock and then studied the effects of NOV and FAM stress on drinking and PTSD phenotypes. NOV stress suppressed the escalation of alcohol intake and preference seen in male controls, but no stress effects were seen on drinking in females. Additionally, NOV males had decreased action potential-independent presynaptic GABA release and delayed postsynaptic GABAA receptor kinetics in the CeA compared to control and FAM males. Despite these changes to alcohol intake and CeA GABA signaling, stressed rats showed broadly similar anxiogenic-like behaviors to our previous comorbid model, suggesting decoupling of the PTSD symptoms from the AUD vulnerability for some of these animals. The collective results show the importance of alcohol history and trauma context in vulnerability to comorbid AUD/PTSD-like symptoms.
Increased protein backbone conformational entropy upon hydrophobic ligand binding.

For complexes between proteins and very small hydrophobic ligands, hydrophobic effects alone may be insufficient to outweigh the unfavorable entropic terms resulting from bimolecular association. NMR relaxation experiments indicate that the backbone flexibility of mouse major urinary protein increases upon binding the hydrophobic mouse pheromone 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole. The associated increase in backbone conformational entropy of the protein appears to make a substantial contribution toward stabilization of the protein–pheromone complex. This term is likely comparable in magnitude to other important free energy contributions to binding and may represent a general mechanism to promote binding of very small ligands to macromolecules.
The arterial and venous glucose tolerance test in obese and nonobese children.

The arteriovenous glucose tolerance was studied simultaneously in 8 obese and 10 nonobese children between the ages of 4 and 14 years. It was observed that the mean peak of the glycemia was slightly higher in the nonobese group. The concentration of sugar in the blood returned to fasting levels in 3 hours in 80% of the nonobese group. In only 25% of the obese group did the concentrations of sugar return to fasting levels in 3 hours. The difference between the concentrations of sugar in venous blood during fasting and 3 hours after ingestion of glucose was more conspicuous and statistically significant in the obese. The criteria for the interpretation of a normal glucose test for this age group are suggested.
Fuzzy universality of probability judgment

Probability judgment is essential to navigating through life, from understanding risks to making decisions under uncertainty. However, probability theory is relatively recent. How has humanity managed to get along before this development? In PNAS, Fontanari et al. (1) provide exciting new evidence of probabilistic cognition among Mayan indigenous groups, both adults and children, whose performance was generally indistinguishable from that of Western adults.
Targeting gender specific mechanisms to enhance anti-tumor immune responses against hepatocellular carcinoma (TUM5P.939)

In cancer, gender disparity has been observed in disease aggressiveness, incidence and prognosis without a clear understanding of the role the immune system plays into this sexual dimorphism. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs much more frequently in men than in women, however mechanisms associated with antitumor immunity in each gender is unclear. We introduce the use of a novel and clinically relevant mouse model of HCC to extricate the role of hormone signaling on immune cell function and the impact on immunotherapy. This model mirrors human disease since it’s driven by the overexpression of the oncogenes c-met and β−catenin. We used hydrodynamic delivery of these oncogenes to induce mutations and HCC. Male and female mice had comparable rates of tumor development; however in the absence of Foxo3, female mice were protected from HCC development. This protection was dependent upon immune cells lacking Foxo3 expression. Our data suggest that in females, silencing of Foxo3 permits the activation and migration of effector cells to the liver and that Foxo3 can control DC function by altering hormone receptor expression. Our results show that immune response and inhibition of tumor growth is differentially regulated by gender. A better understanding of the mechanisms regulating immune mediated tumor protection in females, will aid in devising ways to improve antitumor immune responses in males, and identifying proper targets to design or enhance treatment for all HCC patients
NK Cell Responses to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vaginal Exposure in Naive and Vaccinated Rhesus Macaques

NK cell responses to HIV/SIV infection have been well studied in acute and chronic infected patients/monkeys, but little is known about NK cells during viral transmission, particularly in mucosal tissues. In this article, we report a systematic study of NK cell responses to high-dose vaginal exposure to SIVmac251 in the rhesus macaque female reproductive tract (FRT). Small numbers of NK cells were recruited into the FRT mucosa following vaginal inoculation. The influx of mucosal NK cells preceded local virus replication and peaked at 1 wk and, thus, was in an appropriate time frame to control an expanding population of infected cells at the portal of entry. However, NK cells were greatly outnumbered by recruited target cells that fuel local virus expansion and were spatially dissociated from SIV RNA+ cells at the major site of expansion of infected founder populations in the transition zone and adjoining endocervix. The number of NK cells in the FRT mucosa decreased rapidly in the second week, while the number of SIV RNA+ cells in the FRT reached its peak. Mucosal NK cells produced IFN-γ and MIP-1α/CCL3 but lacked several markers of activation and cytotoxicity, and this was correlated with inoculum-induced upregulation of the inhibitory ligand HLA-E and downregulation of the activating receptor CD122/IL-2Rβ. Examination of SIVΔnef-vaccinated monkeys suggested that recruitment of NK cells to the genital mucosa was not involved in vaccine-induced protection from vaginal challenge. In summary, our results suggest that NK cells play, at most, a limited role in defenses in the FRT against vaginal challenge.
Importance of accurate thermal analyses (computer reliability)

The author focuses on the importance of accurate thermal measurements. The reliability impact of junction temperature changes is examined for four different components. This is followed by two case studies done at the card level as opposed to the component level. The first case study involves a memory card in which a cost-saving technology change was made because of a decrease in the estimated junction temperature. The second case covers a processor card which has 15 temperature-sensitive components. The study examines the reliability implications of inaccurately measuring the thermal characteristics of these components. A section on the monetary and competitive aspects of the importance of accurate thermal measurements is included. >
Piles across space: Breaking the real-estate barrier on small-display devices

We describe an implementation that has users 'flick' notes, images, audio, and video files onto virtual, imaginary piles beyond the display of small-screen devices. Multiple sets of piles can be maintained in persistent workspaces. Two user studies yielded the following: Participants developed mental schemes to remember virtual pile locations, and they successfully reinstated pile locations after several days, while situated in varying environments. Alignment of visual cues on screen with surrounding physical cues in situ accelerated a sorting task when compared to other, non-aligned visual cues. The latter, however, yielded better long-term retention.
A novel mutation in Prph2, a gene regulated by Nr2e3, causes retinal degeneration and outer-segment defects similar to Nr2e3 rd7/rd7 retinas

The nmf193 mutant was generated by a large-scale ENU mutagenesis screen and originally described as having a dominantly inherited phenotype characterized by fundus abnormalities. We determined that nmf193 mice exhibit outer-segment defects and progressive retinal degeneration. Clinical examination revealed retinal spotting apparent at 6 weeks of age. Histologic analysis of homozygous mutant mice at 6 weeks indicated an absence of outer segments (OS) and a 50% reduction of photoreceptor cells which progressed to complete loss of photoreceptors by 10 months. Mice heterozygous for the nmf193 mutation had a less severe phenotype of shortened outer segments at 2 months with progressive loss of photoreceptor cells to 50% by 10 months. A positional cloning approach using a DNA pooling strategy was performed to identify the causative mutation in nmf193 mice. The nmf193 mutation was linked to chromosome 17 and fine mapped to an interval containing the peripherin/rds (Prph2) gene. Mutation analysis identified a single base change in Prph2 that causes aberrant splicing between exons 1 and 2. Interestingly, a comparative histologic analysis demonstrated that Prph2 nmf193/+ mutants have similar photoreceptor degeneration to that of Nr2e3 rd7/rd7 . We show that Prph2 mRNA and protein levels are reduced in the Nr2e3 rd7/rd7 mutant compared to control littermates. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis shows that Prph2 is a direct target of NR2E3. In addition, the downregulation of Prph2 gene expression is similar in both the Nr2e3 rd7/rd7 and Prph2 nmf193/+ mutants, suggesting that the reduction of Prph2 may contribute to the degenerative pathology seen in Nr2e3 rd7/rd7 .