cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 27: Role of Sirtuin 6 in the Initiation and Progression of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease

Increasing age is a major risk factor for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). Interestingly, SIRT6 knockout mice have a marked progeroid phenotype, and we recently reported that sirtuin enzyme expression is dramatically reduced with aging and that SIRT6 expression is reduced further in valves from patients with end-stage CAVD. It is unknown, however, whether experimentally reducing SIRT6 promotes osteogenic signaling in the valve and ultimately accelerates progression of CAVD. Thus, we used cultured mouse aortic valve interstitial cells and ldlr-deficient, apolipoprotein B100-only mice (LA) that were SIRT6 wild-type (LA-SIRT6+/+) or heterozygous (LA-SIRT6+/-) and fed a Western diet for 3 or 12 months to determine the role of SIRT6 in valve calcification. In vitro , reduction of SIRT6 increased histone acetylation and significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of the osteogenic genes Runx2 and Sp7 in response to bone morphogenetic protein 2 (100ng/ml BMP2 for 18 hours), and siRNA knockdown of SIRT6 increased mRNA levels of Sp7 even in the absence of exogenous bone morphogens. Using high-resolution ultrasound to evaluate aortic valve function in vivo, we found that 3 month old LA-SIRT6+/- mice did not have significant impairments in valve function compared to LA-SIRT6+/+ mice. In contrast, 12 month old LA-SIRT6+/- had dramatically worsened aortic valve dysfunction and stenosis compared to LA-SIRT6+/+ mice, which was also associated with reductions in left ventricular ejection fraction. Collectively, our data strongly suggest SIRT6 plays a critical role in the tonic repression of osteogenic signaling in the aortic valve, and that age-related reductions in SIRT6 are likely to increase susceptibility to valve calcification in response to risk factors for CAVD such as hypercholesterolemia. Collectively, increasing activity of SIRT6 or reducing acetylation of its targets may serve as viable therapeutic strategies to slow progression of age-related valvular calcification and stenosis.
The 2015 Colin G. Fink Summer Research Fellowship — Summary Report: Crystal Orientation Effects on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction on Iridium Oxide

1The electrochemical behavior of metal catalysts is strongly dependent on the structure of the electrode material. 2,3 Therefore a deeper understanding of the relation between the electrode surface structure, in terms of crystal orientation, and its corresponding OER activity, is required in order to find the optimum form of iridium oxide catalysts with enhanced catalytic activity and stability. In this project, a polycrystalline iridium (p-Ir) wire (250 μm dia) was subjected to annealing and electrochemical etching to increase grain size and make the grain
Time-Series Special Estimation of Evoked Brain Activity in the Assessment of Functional Disorders of the Central Nervous System:

Methods are discussed for studying functional brain based disorders hypothesized to be the result of systems dysfunction rather than specific structural deficit.
Music and The Mad Lover

Whilst musical imagery is to some extent resorted to in attempts by Elizabethan writers to define madness, the efficacy of music as sound is also sought for resolving the discord in man's microcosmos. Music's power over the emotions has been praised throughout all civilized ages. The best known example is, perhaps, Alexander who ‘was sometimes excited by it so passionately, that he was forced almost against his will to leave the banquet table and rush to arms; and when the musician changed the temper of the tune, he grew calm again, lay aside his arms, and returned to the banquet table'. Another stirring example is that of King Saul whose madness is spoken of as the result of possession by an evil spirit for his sins before God.
Persistent neutrophilia is a marker for an increased risk of venous thrombosis.

In patients with cancer and myeloproliferative disorders, leukocytosis has been associated with an increased venous thromboembolic (VTE) risk. Our goal was to determine whether persistent neutrophilia (PN), not associated with known causes such as malignancies, infections or steroids, is independently associated with VTE. All adult patients with >3 outpatient complete blood counts (CBCs) within 3 years were included. PN was defined as having an absolute neutrophil count >95 % (>2SD) of the population (≥7.8 × 109/L) on at least three CBCs, at least 2 months apart. Separate analyses for neutrophil counts ≥9 × 109/L and ≥10 × 109/L were also performed. Blood counts from inpatients were excluded. Primary outcome was diagnosis of VTE, as determined by ICD-9 codes. Odds ratios were adjusted for diabetes, smoking, obesity, gender, and age. Charlson score was utilized as a morbidity measure. Data on 43,538 outpatients were collected. Although there was no association of VTE with neutrophil counts ≥7.8 × 109/L, patients with ≥9.0 × 109/L neutrophils were twice as likely to be diagnosed with VTE compared to those with normal neutrophil counts (OR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.3, 3.1; p = 0.003). Patients with neutrophil counts ≥10.0 × 109/L were at an even higher risk (OR 2.3, 95 % CI 1.2, 4.8; p = 0.019). Charlson scores significantly modified this risk when incorporated into analysis. Elevated neutrophil counts are associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis even when they are not due to cancer, infection or steroids. In patients with significant comorbidities, neutrophilia may be a marker of VTE risk.
The Harm Principle

The moral foundation of the thesis advanced here is the principle which requires that persons be treated as persons, and that requires that each person’s unencumbered choices be respected, at least within a certain sphere. A vital element in the theory of the ethical limits of law is the determination of what that sphere is. Within that sphere, a person’s own unencumbered choices must be allowed to have effect in action, and others’ choices, whether or not expressed through law, must not interfere. This notion serves both to provide one of the main justifications for the use of legal coercion, and to provide the basis for the limitation of law.
The Incontinent Myelodysplastic Patient

SUMMARY Urinary incontinence is a socially devastating aspect of the lives of many myelodysplastic children. Incontinence results from abnormal bladder storage function, urethral sphincteric incompetence, or both. Unfortunately, the vesicourethral dysfunction in an individual patient cannot be discerned from the level of the vertebral defect or the coexisting neurologic deficits. Therefore, thorough urodynamic assessment is required to identify altered physiology precisely and to guide rational treatment. Our therapeutic armamentarium includes external devices, intermittent self-catheterization, pharmacologic therapy, prosthetics, electrical stimulation, biofeedback, and innovative surgical procedures. Comprehensive evaluation, thoughtful tailoring of therapy to the individual patient, and a commitment by the urologist to indefinite follow-up will enable most patients to attain social continence while preserving renal function.
CD36 is upregulated in mice with periodontitis and metabolic syndrome and involved in macrophage gene upregulation by palmitate.

Background We reported that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome (MetS) exacerbates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated periodontitis and palmitate, the major saturated fatty acid in the HFD, amplified LPS-stimulated gene expression in vitro. Since CD36 is a major receptor for fatty acids, we investigated periodontal CD36 expression in mice with periodontitis and MetS, and the role of CD36 in inflammatory genes in macrophages stimulated by palmitate. Methods MetS and periodontitis were induced in mice by HFD and periodontal injection of LPS, respectively. The periodontal CD36 expression and its relationship with alveolar bone loss were studied using immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, and correlation analysis. The role of CD36 in upregulation of inflammatory mediators by LPS and palmitate in macrophages was assessed using pharmacological inhibitor and small interfering RNA. Results Periodontal CD36 expression was higher in mice with both MetS and periodontitis than that in mice with periodontitis or MetS alone and was correlated with osteoclastogenesis and alveolar bone loss. In vitro studies showed that CD36 expression in macrophages was upregulated by LPS and palmitate, and targeting CD36 attenuated palmitate-enhanced gene expression. Conclusion CD36 expression is upregulated in mice with periodontitis and MetS, and involved in gene expression in macrophages stimulated by palmitate and LPS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Analyzing the Adoption of Technology, Yield Gaps, and Profitability of Major Foodgrain Crops in West Bengal

Abstract This study was conducted in West Bengal to find out the level of technology adoption, to estimate the yield gaps in major foodgrain crops, and to identify the determinants of the yield gaps and profitability of major foodgrain crops among different categories of farmers. For the technology adoption level, a technology adoption index was constructed by taking relevant parameters. It was observed that the level of modern farm technology adoption was not encouraging in the study area, and it was positively correlated with the size of the land holding. Rice emerged as the main foodgrain crop in the area. The overall average technology adoption index for rabi rice (64.66%) was higher than that for kharif rice (56.16%). Overall technology adoption indices were 56.03%, 36%, and 37.21% for wheat, chickpea, and lentil, respectively. The level of technology adoption varied not only among the major foodgrain crops, but also among different categories of farmers. Yield gap-I and yield gap-II were estimated for major foodgrain crops across the different categories of farmers. Determinants of yield gaps were identified by correlation and regression analysis. Yield gap-II was higher than yield gap-I for foodgrain crops except chickpea. It achieved a maximum of about 46% of average on-farm trial yield in the case of wheat and a minimum of about 18% in the case of rabi rice. A significant variation was noticed in the case of yield gap-II among different categories of farmers. “Technology adoption,” “source of seed,” “institutional credit,” and “meetings with Agriculture Development Officer (ADO)/Krishi Prajukti Sahayak (KPS) per year” were found to be the main determinants of yield gap for most of the foodgrain crops studied. The cost of cultivation and returns of all major foodgrain crops as well as for different categories of farmers were estimated using Commission of Agricultural Cost and Price concepts. Large farmers received the highest net returns from all major foodgrain crops except rabi rice, for which medium farmers achieved the highest net returns. Rabi rice cultivation was found to be the most profitable of the major foodgrain crops. Major policy implications emerged from the study as follows: Farmers need education about the full package of practices to encourage them to adopt these (1) usage of fertilizers, irrigation, and mechanization needs to be enhanced. (2) More interaction between farmers and ADO/KPS is required to enhance the production of kharif rice and pulse crops. (3) An efficient input delivery system is urgently needed for the area. (4) High labor costs can be reduced by more mechanized farming. (5) The government should install some irrigation sources like deep tube wells to distribute irrigation water at a reasonable price.
Aspect ratio effect on shear modulus and ultimate shear strength of graphene nanoribbons

Abstract This paper focuses on shear modulus and shear deformation behavior of Graphene Nano Ribbons (GNR) post-wrinkling taking into account size effect. Atomistic modeling of armchair and zigzag GNR were performed at 300 °K for GNR with a constant 10 nm width and lengths ranging from 2.5 nm to 25 nm. Results show that ridge formation is oriented at 45 degrees for GNR with an aspect ratio less than one and that the number of ridges is equal to the reciprocal of the aspect ratio, while for aspect ratios higher than one, the ridge formation direction coincides with the diagonal direction of the GNR and only one ridge is formed. Once the diagonal tension reached its ultimate elastic level, three major stress-relaxing phenomena are reported. Results show that the average slope of the stress-strain curve beyond the ultimate elastic stress decreases with increasing GNR length. Moreover, the slope of the shear stress-strain curve in that region is always greater in armchair GNR than in Zigzag GNR. GNR can sustain very high plastic shear strains beyond 400% before failure for wide GNR. It is observed that the shear modulus is inversely proportional to the aspect ratio of the GNR.
Chemotherapy with erlotinib or chemotherapy alone in advanced NSCLC with acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI).

7524 Background: EGFR-mutant NSCLC has an oncogene-addicted phenotype that confers sensitivity to EGFR TKIs. Prior data suggests EGFR addiction persists after development of TKI resistance, leading...
Confirmatory Factor Analytic Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) in a Longitudinal Sample of Adolescents

Subjective well-being has been overlooked in mental health screening and assessment which are based primarily, if not exclusively, on the medical disease model. Life satisfaction is often employed as an indicator of subjective well-being as it extends beyond momentary affective experiences to include a reflective and evaluative perspective of life in its totality. This study examines the confirmatory factor analytic structure and measurement invariance of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS), a 5-item self-report measure designed to measure general life satisfaction, across a one-year time interval in school samples of adolescents. Results indicate acceptable test-retest reliability and high internal consistency over time. The one-factor model has an approximate but close fit to the data collected, which is consistent with underlying theoretical framework and prior empirical findings. Tests of measurement equivalence support strict invariance, indicating that the means and variances of the BMSLSS remained invariant across a one-year interval.
More the Merrier: Can Co-Leadership Be Effective?

Traditionally theorists argue that a single person in the leadership role is the most effective approach. But recent literature on pluralistic form of leadership examines leadership structures of m...
Pollen Aperture Factor INP1 Acts Late in Aperture Formation by Excluding Specific Membrane Domains from Exine Deposition

Accurate placement of extracellular materials is a critical part of cellular development. To study how cells achieve this accuracy, we use formation of pollen apertures as a model. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), three regions on the pollen surface lack deposition of pollen wall exine and develop into apertures. In developing pollen, Arabidopsis INAPERTURATE POLLEN1 (INP1) protein acts as a marker for the preaperture domains, assembling there into three punctate lines. To understand the mechanism of aperture formation, we studied the dynamics of INP1 expression and localization and its relationship with the membrane domains at which it assembles. We found that INP1 assembly occurs after meiotic cytokinesis at the interface between the plasma membrane and the overlying callose wall, and requires the normal callose wall formation. Sites of INP1 localization coincide with positions of protruding membrane ridges in proximity to the callose wall. Our data suggest that INP1 is a late-acting factor involved in keeping specific membrane domains next to the callose wall to prevent formation of exine at these sites.
Disentangling passion and engagement: An examination of how and when passionate employees become engaged ones

While anecdotal industry evidence indicates that passionate workers are engaged workers, research has yet to understand how and when job passion and engagement are related. To answer the how question, we draw from person-environment fit theory to test, and find support for, the mediating roles of perceived demands–abilities (D–A) fit and person–organization (P–O) fit in the relationships between passion and job engagement, and between passion and organizational engagement, respectively. Also, because the obsessive form of passion is contingency-driven, we answer the when question by adopting a target-similarity approach to test the contingent role of multi-foci trust in the obsessive passion-to-engagement relationships. We found that when obsessively passionate workers trust their organization, they report greater levels of organizational engagement (because of increased P–O fit). In contrast, when these workers trust both their co-workers and supervisor simultaneously, they report greater levels of job e...
The imidazoline I2 receptor agonist 2-BFI attenuates hypersensitivity and spinal neuroinflammation in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Abstract Chronic pain is a large, unmet public health problem. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of neuroinflammation in the establishment and maintenance of chronic pain. However, pharmacotherapies that reduce neuroinflammation have not been successfully developed to treat chronic pain thus far. Several preclinical studies have established imidazoline I 2 receptor (I 2 R) agonists as novel candidates for chronic pain therapies, and while some I 2 R ligands appear to modulate neuroinflammation in certain scenarios, whether they exert anti-neuroinflammatory effects in models of chronic pain is unknown. This study examined the effects of the prototypical I 2 R agonist 2-(2-benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline hydrochloride (2-BFI) on hypersensitivity and neuroinflammation induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI), a neuropathic pain model in rats. In CCI rats, twice-daily treatment with 10 mg/kg 2-BFI for seven days consistently increased mechanical and thermal nociception thresholds, reduced GFAP and Iba-1 levels in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and reduced levels of TNF-α relative to saline treatment. These results were recapitulated in primary mouse cortical astrocyte cultures. Incubation with 2-BFI attenuated GFAP expression and supernatant TNF-α levels in LPS-stimulated cultures. These results suggest that I 2 R agonists such as 2-BFI may reduce neuroinflammation which may partially account for their antinociceptive effects.
Need for Human Relaxin

There are four variations on the porcine relaxin radioimmunoassay which could be used to look at relaxin in human plasma. Each radioimmunoassay has a different degree of heterogeniety with respect to the labelled hormone and to the antiserum, although all are derived from porcine material. The most heterogenous system is that originally used by Bryant in 1972, a labelled hormone selected from NIH-R-P1 relaxin and an antiserum generated to the crude material. A number of other RIAs have been reported (Sherwood et al. 1975; O’Byrne and Steinetz, 1976; Loumaye et al. 1978). A less heterogenous radioimmunoassay is that using pooled relaxins, CM-a’, CM-a, CM-B, from a CMC column used as a label, and an antiserum to the product of an earlier purification step, the G2 area of a Sephadex column (O’Byrne and Steinetz, 1976). This assay is markedly more homogenous with respect to the antigen used for labelling and to that used for immunization. Finally, the most homogenous RIA would be one of these relaxins, CM-a’ and an antiserum to this material (Afele et al. 1979); a system unable to pick up immunoactivity in human plasmas in our hand. In studying these RIAs to look at heterologous relaxins in plasma we have arrived at the following conclusions (Bryant- Greenwood and Greenwood, 1979): the higher the degree of heterogeniety, the more total inhibition can be detected; each RIA looks at a spectrum of plasma immunoactivities related to relaxin but we do not know the structure of the molecules inhibiting in any of the radioimmunoassays; we cannot utilize the physiology of relaxin to support the specificity of heterologous radioimmunoassays.
Online latent structure training for language acquisition

A fundamental step in sentence comprehension involves assigning semantic roles to sentence constituents. To accomplish this, the listener must parse the sentence, find constituents that are candidate arguments, and assign semantic roles to those constituents. Where do children learning their first languages begin in solving this problem? Even assuming children can derive a rough meaning for the sentence from the situation, how do they begin to map this meaning to the structure and the structure to the form of the sentence? In this paper we use feedback from a semantic role labeling (SRL) task to improve the intermediate syntactic representations that feed the SRL. We accomplish this by training an intermediate classifier using signals derived from latent structure optimization techniques. By using a separate classifier to predict internal structure we see benefits due to knowledge embedded in the classifier's feature representation. This extra structure allows the system to begin to learn using weaker, more plausible semantic feedback.
Biological Diversity and Disturbance Regimes in Island Ecosystems

The role of disturbance in natural communities and ecosystems has received a great deal of attention in the literature. For recent reviews see Cairns (1980); Burgess and Sharpe (1981); West et al. (1981); Pickett and White (1985); Remmert (1991); and Goldammer (1992). The concept of succession is based on disturbance as the initiating cause of a chronosequence in community and vegetation development. The successional changes following a disturbance are often measured by changes in biological diversity.
Linking the Plausible and Demonstrative Inferences

A set of patterns of plausible reasoning are available which agree with probability rules. But only some plausible patterns and probability rules have been related to demonstrative patterns of classic logic. The connection between all the plausible inference patterns and the demonstrative patterns is examined in a sentential plausible logic language. A commonsense approach is presented as a formalized system from only two elementary monotonicity patterns of plausible reasoning, given by logic equations. Two elementary patterns of demonstrative reasoning are also stated and formalized in this language. Syllogism forms derived from one of these patterns are identified as the “modus ponens” in this language. Uniqueness of elementary plausible and demonstrative patterns is shown. The plausible and demonstrative elementary patterns are expressed by logic equations which are exactly complementary. This complementarity condition determines the linking form between all the plausible and demonstrative patterns derived from the elementary patterns.
Research, education, and economics information system: An engine for strategic planning and information policy development at the u.s. department of agriculture

Abstract This article describes the implementation of a strategic information audit as a key component in the development of the Research, Education, and Economics Information System (REEIS) at the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a planning tool the audit is also viewed as an opportunity to bring into alignment the strategic intent of the four mission agencies with the use of state-of-the-art information technologies. Included in the article is a discussion of the systems model for researching organizational theory. The discussion and description is limited to phase one of a two-phase long-range project at the USDA.
Age-dependent intoxication by larkspur (Delphinium) in Angus steers.

The effect of age on larkspur poisoning of cattle is unknown. An experiment consisting of oral dosing of dried, ground, Delphinium barbeyi to ten Angus steers as yearlings, and again at two years was performed. There was a significant difference between the responses of yearling and two year old steers (P = 0.0015), with yearling steers being more susceptible. These results suggest that the adverse response of Angus cattle to larkspur is age-dependent.
Racial disparities in palliative and hospice care beliefs of lung cancer patients.

10104Background: Minority patients with lung cancer often have higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Recent data shows that early integration of palliative care with standard oncologic care for ...
Functional assessments through novel proteomics approaches: Application to insulin/IGF signaling in neurodegenerative disease'

Abstract Background Events that instigate disease may involve biochemical events distinct from changes in the steady-state levels of proteins. Even chronic degenerative disorders appear to involve changes such as post-translational modifications. New method We have begun a series of proteomics analyses on proteins that have been fractionated by functional status. Because Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with metabolic perturbations such as Type-2 diabetes, fractionation hinged on binding to phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate (PIP3), key to insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling. We compared mice on normal chow to counterparts subjected to diet-induced obesity (DIO) or to mice expressing human Aβ1-42 from a transgene. Results The prevailing phenotypic finding in either experimental group was loss of PIP3 binding. Of the 1228 proteins that showed valid PIP3 binding in any group of mice, 55% exhibited a significant quantitative difference in the number of spectral counts as a function of DIO, 63% as function of the Aβ transgene, and 79% as a function of either variable. There was remarkable overlap among the proteins altered in the two experimental groups, and pathway analysis indicated effects on proteostasis, apoptosis, and synaptic vesicles. Comparison with existing methods Most proteomics approaches only identify differences in the steady-state levels of proteins. Our overlay of a functional distinction permits new levels of discovery that may achieve novel insights into physiology in an unbiased and inclusive manner. Conclusions Proteomics analyses have revolutionized the discovery phase of biomedical research but are conventionally limited in scope. The creative use of fractionation prior to proteomic discovery is likely to provide important insights into AD and related disorders.
391. Evaluation of Second-Generation Triazoles in the Treatment of Refractory Coccidioidomycosis.

AbstractBackgroundCoccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection endemic to the southwestern United States. Although most cases are self-limiting and restricted to the lungs, the disease can disseminate to the bone, soft tissue, and central nervous system (CNS). First-line therapy generally consists of fluconazole or itraconazole. In cases refractory to first-line therapy, the management is less well defined. Newer triazole antifungals, such as posaconazole (POSA) and voriconazole (VORI), have demonstrated efficacy in refractory cases, but data are limited. Isavuconazole (ISAV) has in vitro activity against Coccidioides spp., but in vivo data are limited to nine cases of primary pulmonary disease. To our knowledge, there are no published studies regarding its role in refractory cases. Any treatment outcomes data with these agents would contribute to the limited scientific body.MethodsRetrospective chart review of patients with refractory coccidioidomycosis whose therapy was changed to ISAV, POSA, or VORI between January 1, 2010 and April 18, 2018. Outcome was defined as improved, stable, or unresponsive utilizing the Mycosis Study Group (MSG) score (a composite score for symptoms, serology, radiographic findings) and the documented impressions of treating physicians. For CNS patients, a separate point system was used to compute the score.ResultsOf the patients meeting study criteria, 15 patients received ISAV, 32 patients received POSA (suspension n = 12, tablets n = 19), and 21 patients received VORI. In the ISAV group, 73.3% of patients were improved, and 26.7% were stable. In the POSA suspension group, 83.3% were improved and 16.7% were stable compared with 78.9% improved and 21.1% stable in the POSA tablet group. In the VORI group, 61.9% were improved, 19% were stable, and 19% were unresponsive. MSG scores across all treatment groups were reduced (P < 0.003) with a median change of −2, −4, −2.5, −2 for ISAV, POSA suspension, POSA tablets, and VORI, respectively.ConclusionIsavuconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole are reasonable options for treatment of refractory coccidioidomycosis. Prospective comparative trials are required to provide further insights into their efficacy and utility. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Human Papillomaviruses: Cervical Cancer and Warts

Papillomaviruses (PV) are extremely widespread, small, non-enveloped, icosahedral, species-specific, double-stranded DNA epitheliotropic viruses, which include human papillomaviruses (HPVs), known to infect humans. In humans, these viruses establish chronic epithelial infections, with each HPV type being associated with infection of specific anatomic sites and distinct natural histories. The clinical manifestations of HPV infection include genital and cutaneous warts as well as genital tract lesions referred to as “intraepithelial neoplasia.” Of greatest importance is that fact that a subset of HPVs (referred to as “high-risk” types of HPV) plays a central role in the development of most lower genital tract neoplasias as well as some head and neck carcinomas.
Matching-adjusted comparisons demonstrate better clinical outcomes in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis treated with peginterferon beta-1a than with teriflunomide.

Abstract Background Peginterferon beta-1a and teriflunomide are both first-line disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS); however, no head-to-head trials have directly compared their clinical efficacy. We performed a matching-adjusted comparison of individual patient data from the peginterferon beta-1a pivotal phase 3 study, ADVANCE, and its extension study, ATTAIN, with pooled aggregated data from the teriflunomide pivotal phase 3 studies, TEMSO and TOWER. Methods A total of 512 patients randomized to subcutaneous (SC) peginterferon beta-1a 125 mcg every 2 weeks in ADVANCE and 731 patients randomized to teriflunomide 14 mg daily (359 from TEMSO and 372 from TOWER) were matched on key baseline characteristics. After matching, weighted annualized relapse rate (ARR) and 24-week confirmed disability worsening (CDW) were calculated and compared for peginterferon beta-1a– and teriflunomide-treated patients. A subset analysis comparing weighted ARR in patients who were newly diagnosed with RMS (diagnosis ≤1 year before study enrollment and disease-modifying therapy naive) was also performed. Results After matching, the peginterferon beta-1a and teriflunomide treatment groups were identically matched across baseline characteristics. The proportion of patients in the overall study populations with 24-week CDW at 108 weeks was significantly lower in the peginterferon beta-1a group than the teriflunomide group both before matching (8.5% vs 12.6%; P = 0.0249) and after matching (8.4% vs 12.6%; P = 0.0323). ARR at 108 weeks was numerically lower with peginterferon beta-1a than with teriflunomide both before matching (0.278 vs 0.354; P = 0.1326) and after matching (0.257 vs 0.354; P = 0.0510). Newly diagnosed patients treated with peginterferon beta-1a had numerically lower ARR than patients treated with teriflunomide both at 108 weeks (before matching: 0.225 vs 0.270; P = 0.587; after matching: 0.201 vs 0.270; P = 0.384) and at 5 years (before matching: 0.150 vs 0.196; after matching: 0.142 vs 0.196). Conclusions In this matching-adjusted comparison of patients with RMS from three phase 3 trials, a significantly lower proportion of patients treated with SC peginterferon beta-1a 125 mcg every 2 weeks than with oral teriflunomide 14 mg once daily had 24-week CDW at 108 weeks. In addition, in both the overall population and newly diagnosed patient subgroups, ARR at 108 weeks was numerically lower with peginterferon beta-1a than with teriflunomide. The numerically lower ARR in newly diagnosed patients treated with peginterferon beta-1a compared with those treated with teriflunomide was sustained through up to 5 years of treatment.
Culture and ethnicity in the mental health of older adults

Abstract The older adult population has seen marked demographic changes with racial and ethnic minority individuals constituting the fastest-growing segment within this group. Mental health difficulties are an area of concern among the older adult population with significant disparities noted across ethnic groups. The purpose of the current chapter is to provide an overview of the mechanisms and factors likely to influence mental health and access to care of ethnic minority older adults. First, cultural factors, namely racial/ethnic discrimination, cultural adaptation, and religion/spirituality, will be discussed in relation to mental health and cognition. Second, the chapter will review access and barriers to mental health care, specifically attitudes toward treatment, mental health stigma, cultural mistrust, and structural inequities. These topic areas are not intended to be exhaustive but instead provide an overview of key experiences and systems that are associated with the mental health of ethnic minority older adults.
Empowering our people: Predictors of retention in an STI risk reduction program among rural Native Americans with binge substance use

PURPOSE Substance use and sexual risk-taking have been shown to co-occur. Programs focused on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reduction may benefit substance-using, particularly binge substance-using, adults. This is especially true for rural Native American communities who endure sexual and substance use disparities and have few STI risk reduction programs. This study explores factors predicting retention in an STI risk reduction program among rural Native adults engaged in binge substance use. METHODS We analyzed data from 150 Native adults ages 18-55 participating in an evaluation of "EMPWR," a 2-session STI risk reduction program in a rural, reservation-based community. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between independent variables and program completion across demographics, sexual behaviors, substance use behaviors, mental health, recent health care utilization, and perceived enculturation and discrimination. FINDINGS The sample was 49.2% (n = 59) female with a mean age of 33.61 years (SD = 8.25). Twenty-six completed only the first EMPWR session, 94 completed both EMPWR sessions, and 30 were randomized but completed 0 sessions. Being married/cohabiting (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.40, P = .0063) and living with an older generation (AOR = 4.86, P = .0058) were significantly associated with higher odds of completing EMPWR. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide insight on factors driving retention of Natives with recent binge substance use in STI risk reduction programming. An important contribution to Native health literature is that living with an older generation positively predicted EMPWR program completion, suggesting that STI risk reduction programs should harness the strength of families to ensure program attendance and optimize impacts in rural reservation contexts.
The sounds of lockdown: Virtual connection, online listening, and the emotional weight of COVID-19

Modes of listening tell us a great deal about how Americans are coping with the feelings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking online listening culture in which amateur music remixers repurpose known pop songs to produce an effect of loneliness in virtual public spaces, this essay traces the movement of online sound subcultures from late 2010s YouTube into the modes of listening, employed by a much larger viewership on lockdown during the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. Analyzing the act of listening to empty public spaces online since the inception of a particular family of memes that ran from 2017-2018, the essay showcases how that music subculture prefi gured a wider response to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Covering the psychological response to pandemic, its manifestations in phenomena, such as grief over the loss of public space as mediated by EarthCam, #StayHomeSounds, and the quieting of neighborhoods and cities, this essay shows how the range of modes in our listening network is evolving at this time. It also responds to how the social and emotional needs that arise during lockdown are met in forms of virtuality we have crafted to connect us to the wider world. Moreover, it emphasizes that virtuality crept into our connection with public space earlier than the pandemic – and that playing with the notion of nostalgia recreationally through online media before the pandemic made us better equipped to handle the pandemic’s isolation, when it came. Showcasing how alienation is at the root of both experiences, it also hypothesizes that mediated communion permits us both to engage with the inevitable loneliness and an ability to deal with it as time goes on.
Longitudinal Associations Between Early Risk, Father Engagement, and Coparenting and Low-Income Fathers’ Engagement With Children in Middle Childhood:

The current investigation examined the longitudinal associations among low-income, urban fathers’ risk factors, engagement with children, and coparenting support during early childhood and paternal...
Sign language recognition using PCA, wavelet and neural network

Deaf people all around the world use sign language to communicate and like oral languages vary from country to another so it is for the sign languages. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic neural network (PNN) for two Sign languages: American Sign Language (ASL) recognition for static signs and Arabic sign Language. The signs in both of them are realized with one naked hand and simple background. DCT, DWT and PCA for spatial reduction method. Although PCA has been used before in sign language as a dimensionality reduction technique, it is used here as a descriptor that represents a global image feature. Finally we combine the features to improve the recognition rate (RR) and an error rate(ER) where DWT combined with the PCA using PNN classifier achieves RR 80.2% and ER 3.90% for Arabic database. The RR is improved to be 94% for American database with an ER 1.2%.
A Carnival of Stats

Bruce McCallum reviews the powerful statistics program Statistica 5.1, which is a comprehensive enough to make other programs superfluous.
The Economics of Carbon Capture

As carbon capture technologies are likely to allow power plants to reduce emissions by up to 90 percent, Ozge Islegen and Stefan Reichelstein of Stanford Business School feel that plants will choose to implement such technologies to avoid paying even modest emissions permit prices.
The Treatment Trap: How the Overuse of Medical Care is Wrecking Your Health and What you can do to Prevent it by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh

The Treatment Trap is about medical overtreatment and medical treatment that is inappropriate. Testimonies from patients, family and friends, nurses, doctors, and hospital administrators make the b...
Organizing large space activities: Why the private sector model usually wins

Abstract Since 1965 there has been a progressive shift in the organization of major space activities away from the original space agency model towards more commercial management principles. This article identifies nine basic organizational models, ranging from government-run programmes such as NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System right through to privately owned systems such as Asiasat and Astra, and notes that they by and large represent a historical evolution. A close look at the success of Intelsat as it has developed in an increasingly competitive world suggests that a functional focus on technical and commercial objectives, commercial management techniques, competitive procurement and recruitment on merit have been among the most important factors in the organization's success.
Kitcher-Style Unificationism and Explanatory Relevance

By reducing the explanatory power of theories to their unifying power, unificationism seems the best candidate for a theory of explanatory relevance. I argue that Philip Kitcher's version of unificationism, which relies on the central concept of an argument pattern, can in principle not live up to such an expectation, because his notion of stringency, which is needed to distinguish between genuine and spurious unifications, relies on a prior notion of explanatory relevance.
A Review of “America’s Top-Rated Smaller Cities: A Statistical Handbook”

Whether an individual is searching for new job opportunities, or an entrepreneur is searching for the opportune business location, it is essential to have reliable and trustworthy statistical local...
The Starburst-Interstellar Medium Interaction in NGC 1569. I. Location and Nature of He II Sources Using HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE WFPC2 Imagery

We present the detection of He II sources in the Im galaxy NGC 1569 from Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 imagery. Of the 15 detections, seven were Wolf-Rayet stars, five were stellar clusters with associated He II emission, and three were sources of unknown origin. The detected Wolf-Rayet stars' colors and magnitudes are similar to those of Large Magellanic Cloud late-type WN stars. The physical origins of the other He II sources are discussed. We conclude that the equivalent of 51 ? 19 WNL stars have been detected in NGC 1569, and we have estimated the total Wolf-Rayet population in NGC 1569 as 78 ? 51. These numbers are compared with the Wolf-Rayet stellar populations in the SMC, LMC, Milky Way, and other starburst galaxies relative to their luminosities, dynamical masses, and ionized gas masses. Previous to this study, Wolf-Rayet stars in NGC 1569 were not detected using ground-based imagery but were only indicated through long-slit spectroscopy. This is the first time the exact locations of the Wolf-Rayet stars in this nearby, well-studied, poststarburst galaxy have been determined.
Intestinal uptake of retinol: enhancement by bovine milk beta-lactoglobulin

The effect of bovine milk beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) on intestinal uptake of retinol was examined in suckling rats with the everted sac technique. Uptake of 0.06 mumol retinol/L bound to BLG (BLG-retinol) was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than that of 0.06 mumol free retinol/L both in the jejunum and the ileum. The enhancing effect of BLG on retinol uptake was specific because equimolar concentrations of bovine serum albumin and lactoferrin had no effect on retinol uptake. However, serum retinol-binding protein (RBP), which shares structural and conformational similarities with BLG, also enhanced retinol uptake. BLG, BLG-retinol, and RBP-retinol all inhibited the uptake of retinol from BLG-[3H]retinol in a concentration-dependent manner. Uptake of retinol from BLG-retinol was saturable (apparent Km = 5.6 mumol/L, Vmax = 22.7 nmol.g-1.5 min-1), not affected by metabolic inhibitors, and partially temperature dependent (Q10 = 2.77). BLG also significantly (p less than 0.01) enhanced retinol uptake in the intestine of adult rats. These results demonstrate that BLG specifically enhances intestinal uptake of retinol and suggest the possibility of a receptor for BLG-like proteins at the brush border membrane of the enterocyte.
Improved interprofessional communication, handover and ward rounds in critical care (ICARUS)

There is growing evidence that optimising communication and patient assessment practices including ward rounds and handoffs can improve clinical, safety and operational outcomes, particularly in the critical care setting [1,2]. Here we describe the design and baseline phases of a 5-year project utilising improvement sciences to optimise the quality of interprofessional communication, handoffs and rounding in one of the largest critical care units in the UK.
The complexities of minority rights in the European Union

In this study we argue that the ‘opportunity structure’ EU membership and conditionality provide helps to reconfigure the relationships between minority groups and states. EU membership and/or the membership process can mitigate the conflict between minorities and their respective states by putting direct pressure on the states to address ethnic demands. We argue that a minority group's characteristics will also determine that group's success in terms of securing and/or advancing its demands. This study presents one of the first systematic empirical tests of EU membership and minority rights. Results from a series of ordered logit and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses support our thesis.
Dual-Chamber Pacing in a Patient With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

There is a subset of patients with severely symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy who are intolerant of or do not respond to medical therapy. Surgical myectomy has been performed, which provides relief of gradient and improvement of symptoms. Recently, dual-chamber pacing has been proposed as an alternative to surgical myectomy. Dual-chamber pacing can decrease the left ventricular outflow tract gradient, improve symptoms, and perhaps even cause regression of hypertrophy in a subset of patients. This …
Network-Aware Wireless Sensor Data Management

Sensor Networks have brought closer than ever before the network and database research communities. A novel sensor data management paradigm appeared with the development of data centric routing protocols viewing the network as a huge distributed database. However, this paradigm is typically supported through a query processing layer that treats the wireless network as a black box and underestimates its fundamental limitations. In this seminar we elaborate on these limitations and utilize them in favor of efficient data management in wireless sensor environments.
S100A4 mediates endometrial cancer invasion and is a target of TGF-β1 signaling

The molecular mechanisms of endometrial cancer invasion are poorly understood. S100A4, also known as FSP1 (fibroblast-specific protein 1), has long been known to be a molecular marker of fibrosis in a variety of different fibrotic diseases of the lungs, liver, kidney, and heart. We demonstrate here that increased expression of S100A4 is associated with advanced stage endometrial cancer and decreased recurrence free survival. To verify the essential role of S100A4 in invasiveness of endometrial cancer, S100A4 expression was downregulated by RNAi in HEC-1A cells, which resulted in undetectable S100A4 protein and significantly decreased migration and invasion. Owing to the established connection between TGF-beta1 and S100A4 induction in experimental models of kidney and liver fibrosis, we next examined whether TGF-beta1 could also regulate S100A4 in endometrial cancer cells. TGF-beta1 stimulated endometrial cancer cell migration and invasion with a concomitant increase in S100A4 protein. Induction of S100A4 was associated with the activation of Smads. TGF-beta1-mediated endometrial cancer cell motility was inhibited by S100A4 siRNA. In aggregate, these results suggest that S100A4 is a critical mediator of invasion in endometrial cancer and is upregulated by the TGF-beta1 signaling pathway. These results also suggest that endometrial cancer cell invasion and fibrosis share common molecular mechanisms.