cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scanning Electron Microscope Observations of CO2 Laser Effects on Dental Enamel

Studies of the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers on dental enamel have demonstrated that surface changes can be produced at low fluences (< 10 J/cm2) if wavelengths are used which are efficiently absorbed by the hard tissues. In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the wavelength dependence of surface changes in dental enamel after exposure to an extensive range of CO2 laser conditions. Bovine and human enamel were irradiated by a tunable, pulsed CO2 laser (9.3, 9.6, 10.3, 10.6 microns), with 5, 25, or 100 pulses, at absorbed fluences of 2, 5, 10, or 20 J/cm2, and pulse widths of 50, 100, 200, 500 microseconds. SEM micrographs revealed evidence of melting, crystal fusion, and exfoliation in a wavelength-dependent manner. Crystal fusion occurred at absorbed fluences as low as 5 J/cm2 per pulse at 9.3, 9.6, and 10.3 microns, in contrast to no crystal fusion at 10.6 microns (< or = 20 J/cm2). Longer pulses at constant fluence conditions decreased the extent of surface melting and crystal fusion. The total number of laser pulses delivered to the tissue did not significantly affect surface changes as long as a minimum of 5 to 10 pulses was used. Within the four easily accessible wavelengths of the CO2 laser, there are dramatic differences in the observed surface changes of dental hard tissue.
Action Language: a specification language for model checking reactive systems

We present a specification language called Action Language for model checking software specifications. Action Language forms an interface between transition system models that a model checker generates and high level specification languages such as Statecharts, RSML and SCR-similar to an assembly language between a microprocessor and a programming language. We show that Action Language translations of Statecharts and SCR specifications are compact and they preserve the structure of the original specification. Action Language allows specification of both synchronous and asynchronous systems. It also supports modular specifications to enable compositional model checking.
Toxicological Sciences: Measuring the True Impact of the Journal.

As I complete my first 2 years as the editor of Toxicological Sciences, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made and the ongoing challenges we face. I intended to focus on the mission of the journal and our influence on the field. However, during the time I was preparing this editorial, the Thomsom Reuter’s 2015 impact factor was released, and I thought it would be useful to discuss the results and provide my interpretation. Although evaluation of journals is important, I continue to be perplexed at how the enterprise of scholarly publishing has become so hung up on a single metric of journal quality. Thus, this piece will focus on the ways one evaluates the quality of the journal and what we are doing to make Toxicological Sciences as influential as possible.
Blogging for Academic Purposes with English Language Learners: An Online Fieldwork Initiative.

This research investigated the use of blogs to promote collaboration between teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) teacher candidates and Adolescent English teacher candidates and to sensitize them to the writing demands placed on secondary English language learners (ELLs). Blogs offered an authentic experience for teacher candidates to interact with each other and with ELLs. Qualitative analysis showed Adolescent English teacher candidates’ desired more such fieldwork that would put them into direct contact with ELLs. TESOL candidates reported learning about the demands of high school academic writing through the tasks and the blog responses posted by their Adolescent English counterparts. Affordances and limitations of blogs as a tool in teacher education for ELLs, as well as the need for TESOL and content area teacher candidates to participate in collaborative fieldwork to strengthen instruction for ELLs, are discussed.
Adolescent Diet and Breast Cancer Risk

Although breast cancer risk increases with age, the importance of early events on breast cancer development is increasingly recognized. Compared to the plethora of studies on adult dietary exposures and breast cancer risk, the field of adolescent diet and breast cancer risk is still in its infancy. We review the data on breast cancer risk and diet during adolescence (defined as between ages 11 and 19) with a focus on the dietary exposures that have been investigated most in adult diet. The current literature suggests possible associations with dietary intake of soy and red meat and breast cancer risk. However, the lack of strong associations for other exposures may be due to methodological issues regarding precise measurement and a paucity of published studies. Overall, the area of early life exposures and cancer risk deserves more research and increased resources to advance the field.
Rhythmic multiunit neural activity in slices of hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus reflect prior photoperiod

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is an endogenous circadian pacemaker, and SCN neurons exhibit circadian rhythms of electrophysiological activity in vitro. In vivo, the functional state of the pacemaker depends on changes in day length (photoperiod), but it is not known if this property persists in SCN tissue isolated in vitro. To address this issue, we prepared brain slices from hamsters previously entrained to light-dark (LD) cycles of different photoperiods and analyzed rhythms of SCN multiunit neuronal activity using single electrodes. Rhythms in SCN slices from hamsters entrained to 8:16-, 12:12-, and 14:10-h LD cycles were characterized by peak discharge rates relatively higher during subjective day than subjective night. The mean duration of high neuronal activity was photoperiod dependent, compressed in slices from the short (8:16 and 12:12 LD) photoperiods, and decompressed (approximately doubled) in slices from the long (14:10 LD) photoperiod. In slices from all photoperiods, the mean phase of onset of high neuronal activity appeared to be anchored to subjective dawn. Our results show that the electrophysiological activity of the SCN pacemaker depends on day length, extending previous in vivo data, and demonstrate that this capacity is sustained in vitro.
Atmospheric Chemistry Measurements at Whiteface Mountain, NY: Ozone and Reactive Trace Gases

Measurements of ozone and reactive trace gases spanning four decades at the Whiteface Mountain summit observatory are presented. Ozone (O_3) measurements began in the mid-1970's, and acid rain and O_3 precursor gas measurements became routine in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Measurements at the lower altitude lodge level have also been performed routinely since about 2000. The 40-year O_3 record shows up and down fluctuations through the 1980’s, a relatively stable period into the early 2000's, and indications of a decreasing trend over the past ten years. Sulfur dioxide (SO_2) and carbon monoxide (CO) trends are clearly decreasing over the roughly 25-year period of measurements at the summit observatory. Oxides of nitrogen (NO_y and NO_2) show rather more complicated trends, increasing to a maximum in the mid-2000's, and decreasing sharply until 2011 with slight increases in concentration since then. Wind rose analysis shows the greatest contribution to high concentrations of precursor gases are from the west, southwest, and southern sectors, with SO_2 and oxides of nitrogen having the most sharply defined high pollution sectors. Seasonal variations of trace gas concentrations at the summit and lodge levels are also examined. Ozone concentrations are highest in the spring months at both locations, and higher at the summit than the lodge. In contrast precursor gases (SO_2 and NO_x) show highest concentrations in winter months with the lodge consistently higher than the summit.
Point-of-care treponemal tests for neurosyphilis diagnosis.

Background The laboratory diagnosis of neurosyphilis rests upon identifying cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities, including CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) reactivity. The CSF-VDRL may not be available in the parts of the world where neurosyphilis is most common. Treponemal immunochromatographic strip tests (ICSTs) have been developed as point-of-care tests on blood for syphilis diagnosis in resource-limited settings. Methods We optimized 3 commercial ICSTs for performance on CSF and tested CSF samples from 217 patients with syphilis. The Syphicheck-WB test (Qualpro Diagnostics, Goa, India; "Syphicheck") was chosen for further study based on agreement with CSF-VDRL test results. We determined CSF-Syphicheck titers for 152 samples. We modified the CSF-Syphicheck for point-of-care testing in a US sexually transmitted diseases clinic and compared results on 102 paired centrifuged and uncentrifuged CSF samples obtained in the laboratory to the results obtained at point of care; results of samples diluted 1:4 were compared in a subset. Results The diagnostic sensitivity of a reactive CSF-Syphicheck (62%-64%) and the diagnostic specificity of a CSF-Syphicheck titer at or above 1:4 (79%-81%) were equivalent to the CSF-VDRL (54%-69% sensitivity, 73%-75% specificity) for laboratory and clinical neurosyphilis diagnoses. The CSF-Syphicheck normalized after neurosyphilis therapy similarly to the CSF-VDRL. The modified CSF-Syphicheck performed well at the point of care, albeit with better performance on cell-free compared with uncentrifuged CSF. Conclusions Cerebrospinal fluid treponemal ICSTs hold promise for point-of-care neurosyphilis diagnosis in regions where the CSF-VDRL is not available. Further study should address the performance of CSF ICSTs in resource-limited settings.
New Species and Varieties of Aspergillus

A great many strains of Aspergillus have been isolated and examined since the publication of the “Manual of the Aspergilli” by Thom and Raper in 1945. Among this number, strains representing five n...
Investigating the role of the Nus G protein in N mediated Anti-termination observed in Escherichia Coli

In E. coli, NusG is an essential regulator of RNA polymerase. Due to its two domain structure, NusG acts as flexible linker in the anti termination complex which promotes elongation rates by suppressing transcriptional pausing in vitro. However the specific role of NusG in the process of N antitermination is still unclear as anti-termination has been observed in the absence of NusG, in vivo. Here we attempt to resolve this issue by isolating a point mutation in NusG that blocks N antitermination. Doing so will reveal the structural interaction between the Nus G and N protein during phage Lambda infection.
Teaching the Common Good in Business Ethics: A Case Study Approach

This paper addresses the instructional challenges of teaching business ethics in a way shaped by Catholic Social Teaching (CST). Focusing on the concept of the Common Good in CST, I describe my use of a case narrative in classroom instruction to help students understand the concept of the Common Good and to perceive the variety of ways businesses can serve or undermine the Common Good in a small city. Through these pedagogical explorations, I illustrate the distinctive vision of business ethics that flows from CST.
ViBand: High-Fidelity Bio-Acoustic Sensing Using Commodity Smartwatch Accelerometers

Smartwatches and wearables are unique in that they reside on the body, presenting great potential for always-available input and interaction. Their position on the wrist makes them ideal for capturing bio-acoustic signals. We developed a custom smartwatch kernel that boosts the sampling rate of a smartwatch's existing accelerometer to 4 kHz. Using this new source of high-fidelity data, we uncovered a wide range of applications. For example, we can use bio-acoustic data to classify hand gestures such as flicks, claps, scratches, and taps, which combine with on-device motion tracking to create a wide range of expressive input modalities. Bio-acoustic sensing can also detect the vibrations of grasped mechanical or motor-powered objects, enabling passive object recognition that can augment everyday experiences with context-aware functionality. Finally, we can generate structured vibrations using a transducer, and show that data can be transmitted through the human body. Overall, our contributions unlock user interface techniques that previously relied on special-purpose and/or cumbersome instrumentation, making such interactions considerably more feasible for inclusion in future consumer devices.
Radiation pattern of an electrically long, sleeve choke-loaded monopole using magnetic and dielectric beads

The radiation pattern of a sleeve choke-loaded monopole can be modified to resemble a quarter-wavelength monopole with small radii chokes with the addition of magnetic and dielectric beads. An electrically long monopole loaded with a sleeve choke and magnetic and dielectric beads is given. Magnetic and dielectric beads are placed adjacent to the sleeve choke. The return loss and radiation pattern for this structure were computed using Ansoft's finite element package, HFSS.
Hormone Therapy for the Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions in Postmenopausal Women.

D.M. is a 52-year-old woman who presents to your office for a well-woman visit. She has been menopausal since 50 years of age and has no significant medical or surgical history. She is up to date on her recommended screenings, with normal mammography and colonoscopy results, and has no history of an abnormal Papanicolaou test result. She reports no menopausal symptoms.
Analysis of Parametric Instabilities in Parabolic Multimode Fibers under High Intensity Conditions

We systematically study geometric parametric instabilities in parabolic multimode fibers. We show, both analytically and experimentally, that global dispersion processes and self-focusing effects can substantially affect the spectral positions and widths of the generated sidebands.
Influence of Geologic Factors on Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Geologic factors had a significant influence on where and how the ancient Egyptian civilization (3100-1085 B.C.) developed. The geologic factors related to the Nile River floodplain resulted in an ...
Flow Cytometric Analysis of the Cell Cycle in Transfected Cells Without Cell Fixation

We describe a simple and rapid protocol for the flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle in transfected cells using a green fluorescent protein anchored in the intracellular membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER-GFP) as a transfection marker. The transfected cells are analyzed by dual-parameter flow cytometry after a brief incubation with digitonin, followed by staining with propidium iodide. Treatment of cells with digitonin efficiently preserves the ER-GFP fluorescence and allows reproducible and quantitative DNA staining, thus obviating the need for cell fixation before flow cytometry. The digitonin-based protocol is faster and easier to perform than conventional cell fixation and is illustrated herein by cell cycle analyses of U20S and NIH 3T3 cells.
Mammalian ferrochelatase, a new addition to the metalloenzyme family.

A [2Fe-2S] cluster has been detected in mammalian ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway. Natural ferrochelatase, purified from mouse livers, and recombinant ferrochelatase, purified from an overproducing strain of Escherichia coli, were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Mossbauer spectroscopy. In their reduced forms, both the natural and recombinant ferrochelatases exhibited an identical EPR signal with g values (g = 2.00, 1.93, and 1.90) and relaxation properties typical of [2Fe-2S]+ cluster. Mossbauer spectra of the recombinant ferrochelatase, purified from a strain of E. coli cells transformed with a plasmid encoding murine liver ferrochelatase and grown in 57Fe-enriched medium, demonstrated unambiguously that the cluster is a [2Fe-2S] cluster. No change in the cluster oxidation state was observed during catalysis. The putative protein binding site for the Fe-S cluster in mammalian ferrochelatases is absent from the sequences of the bacterial and yeast enzymes, suggesting a possible role of the [2Fe-2S] center in regulation of mammalian ferrochelatases.
Motor pattern generators in anuran prey capture

Anuran prey capture, released by specific stimuli, consists of a sequence of motor synergies. This series of steps includes an approach or orientation toward the prey stimulus, a fixation of the prey in the frontal visual field and the consummatory event of snapping at the prey and swallowing it. The key stimulus that elicits prey capture is either visual, tactile or olfactory, and the outputs of their respective sensory analyzers share common access to motor pattern generators responsible for the elaboration of the appropriate motor outputs. An approach path can be altered midstream in response to movement of the prey, but an orienting turn once initiated cannot be modified. Thus these two motor components (approach and orient), while being similar in that they are produced by adjustable pattern generators, are dissimilar with respect to the degree of modifiability during execution. This distinction is largely attributable to the differences in the speed of execution and duration of the two motor patterns. The snapping stage of prey capture is a swift, stereotyped, and ballistic motor pattern with very little variability. It is the component with the smallest degree of variability in its duration and execution, is the most rapidly executed, and has several subcomponents. Snapping starts with the lunge of the head toward the prey, followed by opening of the mouth, tongue projection toward the prey, retraction of tongue with prey, closure of mouth, and swallowing of prey. The neuronal substrate responsible for this chain of events can be modeled as a linearly operating sequence of modules controlling the different subcomponents of snapping. Variations in neck muscle contractions are considered to provide the parametric control necessary to match the lunging distance with the relative location of the prey. On the other hand, jaw and tongue movements appear to be relatively invariant and stereotyped. A model with three integrator networks is proposed for the control of tongue muscles during prey capture.
Photocatalytic properties of plasma-synthesized zinc oxide and tin-doped zinc oxide (TZO) nanopowders and their applications as transparent conducting films

Transparent conducting zinc oxide and tin-doped zinc oxide (TZO) nanopowders were synthesized for the first time using a novel plasma-assisted chemical vapor synthesis route. The injected precursors were volatized completely and rapidly followed by chemical reactions and subsequent quenching to yield fine nanopowder. The amount of tin nitrate was varied to obtain 3 and 5 at.% Sn designated as TZO1 and TZO2 respectively. XRD diffraction peaks of TZO1 nanoparticles indicated the presence of wurtzite structure without any tin oxide peaks except in TZO2 sample and SEM micrographs revealed spherical particles. The nanosized powders would make an excellent material for use as photocatalyst due to high surface to volume ratio. Optical examinations indicated that the band gap in TZO1 was redshifted to 3.16 eV from 3.22 eV in undoped ZnO nanoparticles. The photocatalytic properties of ZnO and TZO nanopowders were investigated using the methylene blue dye degradation under UV light irradiation and kinetic analyses indicated that the photodegradation of methylene blue followed pseudo-first order kinetic model using Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. Furthermore, the TZO1 nanoparticles exhibited superior photocatalytic activity compared with ZnO and the improvement was ascribed to increase in specific surface area and enhanced oxygen vacancies as revealed from the XPS O 1s and PL spectra. Deposited films showed a hexagonal wurtzite structure and exhibited a c-axis preferred orientation perpendicular to the substrate. A minimum resistivity of 1.4 × 10− 3 Ωcm was obtained at lower doping amount of 3 at.% Sn as in TZO1 film and all the films exhibited an average transmission of 80% indicating their suitability as a promising material in optoelectronic applications. Optical constants of the films were determined, which varied with doping amount. The photo-current properties of ZnO and TZO films were investigated and only TZO1 film showed photo response property when irradiated with UV lamp.
FASTER: an embedded concurrent key-value store for state management

Over the last decade, there has been a tremendous growth in data-intensive applications and services in the cloud. Data is created on a variety of edge sources such as devices, and is processed by cloud applications to gain insights or make decisions. These applications are typically update intensive and involve a large amount of state beyond what can fit in main memory. However, they display significant temporal locality in their access pattern. We demonstrate Faster, a new key-value store that combines a latch-free concurrent hash index with a hybrid log: a concurrent log-structured record store that spans main memory and storage, while supporting fast in-place updates in memory. Faster achieves up to orders-of-magnitude better throughput than systems deployed widely today. It is built as an embedded high-level language component using dynamic code generation, and can work with any storage back-end such as local SSD or cloud storage. Our demonstration focuses on: (1) the ease with which cloud applications and state stores can deeply integrate state management into their high-level language logic at low overhead; and (2) the innovative system design and the resulting high performance, adaptability to varying memory capacities, durability, and natural caching properties of our system.
Effects of consuming oxidized vegetable oils on amino acid metabolism

Consumption of thermally-stressed lipids through fried foods has been suggested as a contributing factor in various adverse health conditions, including obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascul...
Reducing Academic Inequalities for English Language Learners: Variation in Experimental Effects of Word Generation in High-Poverty Schools.

Most U.S. classrooms serve students with various linguistic and academic needs. Tier-I universal approaches support English language learners (ELLs) without segregating them into a different track and thereby constraining future learning opportunities. The current study examines whether Word Generation (WG), a Tier-I discussion-based program designed to build academic literacy and linguistic practices, provides differential gains for non-ELL and ELL students in vocabulary, social perspective-taking skills, academic language, and reading comprehension. We found that WG had positive impacts for both non-ELL and ELL students on taught academic vocabulary and social perspective positioning skills. Furthermore, WG had additional positive effects for ELLs in social perspective articulation and academic language in the second year of implementation. These results provide evidence that WG supports those linguistic and sociocognitive skills that precede development of deep reading comprehension for ELLs as well as non-ELLs.
Two new day-flying species of Agrotis Ochsenheimer (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the alpine summit of the Maunakea Volcano

Two new endemic Hawaiian species of Agrotis Ochsenheimer (Noctuidae) are described: A. helela and A. kuamauna. Both species are day-flying and occur at high-elevations. Observations of adult and larval morphology and biology are included, as well as illustrations of adult moths and genitalia for both sexes.
Basics of Outcome Assessment in Clinical Research

The tracking of clinical outcomes allows healthcare organizations to identify variations in the delivery of care in order to properly align healthcare practices within an organization. An outcome measure is the result of a test that is used to objectively determine the baseline function of a patient at the beginning of treatment. The most useful outcomes should be measurable based on discrete parameters and time points. Outcomes in healthcare are no longer solely limited to the quality of care provided but also reflect the service as experienced by the patient. Self-reported outcome measures were developed to gather information based on patient experience and perception. Patient-reported outcomes create an environment that fosters shared decision-making. Decisions made with patient input often make the patient feel more at ease because he or she can converse with a clinician about the treatment. With clinical implications at the forefront of outcome research study design, researchers are better equipped to develop the right questions and collect the appropriate data to address the root cause of differences in patient outcomes.
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) as re-irradiation for an isolated infield lymph node recurrence.

11083 Background: Oligometastatic disease presents a unique opportunity for local therapy to provide cure. The aims of this study were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic ablative r...
Enfortumab Vedotin, a fully human monoclonal antibody against Nectin 4 conjugated to monomethyl auristatin E for metastatic urothelial Carcinoma

Introduction: The conventional management of most patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) is platinum-based chemotherapy followed by immunotherapy. Erdafitinib is an option in post-platinum patients with activating mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-3 and -2. Salvage therapy with taxanes or vinflunine has demonstrated minimal efficacy. Enfortumab Vedotin (EV), a monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting nectin-4 is under investigation in patients with advanced UC. Areas covered: This review describes the epidemiology and unmet needs of patients with metastatic UC and is focused specifically on heavily treated patients. We explore the rationale for targeting nectin 4 and the clinical development of EV; efficacy and safety data from the completed phase I and II studies are examined. Ongoing trials to definitively assess clinical outcomes in comparison to current therapy and trials exploring EV in combination are also highlighted. Expert opinion: There is an unmet need for new therapies in most patients with advanced UC and who progress after platinum and immunotherapy. EV has shown promising efficacy and safety in this population in phase 1 and 2 trials including those with poor prognostic factors such as liver metastases. Ongoing trials exploring this agent in combination will continue to advance the treatment of UC.
Optimal path planning for video-guided smart munitions via multitarget tracking

An advent in the development of smart munitions entails autonomously modifying target selection during flight in order to maximize the value of the target being destroyed. A unique guidance law can be constructed that exploits both attribute and kinematic data obtained from an onboard video sensor. An optimal path planning algorithm has been developed with the goals of obstacle avoidance and maximizing the value of the target impacted by the munition. Target identification and classification provides a basis for target value which is used in conjunction with multi-target tracks to determine an optimal waypoint for the munition. A dynamically feasible trajectory is computed to provide constraints on the waypoint selection. Results demonstrate the ability of the autonomous system to avoid moving obstacles and revise target selection in flight.
Sculpting and Human Rights: An Exploration of Fasasi Abeedeen Tunde’s Works in Italy

This chapter engages the use of sculptures in spotlighting human rights focusing on the issue of migration and specifically the plight of migrants at sea. It explores the significant work of Fasasi Abeedeen Tunde—a Nigerian migrant—who crossed the Mediterranean sea into Europe. Through sculpting, Fasasi has been able to share powerful visuals depicting both the horrors and kindness he witnessed during his voyage. His artwork has been exhibited in Italy and garnered notable attention. His artworks accomplish what philosopher Emmanual Levinas called meeting the “Other” face to face, bringing about a moral imperative, based upon intrasubjective experience, which calls the viewer to action. This chapter examines this intersection through the work of Fasasi Abeedeen Tunde and the possibility for art to create changes in society in order to improve the application of human rights.
Frequent expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tissues from persons living with HIV.

Objective The increased risk for persons living with HIV to develop diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) even in the post-antiretroviral therapy eras suggests a role beyond immunosuppression in lymphoma development. However, the mechanisms leading to lymphoma in the HIV setting are not fully understood. HIV is known to induce activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) levels in non-neoplastic B-cells in vitro and chronic AID expression may play an important role in lymphomagenesis. While AID expression is observed in B-cell lymphoma, studies in HIV-associated DLBCL are limited. Design In this study, we conducted a retrospective review of DLBCL tissues from patients with and without HIV infection to compare expression of AID and B-cell receptors potentially involved in HIV and B-cell interaction. Methods We evaluated DLBCL formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 72 HIV seropositive and 58 HIV seronegative patients for AID, DC-SIGN, and CD40 protein expression. BCL2 and MYC, two well-established prognostically significant oncoproteins in DLBCL, were also assessed at the protein and mRNA levels. Subset analysis was performed according to DLBCL subtype and EBV status. Results Of note, AID expression was more frequent in HIV-associated DLBCL compared to non-HIV-associated DLBCL regardless of cell-of-origin subtype, and also displayed significantly less BCL2 expression. Despite no direct correlation with AID expression, the HIV-DLBCL tissues also exhibited high levels of the DC-SIGN receptor. Conclusions Collectively, these findings support a potential role for AID in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated lymphomas and suggest the need of further investigations into the involvement of the DC-SIGN receptor-signaling pathway.
Promoting ethnic equality in campaign messages: Survey experimental evidence from Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract In urban sub-Saharan Africa, leaders should appeal to voters of diverse ethnic backgrounds for electoral success. Yet, the political salience of ethnic inequality demands their attention to ethnicity issues in campaign messaging. This study examines the impacts on voter preference of appeals to ethnic equality by using a conjoint experiment conducted in Nairobi, Kenya. Appeals to ethnic equality were varied randomly as follows: (1) no appeal to ethnic equality, (2) appeals to equal opportunities for all ethnic groups (pan-ethnic appeal), and (3) appeals to opportunities for ethnic minorities (pro-minority appeal). The study found a substantial increase in support for politicians making appeals to ethnic equality, while pan-ethnic appeals increased voter support for candidates more than pro-minority appeals. Pan-ethnic appeals were more effective than pro-minority appeals because they bolster support from co-ethnic voters who are also from the candidate's party, while not alienating non-co-ethnic voters or voters affiliated with other parties.
Gamma Radiation-Induced Rib Necrosis and Stereotactic Radiosurgery Failure.

Stereotactic radiosurgery, or SRS, uses focused beams of gamma radiation targeted to specific areas of the body and has been used for multiple forms of non-small cell lung cancer. In this article, the authors describe two incidental cases of osteonecrosis in patients who had previously undergone stereotactic radiosurgery with recurrence of tumor. While this is a known side effect of traditional radiation therapy, it has not been described in the context of stereotactic radiosurgery. Further, these lesions were immediately deep to a rib, which may have shielded the lesion, and led to SRS failure. Osteonecrosis of the rib is a rare clinical entity but has been found to occur with glucocorticoid use, bisphosphonates, radiation therapy, and radiofrequency ablation. In the authors' review of the literature on SRS for lung cancer and intrathoracic pathology, rib osteonecrosis was not described and has not been mentioned as a possible side effect. Patients who have undergone thoracic stereotactic radiotherapy may develop side effects of traditional radiotherapy. We identified two patients who developed rib osteonecrosis though that has not been previously described as an adverse effect of stereotactic radiotherapy. The patients described in this case did not have any radiographic evidence of disease on imaging, suggesting that further research is warranted on the diagnosis and management of this rare disease entity.
Centering the document — Towards a critical studio pedagogy in graphic design

As a designer and educator, I endeavor for this article to make an intervention in the way that graphic design is imagined, taught, discussed/debated, and practiced. I believe that graphic design objects mediate forms of sociality in ways that are banal and largely underexamined. This article explores the implications of an historiography that narrates the entanglement of graphic design with the administration of the settlerstate and capitalist enterprise through the genre of the document. Broadly defined, the document serves as the substrate for archival ways of knowing that are imposed as a function of the ideological hegemony of statist governance and corporate bureaucracy. As an instrument of state and capital, the document circumscribes how the world is named, and impacts the way it is ordered. Recognizing this is a prerequisite for mounting a challenge to this condition. This assertion is meant to serve as the backdrop against which to speculate on a different kind of graphic design pedagogy, charged with the education of practitioners who imagine and create other forms of what the radical pedagogue Paulo Freire (author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed) calls “naming the world.” The intent of this article is to initiate an exploration of a framework for graphic design pedagogy charged with cultivating a student’s capacity to experiment with and invent forms that might actualize critical and emancipatory modes of sociality.
Left-dominant arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: an association with desmoglein-2 gene mutation-a case report.

Background Desmosomes are specialized intercellular adhesive junctions of cardiac and epithelial cells that provide intercellular mechanical coupling through glycoproteins, one of which is desmoglein (DSG). DSG-2 mutations are frequently associated with biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). We report a case of left-dominant ACM in a patient who initially was misclassified as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Case summary A 28-year-old-woman was found to have a moderately reduced left ventricular (LV) systolic function and frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Targeted genetic testing revealed a heterozygous likely pathogenic variant associated with ACM in exon 15 of the DSG-2 gene (c.3059_3062del; p.Glu1020Alafs*18). Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging showed epicardial and mid-myocardial fatty infiltration involving multiple LV wall segments, multiple areas of mid-myocardial fibrosis/scar, regional dyskinesis involving both ventricles, and an overall reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. The patient's right ventricular (RV) cavity size and overall RV systolic function were normal. Based on the patient's frequent PVCs, family history, fibrofatty myocardial replacement in multiple LV segments, and dyskinetic motion of multiple ventricular wall segments (predominantly affecting the LV), the patient was diagnosed with left-dominant ACM. Discussion Identifying a likely pathogenic mutation associated with ACM in a patient with ventricular arrhythmias and a family history of sudden cardiac death increased the possibility of ACM. Subsequent CMR imaging confirmed the diagnosis of left-dominant ACM by demonstrating regional biventricular dyskinesia and a characteristic pattern of fibrofatty myocardial replacement. Our case highlights the importance of targeted genetic testing and advanced cardiac imaging in distinguishing left-dominant ACM from DCM.
Skeletal Maturity Using Knee X-rays: Understanding the Resilience of 7 Radiographic Parameters to Rotational Position.

BACKGROUND Recently, a skeletal maturity system using knee radiographs, named the modified Roche-Wainer-Thissen (RWT) system, has been developed using 7 discrete radiographic parameters. While the system has been shown to significantly outperform the Greulich and Pyle atlas, the effect of rotational variation of the knee radiograph on skeletal maturity determinations has not been studied. METHODS Normal knee computed tomography scans of 12 male children ages 10 to 16 years and 8 female children ages 8 to 14 years were obtained retrospectively, converted into 3-dimensional reconstructions, and then used to simulate knee radiographs in 5 different rotational positions. Images were graded using the modified RWT system, and 1-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare skeletal age in the patella centered view versus the other positions. We next retrospectively found 85 pediatric patients with both bilateral standing anteroposterior hip to ankles and separate knee radiograph within 6 months of each other. The skeletal maturity values from the 2 different radiographs were compared in 39 males between the ages of 10 and 16 years and 46 females between 8 and 14 years of age using paired t test and Wilcoxon-signed rank test. RESULTS On the computed tomography scan-based images, there was no statistically significant effect of rotational position on the modified RWT score using repeat measures analysis of variance (P=0.210). Only the width ratio of the tibial epiphysis and metaphysis and the width ratio of the fibular epiphysis and metaphysis were statistically different between rotational positions (P<0.05). Comparing clinical full length versus knee radiographs, we found a small difference of 0.069 years which trended towards a statistically significant difference (P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS This retrospective study supports the resilience of the RWT model to rotational variation, reassuring clinicians that bone age estimation can be performed in a slightly rotated knee x-ray within a reasonable margin of error. These results can minimize the number of radiographs needed to assess skeletal maturity limiting radiation exposure and expedite clinical flow. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level-III-diagnostic study.
Race Differences in Youths’ Attitudes Toward Arming Teachers: Investigating the Role of Procedural Justice:

Although school violence statistics indicate that schools are safe places, anxiety over school shootings continues to influence school safety reform to the extent that security measures in American...
Synaptic effects of IL-1β and CRF in the central amygdala after protracted alcohol abstinence in male rhesus macaques.

A major barrier to remission from an alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the continued risk of relapse during abstinence. Assessing the neuroadaptations after chronic alcohol and repeated abstinence is important to identify mechanisms that may contribute to relapse. In this study, we used a rhesus macaque model of long-term alcohol use and repeated abstinence, providing a platform to extend mechanistic findings from rodents to primates. The central amygdala (CeA) displays elevated GABA release following chronic alcohol in rodents and in abstinent male macaques, highlighting this neuroadaptation as a conserved mechanism that may underlie excessive alcohol consumption. Here, we determined circulating interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels, CeA transcriptomic changes, and the effects of IL-1β and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) signaling on CeA GABA transmission in male controls and abstinent drinkers. While no significant differences in peripheral IL-1β or the CeA transcriptome were observed, pathway analysis identified several canonical immune-related pathways. We addressed this potential dysregulation of CeA immune signaling in abstient drinkers with an electrophysiological approach. We found that IL-1β decreased CeA GABA release in controls while abstinent drinkers were less sensitive to IL-1β’s effects, suggesting adaptations in the neuromodulatory role of IL-1β. In contrast, CRF enhanced CeA GABA release similarly in controls and abstinent drinkers, consistent with rodent studies. Notably, CeA CRF expression was inversely correlated with intoxication, suggesting that CRF levels during abstinence may predict future intoxication. Together, our findings highlight conserved and divergent actions of chronic alcohol on neuroimmune and stress signaling on CeA GABA transmission across rodents and macaques.
High-power short-duration versus standard-power standard-duration settings for repeat atrial fibrillation ablation.

High-power short-duration (HPSD) ablation is a novel strategy using contact force-sensing catheters optimized for radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). No study has directly compared HPSD versus standard-power standard-duration (SPSD) contact force-sensing settings in patients presenting for repeat ablation with AF recurrence after initial ablation. We studied consecutive cases of patients with AF undergoing repeat ablation with SPSD or HPSD settings after their initial pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with temperature controlled non-contact force, SPSD or HPSD settings between 6/23/14 and 3/4/20. Procedural data collected included radiofrequency ablation delivery time (RADT). Clinical data collected include sinus rhythm maintenance post-procedure. A total of 61 patients underwent repeat ablation (36 SPSD, 25 HPSD). A total of 51 patients (83.6%) were found to have pulmonary vein reconnections necessitating repeat isolation, 10 patients (16.4%) had durable PVI and ablation targeted non-PV sources. RADT was shorter when comparing repeat ablation using HPSD compared to SPSD (22 vs 35 min; p = 0.01). There was no difference in sinus rhythm maintenance by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis (log rank test p = 0.87), after 3 or 12-months between groups overall, and when stratified by AF type, left atrial volume index, CHA2DS2-VASc score, or left ventricular ejection fraction. We demonstrated that repeat AF ablation with HPSD reduced procedure times with similar sinus rhythm maintenance compared to SPSD in those presenting for repeat ablation.
Molecular mimicry : infection-inducing autoimmune disease

Molecular Mimicry, Microbial Infection and Autoimmune Disease: Evolution of the Concept.- A Virus-Induced Molecular Mimicry Model of Multiple Sclerosis.- Suppression of Autoimmunity via Microbial Mimics of Altered Peptide Ligands.- Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms, Pathogenesis and Treatment of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Obtained Through Study of a Transgenic Model of Molecular Mimicry.- Trypanosoma cruzi-Induced Molecular Mimicry and Chagas? Disease.- HTLV-1-Induced Molecular Mimicry in Neurologic Disease.- Molecular Mimicry: Anti-DNA Antibodies Bind Microbial and Non-Nucleic Acid Self Antigens.- The Structural Interactions Between T-Cell Receptors and MHC/Peptide Complexes Place Physical Limits on Self-Nonself Discrimination.- Subject Index.
Left ventricular wall motion disorders, functional left ventricular aneurysms. Their detection by radarkymography.

Radarkymography is a new noninvasive technique by which horizontal movements of the cardiac silhouette, as projected on a television screen, can be recorded reliably and reproducibly. It has been used clinically to record and follow sequentially left ventricular wall motion disorders in 62 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Asynergistic left ventricular wall motion (that is, paradoxical pulsation, hypokinesis and akinesis) was recorded in 81 percent of the 62 patients studied, and wall motion then was followed for up to 20 months. Wall motion abnormalities also were recorded in 28 of the 42 patients with symptomatic chronic coronary artery disease and in each of 4 patients with various forms of cardiomyopathy.
Equatorial ionospheric bubble precursor

[1] A time-dependent nonlinear three-dimensional model for the evolution of the equatorial bottomside lower ionosphere in the presence of dissipating gravity waves has been developed. From the numerical solution of the model, it is found that large bottomtype F-region ionospheric density perturbations and electric fields can be driven by dissipating gravity waves from tropospheric sources. The spatial distribution of the ionospheric F-region density perturbations can be characterized as a patchy, layer-like structure and may be responsible, in part, for observed large scale wavelike structures in the equatorial bottomside F-region which are a precursor to fully developed equatorial ionospheric bubbles. Favorable comparison of the model with observations is made.
QFT Digital Controller for an Unmanned Research Vechile (URV)

Quantitative feedback theory (QFT) is used to design the digital flight control system for an unmanned research vehicle (URV). Digital controllers are designed for 3 outputs which are controlled via 7 independent control surfaces. The system is transformed into the w'-domain and a 3×7 plant matrix P of transfer functions is derived relating surface deflections to system outputs incorporating servos. By specifying the form of the output and using the concept of a pseudoinverse, a 7×3 surface weighting matrix ? is developed to obtain an effective 3×3 square plant matrix P e = P? whose determinant is minimum-phase (m.p.) for all flight conditions (FC). A single set of fixed controllers and prefilters are obtained via QFT, which apply the appropriate feedback to maintain control over the entire range of uncertainty due to surface failures. Single, double, and triple failures are considered. Failed surfaces are considered locked in the trim condition. Fault detection/isolation and scheduling are not required. Healthy aircraft (A/C) loop bandwidths for roll rate, yaw rate and c* loops are 24, 23.3, and 43.5 rps respectively. For a 6 s pulse input, none of the surfaces are seen to saturate. All A/C states also seem to be reasonable. A modification is made to the controllers to compensate for the addition of more realistic servos and sensors. The resulting design is nearly as robust as the original system.
The growth performance of top African American businesses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the growth performance of top African American‐owned employer firms when compared with their White counterparts.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses longitudinal, revenue data from a sample of the largest African American‐owned employer firms in the USA with that of a comparable sample of White‐owned firms.Findings – The paper finds that complex and volatile industry environments have a significantly greater negative impact on African American businesses than their White‐owned counterparts.Social implications – The complexity and volatility associated with one of the most difficult US business environments since the 1940s may increase the performance disparity between established African American and White‐owned firms. On a macroeconomic level, such a performance disparity will have significant negative impact on US economy output and job creation, particularly as the number of new minority businesses continues to outpace the rate ...