cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coronary artery calcification, an improvement in risk classification: need for reappraisal?

Coronary atherosclerotic disease is a major health-economical burden, and screening in asymptomatic subjects remains a major challenge. Since the introduction of the Framingham risk estimate, several cardiovascular risk scores have been developed in order to predict the coronary heart disease (CHD)
Race, Class, Citizenship, and Extraterritoriality: Asian Americans and the 1996 Campaign Finance Scandal

Not since the protracted national debate over whether the Chinese should be excluded from the U.S. in the 1870s and early 1880s have we seen more sustained media coverage and acrimonious debate on the so-called "Asian connection" in the campaign finance scandal of 1996. Based on my own collection and estimate, no less than 4,000 articles have been published on the subject (newspapers and magazines) between September 1996 and February 1998. As of this writing, no end is in sight for this long-running media obsession and partisan brawl among the political elite.
Dental microwear textures: reconstructing diets of fossil mammals

Dietary information of fossil mammals can be revealed via the analysis of tooth morphology, tooth wear, tooth geochemistry, and the microscopic wear patterns on tooth surfaces resulting from food processing. Although dental microwear has long been used by anthropologists and paleontologists to clarify diets in a diversity of mammals, until recently these methods focused on the counting of wear features (e.g., pits and scratches) from two-dimensional surfaces (typically via scanning electron microscopes or low-magnification light microscopes). The analysis of dental microwear textures can instead reveal dietary information in a broad range of herbivorous, omnivorous, and carnivorous mammals by characterizing microscopic tooth surfaces in three-dimensions, without the counting of individual surface features. To date, dental microwear textures in ungulates, xenarthrans, marsupials, carnivorans, and primates (including humans and their ancestors) are correlated with known dietary behavior in extant taxa and reconstruct ancient diets in a diversity of prehistoric mammals. For example, tough versus hard object feeding can be characterized across disparate phylogenetic groups and can distinguish grazers, folivorous, and flesh consumers (tougher food consumers) from woody browsers, frugivores, and bone consumers (harder object feeders). This paper reviews how dental microwear textures can be useful to reconstructing diets in a broad array of living and extinct mammals, with commentary on areas of future research.
Highly Physical Penumbra Solar Radiation Pressure Modeling and the Earth Flyby Anomaly

Numerous deep-space missions have used Earth flybys to gain or lose heliocentric orbital energy en-route to their destinations. During a number of these gravity assist maneuvers, beginning with the first Galileo Earth flyby in December of 1990, mission operators have observed motion which cannot be explained by their detailed force models. Numerous explanations have been unsuccessfully proposed and investigated as the source of the Earth flyby anomaly. In this paper, we investigate solar radiation pressure (SRP) modeling during penumbra transitions as a contributor to or explanation for the anomaly. We compare propagated Earth flyby trajectories generated using a detailed, highly physical penumbra SRP model to propagated trajectories generated using a simpler geometric method representative of what is typically used in orbit determination programs. Initial results suggest that penumbra SRP modeling is not responsible for or significantly contributing to the anomaly.
Insulin before surgery (November 2013).

Readers comment on managing insulin before surgery (November 2013), a CME test question regarding treating hypertension in the elderly (December 2013), preventing stress ulcer in hospitalized patients (January 2014), and assessing albuminuria (January 2014).
Geometric Embedding of Complexes

(1970). Geometric Embedding of Complexes. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 77, No. 6, pp. 597-603.
Edwards and the Arminians on the Freedom of the Will

Jonathan Edwards believed that the crucial point which divided Calvinists and Arminians was the freedom of the will; that by establishing the doctrine of moral necessity, the Calvinists would have a firm basis from which to confute Arminian objections to the doctrines of total depravity, efficacious grace, absolute, eternal, and particular election, and the perseverance of the saints. His treatise on the Freedom of the Will was intended to give a final and crushing reply to his opponents, and in preparation for it he read widely and thought deeply. He believed that he had answered all objections, stopped all crevices in the argument, and written an unanswerable work. It appeared in 1754.
63 EFFECT OF VOLUME OVERLOADED STATES ON THE INDEX OF MYOCARDIAL PERFORMANCE

Purpose Index of myocardial performance (IMP) is a systolic-diastolic derived index used to evaluate cardiac function and is a prognostic indicator in patients with myocardial infarction and dilated cardiomyopathy. In an experimental canine model with normal and reduced LV function, volume loading affects (reduces) the IMP by prolonging the left ventricular ejection time (ET). Our objective in this study was to examine IMP in patients with a volume overloaded left ventricle with normal and reduced LV function. Methods The study groups consisted of 157 subjects: 41 normals, 61 with congestive heart failure (CHF) (ejection fraction: 30-50%), and 55 with aortic regurgitation (AR). Of those patients with AR, 13 had CHF. 2D Doppler echocardiography, transmitral, and transaortic spectral Doppler was used to obtain LV size and function. Results When compared to normal subjects (0.37 ± 0.18), IMP was increased in CHF (0.46 ± 0.13, p Conclusions ET is prolonged in AR, a volume overloaded state. Consequently, IMP was insignificantly shortened as compared to normals despite a markedly abnormal DCT suggesting diastolic dysfunction. With CHF, IMP may be falsely low due to a prolonged ET and shortened ICT. IMP should be carefully used as a prognostic indicator. Its application should be cautiously used in states that affect the components of IMP.
Tracheobronchial reconstruction in infants and children

Fifty-eight infants and children with various tracheobronchial obstructions were surgically treated at Kobe Children's Hospital between 1980 and 1991. The lesions included subglottic stenosis (24), congenital tracheal stenosis (9), tracheomalacia (15), bronchomalacia (6), and others (4). The operative procedures included laryngotracheoplasty using costal cartilage or anterior cricoid split for subglottic stenosis, tracheoplasty with costal cartilage graft for extensive tracheal stenosis, aortopexy for tracheomalacia, and external stenting or bronchial resection with tracheo-bronchial anastomosis for bronchomalacia. In 46 of 58 patients, the endotracheal tube was successfully removed and the patient remained free of respiratory symptoms. These operative results encourage us to continue all surgical procedures except for external stenting for bronchomalacia, which did not correct the collapse of the bronchus.
Abstract LB-095: HPV E7 antigen-expressing Listeria-based immunotherapy (ADXS11-001) prior to robotic surgery for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer enhances HPV-specific T cell immunity

Human papilloma virus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPVOPC), which accounts for almost 75% of newly diagnosed OPC, is an appealing target for immunotherapy due to the expression of viral antigens. ADXS11-001, a live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes listeriolysin O (LLO) immunotherapeutic agent expressing an HPV16-E7 fusion protein, has been shown to induce HPV-specific T cell responses in animal models, and to have clinical activity in cervical cancer. A phase II “window of opportunity” trial was designed to evaluate the effect of ADXS11-001 on anti-tumor immunity in peripheral blood and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of patients with HPVOPC. Previously untreated, surgically resectable, stage II-IV, HPVOPC patients received two doses of ADXS11-001 over 5 weeks prior to transoral robotic surgery. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) pre-treatment biopsies and post-treatment surgical resection specimens were banked for studies of the TIME. Peripheral blood samples were collected at multiple time points before, during and after ADXS11-001 administration and after surgery. The TIME was profiled by quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence (qIF) microscopy and conventional HE 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-095.
The Problems of World Order

When we face honestly the perils and problems which make up the world scene, it is easy to abandon hope completely. It is possible that events have grown so complex and the pressures so relentless that we will not be able to escape the disaster created by our own ambitions and fears, and above all by the power placed in our hands by modern science wedded to the nation state. To accept this vision of the future is to adopt a counsel of despair. For if we cannot avoid this disaster, then we do not have the obligation to try to avoid it. The alternative is to seek by every possible means the long-term goal of world order — the evolution of a peaceful and just world community in which interstate conflict is minimized if not abolished and in which procedures are established for the peaceful settlement of disputes. This is the goal of reasonable men in most governments as it has been the vision of scholars and dreamers for centuries past. To work for this goal is to accept that progress towards it is not impossible. Moreover now that mankind has the potential ability, in the shape of nuclear weapons, to destroy his own civilization, the avoidance of nuclear war has become for all nations an ethical and political imperative. This is a challenge which they cannot escape and which is harder than any they have ever had to face.
Reconsidering the Role of Fit in Celebrity Endorsement: Associative‐Propositional Evaluation (APE) Accounts of Endorsement Effectiveness

This study is designed to fill any explanatory gaps that have been traditionally underexplored when considering the interplay of implicit/automatic/unconscious and explicit/deliberate/conscious attitudes in the context of celebrity endorsement. The main experiment employed single target-implicit association test as a measure of implicit attitudes. The key finding of the study is that the experimental condition where the fit between the celebrity and the endorsed product was low induced favorable implicit and explicit attitudes, similar to the condition where the fit was high. The explanation for this finding was that dissonance enhanced the association strength of the attitude object through biased attention and elaboration, which provided a basis for favorable propositions. In propositional reasoning, retroactive confirmation of the favorable implicit attitudes resolved dissonance. This study seeks to go beyond the existing endorsement and sponsorship literature developed based on matching principles such as source models, match-up hypothesis, the congruity theory, and associative network models. The authors recommend that managers search for more creative and novel partners in addition to image-matching ones.
Diabetic nephropathy-pathophysiology and management.

Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause ofend-stage renal disease in the United States. Between 1996 and 2001, the prevalence ofdiabetes in the Medicare population increasedby 31%. Patients with diabetes account forapproximately one-third of all cases ofend-stage renal disease (ESRD). This number isexpected to rise dramatically as a result ofthe growing incidence of diabetes and the agingpopulation. A major complication of diabetesincludes end-stage renal disease as a resultfrom diabetic nephropathy. The earliestclinical evidence that nephropathy exists isthe appearance of low, yet abnormal, levels ofalbumin in the urine, referred to asmicroalbuminuria. This can progress toproteinuria representing overt diabeticnephropathy. Prevention remains the best way toreduce mortality and maintain a high quality oflife in these individuals as recent clinicaltrials confirm that it is possible to not onlyslow down the progression of diabeticnephropathy, but even prevent it from becominga significant problem. This article reviewsthe pathogenesis, diagnostic screening, andtreatment strategies of diabetic nephropathy.
Abstract IA27: Remote genetic services to increase access to genetic testing in low resource settings

The hope for precision medicine is to tailor prevention, treatment or screening recommendations for individual patients based on their genotype, which will ultimately result in modified health behaviors (e.g. risk reducing behaviors or screening) and improved patient outcomes. For example, clinical testing for the BRCA1/2 mutations has become a standard-of-care practice as evidence-based cancer prevention strategies (e.g. prophylactic oophorectomy) have been shown to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Given the complexity of genetic information and potential for false reassurance and psychosocial distress, genetic counseling has traditionally been delivered in-person. Yet, there is a limited workforce of genetic providers who are generally located in academic and urban centers and this in-person delivery model often requires patients to travel to a potentially distant and unfamiliar medical setting to receive cancer genetic testing with a genetic provider. Some patients proceed with testing without a genetic provider (i.e. with their local physician) or they do not proceed with testing at all. Thus, there remain significant access, time, and patient cost barriers to in-person genetic services that could contribute to disparities in both uptake and outcomes of genetic services. Additionally, emerging obligations to return actionable genetic research findings and expansion of genetic tumor testing are introducing additional demands for genetic services. Thus, as clinically relevant genetic applications increase, innovative delivery models to promote access to cancer genetic education and services are needed both in the clinical and research setting. Alternative models include telephone counseling, real-time two way videoconferencing and utilizing web-based education and portals to increase access. This session will review ongoing and published studies evaluating remote genetic services, including the available evidence, advantages and limitations of phone, videoconference and web-based genetic services. Citation Format: Angela R. Bradbury. Remote genetic services to increase access to genetic testing in low resource settings. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA27.
Short-Form Mindfulness Training Protects Against Working Memory Degradation over High-Demand Intervals

Periods of persistent and intensive demands may compromise working memory (WM) and increase susceptibility to distraction. We investigated if mindfulness training (MT) may mitigate these deleterious effects and promote cognitive resilience in military cohorts enduring a high-demand interval of military training. To better understand which aspects of MT programs are most beneficial, three military cohorts were examined. Two groups received 8-h variants of an MT course, Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT)®, with one group emphasizing in-class training exercises (M8T, n = 40) and the other emphasizing didactic content (M8D, n = 40). A third group received no training (NTC, n = 46). Performance on a delayed-recognition WM task that varied mnemonic load (1 vs. 2 items) and delay-spanning valenced distraction (negative vs. neutral images) was measured before (T1) and after (T2) an 8-week interval. Overall, task accuracy (% correct) was greater on low- vs. high-load trials, as well as trials with neutral vs. negative distraction. Task accuracy did not change over time in a civilian cohort (N = 22). Yet, it declined from T1 to T2 in the military cohorts, with the greatest degradation in NTC, followed by M8D, and near stable performance from T1 to T2 in M8T. This time by group effect significantly varied with load, but not with distracter valence. While NTC’s performance degraded over time for both low- and high-load trials, M8D’s performance degraded only for high load, and M8T did not show performance degradation for either load condition. These results suggest that MT may protect against WM degradation over high-demand intervals, with training-focused MT programs offering the greatest benefits for maintaining performance in high-load conditions.
The Adaptive Evolution Database (TAED): A New Release of a Database of Phylogenetically Indexed Gene Families from Chordates

With the large collections of gene and genome sequences, there is a need to generate curated comparative genomic databases that enable interpretation of results in an evolutionary context. Such resources can facilitate an understanding of the co-evolution of genes in the context of a genome mapped onto a phylogeny, of a protein structure, and of interactions within a pathway. A phylogenetically indexed gene family database, the adaptive evolution database (TAED), is presented that organizes gene families and their evolutionary histories in a species tree context. Gene families include alignments, phylogenetic trees, lineage-specific dN/dS ratios, reconciliation with the species tree to enable both the mapping and the identification of duplication events, mapping of gene families onto pathways, and mapping of amino acid substitutions onto protein structures. In addition to organization of the data, new phylogenetic visualization tools have been developed to aid in interpreting the data that are also available, including TreeThrasher and TAED Tree Viewer. A new resource of gene families organized by species and taxonomic lineage promises to be a valuable comparative genomics database for molecular biologists, evolutionary biologists, and ecologists. The new visualization tools and database framework will be of interest to both evolutionary biologists and bioinformaticians.
Challenges and Strategies of Sexual Minority Youth Research in Southwest Virginia

ABSTRACTA research team that works on scholarship related to sexual minority issues has been conducting research and recruiting participants since the fall of 2012. In the years since the team was formed, there has been a variety of challenges with recruitment, approval for research through the Institutional Review Board, gaining access to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) community, and general mistrust of researchers. Using concepts from feminist-informed qualitative research methodology—including reflexivity, positionality, and engaging in research with individuals from marginalized communities—we present reflections on some of the methodological challenges the research team has encountered while trying to conduct LGBQ research in southwest Virginia. This article encompasses the viewpoints of multiple members of the research team, including those who are faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students with identities across the sexual orientation spectrum.
Estimating Responsiveness Scores Using Rscore

Abstract. rscore computes unit-specific responsiveness scores using an iterated random-coefficient regression approach. The model fit by rscore considers a regression of a response variable y, that is, outcome, on a series of factors (or regressors) x, that is, varlist, by assuming a different reaction (or "responsiveness") of each unit to each factor contained in x. rscore allows for i) ranking units according to the obtained level of the responsiveness score; ii) detecting more influential factors in driving unit performance; and iii) studying the distribution (heterogeneity) of factors' responsiveness scores across units. Also, rscore offers useful graphical representation of results. We provide two illustrative applications of the model: the first is on a cross-section, and the second is on a longitudinal dataset.
Change in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in response to immune checkpoint blockade for metastatic renal cell carcinoma

An elevated Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with worse outcomes in several malignancies. However, its role with contemporary immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is unknown. We investigated the utility of NLR in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 ICB. We examined NLR at baseline and 6 (±2) weeks later in 142 patients treated between 2009 and 2017 at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, USA). Landmark analysis at 6 weeks was conducted to explore the prognostic value of relative NLR change on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR). Cox and logistic regression models allowed for adjustment of line of therapy, number of IMDC risk factors, histology and baseline NLR. Median follow up was 16.6 months (range: 0.7–67.8). Median duration on therapy was 5.1 months (<1–61.4). IMDC risk groups were: 18% favorable, 60% intermediate, 23% poor-risk. Forty-four percent were on first-line ICB and 56% on 2nd line or more. Median NLR was 3.9 (1.3–42.4) at baseline and 4.1 (1.1–96.4) at week 6. Patients with a higher baseline NLR showed a trend toward lower ORR, shorter PFS, and shorter OS. Higher NLR at 6 weeks was a significantly stronger predictor of all three outcomes than baseline NLR. Relative NLR change by ≥25% from baseline to 6 weeks after ICB therapy was associated with reduced ORR and an independent prognostic factor for PFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p = 0.004), whereas a decrease in NLR by ≥25% was associated with improved outcomes. Early decline and NLR at 6 weeks are associated with significantly improved outcomes in mRCC patients treated with ICB. The prognostic value of the readily-available NLR warrants larger, prospective validation.
Incorporating Pericytes into an Endothelial Cell Bead Sprouting Assay.

Angiogenesis is the growth of new vessels from pre-existing vasculature and is an important component of many biological processes, including embryogenesis and development, wound healing, tumor growth and metastasis, and ocular and cardiovascular diseases. Effective in vitro models that recapitulate the biology of angiogenesis are needed to appropriately study this process and identify mechanisms of regulation that can be ultimately targeted for novel therapeutic strategies. The bead angiogenesis assay has been previously demonstrated to recapitulate the multiple stages of endothelial sprouting in vitro. However, a limitation of this assay is a lack of endothelial – mural cell interactions, which are key to the molecular and phenotypic regulation of endothelial cell function in vivo. The protocol given here presents a methodology for the incorporation of mural cells into the bead angiogenesis assay and demonstrates a tight association of endothelial cells and pericytes during sprouting in vitro. The protocol also details a methodology for effective silencing of target genes using siRNA in endothelial cells for mechanistic studies. Altogether, this protocol provides an in vitro assay that more appropriately models the diverse cell types involved in sprouting angiogenesis, and provides a more physiologically-relevant platform for therapeutic assessment and novel discovery of mechanisms of angiogenesis regulation.
Japanese Women and Antinuclear Activism After the Fukushima Accident

The Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 11, 2011, resulted in three full reactor meltdowns and the spread of radioactive fallout over mainland Japan, primarily throughout the Tohoku region. Many affected communities required long-term and, in some cases, permanent evacuation. This chapter examines the social, economic, and health effects the disaster has had on women and children. It also examines how and why many Japanese women and mothers became antinuclear activists after the disaster. In becoming outspoken nuclear power opponents, these women broke traditional social barriers and gender expectations and a nascent feminism or ecofeminism was born.
The Meanings of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality Among Chinese American and Filipino American Adolescents

Although a growing body of research has identified ethnic differences in parent–adolescent relationship quality, less is known about the cultural meanings help by young people (and parents) with regard to these commonly understood concepts regarding parenting. We conducted eight focus group interviews with 40 Chinese American and Filipino American adolescents, asking them what it means to have a good relationship with parents. In describing good relationships with parents, two common themes emerged across Chinese American and Filipino American youth, and males and females: parent–child communication defined good relationships, as did instrumental support (showing care through parents’ actions). Both themes were salient for boys and girls, but there were subtle gender differences in descriptions of good maternal and paternal relationships. For girls, an additional prominent theme had to do with closeness. Their discussions suggest that their daily family experiences are not well-captured by mainstream (Western) notions of openness and emotional closeness in the parent–adolescent relationship.
DD18: Die Deutsche Abfrage (Juli 2006)

Zu Karfreitag und Ostern blattere ich ruhig in meinen prachtvollen Buchern. Ohne Brille, ganz entspannt. Ich kann aber nicht mehr so gut sehen. Osterspaziergang. Faust!
Tutorial: Organic field-effect transistors: Materials, structure and operation

Chemical versatility and compatibility with a vast array of processing techniques has led to the incorporation of organic semiconductors in various electronic and opto-electronic devices. One such device is the organic field-effect transistor (OFET). In this tutorial, we describe the structure, operation, and characterization of OFETs. Following a short historical perspective, we introduce the architectures possible for OFETs and then describe the device physics and the methods for extracting relevant device parameters. We then provide a brief overview of the myriad organic semiconductors and deposition methods that were adopted for OFETs in the past decades. Non-ideal device characteristics, including contact resistance, are then discussed along with their effects on electrical performance and on the accuracy of extracting device parameters. Finally, we highlight several measurements involving OFETs that allow access to fundamental properties of organic semiconductors and the mechanism of charge transport in these materials.
Impact of human mesenchymal cells of different body site origins on the maturation of dermo-epidermal skin substitutes

The use of autologous bio-engineered dermo-epidermal skin substitutes (DESS) yields a pivotal opportunity to cover large skin defects in human patients. These skin grafts consist of both epidermal and dermal compartments necessary for robust and permanent functional wound closure. In this study, we investigated the impact of mesenchymal cells derived from different body site origins on the expression pattern of diverse markers within DESS. Human keratinocytes were obtained from interfollicular epidermis, and mesenchymal cells were isolated from foreskin, palmar skin, fat tissue, and tonsils. After expansion, epidermal cells were seeded on collagen I hydrogels containing stromal cells. These human DESS were transplanted on the back of immune-incompetent rats. After 3 weeks, transplants were excised and analyzed using immunohistology techniques. The macroscopic appearance of skin grafts containing tonsil, fat tissue, or palmar derived mesenchymal cells, was similar to substitutes with foreskin derived dermal fibroblasts. All skin grafts had a strong membrane-localized expression of Lingo-1 in the epidermis. Additionally, we observed an intense expression of transglutaminase 5 in upper epidermal cell layers of the skin grafts confirming a proper keratinocyte differentiation. Tropoelastin was localized throughout the dermal compartments and tightly in contact with the dermo-epidermal junction suggesting an advanced maturation of all skin grafts. Our data implicate that stromal cells derived from tonsil, fat tissue, and palmar skin can assume fibroblast functions supporting keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. These findings indicate that distinct types of mesenchymal cells can be clinically used for skin engineering purposes.
Multimethod assessment of everyday functioning and memory abilities in Parkinson's disease.

Objective This study compared functional abilities in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) with normal cognition (PD-CN) and mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) using multiple assessment methods. Cognitive and physical correlates were also examined. Method Participants were 42 nondemented individuals with PD (24 PD-CN, 18 PD-MCI) and 42 age-matched healthy controls. Functional abilities were assessed through direct observation and self- and informant-report questionnaires. Participants were administered an activity-based memory paradigm that assessed prospective, content, and temporal order memory as well as a test of mobility. Results Compared to the PD-CN and healthy control groups, participants with PD-MCI performed significantly worse on directly observed everyday activities, self- and informant-reports of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and self-report of everyday activities requiring physical capacity. No significant differences were observed between PD-CN and healthy controls. Among participants with PD, content memory correlated with all of the functional outcome measures, temporal order memory correlated with self-reported IADLs, and physical mobility correlated with self-reported physical capacity and content memory. Conclusions The results indicated that PD-MCI is associated with decreased ability to perform everyday activities. Reduced ability to correctly recall and sequence activities may contribute to lower functional abilities on IADLs, whereas noncognitive factors (i.e., mobility) may become more salient when the everyday task requires physical capacity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Effect of CXCR2 inhibition on behavioral outcomes and pathology in rat model of neuromyelitis optica

Objective. To reduce immune-mediated damage in a rat model of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) by blocking neutrophil migration using SCH527123, a drug that inhibits CXCR2. Background. Neuromyelitis optica is a relapsing autoimmune disease that preferentially targets the optic nerves and spinal cord leading to blindness and paralysis. Part of the immunopathogenesis of this disease is thought to involve neutrophils, which are present within NMO lesions. We tested the effect of blocking neutrophil migration in an NMO rat model. Methods. The Lewis rat model of NMO uses a myelin-reactive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) background with passive transfer of pooled human antibody from patients with aquaporin-4 (AQP4) seropositive NMO at onset of EAE symptoms. We treated rats early in the course of EAE with CXCR2 inhibitor and assessed the extent of neutrophil infiltration into the spinal cord and the extent of AQP4 depletion. Results. CXCR2 inhibitor decreased neutrophil migration into the spinal cord of AQP4 IgG-treated EAE rats. However, there was no difference in the acute behavioral signs of EAE or the extent and distribution of AQP4 lesions. This suggests that neutrophils are not centrally involved in the immunopathogenesis of the Lewis rat NMO disease model. Conclusions. CXCR2 inhibitor blocks neutrophil migration into the spinal cord during EAE but does not significantly reduce inflammation or AQP4 lesions in the Lewis rat model of NMO.
Chuck Berry: Not so Much a Poet as a Storyteller

Chuck Berry should be thought of less as a poet than as a masterful storyteller. This reading of Berry’s lyrics focuses on his use of narrative techniques, including shifts in point of view, exposi...
Technological Strategies to Address Psychiatric Nonadherence

This chapter reviews technological approaches to psychiatric nonadherence. Broadly, clinicians have long been engaged in technological approaches to improve patients’ adherence to optimal treatment plans. Nonadherence can be related to the complexity of our health systems and associated difficulties with appropriately accessing or utilizing care. Technologies that have found ways to better connect patients to their clinicians have had the most success. Patients are generally more adherent when they better understand their condition, and accessible psychoeducation materials and platforms that extend patients’ learning process beyond the clinical appointment can be valuable. Similarly, mobile health applications that extend psychoeducation provide medication reminders, and even prompt specific therapeutic interventions can improve adherence. Innovations in the physical processes in which patients receive and take their medication, utilizing devices like medication adherence monitoring systems, can increase the likelihood that patients actually take the medication they need to take. Ultimately, strategies that combine these approaches into multimodal systems in which patients are engaged and understand their mental health conditions, are supported to take full advantage of the treatment available to them, and bridge the divide between the private challenges of mental health treatment and the clinical partnership between patient and provider have the best chance of being successful.
Bridging the Information and Physical Space: Measuring Flow from Geo-Located Social Media Data on the Street Network

Social Media usage is becoming more and more interwoven with activities in urban space. Understanding the flows of information in cities can open new doors for us to understand how urban space relates to human behavior. In this chapter, we introduce a method to extrapolate flow of geolocated social media data for a street network. We then apply this method to a corpus of geolocated tweets collected from the Los Angeles metropolitan area. We compared the results to betweenness centrality of the streets as a measurement of connectivity and density of businesses as a measurement of public activity. We find that the flows calculated from Twitter have a higher correlation with public activities hinting that there is a relationship between geolocated social media usage and businesses and public space.
The Role of Liver Biopsy in Drug-Induced Liver Injury

This review presents the current understanding of the role played by liver biopsy in the diagnosis and management of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). While liver biopsy remains an optional procedure in the evaluation of DILI, it has the potential to provide detailed information about the state of the liver. Recent histological surveys of DILI provide a framework for categorizing the patterns of injury that may be seen. Pattern information can be used to distinguish DILI from other potential causes of injury, both other acute injuries as well as pre-existing injury. The pattern of injury is related to differential diagnosis and in some cases can suggest a mechanism of injury. The character and severity of the injury could potentially be used in clinical decision-making. Examples of the use of liver biopsy in the context of DILI encountered in clinical trials are provided which highlight these points. Liver biopsy may be a useful tool in DILI evaluation, particularly in complex clinical situations and clinical trials with experimental therapies.
Structural characterization of a prolyl aminodipeptidase (PepX) from Lactobacillus helveticus

Prolyl aminodipeptidase (PepX) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes peptide bonds from the N-terminus of substrates when the penultimate amino-acid residue is a proline. Prolyl peptidases are of particular interest owing to their ability to hydrolyze food allergens that contain a high percentage of proline residues. PepX from Lactobacillus helveticus was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as an N-terminally His-tagged recombinant construct and was crystallized by hanging-drop vapor diffusion in a phosphate buffer using PEG 3350 as a precipitant. The structure was determined at 2.0 A resolution by molecular replacement using the structure of PepX from Lactococcus lactis (PDB entry 1lns) as the starting model. Notable differences between the L. helveticus PepX structure and PDB entry 1lns include a cysteine instead of a phenylalanine at the substrate-binding site in the position which confers exopeptidase activity and the presence of a calcium ion coordinated by a calcium-binding motif with the consensus sequence DX(DN)XDG.
Should All Violent Offenders Be Treated Equally? Perceptions of Punishment and Rehabilitation for Violent Offenders with Varying Attributes

Research finds that, while people are pragmatic in response to crime control, individuals are more punitive toward violent than nonviolent offenders. This endeavor examines individuals’ simultaneou...
Positive psychological constructs and health behavior adherence in heart failure: A qualitative research study

Psychological well-being may play an important role in health behavior adherence and cardiovascular health, but there has been limited study of well-being in patients with heart failure. In this descriptive qualitative research study, we interviewed 30 patients with heart failure to explore their psychological experiences with heart failure and the perceived associations between positive psychological constructs and adherence to physical activity, diet, and medication recommendations. Interviews were transcribed, then coded in NVivo using directed and conventional content analysis, and the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was applied to report our findings. Participants spontaneously reported positive psychological constructs both during an acute phase of illness and 3 months later. Participants most commonly experienced gratitude, acceptance, connectedness, and faith in the setting of heart failure. In contrast, pride, determination, and hope were identified most frequently as playing a role in health behavior adherence. Finally, participants reported a reinforcing relationship between positive constructs and health behavior engagement. These findings suggest that interventions to boost positive constructs have the potential to improve well-being and health behavior adherence in patients with heart failure.
Rapid Implementation of an Adult Coronavirus Disease 2019 Unit in a Children's Hospital.

Objective To describe the rapid implementation of an adult coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unit using pediatric physician and nurse providers in a children's hospital and to examine the characteristics and outcomes of the first 100 adult patients admitted. Study design We describe our approach to surge-in-place at a children's hospital to meet the local demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of redeploying pediatric providers to work with internist-led teams throughout a medical center, pediatric physicians and nurses organized and staffed a 40-bed adult COVID-19 treatment unit within a children's hospital. We adapted internal medicine protocols, developed screening criteria to select appropriate patients for admission, and reorganized staffing and equipment to accommodate adult patients with COVID-19. We used patient counts and descriptive statistics to report sociodemographic, system, and clinical outcomes. Results The median patient age was 46 years; 69% were male. On admission, 78 (78%) required oxygen supplementation. During hospitalization, 13 (13%) eventually were intubated. Of the first 100 patients, 14 are still admitted to a medical unit, 6 are in the intensive care unit, 74 have been discharged, 4 died after transfer to the intensive care unit, and 2 died on the unit. The median length of stay for discharged or deceased patients was 4 days (IQR 2, 7). Conclusions Our pediatric team screened, admitted, and cared for hospitalized adults by leveraging the familiarity of our system, adaptability of our staff, and high-quality infrastructure. This experience may be informative for other healthcare systems that will be redeploying pediatric providers and nurses to address a regional COVID-19 surge elsewhere.
Coalitions among Plaintiffs’ Attorneys in Securities Class Actions

This paper examines contests among plaintiffs’ firms to become lead counsel in securities fraud class actions. We study lead plaintiff appointments in all federal securities class actions involving a disclosure claim from 2005 to 2016. We find that law firms’ decisions to combine correspond primarily with the existence of relationships—either with clients or between firms—rather than case characteristics. In the case of initial motions, the presence of a relationship between attorney firms and certain institutional investor movants for lead plaintiff corresponds with motions that propose multiple lead counsel. We also find that although the typical class action has several lead plaintiff motions, many of these motions will either withdraw or combine before the judge chooses the lead plaintiff and lead counsel. When motions combine, the number of selected lead counsel typically increases. The existence of prior relationships between law firms corresponds with the decision to withdraw or combine. Finally, we find that the correspondence of prior relationships between law firms on decisions to withdraw or combine does not increase with our proxies for the importance of synergies between law firms.
Cue Ball Arthroplasty With Humeroradial Total Elbow Arthroplasty (TEA) Revision: An Approach to Managing Infection and Severe Ulnar Bone Loss in TEA.

Total elbow arthroplasties (TEA) have become more prevalent as indications expand. However, TEA complications remain a treatment conundrum. One such complication, periprosthetic joint infections (P...
Leaching losses from blueberries grown in sandy soils amended with pine bark

Leaching of irrigation water from blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) plants intensifies when sandy soils are amended with pine (Pinus spp.) bark. In a greenhouse study, leaching fractions of water (LFW) and nutrients (LFN) were determined from two blueberry (V. corymbosum L.) cultivars, 'Emerald' and 'Jewel', grown in biochar-treated and nontreated sandy subsoil and irrigated with drip emitters using one of three pulse frequencies in a factorial design. The LFW was >50% under Emerald and 5 pulses d-1 to supply the daily water requirements in pine bark-amended sandy soil.
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC MODELING OF SUBTERRANEAN FEATURES THROUGH THREE-DIMENSIONAL SOFTWARE ANALYSIS

Abstract. LiDAR is a popular and accurate method for mapping that can be utilized for three-dimensional model analysis. However, the equipment set-up and usage can become tedious, and ultimately impractical when applied to locations that are remote and confined in nature. In this investigation, three-dimensional analysis was conducted within a cave system. With this, limitations of LiDAR technology in these conditions become prominent; mapping non-planar surfaces can cause a potential decrease of the quality of the point cloud data. In all, a LiDAR application would be an inefficient use of methodology to conduct this investigation. This prompted a need to set-up and conduct a photogrammetric based evaluation. With this, smartphone camera technology was used in conjunction with free-to-use software and three-dimensional modeling applications. Through the use of photogrammetric concepts and structure from motion software, a three-dimensional model of the cave can be generated. Long term, this model can also be utilized to document the impact and health of the cave system. For the methodology, the on-sight portion of the investigation relied heavily on smartphone camera technology. The procedure draws parallels to drone paths; specifically, two flight-plans were developed to evaluate different perspectives within a 15 by 15 meter space in the cave. Within each flight path, the use of photo overlapping techniques established a denser and more fluid point cloud model. Once the data was processed, two different three-dimensional models of the cave were created. From those models, the point cloud data was extracted in order to merge the two separate models. Afterwards, the models underwent several format conversions in order to import it into the Unity game engine. The final result is an accurate three-dimensional model of the cave that is viewable and playable in a simple video game platform.
Crystal Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease in Complex with the Non-Covalent Inhibitor ML188.

Viral proteases are critical enzymes for the maturation of many human pathogenic viruses and thus are key targets for direct acting antivirals (DAAs). The current viral pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is in dire need of DAAs. The Main protease (Mpro) is the focus of extensive structure-based drug design efforts which are mostly covalent inhibitors targeting the catalytic cysteine. ML188 is a non-covalent inhibitor designed to target SARS-CoV-1 Mpro, and provides an initial scaffold for the creation of effective pan-coronavirus inhibitors. In the current study, we found that ML188 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Mpro at 2.5 µM, which is more potent than against SAR-CoV-1 Mpro. We determined the crystal structure of ML188 in complex with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro to 2.39 A resolution. Sharing 96% sequence identity, structural comparison of the two complexes only shows subtle differences. Non-covalent protease inhibitors complement the design of covalent inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 main protease and are critical initial steps in the design of DAAs to treat CoVID 19.
Comparison of compressional and elastic wave simulations for patient-specific planning prior to transcranial photoacoustic-guided neurosurgery.

Significance: Simulations have the potential to be a powerful tool when planning the placement of photoacoustic imaging system components for surgical guidance. While elastic simulations (which include both compressional and shear waves) are expected to more accurately represent the physical transcranial acoustic wave propagation process, these simulations are more time-consuming and memory-intensive than the compressional-wave-only simulations that our group previously used to identify optimal acoustic windows for transcranial photoacoustic imaging. Aim: We present qualitative and quantitative comparisons of compressional and elastic wave simulations to determine which option is more suitable for preoperative surgical planning. Approach: Compressional and elastic photoacoustic k-Wave simulations were performed based on a computed tomography volume of a human cadaver head. Photoacoustic sources were placed in the locations of the internal carotid arteries and likely positions of neurosurgical instrument tips. Transducers received signals from three previously identified optimal acoustic windows (i.e., the ocular, nasal, and temporal regions). Target detectability, image-based target size estimates, and target-to-instrument distances were measured using the generalized contrast-to-noise ratio (gCNR), resolution, and relative source distances, respectively, for each simulation method. Results: The gCNR was equivalent between compressional and elastic simulations. The areas of the −6 dB contours of point spread functions utilized to measure resolution differed by 0.33 to 3.35 mm2. Target-to-instrument distance measurements were within 1.24 mm of the true distances. Conclusions: These results indicate that it is likely sufficient to utilize the less time-consuming, less memory-intensive compressional wave simulations for presurgical planning.