cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hematuria duration does not predict kidney function at 1 year in ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis.

Objectives Hematuria is considered a marker of active renal disease in ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis (ANCA-GN) with induction immunosuppression often continued until hematuria has resolved. We aim to determine whether longer hematuria duration is associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 1 year.
Converted patients and clinic patients as control cases: a comparison with implications for psychoanalytic training.

All twenty-eight respondents to a recent poll of the thirty institutes affiliated with the American Psychoanalytic Association reported that they now accept cases converted from psychotherapy to psychoanalysis as control cases. This study was designed to compare converted cases to clinic cases systematically with respect to patient characteristics, treatment, and the educational experience of the treating candidate. The study followed twenty-four candidates entering analytic training between 1992 and 1995, who treated thirty-four clinic cases and forty-three converted cases between February 1993 and July 2000. Clinic and converted patients were comparable with regard to demographics, prior treatment histories, structural diagnoses, and Axis I diagnoses. In addition, the two groups of cases were indistinguishable with respect to the rate at which candidates received credit toward graduation requirements. Candidates treating converted cases earned approximately $7,600 per patient per year, compared to candi...
Body Piercing: Issues and Challenges for Nurses

To provide safe and effective care for patients with body piercings, nurses must become more knowledgeable about this increasingly common practice. Competent nursing care is more than simply noting the presence or absence of body piercings, but includes accurate assessment, cultural sensitivity, and related patient education. Body piercings can create treatment challenges during trauma or post-assault care. An increased awareness of the history of body piercing, the piercing process, care of piercings, (including related wound care), and issues related to patient education, can enhance comprehensive nursing care.
Prediction of the phenotypic effects of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms using structural and evolutionary information

Motivation: There has been great expectation that the knowledge of an individual's genotype will provide a basis for assessing susceptibility to diseases and designing individualized therapy. Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) that lead to an amino acid change in the protein product are of particular interest because they account for nearly half of the known genetic variations related to human inherited diseases. To facilitate the identification of disease-associated nsSNPs from a large number of neutral nsSNPs, it is important to develop computational tools to predict the phenotypic effects of nsSNPs. Results: We prepared a training set based on the variant phenotypic annotation of the Swiss-Prot database and focused our analysis on nsSNPs having homologous 3D structures. Structural environment parameters derived from the 3D homologous structure as well as evolutionary information derived from the multiple sequence alignment were used as predictors. Two machine learning methods, support vector machine and random forest, were trained and evaluated. We compared the performance of our method with that of the SIFT algorithm, which is one of the best predictive methods to date. An unbiased evaluation study shows that for nsSNPs with sufficient evolutionary information (with not <10 homologous sequences), the performance of our method is comparable with the SIFT algorithm, while for nsSNPs with insufficient evolutionary information (<10 homologous sequences), our method outperforms the SIFT algorithm significantly. These findings indicate that incorporating structural information is critical to achieving good prediction accuracy when sufficient evolutionary information is not available. Availability: The codes and curated dataset are available at http://compbio.utmem.edu/snp/dataset/ Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: The curated dataset is available at http://compbio.utmem.edu/snp/dataset/
GFDL’s ESM2 Global Coupled Climate–Carbon Earth System Models. Part I: Physical Formulation and Baseline Simulation Characteristics

AbstractThe authors describe carbon system formulation and simulation characteristics of two new global coupled carbon–climate Earth System Models (ESM), ESM2M and ESM2G. These models demonstrate good climate fidelity as described in part I of this study while incorporating explicit and consistent carbon dynamics. The two models differ almost exclusively in the physical ocean component; ESM2M uses the Modular Ocean Model version 4.1 with vertical pressure layers, whereas ESM2G uses generalized ocean layer dynamics with a bulk mixed layer and interior isopycnal layers. On land, both ESMs include a revised land model to simulate competitive vegetation distributions and functioning, including carbon cycling among vegetation, soil, and atmosphere. In the ocean, both models include new biogeochemical algorithms including phytoplankton functional group dynamics with flexible stoichiometry. Preindustrial simulations are spun up to give stable, realistic carbon cycle means and variability. Significant differences...
Histoplasma capsulatum Depends on De Novo Vitamin Biosynthesis for Intraphagosomal Proliferation

During infection of the mammalian host, Histoplasma capsulatum yeasts survive and reside within macrophages of the immune system. Whereas some intracellular pathogens escape into the host cytosol, Histoplasma yeasts remain within the macrophage phagosome. This intracellular Histoplasma-containing compartment imposes nutritional challenges for yeast growth and replication. We identified and annotated vitamin synthesis pathways encoded in the Histoplasma genome and confirmed by growth in minimal medium that Histoplasma yeasts can synthesize all essential vitamins with the exception of thiamine. Riboflavin, pantothenate, and biotin auxotrophs of Histoplasma were generated to probe whether these vitamins are available to intracellular yeasts. Disruption of the RIB2 gene (riboflavin biosynthesis) prevented growth and proliferation of yeasts in macrophages and severely attenuated Histoplasma virulence in a murine model of respiratory histoplasmosis. Rib2-deficient yeasts were not cleared from lung tissue but persisted, consistent with functional survival mechanisms but inability to replicate in vivo. In addition, depletion of Pan6 (pantothenate biosynthesis) but not Bio2 function (biotin synthesis) also impaired Histoplasma virulence. These results indicate that the Histoplasma-containing phagosome is limiting for riboflavin and pantothenate and that Histoplasma virulence requires de novo synthesis of these cofactor precursors. Since mammalian hosts do not rely on vitamin synthesis but instead acquire essential vitamins through diet, vitamin synthesis pathways represent druggable targets for therapeutics.
An Analytical Formula for Potential Water Vapor in an Atmosphere of Constant Lapse Rate

Accurate calculation of precipitable water vapor (PWV) in the atmosphere has always been a matter of importance for meteorologists. Potential water vapor (POWV) or maximum precipitable water vapor can be an appropriate base for estimation of probable maximum precipitation (PMP) in an area, leading to probable maximum flood (PMF) and flash flood management systems. PWV and POWV have miscellaneously been estimated by means of either discrete solutions such as tables, diagrams or empirical methods; however, there is no analytical formula for POWV even in a particular atmospherical condition. In this article, fundamental governing equations required for analytical calculation of POWV are first introduced. Then, it will be shown that this POWV calculation relies on a Riemann integral solution over a range of altitude whose integrand is merely a function of altitude. The solution of the integral gives rise to a series function which is bypassed by approximation of saturation vapor pressure in the range of -55 to 55 degrees Celsius, and an analytical formula for POWV in an atmosphere of constant lapse rate is proposed. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the suggested equation, exact calculations of saturated adiabatic lapse rate (SALR) at different surface temperatures were performed. The formula was compared with both the diagrams from the US Weather Bureau and SALR. The results demonstrated unquestionable capability of analytical solutions and also equivalent functions.
Climate Responsive Automatic Operation Strategies for Double Skin Façade (DSF) System of High-Rise Buildings

Double skin facade (DSF) systems are increasingly used in high-rise buildings in hot summer and cold winter climate cities for the enhancement of acoustic insulation, aesthetic appearance, thermal insulation, natural ventilation, and energy efficiency. However, inappropriate DSF configuration can cause an increase in the risk of overheating in the cavity space during summer, which is one of the main disadvantages of DSF systems. In order to improve DSF configuration, as a means of increasing energy efficiency, an effective analysis method for thermal performance evaluation that considers all possible thermal parameters should be used. However, widely used current analysis methods are mostly focused on the evaluation of thermal performance by changing the facade optical properties in the DSF cavity space. In addition, the opening system in DSF is mostly operated as one unit. Taking into consideration these limits, this study focuses on the fact that wind speed and ambient temperature can change the airflow movement in the cavity with opening operation. In addition, the temperature and heat flow in the cavity can differently affect inside thermal performance depending on the height of the room. It is important to consider all possible parameters that can affect thermal performance including wind speed and building height for effective thermal analysis in a DSF configuration. This study explored the applicability of a climate-responsive automatic opening system for highrise DSF buildings. Detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was used to develop an automatic opening pattern which was individually operated to optimize thermal character of the cavity.
Detecting Regime Shifts: The Causes of Under- and Over-Reaction

Many decision makers operate in dynamic environments, in which markets, competitors, and technology change regularly. The ability to detect and respond to these regime shifts is critical for economic success. We conduct three experiments to test how effective individuals are at detecting such regime shifts. Specifically, we investigate when individuals are most likely to under-react to change and when they are most likely to over-react to it. We develop a system-neglect hypothesis: individuals react primarily to the signals they observe and secondarily to the environmental system that produced the signal. Three experiments, two involving probability estimation and one involving prediction, reveal a behavioral pattern consistent with our system-neglect hypothesis: under-reaction is most common in unstable environments with precise signals and over-reaction is most common in stable environments with noisy signals. We test this pattern formally in a statistical comparison of the Bayesian model with a parametric specification of the system-neglect model.
The importance of imaging and physiology measurements in assessing the delivery of peripherally targeted aerosolized drugs

Considerable recent effort has been directed towards developing new aerosol formulations and delivery devices that can target drugs to the lung periphery. In order to determine the efficacy of targeted drug therapy, it is essential that the peripheral lung region be adequately assessed. Imaging of the airways structure and pathology has greatly advanced in the last decade and this rate of growth is accelerating as new technologies become available. Lung imaging continues to play an important role in the study of the peripheral airways and, when combined with state-of-the-art lung function measurements and computational modeling, can be a powerful tool for investigating the effects of inhaled medication. This article focuses on recent strategies in imaging and physiological measurements of the lungs that allow the assessment of inhaled medication delivered to the periphery and discusses how these methods may help to further optimize and refine future aerosol delivery technology.
Hospitalist-pharmacist collaboration: only natural.

Shortly after accepting my current position as pharmacist-in-chief at the University of California, San Diego, I had the opportunity to meet with my counterpart, the director of the hospital medicine service, who was also relatively new to the organization at that time. It was at that meeting that I
Should audio recordings of outpatient consultations be presented to patients

Three hundred and four new and return paediatric outpatient consultations were tape recorded. Questionnaires (and tapes) relating to the experience were returned from 286 families. They showed that tapes had been helpful to more than 99% of parents and grandparents. The main benefits were in refreshing the memories of those who attended the consultation and in helping the understanding of those unable to attend. More than 70% of tapes were listened to more than once and a third of families made a copy. Most parents considered that all consultations should be taped.
Function of the Src-family kinases, Lck and Fyn, in T-cell development and activation.

The function of the Src-family kinases (SFKs) Lck and Fyn in T cells has been intensively studied over the past 15 years. Animal models and cell line studies both indicate a critical role for Lck and Fyn in proximal T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) signal transduction. Recruited SFKs phosphorylate TCR ITAMs (immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs) in the CD3 and ζ chains, which then serve as docking sites for Syk-family kinases. SFKs then phosphorylate and activate the recruited Syk-family kinase. Lck and Fyn are spatially segregated in cell membranes due to differential lipid raft localization, and may undergo sequential activation. In addition to the CD4 and CD8 coreceptors, a recently described adaptor, Unc119, may link SFKs to the TCR. CD45 and Csk provide positive and negative regulatory control of SFK functions, respectively, and Csk is constitutively bound to the transmembrane adapter protein, PAG/Cbp. TCR-based signaling is required at several stages of T-cell development, including at least pre-TCR signaling, positive selection, peripheral maintenance of naive T cells, and lymphopenia-induced proliferation. SFKs are required for each of these TCR-based signals, and Lck seems to be the major contributor.
A Century of Progress in Corticoneurogenesis: From Silver Impregnation to Genetic Engineering

Within the past 125 years, we have witnessed great strides in understanding development and evolution of the cerebral cortex, arguably the structure that makes us human. Among the distinguishing features of cortical development are discoveries that its constituent neurons are not generated locally and that after assuming their proper areal, radial, and laminar position, they serve the individual throughout the lifespan. Although the basic cellular events and all major developmental phenomena have been discovered by the use of classical methods, advents of new, evermore sophisticated experimental methods that range from neuroimaging to molecular genetics enable elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying evolutionary elaboration of the cortex and opens the possibility for the prevention and treatment of congenital disorders of the highest cognitive functions in humans.
The international scientific radio union&#8212;URSI

The history, purpose, and functioning of URSI, and the relationship of the United States National Committee of URSI to the IEEE, are described. A few examples demonstrating the interest of the Union in the field of this special issue of the PROCEEDINGS are given.
Countertopographies of Agriculture Gender, Food Production, and Development in a Globalizing World

This paper examines the potential of geographic analysis to empower rural women through development policy. Women have remained at the margins of agricultural policy in spite of decades of research documenting their importance in maintaining food security and crop diversity, and continued national and international efforts at gender mainstreaming. Existing approaches to gender analysis are inadequate in dealing with global social and institutional structures that gender mainstreaming seeks to transform. A ‘contertopgraphic’ methodology, developed by geographers to trace structural similarities between different places is used to analyze the dynamic connections between gender, food production, and development. Through the juxtaposition of rural women’s experiences in four distinct agricultural settings, this paper demonstrates how inequality and inequity in different locales are the result of broad-scale political and economic change. A geographic framework may be more suitable to recognize and address the disempowerment of rural women in a globalizing world.
60: Oral rapamycin prevents carcinogen-induced dermal carcinogenesis through immune mechanisms

A widely applicable cancer prevention strategy would be a cost-effective approach to lessen the enormous burden of cancer. Enterically-released microencapsulated rapamycin (eRapa) extends lifespan in mice and delays or prevents cancer development, suggesting cancer prevention as a longevity mechanism. Rapamycin acts through inhibition of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), which has significant immune effects that are surprisingly little studied in cancer treatment or prevention. In naive mice, chronic eRapa significantly reduced Th1 (CXCR3 + ) cell numbers ( p = .03) and T cell interferon (IFN)- γ ( p = .04), increased Th17 (CCR6 + ) cell numbers ( p = .04) and T cell IL-17 ( p = .03), increased T cell IL-22 ( p = .02), and reduced immune suppressing regulatory T cells ( p βδ −/− and IFN- γ −/− mice (lacking all T cells or IFN- γ , respectively) were given eRapa or control, and skin tumors were induced with the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) followed by the inflammatory promoting agent 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). eRapa reduced papilloma size in WT BL6 mice ( p = .02) versus controls, the first demonstration that oral rapamycin prevents inflammation-mediated neoplasia. eRapa also significantly reduced papillomas in βδ −/− mice ( p = .04) and increased papillomas in IFN- γ −/− mice ( p = .05). These data are consistent with the concept that eRapa protects from carcinogen-induced dermal carcinogenesis through a non-T cell, IFN- γ -dependent mechanism, which we suspect includes natural killer cells. We have also shown that eRapa prevents cancer in a variety of mouse cancer models, in which we are further studying immune mechanisms. Immune contributions from mTOR inhibitors in cancer prevention (and treatment) require more attention.
Pulse Delay Estimation via Direct Use of TOAs

An important point regarding the pulse delay estimation techniques introduced in Chap. 5 is that they need to employ the epoch folding procedure which needs the exact knowledge of the spacecraft velocities. Furthermore, it was shown that the proposed epoch folding-based estimators are not asymptotically efficient. To address these problems, we propose another method in this chapter. This approach is based on direct use of the measured TOA sets, \(\{{t}_{i}^{(1)}\}_{i=1}^{{M}_{1}}\) and \(\{{t}_{i}^{(2)}\}_{i=1}^{{M}_{2}}\). Because the measured TOAs are being used directly, it is not necessary for the estimators to have access to the velocity data. Nonetheless, the effect of imprecise velocity data on the performance of the pulse delay estimator is studied. Computational complexity study is also performed.
The 2009 Recession: Predictable Effects on Health Expenditures, Employment and Inflation

Documents how employment and spending for health care will respond with a distributed lag to inflation and GDP growth.
The Fourth Amendment: Be Reasonable

The attached piece, entitled "The Fourth Amendment: Be Reasonable," is a chapter in a forthcoming book, The Rehnquist Legacy, to be published by Cambridge University Press in 2006. The book is a comprehensive legal biography of the Chief Justice in which leading scholars examine his legacy in diverse areas of constitutional law, including criminal procedure. This chapter examines Rehnquist's voluminous Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. While Rehnquist has not authored any single path-breaking case in this area, the chapter shows his success, across the board, in achieving his stated goal of calling a halt to the pro-defendant rulings of the Warren Court in the criminal procedure area. However, Rehnquist has not succeeded in his principal goal: overruling Mapp v. Ohio's application of the exclusionary rule to the states.
Orexin/Hypocretin-1 receptor antagonism selectively reduces cue- induced feeding in sated rats and recruits medial prefrontal cortex and thalamus

The orexin/hypocretin system is important for reward-seeking behaviors, however less is known about its function in non-homeostatic feeding. Environmental influences, particularly cues for food can stimulate feeding in the absence of hunger and lead to maladaptive overeating behavior. The key components of the neural network that mediates this cue-induced overeating in sated rats include lateral hypothalamus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), yet the neuropharmacological mechanisms within this network remain unknown. The current study investigated a causal role for orexin in cue-driven feeding, and examined the neural substrates through which orexin mediates this effect. Systemic administration of the orexin-1 receptor (OX1R) antagonist SB-334867 had no effect on baseline eating, but significantly reduced cue-driven consumption in sated rats. Complementary neural analysis revealed that decreased cue-induced feeding under SB-334867 increased Fos expression in mPFC and paraventricular thalamus. These results demonstrate that OX1R signaling critically regulates cue-induced feeding, and suggest orexin is acting through prefrontal cortical and thalamic sites to drive eating in the absence of hunger. These findings inform our understanding of how food-associated cues override signals from the body to promote overeating, and indicate OX1R antagonism as a potential pharmacologic target for treatment of disordered eating in humans.
Abortion in the United States: politics or policy?

(1986). Abortion in the United States: politics or policy? Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 42, World Population Crisis, pp. 38-41.
Peer victimization (and harsh parenting) as developmental correlates of cognitive reactivity, a diathesis for depression.

Prior research has shown cognitive reactivity to be a diathesis for depression. Seeking evidence for the developmental origins of such diatheses, the current study examined peer victimization and harsh parenting as developmental correlates of cognitive reactivity in 571 children and adolescents (ages 8-13 years). Four major findings emerged. First, a new method for assessing cognitive reactivity in children and adolescents showed significant reliability and demonstrated construct validity vis-a-vis its relation to depression. Second, history of more severe peer victimization was significantly related to cognitive reactivity, with verbal victimization being more strongly tied to cognitive reactivity than other subtypes of peer victimization. Third, harsh parenting was also significantly related to cognitive reactivity. Fourth, both peer victimization and harsh parenting made unique statistical contributions to cognitive reactivity, after controlling for the effects of the other. Taken together, these findings provide preliminary support for a developmental model pertaining to origins of cognitive reactivity in children and adolescents.
Automated classification of vowel category and speaker type in the high-frequency spectrum

The high-frequency region of vowel signals (above the third formant or F3) has received little research attention. Recent evidence, however, has documented the perceptual utility of high-frequency information in the speech signal above the traditional frequency bandwidth known to contain important cues for speech and speaker recognition. The purpose of this study was to determine if high-pass filtered vowels could be separated by vowel category and speaker type in a supervised learning framework. Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) were extracted from productions of six vowel categories produced by two male, two female, and two child speakers. Results revealed that the filtered vowels were well separated by vowel category and speaker type using MFCCs from the high-frequency spectrum. This demonstrates the presence of useful information for automated classification from the high-frequency region and is the first study to report findings of this nature in a supervised learning framework.
Reduced intensity haplo plus single cord transplant compared to double cord transplant: improved engraftment and graft-versus-host disease-free, relapse-free survival

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are commonly used in adults lacking HLA-identical donors. Delays in hematopoietic recovery contribute to mortality and morbidity. To hasten recovery, we used co-infusion of progenitor cells from a partially matched related donor and from an umbilical cord blood graft (haplo-cord transplant). Here we compared the outcomes of haplo-cord and double-cord transplants. A total of 97 adults underwent reduced intensity conditioning followed by haplo-cord transplant and 193 patients received reduced intensity conditioning followed by double umbilical cord blood transplantation. Patients in the haplo-cord group were more often from minority groups and had more advanced malignancy. Haplo-cord recipients received fludarabine-melphalan-anti-thymocyte globulin. Double umbilical cord blood recipients received fludarabine-cyclophosphamide and low-dose total body irradiation. In a multivariate analysis, haplo-cord had faster neutrophil (HR=1.42, P=0.007) and platelet (HR=2.54, P<0.0001) recovery, lower risk of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (HR=0.26, P<0.0001) and chronic graft-versus-host disease (HR=0.06, P<0.0001). Haplo-cord was associated with decreased risk of relapse (HR 0.48, P=0.001). Graft-versus-host disease-free, relapse-free survival was superior with haplo-cord (HR 0.63, P=0.002) but not overall survival (HR=0.97, P=0.85). Haplo-cord transplantation using fludarabine-melphalan-thymoglobulin conditioning hastens hematopoietic recovery with a lower risk of relapse relative to double umbilical cord blood transplantation using the commonly used fludarabine-cyclophosphamide-low-dose total body irradiation conditioning. Graft-versus-host disease-free and relapse-free survival is significantly improved. Haplo-cord is a readily available graft source that improves outcomes and access to transplant for those lacking HLA-matched donors. Trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifiers 00943800 and 01810588.
The Monsoons and Climate Change

Monsoon systems are unique features of the climate of the Earth and the reality of global warming has important implications for the environment and human society. This chapter provides a brief overview of this important topic.
Earnings after DI: evidence from full medical continuing disability reviews

Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries undergo periodic medical reviews to determine if they continue to be eligible for disability benefits. We examine how these reviews affect beneficiary well-being by using administrative data to track the earnings of beneficiaries for up to 5 years after their reviews. We estimate that a sizeable percentage of beneficiaries would work if their benefits were ceased in a medical review. However, many appear to be unable to maintain employment: only one in three would have earnings over the full follow-up period. Further, far fewer would reach any of several measures of earnings sufficiency. JEL codes: H51, H53, I38, J14
Abstract 4089: Thyroid tumor microenvironment: mutual interaction between cancer and inflammatory cells

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine malignancy in the United States with an unacceptably high recurrence rate of 20-30%. Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), one of the most critical component of solid tumor microenvironments, promote cancer initiation, growth, progression, metastasis and angiogenesis. These TAMs release cytokines as well as other secretory components like exosomes in the tumor microenvironment. Previously, we found that M1 polarized TAMs modulate thyroid cancer phenotype by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), facilitating tissue metastasis and dissemination. In our present study, we used an in vitro model system to assess the crosstalk between the secretory components of macrophages and the epithelial cells in the thyroid tumor microenvironment. We used THP-1 monocyte/macrophage cell line along with thyroid cancer cell lines: consisting of two papillary cancer cell lines (BCPAP and TPC-1), one anaplastic cancer cell line (8505C) and one follicular cancer cell line (CGTHW-1). We observed that activated THP-1 macrophages are polarized towards M1 phenotype, secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TGF-β, IL6, TNF-α, IL-1β, amongst others. These cytokines are responsible for halt in proliferation and change in morphology to mesenchymal phenotype promoting EMT in thyroid cancer cells. Similar pattern in phenotypical changes were noted in thyroid cancer cells treated with activated THP-1 macrophage exosomes. We also observed that EMT markers, such as vimentin and NFκ-B, are modulated in response to activated macrophage secreted exosomes. Moreover, secretory components from anaplastic thyroid cancer cells led to enhanced activation of THP-1 cells. These findings support a mutual cooperation between thyroid cancer cells and inflammatory cells in tumor microenvironment in defining thyroid cancer phenotype. Such correlation can identify early markers and prevent thyroid cancer differentiation, and are putative targets for therapy. Citation Format: Neha Yashpal Tuli, Robert B. Bednarczyk, Ghada M. Ben Rahoma, Augustine Moscatello, Jan Geliebter, Raj K. Tiwari. Thyroid tumor microenvironment: mutual interaction between cancer and inflammatory cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4089.
BET 1: Safety and efficacy of colchicine as stand-alone therapy for the prevention of recurrent pericarditis

A short cut review was carried out looking for evidence of the benefits of using colchicine as a single therapy for acute pericarditis. A literature search was performed but no papers were found to provide evidence of the efficacy of colchicine without the concurrent use of Non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for this condition.
Synergistic Diazo-OH Insertion/Conia-Ene Cascade Catalysis for the Stereoselective Synthesis of γ-Butyrolactones and Tetrahydrofurans

A novel and highly efficient diazo-OH insertion/Conia-ene cascade reaction of readily available homopropargylic acids and alcohols with diazo carbonyl compounds is described. The cascade reaction involves a synergistic Rh/Ag/Au catalyst cocktail and proceeds instantly with a variety of substituted diazo compounds and acids/alcohols to provide functionalized -butyrolactones and tetrahydrofurans with complete regio- and stereo-selectivity. The unprecedented rate-enhancement, complete stereoselectivity and the enabling of new Conia-ene cyclizations suggest a concerted [4+1]-cycloaddition reaction pathway under synergistic (Rh/Ag/Au)-catalysis conditions.
Habitat-specific divergence of air conditioning structures in bird bills

ABSTRACT We used high precision computed tomography (CT) and traditional radiography to study the nasal conchae, complex structures within the nasal cavity that condition air via countercurrent heat exchange. Air conditioning in the conchae assists thermoregulation and water balance, both of which pose challenges for many birds. We hypothesized that hot and water-limited environments would select for larger or more complex conchae to maximize moisture recapture during exhalation and in turn cause the evolution of deeper and wider bills. We provide the first intraspecific comparison of concha size and structure in birds based on CT scans of 15 individuals and radiographs of 39 individuals of 2 subspecies of Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) that inhabit climatically distinct habitats. CT scans revealed that middle and rostral conchae filled the nasal cavities and had larger surface areas in individuals with larger nasal cavities. The subspecies that inhabits hot and dry coastal dunes (M. m. atlantica) had r...
Viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis A and E

Hepatitis A and hepatitis E are common foodborne and waterborne viral infections worldwide, with a higher incidence where there is limited access to clean drinking water. Humans are the only host for hepatitis A but hepatitis E has distinct genotypes with human and zoonotic hosts.
Experimental demonstration of nanomagnet networks as hardware for Ising computing

We present here that nanomagnet networks provide a natural hardware platform for performing probabilistic computing in the Ising framework. By using a network of weakly coupled nanomagnets, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time the convergence of the network's magnetization towards the ground state of the associated Hamiltonian. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with the Ising model and stochastic magnet dynamics simulations.
The Role of Worldview in the Judicial Decisions of Justice Paul Stevens

This article demonstrates how to determine a judicial nominee’s judicial philosophy by examining his worldview, explains the concept of worldview and the three worldviews present in the United States currently, and illustrates these principles using the life and jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens.
Social Psychological Processes in Studies of Neighborhoods and Inequality

In this chapter, I review the role of social psychological processes in studies of neighborhoods and inequality. The review emphasizes studies leading up to and following from W. J. Wilson’s seminal book The Truly Disadvantaged (1987). Three major topics are reviewed. First, I review early theories and empirical studies of the effects of urbanism and urban environments on individuals and social life. Second, I review studies of “neighborhood effects,” including both long-term development effects and more immediate effects on crime and mental health. Third, I review studies of social psychological processes that influence neighborhood formation and racial segregation, including studies of preferences for race-of-neighbors and studies of neighborhood stereotyping.
Comparative, multidimensional imaging of patent ductus arteriosus and a proposed update to the morphology classification system for dogs

BACKGROUND Accurately assessing the morphology and shape of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and obtaining measurements are important to avoid procedural complications. OBJECTIVES To characterize and compare PDA morphology, shape, and dimensions with angiography and echocardiography. ANIMALS 25 client-owned dogs with echocardiographically confirmed PDA. METHODS Prospective case series. Imaging consisted of single plane angiography, transthoracic echocardiography from the right (TTE-R) and left (TTE-L), and two-dimensional, biplane, and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE-2D and TEE-3D). Measurements included angiographic minimal ductal diameter (MDD), echocardiographic pulmonary ostium in a single dimension (TTE-R, TTE-L, and TEE-2D) and in perpendicular dimensions (TEE-3D) with similar measurements of the ampulla 3 mm above the MDD or pulmonary ostium. The morphology and shape of the PDA were characterized. RESULTS Catheter-based occlusion (N = 20) and surgical ligation (N = 5) were performed without complication. Angiographic morphology was classified as type II (N = 19), type III (N = 1), and other (N = 1). Angiographic MDD and TEE-2D pulmonary ostium measurements were significantly (P = .008) but weakly correlated (r = .56); similar relationships were found for ampulla diameter measurements (P < .0001; r = .75). In general, TEE-2D did not correlate with other imaging modalities measurements. Based on TEE-3D measurements, the majority of pulmonary ostium (17/24; 71%) and ampulla (19/24; 79%) were oval. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Measurements using different imaging modalities are not interchangeable. TEE-3D provided an en face view of the PDA that cannot be replicated with other echocardiographic techniques and demonstrated an oval shape in the majority of dogs. We propose an update to the current classification system to include additional PDA morphologies.
Familial Aggregation of Elderly Cause-Specific Mortality: Analysis of Extended Pedigrees in Utah, 1904–2002

This study addresses the impact of family history of disease and family history of longevity on cause-specific mortality in a large population-based cohort. We identified a cohort of 464,494 people born between 1830 and 1984 from the Utah Population Database, a resource of linked genealogy, vital statistics, and disease data. To be eligible, a cohort member must have lived at least 65 years and died between 1904 and 2002. We measured familial disease risks using the familial standardized mortality ratio (FSMR), and familial longevity using familial excess longevity (FEL). For each of the leading causes of death in the U.S., we constructed a nested case- control study using cohort members dying of a specific cause (cases) and individu- ally matched cohort members who remained at risk at the time of the cases' deaths (controls). Our results indicate that family histories of cause-specific mortality greatly affect risk of death from the same cause, especially for heart disease, cancer, and dia- betes. However, familial excess longevity is associated with decreased risks of almost all causes of death, suggesting that whatever factors link kin survival, an important component is the familiality of longevity within their extended family. The one major disease for which familial longevity confers no substantial protection is cancer, sug- gesting that there may be some antagonism between genetic mechanisms that protect against aging and those that protect against cancer.
Gustav Shpet’s Contribution to Philosophy and Cultural Theory, Galin Tihanov (ed.):

The author reviews “Gustav Shpet’s Contribution to Philosophy and Cultural Theory” edited by Galin Tihanov. The volume provides a comprehensive introduction to the significance of the Russian philosopher Gustav Shpet (1879-1937) in the development of phenomenology, hermeneutics, semiotics, literary theory, psychology, and cultural criticism.
Protein Kinase C Activation in Cardiac Hypertrophy and Failure

It is clear from studies using neonatal rat ventricular myocytes that mechanical deformation activates the Gαq-phospholipase C signaling pathway and recapitulates the fetal gene program, followed by an increase in protein synthesis. In adult guinea pig heart, stretch stimulates phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and translocation of protein kinase C (PKC). Cardiac-specific overexpression of the Gαq and PKCβ2 in transgenic mice demonstrate a gene-dose-dependent induction of cardiac hypertrophy and contractile depression. PKCβ2-mediated phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I may decrease myofilament responsiveness to calcium and thus cause cardiomyocyte dysfunction. Furthermore, in failed human hearts, the expression and activity of PKCα and PKCβ are elevated. These results suggest a critical role of phospholipase C-PKC signaling in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Treatment of the PKCβ2 transgenic mouse with a highly selective inhibitor of the PKCβ largely prevents and/or reverses the phenotype. Thus, selective inhibition of the PKCβ isoform may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of congestive heart failure.
Global Failure Site Isolation: Thermal Techniques

The need for techniques that would produce high spatial and thermal resolution images of microelectronic devices has existed for many years. This became particularly true with the advent of multiple level metallization on integrated circuits (ICs). The addition of a second and subsequent levels of metallization significantly reduced defect observability and node access. Many defect types result in higher power supply currents, which generate heat during operation. This is due to the power dissipation associated with the excess current flow at the defect site. Systems to detect this power dissipation can be characterized by their sensitivity to thermal changes and spatial resolution. Infrared (IR) thermal techniques were the earliest available that calculated the temperature of an object from it’s infrared emission. While IR techniques have excellent temperature range and resolution, they have a fundamental spatial resolution limitation. Liquid crystals have been used with great success since the mid-1960’s. Liquid crystals provide a binary response, indicating if the hot area is above the crystal’s transition temperature or not. Two factors have contributed to a recent reduction in the effectiveness of liquid crystals. Smaller feature sizes have made the spatial resolution of liquid crystal a factor. In addition, the reduction in power supply voltages and hence power dissipation have served to make the thermal sensitivity of liquid crystals an issue. The fluorescent microthermal imaging technique (FMI) was developed to overcome these issues. This chapter reviews the background material, operating principles, and image characteristics for these three thermal imaging techniques.
Overview of the Immune Response

This chapter introduces the components of the immune response that includes differences in innate and acquired immune systems and their differences. Specifically, physical, chemical, and cellular barriers, complement system, and Toll-like receptors are discussed in reference to the innate immune system, whereas humoral and cell-mediated responses are described when explaining the acquired/adoptive immune response. The details include the different isotypes of antibodies involved in humoral immune response and various types of cells that participate in humoral versus cell-mediated immune responses. Additionally, the concepts of antigen recognition, antigen presentation, and molecules involved in these processes, including the major histocompatibility complex, are described. Lastly, mechanisms of cellular migration and immune tolerance are discussed. The emphasis is that how the immune system recognizes and responds to the invading pathogens and what type of system is in place and sequentially develops to perform these tasks.
Mechanical failure rates of artificial urinary sphincter components: Is the 3.5-cm urethral cuff at higher risk?

AIM We report the rates of artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) mechanical failure in a contemporary cohort of patients stratified by component type and size to determine if the 3.5-cm cuff is at higher risk of failure. METHODS From 2005-2016, a total of 486 male patients with stress incontinence underwent implantation or revision of an AUS. 993 individual cases were retrospectively reviewed (465 primary placements and 528 revisions). Components were separately tallied and cases of mechanical failure were identified. Multiple variables including duration until failure and follow-up interval were collected and analyzed for each malfunction. RESULTS After median follow-up of 31.5 months, there were 48 distinct cases of mechanical failure. The urethral cuff was the most common component to fail (n = 27, 56.3%), followed by the pressure regulating balloon (PRB) (n = 6, 12.5%), tubing (n = 6, 12.5%), and the control pump, (n = 5, 10.4%). Four (8.3%) cases did not have the source of malfunction identifiable in available records though fluid loss was evident at the time of device interrogation. Sub-analyses of cuff failure events showed that the 3.5-cm cuff had a statistically significant higher risk of failure (HR: 7.313, (P < .0001) compared to larger cuff sizes. CONCLUSIONS While each component is prone to malfunction, our study suggests that the 3.5-cm urethral cuff is more susceptible to failure and failure events occur earlier after placement than larger cuff sizes.
InSight Mission: Early Operations

The InSight Mission successfully landed on Mars on November 26, 2018 and has been conducting science operations since then. The initial operations included evaluation of the lander health and surveying the area around the lander. Once these steps were complete the process of deployment of three instrument elements to the Martian Surface began. The deployment was conducted in parallel with the start of science data collection. The science delivered from InSight has started to uncover the geophysical characteristics of Mars and allows the use of comparative planetary geophysical techniques to better understand the formation and evolution of Mars and thus by extension other terrestrial planets. The mission science uses several instrument and sensors, many of which are international contributions to gather the science data. This paper will describe InSight science objectives and the surface mission operations and results to date.
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Law: Basic Questions

Ethical issues surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in law often share a common theme. As AI becomes increasingly integrated within the legal system, how can society ensure that core legal values are preserved? Among the most important of these legal values are: equal treatment under the law; public, unbiased, and independent adjudication of legal disputes; justification and explanation for legal outcomes; outcomes based upon law, principle, and facts rather than social status or power; outcomes premised upon reasonable, and socially justifiable grounds; the ability to appeal decisions and seek independent review; procedural fairness and due process; fairness in design and application of the law; public promulgation of laws; transparency in legal substance and process; adequate access to justice for all; integrity and honesty in creation and application of law; and judicial, legislative, and administrative efficiency. The use of AI in law may diminish or enhance how these values are actually expressed within the legal system or alter their balance relative to one another. This chapter surveys some of the most important ethical topics involving the use of AI within the legal system itself (but not its use within society more broadly) and examines how central legal values might unintentionally (or intentionally) change with increased use of AI in law.