cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
De Novo Amyloidosis in a Renal Allograft: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Recurrent amyloidosis is an uncommon but well-documented event in up to 26% of renal allograft recipients transplanted for amyloid renal disease. Both primary and secondary amyloidoses recur. De novo primary and secondary amyloid have not been previously reported. We report the first occurrence of de novo secondary amyloid in a renal allograft recipient. The cause of the secondary amyloidosis is unproven, but possible etiologies include inflammation secondary to occult hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or chronic rejection. Colchicine therapy has not resulted in decreased proteinuria or improved renal function.
Properties of UV-cured polyurethane acrylates: effect of polyol type and molecular weight

Several families of UV-cured polyurethane acrylates were synthesized and the effects of polyol type and molecular weight on their physical properties were investigated. Increasing polyol molecular weight led to a lower polyol glass transition temperature, a smaller amount of a separate urethane acrylate phase, and a larger chain length between crosslinks. The first two effects were reflected in lower modulus and strength at room temperature while the larger chain length between crosslinks led to higher elongation at break (room temperature) and lower modulus at high temperatures. The use of different polyols (polycarbonate, polytetramethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, and polycaprolactone) primarily affected the room temperature modulus due to differences in the position and breadth of the polyol glass transition. The properties of materials based on isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM) and toluene diisocyanate-2-hydroxyethyl melhacrylate (TDI-HEMA) were also compared.
Aircraft testing of the new Blunt-body Aerosol Sampler (BASE)

Abstract. There is limited understanding of the role of aerosols in the formation and modification of clouds, partly due to inadequate data on such systems. Aircraft-based aerosol measurements in the presence of cloud particles have proven to be challenging because of the problem of cloud droplet/ice particle shatter and the generation of secondary artifact particles that contaminate aerosol samples. Recently, the design of a new aircraft inlet, called the Blunt-body Aerosol Sampler (BASE), which enables sampling of interstitial aerosol particles, was introduced. Numerical modeling results and laboratory test data suggested that the BASE inlet should sample interstitial particles with minimal shatter particle contamination. Here, the sampling performance of the inlet is established from aircraft-based measurements. Initial aircraft test results obtained during the PLOWS (Profiling of Winter Storms) campaign indicated two problems with the original BASE design: separated flows around the BASE at high altitudes and a significant shatter problem when sampling in drizzle. The test data were used to improve the accuracy of flow and particle trajectory modeling around the inlet, and the results from the improved flow model were used to guide design modifications of the BASE to overcome the problems identified in its initial deployment. The performance of the modified BASE was tested during the ICE–T (Ice in Clouds Experiment – Tropics) campaign, and the inlet was seen to provide near shatter-free measurements in a wide range of cloud conditions. The initial aircraft test results, design modifications, and the performance characteristics of the BASE relative to another interstitial inlet, the submicron aerosol inlet (SMAI), are presented.
Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a 15 Month Old Male A Presentation of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy

Munchausen's syndrome by Proxy is a well-described entity that may not always be immediately considered in a complicated case. We describe this syndrome being portrayed through the guise of gastrointestinal bleeding in a 15 month old male and discuss not only the difficulty involved in solidifying this diagnosis but also the consequences that may occur should this diagnosis not be entertained. Failure to diagnose Munchausen's syndrome by proxy often results from failure to consider the diagnosis. These cases frequently have specific characteristics that allow seasoned clinicians to suspect the diagnosis.Once the diagnosis is considered, it is crucial to take steps to protect not only the index patient but also siblings who not infrequently are also recipients of this life threatening form of child abuse.
Nonlinear rescaling vs. smoothing technique in convex optimization

We introduce an alternative to the smoothing technique approach for constrained optimization. As it turns out for any given smoothing function there exists a modification with particular properties. We use the modification for Nonlinear Rescaling (NR) the constraints of a given constrained optimization problem into an equivalent set of constraints. The constraints transformation is scaled by a vector of positive parameters. The Lagrangian for the equivalent problems is to the correspondent Smoothing Penalty functions as Augmented Lagrangian to the Classical Penalty function or MBFs to the Barrier Functions. Moreover the Lagrangians for the equivalent problems combine the best properties of Quadratic and Nonquadratic Augmented Lagrangians and at the same time are free from their main drawbacks. Sequential unconstrained minimization of the Lagrangian for the equivalent problem in primal space followed by both Lagrange multipliers and scaling parameters update leads to a new class of NR multipliers methods, which are equivalent to the Interior Quadratic Prox methods for the dual problem. We proved convergence and estimate the rate of convergence of the NR multipliers method under very mild assumptions on the input data. We also estimate the rate of convergence under various assumptions on the input data. In particular, under the standard second order optimality conditions the NR method converges with Q- linear rate without unbounded increase of the scaling parameters, which correspond to the active constraints. We also established global quadratic convergence of the NR methods for Linear Programming with unique dual solution. We provide numerical results, which strongly support the theory.
MugShots: A Mug Display for Front and Back Stage Social Interaction in the Workplace

We explore creating objects for expressive communication in the workspace. As an initial step, we created MugShots, a coffee mug with a wireless OLED display that switches between public and private social interaction modes. Targeted for the workplace, MugShots is an intimate communication device in the personal office space, yet alternates to become a social catalyst to trigger conversation when brought to public areas. We present a prototype of MugShots along with a 21-person study, providing initial discussions and insight on designing objects for communication.
Synaptic and Extrasynaptic NMDA Receptor NR2 Subunits in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Early in development, neurons only express NR1/NR2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Later, NR2A subunits are upregulated during a period of rapid synapse formation. This pattern i...
DEFINITION AND DEMON STRATION OF THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION CAPABILITIES (APECS) TOOL

This paper describes the Aircraft Performance Evaluation Capabilities (APECS) tool. APECS performs statistical analyses to determine aircraft performance information from actual aircraft operations, as well as algorithmically identifying potential missed approach operations. A functional description of these capabilities is provided. The results of sample analyses are presented to illustrate the types of analyses that can be performed with the tool.
Borrelia burgdorferi Population Kinetics and Selected Gene Expression at the Host-Vector Interface

By using real-time quantitative PCR, the population dynamics and gene transcription of Borrelia burgdorferi were examined in ticks and skin of mice during acquisition of the infection from mice by ticks and during transmission of the infection from ticks to mice. Population dynamics were determined by using a flaB DNA target. A quantitative analysis of flaB, ospA, ospC, dbpA, and arp transcription was also performed. The results revealed that both uninfected larval and nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks acquired B. burgdorferi as early as 1 day after attachment and that the sizes of spirochete populations within ticks increased during feeding. In addition, all gene targets revealed that there was RNA transcription during feeding. Similar events occurred within infected nymphal ticks feeding on uninfected hosts. Transmission from infected nymphal ticks to mice could be detected within 1 day after attachment. Analysis of skin during the first 3 days after attachment of infected ticks revealed rising numbers of spirochetes but minimal gene transcription. In contrast, the skin of mice with established infections revealed static populations of spirochetes and active but stable transcription of flaB, ospC, dbpA, and arp. There were consistent reductions in the number of spirochetes in the skin at the tick attachment sites compared to the number of spirochetes in the skin at nontick sites, but there were no differences in gene expression between tick and nontick skin sites. Evidence of ospA transcription in skin could be found 1 day after tick attachment but not thereafter.
The diagnostic value of sodium tolbutamide in hypoglycemic states.

Intravenous sodium tolbutamide tests were performed in patients with 1) proven insulomas, 2) functional hyperinsulinism, 3) mild diabetes mellitus and associated postprandial hypoglycemia, 4) severe adrenal insufficiency, and 5) liver disease. Healthy subjects were used as controls. Administration of sodium tolbutamide to patients with functioning islet-cell adenomas usually produced a greater degree of hypoglycemia than was observed in the other subjects studied. Of much greater significance, however, were the prolonged periods of hypoglycemia in the insuloma patients. After removal of the insulomas the response to tolbutamide became normal. Persistence of tolbutamide-induced hypoglycemia: 1) is a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis of insuloma, 2) is due, in part, to release of excessive amounts of insulin from the insuloma, and 3) is supportive evidence that the primary mechanism of action of the sulfonylureas is release of pancreatic insulin. From a clinical point of view the intravenous tolbutamide tes...
Local Temperature Redistribution and Structural Transition During Joule‐Heating‐Driven Conductance Switching in VO2

Joule-heating induced conductance-switching is studied in VO2 , a Mott insulator. Complementary in situ techniques including optical characterization, blackbody microscopy, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and numerical simulations are used. Abrupt redistribution in local temperature is shown to occur upon conductance-switching along with a structural phase transition, at the same current.
Practical Identification of Dynamic Precedence Criteria to Produce Critical Results from Big Data Streams

Abstract During periods of high volume, big data stream applications may not have enough resources to process all incoming tuples. To maximize the production of the most critical results under such resource shortages, a recent solution, PR (short for Preferential Result), utilizes both static criteria (defined at compile-time) and dynamic criteria (identified online at run-time) to prioritize the processing of tuples throughout the query pipeline. Unfortunately, locating the optimal criteria placement (i.e., where in the query pipeline to evaluate each prioritization criteria) is extremely compute-intensive and runs in exponential time. This makes PR impractical for complex big data stream systems. Our proposed criteria selection and placement approach, PR-Prune (short for Preferential Result-Pruning), is practical. PR-Prune prunes ineffective dynamic criteria and combines multiple criteria along the same pipeline. To achieve this, PR-Prune seeks to expand the duration in the query pipeline that tuples identified as critical are pulled forward. Our experiments use a real data stream from the S&P 500 stocks, synthetic data streams, and a diverse set of queries. The results substantiate that PR-Prune increases the production of the most critical results compared to the state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, PR-Prune significantly lowers the optimization search time compared to PR.
Analytical and experimental investigation on a multiple-mass-element pendulum impact damper for vibration mitigation

Abstract Impact dampers are often used in the field of civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering for reducing structural vibrations. The behavior of this type of passive control device has been investigated for several decades. In this research a distributed-mass impact damper, similar to the “chain damper” used in wind engineering, has been examined and applied to the vibration reduction on a slender line-like structural element (stay-cable). This study is motivated by a practical problem and describes the derivation of a reduced-order model for explaining the behavior, observed during a field experiment on a prototype system. In its simplest form, the dynamics of the apparatus is modeled as a “resilient damper”, composed of mass–spring–dashpot secondary elements, attached to the primary structure. Various sources of excitation are analyzed: free vibration, external harmonic force and random excitation. The proposed model is general and potentially applicable to the analysis of several structural systems. The study also shows that the model can adequately describe and explain the experimentally observed behavior.
Diffusion in Cr2O3 Via Initial Sintering Experiments

Chromium oxide, Cr2O3, has been successfully sintered to >98% of theoretical density by Ownby and Jungquist.1 It was shown in their study that the sintering kinetics of Cr2O3 were strongly dependent upon the oxygen partial pressure. Hagel et al. studied the initial sintering of Cr2O3 in an Ar atmosphere from 1050° to 1300° and concluded that volume diffusion of oxygen ions controlled the sintering mechanism. However later studies by Halloran and Anderson3 and Neve and Coble4 indicated that the oxygen pressure utilized in the study by Hagel et al.2 was not properly controlled due to the presence of a graphite sample holder employed in their experiments. More recently, Atkinson and Taylor5 in a tracer diffusion study of Cr in Cr2O3 pointed out that grain-boundary diffusion may be important in Cr2O3.
Mechanical Characterization of Rigid Polyurethane Foams

Foam materials are used to protect sensitive components from impact loading. In order to predict and simulate the foam performance under various loading conditions, a validated foam model is needed and the mechanical properties of foams need to be characterized. Uniaxial compression and tension tests were conducted for different densities of foams under various temperatures and loading rates. Crush stress, tensile strength, and elastic modulus were obtained. A newly developed confined compression experiment provided data for investigating the foam flow direction. A biaxial tension experiment was also developed to explore the damage surface of a rigid polyurethane foam.
Nasal stuffiness due to systemic medications.

Nasal stuffiness as a side effect of drugs may be seen with antihypertensives beta blockers antidepressants tranquilizers and birth control pills. Most of these effects are related to vasodilation of the vascular beds of the nasal mucosa. The estrogens in the birth control pill as do the high estrogen levels of pregnancy apparently cause nasal congestion by a direct hormonal effect. If the problem is not resolved by stopping the medication it can be corrected by destroying the turbinate tissue surgically by either crushing and infracture cauterization cryotherapy laser vaporization submucous turbinate resection turbinoplasty or turbinectomy.
Projective Compensation in Aerotriangulation

A 15-photograph block of simulated data is analyzed to evaluate the magnitude of projective compensation in aerotriangulation. Interior orientation errors in focal length and principal point coordinates as well as image errors due to image measurement (random), atmospheric refraction, lens distortion and film deformation are each simulated. When studied in the context of 6 μ\Nm random image error, the results indicate that interior orientation and systematic image errors are almost totally absorbed by changes in exterior orientation position and attitude. Previous investigations evaluating individual image error sources indicate a total image error larger than that reflected in the results of aerotriangulation tests. It is evident from this study that projective compensation, acting within the aerotriangulation adjustment process, is a significant factor contributing to this difference.
Determination of indinavir, a HIV-1 protease inhibitor, in human plasma using ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Summary: Indinavir is widely prescribed as a component of potent antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Because virologic failure of therapy can result from subtherapeutic drug levels, monitoring of indinavir levels may be important in clinical management. We have developed a simple, accurate, and precise high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for measurement of indinavir concentration in human plasma. In our method, indinavir was extracted from plasma with dichloromethane at pH 10.4, which resulted in quantitative recovery of indinavir and the internal standard (IS), methyl-indinavir (86% and 80%–97%, respectively). Chromatographic separation was accomplished using a Luna C18 (2) (Phenomenex) analytic column with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile:phosphate buffer (25 mM) and 0.2% triethylamine pH 7.0 (34.5:65.5, v/v). Ion-paired reagent triethylamine was necessary to ensure an appropriate retention time for indinavir and differentiate it from other protease inhibitors that were coextracted. Quantification was performed at 210 nm. The standard curves were linear (r2 > 0.999) over the concentration range 25–5,000 ng/mL, when 1-mL aliquots of plasma were extracted. Inter-and intraday coefficients of variation were acceptable. The assay was used to determine trough and peak levels of in plasma from 12 subjects who received indinavir 1200 mg every 12 hours, 1000 mg every 12 hours, or 800 mg every 8 hours. The concentrations of indinavir found in this study (trough 26–768 ng/mL; peak at 1 hr 3,309–17,568 ng/mL) has a wider range than defined previously (trough 50–300 ng/mL; peak 6,000–12,000 ng/mL). This study illustrates three potential uses of indinavir monitoring: to assess individual dosing regimen, to assess patient compliance, and to monitor unusual indinavir levels caused by changed drug clearance.
Fetal Risk Associated with Rubella Vaccine: An Update

One hundred nineteen women susceptible to rubella received RA27/3 vaccine, 94 received either Cendehill or HPV-77 vaccine, and one received a vaccine of unknown strain in the three months before or after their estimated date of conception. They gave birth to 216 living infants free of abnormalities compatible with the congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The maximum theoretical risk for CRS for these infants was 1.7%. Four of these infants born to susceptible women had laboratory evidence of subclinical infection (three after receiving Cendehill or HPV-77 vaccines and one after receiving RA27/3 vaccine) but were normal at birth and at subsequent follow-up examinations. Rubella virus was isolated from the products of conception for only 3% (1 of 32) of cases involving susceptible women who received RA27/3 vaccine; the reported rate of virus isolation for Cendehill and HPV-77 vaccine is 20%. The available data indicate that if vaccination occurs within three months of conception, the risk is negligible. However, since the actual risk may not be zero, women known to be pregnant should not be vaccinated, and conception should be avoided for three months after vaccination. Fifteen years ago at a rubella symposium at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Md.), Vaheri and colleagues [1] presented data indicating that rubella vaccine virus can cross the placenta and infect the developing fetus, a report that led to concern about teratogenicity. Since then other investigators
Effect of magnesium deficiency on gastrointestinal transfer of calcium.

SummaryExperimental magnesium deficiency in rats is associated with an increased ability of the isolated everted intestine to transfer calcium against a concentration gradient. The augmented calcium accumulation of magnesium deficiency is not altered by replacement of magnesium in the bath. Although a direct effect of magnesium depletion on cellular transport mechanisms is not ruled out, the results are consistent with a humoral influence, like that of parathyroid hormone, on the gut in magnesium deficiency.The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Mrs. Lorraine Pozika.
The Personal/The Political: Cavell's Little Did I Know - Fragments from Memory

In his recent memoir/autobiography, Stanley Cavell relates the emergence of his philosophical concerns to his ongoing exploration of his own life as a philosopher. In this paper, I trace Cavell's writing of his self in order to ask how the grounding of concepts such as rights and justice may or must be related to a self-understanding that is therapeutic in nature. I suggest that Cavell develops a contemporary form of care of self that rhymes with Michel Foucault's understanding of the same. I explore some of the implications of this idea for the practice of political ethics.
The relation between atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

Background. The relation between atherosclerosis and thrombosis has been recognized for over a century. Until very recently, however, this pathophysiological association has been largely based on observation with little information available to dissect molecular and cellular mechanism. Methods and Results. The known associations between the principal determinants of thrombosis (platelets, fibrin and its proteolytic degradation products, and fibrinolytic enzymes) and atherosclerosis; the regulation of thrombotic determinants by cytokines and growth factors important in atherogenesis; and the modulation of thrombotic determinants by artherogenic lipoproteins, especially lipoprotein(a), are discussed
Prostate cancer as a public health issue in North Carolina.

Prostate cancer is a significant health problem for men in North Carolina, particularly for black men, who have one of the highest rates of prostate cancer mortality in the nation. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the value of prostate cancer screening is hotly contested among medical researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates. The Early Detection Subcommittee of the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control (NCACCCC) identified prostate cancer as one of four cancers for which early detection was a key issue, and set forth two goals: (1) develop a consensus regarding the public health message about prostate cancer screening, including the benefits and risks of early detection; and (2) develop research priorities for prostate cancer issues in North Carolina. Reaching these goals will require a clear understanding of the epidemiology of prostate cancer in the state, as well as the implications of screening and treatment for the disease. In this paper we do the following: (1) review prostate cancer epidemiology in North Carolina; (2) discuss the key controversial points related to screening; (3) briefly review prostate cancer research in the state; and (4) present the Advisory Committee’s current recommendations on screening for prostate cancer.
Intervention to Promote Safer Sexual Behaviors and Educate Peers About HIV/AIDS

Sexually active college students are at risk for infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Nursing students can learn a variety of desirable professional skills and provide an important service to their college peers by participating in an ongoing intervention to promote safer sexual behaviors. Since 1989, nursing students at a publicly supported urban college have been providing a HIV Primary Prevention intervention on a sustained basis. During each semester, at least 1,000 college students complete a quiz that tests their knowledge about condoms and engage in discourse with a nursing student about HIV/AIDS. Content analysis of the evaluations submitted by the nursing students (N = 43) identifies how this independent study enhances both professional and personal growth.
Binary optics: the optics technology of the 1990s

Through advances in semiconductor miniaturization technology, microrelief patterns with characteristic dimensions as small as the wavelength of light can now be mass-produced. In a classic example of technology transfer, this capability is allowing optics designers, for the first time/ we believe, to create innovative optical components which promise to rejuvenate a failing U.S. optics industry.
Genome-Wide Profiling of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Multiple Myeloma: Overlaps with Myeloma Tumor Cells and Common Cancer Gene-Pathways.

Abstract Background: In multiple myeloma (MM), bone-marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to tumor neoangiogenesis, and their levels covary with tumor mass and prognosis. Recent X-chromosome inactivation studies showed that EPCs are clonally restricted in MM. In addition, high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) found that the genomes of EPCs and MM cells display similar chromosomal gains and losses in the same patient. In this study, we performed an integrative analysis of EPCs and tumor cells by genome-wide expression profiling, and applied a bioinformatics approach that leverages gene expression data from cancer datasets to mine MM gene pathways common to multiple tumor tissues and likely involved in MM pathogenesis. Methods: Confluent EPCs (>98% vWF/CD133/KDR+ and CD38−) were outgrown from 22 untreated MM patients' bone marrow aspirates by adherence to laminin. The fractions enriched for tumor cells were >50% CD38+. For gene expression profiling, total RNA from EPCs, MM cells, and control HUVECs were hybridized to cDNA microarrays, and comparisons were made by analysis of variance. Results: Two sets of EPC gene profiles were of particular interest. The first contained genes that differ significantly between EPCs and HUVEC, but not between EPCs and tumor (Profile 1). We hypothesize that this profile is a consequence of the clonal identity previously reported between EPCs and tumor, and that a subset of these genes is largely responsible for MM progression. The second set of important EPC genes are differentially regulated compared both to HUVECs and to tumor cells (Profile 2). These genes may represent the profile of EPCs that are clonally diverse from tumor cells but nevertheless display common gene expression patterns with other cancers. Profile 2 genes may also represent genes that confer a predisposition to clonal transformation of EPCs. When genes in Profile 1 and Profile 2 were overlapped with published lists of cancer biomarkers, significant similarities (P Conclusions: The genomes of EPCs display ranges of overlap with tumor cells in MM, evidenced by gene expression profiles with varying similarity to those found in MM tumor cells. More importantly, MM EPC gene expression profiles, in contrast to normal endothelial cells, contain cancer biomarker genes in tumors not yet associated with MM. Results strongly support the concept that EPCs are an integral part of the neoplastic process in MM.
Durable and Hydrophobic Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Coatings via Fluoride Rearrangement of Phenyl T12 Silsesquioxane and Siloxanes.

There have been many successful efforts to enhance the water shedding properties of hydrophobic and superhydrophobic coatings, but durability is often a secondary concern. Here, we describe durable and hydrophobic coatings prepared via fluoride catalyzed rearrangement reaction of dodecaphenylsilsesquioxane [PhSiO1.5]12 (DDPS) with octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4). Hydrophobic properties and wear resistance are maximized by incorporating both low surface energy moieties and cross-linkable moieties into the siloxane network. Water contact angles as high as 150 ± 4° were achieved even after 150 wear cycles with SiC sandpaper (2000 grit, 2 kPa). These hybrid organic–inorganic copolymers also have high thermal stabilities after curing at 250 °C (Td5% ≥ 340 °C in air) due to the siloxane network with a maximum Td5% of >460 °C measured for the system with the highest silsesquioxane content. The coating systems presented here offer a unique combination of hydrophobicity and mechanical/thermal stability and could...
Variation in duct tape products over time: Physical measurements and adhesive compositional analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Four commonly available duct tape products manufactured and sold in North America were analyzed both physically and chemically to determine if parameters such as scrim count, width, thickness (overall and backing/film), or adhesive composition vary for a single product manufactured over a span of several months. Chemical composition of the adhesive was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In a previous study, these same products were analyzed to evaluate the intra-roll and intra-jumbo roll differences observed over the lengths and widths of duct tape rolls produced at single points in time, and minimal variation was noted in the recorded features. For this study, wider variation in some parameters was observed between jumbo rolls of the same product manufactured over time. While the means were found to differ in some limited instances, frequently the individual replicates/samples overlapped. Therefore, the intra-product population differences, even when statistically significant, were typically not considered a reliable basis for discrimination of individual samples.
Grünbaums Kritik am klinischen psychoanalytischen Beweis: „Ein Schaf im Wolfspelz?“

Als ernsthafter Psychoanalytiker mus ich (wie der Mann in der Reklame fur adstringierendes Rasierwasser) sagen: „Danke! Das habe ich gebraucht“.
Hospital Leadership Recognizes Need to Create Partnerships to Treat Consequences of Poverty

In this paper, two senior administrative leaders at a tertiary care children's hospital explain why they decided to partner with a community organization in order to better fulfill the hospital mission.
Relating Chemistry to Healthcare and MORE: Implementation of MORE in a Survey Organic and Biochemistry Course for Prehealth Students

We implemented a laboratory curriculum reform to teach foundational concepts in chemistry, particularly those concepts related to healthcare, in a chemistry course for prenursing students. Here, we discuss the reform, exploring how students built upon understandings gained in lab and correlating lab learning to course outcomes. We further discuss shifts in student work as they move through the course. As the course progressed, students became familiar with the pedagogy but also faced more challenging tasks. We present details on several of the laboratories that build the groundwork for understanding chemical principles, including the following: intermolecular forces, physical properties, acid–base chemistry, equilibrium, and chemical reactions. We further share our observations of student interactions around in-lab prompts and activities, and how these interactions inform our teaching. Our reform aims to improve critical thinking skills, namely, making and using models, observation skills, reasoning with ...
Pre‐operative core muscle index in combination with hypoalbuminemia is associated with poor prognosis in advanced ovarian cancer

Background and objectives Age and frailty have been correlated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer. Core muscle index (CMI) and nutritional status are integral in assessing frailty. We explored the effect of pre-operative serum albumin and body composition on clinical outcomes in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods We identified stage III-IV EOC patients undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery from 2007 to 2015. Data were abstracted from medical records. Body composition measurements were obtained from pre-operative imaging. Psoas muscle cross-sectional area was normalized to height2 to determine CMI. Sarcopenia was defined as CMI below the population mean. The influence of sarcopenia on short-term morbidity was evaluated. Relationships among body composition measurements and albumin were assessed with Spearman correlations. Patient characteristics and body composition measurements between patients with and without sarcopenia were compared with parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared using log-rank. Results 102 women met inclusion criteria. Sarcopenia correlated with albumin (P = 0.0002). Sarcopenia was not associated with short-term morbidity or time to recurrence. Sarcopenia was associated with nearly a fourfold increased risk of death when hypoalbuminemia was present (P = 0.02). Conclusions Pre-operative sarcopenia in combination with hypoalbuminemia was associated with significantly worse survival.
Microcirculation in Myocardium and Cerebral Cortex

The cerebral microcirculation has been studied by a variety of methods. Most of the early findings were based on histological observations. Craigie (1921) studied the vascularity of the cerebral cortex of the rat with microscopic techniques and Florey (1925) stimulated by Sherrington’s observations, used Indian ink injections to outline cerebral microcirculation. Dunning and Wolfe (1937) injected Berlin blue, and by histological observations determined the vascularity of the parietal cortex. Using radiographic as well as tissue transparency, Rowbotham (1967) observed blood supply of the cerebral hemisphere and the white matter. Haswegawa (1967) by metallic impregnation, discovered precapillary thoroughfare channels in the cerebral cortex.
Numerical Investigation of Basic Fourier Series

Our main objective in this chapter is to discuss several computational aspects of the theory of basic Fourier series. This includes numerical evaluation of the zeros of basic trigonometric functions, study of their bounds and asymptotics, and numerical examples demonstrating convergence of the q-Fourier series. Most of this material appeared in our joint paper with Bill Gosper [48], who wrote the special Macsyma program “namesum” for numerical evaluation of infinite sums and infinite products.
How we know universals: the perception of auditory and visual forms

Two neural mechanisms are described which exhibit recognition of forms. Both are independent of small perturbations at synapses of excitation, threshold, and synchrony, and are referred to partiular appropriate regions of the nervous system, thus suggesting experimental verification. The first mechanism averages an apparition over a group, and in the treatment of this mechanism it is suggested that scansion plays a significant part. The second mechanism reduces an apparition to a standard selected from among its many legitimate presentations. The former mechanism is exemplified by the recognition of chords regardless of pitch and shapes regardless of size. The latter is exemplified here only in the reflexive mechanism translating apparitions to the fovea. Both are extensions to contemporaneous functions of the knowing of universals heretofore treated by the authors only with respect to sequence in time.
Influencing perception of justice to leverage behavioral outcome: A perspective from restaurant service failure setting

This study evaluates a theoretical framework exploring the factors that influence restaurant customers’ positive-word-of-mouth behavior after a service failure and recovery experience. Anchored in ...
The Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Nephrectomy with Thrombectomy

Abstract Background The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an established signature of inflammation used for evaluating renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Objective To determine the utility of NLR and its relationship with known risk factors associated with poor survival in patients with metastatic RCC and tumor thrombus undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN). Design, setting, and participants Prognostic variables were reviewed for patients undergoing CN with thrombectomy between 2000 and 2014 from six different institutions. Patients were stratified for NLR >4.0 based on cut point analysis. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Kaplan-Meier curves compared overall survival of the total cohort and established risk models (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [MSKCC], International Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium [IMDC], and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center [MDACC]) stratified by NLR. Multivariable Cox regression determined predictors of overall survival. Receiver operator characteristic curves tested the predictive accuracy of survival ≥12 mo, and area under the curve (AUC) was compared between models. Results and limitations In total, 332 patients were identified. Patients with NLR ≤4.0 had longer median survival (24.7 vs 15.2 mo, p = 0.004). NLR >4.0 distinguished patients with significantly shorter survival for non-poor-risk groups defined by MSKCC, IMDC, and MDACC criteria. Systemic symptoms, low hemoglobin, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, retroperitoneal adenopathy, level IV thrombus, elevated absolute neutrophil count, and NLR >4 were independent predictors of decreased survival (p Conclusions NLR >4.0 independently predicts poor survival and further distinguishes established risk model survival curves. We identified seven preoperative risk factors related to poor survival for patients with metastatic RCC with tumor thrombus undergoing CN. Patient summary The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and six additional preoperative variables can be used to better council patients regarding survival after surgery for metastatic renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus.
Trans-generational transcriptomic response to natural variation in host plant toxicity and insecticides in a specialist insect.

Insects have been challenged by plant secondary metabolites throughout their evolutionary history. An important mechanism thought to promote insecticide resistance is the ability of insects to use preexisting detoxification systems originally evolved for tolerance of plant defenses. However, it remains unclear what level of convergence exists in metabolic mechanisms employed against various natural and xenobiotic chemicals? How do transcriptomic responses to these stressors change in response to novel and long-term exposure? We employ an experimental evolution approach in a milkweed- specialist aphid (Aphis nerii) model to test the effects of a more toxic host plant species and two insecticides commonly used in rotation in agriculture (a neonicotinoid, Imidacloprid, and a general homopteran blocker, Pymetrozine) on aphid gene expression and fitness over multiple generations of selection. Aphids were selected on three stress treatments: a toxic host plant species and two pesticides (Imidacloprid and Pymetrozine) for five generations. Whole transcriptome gene expression changes and changes in development time and fecundity were compared at generations one and five. While there were no consistent fitness costs or benefits to long-term exposure, exposure to stress is associated with increased transcriptional plasticity and changes in genes associated with the metabolism of secondary metabolites as well as genes important in transcription, translation, and post-translation processes.
Attack Detection and Approximation in Nonlinear Networked Control Systems Using Neural Networks

In networked control systems (NCS), a certain class of attacks on the communication network is known to raise traffic flows causing delays and packet losses to increase. This paper presents a novel neural network (NN)-based attack detection and estimation scheme that captures the abnormal traffic flow due to a class of attacks on the communication links within the feedback loop of an NCS. By modeling the unknown network flow as a nonlinear function at the bottleneck node and using a NN observer, the network attack detection residual is defined and utilized to determine the onset of an attack in the communication network when the residual exceeds a predefined threshold. Upon detection, another NN is used to estimate the flow injected by the attack. For the physical system, we develop an attack detection scheme by using an adaptive dynamic programming-based optimal event-triggered NN controller in the presence of network delays and packet losses. Attacks on the network as well as on the sensors of the physical system can be detected and estimated with the proposed scheme. The simulation results confirm theoretical conclusions.
The Gender/Estrogen Paradox and the Right Ventricle in Pulmonary Vascular Disease

The Clinical Trials Update highlights new and ongoing research trials that are relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of PAH. In this issue, Corey Ventetuolo, MD, MS, describes a study on the rela...
Mitochondrial Protection Partly Mitigates Kidney Cellular Senescence in Swine Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis.

Background/aims Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) may cause kidney injury and mitochondrial dysfunction, which is linked to cellular senescence. Elamipretide, a mitochondria-targeted peptide, improves renal function in ARAS, but whether it alleviates senescence is unknown. We hypothesized that elamipretide would reduce senescence stenotic kidney (STK) in ARAS. Methods Domestic pigs were randomized to control and unilateral ARAS untreated or treated with subcutaneous elamipretide (5d/wk) for 4 weeks starting after 6 weeks of ARAS or sham (n=6 each). After completion of treatment, STK renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were assessed in-vivo using multi-detector computed-tomography. Renal fibrosis and oxidative stress were analyzed in trichrome- and dihydroethidium-stained slides, respectively. Mitochondrial markers involved in the electrontransport chain (COX4, ATP/ADP ratio), biogenesis (PGC1α, PPARα), dynamics (MFN2, DRP1), and mitophagy (parkin, p62) were measured in the kidney using ELISA, western-blot, and immunohistochemistry. Cellular senescence (senescence-associated β-galactosidase and heterochromatin foci, phosphorylated-H2AX, and p16/21/53) and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP; PAI-1, MCP-1, TGFβ, and TNFα) markers were studied by microscopy, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and western-blot. Results Blood pressure was elevated whereas STK-RBF and GFR were decreased in ARAS pigs, and tissue scarring was increased. ARAS induced STK cellular senescence and accumulated dysfunctional mitochondria, which were associated with cardiolipin loss, upregulated mitochondrial biogenesis, and defective mitophagy. Elamipretide normalized STK-RBF and GFR, alleviated fibrosis and oxidative stress, and restored mitochondrial cardiolipin, biogenesis, and mitophagy in ARAS, but did not change SASP markers, and attenuated only senescenceassociated β-galactosidase activity and p53 gene expression. Conclusion Mitochondrial protection improved renal function and fibrosis in the ARAS STK, but only partly mitigated cellular senescence. This finding suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may not be a major determinant of cellular senescence in the early stage of ARAS.
Differential mucosal gene expression modulates the development of murine colitis

46 Introduction 47 Material and Methods 48 Results 50 Discussion 63 References 66 Supplemental Data 72 CHAPTER 3. EFFECTS OF Helicobacter bilis COLONIZATION ON MURINE COLITIS INDUCED BY DEXTRAN SODIUM SULFATE 80 Abstract 80 Introduction 81 Material and Methods 83 Results 87 Discussion 101 References 105 Supplemental Data 11080 Introduction 81 Material and Methods 83 Results 87 Discussion 101 References 105 Supplemental Data 110 CHAPTER 4. ORAL TREATMENT WITH HYPOXOSIDE AMELIORATES Brachyspira hyodysenteriae INDUCED MURINE COLITIS 114 Abstract 114 Introduction 115 Material and Methods 117114 Introduction 115 Material and Methods 117
Interactive Technologies Designed for Children with Autism: Reports of Use and Desires from Parents, Teachers, and Therapists

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects many people; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 59 children are currently identified with ASD in the United States. Although it is difficult to generalize about people with ASD due to their heterogeneity, many share an affinity for technologies; as such, numerous academic endeavors and commercial products have focused on the creation of interactive technologies for ASD. In this article, we present findings from 19 interviews and 230 surveys with parents, teachers, and therapists who had children with ASD in their care and had considered or used interactive technologies with those children. We aimed to understand how interactive technologies were used, perceived, desired, and discovered. Findings of use and perception included the following: participants had tried a wide range of commercially available technologies but had very few reported products in common, products were limited to commercial mobile-based apps, and apps were typically perceived positively. In regard to desires, participants hoped for future technologies on diverse platforms (e.g., robots, virtual reality) with more consideration given to personalization, customization, and incorporation of audio and video. Findings about discovery included the following: participants chose technologies in an information-poor environment, and although there are many academic projects aimed at participants’ desires, no participants reported any experience working with researchers. Implications of this study include the need for a recommendation and information sharing system to help people choose and discover appropriate and effective interactive technologies that are a good fit for their child. This work also pointed to a need for such a system to include findings from lab (experimental and usability) studies of commercially available interactive technologies to provide measures of efficacy and usability. Our envisioned system could also potentially help academic researchers with outreach to wider audiences.
Reduced-volume tumor-bed boost is not associated with inferior local control and survival outcomes in high-risk medulloblastoma.

Background Radiotherapy boost to the entire posterior fossa (PF) is standard of care for high-risk (H-R) medulloblastoma patients; the utility of tumor bed (TB)-only boost is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of PF versus TB boost volume on tumor control and survival in the H-R medulloblastoma population. Methods Single-institution records for patients with H-R medulloblastoma were reviewed. The median craniospinal irradiation dose was 36 Gy (range, 23.4-45 Gy), and boost doses to either PF or TB were 54 to 55.8 Gy. PF (local) failures were scored as in-field, marginal (between 80% and 95% isodose lines), or distant. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards were used to assess the impact of radiation boost technique on local control (LC) and survival endpoints. Results Thirty-two patients with H-R medulloblastoma were treated between 1990 and 2015, with a median follow-up length of 5.12 years. Twenty-two patients received PF boost, and 10 received TB boost. Patient and disease characteristic were comparable between groups. A total of 11 PF failures occurred, including 3 isolated LFs (2 in the PF and 1 in the TB group). Most PF failures were in-field: three of four in the TB group and six of seven in the PF group; the remainder were marginal failures. TB boost was not associated with inferior LC (hazard ratio [HR] 0.86, log-rank P = 0.81) or overall survival (HR 1.40, P = 0.56) compared with PF boost. Conclusion Reduced-volume radiotherapy boost to the TB does not appear to compromise LC or survival in patients with H-R medulloblastoma; it may reduce the risk of ototoxicity.