cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeting the Immune System in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Bridging the Gap Between Promising Concept and Therapeutic Reality

Developing effective immunotherapy for lung cancer is a daunting but hugely attractive challenge. Until recently, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was thought of as a nonimmunogenic tumor, but there is now evidence highlighting the integral role played by both inflammatory and immunologic responses in lung carcinogenesis. Despite recent encouraging preclinical and phase I/II data, there are a paucity of phase III trials showing a clear clinical benefit for vaccines in lung cancer. There are many difficulties to overcome before the development of a successful therapy. Perhaps a measurable immune response may not translate into a clinically meaningful or radiologic response. Patient selection may also be a problem for ongoing clinical studies. The majority of trials for lung cancer vaccines are focused on patients with an advanced stage of the disease; however, the ideal candidates may be patients with a lower tumor burden and stage I or II disease. Selecting the exact antigens to target is also difficult. It will likely require multiple epitopes of a diverse set of genes restricted to multiple haplotypes to generate a truly effective vaccine that is able to overcome the various immunologic escape mechanisms that tumors use. This review discusses the most promising active immunotherapy using protein/peptide vaccines, whole cell vaccines, and dendritic cell vaccines and examines current phase I and II clinical trial data on some novel nonspecific immunomodulating agents.
Skin/nail infections with the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

We report a series of breast cancer patients with invasive skin and nail infections with Staphylococcus species that we attribute to the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based therapy. With the suspicion of an increased incidence of cutaneous infection in patients treated with pertuzumab and trastuzumab-based chemotherapy, treating medical oncologists identified patients receiving therapy who experienced infection. Between March and October 2014, 18 patients treated with pertuzumab and trastuzumab-based chemotherapy were found to have 21 separate skin/nail infections. Treatment was administered as neoadjuvant therapy in 12 (67 %) patients, adjuvant therapy in four (22 %) patients, and for metastatic disease in two (11 %) patients. Granulocyte growth factors were administered in 11 (61 %) patients and no patients were documented to be neutropenic. New skin and nail lesions developed as early as cycle 1 and as late as 8 months from initial therapy. The 21 separate infections documented were folliculitis and “bite-like” lesions (10), abscess (6), paronychia (3), and cellulitis (2). The appearance of these lesions was distinct from typical EGFR-associated skin changes. When cultures were obtained, Staphylococcus species were isolated. Quantitative immunoglobulins were assessed in 14 (78 %) patients and were abnormally low in six (43 %) of these patients. The skin infections resulted in treatment delay in two (11 %) patients and premature discontinuation of therapy in one patient. We believe that the skin/nail infections reported here in patients treated with the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab represent a previously unrecognized toxicity of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based therapies.
Prevalence of Corynebacterial 16S rRNA Sequences in Patients with Bacterial and “Nonbacterial” Prostatitis

The etiology of chronic prostatitis syndromes in men is controversial, particularly when positive cultures for established uropathogens are lacking. Although identification of bacteria in prostatic fluid has relied on cultivation and microscopy, most microorganisms in the environment, including some human pathogens, are resistant to cultivation. We report here on an rRNA-based molecular phylogenetic approach to the identification of bacteria in prostate fluid from prostatitis patients. Positive bacterial signals were seen for 65% of patients with chronic prostatitis overall. Seven of 11 patients with bacterial signals but none of 6 patients without bacterial signals were cured with antibiotic-based therapy. Results indicate the occurrence in the prostate fluid of a wide spectrum of bacterial species representing several genera. Most rRNA genes were closely related to those of species belonging to the genera Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia. Unexpectedly, a wide diversity of Corynebacterium species was found in high proportion compared to the proportions of other bacterial species found. A subset of these 16S rRNA sequences represent those of undescribed species on the basis of their positions in phylogenetic trees. These uncharacterized organisms were not detected in control samples, suggesting that the organisms have a role in the disease or are the consequence of the disease. These studies show that microorganisms associated with prostatitis generally occur as complex microbial communities that differ between patients. The results also indicate that microbial communities distinct from those associated with prostatitis may occur at low levels in normal prostatic fluid.
Oughts and Cans

J. L. Austin opened his celebrated paper Tfs and Cans’1with the question, “Are cans constitutionally iffy?” Now, whatever answer one gives to this question, I want to maintain, against the tradition which holds that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’, that some oughts may be positively uncanny. Or rather, I want to argue that ‘ought’ does not entail ‘can’ (i. e., I want to argue against the OES supposition) — insofar as ‘can’ is used in such a way that the determinism/in determinism question has a bearing on the claim that someone can act (or could have acted) otherwise than he will (or did). Thus, if to say that an agent could have acted otherwise is taken as implying that his action did not have sufficient conditions which were, or could be traced back to factors which were, outside the agent’s control, then on this use of ’could’ (or of ’can’), determinism/in determinism is relevant to the question of substitutability. It seems clear that some such notion of substitutability — i. e., of ‘X could have done otherwise’ — along, of course, with the OES supposition, underlies the Dilemma of Obligability. Since my concern is with this Dilemma, and especially with its untenable conclusion that the notion of obligability can have no application, my concern is with such a conception of substitutability which, as a component of the OES supposition, would support that conclusion. My further concern, obviously is to argue against the supposition.
Reversal of Selective Toxicity of (−)-α-Lipoic Acid by Thiamine in Thiamine-deficient Rats

INTRAPERITONEAL injection of (±)-α-lipoic acid has been reported to be toxic to thiamine-deficient rats1. Development of the toxic effect was prevented by simultaneous injection of 100 µg of thiamine hydrochloride. It was also noticed that (±)-α-lipoic acid, unlike neopyrithiamine, had no effect on thiamine excretion. The toxicity of (±)-α-lipoic acid to thiamine-deficient rats therefore could not be related to the depletion of the thiamine reserves present in the organs of thiamine-deficient animals. Obviously, the results obtained from the use of the racemic form of lipoic acid could not reveal whether both or one of the isomers had been responsible for the toxic effects in the deficient animals. In order to clarify the relative toxicity of the isomers of lipoic acid in thiamine-deficient rats, the experiments were repeated with the natural and unnatural isomers of α-lipoic acid. The preparation of pure (+)-α-lipoic acid was accomplished from (+)-6,8-dichlorooctanoic acid (−)-ephedrine salt2. However, the (−)-α-lipoic acid was found to be contaminated with 15–20 per cent of the dextro-rotatory enantiomorph2. Therefore, the pure (−)-α-lipoic acid was synthesized from the purified (−)-6,8-dichlorooctanoic acid (+)-ephedrine salt. This was obtained after converting a sample of (−)-6,8-dichlorooctanoic acid (−)-ephedrine salt into the (+)-ephedrine salt. (The (−)-6,8-dichlorooctanoic acid (−)-ephedrine salt was generously supplied by Dr. W. J. Wayne of Du Pont.)
Integrating algebra and proof in high school mathematics: An exploratory study

Abstract Frequently, in the US students’ work with proofs is largely concentrated to the domain of high school geometry, thus providing students with a distorted image of what proof entails, which is at odds with the central role that proof plays in mathematics. Despite the centrality of proof in mathematics, there is a lack of studies addressing how to integrate proof into other mathematical domains. In this paper, we discuss a teaching experiment designed to integrate algebra and proof in the high school curriculum. Algebraic proof was envisioned as the vehicle that would provide high school students the opportunity to learn not only about proof in a context other than geometry, but also about aspects of algebra. Results from the experiment indicate that students meaningfully learned about aspects of both algebra and proof in that they produced algebraic proofs involving multiple variables, based on conjectures they themselves generated.
Recovery and Viability of Sulfur Cinquefoil Seeds From the Feces of Sheep and Goats

Targeted grazing by sheep or goats is a potentially useful tool for suppressing the noxious weed sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta L.). However, possible transmission of weed seeds by grazing livestock is a serious ecological concern that must be addressed in any targeted grazing prescription. We investigated the effect of sheep and goat digestion on the viability of sulfur cinquefoil seeds collected from live plants growing on a foothill rangeland site in southwestern Montana. Eight sheep and eight goats (all wethers) were each gavaged with 5 000 sulfur cinquefoil seeds. Four animals of each species received immature seeds, and four animals received mature seeds. All animals were fed ground grass hay in excess daily, and intake averaged 2.0% body weight · d−1. Total fecal collection began immediately after gavaging and continued for 7 consecutive days. Once each day, all identifiable sulfur cinquefoil seeds were recovered and counted from fecal subsamples. Seed viability before gavaging averaged 36% for immature seeds and 76% for mature seeds. Sheep and goats excreted similar numbers of viable seeds. Almost all (98%) of the viable seeds recovered from sheep and goats were excreted during Day 1 and Day 2 after gavaging. No viable seeds were recovered from either sheep or goats after Day 3. Our estimates of sulfur cinquefoil seed excretion and viability in sheep and goat feces are likely inflated compared with targeted grazing animals because gavaging with seeds bypassed mastication. Grazing livestock that consume sulfur cinquefoil seeds should be kept in a corral for at least 3 d to prevent transferring viable seeds to uninfested areas.
Macroscopic Twinning Strain in Nanocrystalline Cu

Most deformation twins in nanocrystalline face-centered cubic (NC fcc) metals are reported to produce zero-macrostrain, which is attributed to either random activation of partials (RAP) or cooperative slip of three partials (CSTP). Here, we report that when the RAP mechanism is suppressed, ∼44% twins in NC Cu produced zero-macrostrain via the CSTP mechanism. This indicates that both RAP and CSTP are major mechanisms to generate zero-macrostrain twins. In addition, our results also indicate that stress state affects the twinning mechanism in NC fcc metals, and monotonic activation of partials with the same Burgers vector dominates twin formation under monotonic stress.
Personality and Civic Engagement: An Integrative Framework for the Study of Trait Effects on Political Behavior

People’s enduring psychological tendencies are reflected in their traits. Contemporary research on personality establishes that traits are rooted largely in biology, and that the central aspects of personality can be captured in frameworks, or taxonomies, focused on five trait dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability. In this article, we integrate a five-factor view of trait structure within a holistic model of the antecedents of political behavior, one that accounts not only for personality, but also for other factors, including biological and environmental influences. This approach permits attention to the complex processes that likely underlie trait effects, and especially to possible trait–situation interactions. Primary tests of our hypotheses draw on data from a 2006 U.S. survey, with supplemental tests introducing data from Uruguay and Venezuela. Empirical analyses not only provide evidence of the value of research on personality and politics, but also signal some of the hurdles that must be overcome for inquiry in this area to be most fruitful.
Lithocholyltaurine interacts with cholinergic receptors on dispersed chief cells from guinea pig stomach

Although bile acids damage gastric mucosa, the mechanisms underlying tissue injury induced by these agents are not well understood. To determine whether bile acids alter gastric secretory function, we investigated the actions of sodium cholate, deoxycholate, lithocholate, and their taurine and glycine conjugates on a highly homogeneous population of gastric chief cells. Lithocholyltaurine (LCT), a particularly injurious bile acid, caused a threefold increase in pepsinogen secretion (detectable with 100 nM and maximal with 10 μM LCT). When combined with other secretagogues, increasing concentrations of LCT caused progressive inhibition of carbamylcholine (carbachol)-induced pepsinogen secretion but did not alter CCK- or 8-bromo-cAMP-induced secretion. Taurine and unconjugated lithocholate did not alter basal or carbachol-induced secretion. These observations suggested that LCT is a partial cholinergic agonist. To test this hypothesis, we examined the actions of the cholinergic antagonist atropine on LCT-in...
Validating the use of short interfering RNA as a novel technique for cell-specific target gene knockdown in lung ischemia–reperfusion injury

Abstract Objective Short interfering RNA is an effective method for target gene knockdown. However, concerns surround the design, administration, efficacy, specificity, and immunostimulatory potential. Although uptake by alveolar macrophages has been demonstrated, studies have not examined its use in lung ischemia–reperfusion injury. We describe the validation of short interference RNA as a novel technique for cell-specific target gene knockdown in our model of lung ischemia–reperfusion injury. Methods Dose-response experiments were performed, and 3 distinct sequences of toll-like receptor-4, toll-like receptor-2, and myeloid differentiation factor-88 short interference RNA were tested for efficacy of knockdown. Saline, lipid vector, and noncoding short interference RNA controls were used. Similar experiments were performed in primary cultures of resident pulmonary cells. Target protein knockdown was assessed by Western blot. Rat serum and cell culture media were assessed for interferon and cytokine production. Biotin labeling was used to assess short interference RNA uptake. Results Target protein expression was significantly reduced using short interference RNA. However, toll-like receptor-4 knockdown was isolated to alveolar macrophages, and biotin labeling confirmed toll-like receptor-4 short interference RNA localization to alveolar macrophages. There was significant knockdown of toll-like receptor-4 expression in cultured cells treated with toll-like receptor-4 short interference RNA. There was no significant change in interferon production after short interference RNA treatment. There was effective target protein knockdown with each sequence used. Conclusions Short interference RNA is a valid method for achieving target protein knockdown in alveolar macrophages and is an important tool in the evaluation of its role in the development of lung ischemia–reperfusion injury.
MicroRNA Cargo of Extracellular Vesicles from Alcohol-exposed Monocytes Signals Naive Monocytes to Differentiate into M2 Macrophages

Membrane-coated extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells can serve as vehicles for delivery of biological materials and signals. Recently, we demonstrated that alcohol-treated hepatocytes cross-talk with immune cells via exosomes containing microRNA (miRNAs). Here, we hypothesized that alcohol-exposed monocytes can communicate with naive monocytes via EVs. We observed increased numbers of EVs, mostly exosomes, secreted by primary human monocytes and THP-1 monocytic cells in the presence of alcohol in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. EVs derived from alcohol-treated monocytes stimulated naive monocytes to polarize into M2 macrophages as indicated by increased surface expression of CD68 (macrophage marker), M2 markers (CD206 (mannose receptor) and CD163 (scavenger receptor)), secretion of IL-10, and TGFβ and increased phagocytic activity. miRNA profiling of the EVs derived from alcohol-treated THP-1 monocytes revealed high expression of the M2-polarizing miRNA, miR-27a. Treatment of naive monocytes with control EVs overexpressing miR-27a reproduced the effect of EVs from alcohol-treated monocytes on naive monocytes and induced M2 polarization, suggesting that the effect of alcohol EVs was mediated by miR-27a. We found that miR-27a modulated the process of phagocytosis by targeting CD206 expression on monocytes. Importantly, analysis of circulating EVs from plasma of alcoholic hepatitis patients revealed increased numbers of EVs that contained high levels of miR-27a as compared with healthy controls. Our results demonstrate the following: first, alcohol increases EV production in monocytes; second, alcohol-exposed monocytes communicate with naive monocytes via EVs; and third, miR-27a cargo in monocyte-derived EVs can program naive monocytes to polarize into M2 macrophages.
Impaired development of interstitial cells and intestinal electrical rhythmicity in steel mutants

Electrical rhythmicity in the gastrointestinal tract may originate in interstitial cells of Cajal (IC). Development of IC in the small intestine is linked to signaling via the tyrosine kinase recep...
Methylated spirits: epigenetic hypotheses of psychiatric disorders.

Our spirits may be regulated by the methylation of our genes. Methylation, acetylation, and other biochemical processes are the molecular switches for turning genes on and off. There is evidence now that certain behaviors, feelings, and psychiatric symptoms may be modified by turning various genes on or off. If classical genetics is the sequence of DNA that is inherited, then epigenetics is a parallel process determining whether a given gene (ie, a sequence of DNA coding for transcription) is expressed into its RNA or is silenced. Epigenetics is now entering psychiatry with the hypothesis that normal genes as well as risk genes can both contribute to a mental disorder. That is, it has long been hypothesized that when “abnormal” genes with an altered sequence of DNA are inherited as risk genes for a mental illness, these risk genes will make an abnormal gene product in neurons, contributing to inefficient information processing in various brain circuits and creating risk for developing a symptom of a mental illness. Now comes the role of epigenetic actions in mental illnesses.
Introduction to Hypotheses Testing

The statistical concepts discussed in this review are intended as a basis to understanding concepts that will be presented in PHYSICAL THERAPY during the coming months. The basis for hypotheses testing is probability theory. When a null hypothesis is either accepted or rejected, researchers are stating the probability that a specific treatment will be more or equally effective in a specific population under stated conditions. This ability to predict, based on appropriate application and interpretation of statistical tests, ultimately improves patient care.
Functional monitoring of blood flow dynamics in brain with photon correlation techniques

We introduce a new software correlator approach for continuous high-speed (up to 100 Hz) monitoring of blood flow dynamics with Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy. The functionality of the high-speed software correlator is demonstrated with measurements of baseline blood flow dynamics. The utility of high-data-rate blood flow monitoring is demonstrated with measurements of cerebral autoregulation dynamics.
Substrate-Dependent Features of Polyethylene Oxide (PEO) Adsorption from Aqueous Solution: Competitive Adsorption Versus Surface Relaxations

This work employed total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) to examine the adsorption kinetics of polyethylene oxide (PEO) on silica from aqueous solution in controlled shearing flow. Studies with PEO, fluorescently labeled such that TIRF tracked the chain number on the surface, exhibited an overshoot in the early stages of adsorption. This overshoot was not seen with other polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol, and hydroxyethyl cellulose, possibly because these other polymers were labeled such that TIRF measured the interfacial mass. Indeed, reflectometry studies of PEO adsorption, sensitive to interfacial mass, showed no overshoot. This suggests that the overshoot results from the selectivity of the surface for high molecular weight populations within a polydisperse sample. Initially short chains adsorb because they diffuse to the surface quickly. At longer times, higher molecular weight chains reach the surface and replace the short chains. This evolution occurs as the mass coverage increases (according to reflectivity) but the number of adsorbed chains, and hence the TIRF signal decrease at long times. A study of the impact of the molecular weight distribution confirmed this hypothesis. Several complications to the molecular weight selectivity hypothesis, however, arose: First, the same PEO samples which overshot during adsorption on silica showed no overshoot on a polystyrene substrate. This suggested that the ability to overshoot was governed by the substratesegment interactions, even though the molecular weight distribution within the sample determined the overshoot shape. Further, the effect of transport conditions (wall shear rate, bulk polymer concentration) were not completely consistent with the molecular weight competition hypothesis, which was based on surface-solution equilibrium, taking into account transport-limited rates of adsorption. Finally certain runs, where the adsorption process was interrupted by solvent flow and later allowed to proceed, never reached the full coverage seen for uninterrupted runs. Hence, the surface coverage and possibly the chain configurations can depend on the history of the adsorption process, a feature which points to surface relaxations and non-equilibrium structures.
Can Radiocarpal-Spanning Fixation Be Made More Functional by Placing the Wrist in Extension? A Biomechanical Study Under Physiologic Loads

We investigate whether applying an internal radiocarpal-spanning plate with the wrist in slight extension affects the biomechanical stability of the construct. An unstable distal radius fracture was simulated in 10 cadaveric specimens and immobilized with a radiocarpal-spanning plate holding the wrist in a neutral position. This construct was then physiologically loaded through the wrist flexor and extensor tendons. The resulting motion at the fracture was captured with a displacement sensor. The plate was then extended using an in situ bending technique, placing the wrist in extension, and the experiment was repeated. No statistically significant difference in the biomechanical stability afforded by the radiocarpal-spanning plate was detected with the wrist in extension compared to that in the traditional neutral position. The radiocarpal-spanning plate fixation was more stable when loaded through the extensor tendons. We conclude that immobilizing a distal radius fracture with an internal radiocarpal-spanning plate that holds the wrist in extension does not compromise biomechanical stability.
Policies on Microgrid in Developed Countries and Implications for China

According to the energy strategy of China,distributed generation and microgrid will prosper in the coming years with corresponding policies to ensure orderly development.This paper surveys collections of files and gets a general view about the policies of distributed generation and microgrid in developed countries,including status in quo,market entry policies,grid-connected standards,tariff affairs,energy trade for microgrids.Based on above analysis and taking into account the situation of China,this paper gives a set of recommendations for microgrid's development in China.
The role of ambulatory monitoring in reducing the errors associated with blood pressure measurement.

The measurement of blood pressure for the clinical evaluation of hypertensive subjects is subject to three types of error. First is the error due to the measurement procedure itself. Although noninvasive methods are less accurate than invasive ones, they are preferred for clinical use both because of their convenience and safety, and because they form the basis of our knowledge of the risks associated with hypertension. Most automatic recorders use either the Korotkoff sound or oscillometric techniques, which generally provide an acceptable accuracy (to within 5 mmHg), although a new method (the K2 technique) may be the most accurate. The second error arises from the spontaneous variability of blood pressure, such that single clinic readings may vary by as much as 20 mmHg. This error can be reduced by multiple readings, e.g. obtained with ambulatory monitoring. The third type of error arises from a spurious elevation of blood pressure in the clinic (the white coat effect), which also may be as much as 20 mmHg. This can be reduced by including readings taken outside the clinic, e.g., by self- or ambulatory monitoring.
Methods for the Detection of ROS in Human Sperm Samples

Male-factor significantly contributes to infertility in couples of reproductive age. Several studies have shown that oxidative stress (OS) is involved in the pathophysiology of male infertility. It is caused by an imbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ability of the antioxidants to scavenge them. There are several methods to measure seminal ROS in the clinical setting, most notably among them is the chemiluminescence assay. This technique measures the global ROS, i.e., both the intra- and extracellular ROS. The measurement of seminal ROS employing the chemiluminescence technique in clinical andrology labs is explained in this chapter. Through a deeper understanding of ROS and its measurement, clinical andrology labs can better assist patients to achieve increased rates of fertility and pregnancy.
Surgical Therapy: Dexamethasone Biodegradable Intravitreal Implant (Ozurdex®)

The treatment of uveitis has always been a delicate balancing act of managing complications of the disease and the toxicity of the ensuing therapy. Systemic medications have potential side effects to various organ systems in the body and the inherent risk of infectious complications.
Measuring Sound-Processor Threshold Levels for Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Conditioned Play Audiometry via Telepractice

Purpose This study evaluated the use of telepractice for measuring cochlear implant (CI) behavioral threshold (T) levels in children using conditioned play audiometry (CPA). The goals were to deter...
Identifying Factors That Impact Virtual Teams

Abstract In our modern age of globalization, organizations are forced to explore several means of increasing performance, by using technology in the most efficient ways. The speed and agility of technology have caused the materialization of Virtual Teams. The following literature review attempts to cover various identifying factors that impact virtual teams. Factors such as Leadership and Management Styles, Multiculturalism, Communication, Conflict resolution, and Trust. Studies showed that effective leadership would help to facilitate an easier workflow. This included leaders that understood the significant effects of multiculturalism on team cohesiveness. The literature gives a clear understanding of how communication if not properly managed can lead to conflict in virtual teams. The literature reported on the investigation of the impact of conflict resolution on virtual teams and how trust must be built to encourage high work performance. Though several studies on the dynamic nature of virtual teams were insightful, many contained limited solution on conflict resolution. This study concludes with the possibility of future investigation and hopes that more studies would soon emerge.
Oxygen isotope temperatures of 'equilibrated' ordinary chondrites.

Measurements have been made of O-18/O-16 ratios of coexisting minerals (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine) from nine ordinary chondrites. The O-18 content of a given mineral increases systematically from H through L to LL group. Isotope fractionations for mineral pairs fall on a concordancy line, suggesting that these minerals were crystallized in oxygen isotope equilibrium. The isotopic temperature is estimated to be 950 (plus or minus 100) C for seven of the type 5 and type 6 chondrites.
Is the Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) the Metric Needed to Assist with Postgraduate Admissions? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: The ADAT Provides a Viable Solution to Help Postgraduate Programs Differentiate Applicants and Viewpoint 2: The ADAT Has Questionable Utility and Value for Postgraduate Admissions

In 2012, when the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) was changed from a numerical scoring system to pass/fail, advanced dental education programs lost a metric widely used for differentiating applicants to those programs. The American Dental Association (ADA) has developed the Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) to address this issue. Implementation of the ADAT began in 2016 with a pilot program, which has not yet been widely accepted in the overall admissions process. This Point/Counterpoint explores the benefits and challenges of using the ADAT for postgraduate admissions. Viewpoint 1 supports use of the ADAT, arguing that the test provides a viable, long-term solution to this immediate need. In contrast, Viewpoint 2 questions the need for and appropriateness of this additional academic measure for postgraduate admissions.
Metabolic anticipation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Humans serve as both host and reservoir for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, making tuberculosis a theoretically eradicable disease. How M. tuberculosis alternates between host-imposed quiescence and sporadic bouts of replication to complete its life cycle, however, remains unknown. Here, we identify a metabolic adaptation that is triggered upon entry into hypoxia-induced quiescence but facilitates subsequent cell cycle re-entry. Catabolic remodelling of the cell surface trehalose mycolates of M. tuberculosis specifically generates metabolic intermediates reserved for re-initiation of peptidoglycan biosynthesis. These adaptations reveal a metabolic network with the regulatory capacity to mount an anticipatory response. When faced with hypoxic conditions, Mycobacterium tuberculosis adapts its metabolism to generate intermediates reserved for re-initiation of peptidoglycan biosynthesis that can be used as soon as it is re-exposed to normoxia.
Evaluation of Barometric Leveling

A statistical analysis of elevations obtained by the single base, double base, and triple base methods of barometric leveling is presented. The field procedures employed are discussed and the reductions by the single base, double base, and triple base methods are compared and evaluated.
Pelvic floor muscle weakness: a risk factor for anterior vaginal wall prolapse recurrence.

Native tissue vaginal repairs are associated with relatively high levels of recurrence. Systematic reviews have noted that preoperative pelvic floor muscle strength was associated with increased risk of recurrence in the short term. This is a retrospective review of patients who underwent a primary reconstructive surgery for anterior compartment vaginal prolapse between 2001 and 2015. Patients were divided into “absent,” “weak” and “good” preoperative PFM strength (aPFM, wPFM and gPFM, respectively) based on a modified Oxford scale. Failure rates were determined by a composite of subjective and objective anatomic outcomes. Subjects who underwent re-operations or procedures for recurrent prolapse of the anterior compartment were considered failures. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Two hundred ninety-nine patients were included. The aPFM (n = 36), wPFM (n = 115) and gPFM (n = 148) groups had similar descriptive statistics, except subjects in the aPFM and wPFM groups were significantly older than the gPFM group (p = 0.008). All groups underwent similar reconstructive surgeries. Average length of follow-up of 143.9 weeks (41 to 717 weeks) was similar among the three groups (p = 0.472). For the primary outcome of composite failure, aPFM had significantly more anterior vaginal wall recurrences than both the wPFM and gPFM groups, 13.89% vs. 3.48% and 4.05%, respectively (p = 0.033). Patients with preoperative absent pelvic floor muscle strength (nonfunctioning PFM) had a significantly higher anterior vaginal wall recurrence rate than those with weak or good pelvic floor muscle strength.
A case-study based framework for assessing the multi-sector performance of green infrastructure.

Abstract Green infrastructure is emerging as a holistic stormwater management strategy that can also provide multi-sector benefits. Robust demonstration of project success can help leverage the appeal of green infrastructure to different sectors and open the door to a variety of funding opportunities. Yet comprehensively assessing the performance of these natural systems can be challenging, especially when communicating the benefits to a wide variety of stakeholders. A cohesive, well-described assessment structure may promote a higher degree of investor confidence by more comprehensively monitoring and measuring green infrastructure success. This paper develops a conceptual framework that incorporates a robust assessment component for communicating with potential investors through the inclusion of multiple evaluation methods, performance metrics, and risk categories. The applied performance of this framework is then validated using fourteen U.S. and international case studies. We found that our framework fit a wide range of projects while maintaining a degree of flexibility that did not sacrifice specificity when applied to individual case studies. This suggests that: 1) some GI projects already incorporate one or more evaluation methods; 2) a number of highly specific metrics—particularly social and economic performance metrics—exist that are capable of capturing a wide-range of benefits that can be easily integrated into a framework; 3) the incorporation of risk and risk management technique identification could be emphasized to increase investor confidence; 4) at least some degree of standardization across projects exists already which can help future project implementers design GI strategies that best fit their needs.
Recombinant Temporal Aberration Detection Algorithms for Enhanced Biosurveillance

Objective: Broadly, this research aims to improve the outbreak detection performance and, therefore, the cost effectiveness of automated syndromic surveillance systems by building novel, recombinant temporal aberration detection algorithms from components of previously developed detectors. Methods: This study decomposes existing temporal aberration detection algorithms into two sequential stages and investigates the individual impact of each stage on outbreak detection performance. The data forecasting stage (Stage 1) generates predictions of time series values a certain number of time steps in the future based on historical data. The anomaly measure stage (Stage 2) compares features of this prediction to corresponding features of the actual time series to compute a statistical anomaly measure. A Monte Carlo simulation procedure is then used to examine the recombinant algorithms' ability to detect synthetic aberrations injected into authentic syndromic time series. Results: New methods obtained with procedural components of published, sometimes widely used, algorithms were compared to the known methods using authentic datasets with plausible stochastic injected signals. Performance improvements were found for some of the recombinant methods, and these improvements were consistent over a range of data types, outbreak types, and outbreak sizes. For gradual outbreaks, the WEWD MovAvg7+WEWD Z-Score recombinant algorithm performed best; for sudden outbreaks, the HW+WEWD Z-Score performed best. Conclusion: This decomposition was found not only to yield valuable insight into the effects of the aberration detection algorithms but also to produce novel combinations of data forecasters and anomaly measures with enhanced detection performance.
Esophageal Preservation in Barrett’s Esophagus with High-Grade Dysplasia and Mucosal Adenocarcinoma

A surgeon may witness a radical shift in therapies a few times during a career. For example, the introduction and refinement of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic techniques have brought about a revolution in the management of a multitude of abdominal and thoracic disease processes over the past generation. Another more recent, yet equally significant, paradigm shift has been the popularization of endoscopic therapies for early esophageal neoplasia.
Light Scattering Studies of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

Scattering of narrow band coherent light from a laser source is a powerful tool to elucidate the behavior of thermotropic liquid crystals. That is because one may use light scattering to investigate both the static and dynamic behavior of director modes in liquid crystal phases. The director modes are often modified by the establishment of other types of order in liquid crystals, and their study enables one to investigate the establishment of both positional and bond orientational order in smectic phases.
Ida B. Wells: Social Reformer and Activist

In Ida B. Wells: Social Reformer and Activist, Kristina DuRocher provides a narrative history of the extraordinary life and career of African American journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. We...
Perceptions of effort sensations in children at varying stages of cognitive development

Most research on perceived effort in children has emanated from a physiological perspective. The purpose of this study was to delineate how children at two different levels of cognitive development...
The role of innate lymphoid cells in early life lung infection

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the commonest reason for bronchiolitis and hospitalisation for a child under the age of two. Children with severe bronchiolitis are at a high risk of developing wheeze and asthma later in childhood. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) may play a pivotal role in immunity to RSV bronchiolitis. Aims and Objectives: The role of ILCs in respiratory infection in infants is not well understood. We aim to investigate the role of ILCs in early life infection in viral bronchiolitis. Methods: ILCs frequencies will be investigated in blood and airway samples collected from infants based on severity of infection using established FACS panel. ILCs will be defined as CD45+, lineage negative (CD3, CD14, CD16, CD56, CD1a, CD123 FceR1α)-, CD127+ cells. Alongside cellular work, the immune mediators will be measured to identify ILCs stimulants using a variety of technique such as qRT-PCR, immunoassays and transcriptomics. Results: We successfully optimised a FACS panel for enumerating ILCs in different samples in small volumes of paediatric clinical samples. Preliminary results suggest ILCs numbers are increased in whole blood obtained from children compared to healthy adults. Conclusions: Small volumes of material can be used for ILC enumeration and preliminary studies demonstrate increased ILC numbers in whole blood obtained from children. In this project we will define the contribution of ILC to the development of viral bronchiolitis. Determining why some infants develop bronchiolitis could lead to better understanding of immunity and development of new biomarkers and clinical prophylactics.
The Plaintiff as Person: Cause Lawyering, Human Subject Research, and the Secret Agent Problem

Legal ethicists have long debated the circumstances, if any, under which a lawyer may ethically deviate from the traditional model of the client-attorney relationship by failing to zealously advocate for her client’s legally permissible goals. One camp (“the traditionalists”) has tended to insist that the lawyer, like the doctor, has an unwavering duty to single-mindedly dedicate herself to her client’s ends, lest she become a "double agent," while a second camp (“the critics”) has tended to argue that the primary aim of the lawyer should be justice. This Note, which was cited as recommended reading in The Green Bag's Almanac of Exemplary Legal Writing of 2006, stakes out a middle ground in this debate about professional accountability and role morality by analogizing cause lawyers to physician-researchers.I argue, against the traditionalists, that a lawyer need not single-mindedly pursue her client’s interests at the expense of her own values. Traditionalists often draw on analogies to the patient-doctor relationship to support the zealous advocacy model of lawyering. In fact, however, the human subject research that has been the mainstay of medical progress is a compromise between society’s need for that progress and a recognition of the physician as person, on the one hand, and the traditional understanding of the physician as fiduciary to (and, when therapy is scarce, zealous advocate for) her patients, on the other. The existence of a broad consensus both within the medical profession and in society at large that experimental research to which the patient-subject consents is ethical suggests that cause lawyering’s similar reprioritization of client and cause may also be ethical under similar circumstances.Contrary to many critics, however, I argue that the client-attorney relationship must remain essentially client-centered. A lawyer who departs from the traditional model may not conscript her client into service to her cause without the client’s voluntary, informed consent — regardless of how just the cause is or how strongly the client does (or, in the lawyer’s view, should) identify with it. The attorney owes her client the opportunity to make a voluntary, informed decision about whether the client believes that the potential benefits of participating in the lawyer’s legal activism outweighs the risks.In short, I argue that the real ethical problem of cause lawyering (and other nontraditional approaches) is not that of the double agent, but that of the secret agent — the lawyer who conceals from her client (whether consciously or not) her readiness to place her cause (or the common good, or the interests of other clients) above her client.
Point-of-care ultrasound for the evaluation of non-traumatic visual disturbances in the emergency department: The VIGMO protocol.

Abstract Objectives To establish a standardized approach for the rapid and accurate identification of non-traumatic, ophthalmologic pathology in patients with eye complaints in the emergency department. Methods In this detailed protocol we offer an easy, reproducible method for the use of ocular point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in helping practitioners identify and distinguish between common eye pathology encountered in the emergency setting: retinal detachment, vitreous detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, optic nerve pathology, and syneresis. Conclusions This protocol can help identify patients that may need urgent ophthalmology consultation those that can follow-up on an outpatient, and those that may need additional emergent testing.
Population genetics of American black bears in Georgia, USA

There are 3 American black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in the state of Georgia, USA. We used multi-locus microsatellite genotypes derived from bear hair and tissue samples collected across these populations to assess levels of genetic diversity within and between populations. We used population assignment clustering to evaluate whether there has been recent immigration into the smallest of the 3 populations, the Central Georgia Bear Population. Compared with other bear populations in the United States, the North Georgia and South Georgia Bear Populations have relatively high rates of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.72 ± 0.02, A = 6.68 ± 0.32, and Ho = 0.72 ± 0.02, A = 6.82 ± 0.35, respectively). In contrast, the Central Georgia Bear Population has relatively low rates (Ho = 0.46 ± 0.03, and A = 3.96 ± 0.20). Fixation indices for pairings between Georgia bear populations indicated that the North Georgia Bear Population was more similar to the South Georgia Bear Population than either was to the Central Georgia Bear Population. Our findings suggest that the Central Georgia Bear population has experienced long-term genetic isolation and genetic drift. Of a sample of 365 bears from Central Georgia, we only detected 1 immigrant and no evidence of gene flow into the population. We recommend development and implementation of plans to encourage gene flow toward the Central Georgia Bear Population.
What are the long-term consequences of youth exposure to firearm injury, and how do we prevent them? A scoping review

The long-term consequences of exposure to firearm injury—including suicide, assault, and mass shootings—on children’s mental and physical health is unknown. Using PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a scoping review of four databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsychINFO, and CJ abstract) between January 1, 1985 and April 2, 2018 for articles describing long-term outcomes of child or adolescent firearm injury exposure (n = 3582). Among included studies (n = 31), most used retrospective cohorts or cross-sectional studies to describe the correlation between firearm injury and post-traumatic stress. A disproportionate number of studies examined the effect of mass shootings, although few of these studies were conducted in the United States and none described the impact of social media. Despite methodologic limitations, youth firearm injury exposure is clearly linked to high rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms and high rates of future injury. Evidence is lacking on best practices for prevention of mental health and behavioral sequelae among youth exposed to firearm injury. Future research should use rigorous methods to identify prevalence, correlates, and intervention strategies for these at-risk youth.
The Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Students at a Multi-Campus University

This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of food insecurity among undergraduate college students (N = 524) in a poverty area. Results indicate that over half of the students (54%) who...
The dynamics of short sales constraints and market quality: An experimental approach

Abstract We test the effect of short sale constraints on market quality in an experimental setting. Short sale constrained securities trade at a premium, which is often higher than the difference between the view of the most optimistic investor and the fundamental value. Opinion dispersion contributes to overpricing; this result is more pronounced at the time opinion dispersion is induced. As time progresses, traders update their valuations with information from trading. Consequently, opinion dispersion narrows and its effect on overpricing dissipates. Under short sale constraints, the speed of price adjustment is slower, as prices never fully converge to their fundamental values.
Chapter 22 – Performance – Landing

The chapter presents the fundamental relations of the landing phase, including the equation of motion for a landing ground run and its kinematics. Then, several methods to solve the equation of motion are presented. Finally, landing performance data for selected single and multi-engine GA aircraft are tabulated to provide the designer with comparison to own estimation.