cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Juxtaglomerular cell tumor in an 8-year-old girl

Juxtaglomerular cell tumor (JGCT) is an extremely rare renal neoplasm in the pediatric population. It is considered a benign tumor arising from the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidney. JGCT has characteristic clinicopathologic features, but its cytogenetic features are unknown. We report a case of JGCT in an 8-year-old female who presented with severe hypertension, elevated serum renin level, and a well circumscribed tumor in the right kidney. Protogranules of renin was identified in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells by electron microscopic examination. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed monosomy of chromosomes X, 6, 9, 11, 15, and 21. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:406–409. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Imaging CSEM data in the presence of electrical anisotropy

Formation anisotropy should be incorporated into the analysis of controlled-source electromagnetic CSEM data becausefailuretodosocanproduceseriousartifactsintheresulting resistivity images for certain data configurations of interest.Thisfindingisdemonstratedinmodelandcasestudies. Sensitivity to horizontal resistivity will be strongest in the broadside electric field data where detectors are offset from the tow line. Sensitivity to vertical resistivity is strongestforoverflightdatawherethetransmittingantennapasses directlyoverthedetectingantenna.Consequently,consistent treatment of overflight and broadside electric field measurements requires an anisotropic modeling assumption. To produce a consistent resistivity model for such data, we develop and use a 3D CSEM imaging algorithm that treats transverse anisotropy. The algorithm is based on nonlinear conjugate gradients and full wave-equation modeling. It exploits parallel computing systems to effectively treat 3D imaging problems and CSEM data volumes of industrial size. We use it to demonstrate the anisotropic imaging process on model and field data sets from the North Sea and offshore Brazil. We alsoverifythatisotropicimagingofoverflightdataaloneproduces an image generally consistent with vertical resistivity. However,superiordatafitsareobtainedwhenthesameoverflight data are analyzed assuming an anisotropic resistivity model.
The occurrence and morphology of Adiantum × variopinnatum (Pteridaceae)

Abstract Two populations of Adiantum × variopinnatum were found at the La Selva Biological Field Station in Costa Rica. The plants were morphologically intermediate between their parents, showed additive isozyme banding patterns, and had aborted spores. Herbarium searches for the hybrid turned up specimens from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, and Colombia. These are the first reports of the hybrid outside of Trinidad.
Synergism of microwaves and ultrasound for advanced biorefineries

Abstract Conventional energy sources are limited and non-renewable and their consumption contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The world is in need of advanced biorefineries to meet ever growing energy demands associated with population growth and economic development. An advanced biorefinery should use renewable and sustainable (both in quality and quantity) feedstock that gives rise to higher energy gains with minimum non-renewable energy and resource consumption. Development of advanced biorefineries is currently encircled by two major issues. The first issue is to ensure adequate biofuel feedstock supplies while the second issue is to develop resource-efficient technologies for the feedstock conversion to maximize energy and economic and environmental benefits. While microalgae, microbial derived oils, and agricultural biomass and other energy crops show great potential for meeting current energy demands in a sustainable manner, process intensification and associated synergism can improve the resource utilization efficiency. Synergism of process intensification tools is important to increase energy efficiency, reduce chemical utilization and associated environmental impacts, and finally process economics. Among the many process intensification methods, this commentary provides a perspective on the essential role of MWs and US and their synergy in biofuel production. Individual, sequential, and simultaneous applications of MWs and US irradiations can be utilized for process intensification of various biofuels production and selective recovery of high value bioproducts. Process related barriers, namely mass and heat transfer limitations, can be eliminated by this synergism while improving the reaction efficiency and overall process economics significantly. In this article, a brief review focused on recent developments in MW and US mediated process intensification for biofuel synthesis and associated issues in their synergism followed by a discussion on current challenges and future prospective is presented.
Domain Name Piracy and Privacy: Do Federal Election Regulations Offer a Solution?

From e-commerce to online games to live streaming video, the Internet has arrived. A global audience has access to an "indescribable wealth of information," all available via a telephone line and a personal computer.2 Like many other activities once conducted exclusively in the offline world, political campaigns are beginning to make use of the Net.3 Given that nearly half of the adults in the United States have access to the Internet,4 it is not surprising that political candidates have developed campaign technologies and methods to exploit this new medium. However, the candidates themselves are not the only politically active citizens to make use of the World Wide Web. Like their counterparts in the commercial realm, political "cybersquatters" and "domain name pirates"5 have been quick to purchase potentially valuable domain names6 that are intuitively linked to candidates and their campaigns. These online squatters and pirates then either offer to sell the Internet address at a substantial premium above cost, or they post embarrassing material on the site. Such material may consist
A New Genus and Species of Mite (Acarina: Podapolipidae) Associated with Canthon humectus

A new genus, ARCHIPOLIPUS , is erected for a new species, A. canthoni which is associated with the beetle Canthon humectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The adult male, female, larviform female, and egg are described.
Is This Research? Productive Tensions in Living the (Collaborative) Autoethnographic Process

We came to collaborative autoethnography quite by accident. In this methodological paper, we consider our experiences as we embraced a new methodology, taught and researched collaboratively in an i...
C-arm technique with distance driven for nephrolithiasis and kidney stones detection: Preliminary study

Kidney stone is among the common painful disorders of the urinary system. The presence of stones in the kidney refers to Nephrolithiasis. For nephrolithiasis and kidney stones detection, a C-arm tomographic technique was investigated in this paper to generate three dimensional kidney structural information. A series of two dimensional (2D) x-ray projection images were acquired by moving the x-ray tube to different positions around the object over limited angular view with C-arm gantry. The results of our experiments were obtained by using a kidney phantom with low radiation dosage. Reconstruction algorithms based on distance driven (DD) method were developed for C-arm tomographic technique. Computer simulation study was done with simulated tomographic project images of spherical objects to evaluate the performance of each reconstruction algorithm. Preliminary results showed the capability to generate volume information of the kidney for nephrolithiasis and kidney stone detection.
Droplet impact cavity film thickness measurements versus time after drop impact and cavity radius for thin static residual liquid layer thicknesses

Abstract Comprehensive measurements are presented of the sub-cavity liquid film thickness for single droplet impacts into a static residual liquid layer, measured both versus the radius away from the cavity impact centerline and the local time since initial contact of the drop with the static residual liquid layer. Droplet Weber and Reynolds numbers are representative of the highest-energy droplets for a water spray of interest, with Weber numbers ranging between 140 and 1000. These high-impact-energy droplets create drop impact cavities with the longest cavity lifetimes, thinnest sub-cavity liquid films, and smallest sub-cavity liquid volumes, all of which are expected to contribute to the droplet impact cavities being both a significant source of enhanced transient local heat flux into the sub-cavity liquid volumes, as well as locations of early local surface dry out. Sub-cavity liquid film thickness is essentially constant over the inner radial portion of the cavity, but is significantly thinner at large cavity radius, somewhat inboard of the inner crown wall. The inner, constant thickness region ranges between 62% and 85% of the maximum cavity radius in extent, with an average size of 72% of maximum cavity radius. The thickness of this inner, constant thickness region ranges between 100 μm and 162 μm, with an average value of 126.5 μm, or around 4% of the nominal droplet diameter of 3 mm. This thickness varies by only around 3% of its average value for single values of the Weber number and static residual liquid layer thickness. At the end of cavity formation, the thinner regions farther outboard in the cavity are about 23% thinner than the sub-cavity film thickness in the inner region; but later, during the collapse of the crown, the thinner outboard region averages 34% less than the thickness in the inner, constant thickness region. Two major data accuracy limitations are discussed, and approximate error magnitudes are estimated. Drop-to-drop uncertainty in impact location and the uncertainty in the level of three-dimensionality of the cavity retraction process are both inherent limitations in the present liquid film thickness point-measurement method; these limitations could be avoided if a global thickness measurement over the entire cavity surface could be obtained; e.g., via stereo high-speed imaging.
Enhancing Hardware Security with Emerging Transistor Technologies

We consider how the I-V characteristics of emerging transistors (particularly those sponsored by STARnet) might be employed to enhance hardware security. An emphasis of this work is to move beyond hardware implementations of physically unclonable functions (PUFs) and random num- ber generators (RNGs). We highlight how new devices (i) may enable more sophisticated logic obfuscation for IP protection, (ii) could help to prevent fault injection attacks, (iii) prevent differential power analysis in lightweight cryptographic systems, etc.
Mechanistically Inspired Route toward Hexahydro-2H-chromenes via Consecutive [4 + 2] Cycloadditions

Utilizing two robust C–C bond-forming reactions, the Baylis–Hillman reaction and the Diels–Alder reaction, we report a highly enantio-, regio-, and diastereoselective synthesis of hexahydro-2H-chromenes via two sequential [4 + 2] cycloadditions. These tandem and formal cycloadditions have also been performed as a “one-pot” sequence to access the corresponding heterocycles constituting up to five contiguous stereocenters in excellent yields and stereoselectivity.
Right Prefrontal Cortex and ADHD

The relation between MRI anatomical measures of specific frontostriatal structures (prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia) and response inhibition deficits observed in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was studied at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, PA; and the National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, MD.
Frank Hahn (1925–2013)

Together with Kenneth Arrow, Frank Hahn produced the leading 20th century treatise on the theory of general equilibrium under competition. Hahn was acutely conscious of the wide gap between the standard assumptions and economic reality: an inadequate theory of money, an inability to cope with unemployment, the absence of a theory of out-of-equilibrium behavior. Much of the rest of his research was aimed at correcting these deficiencies, at least partially. Some of this work is identified and sketched here. There is finally a discussion of Hahn’s vital role in preserving economics at Cambridge from parochialism and possibly self-destruction in the 1960s and 1970s.
Piezoelectrically strained bistable laminates with macro fiber composites

The bistability and snap through capability of an unsymmetric laminate consisting of only Macro Fiber Composites (MFC) are investigated. The non-linear analysis predicts two cylindrically stable configurations when strain anisotropy is piezoelectrically induced within a [0MFC/90MFC]T laminate. This is achieved by bonding two MFCs in their actuated states and releasing the voltage post cure to create in-plane residual stresses. The minimization of total potential energy with the Rayleigh-Ritz method are used to analytically model the resulting laminate. A finite element analysis is conducted in MSC Nastran using the piezoelectric-thermal analogy approach to verify the analytical results. The effects of adhesive properties, bonding cure cycles, MFC layup, and its geometry on the curvatures, displacements, and bifurcation voltages are characterized. Finally, the snap through and reverse snap through capabilities with piezoelectric actuation are demonstrated. This adaptive laminate functions as both the actuator and the primary structure and allows large deformations under a non-continuous energy input. Its snap through capability allows full configuration control necessary in morphing applications.
p120-Catenin Downregulation and PIK3CA Mutations Cooperate to Induce Invasion through MMP1 in HNSCC

Despite recent improvements in treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), half of all patients with a regional or advanced disease will die within 5 years from diagnosis. Therefore, identification of mechanisms driving the aggressive behavior of HNSCC is of utmost importance. Because p120-catenin (CTNND1/P120CTN) downregulation and PIK3CA mutations are commonly found in HNSCC, the objective of this study was to identify their impact on fundamental processes of metastasis, specifically, migration and invasion. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify the key effector proteins regulated by P120CTN downregulation and PIK3CA mutations. Studies using oral keratinocytes demonstrated that P120CTN downregulation and PIK3CA mutations increased migration and invasion. In addition, P120CTN downregulation and PIK3CA mutations resulted in elevated matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1) levels. Inhibition of MMP1 resulted in decreased invasion, suggesting that MMP1 plays a critical role in HNSCC invasion. Moreover, analysis of HNSCC patient specimens from The Cancer Genome Atlas confirmed these findings. Tumors with low P120CTN and PI3K pathway mutations have higher levels of MMP1 compared to tumors with high P120CTN and no PI3K pathway mutations. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that P120CTN downregulation and PIK3CA mutations promote MMP1-driven invasion, providing a potential novel target for limiting metastasis in HNSCC.Implications: Because of its role in invasion, MMP1 represents a novel, potential target for limiting metastasis in a subset of HNSCCs with P120CTN downregulation and PIK3CA mutations. Mol Cancer Res; 15(10); 1398-409. ©2017 AACR.
Electrical Double Layers in Ion Transport and Excitation

The dimensions of biological cells and biopolymers are in the range of classic colloids, a region where surfaces play an important role in determining the properties of a system. When the biological surfaces are charged, the effects on the properties are usually more pronounced, and can be calculated in terms of the resulting electrical double layers.
Can Need Analysis Procedures Be Simplified Through Stepwise Regression Analysis

Statement of the Problem Determination of the amount parents are expected to contribute toward the cost of postsecondary education involves several financial and nonfinancial variables of the family considered by experts in the field to influence ability to pay. It involves an assessment of the family's taxable and nontaxable in­ come, federal taxes (FICA and income tax), state and other taxes, unusual medical and dental expenses, emergency expenses (casualty and theft losses) family size, family assets and debts, and the number of family members in college. These variables are used to determine the parents' effective or avail­ able income, from which parents' contribution is calculated. Over the years, the techniques for measuring parental ability to pay have become progressively refined, as an outgrowth of efforts by the financial aid community to enhance both horizontal and vertical equity. Historically, these improvements have led to more sophisticated computational algorithms, but the number of items used to calculate parents' contribution has not in­ creased significantly since the last 1950s. On the contrary, as a result of the deliberations of the National Task Force on Financial Aid Problems, chaired by Frances Keppels and its development of a common application form, the numbefofttems entering into the computation has been somewhat reduced. Despite widespread acceptance of current need analysis procedures, recun';'
False beliefs predict increased circumcision satisfaction in a sample of US American men

Critics of non-therapeutic male and female childhood genital cutting claim that such cutting is harmful. It is therefore puzzling that 'circumcised' women and men do not typically regard themselves as having been harmed by the cutting, notwithstanding the loss of sensitive, prima facie valuable tissue. For female genital cutting (FGC), a commonly proposed solution to this puzzle is that women who had part(s) of their vulvae removed before sexual debut 'do not know what they are missing' and may 'justify' their genitally-altered state by adopting false beliefs about the benefits of FGC, while simultaneously stigmatising unmodified genitalia as unattractive or unclean. Might a similar phenomenon apply to neonatally circumcised men? In this survey of 999 US American men, greater endorsement of false beliefs concerning circumcision and penile anatomy predicted greater satisfaction with being circumcised, while among genitally intact men, the opposite trend occurred: greater endorsement of false beliefs predicted less satisfaction with being genitally intact. These findings provide tentative support for the hypothesis that the lack-of-harm reported by many circumcised men, like the lack-of-harm reported by their female counterparts in societies that practice FGC, may be related to holding inaccurate beliefs concerning unaltered genitalia and the consequences of childhood genital modification.
Guidelines for authors and reviewers on antibody use in physiology studies

Antibody use is a critical component of cardiovascular physiology research, and antibodies are used to monitor protein abundance (immunoblot analysis) and protein expression and localization (in tissue by immunohistochemistry and in cells by immunocytochemistry). With ongoing discussions on how to improve reproducibility and rigor, the goal of this review is to provide best practice guidelines regarding how to optimize antibody use for increased rigor and reproducibility in both immunoblot analysis and immunohistochemistry approaches. Listen to this article's corresponding podcast at http://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/guidelines-on-antibody-use-in-physiology-studies/ .
Vinel Symposium: ‘The Employee’: from labor history to the history of work?

In 1970, labor lawyer Ruth Weyand lamented that ‘employees regard [the National Labor Relations Act or Wagner Act] as little, if anything, more than a “thwarted hope”’ (Weyand, 1970, p. 172). For s...
Scientific and Religious Aspects of Bioethics

Both ‘scientific’ and ‘religious’ mean various things to various people. In this essay the results, as well as the methods, of empirical science, especially biology, will be relevant. As for ‘religious’, I shall emphasize what Judaism and Christianity have in common rather than what separates them. I feel close also, in some respects, to Buddhism, and to the Bengali branch of Hinduism (Sri Jiva Goswani), also to Iqbal in Islam; but these relationships will not be of central importance on this occasion. The two Great Commandments referred to by Jesus, viz. , love God with all thy mind and heart and soul and love thy neighbor as thyself, define what, for me, is the religious attitude.
Heterogeneity of liver acid phosphatases in developing chick embryo.

1. The development, localization and heterogeneity of acid phosphatase and a Zn2+-activated acid phosphatase in cellular fractions of developing chick liver were studied. 2. Acid phosphatase is distributed abundantly in the particulate and soluble fractions. The soluble fraction is rich in Zn2+-activated acid phosphatase, which attains its peak activity at about 15 days of incubation. 3. The particulate acid phosphatase activity is inhibited by fluoride but not by sodium l(+)-tartrate or cysteine. On the other hand, the soluble Zn2+-activated acid phosphatase activity is inhibited by sodium l(+)-tartrate and cysteine but not by fluoride. 4. The pH optimum of these two enzymes is similar at about 5·6. 5. The soluble Zn2+-activated acid phosphatase activity appears to be thermally stabilized by the treatment with Triton X-100 or bovine serum albumin.
MODELING MEDIATOR BEHAVIOR IN EXPERIMENTAL GAMES

Mediators can pursue four basic strategies to facilitate bargaining: (a) integrate, which involves a search for efficient outcomes, (b) press, which involves attempts to lower the bargainer’s aspirations, (c) compensate, which involves offers of side payments, and (d) inaction, which involves letting the bargainers handle the dispute by themselves. Two experiments were conducted to test a model of mediator behavior that assumes two factors, the mediator’s probability estimate of agreement and the mediator’s utility function (preference that the bargainers’ achieve an efficient outcome), interact to predict mediator strategy. In Experiment 1, the model was supported; in Experiment 2, derivative hypotheses were tested about the effects of mediator strategy on bargainer concessions. These hypotheses, which also were supported, suggest that mediator strategies are critical strategic factors in bargaining.
The use of natural antimicrobials in food: An overview

Antimicrobials are compounds present in or added to foods, food packaging, food contact surfaces, or food processing environments to inhibit microbial growth or kill microorganisms. This chapter defines and discusses natural antimicrobials (derived from microbial, plant, or animal sources), as well as why there is a need for these compounds. An overview of the efficacy and applications of several types of natural antimicrobials that are currently being investigated and/or are currently available for use in the food industry is presented.
(In)visible men on campus: campus racial climate and subversive black masculinities at a predominantly white liberal arts university

There is an emerging body of literature examining the academic success of Black men attending predominantly White colleges and universities, though less is known about Black college men’s experienc...
Clinical Manifestations of CTE: Disruptions in Cognition, Mood, & Behavior

A common and challenging consequence of CTE is disruption in cognition, mood, and behavior. Clinical manifestations in these domains appear to be reflective of the regions shown most affected by CTE. According to published case series and case history reports, such symptoms and are insidious, with a typical onset several years after recovery from the acute effects of repetitive head injury. In many cases, the first neuropathological changes that occur in the earliest stages of the disease present without noticeable changes (Stern et al. in The handbook of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, 369–415, 2011a; Stern et al. in in Pm&r 3:S460–S467, 2011b). A review of the research reveals consistencies and inconsistencies in the findings.
Generating Authenticity in Automated Work

How can organizations implement “authentic” autonomous technologies? Across four studies, we explore two basic ways that an organization might generate authenticity in autonomous technological work...
Effects of Precision Requests as a Standalone Intervention on Noncompliance of Students with Emotional Disturbance

For teachers who work with students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD), noncompliance can be a serious problem by impacting their own and others’ access to the curriculum. The precision request (PR) has been recommended as effective in addressing noncompliance, but it has limited support as a sole intervention in a classroom exclusively for students with emotional disturbance. This study used an ABAB (withdrawal) single-case design to demonstrate effects of teachers’ PRs on noncompliance of eight third and fourth grade students with EBD in a self-contained class. PR was shown to increase student compliance (log response ratio effect size = 0.17) with no adverse effects on latency to compliance. Both teacher and students rated the social validity as positive. This finding was corroborated by the teacher’s continued use of PRs after study completion. Implications of the findings for practice and suggestions for future research are included.
First Comes Marriage

Those who subscribe to Quiverfull theology maintain that the autonomous, patriarchal nuclear family as lasting, intimate, and consummately fulfilling is biblical and possible and that courtship is the process through which it reproduces itself. It follows, then that Christian courtship plays out almost entirely in the context of the family and that proponents emphasize the importance of familial relationships in the courting process. Courtship messages (directly or indirectly) encourage young marriage and direct children and teens to treat their sibling relationships as practice for their future marriages. Girls, especially, are supposed to practice the relationship, homemaking, and childrearing skills necessary to care for their own families one day.
Principal evaluation in the United States: A national review of state statutes and regulations

The growing recognition of how much principals matter for student learning and how they make a difference has fueled the need to ensure that effective principals are leading every school. One way to achieve this is through principal evaluation, which has experienced significant changes in the last decade. We conducted a national exploratory study (50 states) to document the trends in and provide an illustration of the current situation of states’ principal evaluation policies and practices. Using literature-based themes, our analysis of state statutes and regulations revealed that a majority of states have policies requiring at least one literature-based element. Only four (8%) states had statutes and/or regulations regarding all elements of principal evaluation that have been noted in the literature. Student achievement measures were the most common component—required in 66% of states. In addition, most states required principal evaluators to be trained and principals to be evaluated annually. We propose that future research focuses on the validity and reliability of measures and models used for principal evaluation—two aspects rarely addressed in principal evaluation policies—to ensure principal performance is meeting the needs of students, teachers, and schools.
Management of peri-device leak following left atrial appendage closure: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the cumulative experience of peri-device leak (PDL) closure following left atrial appendage (LAA) closure. BACKGROUND The management of PDL following LAA closure remains controversial. While PDL closure has been proposed, procedural features and clinical outcomes have not been well established. METHODS A systematic review of all published cases of PDL closure with available anatomical, procedural, and clinical outcomes was performed. RESULTS We identified 18 indexed publications and 110 cases between April 2013 and March 2020. 71 patients (mean age 72 ± 8 yrs), met study criteria and were included. PDL closure was most common in males, bilobar LAA morphology, and after Watchman procedures. The mean PDL size was 7.6 ± 5.8 mm (range 2-26 mm). Leaks were classified according to size: small (<5 mm; 45%), moderate (≥5-9 mm; 25%), and large (≥10 mm; 30%). Endovascular coils and endovascular plugs were used to close both small and moderate sized leaks, and second LAA closure devices were exclusively used for large PDLs. Successful PDL closure occurred in 90%, and was similar between PDL sizes and types of occluder used. Procedural complication rates were uncommon (2.8%). No strokes were reported following PDL closure at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS In patients with PDL for whom discontinuation of OAC may be considered unsafe, percutaneous closure using a tailored approach with either endovascular coils, plugs, or second occluder represents a safe, and feasible alternative associated with favorable clinical outcomes.
Management of therapeutic unfractionated heparin in COVID-19 patients: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection are at risk for thrombotic complications necessitating use of therapeutic unfractionated heparin (UFH). Full-dose anticoagulation limits requirements for organ support interventions in moderately ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Given this benefit, it is important to evaluate response to therapeutic anticoagulation in this population. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess therapeutic UFH infusions and associated bleeding risk in patients with COVID-19. Patients/Methods This retrospective cohort study includes patients at Brigham and Women?s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, receiving weight-based nursing-nomogram titrated UFH infusion during a 10-week surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Of 358 patients on therapeutic UFH during this interval, 97 (27.1%) had confirmed COVID-19. Patient characteristics, laboratory values, and information regarding UFH infusion and bleeding events were obtained from the electronic medical record. Results Patients who were COVID-19 positive had fewer therapeutic activatrd partial thromboplastin times (aPTTs) compared to COVID-19?negative patients (median rate, 40.0% vs 53.1%;P < .0005). Both major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding were increased in COVID-19?positive patients, with major bleeding observed in 10.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7%-17.9%) of patients who were COVID-19 positive and 3.1% (95% CI, 1.6%-5.9%) of patients who were COVID-19 negative (P < .005). In logistic regression, bleeding events were associated with receiving UFH for longer than 7 days, but not platelet count, coagulation, or inflammatory measurements. Conclusions Our data indicate a higher incidence of bleeding complications in patients with COVID-19 receiving weight-based nursing-nomogram titrated UFH infusions despite a higher prevalence of subtherapeutic aPTTs in this population. These data underscore the need for prospective studies aimed at improving the quality and safety of therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with COVID-19.
Rearrangement on Lattices with Pick-n-Swaps: Optimality Structures and Efficient Algorithms

We propose and study a class of rearrangement problems under a novel pick-n-swap prehensile manipulation model, in which a robotic manipulator, capable of carrying an item and making item swaps, is tasked to sort items stored in lattices of variable dimensions in a time-optimal manner. We systematically analyze the intrinsic optimality structure, which is fairly rich and intriguing, under different levels of item distinguishability (fully labeled, where each item has a unique label, or partially labeled, where multiple items may be of the same type) and different lattice dimensions. Focusing on the most practical setting of one and two dimensions, we develop low polynomial time cycle-following based algorithms that optimally perform rearrangements on 1D lattices under both fully- and partially-labeled settings. On the other hand, we show that rearrangement on 2D and higher dimensional lattices becomes computationally intractable to optimally solve. Despite their NP-hardness, we prove that efficient cycle-following based algorithms remain asymptotically optimal for 2D fully- and partially-labeled settings, in expectation, using the interesting fact that random permutations induce only a small number of cycles. We further improve these algorithms to provide 1.x-optimality when the number of items is small. Simulation studies corroborate the effectiveness of our algorithms.
Business Group Competitive Advantage & Export Performance:The Case of Africa’s Minority Entrepreneur

To facilitate interfirm trust and exchange, business groups typically organize along an axis of solidarity such as kinship, religion, or political identity. In this paper, we consider whether busin...
A single binding motif is required for SPAK activation of the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter.

Background: SPAK (Ste20p-related proline alanine-rich kinase) phosphorylates and activates NKCC1 (Na-K-2Cl cotransporter) in the presence of another serine/threonine kinase WNK4 (With No lysine (K)). However, whether or not the docking of SPAK to NKCC1 is a requirement for cotransporter activation has not been fully resolved. Methods: We mutated both SPAK binding motifs in the amino-terminal tail of NKCC1 and tested the interaction between SPAK and NKCC1 using a semi in vivo yeast two-hybrid assay, 32P-ATP in vitro phosphorylation assays, and 86Rb+ uptake (a K+ congener) assays in heterologously expressed Xenopus laevis oocytes. We also used site-directed mutagenesis to identify the principle phospho-regulatory threonine residues in the amino-terminal tail of NKCC1. Results: A single SPAK binding motif is necessary for isotonic NKCC1 activation. Mutation of the phenylalanine (F) residue within the motif abrogates binding and function. Phosphorylation of the cotransporter is markedly reduced in the absence of SPAK docking to NKCC1. Truncations of internal regions of the amino-terminus of NKCC1 do not disrupt protein structure enough to affect cotransporter function. Threonine residues (T206 and T211) are both identified as phospho-regulatory sites of NKCC1 function. Conclusion: We demonstrate that physical docking of SPAK to NKCC1 is necessary for cotransporter activity under both baseline and hyperosmotic conditions. We identify T206 and T211 as major phospho-acceptor sites involved in cotransporter function, with T206 common to two separate regulatory pathways: one involving SPAK, the other involving a still unknown kinase that is responsive to forskolin/PKA stimulation.
Systematic Safety Review and Meta-Analysis of Procedural Experience Using Percutaneous Access to Treat Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Objective. This systematic safety review reports multicenter safety results of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients treated with percutaneous lumbar decompression. Design. All percutaneous lumbar decompression institutional review board–approved study patients, as well as a retrospective safety survey, were included in this review. Methods. All study centers followed the same widely accepted and standardized procedure for percutaneous decompression and utilized the same criteria when observing and reporting device- or procedure-related adverse events. Outcome Measures. In addition to safety data, Oswestry Disability Index scores were used to document baseline functional disability, and visual analog scale values defined the intensity of baseline back and leg pain. Treatment outcomes of patients who reached 1-year follow-up were also included. Results. Of the 373 patients included in this safety review, there were no reports of major device- or procedure-related adverse events, and there were no mortalities. Major complications were defined as any device- or procedure-related event that required intervention, including events such as incidental durotomy, epidural hematoma, infection, or bleeding that required transfusion. One-year efficacy data showed statistically significant improvement in pain and mobility, further supporting the excellent safety profile of percutaneous lumbar decompression. Conclusions. In this safety review, percutaneous lumbar decompression proved to be a safe procedure. Compared with other more invasive lumbar decompression techniques, percutaneous lumbar decompression has demonstrated significantly better safety. This high level of safety is particularly vital for the rapidly growing elderly LSS patient population with increased treatment risks related to comorbid medical issues.
Fictions of Loss in the Victorian Fin De Siecle: The sedulous ape: atavism, professionalism, and Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde

In an early review of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), Andrew Lang noted the most striking feature of Robert Louis Stevenson's tale. “His heroes (surely this is original) are all successful middle-aged professional men.” Indeed, one could hardly miss the novel's foregrounding of the stature enjoyed by “Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S., etc.” In Lang's view this interest in professional men defined Stevenson's novel at least as much as its portrayal of the grotesque Edward Hyde. If Jekyll and Hyde articulates in Gothic fiction's exaggerated tones late-Victorian anxieties concerning degeneration, atavism, and what Cesare Lombroso called “criminal man,” it invariably situates those concerns in relation to the practices and discourses of lawyers like Gabriel Utterson, doctors like Henry Jekyll and Hastie Lanyon, or even “well-known men about town” (29) like Richard Enfield. The novel in fact asks us to do more than simply register the all too apparent marks of Edward Hyde's “degeneracy.” It compels us also to examine how those marks come to signify in the first place. As Stevenson understood, one thing professional men tend to be good at is close reading. Another is seeing to it that their interpretations have consequences in the real world. Jekyll and Hyde proves to be an uncannily self-conscious exploration of the relation between professional interpretation and the construction of criminal deviance. The novel is also a displaced meditation on what Stevenson considered the decline of authorship itself into “professionalism.”
Media Technologies, Images of Drugs, and an Evocative Telepresence

I regard electronic media technologies as framing devices for how viewers perceive issues associated with illegal drugs. Controllers of electronic media technologies produce and disseminate images of illegal drugs and users of such drugs to which viewers respond. People who control the images of electronic media production create an evocative telepresence, or a visual context that relies on appeals to authority and emotion. However, viewers do not merely respond to images of illegal drugs; rather, they actively interpret such images and draw their own conclusions. To demonstrate the complex relationship between electronic stimuli and viewer responses, I report on a classroom experiment comparing those who saw and heard a heroin user with those who only heard this user. I also report findings from student perceptions of and reactions to four drug films. Results of the experiment and the readings of films indicate that viewers, especially those who can see and hear electronic displays, are sophisticated consumers who respond to immediate stimuli while making reference to distal stimuli. In the main, I contend that electronic images of illegal drugs and users in an evocative telepresence are powerful stimuli, but they do not cause viewer perceptions.
Postprocessing to reduce blocking artifacts for low bit-rate video coding using chrominance information

We investigate a new postprocessing approach to reduce blocking artifacts in DCT-based video compression. Because blocking artifacts occur due to quantization of DCT coefficients, we effectively adjust the low-order DCT coefficients to remove discontinuities at block corners in smooth areas of the image. For blocking in detailed areas of the image, we camouflage black corners by adding a noisy dither to pixels around the block border. We demonstrate that chrominance variance can be used to efficiently identify blocks containing luminance detail. This postprocessing method is effective in reducing severe blocking effects that can occur at low bit rates. Examples from postprocessed H.261 video are given.
Factors influencing delivered mean airway pressure during nasal CPAP with the RAM cannula.

SummaryObjective To measure mean airway pressure (MAP) delivered through the RAM Cannula® when used with a ventilator in CPAP mode as a function of percent nares occlusion in a simulated nasal interface/test lung model and to compare the results to MAPs using a nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) interface with nares fully occluded. Study Design An artificial airway model was connected to a spontaneous breathing lung model in which MAP was measured at set NCPAP levels between 4 and 8 cmH2O provided by a Drager Evita XL® ventilator and delivered through three sizes of RAM cannulae. Measurements were performed with varying leakage at the nasal interface by decreasing occlusion from 100% to 29%, half-way prong insertion, and simulated mouth leakage. Comparison measurements were made using the Drager BabyFlow® NCPAP interface with a full nasal seal. Results With simulated mouth closed, the Drager interface delivered MAPs within 0.5 cmH2O of set CPAP levels. For the RAM cannula, with 60–80% nares occlusion, overall delivered MAPs were 60 ± 17% less than set CPAP levels (P < 0.001). Further, MAP decreased progressively with decreasing percent nares occlusion. The simulated open mouth condition resulted in significantly lower MAPs to <1.7 cmH2O. The one-half prong insertion depth condition, with closed mouth, yielded MAPs approximately 35 ± 9% less than full insertion pressures (P < 0.001). Conclusions In our bench tests, the RAM interface connected to a ventilator in NCPAP mode failed to deliver set CPAP levels when applied using the manufacturer recommended 60–80% nares occlusion, even with closed mouth and full nasal prong insertion conditions. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:60–69. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antagonistic Effects of ABL and BCRABL Proteins on Proliferation and the Response to Genotoxic Stress in Normal and Leukemic Myeloid Cells

Following the discovery of the p210berab protein product of the bcrabl chimeric fusion gene generated by the Philadelphia chromosome translocation in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), structure function studies quickly identified which parts of this molecule were playing a role in the generation of the phenotypes of growth factor independent growth, anchorage independent growth, and genetic instability which are associated with this disease. These latter changes result in abnormally high levels of mature myeloid elements circulating in the systemic circulation of CML patients. In addition, the genetic instability which is associated with the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome drives the evolution of the disease from an indolent chronic non life-threatening leukemia, to a fulminant acute leukemic syndrome which results in the death of patients from bleeding and infection. Multiple sites of contact between the p210berabl and its substrates have already been identified which are relevant to the phenot...
On the Obligation of the State to Extend a Right of Self-Defense to its Citizens

A certain way of arguing for legal rights is common in liberal political discourse. It suggests that the State is obligated to extend a given right to its citizens, based on their possession of a parallel, or closely related, moral right. Someone might argue for a legal right to abortion, for example, by claiming that women have a prior moral right to make choices concerning their bodies. Or someone might argue for a private club's entitlement to restrict its membership by saying that people have a right to associate in their private lives with whomever they wish.1 This way of arguing has also historically been used to evaluate existing legal regimes more generally. It was, for example, the charge of the American Declaration of Independence against the British that all men have certain rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that the Crown had failed to respect.2 It was no less prevalent in the rhetoric of the French Revolution, where the French monarchy's indifference to a supposed set of natural rights was a way of describing its transgressions against the French people. More recently, the Preamble to the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that the "recognition of the ... inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and
Planck scale from top condensation

We propose a scenario in which the Planck scale is dynamically linked to the electroweak scale induced by top condensation. The standard model field content, without the Higgs, is promoted to a 5D warped background. There is also an additional 5D fermion with the quantum numbers of the right-handed top. Localization of the zero-modes leads, at low-energies, to a Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model that also stabilizes the radion field dynamically thus explaining the hierarchy between the Planck scale and v{sub EW}=174 GeV. The top mass arises dynamically from the electroweak breaking condensate. The other standard model fermion masses arise naturally from higher-dimension operators, and the fermion mass hierarchies and flavor structure can be explained from the localization of the zero-modes in the extra dimension. If other contributions to the radion potential except those directly related to electroweak symmetry breaking are engineered to be suppressed, the KK scale is predicted to be about 2 orders of magnitude above the electroweak scale, rendering the model easily consistent with electroweak precision data. The model predicts a heavy (composite) Higgs with a mass of about 500 GeV and standard-model-like properties, and a vectorlike quark with non-negligible mixing with the top quark and mass in the 1.6-2.9more » TeV range. Both can be within the reach of the LHC. It also predicts a radion with a mass of a few GeV that is very weakly coupled to standard model matter.« less
Exercise and calorie information on menus is not enough to improve food choices in Hispanic adults

Background Hispanics are a fast growing population in the U.S. with a high prevalence of obesity or overweight. Eating out frequently in restaurants is linked with weight gain, and several strategies to improve food choices from menus have been studied. Some of the strategies that may be effective include displaying the amount of exercise needed to burn the food calories, rank ordering the food items by calorie content, and showing both calorie content of foods and the recommended calories together. However, most of the participants in the previous studies were non-Hispanic. Hispanics engage in sports activities and eat out in restaurants just like non-Hispanics and whether the exercise and calorie labels will affect their food choices needs to be determined.