cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of infectious risk and outcomes in the hmong renal transplant population.

BACKGROUND Hmong ethnicity has been associated with infection, particularly fungal. The risk of infection after transplant in the Hmong population is unknown. METHODS Observational study of adult renal transplant (RTX) recipients between 1/1/1994 and 12/31/2015. Primary objective was to identify infectious risk in the Hmong RTX population as compared to non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Secondary objective was to evaluate transplant outcomes. RESULTS There was a total of 2599 patients in the study window; 95 Hmong, 2504 NHW. The Hmong population had significantly fewer bacterial and fungal infections at 1 and 3 years (Bacterial: Hmong 21.7%, 32.4% vs NHW 36.9%, 46.7%, P = .004; Fungal: Hmong 3.3%, 5.7% vs NHW 12.7%, 16.6%, P = .0005) and improved graft and patient survival at 1, 5, and 10 years (Graft: Hmong 92.6%, 78.4%, 61.9% vs NHW 90.7%, 72.2%, 48.5%, P = .006; Patient: Hmong 97.8%, 94.5%, 83.3% vs NHW 95.3%, 82.1%, 62.1% P < .001). Spectrum of bacterial infection was similar, but with significantly more Staphylococcal infection in the NHW population. Blastomycoses were the major fungal pathogen in Hmong (2/3, 67%) vs Candida in NWH (77%). When minimally adjusted for PRA and age, rates of bacterial infection (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-0.99, P = .047), fungal infection (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17-0.87, P = .02), and mortality (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.28-0.88, P = .02) were more favorable in the Hmong population. When analyzed in a stepwise Cox proportional hazards model; Hmong ethnicity was not a significant risk factor for graft failure, rejection, CMV, BK, or fungal infection after RTX and was associated with reduced risk of bacterial infection (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.4-0.9, P = .02) and mortality (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27-0.96, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Despite concern regarding infective risk in the Hmong population, infection after RTX is no higher than NHW comparator. In all analyses, the Hmong population has equal or better outcomes. It does not appear variance in standard infection prophylaxis is necessary for the Hmong population after RTX.
Hybrid thermal and electric and thermal solar energy generation based on thin-film optical coatings (Conference Presentation)

Increasing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of solar energy generation allowed them to compete with traditional carbon-based energy sources in many energy markets worldwide. However, a major problem facing the proliferation of solar energy generation is energy storage. Photovoltaic (PV) generators enjoy relatively high efficiency but suffer from high electric energy storage costs. On the other hand, solar-thermal energy conversion enables storing heat and dispatch electricity at lower storage costs but with less efficiency compared to photovoltaics. Hybridizing both solar energy conversion can address the energy storage problem. Furthermore, single junction PVs are unable to convert a large portion of the solar spectrum to energy which eventually lead to PV thermalization. Spectral beam splitting is a promising method to achieve high efficiency solar energy conversion while hybridizing electric and thermal solar energy generation. Here, we use novel thin-film based optical coatings to develop single element selective light reflector/absorber that reflects within the wavelength range corresponding to a PV cell absorption band, while absorbing the remaining solar spectrum. We show that reflecting solar light on a PV cell using a silver mirror is less efficient and has higher temperature compared to using selective light reflector/absorber when using optical concentration exceeding 2 suns. We demonstrate hybrid PV generation and water sanitation/desalination using an Aluminum sheet with thin-film selective light reflector /absorber deposited on one side, while the other side is treated with femtosecond laser to become superwicking.
Activity of Meropenem with a Novel Broader-Spectrum β-Lactamase Inhibitor, WCK 4234, against Gram-Negative Pathogens Endemic to New York City.

WCK 4234 is a novel diazabicyclooctane with potent inhibitory activity against class A and D carbapenemases and class C enzymes. We examined the in vitro activity of meropenem plus WCK 4234 (4 or 8 μg/ml) against Gram-negative pathogens from New York City. Three groups of isolates were analyzed: a contemporary collection of isolates, a collection of known carbapenem-resistant isolates, and a collection of isolates with defined resistance mechanisms. From the contemporary collection, we found (i) that all Enterobacteriaceae were susceptible to meropenem plus WCK 4234, (ii) that susceptibility rates for Acinetobacter baumannii were 56.5% for meropenem alone, 82.6% with 4 μg/ml WCK 4234, and 95.7% with 8 μg/ml WCK 4234, and (iii) that WCK 4234 had a modest effect on susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Against a collection of carbapenem-resistant isolates, the addition of WCK 4234 to meropenem (i) restored meropenem susceptibility against Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae isolates, (ii) improved susceptibility against A. baumannii, and (iii) had a negligible effect against P. aeruginosa When tested against isolates with defined mechanisms of resistance, MICs of meropenem plus WCK 4234 were higher for K. pneumoniae with bla KPC albeit well below the susceptibility breakpoint; efflux systems or porins did not correlate with susceptibility. For A. baumannii, MICs of meropenem plus WCK 4234 did not correlate with efflux systems, outer membrane protein, bla ampC, or bla oxa-51; however, MICs were higher in isolates with extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). For P. aeruginosa, isolates with relatively higher MICs of meropenem plus WCK 4234 had increased expression of ampC WCK 4234 is a potent β-lactamase inhibitor that, when combined with meropenem, displays promising activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Measuring Human Water Needs

Water connects the environment, culture, and biology, yet only recently has it emerged as a major focus for research in human biology. To facilitate such research, we describe methods to measure biological, environmental, and perceptual indicators of human water needs. This toolkit provides an overview of methods for assessing different dimensions of human water need, both well-established and newly-developed. These include: (a) markers of hydration (eg, urine specific gravity, doubly labeled water) important for measuring the impacts of water need on human biological functioning; (b) methods for measuring water quality (eg, digital colorimeter, membrane filtration) essential for understanding the health risks associated with exposure to microbiological, organic, metal, inorganic nonmental, and other contaminants; and (c) assessments of household water insecurity status that track aspects of unmet water needs (eg, inadequate water service, unaffordability, and experiences of water insecurity) that are directly relevant to human health and biology. Together, these methods can advance new research about the role of water in human biology and health, including the ways that insufficient, unsafe, or insecure water produces negative biological and health outcomes.
Eosinophilic recruitment in thermally injured older animals is associated with worse outcomes and higher conversion to full thickness burn.

Abstract Background Partial burn injury in older patients is associated with higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and conversion to full thickness burn (Finnerty et al., 2009; Pham et al., 2009). Both human and mouse models demonstrate an altered systemic immune response in older subjects, however less is known about the localized response (Jeschke et al., 2016; Farinas et al., 2018; Mohs et al., 2017). We hypothesized that a mouse model could demonstrate differences in the localized inflammatory response of the old. Methods Six old (66 weeks) and young (8 weeks) mice received partial thickness thermal burns. Localized and systemic expression of nine chemokines (TNFalpha, MCP-1, MIP-2, S100A9, EGF, IL-10, RANTES, G-CSF, and EOTAXIN) were evaluated at day 3 after burn using Luminex analysis. Vimentin immunostaining was used to evaluate injury depth. Results Vimentin staining demonstrated increased burn depth in old mice (449 ± 38 μm) as compared to young (166 ± 18 μm) (p Conclusions EOTAXIN is one of the primary chemoattractants for selective eosinophilic recruitment and activation. While eosinophils are important for wound healing, a hyperactive eosinophilic response can result in tissue damage. We hypothesize that the increased baseline serum EOTAXIN in the old may prime their hyperactive response, and may contribute to their worse clinical outcomes. Long-term eosinophil activation requires further study, however our findings indicate a role for EOTAXIN and eosinophils in burn response.
Correlates of Stigma in People with Epilepsy

Background and purpose Epilepsy is often associated with substantial stigma. This study evaluated clinical correlates of stigma in a sample of people living with epilepsy (PLWE) considered high risk due to frequent seizures or other negative health events. Methods Data were derived from an epilepsy self-management clinical trial. Standardized measures assessed socio-demographics, epilepsy stigma, epilepsy severity, self-efficacy, self-management competency, health literacy, depressive symptoms severity, functional status, social support and quality of life. Results There were 120 individuals, mean age of 41.73 (SD=17.08), 81 men (66.9%), and 79 (65.3%) African-American. Individual factors correlated with worse stigma w ere indicative of more severe or poorly controlled seizures (frequent seizures, worse seizure severity scores, more antiepileptic drugs), mental health comorbidity (worse depression severity, other comorbidities) and factors related to individual functioning and perceived competency in managing their health (health literacy, health functioning, self-efficacy, quality of life). Multivariable linear regression found that worse quality of life, and having a mental condition were associated with more stigma (β=6.4 and 6.8, respectively), while higher self-efficacy, health literacy and social support were associated with less stigma (β=-0.06, -2.1, and -0.3, respectively). These five variables explained 50% of stigma variation. Conclusions Stigma burden can be substantial among PLWE and may vary depending on contextual factors such as mental health comorbidity. Care approaches that screen for psychiatric comorbidities, address low health literacy, institute promising self-management programs, and employ effective health communication strategies about epilepsy misconceptions, may reduce epilepsy related burden.
Visual order of Chinese ink paintings.

Visual order is one of the key factors influencing the aesthetic judgment of artworks. This paper reports the results of evaluating the influence of extracted features on visual order in Chinese ink paintings, using a regression model. We use nine contemporary artists’ paintings as examples and extract features related to the visual order of their paintings. A questionnaire survey is conducted to collect people’s rating scores on the visual order. Via regression modeling, our research analyzes the significance of each feature and validates the influences of the features on the visual order.
Using telemedicine on an acute care surgery service: improving clinic efficiency and access to care.

Telemedicine has been shown to improve patient access to medical care while potentially improving overall healthcare efficiency. It has not been consistently explored on an acute care surgery service as a method of increasing clinic availability and efficiency within a safety-net hospital system. Socioeconomic hardships associated with an in-person clinic visit can deter patients with limited resources. A virtual clinic for post-operative laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients was developed. We hypothesized that a virtual follow-up increases clinic efficiency and availability for new patients without compromising patient safety. A retrospective review of patient and clinic outcomes before and after implementing virtual post-op visits for uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients on an acute care surgery service was performed. Providers called post-operative patients using a standardized questionnaire. Data included outpatient clinic composition (new vs. post-operative patients), elective operations scheduled, emergency department visits, and loss to follow-up rates. February to March 2017 was the baseline pre-intervention period, while February to March 2019 was post-intervention. Pre-intervention clinics consisted of 17% new and 50% post-op visits, in comparison to 31% new and 27% post-op visits in the post-intervention group (p < 0.01). Elective operations scheduled increased slightly from 8.4 to 11.5 per 100 patient visits, but was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). There was no change in the number of post-operative patients returning to the emergency department (p = 0.91) or loss to follow-up (p = 0.30) rates. Through the implementation of virtual post-operative visits for laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients, clinic efficiency improved by increasing new patient encounters, decreasing post-operative volume, and trending towards increased operations scheduled. This change did not compromise patient safety. Further implementation of telemedicine on an acute care surgery service is a promising method to expand services offered to an at-risk population and increase efficiency in a resource-limited environment.
Genetic diversity and historical demography in Bellamya gastropods from the Lake Victoria ecoregion reveal early and severe population collapse

Understanding the interplay between ecological and population genetic processes through space and time is a central goal of landscape genetics. However, most studies that place diversification dynamics in an ecological context have focused on vertebrates, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the effects of ecosystem change on community composition and demography of invertebrates. In the East African Rift System, cichlid fishes have emerged as a powerful model system for understanding adaptive radiation (Kornfield & Smith, 2000), but few studies have examined diversification of other taxa. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Van Bocxlaer et al. (2020) use landscape genetic approaches to model historical demography and diversification of viviparid gastropods in the Lake Victoria ecoregion. They show that while phylogeographic patterns are similar between the two, viviparids and cichlids have responded in very different ways to the climatic upheavals of the Pleistocene and that their responses have been at least partially asynchronous. Viviparids have experienced population collapse 30- to 50-fold more severe than that seen in haplochromine cichlids from the region, and population declines began 100K years earlier, prior to the last glacial maximum (~15,000-18,000 years ago). Their results reveal a new facet to the profound and lasting impacts of Pleistocene climate change on the modern fauna of the Lake Victoria ecoregion and its ability to respond to current human-mediated stressors.
Rapid prediction of fatigue life based on thermodynamic entropy generation

Abstract The present paper is devoted to rapid prediction of fatigue performance of materials for medium- and high-cycle fatigue based on the thermography approach. During cyclic loading, the temperature of specimens or components increases due to both anelastic and plastic deformation, while only the plastic strain energy contributes to fatigue damage. Therefore, in this work, a model is proposed to estimate the damaging (plastic strain energy) and non-damaging (anelastic energy) parts of the dissipated heat during the cyclic loading. It is also shown that by taking advantage of the concept of fracture fatigue entropy (FFE), one can rapidly generate a stress-life diagram by conducting a stepwise test and only one fatigue experiment until failure. Further, it is shown mathematically that the dissipating energy is directly proportional to the steady-state temperature. Therefore, in situations where determining the dissipation energy is difficult, the fatigue performance can be readily predicted only by measuring the steady-state temperatures during stepwise testing. The predictions of the proposed models are verified by comparison to a series of experimental results for different materials.
CFM: SIMT Thread Divergence Reduction by Melding Similar Control-Flow Regions in GPGPU Programs

GPGPUs use the Single-Instruction-Multiple-Thread (SIMT) execution model where a group of threads--wavefront or war--execute instructions in lockstep. When threads in a group encounter a branching instruction, not all threads in the group take the same path, a phenomenon known as control-flow divergence. The control-flow divergence causes performance degradation because both paths of the branch must be executed one after the other. Prior research has primarily addressed this issue through architectural modifications. We observe that certain GPGPU kernels with control-flow divergence have similar control-flow structures with similar instructions on both sides of a branch. This structure can be exploited to reduce control-flow divergence by melding the two sides of the branch allowing threads to reconverge early, reducing divergence. In this work, we present CFM, a compiler analysis and transformation framework that can meld divergent control-flow structures with similar instruction sequences. We show that CFM can reduce the performance degradation from control-flow divergence.
Multi-Robot Path Planning in Complex Environments via Graph Embedding.

We propose an approach to solve multi-agent path planning (MPP) problems for complex environments. Our method first designs a special pebble graph with a set of feasibility constraints, under which MPP problems have feasibility guarantee. We further propose an algorithm to greedily improve the optimality of planned MPP solutions via parallel pebble motions. As a second step, we develop a mesh optimization algorithm to embed our pebble graph into arbitrarily complex environments. We show that the feasibility constraints of a pebble graph can be converted into differentiable geometric constraints, such that our mesh optimizer can satisfy these constraints via constrained numerical optimization. We have evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of our method using a set of environments with complex geometries, on which our method achieves an average of 99.0% free-space coverage and 30.3% robot density within hours of computation on a desktop machine.
Gauge Field Optics using Magneto-Electric Media

A moving dielectric material at low velocities produces the same effect for light as vector potential for charged particles. We investigate the interaction of light with vortices, which can be reproduced using stationary magneto-electric media.
Modeling Time-varying Reliability and Resilience of Deteriorating Infrastructure

Abstract The spatial and temporal extent of disruptions to services provided by infrastructure following disruptive events is directly related to the instantaneous state of the infrastructure and their post-disruption recovery. This paper develops a novel formulation to model the effects of infrastructure deterioration on their time-varying ability to recover after disruptive events. By unifying available models for deterioration and recovery, the paper proposes a general formulation to model the physical state and functionality of deteriorating infrastructure throughout its service life. The paper further develops resilience measures to quantify the temporal and spatial variations of infrastructure's ability to recover after disruptive events. The proposed formulation has a hierarchical structure that enables exploiting readily available data at the lower level of hierarchy to improve the prediction capability of models at the infrastructure level. Incorporating the governing physical laws in the proposed formulation also enables customizing the models to emulate the reality of infrastructure deterioration and recovery. While the formulation is general, the emphasis is on modeling potable water infrastructure as a case in which the deterioration of pipelines grows mostly undetectable until extensively developed. By the time the deterioration becomes visible, a substantial portion of the infrastructure service life has already been depleted, and costly repair or replacement would be inevitable. To illustrate, the proposed formulation has been implemented to model the time-varying reliability and resilience of the potable water infrastructure of the city of Seaside in Oregon, United States. The example highlights the effects of spatially varying exposure conditions and pipelines’ age on the reliability, functionality, recovery, and resilience of the potable water infrastructure.
Stability and conformation of the dimeric HIV-1 genomic RNA 5’UTR

Abstract During HIV-1 assembly the viral Gag polyprotein specifically selects the dimeric RNA genome for packaging into new virions. The 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of the dimeric genome may adopt a conformation that is optimal for recognition by Gag. Further conformational rearrangement of the 5'UTR, promoted by the NC domain of Gag, is predicted during virus maturation. Two 5'UTR dimer conformations, the kissing dimer and the extended dimer, have been identified in vitro, which differ in the extent of intermolecular base pairing. Whether 5'UTRs from different HIV-1 strains with distinct sequences have access to the same dimer conformations has not been determined. Here, we applied fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) and single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) imaging to demonstrate that 5'UTRs from two different HIV-1 subtypes form kissing dimers with divergent stabilities. We further show that both 5'UTRs convert to a stable dimer in the presence of the viral NC protein, adopting a conformation consistent with extensive intermolecular contacts. These results support a unified model in which the genomes of diverse HIV-1 strains adopt an extended dimer conformation.
INVITED REVIEW: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for food supply chains*

ABSTRACT Purpose Some of the biggest economic disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic were experienced in food supply chains, particularly in the protein sector. This article examines these protein-sector supply-chain shocks, exploring the nature and causes of the market disruptions during the pandemic, evaluating the effects of these shocks from an economic perspective, and discussing potential market and policy responses that could mitigate the adverse effects of similar events in the future. Sources A variety of sources contemporary to the pandemic were surveyed to document pandemic effects on meat and poultry supply chains. The implications of pandemic effects for supply chain participants were explored, drawing from sources in supply chain management, network reliability, and agricultural economics literature. Synthesis Pandemic-related disruptions to meat supply chains and the economic hardship associated with those disruptions have generated tremendous interest in improving supply chain robustness and resilience. Much of that interest focuses on encouraging local and regional processing operations, creating shorter supply chains. At the same time, commercial interests will most likely aggressively pursue further automation to mitigate the effects of labor supply disruption—their major problem during the pandemic. Conclusions and Applications Local and regional processing operations are receiving a significant infusion of pandemic relief funds. Consumers are currently keenly interested in local and regional food options. At the same time, commercial operations will likely become even more efficient due to postpandemic adjustments. Thus, local and regional operations may face an even more challenging competitive environment than before the pandemic.
Other Solids and Simple Liquids

Given the technological importance of semiconductors, a great deal of first-principles work has been done for these systems ever since the early days of local density computations. The first-principles calculations of dielectric response in semiconductors can be classified into three categories: (i) TDLDA calculations; (ii) frozen-field calculations; and (iii) self-energy corrected TDLDA.
The Attenuation of Light by Marine Phytoplankton with Specific Reference to the Absorption of Near-UV Radiation

Our hypothesis is that early planktonic algae developed ultraviolet protective screens similar to those found in marine invertebrates (for example see Cheng et al. (1978)). We present here evidence that some algae with ultraviolet screens are still extant. In present day environments of intense sunlight, these ultraviolet screens may yet today be a selective advantage for primitive photosynthetic organisms.
Sex Slavery in the Lone Star State: Does the Texas Human Trafficking Legislation of 2011 Protect Minors?

Human trafficking is “one of the world’s largest and fastest growing criminal enterprises” — second only to the trade of illegal drugs. By most accounts, women and girls are the primary victims; yet, men and boys are targeted as well. Sex trafficking and labor trafficking are two major forms of human trafficking that fuel the growth of the more than twelve billion dollar per year trafficking industry. The United States is a “major destination country” for international trafficking; over 50,000 persons are trafficked into the United States from other countries each year. Upon arrival, they join U.S. citizens and residents who are trafficked domestically. To combat human trafficking, the federal government enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (“TVPA”) in 2000 to address both international and domestic trafficking in persons. In the past few years, a growing movement has emerged among states to pass comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation of their own.
Locale-based access control: placing collaborative authorization decisions in context

Collaboration systems require an appropriate authorization model to specify and maintain policies that not only facilitate group activities but also enforce restrictions and accountability. Existing models fail to incorporate adequately into authorization decisions the rich notion of context that is inherent to any collaborative setting. In this paper we present the locale-based access control (locale-BAC) model for collaborative systems, a model whose design is based upon the application of Fitzpatrick's locale framework for collaboration to the problem of access control. This model encapsulates the notion of context using locales, allowing for a natural representation of collaborative authorization decisions.
Flight Test Results for Several Light, Canard-Configured Airplanes

Brief flight evaluations of two different, light, composite constructed, canard and winglet configured airplanes were performed to assess their handling qualities; one airplane was a single engine, pusher design and the other a twin engine, push-pull configuration. An emphasis was placed on the slow speed/high angle of attack region for both airplanes and on the engine-out regime for the twin. Mission suitability assessment included cockpit and control layout, ground and airborne handling qualities, and turbulence response. Very limited performance data was taken. Stall/spin tests and the effects of laminar flow loss on performance and handling qualities were assessed on an extended range, single engine pusher design.
From Slavery to Same Sex Marriage: Comity Versus Public Policy and Inter-Jurisdictional Recognition of Controversial Domestic Relations

Recognition across state and national borders of controversial forms of domestic relationships have existed throughout the history of conflict of laws, creating tension between two important principles: respect for comity and protection of valued domestic public policies. Drawing upon several examples, and particularly the history of international and intrastate recognition of slavery (a “domestic relationship”) in Anglo-American history, the article shows that despite the comity-based presumption of respect for legal status created in other jurisdictions, when strong public policies protective of domestic relations and status have been implicated, American states consistently have declined to give interstate recognition to those controversial forms of domestic relationship that are being imported. The article examines several examples of this and reviews the principles that are historically established in dealing with such conflicts, and suggests the relevance of this history and these principles for interstate recognition of same-sex marriage and other controversial contemporary domestic relationships.
Characterization of CPT-11 Hydrolysis by Human Liver Carboxylesterase Isoforms hCE-1 and hCE-2

7-Ethyl-10-[4-(1-piperidino)-1-piperidino] carbonyloxy-camptothecin (irinotecan; CPT-11) is a prodrug activated by carboxylesterase enzymes. We characterized the hydrolysis of CPT-11 by two recently identified human carboxylesterase (hCE) enzymes, hCE-1 and hCE-2. Km and Vmax for hCE-1 and hCE-2 are 43 microM and 0.53 nmol/min/mg protein and 3.4 microM and 2.5 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. hCE-2 has a 12.5-fold higher affinity for CPT-11 and a 5-fold higher maximal rate of CPT-11 hydrolysis when compared with hCE-1. In cytotoxicity assays, incubation of 1 microM CPT-11 with hCE-2 (3.6 microg/ml) resulted in a 60% reduction in survival of SQ20b cells. No significant reduction in cell survival was observed after incubation of CPT-11 with hCE-1. These data indicate that hCE-2 is a high-affinity, high-velocity enzyme with respect to CPT-11. hCE-2 likely plays a substantial role in CPT-11 activation in human liver at relevant pharmacological concentrations.
Genetic and molecular distinctions in spinal ependymomas: A review

While gross total resection of spinal ependymomas prevents recurrence, this surgical result is not always possible. Increasing evidence suggests that ependymomas occurring in the spine are genetically distinct from those originating in the brain. Herein we review the most recent developments detailing the molecular and genetic characteristics of spinal ependymomas, which may inform more effective and personalized adjuvant therapies for spinal ependymomas that are ineligible for gross total resection. We performed a key-word search for articles published on the molecular, genetic, chromosomal, and epigenetic transformations inherent in spinal ependymomas. We reviewed appropriate articles and their relevant citations. While resection can often achieve favorable outcomes in the treatment of spinal ependymoma, more research on the unique molecular, genetic, chromosomal and epigenetic traits must be conducted in order to tailor treatment and intervention for those patients for whom total resection is not possible.
Stability of Nested Queue Model With Finite Waiting Capacity

Abstract: The paper describes a mathematical model to identify the conditions of stability for a two stage nested queue model. We envisioned the two stages as two stations in a hospital that a patient passes through before completing service. In the first station there are two servers (i.e., nurses) which attend to the patient. When a patient arrives to the first station he/she is served by one of the two servers, the server serves the patient and stays with the customer until the service in the second station of the model is completed. In the second station, another server (i.e., doctor) attends to the customer with the cooperation of first station server. The service rates of the servers and arrival rates of the patients follow exponential distribution. The mathematical model is also used to determine the conditions that allow the patients in system to be served effectively. To estimate the conditions of stability, the steady state probabilities have been calculated and stability behavior has been given for special cases.
Fibronectin splice variation in human knee cartilage, meniscus and synovial membrane: Observations in osteoarthritic knee

Fibronectin (FN) is a widely expressed molecule that can participate in development of osteoarthritis (OA) affecting cartilage, meniscus, and synovial membrane (SM). The alternatively spliced isoforms of FN in joint tissues other than cartilage have not been extensively studied previously. The present study compares FN splice variation in patients with varying degrees of osteoarthritic change. Joint tissues were collected from asymptomatic donors and patients undergoing arthroscopic procedures. Total RNA was amplified by PCR using primers flanking alternatively spliced Extra Domain A (EDA), Extra Domain B (EDB) and Variable (V) regions. EDB+, EDB− and EDA− and V+ variants were present in all joint tissues, while the EDA+ variant was rarely detected. Expression levels of EDB+ and EDV+ variants were similar in cartilage, synovium, and meniscal tissues. Synovial expression of V+ FN in arthroscopy patients varied with degree of cartilage degeneration. Two V− isoforms, previously identified in cartilage, were also present in SM and meniscus. Fibronectin splicing in meniscus and SM bears striking resemblance to that of cartilage. Expression levels of synovial V+ FN varied with degree of cartilage degeneration. V+ FN should be investigated as a potential biomarker of disease stage or progression in larger populations. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:556–562, 2015.
Specific T cell recognition of peptides derived from prostate-specific antigen in patients with prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives. To determine if proteins known to be expressed by both benign and malignant prostate epithelium can be recognized by T cells from patients with prostate cancer. We examined 7 HLA-A2 patients with prostate cancer for evidence of T cell reactivity with prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Methods. Four peptides derived from PSA were chemically synthesized and shown to bind to HLA-A2. As a control, we also examined the immunogenic influenza matrix peptide Flu 58–66 that binds to HLA-A2. These peptides were used to stimulate peripheral blood lymphocytes by in vitro stimulation. Results. In 1 patient, specific recognition of peptide PSA 141–150 was observed. The remaining 6 patients had no reactivity with any PSA-derived peptide. The T cell line with specific recognition of peptide PSA 141–150 failed to recognize an autologous B cell blast line expressing endogenous PSA following infection with a recombinant PSA vaccinia virus construct. Three of the 7 patients demonstrated specific reactivity with Flu 58–66 . Conclusions. We found specific recognition of one PSA-derived peptide in 1 patient of 7 with prostate cancer. The peptide-specific lymphocyte cell line did not recognize endogenous PSA, suggesting that the peptide may not be produced by prostate cancer cells producing PSA. Specific recognition of PSA peptides was not common in our patients with prostate cancer. Whether such activity can be induced by vaccination strategies or can be therapeutic in men with established prostate cancer remains to be demonstrated.
The half-life and formation cross-section of 177mLu

Abstract The beta and gamma decay of a sample of 177 m Lu has been followed for a period of 3 yr. The half-life was found to be 161·0 ± 0·3 days. The cross-section for the 176 Lu(n,γ) 177 m Lu reaction with thermal neutrons is 7 ± 2 barn. The branching ratio of the beta decay of 177 Yb to 177 m Lu is (3 ± 1) × 10 −4 .
Zn2+ Promotes the Self-Association of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Integrase in Vitro

It has been recently demonstrated that the Mg2+-dependent 3‘-processing activity of purified human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase is stimulated by the addition of exogenous Zn2+ [Lee, S. P., & Han, M. K. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 3837−3844]. This activation was hypothesized to result from integrase self-association. In this report, we examine the Zn2+ content of purified HIV-1 integrase by atomic absorption spectroscopy and by application of a thiol modification reagent, p-(hydroxymercuri)benzenesulfonate, with a metallochromic indicator, 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol. We find that the Zn2+ content of HIV-1 integrase varies from 0.1 to 0.92 equiv of Zn2+ per monomer depending on the conditions of protein purification. In vitro activity assays, time-resolved fluorescence emission anisotropy, and gel filtration chromatographic analyses all indicate that EDTA yields an apoprotein which is predominantly monomeric and less active with Mg2+. Further, sedimentation equilibrium studies reveal that rec...
Cardiac resynchronization therapy-induced proarrhythmia: understanding preferential conduction within myocardial scars.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)–induced proarrhythmia is a clinically described entity, often included in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with electrical storm, but rarely proven based on available data. Electrophysiologists consulting on patients with a CRT device in place often query the possibility of this entity. Yet, unless electrical storm immediately follows CRT implantation and the ventricular tachycardia (VT) morphology matches the left ventricular (LV) pacing morphology, the speculation is often short-lived. Article see p 1064 Understanding of this clinical entity is complex, as the factors controlling VT initiation and maintenance when pacing within or near scar are multi-factorial, incompletely understood, and likely variable based on several factors including local electroanatomic parameters as well as complex autonomic modulation. Furthermore, myocardial scars are known to progress over time, and cardiac impulses can have variable entrances and exits from a scar, which can complicate time of presentation and ECG interpretation in an individual patient. In the current study, Roque et al1 present their data on CRT-induced proarrhythmia because of pacing from within, or adjacent to, an epicardial scar demonstrated on cardiac MRI (cMRI). The authors demonstrate that this phenomenon can be successfully managed with catheter ablation and that in most cases CRT can be restored after ablation. The authors should be congratulated on the most comprehensive evidence to date on this topic. They undertook meticulous mapping of the endocardium and epicardium in the majority of patients studied. CRT-induced proarrhythmia patients were more likely (62%) to have nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and more likely to present with electrical storm, as well as heart failure/cardiogenic shock. One would assume the increased propensity for heart failure/cardiogenic shock was directly related to the electrical storm induced by CRT as well as the associated lack of successful resynchronization. However, what is the mechanism for the increased risk …
NOTES ON THE FATE OF AVIRULENT PASTEURELLA PESTIS IN FLEAS.

Abstract By the use of in vitro feeding techniques, fleas ( Xenopsylla cheopis ) were fed upon six avirulent strains of Pasteurella pestis in suspensions of rat blood. Three of the strains (A1122, “14,” and B741-10-9) showed a capacity to multiply in the fleas and eventually to cause blockage of the proventricular valve. The other strains apparently did not survive in the fleas. Plate counts of the number of bacilli of each strain in fleas, processed at intervals after the infectious blood meal, confirmed the findings with regard to blocking rates. In another experiment, seven different concentrations of avirulent P. pestis strain A1122 were fed to X. cheopis . The results showed a direct relation between the number of bacilli in the infectious blood meal and the blocking rates in the fleas. Thus the vector efficiency of fleas may be limited by a “threshold” of the degree of bacteraemia in wild rodents infected with P. pestis
Treatment of Idiopathic Achalasia in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review

Background Achalasia is a rare idiopathic neuromuscular disorder of the esophagus, characterized as a syndrome of impaired relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and decreased peristalsis of the esophageal body. Objective The primary objective is to determine the best first-line treatment for pediatric achalasia based on the consolidation of the current literature that compares outcomes after pneumatic dilatation (PD) versus surgical myotomy (Heller esophagomyotomy [HM]). Data Sources A systematic review of English articles using OVID was performed. Study Selection OVID was used to search for articles focusing on the treatment of pediatric esophageal achalasia with PD versus HM. Data Extraction Independent extraction of data was performed by N.E.S using predefined data fields. Data Synthesis Seven articles were included in the systematic review. Techniques of HM and PD varied widely. The best first-line treatment of pediatric achalasia was determined to be HM in two articles, PD in one article, and equal efficacy in one article. Three articles concluded that appropriate initial treatment was determined by the age of the child. Conclusion Adequate comparative data are lacking to determine the ideal treatment of pediatric achalasia. Appropriately designed randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed to determine ideal treatment algorithms in pediatric achalasia.
15.1: Improvements Made to the Contrast Ratio of PDPs in a Bright Room by Coating the Phosphors with Pigments

In order to improve the contrast ratio of PDPs in the bright room, the reflection luminance of the panel needs to be decreased while the luminance is increased. In this particular process, we decreased the panel reflection by coating the phosphors with pigments of each color. In order to minimize the loss of brightness, we did not coat the green phosphor with its respective pigment. The main reason this was not done was due to the fact that the green phosphor is the most important emission material for the brightness of PDPs, but the green pigment is the most ineffective material in lowering the reflectance. This technique was applied to a 50″ PDP panel. The results showed a contrast ratio increase of 15% without any sacrifice of the luminance by just adjusting the transmittance of the front filter.
The topography of the Cu/CuCl interface and its consequences

Abstract The formation of CuCl by the reaction between chlorine and copper films proceeds preferentially along grain boundaries thereby yielding a rough interface between the CuCl and the Cu and a continuous decrease in the average chlorine composition at a given depth versus distance from the surface.
Electrochemistry at Ultramicroelectrode Arrays and Nanoelectrode Ensembles of Macro‐ and Ultramicroelectrode Dimensions

Recent experiments on the development and characterization of nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) based on Au-filled polycarbonate membranes and microfabricated addressable ultramicroelectrode (UME) arrays are described. Macro-NEEs operate under primarily transient diffusion conditions while the more recently developed ultramicro-NEEs operate under primarily steady-state diffusion conditions due to the high rate of mass transport to the nanoelectrode sites and the overall ultramicro-geometry; both types of NEEs are discussed. In addition to the traditional characterization methods of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) for arrays and ensembles, the use of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in assessing the viability of the insulated addressing tracks, as well as the electrochemical reactivity and conductivity of the individual UME sites, is discussed. The behavior of infinite (i. e., macro-) arrays and ensembles of UME and NE sites is well understood, but this is not the case for finite (i. e., ultramicro-) arrays and ensembles, where the perimeter sites now play a large role in the overall steady-state behavior. A general theory and 3D simulations for these UME-NEEs are described.
Properties of Polyelectrolyte Templates Generated by Dip-Pen Nanolithography and Microcontact Printing

Patterns were generated with a single type of polyelectrolyte, poly(allylamine)hydrochloride, by two different lithographic methods and subsequently used in surface studies. The experiments allowed comparison and contrast of the properties of the features generated by each methodology.
Photoinduced cation interstitial diffusion in II-VI semiconductors

The electronic structure, stability, and chemical trend of cation interstitials in II\char21{}VI semiconductors are studied through ab initio methods. We find that interstitials in the neutral charge state are more stable in the tetrahedral interstitial site near the cation $({T}_{C})$, whereas in the $(2+)$ charge state, they are more stable near the anion $({T}_{A})$. This bistability is explained through the Coulomb coupling and energy-level repulsion in the two different interstitial sites. We show that the diffusion energy barrier changes when the defect charge state changes. We suggest that if electrons or holes are taken from the defect level by light, changing its charge state, the interstitial atom will be able to diffuse almost spontaneously due to a reduced diffusion barrier. These results can help unravel the nature of the recently observed photoinduced migration of interstitials in II\char21{}VI semiconductors.
Design Considerations for Large Woody Debris Placement in Stream Enhancement Projects

Abstract Log length exerted a critical influence in stabilizing large woody debris (LWD) pieces added as an experimental stream restoration technique. Logs longer than the average bank-full channel width (5.5 m) were significantly less likely to be displaced than logs shorter than this width. The longest log in stable log groups was significantly longer than the longest log in unstable groups. The distances moved by displaced logs demonstrated a quadratic relationship associated with log length; longer logs moved less often, but they moved farther when entrained in the current than the majority of mobile smaller logs. Log stability did not differ between a treatment section with randomized placement of LWD and a section in which LWD was placed systematically to best modify channel habitats. Channel scouring typically occurred around LWD oriented as ramps and as dams perpendicular to stream flow; aggradation occurred above and below pieces oriented as dams angled to the current. Microscale channel response...
Draft Genome Sequences of Four Closely Linked Vibrio vulnificus Isolates from the Biotype 1 Environmental Genotype

Biotype 1 of Vibrio vulnificus, which causes severe invasive intestinal and wound infections, is split into two genotypes with all previously sequenced clinical isolates from the C genotypes. We report here the whole-genome sequencing of two clinical isolates and two closely linked oyster isolates from the E genotype for comparative studies.
Extracellular Glutamate Exposure Facilitates Group I mGluR-Mediated Epileptogenesis in the Hippocampus

Stimulation of group I mGluRs elicits several forms of translation-dependent neuronal plasticity including epileptogenesis. The translation process underlying plasticity induction is controlled by repressors including the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). In the absence of FMRP-mediated repression, a condition that occurs in a mouse model (Fmr1−/−) of fragile X syndrome, group I mGluR-activated translation is exaggerated causing enhanced seizure propensity. We now show that glutamate exposure (10 μm for 30 min) reduced FMRP levels in wild-type mouse hippocampal slices. Downregulation of FMRP was dependent on group I mGluR activation and was blocked by a proteasome inhibitor (MG-132). Following glutamate exposure, synaptic stimulation induced prolonged epileptiform discharges with properties similar to those observed in Fmr1−/− preparations. In both cases, prolonged epileptiform discharges were blocked by group I mGluR antagonists (LY367385 + MPEP) and their induction was prevented by protein synthesis inhibitor (anisomycin). The results suggest that stimulation of group I mGluRs during glutamate exposure caused proteolysis of FMRP. Reduction of FMRP led to enhanced synaptic group I mGluR-mediated translation. Elevated translation facilitated the recruitment of group I mGluR-mediated prolonged epileptiform discharges.