cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Necrotizing myopathies: beyond statins

Purpose of review This review discusses the spectrum of diseases associated with a necrotizing muscle biopsy. Although patients with toxic myopathies, endocrine dysfunction, and heritable myopathies may have prominent necrosis on muscle biopsy, immune-mediated myopathies are emphasized here. Recent findings A decade ago, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy was recognized as a distinct form of myositis. Recent evidence now suggests that immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy is not one disease, but can be divided on the basis of the presence of distinct autoantibodies recognizing either the signal recognition particle or 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Anti-HMG-CoA reductase-positive patients can be further subdivided into those with and without statin exposure, the latter of which may be particularly refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. Summary A significant number of patients with autoimmune myopathy have a predominantly necrotizing muscle biopsy with minimal lymphocytic infiltration. This biopsy finding occurs in various forms myositis, including the antisynthetase syndrome, scleroderma-associated myopathy, antisignal recognition particle-associated myopathy, statin-associated anti-HMG-CoA reductase-positive autoimmune myopathy, and statin-naive anti-HMG-CoA reductase-positive myopathy. Future progress in elucidating pathogenic mechanisms and defining optimal treatment strategies may depend upon recognizing these distinct forms of myositis and analyzing them as separate entities.
MTOR KINASE INHIBITORS AND APOPTOSIS IN GLIOBLASTOMA

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma represents the most common primary brain tumor, and among the most lethal of cancers. The axis linking receptor tyrosine kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase to the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is activated in a majority of glioblastomas, suggesting mTOR as a prominent target for therapy. A new class of mTOR kinase inhibitors already in clinical trials disrupts signaling through two mTORC1 translational effectors (S6K and eIF4E) whereas clinical allosteric binders (rapamycin and analogues) disrupt only S6K. METHODS: We tested three distinct mTOR kinase inhibitors (KU63794, PP242 and the clinical compound MLN128) against glioma cell lines and primary cultures wild-type or mutant at PTEN. We used viability assays, flow cytometry, western blotting, as well as convection enhanced delivery and gavage to test agents in glioblastoma. RESULTS: All agents blocked viability in a dose dependent manner. PP242 uniquely induced apoptosis. Cell based screening suggested Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) and protein kinase C alpha (PKCa) as prominent off-targets for PP242. We validated both off-targets. To determine whether these targets contributed to apoptosis, we combined inhibition or knockdown of JAK2 and PKCa. Blocking both kinases drove apoptosis, associated with reduced phosphorylation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3). Apoptosis was abrogated by inhibition of mTOR. The EGFR inhibitors erlotinib and lapatanib partially blocked PKC and JAK2. Combining either EGFR inhibitor with a JAK2 inhibitor also drove apoptosis in a PTEN-indepenent manner, associated with blockade of p-STAT3. Current experiments extend this combination in-vivo. CONCLUSIONS: We recently demonstrated that EGFR and EGFRvIII converge to activate STAT signaling in glioblastoma. By dissecting off-target effects underlying the ability of an mTOR kinase inhibitor to drive apoptosis, we identified a combination therapy approach that blocks STAT activation. Use of EGFR and of JAK kinases in combination blocked STAT signaling, and was associated with apoptosis in glioblastoma. Combined therapy with approved JAK and EGFR inhibitors could be translated rapidly to patients. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Tumor Biology.
Measurement of Platelet Von Willebrand Factor Is Dependent on Method of Platelet Isolation

The authors have compared platelet von Willebrand factor antigen and ristocetin cofactor activity measurements in a normal population, using two different previously published platelet isolation techniques. Preparation of a platelet lysate by platelet washes using Tyrode's albumin solution and inhibitors yielded a threefold higher vWF antigen and a twofold higher ristocetin cofactor activity measurement as compared to platelets isolated by tris buffered saline washes containing 0.1% (weight/volume) Na2EDTA. Contamination by plasma von Willebrand factor to account for the higher values found by the first method was excluded by monitoring the presence of added purified I125 von Willebrand factor to platelet rich plasma. vWF multimer analysis showed the same distribution of multimers in both preparations but suggested a relative decrease in lower molecular weight multimers with the second method. Platelet isolation can result in significant loss of platelet von Willebrand factor, with a preferential loss of lower molecular weight multimers, likely resulting from unintentional platelet release.
Comparison of a powdered, acidified liquid, and non-acidified liquid human milk fortifier on clinical outcomes in premature infants

We previously compared infant outcomes between a powdered human milk fortifier (P-HMF) vs. acidified liquid HMF (AL-HMF). A non-acidified liquid HMF (NAL-HMF) is now commercially available. The purpose of this study is to compare growth and outcomes of premature infants receiving P-HMF, AL-HMF or NAL-HMF. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved retrospective chart review compared infant outcomes (born < 2000 g) who received one of three HMF. Growth, enteral nutrition, laboratory and demographic data were compared. 120 infants were included (P-HMF = 46, AL-HMF = 23, NAL-HMF = 51). AL-HMF infants grew slower in g/day (median 23.66 vs. P-HMF 31.27, NAL-HMF 31.74 (p < 0.05)) and in g/kg/day, median 10.59 vs. 15.37, 14.03 (p < 0.0001). AL-HMF vs. NAL-HMF infants were smaller at 36 weeks gestational age (median 2046 vs. 2404 g, p < 0.05). However AL-HMF infants received more daily calories (p = 0.21) and protein (p < 0.0001), mean 129 cal/kg, 4.2 g protein/kg vs. P-HMF 117 cal/kg, 3.7 g protein/kg , NAL-HMF 120 cal/kg, 4.0 g protein/kg. AL-HMF infants exhibited lower carbon dioxide levels after day of life 14 and 30 (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0038). Three AL-HMF infants (13%) developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) vs. no infants in the remaining groups (p = 0.0056). A NAL-HMF is the most optimal choice for premature human milk-fed infants in a high acuity neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
TROPOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND COMPOSITION | Volatile Organic Compounds Overview: Anthropogenic

The term anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) refers to those organic compounds other than methane that arise from human activities and are capable of producing photochemical oxidants such as ozone by atmospheric chemical reactions with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight. VOCs are an important class of air pollutants commonly found in the atmosphere at ground level in all urban and industrial centers. There are many hundreds to thousands of compounds, which come within the category of VOCs. Not all VOCs contribute equally strongly to photochemical oxidant formation. Some VOCs show a high propensity to form oxidants whilst others are largely unreactive.
Principles of communication and emotion in social interaction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the origins, development, experience, and deployment of emotions are inherently communicative. The chapter outlines six general principles and related theoretical concepts including the ideas that social interaction is the primary elicitor of most emotions and that emotions are expressed through interpersonal communication. The first two principles focus on two forces that influence how and when emotion is communicated: evolution and socialization. The forces of biological evolution and cultural socialization are not mutually exclusive; rather, they combine and interact to produce emotional communication. The chapter also discusses how evolution and socialization affect emotional communication, by examining the evolution of emotional communication as a socially adaptive phenomenon. Hard-wired neural links exist between emotions and their expression, particularly their nonverbal expression. The social functions of emotions have provided a particularly powerful evolutionary advantage. Emotions permit individuals to adapt successfully to a vast array of social demands and opportunities. The primary function of emotions and their expression is to minimize rejection by other humans.
Modern Treatment Outcomes in Sinonasal Malignancies

Purpose of the Review This manuscript reviews the current management of sinonasal malignancies based on their histology.
Comparative study on PS material of EAPSM for flat panel display

We evaluated and compared the i-line 5.2 % Cr based EAPSM and i-line 5.2 % MoSi based EAPSM to find more appropriate material of shifter for FPD. The evaluation items were their CD linearity, phase shift, and optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance, and absorbance under the wavelength range 200-800 nm. Finally, from the results, we performed simulations. The CD linearity and the phase shift were seen as the performances of the same level within all their specifications. The optical properties indicated that the transmittance was higher in the i-line 5.2 % Cr based EAPSM than in i-line 5.2 % MoSi based EAPSM from about 350 nm wavelength, and the reflectance was lower in the iline 5.2 % Cr based EAPSM than in i-line 5.2 % MoSi based EAPSM under the entire wavelength region. From these results, NILS and contrast were simulated between them in 5.0 μm pitch LS pattern and it was found that they did not have a significant difference. Side-lobe effect appeared in both EAPSMs when clear features were closely adjacent under 2.0 μm contact pattern. However, the side-lobe could be removed effectively by adopting Rim type EAPSM. The i-line 5.2 % MoSi based EAPSM may be more suitable for the Rim type EAPSM than the i-line 5.2 % Cr based EAPSM considering their structure and production process of the Rim type EAPSM. It may be appropriate that we use the i-line 5.2 % Cr based EAPSM in LS pattern and the i-line 5.2 % MoSi based EAPSM in contact pattern, because they were almost same level in that performance perspective.
Monolithic white lasers and semiconductor alloy nanostructures with a wide range of composition control

Semiconductor nanostructures such as nanowires or nanosheets are extremely tolerant to lattice constant variation and thus allow alloy composition to vary over a large range within a single substrate or structure. We demonstrate multi-color lasing or even a white laser from a single alloy nanostructure.
Agonist Costimulation Increases Recruitment of Platelet Subpopulations to a Procoagulant Phenotype.

Previously we determined that platelets stimulated with PAR 1 agonists, even at levels eliciting maximal responses for support of factor Xa generation, showed only a subpopulation (~10%) that exposed binding sites for factor IXa. Now we show that the same subpopulation of platelets supported binding of both factor Xa and factor IXa. While stimulation of platelets with GPVI agonists collagen or convulxin also caused exposure of factor Xa binding sites on a small subpopulation (~10%) of platelets, simultaneous stimulation with PAR 1 and GPVI agonists resulted in synergistic recruitment of platelets to expose factor Xa binding sites (30–60%). In kinetic studies of platelet-supported thrombin generation, platelets preactivated with thrombin or collagen showed roughly equivalent initial rates of prothrombinase activity (5nM/min, 10nM/min, and 12nM/min for low, medium and high agonist concentrations) that increased with reaction time up to 20 minutes reflecting platelet stimulation by the thrombin generated. Platelets preactivated with both collagen and thrombin, even at high concentrations (collagen 50μg/ml and thrombin 2U/ml), supported additive rates of prothrombinase in contrast to the synergy achieved in exposure of factor Xa binding sites. These data indicate that although single strong agonists recruit only a small subpopulation of activated platelets to undergo procoagulant surface changes, co-stimulation acts synergistically to recruit a larger population. It was previously shown that treatment of platelets with 100μM of the protein kinase C inhibitor RO318220 permitted an increased (three-fold) PAR 1-stimulated platelet support of prothrombinase and an almost 20-fold increase in the size of the population exposing annexin V binding sites. We now show that agonist-stimulated platelets pretreated with 100μM RO318220, whether stimulated with PAR 1 or GPVI agonists separately or combined, recruited ~80% of platelets to bind factor Xa. These data suggest that exposure of a procoagulant phenotype is negatively regulated by a pathway containing a target of high concentrations of RO318220, and that both PAR 1 and GPVI pathways normally converge in relief of that regulation.
The Tragedy of Leo Armenius: Gryphius, Music, and the Divine Telos of History

Although seventeenth-century German poet and dramatist Andreas Gryphius revered science and the new empiricism, he also believed that God was behind the events of history. The problem of how to voice this belief without compromising the objective representation of history in his Trauerspiele (“mourning plays”) led to a strategy of bifurcation: the realistic plot exposition was framed by interpretive Reyen, choruses in which the deeper allegorical meaning of events was explicated. That the Reyen were sung, whereas the rest of the drama was spoken, bespeaks Gryphius's investment in common notions of music as partly spiritual in nature, but in his tragedy Leo Armenius he also appropriated current poetic ideas that identified music's transcendent qualities with pure, nonverbal sound. The employment of a divinely “pre-semantic” poetic Klangmalerei within the rationally governed structures of verse enabled Gryphius to voice something of the hidden divine hand behind history without compromising the written reco...
The Graphical Unitary Group Approach and Its Application to Direct Configuration Interaction Calculations

In his contribution to this volume,1 Paldus provides an excellent introduction and overview for the unitary group approach (UGA) to the many-electron correlation problem. In an earlier review2 he has given a comprehensive account of the historical and mathematical background of this approach and has provided a rigorous presentation of many of its aspects. Many additional facets of UGA and its relationship to other approaches have been explored in detail in his other publications on this subject. 3–12 In the present contribution we shall rely extensively on these papers, and particularly on the reviews in References 1 and 2, to provide the background and mathematical rigor, and shall focus primarily on a largely intuitive presentation of a particular form and mode of application of UGA13–27 which has come to be known as the graphical unitary group approach (GUGA).15–23
Network estimation via poisson autoregressive models

Multivariate Poisson autoregressive models are a common way of capturing self-exciting point processes, where cascading series of events from nodes in a network either stimulate or inhibit events from other nodes. These models can be used to learn the structure of social or biological neural networks. An important problem associated with these multivariate network models is determining how different nodes influence each other. This problem presents a number of technical challenges since the number of nodes is typically large relative to the number of observed events. This paper addresses these challenges and provides learning rates for a class of multivariate self-exciting Poisson autoregressive models. Importantly, the derived learning rates apply in the high-dimensional setting when our network is sparse. We also provide a real data example to support our methodology and main results.
Exhibiting What is Learned: Using Exhibition Assessments and Universal Design for Learning in College Teaching

Universal design for learning (UDL) aims to highlight students’ strengths using innovative teaching methods and assessments. In this paper, discussion of the final exhibition project in a graduate level class on special education taught through all constructs of UDL is analyzed. Students were asked to create their own final (exhibition project) highlighting six big ideas of the course in a way that exhibited their learning. Three examples of student projects are included with external links to access their video clips. Discussion of course content, structure of projects, and recommendations for use in college teaching and teacher preparation are included. Key words: Teaching pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, Exhbition Project, Project Based Learning
TRITIUM PROCESS MODELLING : A SYSTEMS APPROACH

The Fusion Environmental and Safety Group at the University of California at Berkeley has focused on the development of a computer code integrating safety and environmental aspects of fusion reactors with an application to the ITER design (Ref. 1). In this context, a tritium systems code (TRIDYN) is in development. The model presented here (a) has the capability of showing the impact of key reactor design options on the tritium inventory, and (b) allows the exploration of possible design choices to minimize the tritium inventory in the fuel cycle. The computational flexibility of the model allows fast simulation of different reactor operating modes, programmed and emergency shutdowns and loss-offlow accidents and the investigation of their effects on the tritium inventory. Finally, examples of the use of the TRIDYN code to identify operational strategies and fuel requirements that lead to a minimal tritium inventory during all the dynamic states of the fuel cycle are given in this paper.
Occlusione dell’intestino tenue

Le cause piu frequenti di occlusione dell’intestino tenue (small bowel obstruction, SBO) sono le aderenze post-operatorie e le ernie. Altre eziologie meccaniche piu rare sono l’ostruzione da bolo (ad es. il bezoario), le patologie maligne o infiammatorie (ad es. la malattia di Crohn) o l’intussuscezione.
PCH-2TRIP13 regulates spindle checkpoint strength

Spindle checkpoint strength, defined as the length of the cell cycle delay imposed by the spindle checkpoint, is dictated by three criteria: the number of unattached kinetochores, cell volume and cell fate. However, how checkpoint strength is regulated is unknown. We show that the conserved AAA-ATPase, PCH-2, which remodels the essential checkpoint effector Mad2 from an active conformation to an inactive one, controls checkpoint strength in C. elegans. When we genetically manipulate embryos to decrease cell volume, PCH-2 is no longer required for the spindle checkpoint or recruitment of Mad2 at unattached kinetochores, showing that PCH-2 is essential for a robust checkpoint in large cells. This role in checkpoint strength is not limited to large cells: germline precursor cells exhibit a stronger checkpoint than their somatic counterparts and this also relies on PCH-2. PCH-2 is more highly enriched in germline precursor cells than in somatic cells and this enrichment relies on a conserved factor that induces asymmetry in the early embryo. Finally, the stronger checkpoint in germline precursor cells also depends on CMT-1, which is essential for both PCH-2's localization to unattached kinetochores and its enrichment in germline precursor cells. Thus, PCH-2's ability to regulate the availability of an inactive but necessary checkpoint precursor at or near unattached kinetochores governs checkpoint strength.
Impact of Serum Uric Acid Levels on Outcomes following Renal Artery Revascularization in Patients with Renovascular Disease.

Background. Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) improves blood pressure (BP) and renal function only in selected patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD). Hyperuricemia is associated with elevated risk for hypertension and chronic renal disease, but its role in renovascular hypertension is unclear. We hypothesized that hyperuricemia negatively impacts renal and BP outcomes among patients with ARVD undergoing PTRA. Methods. This retrospective, observational cohort study included 94 patients with ARVD and preserved systolic cardiac function, who underwent PTRA at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Renal, BP, and mortality outcomes were compared among patients according to their serum uric acid (SUA) levels. Multivariate analysis was used to determine significant predictors of renal, BP, and mortality outcomes after PTRA. Results. Compared to patients with normal basal SUA levels (≤5.7 mg/dl), patients with very high SUA (≥8.7 mg/dl) had lower baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), more extensive use of antihypertensive and diuretic drugs, increased baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP), and elevated left ventricular mass index. After PTRA, multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, compared to normal SUA, very high SUA was associated with decreased odds ratio (OR) of change in eGFR (adjusted OR=0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-0.95), but not of change in SBP. In multivariate linear analysis SUA independently predicted delta urine protein/creatinine ratio (β: 26.0; 95% confidence interval, 13.9 to 38.1). Conclusion. Severe hyperuricemia in patients with AVRD may have a negative impact on outcomes of renal revascularization.
Comparison of Complication and Revision Rates After Frontal Versus Parietal Approach for Ventricular Shunt Placement in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Background Ventricular shunts are most commonly placed via a frontal or parietal approach. However, there is a paucity of data comparing complication and revision rates associated with these approaches in the idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) population. Methods Patients with iNPH treated with ventricular shunting between 2001 and 2017 at our institution were included for analysis. Patient characteristics, catheter accuracy, and incidence of revision were determined from the medical record. Catheter accuracy was determined using axial computed tomography imaging and classified as grade 1, 2, or 3 based on location of the catheter tip. Results There were 348 patients included for analysis with 266 (76.4%) and 82 (23.6%) receiving a frontal versus parietal shunt, respectively. Patients undergoing the parietal approach were more likely to receive a programmable valve (37.8% vs. 25.2%; P = 0.026). Neuronavigation was used more frequently for patients undergoing the parietal approach (26.8% vs. 4.1%; P Conclusions These results suggest that the type of approach for shunting may not have a significant impact on complication and revision rates in patients with iNPH, and either approach is a reasonable first-line option.
Utilization of Iron in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy in Women with and Without Pre-pregnancy Obesity (P24-013-19)

Obese women may be at risk for poor iron status in pregnancy due to pro-inflammatory driven overexpression of hepcidin that leads to decreased iron bioavailability. Our objective was to determine the impact of pre-pregnancy (PP) obesity on maternal iron utilization in the third trimester of a singleton pregnancy. Using the stable isotope ⁵⁷Fe prepared as an oral ferrous sulfate solution, we measured iron absorption based on red blood cell incorporation in 50 adult (mean age: 27.6 ± 6.8 years) pregnant women [n = 29 PP non-obese (body mass index (BMI) 18.5–29.9 kg/m²) and n = 21 PP obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m²] at the 32ⁿᵈ-34ᵗʰ gestational week (mean 32.7 ± 0.7 weeks). We also assessed maternal iron status, hepcidin, inflammation, erythropoietin, dietary iron intake and gestational weight gain. Iron deficiency defined as hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL was highly prevalent (PP obese 67% vs. PP non-obese 48%, P = 0.19). ⁵⁷Fe utilization (PP non-obese 11.2% (interquartile range (IQR), 8.3) vs. PP obese 7.7% (IQR 8.9), P = 0.23), hepcidin, hemoglobin, and soluble transferrin receptor was similar between the PP BMI groups. PP obesity was associated with significantly higher ferritin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and total body iron. In the women who were non-obese PP, ⁵⁷Fe utilization was not linearly associated with any of the iron-related or inflammatory indices tested. However, ⁵⁷Fe utilization was significantly inversely associated with serum ferritin (r = −0.42) and serum hepcidin (r = −0.48) in women with PP obesity. In post-hoc analysis, compared to non-obese women, iron utilization was 23% lower in women with class 2 and 3 PP obesity and 3% lower in women with class 1 PP obesity, respectively. Iron utilization from an oral ferrous sulfate solution in the third trimester of pregnancy was similar in women with and without PP obesity. Given the growing prevalence of class 2 and 3 obesity among reproductive age women, and the importance of iron for optimal maternal and fetal health, our post-hoc analysis suggests that future efforts should examine iron utilization in women with severe PP obesity. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nurse Faculty Scholars Program #72,117 and University of Illinois at Chicago Colleges of Nursing and Medicine.
The Correction of Lens Distortion with Polynomials

This paper presents results of an effort to express known lens distortion values by polynomials. Two polynomials, one expressing radial lens distortion, the other decentering distortion, were used ...
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptom severity attenuates bi-directional associations between negative affect and avoidant coping: A daily diary study.

Abstract Introduction Avoidant coping plays an important role in the maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, existing investigations have been limited in their assessment of coping as a static process – despite evidence that the coping strategies individuals use to manage stressors vary across time and contexts. Further, research has relied on cross-sectional designs, precluding determination of the directionality of the negative affect-avoidant coping association. The current study addresses these limitations by using a daily diary method to examine the moderating role of PTSD symptom severity on reciprocal relations between negative affect and avoidant coping. Methods Participants were 1,188 trauma-exposed adults (M age = 19.2, 56% female, 79% White) who provided daily diary data for 30 days via online surveys. Multi-level models were tested to evaluate the moderating role of PTSD symptom severity in the daily relations between negative affect and avoidant coping during the 30-day period. Results Levels of daytime negative affect were assoicated with use of evening avoidant coping. Use of evening avoidant coping were associated with levels of next-day daytime negative affect. PTSD symptom severity moderated these relations. For individuals with more (vs. less) severe PTSD symptoms, the association of negative affect to avoidant coping was weaker and the association of avoidant coping to negative affect was stronger. Limitations Findings must be interpreted in light of limitations, including self-report measures and assessment of a alcohol using sample of college students. Discussion These findings advance our understanding of the negative affect-avoidant coping association among trauma-exposed individuals.
Emotional Practice and Emotional Archaeology

This paper explores the emotional dimensions of my research on children and their memorial markers in nineteenth-century cemeteries in the United States. Returning to this work in a heart-centered way offers an opportunity to address how my emotions are connected to my experiences and understandings in the present, as well as my engagement with the emotional lives of the people I am studying in the past. Working with the memorial monuments of young children has been emotionally challenging for me as a researcher, and I have become deeply interested in the emotional worlds that nineteenth-century American parents were a part of when they created these monuments designed to convey grief and loss. This exploration is also a journey of how I have moved away from my training in scientific, processual archaeology that prized objectivity to a heart-centered practice that combines rigor and respect for the material record with concerns of the heart and humanity.
Availability of Male and Female Sexual Health and Fertility Information on National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center Websites.

Abstract Introduction For the estimated 15 million cancer survivors in the United States, access to accurate information regarding quality of life issues such as sexual health and fertility preservation is a very important part of cancer recovery. Aim Because National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated cancer centers (CCs) are leaders of cancer care, we sought to determine the prevalence and quality of information relating to male and female sexual health and fertility on all NCI-designated CC websites. Methods A total of 70 NCI-designated CC websites listed on www.cancer.gov and divided by geographic regions were carefully analyzed for the presence and quality of male and female sexual health and fertility information. Fisher’s exact test was performed to assess for differences between websites. Main Outcome Measure We determined the number and percentage of NCI-designated CC websites with sexual health and/or fertility information, availability of information by region, and information available for each gender. Results Sexual health and/or fertility information was accessible on 43 of 63 (68.3%) CC websites and was more prevalent on comprehensive CC compared with non-comprehensive CC websites (37 of 49 [75.5%] vs 6 of 14 [42.9%] websites, respectively; P Conclusion Information regarding sexual health and fertility preservation after cancer treatment is not common and less available for men compared with women on NCI-designated CC websites. The aforementioned data highlight the need to improve the quality and accessibility of sexual health and fertility preservation information for all NCI-designated CC websites. Shah T, Shin D. Availability of Male and Female Sexual Health and Fertility Information on National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center Websites. J Sex Med 2020;8:315–317.
Play in Mexican-American mothers and toddlers is frequent, multimodal, and rich in symbolic content

Play offers rich opportunities for toddlers to develop motor, social, cognitive, and language skills, particularly during interactions with adult caregivers who may scaffold toddlers to higher levels of play than toddlers achieve on their own. However, research on play has narrowly focused on children from White, middle-income backgrounds, leaving a dearth of knowledge about dyadic play in diverse cultural communities. We videorecorded 222 Mexican-American mothers playing with their 2-year-old toddlers with a standard set of toys. Play behaviors were coded as nonsymbolic or symbolic (play type) and as expressed through manual, verbal, or multiple channels (play modality). Play between toddlers and mothers was frequent, high in symbolic content, and toddler play closely corresponded with mother play in type and modality: Toddlers' nonsymbolic play related to mothers' nonsymbolic play; toddlers' symbolic play related to mothers' symbolic play; toddlers' manual play related to mothers' manual play; and toddlers' multimodal play related to mothers' multimodal play. Play in Mexican-American mothers and toddlers is frequent, multimodal, and symbolically rich, offering new directions for future research and practice.
Electric field distribution and diffuse layer thickness study due to salt ion movement in water desalination

Abstract The work on salt ion drift in a solution driven by an external electric field in a duct is continued here. The formation of a diffuse layer at the sidewalls of the duct, where saltwater continuously flows, may cause the electric field in the fluid's bulk to diminish and thus, ions drift block. In the present article, the spatial distribution of the electric field is studied, and the conditions where electric field reduction is prevented. It is found that this is possible if the initial salt concentration is low, i.e. as a secondary desalination or water purification method. Moreover, as salt concentration increases, ion removal techniques from the sidewalls should be applied so as to avoid diminishing of the electric field.
Body mass index is not associated with donor oocyte recipient success: an ideal study using a paired analysis of sibling-oocytes.

Objective To determine whether a higher body mass index (BMI) adversely affects endometrial receptivity. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) All donor egg recipients (DERs) who received fresh sibling-oocytes (oocytes from a donor that were retrieved from a single controlled ovarian hyperstimulation [COH] cycle and split between two recipients) at our center over a 7-year period were included. Intervention(s) COH of a donor with fresh embryo transfer to recipients of differing BMI. The two recipients of the sibling-oocytes were paired and categorized based on BMI: group A (normal weight, BMI 18.5−24.9 kg/m2) and group B (overweight/obese, BMI >25.0 kg/m2). Main Outcome Measure(s) The primary outcome was implantation rate. Secondary outcomes were positive pregnancy rate and live birth rate. Result(s) A total of 408 patients had received oocytes from a split donor oocyte cycle. There were 71 pairs of patients (142 recipients) that had discrepant BMI categories and were analyzed. Implantation rates were similar for the two groups (54.5%±5.3% vs. 56.3%±4.8% for group A and B, respectively, P=0.72). The positive pregnancy rate (77.5% vs. 80.3%, P=0.28) and live birth rate (54.9% vs. 60.6%, P=0.33) for groups A and B were also found to be similar. Conclusion(s) In this idealized model that controls to the greatest degree possible for factors that would impact implantation, we found that a higher BMI did not reduce implantation, positive pregnancy, or delivery rates. These findings suggest that a higher BMI does not adversely affect uterine receptivity.
ESCRTs cut some slack.

In this issue of Nature Cell Biology, Mercier et al. show that acute changes in membrane tension may be a physiological trigger for ESCRT assembly, which drives membrane scission, luminal vesicle budding, and a wide array of other membrane remodelling events throughout the cell.
Near-infrared laser adjuvant for mass vaccination

The incorporation of an immunologic adjuvant to enhance the immune response is a standard practice for modern vaccines. In the past decade, researchers have consistently reported a new approach to augment the immune response to vaccine by brief treatment of the skin with laser light without appreciable adverse effects. To date, four classes of laser adjuvant have been established. Amongst these, pulsed and non-pulsed laser adjuvant merit further development because of their established efficacy and safety in animal models. Such a technology offers a valuable choice of immunologic adjuvant for accelerated vaccine development against emerging infectious diseases including COVID-19.
DOJ Giving Cover to Monopolizing Firms that Breach Antitrust Rules

Imagine that a company makes a promise an industry relies on, gains monopoly power as a result, and then says “just kidding.” The head of the Antitrust Division, Makan Delrahim, has given this conduct an antitrust pass. That’s not right. The setting for this scenario involves standards, which are ubiquitous in our high-tech, connected world. Standards that involve patents threaten concern: after companies are locked in to a standard, the patent holder could “hold up” the industry by demanding unreasonable royalties or blocking products from the market. For that reason, standards organizations have required patent holders to license on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms. In a series of speeches, Delrahim has been skeptical of patent holdup, and in an address in September 2018, he stated that FRAND abuse would not violate antitrust law. This piece explains how Delrahim reached this remarkable position through mischaracterizations of antitrust policy, the conduct at issue, and antitrust law.
Community narratives and local impacts of invasion in the Eastern Cape: A critical invasion ethnography of black wattle

Since 1995, the South African government has spearheaded a national invasive species campaign known as the Working for Water Program with the dual objectives of invasive species eradication and rur...
Introduction: Democracy in Crisis?

This chapter introduces the problem of a threatening crisis in the liberal democratic form of government, and distinguishes my position from other claims that liberal democracy is in crisis. The chapter explains what we mean by democracy, considers briefly its history, and provides an overview of its main values, as well as considering the distinction between democracy and liberalism. The chapter next considers a list of practical problems facing the democratic system that, while serious and irritating, are not fatal to it, and are not what we mean by crisis in this book. The last section introduces the key arguments and issues of the book, which revolve around the following six themes: (1) Freedom as an Absolute Value; (2) The Phenomenon of Relativism; (3) Loss of Confidence in Reason; (4) Secularism as a Worldview; (5) The Presence of Religious Worldviews in the Democratic State; and (6) The Failure of the Liberal Solution. These phenomena lead to the problem of worldview pluralism.
Ionic channels in nerve membranes, 50 years on.

Abstract This retrospective traces the hypothesis of ion channels from an early statement in a 1970 essay in this journal (Hille, B., 1970, Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 21, 1–32) to its realization today in biophysical, molecular, biochemical, and structural terms. The Na+ and K+ channels of the action potential have been isolated, reconstituted, cloned, mutated, and expressed. Refined atomic structures of several conformational states are known. The discoveries over this half century history illustrate the growth of a field from initial ideas to a mature discipline of biology, physiology, and biomedical science.
The effect of tributylphosphate and tributyl phosphine oxide on hydrogen bonding interactions between water and the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

Abstract We have used attenuated total reflectance FTIR and NMR spectroscopies to study the hydrogen bonding interactions of tributylphosphate (TBP) and tributylphosphine oxide (TBPO) with the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][Tf2N]) in the presence and absence of water. Our results indicate that the addition of TBP or TBPO to a solution containing low concentrations of water in [EMIM][Tf2N] disrupts existing water–water hydrogen bonding interactions as well as those between water and the imidazolium ring protons. Significant shifts in the 1H NMR signal for imidazolium ring protons upon addition of TBP or TBPO suggest that terminal P O oxygen atoms engage in hydrogen bonding interactions with these protons. Results from 2H NMR, 17O NMR and ATR-FTIR spectra indicate that TBP and TBPO engage in hydrogen bonding interactions with water in the ionic liquid. Our results show that addition of water and TBP or TBPO can have a significant influence on [EMIM][Tf2N] hydrogen bonding interactions, and thus potentially affect the physical and chemical properties of this ionic liquid.
Regulation of clones responding to alpha 1 leads to 3 dextran. I. Individual variation in the expression of idiotypes.

Abstract Balb/c mice were immunized with dextran B1355S and assayed for serum antibodies and direct plaque-forming cells. The earliest detectable anti-dextran response occurred in 2-week-old animals. Anti-idiotypic antisera against MOPC-104E and J558 were raised in A/He mice and rendered individual idiotype specific by cross-absorption. When the amounts of MOPC-104E and J558 idiotypes in immune sera and the PFC response of individual mice were analyzed, the ratio of both idiotypes were found highly variable in all tested animals. This observed individual variability in the expression of two major idiotypes in the Balb/c response to dextran B1355S provides an experimental basis for investigating the mechanisms regulating idiotype expression.
Using Discourse Processing Methods To Study Moral Thinking

A 16-year-old gunslinger named "Doug," who performed nine drive-by shootings in his hometown of Omaha in 1 year, considers the films South Central and Boyz'n the Hood to be affirmations of his aspirations and lifestyle (Hull, 1993). In contrast, most viewers of these films absorbed explicit lessons about which behaviors and life choices to avoid. What are the factors that lead to these radically different understandings of the same video text? Why are the "take-home" moral lessons so distinct? Combining methods and theory from two research areas—discourse comprehension and moral judgment—a research program is summarized that examines moral thinking using methods such as narrative recall, multiple-choice moral theme extraction, thinking aloud while reading, and probing for inferences while reading on computer. These studies offer a new approach to uncovering how people process moral events in discourse such as written and visual texts, persuasive messages, and real-life events.
The state in early modern France

This major new textbook addresses fundamental questions about the nature of the state in early modern Europe through an analysis of the most important continental state, France. Professor Collins abandons the traditional formulation of the absolute monarchy, and presents in its place a state that evolved to meet the needs of the French elites. Collins offers a detailed analysis of French society, to provide the broader context for the development of the French state. The model that emerges from his synthesis is one that relied more on persuasion and congruity of influence than on arbitrary authority, and Collins argues that fundamental changes in French society made the monarchical, ministerial state a dangerous anachronism by the 1750s, leading to political impasse by the second half of the eighteenth century. Collins offers a fundamental reinterpretation of the state relevant to historians and students of political thought.
Improved algorithm for the computation of nitrate concentrations in seawater using an in situ ultraviolet spectrophotometer

Improvements in the data processing algorithm and calibration procedures have greatly increased the accuracy of nitrate measurements using an in situ ultraviolet spectrophotometer (ISUS). Two major changes in the algorithm involve application of a temperature-dependent correction to the bromide spectrum and then using the observed temperature and salinity to subtract the bromide component before fitting nitrate. By reducing the degrees of freedom in calculating nitrate concentrations, the accuracy of the ISUS instrument is substantially improved. The new algorithm was tested in environments ranging from the Southern Ocean to oligotrophic eastern Pacific seawater and found to be applicable at all temperatures and depths. The standard error of the estimate for regression between ISUS nitrate values and discrete samples measured by standard wet chemistry methods for the combined data set is reduced by greater than 2-fold (1.4 down to 0.65 µM) using the new algorithm. This corresponds to a 5-fold reduction in variance (2.0 down to 0.4 µM2). Although biofouling and calibration drift remain issues for any instrument deployed in situ for long periods of time, using the measured salinity and temperature to correct the ultraviolet spectra before the nitrate calculations will reduce the impacts of these confounding processes.
PKCζ Is Required for Microtubule‐Based Motility of Vesicles Containing the ntcp Transporter

Intracellular trafficking regulates the abundance and therefore activity of transporters present at the plasma membrane. The transporter, Na+-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (ntcp), is increased at the plasma membrane upon treatment of cells with cAMP, for which microtubules (MTs) are required and the PI3K pathway and PKCzeta have been implicated. However, trafficking of ntcp on MTs has not been demonstrated directly and the regulation and intracellular localization of ntcp is not well understood. Here, we utilize in vitro and whole-cell immunofluorescence microscopy assays to demonstrate that ntcp is present on intracellular vesicles that bind MTs and move bidirectionally, using kinesin-1 and dynein. These vesicles co-localize with markers for recycling endosomes and early but not late endosomes. They frequently undergo fission, providing a mechanism for the exclusion of ntcp from late endosomes. PI(3,4,5)P3 activates PKCzeta and enhances motility of the ntcp vesicles and overcomes the partial inhibition produced by a PI3-kinase inhibitor. Specific inhibition of PKCzeta blocks the motility of ntcp-containing vesicles but has no effect on late vesicles as shown both in vitro and in living cells transfected with ntcp-GFP. These data indicate that PKCzeta is required specifically for the intracellular movement of vesicles that contain the ntcp transporter.
Microchannel plate as a detector of minimum ionizing particle

MicroChannel plate multipliers have been used to detect the passage of relativistic charged particles. Measurements of the detection efficiency and pulse height response versus microchannel plate gain are presented for one, two and three microchannel plate arrays. The probability of detecting an avalanche on the detector anode per one channel of MCP crossed by the relativistic particle was calculated. Temporal response and time jitter were measured and are reported. The track images of beam particles crossing the detector are shown.
A multi-touch surface using multiple cameras

In this paper we present a framework for a multi-touch surface using multiple cameras. With an overhead camera and a side-mounted camera we determine the fingertip positions. After determining the fundamental matrix that relates the two cameras, we calculate the three dimensional coordinates of the fingertips. The intersection of the epipolar lines from the overhead camera with the fingertips detected in the side camera image provides the fingertip height. Touches are detected when the measured fingertip height from the touch surface is zero. We interpret touch events as hand gestures which can be generalized into commands for manipulating applications. We offer an example application of a multi-touch finger painting program.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging

This unit provides step-by-step instructions on how to perform diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in a clinical setting. A brief introduction on DTI techniques and current clinical applications is also presented. Additional technical details, practical considerations, and anticipated results are discussed in a commentary section.