cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustainable care of textile products and its environmental impact: Tumble-drying and ironing processes

Despite the growing attention on sustainable consumption of textile and apparel products, little information is available for consumers guiding their decisions for sustainable consumption and product care. The objective of this study is to develop the logical processes to assess the environmental and economic impacts made by the textile product care and to measure the CO2 eq. and utility cost during drying and ironing procedures. Particularly, the influence of quick-drying property and durable-press finish on product care and their impacts on CO2 eq. and utility cost were evaluated. Results indicated quick-drying and hydrophobic fibers consumed less electricity during tumble-drying as it contained less amount of water after spinning for dehydration. A higher spin speed was favorable for saving energy during tumble-drying, as less water remained in wet laundry after spinning. While cotton fabrics were obviously wrinkled after laundering, a polyester/cotton blend in 65/35 with durable-press finish maintained smoothness grade 4 or 5 during ten times laundering period. With a conservative criterion where a grade lower than 5 needs ironing, a polyester/cotton 65/35 with durable-press finish was judged to need ironing once in two cycles of laundering. This can save about 64 % of utility and CO2 eq. that the cotton fabric would produce in the ironing process. It is anticipated that this study provides information that is useful to consumers in their decision making for sustainable consumption.
An Investigative Tool for Detecting Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is estimated to affect one in ten individuals 60 years of age and older and has been significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality. However, no clear data exist on the nu...
Review: Flights of Imagination: Aviation, Landscape, Design, by Sonja Dümpelmann, and Airport Urbanism: Infrastructure and Mobility in Asia, by Max Hirsh

Sonja Dumpelmann Flights of Imagination: Aviation, Landscape, Design Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2014, 304 pp., 91 b/w illus. $60 (cloth), ISBN 9780813935812 Max Hirsh Airport Urbanism: Infrastructure and Mobility in Asia Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2016, 216 pp., 20 color and 76 b/w illus. $25 (paper), ISBN 9780816696109 For more than a decade, a burgeoning body of scholarship has focused on how the advent of powered flight in the early twentieth century inspired what could be called an “epistemological” shift arising from aerial perspectives and their effects on the ground. Unpacking the cultural and visual politics behind one of the most transformative technologies of the last century, these scholarly inquiries have raised a wide of range of questions concerning spectatorship, aesthetics, mobility, globalization, urbanization, and design. It is rather surprising that this research field has gained a collective momentum only fairly recently, even though aviation and modern art, architecture, and urbanism were contemporaneous developments in the twentieth century. From Kazimir Malevich to Robert Delaunay, modernist artists incorporated different metaphors of flight into their avant-gardist imaginations of the world of tomorrow. In the wake of Charles Lindbergh's maiden transatlantic flight in 1927, Le Corbusier embraced a theme of ascension and utilized the aviator's ability to see the world from the sky to articulate a morally charged program as the basis for redeveloping cities. Social and cultural histories of aviation, however, have long been undertaken. As early as 1946, William Fielding Ogburn, who served as the first president of the Society for the History of Technology, authored The Social Effects of Aviation .1 Later Joseph J. Corn's The Winged Gospel: America's Romance with Aviation, 1900–1950 (1983) and Robert Wohl's two-part cultural history of aviation, A Passion for Wings (1994) and The Spectacle of Flight (2005), among others, expanded the scope of aviation histories.2 What is fascinating about the current scholarship on “aerial epistemology” is how the notion of human flight prompts both philosophical and tactical inquiries that are, in turn, operationalized to reimagine and reshape the built environment. These studies reveal the ways in which aviation not only …
Food, Affect, and Experiments in Care: Constituting a “Household-like” Child Welfare Institution in Japan

Child welfare institutions in Japan provide accommodation for children whose parents cannot care for them. A recent movement seeks to make them small enough in scale to provide household-like care with deep attachments between children and staff. Based on participant-observation ethnographic research at one institution, this chapter, by Kathryn Goldfarb, focuses on the difficulties the director and staff encountered in trying to provide homes for children and the experiments in care that they developed to overcome them. Bodily interactions—a few intensely physical and affective practices such as food preparation, eating, sleeping, and bathing together—constituted the nexus of staff-child interactions. At first they were designed to produce a sense of community and a fictive kin network, but when food preparation was relegated to part-time staff, many workers felt that an important emotional bond created by eating together had disappeared.
Panic in a (Zika) hot zone.

Zika virus is a flavivirus transmitted through the bite of a mosquito, through sexual transmission and from an infected mother to fetus. On 29 July 2016, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced the identification of the first cases of Zika …
Approach to flow cytometry: General considerations

With the increased availability of antibodies and fluorochromes and the improvements in instrument hardware and software, flow cytometry (FCM) immunophenotyping has become a popular and useful diagnostic tool in the hematopathology laboratory. The utility of FCM immunophenotyping is multifold, as it facilitates (1) the distinction between neoplastic and benign conditions, (2) the diagnosis and classification of lymphomas and leukemias, (3) the assessment of other neoplastic and pre-neoplastic disorders such as plasma cell dyscrasias and myelodysplastic syndromes, and (4) the detection of minimal residual disease in patients with acute leukemia or chronic lymphoid leukemia.
The energetic consequences of behavioral variation in a marine carnivore

Intraspecific variability in foraging behavior has been documented across a range of taxonomic groups, yet the energetic consequences of this variation are not well understood for many species. Understanding the effect of behavioral variation on energy expenditure and acquisition is particularly crucial for mammalian carnivores because they have high energy requirements that place considerable pressure on prey populations. To determine the influence of behavior on energy expenditure and balance, we combined simultaneous measurements of at-sea field metabolic rate (FMR) and foraging behavior in a marine carnivore that exhibits intraspecific behavioral variation, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Sea lions exhibited variability in at-sea FMR, with some individuals expending energy at a maximum of twice the rate of others. This variation was in part attributable to differences in diving behavior that may have been reflective of diet; however, this was only true for sea lions using a foraging strategy consisting of epipelagic (<200 m within the water column) and benthic dives. In contrast, sea lions that used a deep-diving foraging strategy all had similar values of at-sea FMR that were unrelated to diving behavior. Energy intake did not differ between foraging strategies and was unrelated to energy expenditure. Our findings suggest that energy expenditure in California sea lions may be influenced by interactions between diet and oxygen conservation strategies. There were no apparent energetic trade-offs between foraging strategies, although there was preliminary evidence that foraging strategies may differ in their variability in energy balance. The energetic consequences of behavioral variation may influence the reproductive success of female sea lions and result in differential impacts of individuals on prey populations. These findings highlight the importance of quantifying the relationships between energy expenditure and foraging behavior in other carnivores for studies addressing fundamental and applied physiological and ecological questions.
Regular source of primary medical care and patient satisfaction

As hypothesized, results indicate the greater the degree of continuity in the physician/patient relationship, the higher the level of patient satisfaction. The level of continuity was related to each of the five scale items individually and to the overall patient satisfaction scale. Even when patient background characteristics were controlled, continuity remained a key predictor of satisfaction with primary care received. This study demonstrates the importance of conceptualizing continuity on a continuum, or at least across several categories, rather than reducing it to an either/or construct. Important differences in patient satisfaction occur between and among patients who see the same physician for each episode of primary care, who attend a small group of physicians working together, who attend a clinic or medical center where a different physician may be seen on each occasion, and who do not have a regular source of care. To the extent that patient satisfaction is accepted as a worthwhile objective for the delivery of medical care, emphasis should be placed on providing the maximum feasible level of continuity. This goal is applicable to nurses and other members of the health care team as well as to physicians. It is certainly relevant for those in position to determine an institution's commitment to providing continuous care. For example, directors of prepaid medical plans are increasingly favoring arrangements that include some degree of continuity between physician and patient. Many medical schools that offer courses in patient management are expanding their emphasis on the value of continuity in the physician/patient relationship.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mean Values of Multiplicative Functions, Halász’ Method

In this and the following chapter we shall continue with the study of multiplicative arithmetic functions. We shall weaken the assumption on the size of f(n) to requiring only that in some average sense f(p) or f(n) is bounded. This will allow the consideration of a class of functions much wider than that of Chapter 6.
Hyperbolic Systems of Converstaion Laws

Conservation laws are first order systems of quasilinear partial differential equations in divergence form; they express the balance laws of continuum physics for media with “elastic” response, in which internal dissipation is neglected. The absence of internal dissipation is manifested in the emergence of solutions with jump discontinuities across manifolds of codimension one, representing, in the applications, phase boundaries or propagating shock waves. The presence of discontinuities makes the analysis hard; the redeeming feature is that solutions are endowed with rich geometric structure. Indeed, the most interesting results in the area have a combined analytic-geometric flavor.
SPATIAL TEMPORAL PREDICTION FOR VIDEO DATA COMPRESSION

A spatial-temporal correlation technique for video data prediction is described in this paper. This technique is based on the analysis of the local correlation of video images. The mathematical formulation extends the current existing spatial correlation model to both spatial and temporal domain. Our proposed technique can be described mathematically as the minimization of an objective function under the least mean square error criterion. With the statistical analysis of video signal, the solution of the prediction problem becomes the problem of designing a suitable spatial-temporal kernel. This can be dealt with by solving a set of linear algebraic equations to determine the kernel coefficients. In our study, we designed a 2x2x2 (x-y-t) three-dimensional kernel. The experiments using the commercial TV program and video tapes were conducted and the results were encouraging.
Personality Assessment With Asian Americans in Legal Settings

Although Asian Americans are statistically less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system than individuals of other racial groups, the Asian American prison population is rapidly a...
CBD-1 scaffolds two independent complexes required for eggshell vitelline layer formation and egg activation in C. elegans

Metazoan eggs have a specialized coat of extracellular matrix that aids in sperm-egg recognition. The coat is rapidly remodeled after fertilization to prevent polyspermy and establish a more permanent barrier to protect the developing embryo. In nematodes, this coat is called the vitelline layer, which is remodeled into the outermost layer of a rigid and impermeable eggshell. We have identified three key components of the vitelline layer structural scaffold - PERM-2, PERM-4 and CBD-1, the first such proteins to be described in the nematode C. elegant . CBD-1 recruited PERM-2 and PERM-4 to the nascent vitelline layer via two N- terminal chitin-binding domains. After fertilization, all three proteins redistributed from the zygote surface to the outer eggshell. Depletion of PERM-2 and PERM-4 from the scaffold led to a porous vitelline layer that permitted soluble factors to leak through the eggshell and resulted in embryonic death. In addition to its role in vitelline layer assembly, CBD-1 is also known to scaffold a protein complex required for fertilization and egg activation (EGG-1-5/CHS-1/MBK-2). We found the PERM complex and EGG complex to be structurally and functionally independent, and regulated through distinct domains of CBD-1. CBD-1 is thus a multifaceted regulator that promotes distinct aspects of vitelline layer assembly and egg activation. In sum, our findings identify the first vitelline layer components in nematodes, and provide a foundation through which to explore both conserved and species-specific strategies used by animals to build protective barriers following fertilization.
Medial Kernels

We introduce the medial kernel, an association measure which provides for a robust construction of volume-aware distances defined directly on point clouds. The medial kernel is a similarity measure defined as the likelihood of two points belonging to a common interior medial ball. We use the medial kernel to construct a random walk on the point cloud, where movement in the walk is restricted to regions containing similar medial balls. Our distances are defined as the diffusion distances of this random walk, assigning low distance to points belonging to similar medial regions. These distances allow for a robust means of processing incomplete point clouds, capable of distinguishing nearby yet separate undersampled components, while also associating points which are far in Euclidean distance yet mutually share an interior volume. We leverage these distances for several applications: volumetric part segmentation, the construction of function bases, and reconstruction-by-parts – a surface reconstruction method which adheres to the medial kernel. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
St. Thomas Aquinas on the Goodness and Right to Work Today

By situating the human laborer in his proper context as imago Dei, defining what constitutes properly human labor, and recognizing the proper ends of that labor, St. Thomas Aquinas provides clarity...
A conserved acidic cluster motif in SERINC5 confers resistance to antagonism by HIV-1 Nef

Abstract The cellular protein SERINC5 inhibits the infectivity of diverse retroviruses and is counteracted by the glycoGag protein of MLV, the S2 protein of EIAV, and the Nef protein of HIV-1. Determining regions within SERINC5 that provide restrictive activity or Nef-sensitivity should inform mechanistic models of the SERINC5/HIV-1 relationship. Here, we report that deletion of the highly conserved sequence EDTEE, which is located within a cytoplasmic loop of SERINC5 and is reminiscent of an acidic cluster membrane trafficking signal, increases the sensitivity of SERINC5 to antagonism by Nef while having no effect on the intrinsic activity of the protein as an inhibitor of infectivity. The effects on infectivity correlated with enhanced removal of the ΔEDTEE mutant relative to wild type SERINC5 from the cell surface and with enhanced exclusion of the mutant protein from virions by Nef. Mutational analysis revealed that the acidic residues, but not the threonine, within the EDTEE motif are important for the relative resistance to Nef. Deletion of the EDTEE sequence did not increase the sensitivity of SERINC5 to antagonism by the glycoGag protein of MLV, suggesting that its virologic role is Nef-specific. These results are consistent with the reported mapping of the cytoplasmic loop that contains the EDTEE sequence as a general determinant of Nef-responsiveness, but they further indicate that sequences inhibitory to as well as supportive of Nef-activity reside in this region. We speculate that the EDTEE motif might have evolved to mediate resistance against retroviruses that use Nef-like proteins to antagonize SERINC5. Importance Cellular membrane proteins in the SERINC family, especially SERINC5, inhibit the infectivity of retroviral virions. This inhibition is counteracted by retroviral proteins, specifically HIV-1 Nef, MLV glycoGag, and EIAV S2. One consequence of such a host-pathogen “arms race” is compensatory change in the host antiviral protein as it evolves to escape the effects of the viral antagonist. This is often reflected in a genetic signature, positive selection, which is conspicuously missing in SERINC5. Here we show that despite this lack of genetic evidence, a sequence in SERINC5 nonetheless provides relative resistance to antagonism by HIV-1 Nef.
Two-Photon 205-nm Excitation of Atomic Hydrogen in Flames: Stimulated Emission, Time-Resolved Fluorescence, and Doppler-Free Excitation*

Publisher Summary Multiphoton excitation techniques are powerful methods for detecting a variety of species in harsh environments—such as flames—where single-photon vacuum-ultraviolet techniques cannot be used. Quantitative application of these techniques requires an understanding of the dynamics of the processes that play important roles in the excitation steps. This chapter describes three recent studies that have shed new light on these processes in atomic hydrogen. All three studies were conducted using 205-nm excitation of the n = l → n = 3 transition, followed by detection of the subsequent 656-nm Balmer-α n = 3 → n = 2 fluorescence decay. The chapter discusses the observations of stimulated emission occurring on the same n = 3 → n = 2 transition used for fluorescence detection. The quenching rates measured in flames using direct time-resolved fluorescence techniques are presented. In addition, the chapter also illustrates the first Doppler-free measurements of atomic hydrogen in flames. Three laser systems were used to meet the various needs of these studies. In all three systems, 615-nm dye-laser pulses were up-converted to 205 nm using frequency doubling in KD*P followed by frequency mixing in beta–barium–borate. Most of the stimulated emission studies were performed using a conventional Q-switched Nd:YAG-laser-pumped system.
Model Aggregation via Good-Enough Model Spaces

In many applications, the training data for a machine learning task is partitioned across multiple nodes, and aggregating this data may be infeasible due to communication, privacy, or storage constraints. Existing distributed optimization methods for learning global models in these settings typically aggregate local updates from each node in an iterative fashion. However, these approaches require many rounds of communication between nodes, and assume that updates can be synchronously shared across a connected network. In this work, we present Good-Enough Model Spaces (GEMS), a novel framework for learning a global model by carefully intersecting the sets of "good-enough" models across each node. Our approach utilizes minimal communication and does not require sharing of data between nodes. We present methods for learning both convex models and neural networks within this framework and discuss how small samples of held-out data can be used for post-learning fine-tuning. In experiments on image and medical datasets, our approach on average improves upon other baseline aggregation techniques such as ensembling or model averaging by as much as 15 points (accuracy).
Firearm Ownership & Storage Practices in Relation to Mental Health and Interpersonal Theory Constructs in Military Service Members & Veterans

AbstractThe objective of the current study was to inform the understanding of how firearms confer risk for suicide in military service members and veterans. Relations among firearm ownership and st...
Sex and the Diagnostic Pathway to Bladder Cancer among Veterans: No Evidence of Disparity

Abstract Background Longer time intervals from presentation with hematuria to bladder cancer diagnosis have been reported among women compared with men. Despite women being the fastest growing cohort within the Department of Veterans Affairs, little is known about women veterans with bladder cancer. Our objectives were to quantify the time from hematuria to bladder cancer diagnosis in Department of Veterans Affairs and assess differences between sexes. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer from 2001 to 2016. Included were patients with hematuria for fewer than 365 days before a bladder cancer diagnosis and who had a record of diagnostic cystoscopy after hematuria but before diagnosis. We evaluated the number of days from hematuria to diagnostic cystoscopy (clinical appraisal), cystoscopy to bladder cancer diagnosis (surgical appraisal), and hematuria to bladder cancer diagnosis (total diagnostic appraisal). We used quantile regression models to separately evaluate the effect of sex on the three appraisal intervals. Results Data from 213 women and 24,295 men were analyzed. The median clinical appraisal time was 78 days for women and 72 for men (p = .49). The median surgical appraisal time was 32 days for women and 33 for men (p = .74). The median total diagnostic appraisal time was 135 days for women and 130 for men (p = .71). Multivariable analyses showed no differences between men and women for any of the three appraisal intervals. Conclusions The majority of time from hematuria to bladder cancer diagnosis is spent in clinical appraisal, but little difference was observed between men and women in Department of Veterans Affairs.
Abstract TP274: Post-stroke Treatment With Docosanoids Promote Functional Recovery, Neurogenesis and Angiogenesis, Attenuate Blood-brain Barrier After Experimental Ischemic Stroke

Objective: Ischemic injury induces neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and subgranular zone (SGZ) of dentate gyrus (DG) promotes the migration of neuroblasts, gu...
L2 Speech Learning: Perception, Production & Training

Adult L2 learners have difficulties in perceiving and producing L2 speech sounds. In analyzing learners’ L2 speech learning problems, this study provides research data from a series of studies on L2 speech perception, production, and training. Section 1 investigates how the L1 sound system influences L2 speech perception. A recent study shows that phonetic differences and distances between English and Mandarin consonants predicted the perceptual problems of Mandarin consonants by native English learners of Chinese. Section 2 explores the relationship between L2 speech perception and production and reports a subsequent study on Mandarin consonants that shows English learners of Chinese performed better in perception than production on Mandarin retroflex sounds but vice versa on palatal sounds. The lack of alignment between perception and production suggests the relationship between L2 speech perception and production is not straightforward. In Section 3, two training experiments are reported and compared to explore the effects of phonetic training on the learning of English vowel and Mandarin tone contrasts.
Book review: Spary, C. 2019: Gender, Development, and the State in India:

Spary, C. 2019: Gender, Development, and the State in India. Routledge. xiii + 257 pp. US$124 (Hardback). ISBN: 978-0-415-61060-5.
Probabilistic Security for Multirobot Systems

In this article, we formulate and solve the probabilistic security problem , defined as the probability that a multirobot system (MRS) with probabilistic interaction graphs has realizations that are secure from adversarial attacks. The concept of security is based on the control-theoretic notion of left invertibility, which depends on the existence of disjoint paths and subcuts in the topology describing robot interactions. To model uncertainties in interactions, we associate the existence of edges with a probability distribution. We, then, derive a probability expression based on disjoint paths and subcuts that defines the probability of security of the MRS. The exact probability is computed using the concept of binary decision diagrams (BDDs), a graphical method used to represent Boolean functions. To improve computational complexity, we formulate a combinatorial optimization problem that aims to bound the probability of security. Since MRSs are inherently dynamic, we leverage the graphical properties of BDDs to adapt to any topological changes. To demonstrate the validity of our results, we first track the probability of security of an MRS performing an environmental monitoring task, with Monte Carlo simulations as a baseline for comparison. Finally, we study the behavior of a probabilistic MRS when under attack in three different scenarios.
The Impact of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate on Reduced Bone Mineral Density and Fractures in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Abstract Background Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is associated with reduced bone density in patients with human immunodeficiency virus, but the effect of TDF on bone density in liver transplant (LT) recipients is unknown. Methods We performed a single-center, retrospective study of LT recipients with hepatitis B taking TDF compared to a control group with non-hepatitis B virus viral hepatitis. The primary outcome was reduced bone density, defined as femoral neck or lumbar T-score less than −1. Other outcomes included mean T-score and fractures. Results Three hundred ninety-three patients were studied: 52 patients in the TDF group and 341 patients in the control group; 64.3% patients in the TDF group had reduced bone density vs 71.4% in the control group (P = .58) before LT, compared to 75% and 81.5% (P = .57), respectively, after LT. Mean posttransplant lumbar T-scores were lower in the TDF group (−1.74 vs −0.75, P = .04). There was no difference between the 2 groups for the other outcomes. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, TDF use did not affect the risk of post-LT reduced bone density (hazard ratio = 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.76; P = .97). Conclusion TDF use was not associated with reduced bone mineral density or increased rates of fractures in LT recipients compared to controls in this study.
Novel Genetic Variant Predicts Surgical Recurrence Risk in Crohn's Disease Patients.

Background We aimed to identify a model of clinical and genetic risk factors through hypothesis-free search across genome that can predict the surgical recurrence risk after the first abdominal surgery in CD patients. Materials and methods Two independent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort studies were used to derive and validate the genetic risk profile. The study subjects were genotyped using Illumina Immunochip custom genotyping array. Surgical recurrence was defined as having the second or more abdominal bowel resections after the first abdominal surgery at the time of study enrollment; nonsurgical recurrence was defined as having no further abdominal resection after the first abdominal surgery. Results Among 372 CD patients who had at least 1 abdominal surgery at the study enrollment, 132 (35.5%) had subsequent surgical recurrence after their first abdominal surgery, and 240 (64.5%) required no subsequent abdominal surgery at the end of follow up. Among clinical factors, multivariable analysis showed that history of immunomodulatory use (odds ratio [OR], 3.96; P = 0.002) and early era of CD first surgery (OR, 1.12; P = 1.01E-04) remained significant. Genotypic association tests identified a genome-wide significant locus rs2060886 in TCF4 at chr18q21.2 associated with surgical recurrence risk (OR, dom, 4.10 [2.37-7.11]; P = 4.58E-08). Conclusions Novel genetic locus rs2060886 in TCF4 was associated with surgical recurrence risk at genome-wide significance level among CD patients after their first abdominal surgery. Early era of CD first intestinal surgery predicts higher surgical recurrence risk. These results suggest that genetic variants may help guide the CD management strategy in patients at the highest risk of repeated abdominal surgeries.
Progesterone promotes immunomodulation and tumor development in the murine mammary gland.

Background Clinical studies have linked usage of progestins (synthetic progesterone [P4]) to breast cancer risk. However, little is understood regarding the role of native P4, signaling through the progesterone receptor (PR), in breast tumor formation. Recently, we reported a link between PR and immune signaling pathways, showing that P4/PR can repress type I interferon signaling pathways. Given these findings, we sought to investigate whether P4/PR drive immunomodulation in the mammary gland and promote tumor formation. Methods To determine the effect of P4 on immune cell populations in the murine mammary gland, mice were treated with P4 or placebo pellets for 21 days. Immune cell populations in the mammary gland, spleen, and inguinal lymph nodes were subsequently analyzed by flow cytometry. To assess the effect of PR overexpression on mammary gland tumor development as well as immune cell populations in the mammary gland, a transgenic mouse model was used in which PR was overexpressed throughout the entire mouse. Immune cell populations were assessed in the mammary glands, spleens, and inguinal lymph nodes of 6-month-old transgenic and control mice by flow cytometry. Transgenic mice were also monitored for mammary gland tumor development over a 2-year time span. Following development of mammary gland tumors, immune cell populations in the tumors and spleens of transgenic and control mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results We found that mice treated with P4 exhibited changes in the mammary gland indicative of an inhibited immune response compared with placebo-treated mice. Furthermore, transgenic mice with PR overexpression demonstrated decreased numbers of immune cell populations in their mammary glands, lymph nodes, and spleens. On long-term monitoring, we determined that multiparous PR-overexpressing mice developed significantly more mammary gland tumors than control mice. Additionally, tumors from PR-overexpressing mice contained fewer infiltrating immune cells. Finally, RNA sequencing analysis of tumor samples revealed that immune-related gene signatures were lower in tumors from PR-overexpressing mice as compared with control mice. Conclusion Together, these findings offer a novel mechanism of P4-driven mammary gland tumor development and provide rationale in investigating the usage of antiprogestin therapies to promote immune-mediated elimination of mammary gland tumors.
Making the climate crisis personal through a focus on human health.

Climate change–driven health impacts are serious, widespread, and costly. Importantly, such damages are largely absent from policy debates around the costs of delay and inaction on this crisis. While climate change is a global problem, its impacts are localized and personal, and there is growing demand for specific information on how climate change affects human health in different places. Existing research indicates that climate-fueled health problems are growing, and that investments in reducing carbon pollution and improving community resilience could help to avoid tens to hundreds of billions of dollars in climate-sensitive health impacts across the USA each year, including those stemming from extreme heat, air pollution, hurricanes, and wildfires. Science that explores the underappreciated local health impacts and health-related costs of climate change can enhance advocacy by demonstrating the need to both address the root causes of climate change and enhance climate resilience in vulnerable communities. The climate crisis has historically been predominantly conceived as a global environmental challenge; examination of climate impacts on public health enables researchers to localize this urgent problem for members of the public and policymakers. In turn, approaches to climate science that focus on health can make dangerous climate impacts and the need for cost-effective solutions more salient and tangible.
Is the UPDRS a Reliable Tool for Detecting the Worse Side in Parkinson’s Disease? (1584)

Objective: To assess intra-rater and inter-rater agreement on the lateralizing components of the United Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Motor Score (part III). Background: The UPDRS is the most widely known tool for tracking Parkinson Disease (PD) progression. Part III lateralizing items include tremors (resting and action/posture), rigidity (neck, upper and lower limb) and bradykinesia (3 hand tasks and 1-foot task) with higher scores for worse performance on each side. Design/Methods: Two movement disorder neurologists (JB & DB) performed UPDRS part III on the same 8 patients at 4 week intervals. The UPDRS was performed simultaneously but raters were blinded to each other and to past scores. An intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to estimate inter-rater reliability for total UPDRS scores. Cohen’s kappa was used to assess inter-rater agreement on lateralizing scores and intra-rater reliability across all visits. Worse side was defined as a difference of ≥ 3 between the total ratings or subcomponents for either side. Results: There was almost perfect agreement between the two raters for total UPDRS scores across all visits (ICC=0.93, 95% CI=0.61–0.98). However, there was minimal agreement between raters on the total score of lateralizing components (kappa 0.37, CI 0.05–0.69). When analyzing subcomponent scores, there was a weak level of agreement on laterality of tremor (kappa 0.58, CI=0.17–0.99) and bradykinesia (kappa 0.41, CI=0.08–0.75) and no agreement on rigidity (kappa −0.05, CI=−0.13–0.02). Both raters had a moderate level of intra-rater agreement when determining the worse side on the same patient at different visits (JB 0.79, CI=0.41–1.00; DB 0.60, CI=0.11–1.00). Conclusions: When comparing UPDRS III scores between movement disorders neurologists there was perfect agreement on total score, but weak to minimal agreement on total or individual lateralizing subcomponents. It is unclear whether the UPDRS is reliable for detecting the side of worse symptoms in Parkinson9s Disease patients. Disclosure: Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bertoni has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with KYOWA. Dr. Bhatti has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Abbvie, Accadia, Merz, Allergan Pakistan, Medtronic, Adamas and Teva Neurosciences. Dr. Torres-Russotto has nothing to disclose.
Non-pharmacological Home Therapies for Subacute Low Back Pain in Active Duty Military Personnel: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of visits to ambulatory care, missed duty time, and disability discharge. The subacute phase of LBP presents an opportune time to prevent chronicity and lessen recurrence. The goal of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine the relative effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training and a progressive exercise program (PEP) on improving physical performance, pain, and torso strength in U.S. service members with subacute LBP, compared to standard primary care management (PCM) alone. Methods This is an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol for an RCT conducted with active duty military personnel (n = 128) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, between April 2018 and March 2020. Participants were randomized to receive NMES (n = 43), PEP (n = 42), or PCM (n = 43) for 9 weeks. Outcome measures of physical performance (sit-ups, push-ups, walking, and torso endurance), torso muscle strength (flexion and extension), and pain were assessed at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Analysis was intent-to-treat using linear mixed effects models. A sensitivity analysis was performed to address the protocol deviations that occurred in response to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which required rescheduling 17 in-person study visits to home assessments at 9-week testing. Results Evidence was found for group differences in physical performance for sit-ups and push-ups, with NMES showing greater improvement than PCM. The two groups showed similar improvements in torso muscle strength, although the NMES groups may show better improvement during early treatment. No group differences in pain levels were observed during the intervention, and all groups improved during the course of the study period. The amount of NMES muscle stimulation was directly related to the level of improvement, which was not the case for the hours reported for PEP exercise. Conclusion In an active duty population with subacute LBP, integrating NMES strength training into the rehabilitation therapy may offer a modest benefit for increasing sit-ups and push-ups and improving torso strength.
Axel, Leon: My Career in MRI

With a background in physics, I was attracted to work with MRI, which was being developed while I was starting my career in radiology. While I have had a clinical focus on cardiovascular applications of MRI, I was also involved in the technical development of areas of MRI such as perfusion, blood flow, surface coil imaging, and magnetization tagging, as well as in the early standardization of relevant terminology and the founding of some MR societies. Keywords: MRI; blood flow; perfusion; surface coils; magnetization tagging; terminology
Release of the nonribosomal proteins from the mammalian native 40 S ribosomal subunit by aurintricarboxylic acid.

In previous studies of the ribosome cycle in mammalian protein synthesis we have shown that during that portion of the cycle in which the ribosomal subunits occur as free or native particles, that is, after they are released at chain termination and before they rejoin the polyribosomal messenger RNA, the 40 S subunits appear predominantly in two forms, of buoyant density 1.49 and 1.40 g per cm3, referred to respectively as 40 S h (for higher buoyant density) and 40 S l (for lower buoyant density) native subunits. The intraribosomal 40 S subunits (i.e. 40 S subunits coupled to 60 S subunits in monomeric ribosomes or polyribosomes) are of buoyant density 1.51 g per cm3. These differences in density reflect the fact that in addition to the structural proteins found in intraribosomal subunits, certain extra, exchangeable proteins are bound to the native 40 S subunits, about 90,000 daltons to the 40 S h form and 750,000 daltons to the 40 S l form. On the basis of this and other evidence we proposed a model of protein synthesis in which the 40 S ribosomal subunit, after release at chain termination, sequentially binds several proteins required for initiating another round of protein synthesis, becoming first the 40 S h and then the 40 S l native subunit. In this paper we report that aurintricarboxylic acid, at a concentration which inhibits initiation specifically, prevents the binding of the proteins which convert the 40 S h native subunit to the 40 S l form, so that runoff in the presence of aurintricarboxylic acid leads to the accumulation of 40 S h subunits and the disappearance of 40 S l subunits. Aurintricarboxylic acid also removes these proteins from pre-existing 40 S l subunits, converting them to particles identical in density with 40 S h subunits. A crude preparation of initiation factors, the ribosome KCl wash fraction, contains proteins which bind to ribosome-derived 40 S subunits (density 1.51 g per cm3), converting them to particles similar to 40 S h and 40 S l subunits (1.49 and 1.40 g per cm3). Aurintricarboxylic acid also prevents the binding of the KCl wash proteins which produce the 1.40 g per cm3 particles but not of those which yield the 1.49 g per cm3 particles. The binding of proteins to the subunit is 50% inhibited at a ratio of about 50 molecules of aurintricarboxylic acid per 40 S subunit, and the inhibition appears to be competitive. If the proteins binding to the 40 S l native subunit are indeed initiation factors, the inhibition of binding of these proteins by aurintricarboxylic acid explains the inhibition of initiation. The availability of an inhibitor acting at this site should prove useful.
Stress impairs prefrontal cortical function in rats and monkeys: role of dopamine D1 and norepinephrine alpha-1 receptor mechanisms.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the evidence suggesting that high levels of dopamine (DA) acting at D1 receptors, and high levels of norepinephrine (NE) acting at α-1 receptors, contribute to stress-induced deficits in working memory function. Evidence from both animals and humans indicates that enhanced long term memory consolidation can be initiated by increased NE β receptor stimulation in the amygdala. Increased catecholamine release in the amygdala also has been shown to enhance the associative memory functions of the hippocampus and the habit memory functions of the slriatum. These mechanisms may enhance the long-term memory of the aversive event, such that one might better avoid it in the future. Increased catecholamine release in the sensory cortices might also alter attentional regulation, allowing attention to be captured by prominent stimuli in the environment by increasing β and/or α-1 receptor enhancement of signal processing in sensory cortices. This hypothesis is consistent with the findings of Hockey, who showed that stress narrows the focus of attention onto salient signals.
The Safety and Efficacy of Tacrolimus Ointment in Pediatric Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common skin disease in children, and its prevalence is increasing. It is a chronic disorder, characterized by intermittent flares and phases of remission. Treatment regimens often require multiple therapies. These can vary between patients, and in an individual patient, depending on the state of disease. The traditional treatment for AD flares is topical corticosteroids, which are fast acting and effective for relief of symptoms, but may cause adverse effects, including those resulting from systemic absorption, particularly in children. Topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) are alternative treatments for AD. Tacrolimus ointment, a TCI, is approved for patients aged 2 years and older. Multiple studies have shown that tacrolimus is effective for short-term relief of symptoms in pediatric patients with AD. Long-term trials have demonstrated that the effectiveness of tacrolimus is maintained for up to 4 years in children. Additional studies have revealed that long-term intermittent use of tacrolimus as part of maintenance therapy can prevent AD flares. Tacrolimus has a low potential for systemic accumulation, and analysis of long-term studies indicates that it has a good safety profile. Treatment with tacrolimus, alone or in combination with topical corticosteroids for acute flares, may be a useful option for long-term management of AD in pediatric patients.
Heart Disease in Pregnancy

Cardiovascular disease affects only 1–4 % of pregnancies, yet still accounts for nearly 12 % of pregnancy related deaths in the United States, making this the leading cause of non-obstetric mortality [1, 2]. It is also the most important cause of non-obstetric morbidity during pregnancy. Unfortunately, cardiovascular disease in pregnancy is often under recognized as a result of its rather low prevalence, even when pregnant women exhibit concerning signs or symptoms. Contributing to the diagnostic challenges, normal physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy can often mimic cardiac disease. The morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease in this population can be attributed to a combination of normal physiological changes, previously unrecognized heart disease, and higher risk pre-existing cardiac conditions. The epidemiology of pregnant women is also changing, with more pregnancies complicated by advanced maternal age, assistive reproductive technologies and congenital heart disease [2]. Cardiovascular disease does not necessarily preclude successful pregnancy, but can increase maternal and neonatal risk. Patients with pre-existing cardiac lesions and those at significant risk for acquired heart disease during pregnancy should be counseled in advance about their risk. To assist clinicians in counseling and management of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy, we have reviewed the pertinent literature. In this chapter, we will summarize changes in cardiovascular physiology that occur during pregnancy and then outline approaches to pre-existing and acquired heart disease in pregnancy.
A Review of “Analyzing Library Collection Use With Excel”

Use studies for library collections have typically shown that past use is the best predictor of future use; current integrated library systems (ILS) provide opportunities for compiling and analyzin...
An Introduction to Weakly Nonlinear Geometrical Optics

Many natural phenomenae are governed by systems of nonlinear conservation laws that are — in a first approximation — hyperbolic. In this context, the understanding of the laws governing the propagation and interaction of small but finite amplitude high frequency waves in hyperbolic P.D.E.’s, and their interactions with “large scale” phenomenae (mean flows, shear layers, shock and detonation waves, etc.) is very important. Weakly Nonlinear Geometrical Optics (W.N.G.O.) is an asymptotic formal theory whose objective is precisely to do this.
Pharmacokinetics and Toxicokinetics in Drug Discovery and Development

Lack of efficacy and safety are considered to be the major contributing factors for drug failure in the clinic. Drug molecules with favorable pharmacokinetic profile are more borne to be both efficacious and safe. Therefore, inclusive preclinical pharmacokinetic assessment is a key to ensure compounds success in the clinic. This will be critical in weeding out weak clinical candidates early on. In addition, it is equally important to identify the probable causes of poor ADME exhibited by some compounds as this information is useful to medicinal chemists for improving upon backbones that exhibit un favorable pharmacokinetic profile. Toxicity study is the foundation of an IND (Investigational new drug application) and therefore, the final selection of a compound can be performed only after proper toxicological evaluation in animal models. Toxicokinetics forms an integral part of toxicity study and is used to assess the exposure of candidates in toxicity models and correlate the drug levels in blood and various tissues with the toxicological findings. In this book chapter, an overview of the principles of drug pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics is presented with introduction to the concepts of toxicogenomics and metabolites in safety testing. Keywords: pharmacokinetics; toxicokinetics; MIST; toxicogenomics; species differences