cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
West Nile virus methyltransferase domain interacts with protein kinase G

Background: The flaviviral nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) is a phosphoprotein, though the precise identities and roles of many specific phosphorylations remain unknown. Protein kinase G (PKG), a cGMP-dependent protein kinase, has previously been shown to phosphorylate dengue virus NS5. Methods: We used mass spectrometry to specifically identify NS5 phosphosites. Co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to study protein-protein interactions. Effects on viral replication were measured via replicon system and plaque assay titering. Results: We identified multiple sites in West Nile virus (WNV) NS5 that are phosphorylated during a WNV infection, and showed that the N-terminal methyltransferase domain of WNV NS5 can be specifically phosphorylated by PKG in vitro. Expressing PKG in cell culture led to an enhancement of WNV viral production. We hypothesized this effect on replication could be caused by factors beyond the specific phosphorylations of NS5. Here we show for the first time that PKG is also able to stably interact with a viral substrate, WNV NS5, in cell culture and in vitro. While the mosquito-borne WNV NS5 interacted with PKG, tick-borne Langat virus NS5 did not. The methyltransferase domain of NS5 is able to mediate the interaction between NS5 and PKG, and mutating positive residues in the αE region of the methyltransferase interrupts the interaction. These same mutations completely inhibited WNV replication. Conclusions: PKG is not required for WNV replication, but does make a stable interaction with NS5. While the consequence of the NS5:PKG interaction when it occurs is unclear, mutational data demonstrates that this interaction occurs in a region of NS5 that is otherwise necessary for replication. Overall, the results identify an interaction between virus and a cellular kinase and suggest a role for a host kinase in enhancing flaviviral replication.
The Rilp-like proteins Rilpl1 and Rilpl2 regulate ciliary membrane content

The primary cilium is a microtubule-based structure found in most cell types in mammals. Disruption of cilium function causes a diverse set of human diseases collectively known as ciliopathies. We report that Rab effector–related proteins Rab-interacting lysosomal protein-like 1 (Rilpl1) and Rilpl2 regulate protein localization in the primary cilium. Rilpl2 was initially identified as up-regulated in ciliating mouse tracheal epithelial cells. Rilpl1 and Rilpl2 both localize to the primary cilium and centrosome, Rilpl1 specifically to the distal end of the mother centriole. Live-cell microscopy reveals that Rilpl2 primary cilium localization is dynamic and that it is associated with tubulovesicular structures at the base of the cilium. Depletion of Rilpl1 and Rilpl2 results in accumulation of signaling proteins in the ciliary membrane and prevents proper epithelial cell organization in three-dimensional culture. These data suggest that Rilp-like proteins function in regulation of ciliary membrane protein concentration by promoting protein removal from the primary cilium.
Portal vein embolization before major hepatectomy and its effects on regeneration, resectability and outcome.

Background: This study evaluated the safety of portal vein embolization (PVE), its impact on future liver remnant (FLR) volume and regeneration, and subsequent effects on outcome after liver resection. Methods: Records of 112 patients were reviewed. Standardized FLR (sFLR) and degree of hypertrophy (DH; difference between the sFLR before and after PVE), complications and outcomes were analysed to determine cut-offs that predict postoperative hepatic dysfunction. Results: Ten (8·9 per cent) of 112 patients had PVE-related complications. Postoperative complications occurred in 34 (44 per cent) of 78 patients who underwent hepatic resection and the 90-day mortality rate was 3 per cent. A sFLR of 20 per cent or less after PVE or DH of not more than 5 per cent (versus sFLR greater than 20 per cent and DH above 5 per cent) had a sensitivity of 80 per cent and a specificity of 94 per cent in predicting hepatic dysfunction. Overall, major and liver-related complications, hepatic dysfunction or insufficiency, hospital stay and 90-day mortality rate were significantly greater in patients with a sFLR of 20 per cent or less or DH of not more than 5 per cent compared with patients with higher values. Conclusion: DH contributes prognostic information additional to that gained by volumetric evaluation in patients undergoing PVE. Copyright © 2007 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Availability of adipose-derived stem cells in patients undergoing vascular surgical procedures.

Background Most research evaluating adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) uses tissue obtained from young, healthy patients undergoing plastic surgical procedures. Given the propensity of other adult stem cell lines to diminish with increasing patient age and co-morbidities, we assess the availability of ASC in elderly patients undergoing vascular surgical procedures, and evaluate their acquisition of endothelial cell (EC) traits to define their potential use in vascular tissue engineering. Methods and Methods Adipose tissue obtained by liposuction from patients undergoing vascular procedures (n = 50) was digested with collagenase and centrifuged to remove mature adipocytes. The resultant number of cells, defined as the stromal-vascular (SV) pellet, was quantified. Following a 7-d culture period and negative selection for CD31 and CD45, the resultant number of ASC was quantified. After culture in differentiating media (EMG-2), ASCs were tested for the acquisition of endothelial-specific traits (expression of CD31, realignment in shear, cord formation on Matrigel). Results The SV pellet contained 2.87 ± 0.34 × 105 cells/g fat, and the resultant number of ASCs obtained was 1.41 ± 0.18 × 105 cells/g fat. Flow cytometry revealed a homogeneous ASC population (>98% positive for CD13, 29, 90). Advanced age or co-morbidity (obesity, diabetes, renal or peripheral vascular disease) did not significantly alter yield of ASC. After culture in differentiating media (EMG-2), ASCs acquired each of the endothelial-specific traits. Conclusion ASC isolation appears independent of age and co-morbidities, and ASCs harvested from patients with vascular disease retain their ability to differentiate into endothelial-like cells. Adipose tissue, therefore, is a practical source of autologous, adult stem cells for vascular tissue engineering.
Diffusion coefficients of alloying elements in dilute Mg alloys: A comprehensive first-principles study

Abstract First-principles calculations based on density functional theory have been used to calculate the temperature-dependent dilute tracer diffusion coefficients for 47 substitutional alloying elements in hexagonal closed packed (hcp) Mg by combining transition state theory and an 8-frequency model. The minimum energy pathways and the saddle point configurations during solute migration are calculated with the climbing image nudged elastic band method. Vibrational properties are obtained using the quasi-harmonic Debye model with inputs from first-principles calculations. An improved generalized gradient approximation of PBEsol is used in the present first-principles calculations, which is able to well describe both vacancy formation energies and vibrational properties. It is found that the solute diffusion coefficients in hcp Mg are roughly inversely proportional to the bulk modulus of the dilute alloys, which reflects the solutes' bonding to Mg. Transition metal elements with d electrons show strong interactions with Mg and have large diffusion activation energies. Correlation effects are not negligible for solutes Ca, Na, Sr, Se, Te, and Y, in which the direct solute migration barriers are much smaller than the solvent (Mg) migration barriers. Calculated diffusion coefficients are in remarkable agreement with available experimental data in the literature.
A Class-Based Agreement Model for Generating Accurately Inflected Translations

When automatically translating from a weakly inflected source language like English to a target language with richer grammatical features such as gender and dual number, the output commonly contains morpho-syntactic agreement errors. To address this issue, we present a target-side, class-based agreement model. Agreement is promoted by scoring a sequence of fine-grained morpho-syntactic classes that are predicted during decoding for each translation hypothesis. For English-to-Arabic translation, our model yields a +1.04 BLEU average improvement over a state-of-the-art baseline. The model does not require bitext or phrase table annotations and can be easily implemented as a feature in many phrase-based decoders.
Ethical issues for community college student affairs professionals

This chapter presents an overview of student affairs in community colleges, developmental theories related to ethical and moral development, a review of the major ethical codes and standards for student affairs professionals, and a framework for resolving ethical dilemmas. It also includes some brief practitioner scenarios for analysis.
An analytical model for a GPU architecture with memory-level and thread-level parallelism awareness

GPU architectures are increasingly important in the multi-core era due to their high number of parallel processors. Programming thousands of massively parallel threads is a big challenge for software engineers, but understanding the performance bottlenecks of those parallel programs on GPU architectures to improve application performance is even more difficult. Current approaches rely on programmers to tune their applications by exploiting the design space exhaustively without fully understanding the performance characteristics of their applications.To provide insights into the performance bottlenecks of parallel applications on GPU architectures, we propose a simple analytical model that estimates the execution time of massively parallel programs. The key component of our model is estimating the number of parallel memory requests (we call this the memory warp parallelism) by considering the number of running threads and memory bandwidth. Based on the degree of memory warp parallelism, the model estimates the cost of memory requests, thereby estimating the overall execution time of a program. Comparisons between the outcome of the model and the actual execution time in several GPUs show that the geometric mean of absolute error of our model on micro-benchmarks is 5.4% and on GPU computing applications is 13.3%. All the applications are written in the CUDA programming language.
Failure of fibrinolytic endoventricular treatment to prevent neonatal post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus. A case-control trial

Post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus is assumed to result from obstruction of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways by blood clots and subsequent chronic infiltration with collagen. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility of preventing permanent shunt dependence by enhancing the endoventricular fibrinolysis by means of an endoventricular streptokinase infusion in babies affected by posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilatation. A case-control trial was carried out in 12 neonates affected by intraventricular haemorrhage and subsequent progressive ventriculomegaly. Six of them were treated with 20,000 U/day of streptokinase infused over 96 h through a percutaneous ventricular catheter. Our results show that the percentage of shunted babies was identical in treated and control patients despite the enhancement of endoventricular fibrinolysis obtained in all treated patients. On the basis of our results we do not recommend intraventricular streptokinase infusion for routine use in post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation.
Fungal endophyte symbiosis alters nitrogen source of tall fescue host, but not nitrogen fixation in co-occurring red clover

Infection of tall fescue with the common toxic fungal endophyte Epichloe coenophiala harms livestock via toxic alkaloid production; therefore, non-toxic ‘novel’ strains of the endophyte have been developed and released. How different endophyte strains impact biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in mixed species pastures is unknown. We asked whether novel endophyte or common toxic endophyte-infected (NE+; CTE+) tall fescue affects symbiotic and non-symbiotic BNF, and utilization of biologically-fixed nitrogen in tall fescue. Tall fescue was planted either endophyte-free (E-), infected with CTE, two non-toxic strains AR542 NE, AR584 NE, or a blend of endophyte treatments. We measured natural abundance of 15 N in plant and soil samples, and conducted soil acetylene reduction assays. Endophyte presence and strain significantly affected the δ15N of tall fescue. Near red clover, CTE+ and AR584 NE+ tall fescue were most 15 N-depleted; but away, E- tall fescue was most 15 N-depleted. Endophyte strain significantly influenced N concentration in red clover, but not symbiotic or non-symbiotic BNF. Endophyte strains produce different effects on tall fescue’s competitive ability and nitrogen utilization. In mixed pastures, deployment of NE strains for decreased alkaloid toxicity will differentially impact use of biologically fixed nitrogen in tall fescue and nitrogen concentration in red clover.
All Alliances Are Multilateral: Rethinking Alliance Formation

Alliance formation is a multilateral process. The vast majority of alliance relations are created via multilateral alliances. Moreover, leaders assess the alliance as a whole, not just each prospective partner. Any alliance could have three or more members, so one must understand not just why third parties were included in multilateral alliances, but why they were excluded from bilateral alliances. Unfortunately, current research treats alliance formation as a bilateral process: it theorizes about bilateral alliances and tests hypotheses using dyadic research designs. Reconceptualizing all alliances as originating from a multilateral process reveals that a long-neglected theory, William Riker’s size principle, illuminates the role of power in alliance formation. Using k-adic data to analyze multilateral processes, we find strong support for Riker’s claim about minimum winning coalitions in world politics. Our argument and findings, by highlighting how a fundamental state behavior like alliance formation f...
On-Orbit Aqueduct for Supply In-Situ (OASIS): Systems Architecture and Mission Analysis

The Vision for Space Exploration challenges us to extend our presence across the Solar System. As we work to overcome the many technical obstacles to achieving this vision, it becomes clear that the ready availability of water will encourage self-sustaining human exploration and make space hospitable more than perhaps any other single resource. Cornell University’s On-Orbit Aqueduct for Supply In-Situ (OASIS) addresses this issue by providing the most basic but essential resource for life: water. This paper describes a robust, durable, sustainable, and autonomous system, which is capable of both storing and dispensing water for decades. This architecture is based on using existing launch capabilities, and in fact unused space on current manifests, to launch water into usable orbits consistent with the Vision for Space Exploration. Its design emphasizes economic viability, human safety, and failure robustness.
Passive-Film Formation on Metal Substrates in IM LiPF6/EC-DMC Solutions

The initial irreversible capacity loss in lithium-ion cells has been attributed to passive-film formation on the carbon and graphite anodes during the first intercalation. We have examined the nature of these passive films on select metal substrates. We studied film formation on Cu, 304 stainless steel, and Mo cycled in a 1M LiPF6/ethylene carbonate (EC)-dimethyl carbonate (DMC) solution (1:1 v/v) over a potential range of 3 V to below 0 V. Film formation occurs readily on each of the metals and involves both solvent and salt species. The composition, thickness, and distribution of the films depends strongly on the substrate. The redox processes that occur during film formation and the potential for Li plating are highly dependent on the substrate composition.
Structural and Mechanistic Insights into the Tropism of Epstein-Barr Virus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the prototypical γ-herpesvirus and an obligate human pathogen that infects mainly epithelial cells and B cells, which can result in malignancies. EBV infects these target cells by fusing with the viral and cellular lipid bilayer membranes using multiple viral factors and host receptor(s) thus exhibiting a unique complexity in its entry machinery. To enter epithelial cells, EBV requires minimally the conserved core fusion machinery comprised of the glycoproteins gH/gL acting as the receptor-binding complex and gB as the fusogen. EBV can enter B cells using gp42, which binds tightly to gH/gL and interacts with host HLA class II, activating fusion. Previously, we published the individual crystal structures of EBV entry factors, such as gH/gL and gp42, the EBV/host receptor complex, gp42/HLA-DR1, and the fusion protein EBV gB in a postfusion conformation, which allowed us to identify structural determinants and regions critical for receptor-binding and membrane fusion. Recently, we reported different low resolution models of the EBV B cell entry triggering complex (gHgL/gp42/HLA class II) in "open" and "closed" states based on negative-stain single particle electron microscopy, which provide further mechanistic insights. This review summarizes the current knowledge of these key players in EBV entry and how their structures impact receptor-binding and the triggering of gB-mediated fusion.
Aristotle's Ethics and Medieval Philosophy: Moral Goodness and Practical Wisdom

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics had a profound influence on generations of later philosophers, not only in the ancient era but also in the medieval period and beyond. In this book, Anthony Celano explores how medieval authors recast Aristotle's Ethics according to their own moral ideals. He argues that the moral standard for the Ethics is a human one, which is based upon the ethical tradition and the best practices of a given society. In the Middle Ages, this human standard was replaced by one that is universally applicable, since its foundation is eternal immutable divine law. Celano resolves the conflicting accounts of happiness in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, demonstrates the importance of the virtue of phronesis (practical wisdom), and shows how the medieval view of moral reasoning alters Aristotle's concept of moral wisdom.
The effect of an automated point of care tool on diagnosis and management of childhood obesity in primary care

Background Childhood obesity is underdiagnosed in primary care practices. Our study aimed to compare rates of documentation of diagnosis of obesity and counselling for nutrition and physical activity at an academic primary care practice prior to and following implementation of a body mass index (BMI)-based electronic point of care clinical reminder tool. Methods We performed a retrospective record review of children aged 2–18 years undergoing well child visits during any of three calendar years (2009, 2011 and 2013). The electronic clinical reminder tool was implemented in September 2010. Records of children with BMI > 95th percentile were electronically searched for terms of documentation of diagnosis of obesity and nutrition and physical activity counselling. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential patient and provider confounders. Results Among those with BMI ≥ 95th percentile, there was a statistically significant increase in documentation of diagnosis of obesity (45.5% in 2009 vs. 52.4% in 2011; P < 0.001; adjusted odds ratio 1.36; 95% CI 1.13–1.65) and in counselling for physical activity and nutrition (66.8% in 2009 vs. 75.2% in 2011; P < 0.001; adjusted odds ratio 1.33; 95% CI 1.06–1.66) following implementation of the tool. Compared with 2011, there was no statistically significant increase in documentation of obesity (50.4%) or nutrition and physical activity counselling (77.9%) in 2013. Conclusions The implementation of a point of care clinical reminder tool was associated with improvement in documentation of diagnosis of obesity and counselling for nutrition and physical activity. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of these automated tools on weight outcomes in children.
Who's Policing the Financial Cop on the Beat? A Call for Judicial Review of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Non-Legislative Rules

This law review article addresses administrative power in the context of financial services. The Dodd-Frank Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an independent executive agency, to oversee this space. The CFPB issues interpretations and other guidance documents of consumer financial regulations it administers. This article discusses whether courts should defer to the CFPB's issuances in certain contexts. The claim in this article is that courts should not defer to the Bureau's interpretations and other regulatory guidance documents that seek to interpret regulations the CFPB administers. This article argues that the CFPB has been issuing "legislative," or "substantive" rules while avoiding the notice-and-comment process. This practice by the CFPB has been used to regulate fair lending in the context of automotive finance. Through a case study of Ally Financial, Inc., this article illustrates how the Bureau has enforced its interpretation of fair lending through adjudication of its own interpretations.
Re-Framing The U.S.-Mexico Border: A Non-Profit Educational Erogram On Border And Migration Issues

This article explores the work of a binational non-profit organization that offers travel seminars designed to educate U.S. citizens about the social, economic, and political realities of the U.S.-Mexico border through direct interactions in border communities. These educational trips offer a unique opportunity to explore individuals’ perceptions of the U.S.-Mexico border and undocumented migration, as those perspectives are developed and revised through personal experience. This article examines the ways in which the organization and its participants describe the U.S.-Mexico border region- its physical, social, and political landscapes- as well as border residents and migrants. Contextualized within wider national debates on the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration, participants’ narratives suggest the possibility of an alternate social imagination of the relationships between U.S. and Mexican states and residents.
III-Nitride Electrically Pumped Visible and Near-Infrared Nanowire Lasers on (001) Silicon

Abstract Ga(Al,In)N nanowires can be grown catalyst-free on silicon and other substrates. The diameter of individual nanowires in an array and the array density can be varied over wide ranges. Single or multiple InGaN disks can be inserted in Ga(Al)N nanowires and the alloy composition in the disk can be varied to tune the luminescence from visible to near infrared. The nanowires have other desirable properties such as very low density of extended defects and minimal strain. They can also be selectively doped n- and p-type, thereby enabling the formation of junction diodes as with planar materials. With adequate passivation the internal quantum efficiency of GaN nanowires and the InGaN disks, which behave as quantum dots, is higher than 50%. We have exploited these favorable attributes to design, epitaxially grow and characterize the first edge-emitting electrically pumped GaN/In(Ga)N disk-in-nanowire lasers with the peak of the coherent emission varying from 533 nm (green) to 1.3 μm. It may be noted that light sources with emission at wavelengths larger than 590 nm cannot be realized with InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs). The characteristics of the nanowire heterostructures and the steady-state and small-signal modulation characteristics of the lasers are described. The threshold current, characteristic temperature T 0 , differential gain, and modulation bandwidth of the nanowire lasers are comparable to state-of-the-art QW and quantum dot lasers.
In ‘Juridical Limbo’: Urban Governance and Subaltern Legalities among Squatters in Calcutta, India

A ‘squatter’ in the global South is another word for a seemingly incomprehensible heap of legal ambiguities, messy politics and abject poverty. Squatter dwellers are typically immigrants from the countryside, who squat on seized land and are caught in complex mazes of citizenship, labor and property laws. They are suspended in what I call ‘juridical limbo’—a situation in which overlapping legal identities and contradictory laws render individuals or entire communities into a state of semi-legal existence. Many squatters have fallen through the cracks of the legal arena and are vulnerable to being evicted without proper rehabilitation, but some of them have indeed learnt to use the law’s complications to their extralegal advantage. Using the case of two extraordinary land conflicts in India’s most populous city—Calcutta—this paper contrasts the claim-making strategies of two squatter settlements, providing a rich ethnographic account of their differential success in protecting their territory against eviction and of navigating their semi-legal status. Alongside establishing this variation, this paper also interrogates the proximate causes of this variation and puts forth a theoretical framework that focuses on the legal relationship between the state and the urban poor.
Assessment of the rates and characteristics of the short-term supply of medication (Tider) from an integrated healthcare delivery system in the United States

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the rate of medication short-term supply dispensings (tider), patient and medication characteristics associated with a tider, and costs for tider dispensings in an integrated healthcare delivery system in Colorado, United States.Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in an integrated healthcare delivery system’s outpatient clinics. All patients who had a prescription dispensed for a study medication at any of the system’s 28 outpatient pharmacies during the first quarter of 2016 were included. A tider was identified as a 3-day supply of a prescription medication that was dispensed at no charge to a patient. The quarterly tider rate and the per member per month (PMPM) cost of tiders were estimated. Patient and medication characteristics associated with a tider were assessed.Results: A total of 444,225 study medications were dispensed for 135,907 patients during the study period. There were 3,430 (0.77%, 95%CI 0.75%:0.80%) medications dispensed as a tider. The PMPM cost of tider medications and their dispensing fees was USD 0.03. There were 1,092 (0.8%) and 134,815 (99.2%) patients who did and did not, respectively, have at least one tider dispensed during the study period. Patient characteristics strongly associated with having had a tider dispensed included being older, male, and a Medicare beneficiary. Cardiovascular and neuromuscular medications had the highest rates of tider dispensing.Conclusions: The rate of tider dispensing was relatively low; however, approximately one out of 125 patients had at least one tider. Patients who had a tider were more likely to be older, female, a Medicare beneficiary, and having had a previous tider dispensing and a higher burden of chronic disease. The tider medication was more likely to be a cardiovascular or neuromuscular medication class and more likely to be dispensed on a weekend. The total cost of dispensing a tider appears reasonable since the benefits of providing patients with needed medications likely outweigh the cost. Future studies should be performed to assess the impact of tider dispensing on health outcomes.
Chapter 165 – Subcellular Targeting of PKA through AKAPs: Conserved Anchoring and Unique Targeting Domains

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the structurally conserved regulatory (R) subunit anchoring domain and deals with the examples of unique subcellular targeting domains that localize anchored-protein kinase (PKA) for regulation of co-localized target substrates. There are three PKA C subunit isoforms (Cαβγ, Cβ, Cγ) and four R subunit isoforms (RIα, RIβ, RIIα, RIIβ). NMR structural studies show that both the RI and RII N-terminal dimerization domains form anti-parallel four-helix bundles in which dimerization creates an extended hydrophobic surface that binds the A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAP). The AKAPs all bind to the R subunit N-terminal dimerization domain through hydrophobic interactions. The PKA anchoring domains from different AKAPs have very little primary amino acid sequence similarity yet share a conserved hydrophobic character and secondary structure. Thus, AKAPs are a family of functionally related proteins arising from convergent evolution, as opposed to diverging from a common ancestral AKAP protein. The common hydrophobic and secondary structure in AKAP PKA anchoring domains is seen as a conserved spacing of hydrophobic residues, which map to one side of an amphipathic α-helix of about 18 residues in length. AKAP molecules have been characterized at a myriad of distinct subcellular locations including the plasma membrane, intracellular vesicles, actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi, and centrosomes. The AKAP protein MAP2 is targeted to dendritic microtubules in neurons by direct binding to tubulin. Scar/Wave1, an AKAP that also anchors the abl-Tyrosine kinase, binds to actin both in focal adhesions and membrane ruffles in fibroblasts where it regulates the actin polymerization activity of the Arp2/3 complex.
Anisotropic nonlocal damage model for materials with intrinsic transverse isotropy

Abstract This paper presents the theoretical formulation and numerical implementation of an anisotropic damage model for materials with intrinsic transverse isotropy. Crack initiation and propagation are modeled by phenomenological damage evolution laws, controlled by four equivalent strain measures. The latter are constructed so as to distinguish the mechanical response of the material in tension and compression, along the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane and within the bedding plane. To avoid mesh dependency induced by softening, equivalent strains are replaced by nonlocal counterparts, defined as weighted averages over a neighborhood scaled by two internal length parameters. Finite Element equations are solved with a normal plane arc length control algorithm, which allows passing limit points in case of snap back or snap through. The model is calibrated against triaxial compression tests performed on shale, for different confinements and loading orientations relative to the bedding plane. Gauss point simulations confirm that the model successfully captures the variation of uniaxial tensile strength with respect to the bedding orientation. Finite Element simulations of three-point bending tests and compression splitting tests show that nonlocal enhancement indeed avoids mesh dependency, and that the axial and transverse dimensions of the damage process zone are scaled by the two characteristic lengths. Results further show that the damage process zone is direction dependent both in tension and compression. The model can be used for any type of textured brittle material; it allows representing several concurrent damage mechanisms in the macroscopic response and interpreting the failure mechanisms that control the damage process zone.
A Prospective Study of Stingray Injury and Envenomation Outcomes.

Abstract Background Stingray injuries result in thousands of emergency department visits annually. Objectives This study aimed to assess the complication rate and outcome of field treatment with hot water immersion. Methods This was an on-site, prospective, observational study. Subjects were enrolled after having been stung by a stingray. A trained researcher obtained the following information: age, sex, health conditions and medications, and wound description. The efficacy of hot water immersion on pain was recorded. Patients were contacted on postinjury days 3, 7, and 14 for follow up. Results Twenty-two subjects were included. No obvious foreign bodies were observed in wounds. Ten subjects were treated with hot water immersion and povidone-iodine, 12 with hot water immersion alone. Ongoing symptoms or complications were noted at the 3-day follow-up in 6 of 22 subjects (27.3%). One subject was diagnosed with cellulitis on post-sting day 8 and was treated with antibiotics. Ongoing symptoms or complications were reported more commonly in patients treated with hot water and povidone-iodine compared with those treated with hot water alone (p = 0.056). There was a significant difference in wound size between those with and without ongoing symptoms at the 3-day follow-up (p = 0.0102). No wounds Conclusion Stingray injuries responded well to hot water immersion for pain control. Skin and soft tissue infection was diagnosed in 1 of 22 patients (4.55%).
Kobus leche leche (Red lechwe) ♂Kobus megaceros (Nile lechwe) ♀

Skin biopsy of a male from San Diego Zoo furnished the top karyotype, these cells are frozen. The female comes from the Catskill Game Farm, New York. Pairing of chromosomes is arbitrary; sex chromosomes are selected by morphology. An extensive Robertsonian mechanism appears operative in this subfamily as in other bovidae.
Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Effects of Low-Level Lead Exposure

Lead toxicity has been recognized since antiquity, and warnings about its neurotoxic properties have been issued throughout history. Recent advances in the neurotoxicology and epidemiology of lead exposure have drawn a clear picture of the extent and nature of the disease. It is now acknowledged that the consequences of exposure to lead constitute the most serious environmental problem of American children. It is also clear that this disease is totally preventable.
Vascular Injuries in the Neck

Management of blunt and penetrating trauma to the carotid and vertebral arteries has moved away from an approach focusing on operative exploration and repair to a more imaging-intensive strategy. Early CTA and a focused operative or endovascular approach can minimize the potential for missed injury and operative morbidity.
Brief Report: Implementation of a Specific Carbohydrate Diet for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X Syndrome

This brief report examines the implementation of dietary intervention utilizing the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) for the management of gastrointestinal issues in a 4 year old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Data relating to anthropometrics, dietary intake, blood markers, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, sleep issues, and behavioral concerns were gathered at baseline and after 4 months of dietary intervention. The dietary intervention was well tolerated. Improvements in nutrient status, GI symptoms, and behavioral domains were reported. The use of the SCD protocol in children with ASD/FXS and GI symptoms warrants further investigation.
Dynamic Features of Problematic Drinking: Alcohol Use Disorder Latent Classes Across Ages 18-64.

Aims Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are linked with numerous severe detrimental outcomes. Evidence suggests that there is a typology of individuals with an AUD based on the symptoms they report. Scant research has identified how these groups may vary in prevalence by age, which could highlight aspects of problematic drinking behavior that are particularly salient at different ages. Our study aimed to (a) identify latent classes of drinkers with AUD that differ based on symptoms of AUD and (b) examine prevalences of latent classes by age. Short summary Our findings advocate for personalized treatment approaches for AUD and highlight the need for carefully considering the role of age in prevention and intervention efforts. Methods We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III). Current drinkers aged 18-64 who met criteria for a past-year AUD were included (n = 5402). Results Latent class analysis (LCA) based on 11 AUD criteria revealed 5 classes: 'Alcohol-Induced Injury' (25%), 'Highly Problematic, Low Perceived Life Interference' (21%), 'Adverse Effects Only' (34%), 'Difficulty Cutting Back' (13%) and 'Highly Problematic' (7%). Using time-varying effect modeling (TVEM), each class was found to vary in prevalence across age. The Adverse Effects Only and Highly Problematic, Low Perceived Life Interference classes were particularly prevalent among younger adults, and the Difficulty Cutting Back and Alcohol-Induced Injury classes were more prevalent as age increased. Conclusions Findings suggest that experience of AUD is not only heterogeneous in nature but also that the prevalence of these subgroups vary across age.
Ileal pouch revision vs excision: short-term (30-day) outcomes from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

AIM Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) failure occurs in approximately 5%-10% of patients. We aimed to compare short-term (30-day) postoperative outcomes associated with pouch revision and pouch excision using a large international database. Our null hypothesis was that there is no statistically significant difference in overall postoperative complications between patients selected for pouch revision vs pouch excision. METHODS Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant User File from 2005 to 2016 we identified patients who underwent either IPAA revision via the combined abdominoperineal approach [Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 46712] or IPAA excision (CPT 45136). Differences in baseline characteristics and short-term outcomes between groups were assessed with univariate and matched analyses. RESULTS We identified 593 reoperative IPAA procedures: revision group 78 (13%) and excision group 515 (86%). The groups had similar age and body mass index (kg/m2 ), but the revision group had more women (65.4% vs 51.8%, P = 0.02) and fewer were on chronic steroids (3.9% vs 17.9%, P = 0.0008) relative to the excision group. Revision IPAA patients were more likely to have received a preoperative transfusion (5.1% vs 0.97%, P = 0.02). Revision and excision were associated with similar postoperative length of stay (9.3 vs 8.6 days, 0.44), mortality (nil vs 0.58%, respectively; P = 0.99) and short-term morbidity (34.6% vs 40.2%, respectively; P = 0.88) at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS Pouch revision and excision have comparable short-term postoperative outcomes, but pouch excision appears to be more commonly utilized. Increased awareness of the indications for pouch revision or referral to specialized centres may improve pouch revision rates.
Teacher Evaluations in Leisure Studies Programs: An Old Issue with a New Slant.

The fair and accurate evaluation of teaching in higher education has been the topic of much discussion for many years. This paper examines evaluative practices in leisure studies programs and addre...
Oxidative Potential of Chemical Mixtures Extracted from Contaminated Galveston Bay, TX Seafood Using a Human Cell Co-culture Model

Increasing levels of pollution in Galveston Bay, TX, are of significant concern for populations that directly depend on fishing activities. Efforts to evaluate contaminant levels in commercial fish have been largely limited to the quantification of chemical mixtures in fish tissue, but little information exists about the toxicological potential of these chemicals on consumption of contaminated seafood. The present study makes use of a human cell co-culture model, mimicking the digestive system, to address the oxidative potential of chemical mixtures in seafood. Chemical extractions were performed on fillets from three fish species and oysters collected from different areas in Galveston Bay. The resulting extracts were used to expose intestinal and liver cells before the measurement of cytotoxicity and activity of antioxidant enzymes. The pesticide 4,4′-DDE was found in nearly all samples from all sites in concentrations ranging from 0.23–9.4 µg/kg. Similarly, total PCBs found in fish and oyster tissue ranged from 0.68–65.65 µg/kg, with PCB-118 being the most common congener measured. In terms of cytotoxicity, oyster extracts led to significant cell mortality, contrary to observations for fish extracts. Antioxidant enzymes, while not directly related to the presence of chemical mixtures in tissue, presented evidence of potential increases in activity from spotted trout extracts. Observations from this study suggest the need to evaluate toxicological aspects of contaminated seafood and support the use of in vitro models for the screening of accumulated chemicals.
Eagle Syndrome: A Rare Case of Atraumatic, Painful Cervical Neck Swelling.

Author(s): Worden, Cameron P.; Bhandari, Sanjeeb S.; Cable, Benjamin B.; Kuehl, Damon R. | Abstract: Introduction: Painful neck swelling is a common emergency complaint but can present diagnostic challenges. Eagle syndrome is a rare clinical entity in which a pathologically elongated styloid process or ossified stylohyoid ligament produces a constellation of symptoms in the head and neck region.Case Report: We present the case of a 50-year-old male with a spontaneous, atraumatic fracture of an elongated styloid process associated with hematoma formation and radiological findings of airway impingement.Discussion: The classic triad for Eagle syndrome consists of unilateral cervicofacial pain, globus sensation, and dysphagia. Diagnosis of Eagle syndrome should be made based on a combination of physical examination and radiological findings. Treatment options vary based on severity of symptoms.Conclusion: Although more likely to be an indolent and progressive complaint, providers in the acute care setting should be familiar with Eagle syndrome due to the potential for a spontaneous fracture of an elongated styloid process to cause acute, painful neck swelling and life-threatening airway compromise.
Using Pharmacology to Squeeze the Life Out of Childhood Leukemia, and Potential Strategies to Achieve Breakthroughs in Medulloblastoma Treatment

Eliminating cancer was once thought of as a war. This analogy is still apt today; however, we now realize that cancer is a much more formidable enemy than scientists originally perceived, and in some cases, it harbors a profound ability to thwart our best efforts to defeat it. However, before we were aware of the complexity of cancer, chemotherapy against childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was successful because it applied the principles of pharmacology. Herein, we provide a historic perspective of the experience at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In 1962, when the hospital opened, fewer than 3% of patients experienced durable cure. Through judicious application of pharmacologic principles (e.g., combination therapy with agents using different mechanisms of action) plus appropriate drug scheduling, dosing, and pharmacodynamics, the survival of patients with ALL now exceeds 90%. We contrast this approach to treating ALL with the contemporary approach to treating medulloblastoma, in which genetics and molecular signatures are being used to guide the development of more-efficacious treatment strategies with minimal toxicity. Finally, we highlight the emerging technologies that can sustain and propel the collaborative efforts to squeeze the life out of these cancers. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Up until the early 1960s, chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia was mostly ineffective. This changed with the knowledge and implementation of rational approaches to combination therapy. Although the therapeutics of brain cancers such as medulloblastoma are not as refined (in part because of the blood-brain barrier obstacle), recent extraordinary advances in knowledge of medulloblastoma pathobiology has led to innovations in disease classification accompanied with strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes. Undoubtedly, additional novel approaches, such as immunological therapeutics, will open new avenues to further the goal of taming cancer.
Phage Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis. Challenges and Perspectives

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR PA) produces biofilm thus causing colonization, pulmonary failure and death in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Despite prolonging CF survival, antibiotics fail to eradicate MDR PA. A therapeutic alternative is phage therapy (PT). During decades, although testing lytic phages improved their efficacy in vitro to lyse PA biofilm, how they can persistently act in vivo, even in personalized approaches, remain debatable. We report our appraised results from 22 papers on lytic phages tested in vitro and in vivo on pulmonary and non-pulmonary models infected by various PA strains. Challenges and perspectives on PT in CF to advance custom-based approaches to treat or prevent MDR PA, combined with or alternative to antibiotics, are then discussed. To overcome barriers in international regulatory bodies on phages as medicines, we claim a new definition of advanced phage biological therapy aiming to reach a global consensus thus advancing PT in CF.
Does Autonomy Require Informed and Specific Refusal of Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment?

Any social order that prizes individual autonomy is committed to collectively informing its autonomous members. A good working definition of "autonomy" is "self-determining free choice." What distinguishes "choice" from mere appetite or desire is deliberation upon known, available options and their probable consequences, and a practical equilibrium of external pressures for and against those options. Even the most autonomy-driven society will conclude that some of its members-e.g., infants and persons with mental disabilities are unable to choose for themselves. Autonomy for persons who are incompetent is inapposite because they are incapable of exercising free choice. Thus constitutional rights derived from our commitment to autonomy-which some courts say include the right to forego life sustaining medical treatment-are exercisable only through the "knowing and voluntary" choices of competent individuals.' Distinguishing exactly who is competent, and whether particular proposals of competent persons are informed free choices, are collective decisions. "Collective" means society, acting through its common agent, the state and its laws. The law, and not those individuals, decides whether an effective exercise is made. At first glance then, autonomy would seem to require demonstrated assurances to society that any refusal of life-sustaining treatment is with the informed consent of the competent person affected.