cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
mTORC1 couples immune signals and metabolic programming to establish T reg -cell function

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway integrates diverse environmental inputs, including immune signals and metabolic cues, to direct T-cell fate decisions. The activation of mTOR, which is the catalytic subunit of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes, delivers an obligatory signal for the proper activation and differentiation of effector CD4(+) T cells, whereas in the regulatory T-cell (T(reg)) compartment, the Akt-mTOR axis is widely acknowledged as a crucial negative regulator of T(reg)-cell de novo differentiation and population expansion. However, whether mTOR signalling affects the homeostasis and function of T(reg) cells remains largely unexplored. Here we show that mTORC1 signalling is a pivotal positive determinant of T(reg)-cell function in mice. T(reg) cells have elevated steady-state mTORC1 activity compared to naive T cells. Signals through the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) provide major inputs for mTORC1 activation, which in turn programs the suppressive function of T(reg) cells. Disruption of mTORC1 through Treg-specific deletion of the essential component raptor leads to a profound loss of T(reg)-cell suppressive activity in vivo and the development of a fatal early onset inflammatory disorder. Mechanistically, raptor/mTORC1 signalling in T(reg) cells promotes cholesterol and lipid metabolism, with the mevalonate pathway particularly important for coordinating T(reg)-cell proliferation and upregulation of the suppressive molecules CTLA4 and ICOS to establish Treg-cell functional competency. By contrast, mTORC1 does not directly affect the expression of Foxp3 or anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines in T(reg) cells, suggesting a non-conventional mechanism for T(reg)-cell functional regulation. Finally, we provide evidence that mTORC1 maintains T(reg)-cell function partly through inhibiting the mTORC2 pathway. Our results demonstrate that mTORC1 acts as a fundamental 'rheostat' in T(reg) cells to link immunological signals from TCR and IL-2 to lipogenic pathways and functional fitness, and highlight a central role of metabolic programming of T(reg)-cell suppressive activity in immune homeostasis and tolerance.
A novel and highly efficient synthesis of gem-difluorocyclopropanes

A new and highly versatile source of difluorocarbene is reported. Trimethylsilyl fluorosulfonyldifluoroacetate (TFDA) undergoes decomposition in the presence of catalytic fluoride to form difluorocarbene under conditions that allow its addition to relatively electron deficient alkenes in high yield. For example, unprecedented CF2: addition to n-butyl acrylate proceeded in 73% yield.
Influence of different nonlinearity functions on perceptron performance

Influence of two new nonlinearity functions on Perceptron performance is studied. The two new functions under consideration are Gaussian and sinusoid functions. The new functions create multithreshold Perceptions capable of handling both binary and analog inputs. A computer program has been developed to simulate behavior of a network utilizing either of the two modified Perceptrons. Both XOR and Parity Check problems were solved using a single-layer network utilizing these modified Perceptions. Based on the results obtained from the simulation the modified Perceptions are capable of solving problems (such as XOR) that can not be solved using a single-layer of the classical Perceptron. Also networks utilizing these modified Perceptions require fewer number of iterations to converge to a solution than that of a multi-layer network of classical Perceptions using back propagation. In addition the results show that Sinusoidal Perceptronperforms better than Gaussian Perception. 1.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neurogenesis in the adult goldfish cerebellum.

Neurogenesis was studied in the cerebellum of adult goldfish, to establish the phenomenon in this popular laboratory animal model. BrdU and proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling revealed a high rate of cell proliferation within the molecular layer of the cerebellar corpus and valve. Most newborn cells expressed the neuronal marker beta-III-tubulin after 24 hr, supporting the goldfish cerebellum as an excellent paradigm to study vertebrate adult neurogenesis. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PLDing a case for angiogenesis

In this issue of Blood , Zhang et al identify the Src-PLD1-PKCγ axis as critically involved in the process that causes ROP, highlighting new potential targets for therapy.[1][1] Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is acknowledged as the predominant regulator of angiogenesis; blockade of VEGF
A parallel adaptive projection method for low Mach number flows

We describe an adaptive projection method for numerically simulating low Mach number flows. The projection method formulation enforces the velocity divergence constraint resulting from the low Mach number approximation. It is implemented on an adaptive hierarchy of logically rectangular grids, where each finer level is refined in space and in time. The adaptive algorithm has been shown in previous papers to be robust and second-order accurate, and to satisfy the principles of conservation and free-stream preservation as applicable. Here, the parallelization is described in some detail, and the methodology is demonstrated on two examples from premixed, low Mach number combustion
Eyeing a new network.

I. S. Kohane and his colleagues' Policy Forum (11 May, p. [836][1]) on “Reestablishing the researcher-patient compact” should evoke a response from clinical researchers. Healthcare organizations are keen to use large databases of information that have accumulated through record-keeping for clinical care delivery. Unfortunately, the consent process did not necessarily allow the freedom to contact patients as research subjects. The authors propose a prospective approach in developing informed cohorts, with linked medical and genomic information, to enable clinical research and the ability to recontact patients. We provide one example of how clinicians, their patients, and researchers can fully participate in and benefit from research. In 2003, the National Eye Institute convened a broadly representative group to envision a National Genotyping Network for inherited eye diseases with two goals: to provide a resource for ophthalmic research in inherited ocular disorders, and to allow access to genotyping for patients and their doctors. A network of certified laboratories ([1][2]) was organized with a coordinating center to which a secure Web-based database was linked. In September 2006, the eyeGENE™ Network received its first sample ([2][3]). Phenotypic information was entered by the patient's doctor with the understanding that the patient and physician would receive a molecular genetic test result and that the physician would provide genetic counseling for that result. The anonymous DNA sample, with the linked genotypic and phenotypic data, was then placed in an open-source repository to enable future research. To date, the repository has 205 samples representing a diverse collection of heritable ocular conditions. The Network has not encountered any issues related to breaches in patient confidentiality or concerns about employment or insurance discrimination. This research project has been enthusiastically received by the ophthalmic and optometric community and stands as an example of how genomic research can be translated to patients. 1. 1.[↵][4]Laboratories were certified according to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). 2. 2.[↵][5]The National Ophthalmic Disease Genotyping Network, eyeGENE™ ([www.nei.nih.gov/resources/eyegene.asp][6]). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1135489 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [5]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text" [6]: http://www.nei.nih.gov/resources/eyegene.asp
A Tale of Two Wars: Framing Analysis of Online News Sites in Coalition Countries and the Arab World during the Iraq War

The Iraq War was a defining media event. This study used quantitative content analysis to explore the websites of prestige news media in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as Egypt and Qatar, examining both the frames used by news media in their coverage of the conflict, as well as the voices heard—and unheard—throughout the coverage. The analysis showed that the “tale of war” was constructed differently by the different international media. Arab online news media were more likely to use the military conflict and violence of war frame, whereas Coalition media emphasized the rebuilding of Iraq frame. Differences in the tone of coverage and the use of sources across the four news media were also found.
Lipid Metabolism in Dehydrating Peanut Kernels

Metabolism of radioactive lipids in kernels from peant plants subjected to 14C2 under field conditions was studied during dehydration (curing) of the seeds at 22°C or 50°C. Synthesis of lipid was predominant during the first 6 to 12 hours of dehydration whereas degradation dominated between 12 to 24 hours of curing. These changes were related to the moisture content of the dehydrating kernels; a moisture range of 42 to 47% was found to be an important factor influencing the observed pattern of lipid metabolism. The results from the present study also indicate compartmentalization of lipid metabolism in dehydrating peanut kernels.
Investigation of the Thermal Degradation of Polyurea: The Effect of Ammonium Polyphosphate and Expandable Graphite

Polyurea was compounded with ammonium polyphosphate and expandable graphite and the morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy. The thermal degradation of polyurea and polyurea compounded with the additives has been investigated using thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The study of the thermal degradation and the parameters affecting the thermal stability of PU is essential in order to effectively design flame retarded polyurea. In general, thermal decomposition of polyurea occurs in two steps assigned to the degradation of the hard segment and soft segment, respectively. Adding these additives accelerates the decomposition reaction of polyurea. However, it is clear that more char is formed. This char is thermally more stable than the carbonaceous structure obtained from neat PU. The intumescent shield traps the polymer fragments and limits the evolution of small flammable molecules that are able to feed the flame.
Status of stroke patients: A community assessment

Abstract The identification of norms relating to the status of stroke patients is significant to community plans to provide contemporary health services for stroke patients. This two-phase research study assessed the status of stroke patients for a large metropolitan area. The first phase of research was a retrospective hospital record review conducted on 1,665 subjects admitted to 13 Cincinnati hospitals with the primary diagnosis of stroke. This study showed that the Cincinnati outcomes were consistent with the outcomes demonstrated in the literature. The most typical stroke patient was a 71-year-old woman with right hemiplegia, who was living at home with another adult after spending 17.5 days in the acute care hospital. The behavioral functional levels of 105 disabled stroke patients were assessed in the second phase, using the Level of Rehabilitation Scale. Subjects were analyzed in five functional areas to determine their level of independent living. Demographic data were used to analyze the findings in comparisons. In general, stroke patients function higher in activities of daily living than they do in social interactions. Stroke patients living with another adult demonstrated a lower degree of functioning in activities of daily living than those who lived alone, but scored higher in social interactions.
Publishing Trends of Psychology Faculty During Their Pretenure Years

This article describes an analysis of the productivity of psychology faculty during their first 7 postdoctoral years. The primary goal was to provide objective data regarding the typical rates of productivity for untenured cognitive, developmental, and social psychologists who hold appointments at highly ranked institutions. Although the median rate of pretenure publishing conforms to informal impressions that junior faculty are typically awarded tenure if they publish at least one or two articles per year, tenure was awarded to 25% of the sample even though these individuals published less than one article per year. This finding cannot be explained by appealing to (a) the number of articles published prior to accepting a tenure-track appointment, (b) the number of chapters produced, or (c) the impact factors of the journals in which the individuals published.
On the General False Path Problem in Timing Analysis

The false path problem is often referred to as the problem of detecting the longest sensitizable path (A path which is not a false path is a sensitizable path). The term “false path” is not clearly defined. In this paper, we first give a clear and precise definition of a false path. Then the general false path problem is formulated. The general false path problem is to detect whether a given path (not necessarily the longest one) is a false path. We present an efficient algorithm for solving the general false path problem. We also propose another algorithm which generates all the possible sensitizable paths with the delays greater than a given threshold T. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated by the experimental results.Index Terms: Timing Verification, Logic Simulation, VLSI circuit, Timing Analysis, False path, Graph Theory.
Peroxidase-catalyzed polymerization and depolymerization of coal in organic solvents

Peroxidases from horseradish roots (HRP) and soybean hulls (SBP) catalyze the efficient polymerization of a 4-kDa dimethylformamide (DMF)-soluble fraction of Mequininza (Spanish) lignite in 50% (v/v) DMF with an aqueous component consisting of acetate buffer, pH 5.0. Under these conditions, HRP and SBP catalyze the oxidation of free phenolic moieties in the coal matrix, thereby leading to oxidative polymerization of the low-molecular-weight coal polymers. The high fraction of nonphenolic aromatic moieties in coal inspired us to examine conditions whereby such coal components could also become oxidized. Oxidation of nonphenolic aromatic compounds was attempted using veratryl alcohol as a model substrate. SBP catalyzed the facile oxidation of veratryl alcohol at pH 50 Da coal fraction was achieved using SBP in 50% (v/v) DMF with an aqueous component adjusted to pH 2.2. Approximately 15% of the initial high-molecular-weight lignite fraction was depolymerized to polymers 4 Da in size. Hence, SBP is capable of catalyzing the depolymerization of coal in organic solvents, and this may have important ramifications in the generation of liquid fuels from coals.
Toward diagnostic related groups in child psychiatry: a preliminary study.

Although prospective payment using diagnostic related groups (DRGs) has been implemented for certain medical services during the past year, psychiatry in general and child psychiatry services in particular have been exempted from such forms of reimbursement. Since it is generally expected that psychiatry will not continue to be so exempted indefinitely, a preliminary study of 15 potential DRGs in a group of 184 children who received inpatient care were compared with respect to their mean length of hospital admission. Implications of these data for mental health policy are discussed.
Endocytic signaling in leaves and roots: same rules different players

To take up proteins and other components required by the cell, cells internalize a portion of the plasma membrane (PM), which invaginates to form a closed vesicle within the cytoplasm in a process known as endocytosis. The major plant endocytic mechanism is mediated by clathrin, a protein that is necessary to generate a coated vesicle on the inner side of the PM. These vesicles bud away from the membrane generating a vesicle whose contents originated from outside of the cell and they can selectively concentrate or exclude compounds. The process is therefore of key importance to plant growth, development, signaling, polarity, and nutrient delivery. Rho family small GTPases are conserved molecular switches that function in many signaling events. Plants possess only a single Rho-like GTPase (ROP) family. ROPs are known to be involved in the control of cell polarity by regulating endocytosis. To contend with the high levels of regulation required for such processes, plants have evolved specific regulators, including the Rop-interactive CRIB motif-containing protein (RIC) effectors. Recent findings have demonstrated that ROP dynamics and the cytoskeleton (including actin microfilaments and microtubules) are interwoven. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of endocytosis in plants, with particular regard to the signaling pathways.
Micromanipulator-Assisted Vitreous Cryosectioning and Sample Preparation by High-Pressure Freezing

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) of unfixed, unstained, frozen-hydrated samples conveys the most reliable view of the "live" state of cells and tissues. Advances in sample preparation methods and electron microscope technology over the last decade have made this approach more routine and available to a broader segment of the structural biology community. Many cryo-EM samples are thin enough to be imaged as wholemounts, but most cells and tissues are too thick and must be cryosectioned to obtain samples that are sufficiently thin for successful imaging. Cryosectioning of vitreous material is a challenging and time-consuming task. A number of laboratories have worked hard to develop approaches and technologies for cryosectioning and to carefully characterize the nature of vitreous sections and the artifacts associated with them. Several different cryosectioning methods are in use in cryo-EM laboratories, each of which is effective and routinely yields high-quality structural data. Here, we describe a particular method that utilizes a micromanipulator to aid the cryomicrotomist in controlling vitreous sections as they are being cut and to facilitate transfer of the sections to an EM grid. Each step in the process, from preparing samples by high-pressure freezing to affixing vitreous sections to a grid, is covered in detail, including discussions of cryosectioning hardware, environmental conditions, and sectioning artifacts.
Controlled decoherence in an atom interferometer

Interactionwithanenvironmentusuallydestroysquantumcoherence.Hereweshowtheopposite:addinganenvironmentcanprotectcoherence.Wehavedemonstratedsuchamethodforcontrollingspatialdecoherenceby adding an environment that interacts with spin.In general, decoherence of a quantum system results from entanglement with an unmeasured reservoir,referred to as the environment. The rate of decoherence depends on the system-environment interaction,and therefore on the state of both the system and the environment. We have engineered two differentenvironments: one which destroys coherence for atoms with a particular spin, and a second which causesonly a little decoherence but changes the spin of atoms by optical pumping. The time-ordering of the twoenvironments is important, because one environment prepares atoms in a decoherence-free state.Using an atom’s spin to control the rate of photon scattering – and thus the rate of spatial decoherence– is basically as simple as optical pumping. However, the dynamics of decoherence change when thesame environment that causes decoherence also modiﬁes the rate of decoherence. We use two separatedenvironments to illustrate this point.The system we are dealing with is a beam of atoms in an interferometer. Each atom can travel in asuperpositionofpaths,andthespatialcoherencebetweenthepathsismeasuredasatomfringecontrast[1,2].Thetwoengineeredenvironmentsareresonantlaserbeamswhichspontaneouslyscatterphotonsfromatomsin the interferometer as discussed in [3–6]. The setup is shown in Fig. 1.First we review how entanglement with a single environment causes spatial decoherence for the atoms.Then we present the controlled decoherence experiment using two separated environments.
A study of the epidemiology of cervical cancer.

Abstract This study was carried out in an effort to define certain population characteristics associated with a high prevalence of cervical cancer. Such characteristics should be easily recognized and measurable if they are to serve as yardsticks for limited community cancer screening. In this community study, age, parity, and economic status were defined as such parameters. The peak cancer prevalence is reached rapidly after the age of 30. In all age groups, women from low socioeconomic areas and women with a history of numerous pregnancies reflected an increased cancer risk. However, the impact of both low economic status and increased parity was particularly apparent in younger women. The prevalence of cervical cancer, particularly carcinoma in situ, in such women below the age of 30 often exceeded that of older women with fewer births from more favorable socioeconomic environments. From our observations it would appear that if the incidence of invasive cervical cancer is to be reduced through community screening programs, particular emphasis should be directed toward high-risk areas such as hospitals for indigent patients, family planning centers, and low-cost housing development areas.
Online Chinese character recognition system with handwritten Pinyin input

We have developed a novel online Chinese handwriting recognition system that can recognize a Chinese character either by its handwritten script or by its handwritten Pinyin syllable. The new system is particularly useful when the user forgets how to write the desired character or when the desired character is too complex to be written conveniently. To assure the accuracy and robustness, several classifiers with different characteristics are integrated. The experimental results show that we have achieved an accuracy of 92.5% for 6763-class freely-written Chinese characters and 87.1% for 412-class unconstrained-style Pinyin syllables.
The design of nectar: a network backplane for heterogeneous multicomputers

Nectar is a “network backplane” for use in heterogeneous multicomputers. The initial system consists of a star-shaped fiber-optic network with an aggregate bandwidth of 1.6 gigabits/second and a switching latency of 700 nanoseconds. The system can be scaled up by connecting hundreds of these networks together.The Nectar architecture provides a flexible way to handle heterogeneity and task-level parallelism. A wide variety of machines can be connected as Nectar nodes and the Nectar system software allows applications to communicate at a high level. Protocol processing is off-loaded to powerful communication processors so that nodes do not have to support a suite of network protocols.We have designed and built a prototype Nectar system that has been operational since November 1988. This paper presents the motivation and goals for Nectar and describes its hardware and software. The presentation emphasizes how the goals influenced the design decisions and led to the novel aspects of Nectar.
The use of proton pump inhibitors in treating and preventing NSAID-induced mucosal damage

NSAIDs are prescribed widely but have rare serious gastrointestinal side effects. More recently, adverse cardiovascular effects of these drugs have also been recognized, leading to the withdrawal of some agents and continuing uncertainty about the best approach for patients requiring NSAID therapy. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) provide potent and long-lasting inhibition of gastric acid secretion and have proven efficacy in healing NSAID-associated ulcers, including those with continued exposure to NSAIDs. PPIs have also shown efficacy in reducing the risk of ulcerations due to NSAID use compared with NSAIDs alone in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where endoscopic ulcers are used as the primary endpoint, albeit a surrogate marker for clinical ulcers and complications. Large RCT outcome trials comparing patients exposed to NSAIDs with and without PPI co-therapy have not been performed, but adequately powered RCTs in high-risk patients demonstrate that PPI + nonselective NSAID provides similar rates of symptomatic ulcer recurrence rates as the use of a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective inhibitor. A RCT in high-risk patients with previous ulcer complications supports the additive bene3 t of two risk-reducing strategies, as ulcer complication recurrence was eliminated in high-risk patients who were given a COX-2 selective agent with a PPI. Helicobacter pylori, an independent risk factor for ulcers, should be sought out and eradicated in patients at increased gastrointestinal risk, typically those with an ulcer history. Following H. pylori eradication, however, patients remain at risk and co-therapy with a PPI is recommended. NSAID medication selection should consider both the individual patients' gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risks.
Structuring and Disciplining Apology: A Structurational Analysis of Health Care Benevolence Laws

Health care benevolence laws, a form of tort reform law, mandate statements of sympathy or apology by health care providers and facilities in cases of medical mistakes. These laws create a shared language and sense of meaning for individuals involved in the legal aftermath of medical mistakes. Structuration theory guides this textual analysis to explore how benevolence laws discursively create and structure shared meaning about apology. This analysis highlights how benevolence laws structure apology and discursively discipline medical practitioners, underscoring the importance of ambiguity in law interpretation.
Memory Performance of Late Middle–Aged Adults: Contrasting Self–Stereotyping and Stereotype Threat Accounts of Assimilation to Age Stereotypes

Abstract The goals of this study were to contrast stereotype threat and self–stereotyping accounts of behavioral assimilation to age stereotypes and to investigate the role of identity in that process. Based on random assignment, 89 adults in late middle–age (48–62 years; M= 54) were told that their memory performance would be compared to that of people over 70 (low threat condition), people under 25 (high threat condition), or they received no comparison information (control). Results showed that participants primed with the presumably non–threatening category “older adults” performed significantly worse on a word recall test than participants primed with the category “younger adults” and participants in the control condition. The results were moderated by implicit age identity—only participants who had begun making the identity transition into older adulthood were affected by the manipulation. These findings offer evidence that self–stereotyping and stereotype threat are distinct explanations for stereotype
To treat or not to treat: a rare case of pseudo‐thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a Jehovah's Witness

BACKGROUND Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare microvascular occlusive disorder characterized by systemic intravascular aggregation of platelets, thrombocytopenia, and mechanical injury to red blood cells. We report a rare case of pernicious anemia presenting as TTP in a Jehovah's Witness. CASE REPORT A 46-year-old Jehovah's Witness female presented with epigastric pain, vomiting, and diarrhea for 2 days and fatigue and paresthesias for 4 weeks. Initial laboratory evaluation showed severe anemia and thrombocytopenia with elevated total bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase. Peripheral blood smear showed schistocytes, macroovalocytes, and hypersegmented neutrophils. TTP was suspected and plasmapheresis was offered. The patient refused it due to her religious beliefs. Due to the presence of macroovalocytes and hypersegmented neutrophils, vitamin B12 level was checked and found to be extremely low. Anti-intrinsic factor antibodies and anti-parietal cell antibodies were also positive; hence a diagnosis of pernicious anemia was established. Treatment with intramuscular vitamin B12 was initiated, which resulted in dramatic neurologic and hematologic improvement. DISCUSSION Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine can cause endothelial dysfunction, which can lead to formation of microvascular thrombi. Due to this phenomenon, vitamin B12 deficiency can rarely present with schistocytes and thrombocytopenia, which combined with other stigmata of vitamin B12 deficiency, can be misdiagnosed as TTP.
Spectroscopic and Intensity Modulated Photocurrent Imaging of Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells

Molecular spectroscopic and intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) imaging techniques are used to map morphology-dependent charge recombination in organic polymer/fullerene solar cells. IMPS uses a small (∼10%) sinusoidal modulation of an excitation light source and photocurrent responses are measured while modulation frequencies are swept over several decades (∼1 Hz-20 kHz). Solar cells consisting of either poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(2-methoxy-5-(3'-7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MDMO-PPV) blended with a soluble fullerene derivative, [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are used as targets. The morphologies of these polymer/fullerene systems are distinctly different due to PCBM miscibility in various polymer conformers. IMPS responses of both blend solar cells show unique morphology-dependent charge generation, transport and extraction signatures that can be spatially correlated to microscopic variations in local composition and packing by constructing IMPS images along with corresponding molecular spectroscopic imaging over the same scan area. We find that boundaries separating enriched polymer and fullerene domains promote nongeminate charge recombination appearing as positive phase shifts in the IMPS response. These zones are susceptible to degradation and we propose the approaches herein can be used to probe material and device degradation in situ under various conditions, such as oxygen content, temperature and ionizing radiation.
Access to In-Network Emergency Physicians and Emergency Departments Within Federally Qualified Health Plans in 2015

Author(s): Dorner, Stephen C.; Camargo, Jr., Carlos A.; Schuur, Jeremiah D.; Raja, Ali S. | Abstract: Introduction: Under regulations established by the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must meet minimum standards in order to be sold through the federal Marketplace. These standards to become a qualified health plan (QHP) include maintaining a provider network sufficient to assure access to services. However, the complexity of emergency physician (EP) employment practices – in which the EPs frequently serve as independent contractors of emergency departments, independently establish insurance contracts, etc… – and regulations governing insurance repayment may hinder the application of network adequacy standards to emergency medicine. As such, we hypothesized the existence of QHPs without in-network access to EPs. The objective is to identify whether there are QHPs without in-network access to EPs using information available through the federal Marketplace and publicly available provider directories.Results: In a national sample of Marketplace plans, we found that one in five provider networks lacks identifiable in-network EPs. QHPs lacking EPs spanned nearly half (44%) of the 34 states using the federal Marketplace.Conclusion: Our data suggest that the present regulatory framework governing network adequacy is not generalizable to emergency care, representing a missed opportunity to protect patient access to in-network physicians. These findings and the current regulations governing insurance payment to EPs dis-incentivize the creation of adequate physician networks, incentivize the practice of balance billing, and shift the cost burden to patients.
Combining spectral feature mapping and multi-channel model-based source separation for noise-robust automatic speech recognition

Automatic Speech Recognition systems suffer from severe performance degradation in the presence of myriad complicating factors such as noise, reverberation, multiple speech sources, multiple recording devices, etc. Previous challenges have sparked much innovation when it comes to designing systems capable of handling these complications. In this spirit, the CHiME-3 challenge presents system builders with the task of recognizing speech in a real-world noisy setting wherein speakers talk to an array of 6 microphones in a tablet. In order to address these issues, we explore the effectiveness of first applying a model-based source separation mask to the output of a beamformer that combines the source signals recorded by each microphone, followed by a DNN-based front end spectral mapper that predicts clean filterbank features. The source separation algorithm MESSL (Model-based EM Source Separation and Localization) has been extended from two channels to multiple channels in order to meet the demands of the challenge. We report on interactions between the two systems, cross-cut by the use of a robust beamforming algorithm called BeamformIt. Evaluations of different system settings reveal that combining MESSL and the spectral mapper together on the baseline beamformer algorithm boosts the performance substantially.
Feature Extraction of Low Dimensional Sensor Returns for Autonomous Target Identification

This work considers algorithms for maritime search and surveillance missions. During these type of missions, an agent searches for a target using its various sensors. Performing target identiflcation and classiflcation of sensor returns is a crucial component of the mission. This paper investigates a system to process returns from a low dimensional sensor and automatically classify the data. This system uses an algorithm that employs the sensor and motion model of the agent to augment the limited data from the sensor. Several difierentiating features are then extracted and used to train various classiflers and machine learning algorithms.
Hypertrophic olivary degeneration: A clinico-radiologic study

Abstract Introduction The frequency and causes of hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD) are unknown. We compared the clinical and radiological characteristics of unilateral HOD and bilateral HOD. Methods We performed a search of a radiologic report database for patients who were radiologically diagnosed as having HOD. This database includes the patients examined at the Mayo Clinic in Florida and Arizona. We used the search terms “hypertrophic olivary degeneration”, “HOD”, and “olivary” in the reports recorded from 1995 to 2015. Pertinent medical records and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain for those with HOD were reviewed retrospectively. Results We identified 142 MRI studies on 95 cases who had radiologically proven HOD, 39 cases had unilateral HOD and 56 with bilateral HOD. In symptomatic cases, the most common symptom was ataxia. Palatal tremor was observed in almost half of all HOD cases. While cerebrovascular diseases were the most frequent etiology in both types of HOD (n = 24, 62% in unilateral; n = 17, 30% in bilateral), more than half of bilateral HOD cases had an unknown etiology (52%, n = 29), whereas only 13% (n = 5) of the unilateral cases had an unknown etiology (χ2 test, P Conclusions Our study showed that bilateral HOD is more common than unilateral HOD. Half of bilateral HOD cases had no obvious cause and some worsened over time. This may implicate a possible primary neurodegenerative process.
Smoothened regulation in response to Hedgehog stimulation

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway play critical roles in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. A critical step in Hh signal transduction is how Hh receptor Patched (Ptc) inhibits the atypical G protein-coupled receptor Smoothened (Smo) in the absence of Hh and how this inhibition is release by Hh stimulation. It is unlikely that Ptc inhibits Smo by direct interaction. Here we discuss how Hh regulates the phosphorylation and ubiquitination of Smo, leading to cell surface and ciliary accumulation of Smo in Drosophila and vertebrate cells, respectively. In addition, we discuss how PI(4)P phospholipid acts in between Ptc and Smo to regulate Smo phosphorylation and activation in response to Hh stimulation.
On Harold’s ‘translucent reality’: a philosophical and religious interpretation of Harold and the Purple Crayon

ABSTRACTIn this paper, one of the most popular children’s picture books, Harold and the Purple Crayon, is examined in terms of philosophical and religious viewpoints. Harold, a young inquisitive boy, seemingly travels in his world in which he finds himself dealing with various situations. Harold’s adventure with his purple crayon reminds us the fundamental philosophical question: What is real, and what is not? The author introduces a new philosophical term, translucent reality, to better understand Harold’s and any other stories in which reality and unreality cannot, and should not, be clearly distinguished. The author proposes that David Johnson Leisk’s story be interpreted as a reformulation of the story of Adam in the Abrahamic religions through an existentialist lens as the story of humanity’s creative recreating itself and its journey in an undetermined environment.
Effects of atorvastatin on the proliferation and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts induced by endothelin-1

AIM:To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the proliferation and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts(CFs) induced by endothelin-1(ET-1).METHODS:Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were randomly divided into 4 groups:control,ET-1,Atorvastatin,ET-1+atorvastatin(10-7-10-4 mol/L).CFs number was measured by MTT assay.Cell cycle distribution was determined with flow cytometer(FCM).[3H]-Proline uptake was evaluated by scinillation counting.Nitric Oxide(NO) was measured by chromatometry.RESULTS:10-6 mol/L ET-1 significantly increased the A490 value and [3H]-Pro incorporation,and decreased the secretion of NO compared with the control group(P0.01).10-7-10-4 mol/L atorvastatin inhibited the above effects of ET-1 on CFs in a concentration-dependent manner(P0.01 vs ET-1).In the ET-1 group,Phase S cell percentage was higher than that of contol,which was inhibited by atorvastatin(P0.01 vs ET-1 and control).CONCLUSION:Atorvastatin dose-dependently inhibits the proliferation and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts induced by endothelin-1,which may be partially mediated by NO.
Clinical observation of using silver ions dressings in the post-operational sinus of perianal abscess

Objective:For guiding the treatment of the post-operational perianal abscess,after using of dressing contains silver ions(AquacelAg) and another with Vaseline,the clinical effect were compared.Methods:In the experiment group,using dressing contains silver ions stuffing into the post-operative cavity in 37 patients with perianal abscess after the treatment of incision and drainage in the abscess,another 37 patients using Vaseline dressing as a control group.And then,the blood lost volume,the incision infection rate,the healing time and the cure rate were observed.Results:There was no statistical significant in evaluation of bleeding volume and incision infection during the period of cavity stuffing(P0.05);however,the wound healing time and cure rate were better in the experimental group(P0.05).Conclusion:Dressing contains Silver ions could help perianal abscess wound healing and reduce the number of switches,and also reduce the suffering of children.
Early X-ray Diagnosis of Congenital Dislocation and Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip in Newborn and Infant

Objective To study the diagnostic method with computed radiography for congenital dislocation of the hip(CDH) and developmental dysplasia of the hip(DDH) in early stage in newborn and infant.Methods Followed-up with computed radiography made a comparison between 47 abnormal hips (CDH and DDH ) in 26 infants ,and 60 normal hips in 30 infants.Results (1)The normal pattern of acetabulum in neonate and infant appeared as definite“—”,indefinite“—” was considered as abnormal,its sensitivity,specificity and accuracy was 100%,91.59 and 85% respectively,and statistical comparison P0.05;(2)The normal acetabulum angle in infant under three months was under 30°;(3)Obturators line:among the 47 abnormal hips,according to the obturators line,positive was in 18 hips and negative was in 29 hips,in the control group(60 hips),positive was in 2 hips and negative was in 58 hips,the sensitivity was 38.3%,specificity was 96.7% and accuracy was 71.1%,P0.05;(4)Neck axial line of femoral:in the study group,positive was in 10 hips(confirmed CDH),negative was in 20 hips and suspect was in 17 hips.In the control group(60 hips),one hip showed positive and 59 hips showed negative,the sensitivity was 54.75%,specificity was 98.33% and accuracy was 80.37%,P0.001.Conclusion The obturators line in combination with neck axial line of femoral can be used in diagnosis of CDH and DDH in newborn and infant.
Unraveling the mystery of a supraclavicular mass.

In this month’s Clinical Quandaries case report, a 49-year-old man was diagnosed with an extragonadal seminoma. The diagnosis was made on a fine-needle aspiration of a 7-cm supraclavicular mass. Beta–human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein levels were normal. The only cancer history for this patient was a basal cell carcinoma of the nose. The patient complaints were fatigue; sensory and motor dysfunction in the hands, legs, and abdomen; unsteady gait; and blurry vision.
Regionalism and Pakistan

The successful evolution of the European Union (EU) into a dynamic association of European states cooperating for common economic, political, and security goals has encouraged the growth of regional cooperation organizations in other parts of the world. While regional cooperation per se is desirable, it is a mistake to assume that any regional association of states can evolve on the lines of the EU. In fact, the challenges and the potential of regional organizations vary according to their economic circumstances, cultural and historical background, geographical location, intraregional political relations, world outlook, and vision of the future. For Pakistan, it is the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) that meets all the prerequisites of regional cooperation leading to regional economic integration rather than SAARC.
Human urinary epithelial cells as a source of engraftable hepatocyte-like cells using stem cell technology

Although several types of somatic cells have been reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and then differentiated to hepatocyte-like cells (iHeps), the method for generating such cells from renal tubular epithelial cells shed in human urine and transplanting them into animal livers has not been described systematically. We report reprogramming of human urinary epithelial cells into iPSCs and subsequent hepatic differentiation, followed by a detailed characterization of the newly generated iHeps. The epithelial cells were reprogrammed into iPSCs by delivering the pluripotency factors OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4, and MYC using methods that do not involve transgene integration, such as nucleofection of episomal (oriP/EBNA-1) plasmids or infection with recombinant Sendai viruses. After characterization of stable iPSC lines, a three-step differentiation toward hepatocytes was performed. The iHeps expressed a large number of hepatocyte-preferred genes, including nuclear receptors that regulate genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis, bile acid transport, and detoxification. MicroRNA profile of the iHeps largely paralleled that of primary human hepatocytes. The iHeps engrafted into the livers of Scid mice transgenic for mutant human SERPINA1 after intrasplenic injection. Thus, urine is a readily available source for generating human iHeps that could be potentially useful for disease modeling, pharmacological development, and regenerative medicine.
Exposure-response relationships during free-access intravenous alcohol self-administration in nondependent drinkers: Influence of alcohol expectancies and impulsivity

BACKGROUND: Self-administration is a hallmark of all addictive drugs, including alcohol. Human laboratory models of alcohol self-administration have characterized alcohol-seeking behavior, and served as surrogate measures of the effectiveness of pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorders. Intravenous alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA) is a novel method that assess alcohol exposure driven primarily by the pharmacological response to alcohol, and may have utility in characterizing unique behavioral and personality correlates of alcohol-seeking and consumption. METHODS: This study examined exposure-response relationships for IV-ASA, and the influence of impulsivity and alcohol expectancy, in healthy non-dependent drinkers (n=112). Participants underwent a 2.5 hour free-access IV-ASA session using the Computerized Alcohol Infusion System (CAIS). Serial subjective response measures included the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ) and Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ). To characterize the motivational aspects of alcohol consumption prior to potential acute adaptation, the number of self-infusions in the first 30-min of the free-access session was used to classify participants as low- and high-responders. RESULTS: High responders showed greater subjective responses during IV-ASA compared to low responders, reflecting robust exposure-driven hedonic responses to alcohol. High responders also reported heavier drinking patterns and lower scores for negative alcohol expectancies on the Alcohol Effects Questionnaire. High responders also showed higher measures of impulsivity on a delayed discounting task, supporting previous work associating impulsivity with greater alcohol use and problems. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that early phase measures of free-access IV-ASA are particularly sensitive to the rewarding and motivational properties of alcohol, and may provide a unique phenotypic marker of alcohol-seeking behavior.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US. Language: en
Visualizing systematic literature reviews to identify new areas of research

This research paper describes the application of linguistic analysis through scaled co-occurrence networks to create visual representations of systematic literature reviews. This approach uses currently available and free tools in this new application. Co-occurrence networks are a method for visualizing relationships between concepts within written material. The results of a co-occurrence analysis are a network that reflects the relationships between words based on meaning similarities among words and text segments. To illustrate this approach, I applied the methodology of a systematic literature review search that resulted in 391 unique journal articles, books, and reports on identity published in the period from 1995 to 2015. The abstracts, titles, and keywords of these journals were analyzed via linguistic analysis to create a word co-occurrence network of these articles related to identity in science and engineering. Clusters within this network were identified based on word frequency. The results of this research illustrate a hole in the current identity literature in understanding diversity beyond traditional definitions of race, class, and gender. This method has the potential to powerfully convey and embed information about large amounts of data in a single image and offers a new way to report findings from a systematic literature review.