cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Bone Marrow Hematogones on Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Outcomes in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Early after umbilical cord blood transplantation, patients show marked differences in bone marrow (BM) hematogone percentages. Little is known about whether these differences are clinically relevant. We hypothesized that early recovery of hematogones may be associated with improved transplantation outcomes. BM aspirates were assessed from 88 patients with acute myeloid leukemia by two independent reviewers at day 21 and 100 after umbilical cord blood transplantation. Interobserver variability for BM hematogone percentages at these time points showed correlation coefficients of 0.83 and 0.98, respectively (P ≤ .01 for both). A high percentage of hematogones at day 21 was associated with less acute graft-versus-host disease grade 3 to 4 (P = .01). At day 100, a high percentage of BM hematogones was associated with improved overall survival (P = .02) and lower treatment-related mortality (P ≤ .01). This study shows that BM hematogone percentages may be useful prognostic indicators in patients with acute myeloid leukemia after umbilical cord blood transplantation and should be routinely reported in BM differential counts.
Reuniting perception and conception.

Work in philosophy and psychology has argued for a dissociation between perceptually-based similarity and higher-level rules in conceptual thought. Although such a dissociation may be justified at times, our goal is to illustrate ways in which conceptual processing is grounded in perception, both for perceptual similarity and abstract rules. We discuss the advantages, power and influences of perceptually-based representations. First, many of the properties associated with amodal symbol systems can be achieved with perceptually-based systems as well (e.g. productivity). Second, relatively raw perceptual representations are powerful because they can implicitly represent properties in an analog fashion. Third, perception naturally provides impressions of overall similarity, exactly the type of similarity useful for establishing many common categories. Fourth, perceptual similarity is not static but becomes tuned over time to conceptual demands. Fifth, the original motivation or basis for sophisticated cognition is often less sophisticated perceptual similarity. Sixth, perceptual simulation occurs even in conceptual tasks that have no explicit perceptual demands. Parallels between perceptual and conceptual processes suggest that many mechanisms typically associated with abstract thought are also present in perception, and that perceptual processes provide useful mechanisms that may be co-opted by abstract thought.
Tribology of a solid fluorocarbon film on magnetic recording media

We investigated a new lubricant made using ion beam assisted deposition of fluorinated monomers. The fluorocarbon film is referred to as ion beam lubricant, IBL. Typical thin film media deposition was followed by deposition of the IBL. The IBL provided an acceptable number of start/stop cycles without mechanical wear, but the stiction became too high after several hundred start/stop cycles on the data zone of laser textured media.
Minimum relative entropy spectral estimation with uncertainties in the autocorrelation measurements

A technique to estimate a spectrum when errors in the autocorrelation function values are present is discussed. The principle of minimum relative entropy is used to derive the spectral estimation technique. It is assumed that some statistics of the noise corrupting the autocorrelation measurements are known; this provides the constraint equations subject to which the relative entropy functional is minimized. Often in practice, the variance of the noise is known (or calculatable) in which case the constraint equation is a mean squared error. An iterative algorithm that utilizes the ability to include a priori guess in the minimum relative entropy principle is derived. Examples using the proposed technique to obtain spectral estimates from noisy autocorrelation data are presented. The spectral estimates are shown to be superior to classical and entropy-based techniques that incorrectly assume the autocorrelation values to be exact. The method is not limited to a white Gaussian noise environment and can be applied to utilize the knowledge of any statistics for any type of noise that is corrupting the autocorrelation function. >
Qualified Immunity and the First Amendment Right to Record Police

This draft article explores Pearson v. Callahan, 129 S. Ct. 808 (2009), in the context of recent nationwide litigation over the First Amendment right to record police officers in public. Pearson v. Callahan gives judges considering a qualified immunity defense to a civil rights lawsuit the discretion to never reach the merits of the lawsuit, deciding only that the right is not “clearly established.” The Court’s opinion in Pearson uprooted Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194 (2001), which required courts to address the merits before deciding whether a defendant is entitled to qualified immunity.The doctrinal shift from Saucier to Pearson coincides with an increase in civil rights litigation nationwide concerning the First Amendment right to record police officers in public. Two recent Circuit Court cases, Am. Civil Liberties Union of Illinois v. Alvarez, 679 F.3d 583 (7th Cir. 2012) cert. denied, 133 S. Ct. 651 (U.S. 2012), and Glik v. Cunniffe, 655 F.3d 78 (1st Cir. 2011), have affirmed such a right. While the First and Seventh Circuits have laudably addressed the merits of whether the right exists, all other circuits to address the issue have decided only on immunity grounds, i.e. whether the right is “clearly established.” The focus on immunity has a chilling effect on free speech, in particular the role of citizens to oversee law enforcement officials. The article calls for a return to Saucier's merits-first adjudicatory model in First Amendment civil rights cases to avoid chilling such protected speech.
Circumventing the Affordable Care Act Contraceptive Mandate

The purpose of this Comment is to illustrate how states are attempting to circumvent the ACA contraceptive mandate through state law; and moreover, if successful, how these laws will likely be deemed unconstitutional due to preemption issues. Further, despite the ACA contraceptive mandate coming under intense scrutiny by religious conservatives and federalists, as a public policy matter, states should cease attempts to legislate around the mandate. Part II of this Comment offers a background on the particulars of the ACA, the contraceptive mandate and its exemptions, and ends with a look at the criticism and state action opposing the mandate. Part III of this Comment analyzes the specific states that are attempting to pass bills that circumvent the mandate and then explores federalist arguments supporting state action. Part III concludes with the notion that these state bills will likely be preempted if passed into law, and further, that as a public policy matter, states should cease opposition of the ACA contraceptive mandate.
“The Capitol Accent Is So Affected Almost Anything Sounds Funny in It”: The Hunger Games Trilogy, Queerness, and Paranoid Reading

Throughout the Hunger Games trilogy, the residents of the Capitol are associated with an array of physical, behavioral, and sartorial traits that have stereotypically been associated with homosexuality in general and gay men in particular. Although none of these characters is explicitly identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ), they are routinely linked with queer forms of feyness, fussiness, and flamboyance. How are young adult readers to interpret these details? What social message or political stance is Suzanne Collins conveying by making some of the vainest, powerful, and heartless characters in her book also in dialogue with common conceptions about queerness? Does The Hunger Games include these elements to dismantle negative stereotypes about LGBTQ people, or does the book perpetuate and even affirm homophobic attitudes? In what ways do these details impact the presentation of Katniss, in many ways, as a genderqueer figure herself? In exploring these and other ...
Taurine stimulation of calcium uptake in the retina: mechanism of action.

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a free amino acid found in high millimolar concentrations in animal tissues and various review articles and manuscripts have been written concerning its physiologic function1–3. Some suggested functions for taurine are related to neurotransmission, to osmoregulation and to protection against oxidative stress. Special attention has been paid to the mechanism of action of taurine in the retina, especially in the decades of the 70’s and 80’s, mainly because of experiments which suggest that taurine is most abundant in the retina compared to other tissue types and because of studies which linked taurine deficiency with visual dysfunction4. More importantly, the simple supplementation of the diet with taurine proved to be sufficient in alleviating the vision problem, theoretically through the replenishment of the depleted taurine levels.
How Active is Active Surveillance? Intensity of Followup during Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer in the United States

Purpose: While major prostate cancer active surveillance programs recommend repeat testing such as prostate specific antigen and prostate biopsy, to our knowledge compliance with such testing is unknown. We determined whether men in the community receive the same intensity of active surveillance testing as in prospective active surveillance protocols.Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of men 66 years old or older in the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results)-Medicare database. These men were diagnosed with prostate cancer from 2001 to 2009, did not receive curative therapy in the year after diagnosis and underwent 1 or more post-diagnosis prostate biopsies. We used multivariable adjusted Poisson regression to determine the association of the frequency of active surveillance testing with patient demographics and clinical features. In 1,349 men with 5 years of followup we determined the proportion who underwent testing as intense as that recommended by the Sunnybrook...
Negotiating the Master Narrative: Museums and the Indian/Californio Community of California's Central Coast

xvi, 307 p. : ill., maps. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Cues from Conversations: An Overview of Research in Children's Response to Literature

SUMMARY A descriptive discussion of fifteen research studies in children's response to literature is introduced as insightful information to assist librarians involved in readers' advisory work and reading guidance with children and young adults. Implications of the findings for practice suggest ways that librarians can enhance services in this area.
Histopathologic Findings in Autogenous Saphenous Vein Graft Wrapping for Recurrent Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: A Case Report

Autogenous saphenous vein graft wrapping of the tibial nerve has been described as an effective treatment option for failed tarsal tunnel decompression. Various theories have been proposed to explain how this method works, with little histologic evidence to date. A pathologic investigation of a sectioned nerve that had been previously wrapped provides some insight into these proposals.
Direct Visualization of Particle Dynamics in Model CMP Geometries

Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) involves complex mechanical and chemical interactions between a rough elastomeric pad, the wafer being polished and an abrasive slurry containing sub-micron diameter silica particles. The interaction between these abrasive particles and the wafer surface and their impact upon material removal rates is still unclear. Particle dynamics in a model CMP geometry are studied experimentally in this work. Only the particles that actually interact with, and presumably polish, the model wafer surface are visualized using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF). The effect of process properties such as particle diameter, particle material, pad-wafer separation and shear rate upon the particle concentration immediately adjacent to the wafer surface is investigated.
An Investigation of the Modal Interference of VLF Radio Waves

An experiment was earned out to study modal interference effects and the extent of agreement with theoretical results obtained previously. Field strength data for transmission from two stations in Hawaii on several frequencies between 16.6 and 26.1 kHz and from NPG on 18.6 kHz were recorded aboard an aircraft while in flight between California, Guam, Japan, and at a ground site near Washington, D.C. The experimental observations show considerable modal interference and very good agreement with the theoretical results for the isotropic case. For frequencies above 20 kHz the experimental data indicate the existence of at least the first three modes for propagation to the west and to the east, out to distances greater than 3 Mm. The data at 19.8 kHz, however, indicate three-mode effects for propagation to the east but only two modes to the west. The fading of the field strengths at Washington, D.C., during sunrise was frequently greater than 20 dB. The depth of the fades, in general, increased with frequency, whereas their time of occurrence was relatively independent of frequency — over the range of 19.8 to 26.1 kHz, which was expected from theory.
On the limits of data-driven cancer prognosis prediction

We show that a widely used training-data classification rule fails to provide reliable cancer prognosis prediction even in a very simple case with binary data from a relatively small number of genes. We also show that this limitation can be overcome by optimally integrating prior biological knowledge into a model-based framework with a sufficient amount of patient-specific data. This highlights the importance of utilizing knowledge of the dynamical interactions of genes along with personalized data, in contrast with current data-driven efforts to infer cancer prognosis using population data as training samples, in fulfilling the promise of precision medicine.
Ion transport by sheep distal airways in a miniature chamber.

Ion transport and the electric profile of distal airways of sheep lungs were studied in a miniature polypropylene chamber with a 1-mm aperture. Small airways with an inner diameter < 1 mm were isol...
MAPS AND LEGENDS: FPS-BASED INTERFACES FOR COMPOSITION AND IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE

This paper describes an interactive multi-channel multiuser networked system for real-time composition and immersive performance built using a modified version of the Quake III gaming engine. By tracking users’ positional and action data within a virtual space, and by streaming that data over a network using OSC messages formatted as UDP packets to a multi-channel Pure Data patch, actions in virtual space are correlated to sonic output in a physical space. Virtual environments designed as abstract compositional maps or representative models of the users’ actual physical space are investigated as means to guide and shape compositional and performance choices. This paper analyzes both the technological concerns for building and realizing the system as well as the compositional and perceptual issues inherent in the
E-Portfolios: Product and Process in Assessing Competencies for Social Work Education

Electronic portfolios are being used in many disciplines to demonstrate student- and program-level competence. This article presents a case study of a BSW program that implemented an e-portfolio project in the multiple contexts of developing pedagogy to meet the needs of millennial students, emphasizing evidence-based practice, and preparing for reaffirmation under the new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of competency-based education. Information about the basic structure, response rates, and assessment data are presented. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed from students and faculty liaisons. Product dimensions of the e-portfolio were identified as well as the learning processes that may be facilitated, including critical thinking, reflection, metacognition, and self-directed and collaborative learning. Challenges were also identified. Although preliminary findings are promising, additional research is necessary to determine the benefits of the e-portfolio as a tool for social wor...
Treatment strategies for frontal sinus anterior table fractures and contour deformities

Anterior table frontal sinus fractures can result in aesthetically displeasing contour deformities. Acute anterior table frontal sinus fractures that are depressed may be reduced with an open, closed, or endoscope-assisted approach. Delayed contour deformity camouflage can be achieved using bone grafts, titanium meshes, methyl methacrylate, hydroxyapatite cement, and polyether ether ketone implants. The selection of surgical approach to repair a frontal sinus contour deformity depends on the fracture severity, chronicity, complexity, patient comorbidities, and surgeon preference and experience. Advancement in endoscopic technology and expertise has created a paradigm shift toward a less invasive approach to the frontal region, with considerably less morbidity than conventional open techniques.
Abstract 2861: Validation of PERK as an oncology target: A role for the unfolded protein response in cancer

The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is a cellular stress response to stressors that induce accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (aka ER stress). The UPR protects cells from ER stress by increasing the capacity of the ER and attenuating bulk translation. Intense or unresolved ER stress induces apoptosis through pro-apoptotic factors like CHoP. The UPR is activated in tumors, especially those of hematological origin. PERK, a UPR sensor-kinase, is highly active in these settings and might be an attractive target in oncology. We have generated multiple potent, selective PERK inhibitor scaffolds. Low doses of PERK inhibitor ( Emerging data might provide a solution to these challenges. PERK IP-kinase assays demonstrate that compound binding at any dose activates PERK and this activity is retained after compound removal. Exposure modeling in vitro demonstrates that transient dosing followed by compound removal results in a conventional sigmoidal dose-response curve for viability. Intermittent dosing in vivo results in CHoP induction and tumor growth inhibition even at very high doses of PERK, consistent with PERK activation following compound clearance. These findings suggest that optimized scheduling might drive robust tumor growth inhibition with reduced risk of toxicity and facilitate a standard clinical dose escalation. Citation Format: Ken Dellamaggiore, Petia Mitchell, Ji-Rong Sun, Jeffrey Jones, Tony Muchamuel, David Hollenback, Seifu Tadesse, Shon Booker, Fang-Tsao Hong, Adrian Smith, Mark Rose, Pedro Beltran, James R. Lipford. Validation of PERK as an oncology target: A role for the unfolded protein response in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2861.
Mammography Patient Information at Hospital Websites: Most Neither Comprehensible Nor Guideline Supported

OBJECTIVE. Ongoing controversy regarding screening mammography guidelines has created confusion for many patients. Given recommendations that patient educational material be prepared at or below the 7th grade reading level of average Americans, the purpose of this study was to assess the readability of online mammography information offered by hospitals nationwide. MATERIALS AND METHODS. During 2015, online mammography patient educational materials were identified for all Medicare-recognized hospitals nationwide for which screening mammography metrics were publicly available. Patient educational materials were assessed using six validated readability score algorithms. All references to official screening guidelines were captured. RESULTS. Of 4105 hospitals nationwide, 3252 had websites and confirmable screening mammography services. Of those, 1753 (54%) offered mammography information material online. Only 919 (28%) referenced any professional society guidelines. After excluding information not formatted ...
Three-phase congestion prediction utilizing artificial neural networks

The aim of this study is to develop and test a predictor capable of projecting whether each phase of a power distribution line will be overloaded or not. Prediction is implemented using an artificial neural network, which has been shown to be of high accuracy and efficiency in non-linear problems. In our work, the neural network has been trained using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, while Bayesian regularization has been adopted in order to avoid overfitting of the input data. Results demonstrate the capability of the artificial neural network to predict the congestion in a three-phase distribution line in a big data environment.
Health Outcomes Analysis for the Patient in Hospital Context

In the health sector it is perceived a knowledge gap concerning to the study of health outcomes for the patient. In this scope, paper provides an overview regarding the study of health outcomes from a patient-centric perspective. Based on data derived from the patient health profile and existing clinical records the proposed model will enable Hospitals to be aware about how well it is performing in relation to patient’s health outcomes. The research follows the framework defined by the Design Science Research methodology and by incorporating Gamification’s techniques it also contributes with an original approach within the hospital context. With the inclusion of the physical, mental and social health perspectives, the proposed model will contribute to improve the study of health outcomes increasing simultaneously the knowledge to the management in public health, providing data to a possible finance model of pay for performance.
How to make a domesticate

Summary The Neolithic Revolution brought about the transition from hunting and gathering to sedentary societies, laying the foundation for the development of modern civilizations. The primary innovation that facilitated these changes was the domestication of plants and animals. In the case of plants, this involved the cultivation and selection of individuals with larger edible parts, easier harvesting, and decreased defenses, traits that allowed for the production of a food surplus and occupational specialization. Plant domestication is a process which started approximately 10,000 years ago and has thereafter been repeated independently in many locales around the world. Here, we offer a perspective that seeks to predict what factors influence the success of domestication, how many genes contributed to the process, where these genes originated and the implications for de novo domestication.
Quantitative models of persistence and relapse from the perspective of behavioral momentum theory: Fits and misfits☆

We review quantitative accounts of behavioral momentum theory (BMT), its application to clinical treatment, and its extension to post-intervention relapse of target behavior. We suggest that its extension can account for relapse using reinstatement and renewal models, but that its application to resurgence is flawed both conceptually and in its failure to account for recent data. We propose that the enhanced persistence of target behavior engendered by alternative reinforcers is limited to their concurrent availability within a distinctive stimulus context. However, a failure to find effects of stimulus-correlated reinforcer rates in a Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) paradigm challenges even a straightforward Pavlovian account of alternative reinforcer effects. BMT has been valuable in understanding basic research findings and in guiding clinical applications and accounting for their data, but alternatives are needed that can account more effectively for resurgence while encompassing basic data on resistance to change as well as other forms of relapse.
Tubulin-like protein from Aspergillus nidulans

Abstract [ 35 S] labeled extracts of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans were copolymerized with purified porcine brain tubulin. The [ 35 S] A. nidulans protein which copurified with porcine microtubules was found to be similar to [ 3 H] chick tubulin when the two were coelectrophoresed on several polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis systems. These results strongly suggest the presence in A. nidulans of a tubulin-like protein.
Lumbosacral Subdural Hematoma After Glioblastoma Multiforme Resection: Possible Radiographic Evidence for the Downward Migration of Intracranial Blood.

Background Spinal subdural hematomas (SSDHs) are rare and usually associated with bleeding diatheses, trauma, iatrogenic injury, spinal vascular malformations, or intraspinal tumors. Case Description We report a case of a 75-year-old man who developed a symptomatic lumbosacral SSDH after undergoing resection of a right temporal glioblastoma multiforme. The patient subsequently recovered and was discharged home. Over the next 2 weeks, he developed progressively worsening symptoms of lower back pain, lower extremity weakness, and urinary retention. Although the patient had no known risk factors for developing a SSDH, magnetic resonance imaging on postoperative day 16 revealed an extensive L2-sacrum SSDH. The patient underwent L2–L5 total laminectomies for evacuation of the SSDH. His symptoms resolved after surgery. Literature review produced 26 other cases of SSDHs after intracranial surgery in patients without obvious risk factors. In our case, the lumbosacral SSDH may have originated from downward migration of intracranial blood in a gravity-dependent fashion. Radiographic evidence of blood within the posterior thecal sac of the patient's cervical spine supports this hypothesis. Conclusions In most cases, SSDHs after intracranial surgery resolve with conservative treatment; however, as shown in our case, surgery may be required if there is progressive neurologic decline. Neurosurgeons should be aware of this potential complication after intracranial surgery; a magnetic resonance imaging of the spine may be indicated if there is unexplained lower extremity pain or weakness.
The Most Desired Positions: Brazilian Female Drug Traffickers in Inferno and Falcão: Mulheres e o tráfico

In order to analyze the gender performance and empowerment of Brazilian female drug traffickers, this article compares the character of Marta in Patricia Melo’s novel Inferno (2000) with the testimonies of four real female drug traffickers collected in MV Bill and Celso Athayde’s book Falcao: Mulheres e o trafico (2007). It argues that while female drug traffickers highlight their experience and use their kinship relations, Marta’s access to power and gender transgression are temporary because her community and other drug traffickers do not support her. The article also proposes the term “the most desired positions” to replace “hegemonic masculinities” because of the prominence that cisgender and trans women have begun to have in the world of drug trade. Resumo Com o proposito de analisar a performance de genero e o empoderamento de mulheres traficantes brasileiras, este ensaio compara a personagem de Marta no romance Inferno (2000) da autora Patricia Melo com os testemunhos de quatro mulheres traficantes que foram recolhidos no livro Falcao: Mulheres e o trafico (2007) de MV Bill e Celso Athayde. O ensaio argumenta que, enquanto as mulheres traficantes salientam sua experiencia e uso de relacoes de parentesco, o acesso de Marta ao poder e sua transgressao de genero sao temporarios porque sua comunidade e outros traficantes nao a apoiam. O ensaio tambem propoe usar o termo “posicoes mais desejadas” para substituir a expressao “masculinidades hegemonicas” devido a prominencia que as mulheres trans e cisgenero comecaram a ter no mundo do trafico de narcoticos.
MRICDF: A Polychronous Model for Embedded Software Synthesis

Safety critical applications require embedded software that can guarantee deterministic output and on time results during execution. Synchronous programming languages are by nature focused on providing the programmer with deterministic output at fixed points in time [1, 2]. Synchronous programming languages such as Esterel [3], LUSTRE [4], SIGNAL [5], etc., have successfully generated sequential software for embedded applications targeting avionics, rail transport, etc. The underlying formalism of these languages is robust and the associated software tools provide correctness preserving refinement from the specification to implementation. But even within the class of synchronous programming languages, there are very distinctive Models of Computation (MoC) [6]. Esterel and LUSTRE use an external global tick (or global clock) as reference for events that occur in the system. SIGNAL has an entirely different Model of Computation, where no assumptions are made on the global tick while designing the system. Each event has its own tick associated with it and for compilation the analysis of the specification would have to yield a totally ordered tick from the specification. In its absence, a variable (also known as signal) is constructed which has an event happening in synchrony with every event occurring in the system. This signal can be viewed as a root clock of the system with a hierarchical tree structure relating it with every other signal. Since events can occur at each signal at different rates, this MoC is also known as polychronous or multi-rate.
Ocular oxygen consumption during vitreoperfusion in the cat.

Purpose Little is known about the total ocular oxygen consumption rate (QO2) in human diseases. Reductions in QO2 may indicate the amount of tissue loss produced by conditions such as retinal ischemia. We sought a method to estimate QO2 that eventually could be used in patients during vitrectomy surgery. Methods We performed vitreoperfusion (perfusion of the vitreous cavity after vitrectomy) in 22 cat eyes with no ocular blood flow. The solution contained nutrients and a high partial pressure of oxygen (PO2). In 8 eyes we placed an oxygen electrode on the sclera, choroid, or outer retina to evaluate oxygen delivery from the vitreoperfusion solution (group 1). In 8 eyes the retinas were undisturbed (group 2), and in 6 eyes we excised the retinas (group 3). In groups 2 and 3 we estimated QO2 from the temporal decline of PO2 in the vitreoperfusion solution according to a pharmacokinetic model. Results Group 1 demonstrated oxygenation of the entire retina. The means and standard deviations of QO2 were 3.2 +/- 0.8 and 0.4 +/- 0.7 microL/min in groups 2 and 3, respectively, the difference being the retinal contribution, 88%. In group 2, metabolism accounted for an average of 82% of the oxygen loss from the vitreoperfusion solution, whereas flow and diffusion accounted for 13% and 5%, respectively. Conclusions Ocular oxygen consumption can be estimated by means of vitreoperfusion. Further developments may allow measurements in patients during vitreous surgery to clarify the pathophysiology of their diseases and assess the amount of retinal tissue that has been lost.
iac Gene Expression in the Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Degrading Soil Bacterium Enterobacter soli LF7.

ABSTRACT We show for soil bacterium Enterobacter soli LF7 that the possession of an indole-3-acetic acid catabolic ( iac ) gene cluster is causatively linked to the ability to utilize the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as a carbon and energy source. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling by mRNA sequencing revealed that these iac genes, chromosomally arranged as iacHABICDEFG and coding for the transformation of IAA to catechol, were the most highly induced (>29-fold) among the relatively few ( iac cluster were genes for a major facilitator superfamily protein ( mfs ) and enzymes of the β-ketoadipate pathway ( pcaIJD-catBCA ), which channels catechol into central metabolism. This entire iacHABICDEFG-mfs-pcaIJD-catBCA gene set was constitutively expressed in an iacR deletion mutant, confirming the role of iacR , annotated as coding for a MarR-type regulator and located upstream of iacH , as a repressor of iac gene expression. In E. soli LF7 carrying the DNA region upstream of iacH fused to a promoterless gfp gene, green fluorescence accumulated in response to IAA at concentrations as low as 1.6 μM. The iacH promoter region also responded to chlorinated IAA, but not other aromatics tested, indicating a narrow substrate specificity. In an iacR deletion mutant, gfp expression from the iacH promoter region was constitutive, consistent with the predicted role of iacR as a repressor. A deletion analysis revealed putative −35/−10 promoter sequences upstream of iacH , as well as a possible binding site for the IacR repressor. IMPORTANCE Bacterial iac genes code for the enzymatic conversion of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to catechol. Here, we demonstrate that the iac genes of soil bacterium Enterobacter soli LF7 enable growth on IAA by coarrangement and coexpression with a set of pca and cat genes that code for complete conversion of catechol to central metabolites. This work contributes in a number of novel and significant ways to our understanding of iac gene biology in bacteria from (non-)plant environments. More specifically, we show that LF79s response to IAA involves derepression of the MarR-type transcriptional regulator IacR, which is quite fast (less than 25 min upon IAA exposure), highly specific (only in response to IAA and chlorinated IAA, and with few genes other than iac , cat , and pca induced), relatively sensitive (low micromolar range), and seemingly tailored to exploit IAA as a source of carbon and energy.
Virtual memory cells make a major contribution to the response of aged influenza-naïve mice to influenza virus infection

A diverse repertoire of naive T cells is thought to be essential for a robust response to new infections. However, a key aspect of aging of the T cell compartment is a decline in numbers and diversity of peripheral naive T cells. We have hypothesized that the age-related decline in naive T cells forces the immune system to respond to new infections using cross-reactive memory T cells generated to previous infections that dominate the aged peripheral T cell repertoire. Here we confirm that the CD8 T cell response of aged, influenza-naive mice to primary infection with influenza virus is dominated by T cells that derive from the memory T cell pool. These cells exhibit the phenotypic characteristics of virtual memory cells rather than true memory cells. Furthermore, we find that the repertoire of responding CD8 T cells is constrained compared with that of young mice, and differs significantly between individual aged mice. After infection, these virtual memory CD8 T cells effectively develop into granzyme-producing effector cells, and clear virus with kinetics comparable to naive CD8 T cells from young mice. The response of aged, influenza-naive mice to a new influenza infection is mediated largely by memory CD8 T cells. However, unexpectedly, they have the phenotype of VM cells. In response to de novo influenza virus infection, the VM cells develop into granzyme-producing effector cells and clear virus with comparable kinetics to young CD8 T cells.
Urban food sharing and the emerging Boston food solidarity economy

Abstract A food solidarity economy has been sprouting in Boston’s lower income neighborhoods and communities of color, rooted in struggles for control over the food system itself. Though not centrally coordinated, this movement encompasses a varied network of nonprofits, social enterprises, and cooperatives, operating in all parts of the food system, from stewarding land and growing to processing, consumption, and composting. They span a range of urban food sharing practices: sharing stuff, spaces, and skills via collecting, gifting, and selling. They have taken collective ownership of land, created shared growing spaces, developed shared facilities for food businesses, opened a community cafe, and launched a worker-owned food recycling cooperative. They are driven by desires for transformation and are decommodifying the food system and increasing the urban food commons. This paper offers a critical, but hopeful, examination of the transformational potential of this growing food solidarity economy by viewing it as a local social movement. We draw on the theory and practice of solidarity economy and diverse community economies to highlight the possibilities for encouraging economies that go beyond the constraints of capitalism. But we also use an urban political ecology lens to foreground the challenges of neoliberalism to a food solidarity economy. We assess the trajectories of transformation in three dimensions: ideological, political, and economic. We conclude that transformation will likely require reforming neoliberalized policies and institutions, while at the same time building noncapitalist practices. A network approach to building scale seems promising, including building the movement’s own solidarity financing vehicles.
An Overview of the Julia Programming Language

The paper reviews what the Julia programming language is and its staying power relative to other popular programming languages. The following focuses on two popular programming languages (C programming and Python programming) to obtain a deeper understanding of what Julia derives from them, how Julia deviates from them, and what Julia leverages to be a more reasonable choice for performance.
Modified embedded-atom method potential of niobium for studies on mechanical properties

Abstract Niobium (Nb) as a refractory metal has appealing mechanical properties due to high ductility at room temperature. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed its intrinsic ductility by showing its perfect lattice generates an elastic shear deformation preceding its cleavage fracture under 〈 1 0 0 〉 ideal tensile deformation. Based on DFT calculations of simple atomic configurations, we applied an evolution strategy method to build a modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) spline-interpolation potential that can reproduce the intrinsic ductility of Nb during ideal tensile deformation. Further examinations show that simulations based on this MEAM potential can exhibit other essential characteristics of deformation behavior, such as ideal shear strengths, generalized stacking fault energies, twin boundary energies, phonon spectrum, etc., that are consistent with DFT calculations. This potential also outputs the structures, energetic stability and glide mechanism of 1 2 〈 1 1 1 〉 screw dislocations, such as dislocation core structures, core energies, migration barriers and dislocation core trajectories, consistent with DFT calculations. Therefore, this MEAM potential is suitable to study the mechanical behaviors of Nb, especially those under extreme loading conditions and considering non-Schmid effects.
Four single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes involved in neuronal signaling are associated with opioid use disorder in West Virginia

Objective: Pilot study to assess utility in opioid use disorder (OUD) of a panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes previously related to substance use disorder (SUD) and/or phenotypes that predispose individuals to OUD/SUD. Design: Genetic association study. Setting: West Virginia University’s Chestnut Ridge Center Comprehensive Opioid Addiction Treatment (COAT) clinic for individuals diagnosed with OUD. Patients: Sixty patients 18 years of age or older with OUD undergoing medication (buprenorphine/naloxone)-assisted treatment; all 60 patients recruited contributed samples for genetic analysis. Outcome measure(s): Minor allele frequencies for SNPs. Results: Four of the 14 SNPs examined were present at frequencies that are statistically significantly different than in a demographically matched general population. Conclusions: For the purposes of testing WV individuals via genetic means for predisposition to OUD, at least four SNPs in three genes are likely to have utility in predicting susceptibility. Additional studies with larger populations will need to be conducted to confirm these results before use in a clinical setting.
Does laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis reduce infertility compared with open approach?

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to assess the association of the mode of surgery on female fertility after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Methods All female patients aged 18 to 44 years who underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis, familial adenomatous polyposis, or Crohn’s disease at the Cleveland Clinic Ohio or the Cleveland Clinic Florida from 1983 to 2012 were sent a standardized fertility questionnaire. Infertility was defined as lack of pregnancy after 1 year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Patients who had attempted to conceive after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis were compared based on the surgical approach: laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis versus open ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Results A total of 890 female patients were surveyed, of which 519 (58.3%) responded. Of these, 161 (31%) had attempted pregnancy after surgery: 18 (12%) had laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and 143 (88%) had open ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. There were no significant differences regarding demographics between groups. There was no difference in reported infertility rates (61.1% vs 65%, respectively, P = 0.69) between the laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and open ileal pouch-anal anastomosis groups. The median time to pregnancy (3.5 months vs 9 months, respectively, log-rank P = 0.01) was reduced in patients who underwent laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis compared with those who underwent open ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Conclusion Postoperative infertility rates were higher after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis regardless of mode of surgery. However, laparoscopy was associated with a significantly reduced time to conceive compared with the open approach.
Association of Food Allergy and Decreased Lung Function in Children and Young Adults With Asthma

MG Sherenian, AM Singh, L Arguelles. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121(5):588–593.e1 To determine if an association between food allergy (FA) and lung function exists in children and young adults with and without asthma. One thousand sixty-eight children and young adults aged 0 to 21 years enrolled in the Chicago Food Allergy Study were recruited between August 2005 and June 2011. Participants were categorized as having FA by physician diagnosis, evidence of specific immunoglobulin E, and typical symptoms within 2 hours of food ingestion. Asthma was categorized by physician diagnosis. A …
Current Status and Perspectives in Mucosal Drug Delivery of Nanotherapeutic Systems

Currently, nanoparticulate therapeutic systems are gaining importance and are capable of being delivered through various routes of administration while facilitating both systemic and local drug delivery. Delivering therapeutics to mucosal surfaces of various regions in the body is of special interest because it provides the ability to treat a wide range of disorders. However, due to the mucosal barriers encountered at respective organs/body cavities, it is challenging to deliver therapeutics to mucosal area. Hence, drugs demand certain carrier systems to overcome the barrier and facilitate drug delivery to the site of action. There are several strategies which enable efficient mucosal delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) and enhance the residence time of those systems at the mucosal site. Even though numerous approaches have been used with nanoparticle delivery systems, currently available strategies require further improvements to accomplish mucosal drug delivery. There is still a large gap in understanding the correlation between mucus clearance rates and NPs’ performance. This chapter summarizes various approaches utilized for enhancing mucosal delivery of nanoparticulate systems and strategies to evade mucus clearance.
When I'm 75: College Students' Self Perceptions of the Challenges of Aging.

Despite robust literature on people’s attitudes toward aging, far less is known about attitudes toward one’s own aging, especially among college students. We examined college students’ self-percept...
Type Size Code for Compressing Erd\"os-R\'enyi Graphs

We consider universal source coding of unlabeled graphs which are commonly referred to as graphical structures. We adopt an Erdos-Renyi model to generate the random graphical structures. We propose a variant of the previously introduced Type Size code, where type classes are characterized based on the number of edges of the graphical structures. The proposed scheme sorts the graphical structures based on the size of their type classes and assigns binary sequences to them in this order. The $\epsilon$-coding rate of the Type Size code (up to the third-order term) for compressing graphical structures is derived.
Regioselective degradation of [beta] 1,3 glucan by ferrous ion and hydrogen peroxide (Fenton oxidation).

Abstract Many species use Fe+2 and H2O2 to oxidize a wide variety of compounds to simpler molecules. Both pathogen killing by leukocytes (neutrophils and lymphocytes) and degradation of cellulose by brown rot fungi rely on excretion of Fe+2 ions and H2O2, the Fenton reagent. To elucidate the mechanism of Fenton oxidation of carbohydrates, β1,3 glucan (laminaran), a major fungal wall polysaccharide, was oxidized using a molar ratio of monomer/Fe+2/H2O2 of 10:1:1 (primarily). We labeled the reaction products and profiled them as fluorescent-labeled molecules in polyacrylamide gels and as hydrophobic-tagged molecules using reverse phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). Sub-stoichiometric concentrations of Fe+2 and H2O2 fragmented laminaran into smaller molecules containing carbonyl and carboxylic acid groups visible on fluorescent-labeled carbohydrate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. HPLC/MS analysis of glucan fragments showed masses consistent with six classes of molecules: aldoses, dialdoses, uronic acids, hexosuloses, aldonic acids, and hexulosonic acids. The results were consistent with published mechanisms where hydrogen radical (H•) abstraction from a C–H or O–H bond begins a cascade of reactions leading to 1) C–C bond cleavage to produce aldose/dialdose pairs; 2) oxo-group (O = ) addition to produce uronic and aldonic acids; 3) hydroxyl group (HO-) addition to produce gluconolactone and hexosuloses; and 4) hexulosonic acids. Most products resulted from regioselective H• abstractions characteristic of oxidations by ferryl-oxo ion [(Fe O)+2] or perferryl-oxo ion [(Fe O)+3] in close contact with specific positions in the glycan. Therefore, oxidations initiated by regioselectively-bound Fe ions were the predominant initiators of polysaccharide degradations.
Reviving Judicial Gatekeeping of Aggregation: Scrutinizing the Merits on Class Certification

Judges have always been gatekeepers, but their gatekeeping tasks have changed a good deal over time.1 Perhaps the most famous current “gatekeeping” function of judges involves their evaluation of proposed expert testimony. In 1993, the Supreme Court’s Daubert decision commanded district judges to become “gatekeepers” who scrutinize the validity of scientific expert testimony,2 and it has since extended this gatekeeping responsibility to include all kinds of expert testimony,3 while also recognizing that courts of appeals should review district court decisions of this sort under the deferential abuse of discretion standard.4 Gatekeeping is often a difficult task, frequently in ways that law school and legal practice did not prepare judges to perform. On re-