cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The arterial smooth muscle cell: stimulation of cholesterol esterification by plasma lipoproteins.

A major feature of atherosclerosis is the accumulation of lipid within the arterial wall. Most pronounced is the increase in the cholesterol concentration with the greatest increment occurring in the concentration of cholesteryl esters, first recognized by Windaus in 1910 (1).
Role of Striated and Smooth Muscle Components in the Urethral Pressure Profile in Traumatic Neurogenic Bladders: A Neuropharmacological and Urodynamic Study. Preliminary Report

AbstractUrodynamic investigations with urethral pressure profile, and vesical, intrarectal and anal pressure recordings were performed in 37 patients with spinal cord lesions. The recordings were done before and after phentolamine injections and/or pudendal nerve blocks to evaluate the respective contribution of sympathetic and somatic innervation to the maximum urethral closure pressure in the mid and distal portions of the membranous urethra. A pressure gradient was demonstrated in the membranous urethra with higher values in the distal than in the mid portion. These results emphasize that the interrupted withdrawal technique is superior to the continuous technique in patients with upper motor neuron bladders. Mid urethral striated and smooth muscle components were shown to represent approximately 60 and 30 per cent of the maximum urethral closure pressure, respectively. In the distal urethra striated and smooth components are more abundant than in the mid portion and contribute in equal proportion to t...
On the nature of personal narratives of high quality

This investigation explores the discourse devices associated with high-quality personal narratives. The study examined normative characteristics of 11 high-quality personal narratives of a frightening experience identified (from a larger set of 72 narratives) for their effectiveness in engaging the audience. Lay ratings and an ethnographic interview with seven of the excellent storytellers further characterized the stories and validated their selection. Narratives of both African Americans and Caucasians were represented, and were similar in nature. The excellent narratives were longer, conveyed more fearful topics, and were more dramatic than average narratives. Drama was achieved through direct speech, prosodic shifts, voice changes, inclusion of multiple characters, repetition, and syntactic and semantic parallelism. Illustrative narrative excerpts are provided. This study illustrates the potential in pairing holistic and analytical approaches to narrative analysis.
Cicero: On the Commonwealth and On the Laws

Cicero's On the Commonwealth and On the Laws were his first and most substantial attempts to adapt Greek theories of political life to the circumstances of the Roman Republic. They represent Cicero's understanding of government and remain his most important works of political philosophy. On the Commonwealth survives only in part, and On the Laws was never completed. The new edition of this volume has been revised throughout to take account of recent scholarship, and features a new introduction, a new bibliography, a chronological table and a biographical index. James E. G. Zetzel offers a scholarly reconstruction of the fragments of On the Commonwealth and a masterly translation of both dialogues. The texts are further supported by notes and synopsis, designed to assist students in politics, philosophy, ancient history, law and classics.
Implementation Science and Integration into Healthcare Systems

The healthcare delivery system plays a key role in the successful translation of evidence-based best practices. In the United States, the healthcare delivery system is not only fragmented but it provides highly variable care with inconsistent measurement of outcomes that are resistant to standardization leading to suboptimal performance with large gaps between evidence-based best practices impacting patient health and well-being. Translation of evidence-based best practice into clinical practice is fraught with problems and barriers. While the information necessary to realize the promise of precision medicine may be more complex and voluminous compared to other types of health information, with few exceptions, the barriers to implementation are no different for genetic and genomic interventions. This chapter will introduce the goals and methods of implementation science and the role of the emerging concept of the learning health system in the delivery of precision medicine using the example of implementation of a tumor-based Lynch syndrome screening program in an integrated healthcare delivery system.
Blind recognition of parameters of linear block codes from intercepted bit stream

This paper presents a probabilistic approach for blind recognition of the parameters of unknown error correcting codes and alignment of bitstream by analyzing intercepted bit stream. This approach can be used for standard as well as nonstandard binary linear systematic error correcting codes. It is a challenging task to identify the error correcting schemes used by the sender to extract the message by adversary. This technique is useful for the analysis of intercepted communication signals in noncooperative context. The proposed method works for linear block codes even at large bit error rate. Our method has been validated through simulation on MATLAB.
Precipitation, Climate Change, and Parasitism of Prairie Dogs by Fleas that Transmit Plague.

Abstract Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are hematophagous ectoparasites that can reduce the fitness of vertebrate hosts. Laboratory populations of fleas decline under dry conditions, implying that populations of fleas will also decline when precipitation is scarce under natural conditions. If precipitation and hence vegetative production are reduced, however, then herbivorous hosts might suffer declines in body condition and have weakened defenses against fleas, so that fleas will increase in abundance. We tested these competing hypotheses using information from 23 yr of research on 3 species of colonial prairie dogs in the western United States: Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni, 1989–1994), Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens, 1996–2005), and white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus, 2006–2012). For all 3 species, flea-counts per individual varied inversely with the number of days in the prior growing season with >10 mm of precipitation, an index of the number of precipitation events that might...
Geomorphology of the Chippewa River delta of Glacial Lake Saginaw, central Lower Michigan, USA

Abstract We introduce, characterize, and interpret the geomorphic history of a relict, Pleistocene-aged delta of the Chippewa River in central Lower Michigan. The broad, sandy Chippewa delta developed into various stages of Glacial Lake Saginaw, between ca. ≈ 17 and 15 ka·BP (calibrated ages). Although the delta was first identified in 1955 on a statewide glacial geology map, neither its extent nor its Pleistocene history had been previously determined. The delta is typically forested, owing to its wet, sandy soils, which stand out against the agricultural fields of the surrounding, loamy lake plain sediments. The delta heads near the city of Mt Pleasant and extends eastward onto the Saginaw Lowlands, i.e., the plain of Glacial Lake Saginaw. Data from 3285 water well logs, 180 hand augered sites, and 185 points randomly located in a GIS on two-storied (sand over loam) soils were used to determine the extent, textural properties, and thickness of the delta. The delta is ≈ 18 km wide and ≈ 38 km long and is sandy throughout. Deltaic sediments from neighboring rivers that also drained into Glacial Lake Saginaw merge with the lower Chippewa delta, obscuring its boundary there. The delta is thickest near the delta's head and in the center, but thins to 1–2 m or less on its eastern margins. Mean thicknesses are 2.3–2.9 m, suggestive of a thin sediment body, frequently impacted by the waves and fluctuating waters of the lakes. Although beach ridges are only weakly expressed across the delta because of the sandy sediment, the coarsest parts of the delta are generally coincident with some of these inferred former shorezones and have a broad, incised channel that formed while lake levels were low. The thick upper delta generally lies above the relict shorelines of Glacial Lakes Saginaw and Arkona (≈ 17.1 to ≈ 16 ka·BP), whereas most of the thin, distal delta is associated with Glacial Lake Warren (≈ 15 ka·BP). Together, these data suggest that the Chippewa delta formed and prograded as lake levels in the Saginaw Lowlands alternated and episodically fell. The result is a delta that is comparatively thin, expansive, and sandy. In some places, these sands have subsequently been reworked into fields of small parabolic dunes.
Effect of Sweetened Dried Cranberry Consumption on Urinary Proteome and Fecal Microbiome in Healthy Human Subjects.

Abstract The relationship among diet, human health, and disease is an area of growing interest in biomarker research. Previous studies suggest that the consumption of cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) could beneficially influence urinary and digestive health. The present study sought to determine if daily consumption of sweetened dried cranberries (SDC) changes the urinary proteome and fecal microbiome, as determined in a prospective sample of 10 healthy individuals. Baseline urine and fecal samples were collected from the subjects in the fasted (8–12 h) state. The subjects then consumed one serving (42 g) of SDC daily with lunch for 2 weeks. Urine and fecal samples were collected again the day after 2 weeks of SDC consumption. Orbitrap Q-Exactive mass spectrometry of urinary proteins showed that consumption of SDC resulted in changes to 22 urinary proteins. Multiplex sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA genes in fecal samples indicated changes in relative abundance of several bacterial taxonomic units after...
Glottic configuration in wind instrument players

Summary Introduction Knowledge of occupational voice disorders has gained increased importance as more individuals rely on their voices for their work. Wind instrument players are a specific group of individuals that present intensive use of the vocal tract associated with blowing their instrument. Interestingly, only a small number of reports focus on the laryngeal function of such professionals. Aim The current study evaluated the laryngeal and vocal tract movement of wind instrument players. Materials and Methods Ten adult wind instrument players were studied with flexible videolaryngoscopy while playing their instrument, in order to observe the movements of the glottis, the vocal tract and the base of the tongue. Results In all the participants it was observed that musical tones were played with adducted vocal folds and that the greater the technical difficulty reported by the player, the more it was associated with increased lateral tension in the larynx, as well as constriction in the vocal tract. Conclusions The larynx controls the airflow that will reach the mouthpiece of the instrument, directly interfering in blowing. Therefore, wind instrument players should also be considered professional voice users.
A Guide to Tax Reform in the 115th Congress

America needs tax reform. Correctly structured tax reform can make a large contribution to restoring prosperity, increasing job creation, and higher wages. It can make the tax system fairer and less burdensome. Both congressional leaders and President Trump have identified tax reform as a priority, and there is clear public support for major tax reform. Tax reform, however, is a complicated issue that encompasses a wide variety of sub-issues with which Congress will need to contend and properly resolve if tax reform legislation is to achieve its proponents’ objectives. This paper examines the principles of sound tax reform, its economic effects and discusses the many design issues that Congress and the administration will have to address.
How Is It Okay to Be a Black Nerd

Flowers offers an insightful look at the figure of the black nerd in American popular culture and its relation to black masculinity. Focusing on four characters across multiple television and cinematic genres, the chapter discusses how the image of the black nerd serves to reinforce dominant images of black masculinity in popular culture. Flowers also explores the implications of the narrow range of representations of the black nerd for understanding the construction of black masculinity in African-American culture. “How Is It Okay to Be a Black Nerd?” concludes with a discussion of the lack of female representations of the black nerd in American popular culture, and its implications for the black community.
The mulkey corporation: A case study in information architecture

This chapter explores Mulkey Corporation project that used many critical and valuable inputs for the website redesign: These include: business objectives, user objectives, competitive audit, prioritized and approved requirements, website survey, web metrics, heuristic evaluations, and usability testing. All these inputs allowed having sound validation for the information architecture recommendations, and most of the recommendations could be backed up by research. The information architecture documentation was used by the graphical designer, content specialist, and technical architect.
Measuring Cardiovascular Health Over the Life Course: A Lesson From Economics.

Economists and other social scientists have a long‐standing interest in measuring intergenerational mobility, or the degree to which children's economic opportunities hinge on the economic status of their parents. The traditional approach is the intergenerational income elasticity coefficient (
Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands

Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter) is a common clinical problem, with most goiters being of nodular pattern type. Radionuclide or ultrasound imaging of the thyroid are sufficiently accurate to eliminate the need for surgical exploration in most cases. Since the mid-1970s, fine needle aspiration (FNA) has become a highly cost-effective diagnostic test for thyroid nodules.1 Solitary nonfunctioning “cold” nodules raise a high suspicion of cancer.
Cold Wind from the East

The Americans wanted to keep the wartime bases and negotiated an agreement for a ten-year continuance. Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes wanted to prevent Pan American Airways and its subsidiary Panair do Brasil from getting sway over the air fields that they had been so instrumental in establishing. Gomes especially long harbored a dislike of PAA and Panair. Even before the war ended in Europe, opposition to the Vargas government included resistance to continued foreign troops on Brazilian soil. Washington seemed to want both a strong bilateral relationship with Brazil and a multilateral relationship with all of Latin America. This contradiction resulted from a deep divide in the American government between the State Department, which favored multilateralism, and the War Department that was more, if not completely, inclined toward a bilateral relationship with Brazil. As a result, the messages the Brazilians received from Americans were often confusing.
Tort Law and Communitarianism: Where Rights Meet Responsibilities

In this article, Dean Ackerman suggests how communitarian principles could be utilized within basic tort doctrines. He begins by providing a brief overview of communitarianism, paying great attention to Professor Amitai Etzioni's four-point agenda on rights and responsibilities. Next, Dean Ackerman considers what effects communitarian thought could have on tort law. Dean Ackerman proposes that communitarianism could be used not only to expand tort duties, but also to limit remedies for injuries. He also addresses possible conficts that arise when these two principles compete. In conclusion, the article suggests how communitarianism might improve the processes used to resolve tort claims.
Does habitat disturbance promote geographical parthenogenesis in whiptail lizards

Sexual and asexual organisms often vary in their distribution and abundances among habitats. These patterns of “geographical parthenogenesis” can shed light on ecological conditions underlying the evolution of sex. Habitat disturbance is hypothesized to be a mechanism that generates geographical parthenogenesis. Parthenogens are predicted to be more prevalent in disturbed habitats than sexuals due to the greater colonizing ability of parthenogens and the tendency of parthenogens to avoid competition with sexuals in undisturbed habitat. We tested whether habitat disturbance (i.e., a rapid state transition between vegetation communities) causes geographical parthenogenesis in whiptail lizards in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. Non-experimental approaches have shown the parthenogenetic Aspidoscelis uniparens commonly occurs in habitat with a history of vegetation disturbance from shrub removal, whereas the sexual A. marmorata occurs more often in undisturbed shrubland habitat. We used a field experiment replicated across 16 sites to test whether the parthenogen A. uniparens and sexual A. marmorata differ in their response to vegetation disturbance from shrub removal. The sites were distributed across a broad region of southern New Mexico, and we used a paired design with each site including a shrub-removal treatment and a control on 9-ha plots. Using a co-abundance model that accounts for imperfect detection, we found the parthenogen A. uniparens and sexual A. marmorata both responded positively to disturbance, but only when the congener was rare. Our results are inconsistent with the idea that parthenogens exploit disturbed habitat to avoid competition with sexuals. In our study system, A. uniparens often dominates older disturbed sites, especially two decades or more after shrub removal. Collectively, these results indicate geographical parthenogenesis emerges from biotic interactions in heterogeneous landscapes that include disturbed habitats used by sexual and asexual species alike.
Pion-Nucleus Interactions and Photoproduction

In the photoproduction process the interaction of the meson with the residual nucleus plays a significant role. The basic process consists of the photon coupling to the electromagnetic currents of the constituent nucleons, the nucleons are thereby moved to act as meson radiators. The distribution of the nucleons in the nucleus and the associated currents are ascertained by using electron scattering and nuclear spectra information to provide nuclear wave functions.
Sputtered indium tin oxide as a recombination layer formed on the tunnel oxide/poly-Si passivating contact enabling the potential of efficient monolithic perovskite/Si tandem solar cells

Abstract We focus on utilizing sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) as a recombination layer, having low junction damage to an n-type silicon solar cell with a front-side tunnel oxide passivating electron contact, thereby enabling the development of a high efficiency monolithic perovskite/Si tandem device. High transparency and low resistivity ITO films are deposited via low power DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature onto a front-side thin SiOx/n+ poly-Si contact in a complete Cz n-Si cell with a back-side Al2O3/SiNx passivating boron-diffused p+-emitter on a random pyramid textured surface. We report the cell characteristics before and after ITO sputtering, and we find a cure at 250 °C in air is highly effective at mitigating any sputtering induced damage. Our ITO coated sample resulted in an implied open-circuit voltage (iVoc) of 684.7 ± 11.3 mV with the total saturation current density of 49.2 ± 14.8 fA/cm2, an implied fill factor (iFF) of 81.9 ± 0.8%, and a contact resistivity in the range of 60 mΩ-cm2 to 90 mΩ-cm2. After formation of a local Ag contact to the rear emitter and sputtered ITO film as the front-side contact without grid fingers, the pseudo-efficiency of 20.2 ± 0.5% was obtained with the Voc of 670.4 ± 7 mV and pseudo FF of 77.3 ± 1.3% under simulated one sun with the calculated short-circuit current density of 30.9 mA/cm2 from the measured external quantum efficiency. Our modelling result shows that efficiency exceeding 25% under one sun is practically achievable in perovskite/Si tandem configuration using the ITO recombination layer connecting a perovskite top cell and a poly-Si bottom cell.
The Promise of Local or Regional ICC Trial Chambers: Incorporating the Benefits of the Hybrid Tribunals into the ICC

This article explores whether the ICC could and should establish a local or regional trial chamber that would be based away from the ICC’s seat and capable of carrying out trials related to a particular situation or group of geographically-related situations. These local or regional chambers would be semi-permanent facilities located in the same region, or perhaps even the same country, where the alleged crimes took place. They would be a formal part of the International Criminal Court; be created in conformity with the Rome Statute; and conduct trials pursuant to the ICC’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence. First, a local or regional trial chamber would be a better solution than having trials take place in the Hague. A local or regional ICC trial chamber would simplify the problem of attendance at the trials. Witnesses, victims and interested members of the public could all attend the trials more easily if they were located closer to the scene of the crimes. There would also be enhanced opportunities for public outreach with local communities and local NGOs and greater legacy opportunities. A local or regional ICC chamber could also avoid many of the start-up costs associated with new courts. In addition, a local or regional chamber would probably have fewer legitimacy issues than a court sitting in The Hague. Second, the Rome Statute permits the ICC to establish local or regional trial chambers. The ordinary meaning of Article 62 of the Rome Statute permits the ICC to move the place of the trial to a location away from The Hague. There is nothing within the other provisions of the Rome Statute or its negotiating history that would prohibit the court from deciding to hold all or most of the trials arising out of a particular situation away from the seat of the court if that would be in the interests of justice. Moreover, Article 4(1) and the implied powers doctrine provide the ICC with the authority to enter into the agreements that would be a necessary to establish a local or regional trial chamber. In short, the ICC has both the incentive and the authority to create a local or regional trial chamber.
Tumors in the cauda equina: A SEER analysis of tumor types and predictors of outcome.

Caudaequinatumors are histologically diverse. International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O3) confers dedicated site code (C72. 1) for cauda equina. This code is excluded during analyses of other primary spinal cord tumors. In this retrospective study, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data for primary cauda equina tumors (PCET, C72. 1) excluding the tumors of spinal meninges (C70. 1) from 1992 to 2015 were reviewed. Demographic characteristics, tumor types, and clinical outcomes were analyzed using univariable analysis. Overall survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods and compared for age, histology and treatment type. 293 patients with PCET met inclusion criteria. The most common tumors comprised schwannoma (32%), myxopapillary ependymoma (21%), malignant ependymoma (22%). The median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range < 1 year to 98 years), 57% of patients were males. 77% of the patients underwent surgery. Median follow up time for these patients was 70 months. Of the 293 patients, 250 (85%) were living at the end of 2015. The cause of death was tumor or CNS related in 15 patients. 136 patients were followed for <5 years, of which 102 were censored and 34 died (11.6%) before 5 years. Using univariable analysis, age at diagnosis (Hazard Ratio, HR 1.05; confidence interval, CI 1.03-1.07; p < 0.001), malignant tumor type (HR 2.88, CI 1.15-7.19, p = 0.0239) and absence of surgical intervention (HR 2.54, CI1.26-5.11, p = 0.0092) were predictors of increased mortality. Although most patients did well, older age and lack of surgical intervention were associated with worse survival.
Reminiscing and Reflecting on Nancy Chodorow’s The Reproduction of Mothering

For the phallocentric psychoanalytic field in 1978, there were important advances due to the acuity of Nancy Chodorow’s pioneering observation that a mother’s procreative life plays a significant role in a daughter’s “reproduction of mothering”. Chodorow challenged the Freudian status quo of the Oedipus Complex. In a prescient way for her own career shift from sociology to psychoanalysis, Chodorow appreciated the psychic processes involved in internalization of parental objects. In this chapter, Balsam turns to Chodorow’s insights from her 2003 “Too Late” paper to reflect on The Reproduction of Mothering and the intellectual journey of Chodorow. This chapter shows the rare acuity of Chodorow’s ability to re-think complex theories and enrich them through her synthesis of social theory and clinical practice.
Impeaching Legal Ethics

In the investigations, hearings, and aftermath of President Trump’s first impeachment, lawyer-commentators invoked the rules of professional conduct to criticize the government lawyers involved. To a large extent, these commentators mischaracterized or misapplied the rules. Although these commentators often presented themselves to the public as neutral experts, they were engaged in political advocacy, using the rules, as private litigators often do, as a strategic weapon against an adversary in the court of public opinion. For example, commentators on the left wrongly conveyed that, under the rules, government lawyers had a responsibility to the public to voluntarily assist in the impeachment, rather than recognizing that the rules rightly called on the government lawyers in question to serve the public good by preserving the president’s confidences while promoting lawful conduct. In misinforming the public about the nature of the law governing lawyers, these commentators made it more difficult to hold lawyers accountable in the future and undermined public confidence in the credibility of the profession. The law regulating lawyers’ professional conduct, popularly known as “legal ethics,” is a critical aspect of the rule of law. In order to hold lawyers accountable to the public, however, legal ethics needs to be treated as a serious branch of law, not misconceived as an infinitely malleable set of soft principles. After examining how the rules were manipulated, the illegitimacy of doing so, and the resulting harms, this Article considers what role lawyers, and the legal profession more generally, should play, especially in politically charged moments. It draws on theoretical debates about the role of the profession to argue that the legal profession can play an important role in preserving democracy. To ensure that it continues to do so, however, lawyer-commentators, who represent the profession as a whole, have a responsibility to explain the law and professional conduct rules to the public in a fair and neutral way.
16886 Moyamoya-Like Vasculopathies Observed In a Novel Mouse Surgical Model

ABSTRACT IMPACT: Development of our animal model of moyamoya will provide a meaningful assessment of therapeutic efficacy of interventions applicable to the clinical setting. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Moyamoya is a cerebrovascular condition with progressive stenosis of the internal carotid arteries (ICA) and formation of abnormal vascular collaterals at the base of the brain, all of which result in ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. We aim to develop a needed animal model of this condition in order to develop new therapeutics. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Male and female C57Bl/6J mice (4 months old) underwent surgery for the unilateral placement of a microcoil (0.16 mm ID) onto the proximal ICA or sham control. After 30 and 60 days (N = 6-8/time point), the brain blood vessels were examined for changes in diameter, number of anastomoses, and development of new collaterals using DiI stain. Brain tissue was examined for micro-hemorrhages using Prussian blue stain, and cross-sections of blood vessels were examined for intimal thickening using H&E and smooth muscle actin. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is associated with angiogenesis and moyamoya syndrome, was quantified by qPCR. Blood samples were also analyzed for inflammatory biomarkers using ELISA. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Within 30 days, the distal ICA and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) had significantly decreased diameters at the Circle of Willis, with an initial decrease in the number of cortical anastomoses. Histology demonstrated smaller lumen diameter and alterations to in the various layers of the blood vessels, indicating intimal thickening and stenosis of the affected blood vessels. There was also a significant increase in the number of intracranial micro-bleeds, suggesting a compromised vascular integrity. This may be due, in part, to a significant upregulation in VEGF gene expression within the striatum, a region of hemorrhagic occurrence in moyamoya patients. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: We report the development of an animal model with vasculopathies that mimic those observed in patients with moyamoya syndrome. With further characterization, this animal model will have a positive impact as a meaningful assessment of therapeutic efficacy of interventions applicable to the clinical setting.
Ice Ages: Their Social and Natural History

What causes Ice Ages? How did we learn about them? What were their affects on the social history of humanity? Allan Mazur's book tells the appealing history of the scientific 'discovery' of Ice Ages. How we learned that much of the Earth was repeatedly covered by huge ice sheets, why that occurred, and how the waning of the last Ice Age paved the way for agrarian civilization and, ultimately, our present social structures. The book discusses implications for the current 'controversies' over anthropogenic climate change, public understanding of science, and (lack of) 'trust in experts'. In parallel to the history and science of Ice Ages, sociologist Mazur highlights why this is especially relevant right now for humanity. Ice Ages: Their Social and Natural History is an engrossing combination of natural science and social history: glaciology and sociology writ large.
Prefrontal corticotropin-releasing factor neurons impair sustained attention via distal transmitter release.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports cognitive processes critical for goal-directed behavior. Although the PFC contains a high density of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons, their role in cognition has been largely unexplored. We recently demonstrated that CRF neurons in the caudal dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) of rats act to impair working memory via activation of local CRF receptors. However, there is heterogeneity in the neural mechanisms that support the diversity of PFC-dependent cognitive processes. Currently, the degree to which PFC CRF neurons impact other forms of PFC-dependent cognition is unknown. To address this issue, the current studies examined the effects of chemogenetic manipulations of PFC CRF neurons on sustained attention in male rats. Similar to working memory, activation of caudal dmPFC CRF neurons impaired, while inhibition of these neurons or global CRF receptor antagonism improved, sustained attention. However, unlike working memory, the sustained attention impairing effect of PFC CRF neurons was not dependent on local CRF receptors. Moreover, CRF infusion into the caudal dmPFC or other medial PFC subregions had no effect on task performance. Together, these observations demonstrate that while caudal dmPFC CRF neurons impair both working memory and sustained attention, these actions involve distinct neural circuits (local CRF release for working memory and extra-PFC release for sustained attention). Nonetheless, the procognitive actions of systemically administered CRF antagonists across both tasks are similar to those seen with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-related treatments. Thus, CRF antagonists may have potential for use in the treatment of PFC cognitive dysfunction.
Pragmatic Experience with Risk-based versus Universal Hepatitis C Screening in Pregnancy: Detection of Infection and Postpartum Linkage to Care

Objective Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommending universal hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in pregnancy Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) continue to endorse risk-based screening for HCV in pregnancy. We hypothesized that universal screening is associated with increased HCV diagnosis and postpartum linkage to HCV care compared with risk-based screening. Study design This retrospective cohort study included pregnant women screened for HCV at a single tertiary-care center. We defined two cohorts: women managed with risk-based (January 2014-October 2016) or universal HCV screening (November 2016-December 2018). Screening was performed with ELISA antibody testing and viremia confirmed with HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Primary outcomes were the rate of HCV screen positivity and postpartum linkage to care. Results From 2014 to 2018, 16,489 women delivered at our institution, of whom 166 screened positive for HCV. A total of 7,039 pregnant women were screened for HCV: 266 with risk-based and 6,773 with universal screening; 29% (76/266) were positive HCV antibody screening (HCVAb + ) in the risk-based cohort and 1.3% (90/6,773) in the universal cohort. HCVAb+ women in the risk-based cohort were more likely to have a positive drug screen. Only 69% (62/90) of HCVAb+ women in the universal cohort met the criteria for risk-based testing. Of the remaining 28 women, 6 (21%) had active viremia (HCV RNA+). Of the 166 HCVAb+ women, 64% (103/166) were HCV RNA+-51 of 266 (19%) in the risk-based and 52 of 6,773 (0.8%) in the universal cohort. Of HCVAb+ women, 75% (125/166) were referred postpartum for HCV evaluation and 27% (34/125) were linked to care. Only 9% (10/103) of women with viremia initiated treatment within 1 year of delivery. Conclusion Universal HCV screening in pregnancy identified an additional 31% of HCVAb+ women compared with risk-based screening. Given low rates of HCV follow-up and treatment regardless of screening modality, further studies are needed to address barriers to postpartum linkage to care. Key points · Ideal screening for HCV in pregnancy is unknown.. · We explore screening strategies in pregnancy to linkage to HCV care.. · Regardless of screening strategy there is low rates of postpartum linkage to HCV care..
COVID-19 eviction moratoriums and eviction filings: evidence from New Orleans

Securing stable housing to prevent the spread of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic remains a concern among policymakers in the US. In this article, we provide a descriptive analysis of the ass...
National Trends in College Mental Health

Many college campuses are currently confronting the challenges of needing to increase mental health services to meet increased demand, and also of attending to students with higher acuity needs. The most extreme manifestations of students’ mental health problems may result in sentinel events—campus mass shootings, suicide clusters, and sexual assaults, to name a few—that may also be publicized in the media. There may also be lawsuits from parents examining culpability, as well as student complaints about inadequate or lacking mental health resources for students. College campuses have been responding by critically assessing their mental health services and, in extreme cases, completely overhauling them. In searching for best practices and consensus guidelines for student mental health care, they find this to be historically difficult, as the variation in campuses is vast, and includes private colleges, large publicly funded state colleges, community colleges, and trade/specialty schools. Even when comparing similar campuses—for example, similarly sized small liberal arts colleges—one may find that one campus does not provide any psychiatric services at all and refers students to resources in the community, whereas another campus may provide quite extensive mental health care, including psychiatric care, on campus. In a sense, each campus runs its own somewhat enclosed health-care system funded by the university and student fees, and there is immense variation in their approaches. This has made it difficult for campuses to understand the best approaches to providing student mental health care, especially in the setting of increasing need. In this chapter, we review the national trends in college mental health care. We examine the increased demand for services and potential reasons for this; the current epidemiology of student mental health problems; the systemic challenges in recruitment, retainment, and funding psychiatric services; the needs of specific populations of students; and strategies for improving access and services for students. We will also give specific examples from universities that have adopted these strategies.
Validation of field assessment stroke triage for emergency destination for prehospital use in a rural EMS system.

Abstract Background Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination (FAST-ED) is a simple and accurate prehospital stroke severity scale that has been shown to have comparable accuracy to the gold standard National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) but requires further field validation for use by emergency medical services (EMS), particularly in rural systems. FAST-ED scores ≥4 are considered high probability for large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes, while scores Methods EMS calculated FAST-ED scores prior to transport to the emergency department (ED) on patients with a positive prehospital stroke screen. EDMD calculated FAST-ED scores for the same patients upon arrival to the ED. Interrater reliability and test characteristics were calculated. Results A total of 95 patients were included in this study and 14 were subsequently diagnosed with an LVO. EMS assigned 34 patients (35.8%) a FAST-ED score of ≥4. EDMD assigned 25 patients (26.3%) a FAST-ED score of ≥4. Using the clinical cut-points of FAST-ED scores Conclusions EMS and EDMD FAST-ED scores were moderately comparable in a rural EMS system. Similar NPVs compared to EDMD suggest the use of FAST-ED as an appropriate screening tool for EMS to predict the probability of LVO in the prehospital setting and make destination determinations regarding primary transport to a thrombectomy-capable stroke center.
Photoregulation of PRMT-1 Using a Photolabile Non-Canonical Amino Acid.

Protein methyltransferases are vital to the epigenetic modification of gene expression. Thus, obtaining a better understanding of and control over the regulation of these crucial proteins has significant implications for the study and treatment of numerous diseases. One ideal mechanism of protein regulation is the specific installation of a photolabile-protecting group through the use of photocaged non-canonical amino acids. Consequently, PRMT1 was caged at a key tyrosine residue with a nitrobenzyl-protected Schultz amino acid to modulate protein function. Subsequent irradiation with UV light removes the caging group and restores normal methyltransferase activity, facilitating the spatial and temporal control of PRMT1 activity. Ultimately, this caged PRMT1 affords the ability to better understand the protein’s mechanism of action and potentially regulate the epigenetic impacts of this vital protein.
Sepsis 2021: a review

Abstract Sepsis is responsible for tremendous morbidity, mortality and health-care expenditure worldwide. Over the past decade, the conceptualization of sepsis has shifted from one based upon an inflammatory response to one defined by a dysregulated immune response to infection and resulting organ dysfunction. The definitions of sepsis and septic shock were revised to improve their diagnostic specificity and facilitate accurate and timely diagnoses at the bedside. The core of sepsis management remains early identification and diagnostic testing, early antimicrobial therapy, and early haemodynamic resuscitation. Current guidelines recommend that the first steps in treatment and resuscitation should take place within 1 hour from when sepsis is suspected. Additional essential elements in the current sepsis management guidelines include using dynamic parameters to assess fluid responsiveness, a conservative fluid strategy following initial resuscitation (with ‘de-resuscitation’ when possible), serial re-assessments of haemodynamic status and adaptable treatment plans. This article provides a summary of the most recent clinical evidence and professional guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in the critical care setting.
GNATHOSTOMATA-Jawed Fishes Chondrichthyes-Cartilaginous Fishes

This chapter discusses various features of jawed fishes. The bull shark is a gray, heavy-bodied shark with a short, broadly rounded snout, large and broad pectoral fins, and small eyes. The extremely short snout is much shorter than the width of the mouth. The first dorsal fin is large and triangular. The second dorsal is usually about a third of the height of the first dorsal. There are often trematode parasites or scars between the dorsal fins. Upper teeth are broadly triangular and serrated. It normally feeds on bony fishes and other sharks. Bull sharks are viviparous, producing 1–13 pups per litter, usually in estuaries. Pups are between 56 and 81 cm at birth. Adults reach 3.4 m. Reproduction in the fresh waters of Lake Nicaragua is not common. Adult and neonatal bull sharks are broadly euryhaline, ranging from the hyperuremic condition of ocean-dwelling sharks to the hypouremic levels of sharks from fresh waters. They do not appear to do well in hypersaline waters.
Performance of On-Line Index Construction Algorithms

In this paper, we study the performance of several on-line index construction algorithms that have recently been proposed. These algorithms each permit an index to be built while the corresponding data is concurrently accessed and updated. We use a detailed simulation model of a centralized DBMS to quantify the performance impact of various factors, including the amount of update activity, resource contention, background load, and the size of a record compared to the size of an index entry. The performance comparison makes use of two new metrics, one of which is a “loss” metric that reflects the amount of on-line work lost due to interference with the index construction activity. In our analysis, we find that there is an important trade-off between the time required to build the index and the throughput achieved by update transactions during the index construction period. An important conclusion of our study is that certain on-line algorithms perform very well in all but extremely resource-bound situations.
Phrase Structure Grammar, Head‐Driven

Head-driven phrase structure grammar is a monostratal theory of natural language grammar, based on richly specified lexical descriptions which combine according to a small set of abstract combinatory principles stated as formulae in a constraint logic regulating, for the most part, the satisfaction of valence and other properties of syntactic heads. These constraints, applying locally, determine the flow of information, encoded as feature specifications, through arbitrarily complex syntactic representations, and capture all syntactic dependencies – both local and non-local – in elegant and compact form requiring no derivational apparatus. Keywords: syntactic form; propostional structure; hierarchy; syntactic dependancies; anaphora
The International Adoption Cliff: Do Child Human Rights Matter?

This revised speech characterizes the dramatic decline in international adoption since 2004 as a major child human rights tragedy, deliberately created by governmental and NGO policy-makers. It contrasts U.S. human rights policy imposing sanctions for the violation of adult human rights, to U.S. failure to act in the face of child human rights violations. It calls for a change in U.S. policy that would: (1) Hold countries accountable for the human rights violations inherent in their shutdowns of international adoption and their institutionalization of children; and (2) Stop enabling UNICEF, through our funding, to eliminate international adoption as an option for children.
Electronic spin and valence states of Fe in CaIrO3-type silicate post-perovskite in the Earth's lowermost mantle

The electronic spin and valence states of Fe in post-perovskite ((Mg{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 0.25})SiO{sub 3}) have been investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Moessbauer and X-ray emission spectroscopy at 142 GPa and 300 K. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that our sample was dominated by CaIrO{sub 3}-type post-perovskite. Combined Moessbauer and X-ray emission results show that Fe in post-perovskite is predominantly Fe{sup 2+} (70%) in the intermediate-spin state with extremely high quadrupole splitting of 3.77(25) mm/s. The remaining 30% Fe can be assigned to two sites. Compared with recent studies, our results indicate that the intermediate-spin Fe{sup 2+} is stabilized in CaIrO{sub 3}-type post-perovskite over a wide range of Fe content, whereas the low-spin Fe{sup 3+} is more dominant in the 2 x 1 kinked post-perovskite structure. The characterization of these structural and compositional effects on the spin and valence states of Fe in post-perovskite can help in understanding the geochemical and geophysical behavior of the core-mantle region.
CD36, the Macrophage Class B Scavenger Receptor: Regulation and Role in Atherosclerosis

Publisher Summary Research in vitro and in murine models of atherosclerosis supports the hypothesis that CD36 is a major receptor for pro-atherogenic lipids. However, the specific role that CD36 plays in the development of the human atheroma remains to be determined. In support of a role for CD36 in human vascular disease, lipid-laden macrophages in human atherosclerotic lesions exhibit strong immunoreactivity to CD36, but a low or moderate level of immunoreactivity to the type A scavenger receptor. This high level of expression of CD36 in lipidladen macrophages may reflect increased expression in response to OxLDL-derived PPAR-y ligands, which, in turn, activate CD36 gene transcription. Thus, CD36 and PPAR-y are both potential targets for therapeutic intervention to block macrophage foam cell development during atherosclerosis.
Adding feedforward blade pitch control to standard feedback controllers for load mitigation in wind turbines

Combined feedback/feedforward blade pitch control is compared to industry standard feedback control when simulated in realistic turbulent winds. The feedforward controllers are designed to reduce fatigue loads, increasing turbine lifetime and therefore reducing the cost of energy. Two feedforward designs are studied: collective-pitch model-inverse feedforward using a non-causal series expansion and individual-pitch gain-scheduled shaped compensator. The input to the feedforward controller is a measurement of incoming wind speed, which could potentially be provided by LIDAR. Three of the designs reduce structural loading compared to standard feedback control, without reducing power production.