cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perinatal outcome in normal pregnant women with incidental thrombocytopenia at delivery

Abstract Objective To investigate the perinatal outcomes of women who suffered from thrombocytopenia at delivery but did not have other diseases during pregnancy. Materials and Methods We considered all singleton deliveries after 24 weeks of gestation at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan between 2001 and 2010. Women were excluded from this study if they suffered from any of the following conditions: chronic hypertension, hepatitis, acute fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, nephropathy, overt diabetes mellitus, connective tissue disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, or immune thrombocytopenia. Pregnancies complicated by gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or fetal anomalies during gestation were also excluded. A total of 18,384 deliveries were included for analysis. Women were divided into three groups according to platelet count at admission. Results A total of 787 pregnancies (4.3%) were complicated by thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenic women had a significantly higher rate of cesarean delivery compared to women who did not have this condition. No other differences were observed among these three groups regarding the rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions The results indicate that women who suffered from incidental thrombocytopenia at delivery but did not have other diseases during pregnancy were not at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Timing of allogeneic stem cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes and aplastic anemia

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a potentially curative procedure, but is associated with a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. With the recent approval of disease-modifying agents, the appropriate timing of allogeneic HSCT needs to be addressed. Similarly, the optimal use of these disease-modifying agents before HSCT needs to be determined. In severe aplastic anemia, HSCT is a proven cure, but HLA-matched sibling donors are found in fewer than 25% of newly diagnosed patients. The use of early unrelated donor HSCT is an evolving concept that will become more accepted as improvements in HSCT outcomes continue.
Influence of Heterocoagulation on the Formation of Hydrotalcite in Mixed Suspensions of Magnesium Hydroxide and Aluminum Hydroxycarbonate

Abstract The formation of hydrotalcite in mixed suspensions of magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxycarbonate was found to be influenced by factors affecting heterocoagulation of the separate particles. A model of the system employing large particles of magnesium hydroxide exposed to an aluminum hydroxycarbonate suspension demonstrated rapid hydrotalcite formation when pH conditions were adjusted to prohibit heterocoagulation. Scanning electron micrographs of the particles indicated that nucleation and growth of the mixed crystal was occurring directly on the magnesium hydroxide surface. The appearance of hydrotalcite was delayed in mixed suspensions wherein heterocoagulation resulted in an occlusive coating of aluminum hydroxycarbonate on the magnesium hydroxide. Formation of hydrotalcite occurred sooner in systems having higher initial pH values presumably due to earlier exposure of magnesium hydroxide surfaces resulting from more rapid aging of the aluminum hydroxycarbonate coating. Mixed suspensions of magnesium hydroxide and other aluminum-containing hydroxides, wherein an occlusive coating did not form on the magnesium hydroxide particles, demonstrated rapid hydrotalcite formation.
A human class II MHC-derived peptide antagonizes phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase to block IL-2 signaling.

MHC molecules bind antigenic peptides and present them to T cells. There is a growing body of evidence that MHC molecules also serve other functions. We and others have described synthetic peptides derived from regions of MHC molecules that inhibit T-cell proliferation or cytotoxicity in an allele-nonspecific manner that is independent of interaction with the T-cell receptor. In this report, we describe the mechanism of action of a synthetic MHC class II‐derived peptide that blocks T-cell activation induced by IL-2. Both this peptide, corresponding to residues 65‐79 of DQA*03011 (DQ 65-79), and rapamycin inhibit p70 S6 kinase activity, but only DQ 65-79 blocks Akt kinase activity, placing the effects of DQ 65-79 upstream of mTOR, a PI kinase family member. DQ 65-79, but not rapamycin, inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity in vitro. The peptide is taken up by cells, as demonstrated by confocal microscopy. These findings indicate that DQ 65-79 acts as an antagonist with PI 3-kinase, repressing downstream signaling events and inhibiting proliferation. Understanding the mechanism of action of immunomodulatory peptides may provide new insights into T-cell activation and allow the development of novel immunosuppressive agents. J. Clin. Invest. 105:1447‐1453 (2000).
Microbial Survey of a Full-Scale, Biologically Active Filter for Treatment of Drinking Water

The microbial community of a full-scale, biologically active drinking water filter was surveyed using molecular techniques. Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, Sphingomonadales, and Rhizobiales dominated the clone libraries. The results elucidate the microbial ecology of biological filters and demonstrate that biological treatment of drinking water should be considered a viable alternative to physicochemical methods.
Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide from Pasteurella multocida genome strain Pm70 and identification of the putative lipopolysaccharide glycosyltransferases

Pasteurella multocida is an important multispecies veterinary pathogen. The cell surface lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important virulence factor and forms the basis of the serotyping scheme, although little structural information about it is known. The structure of the LPS from the Pasteurella multocida genome strain Pm70 was elucidated in this study. The LPS was subjected to a variety of degradative procedures. The structures of the purified products were established by monosaccharide and methylation analyses, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The structure of the core oligosaccharide was determined on the basis of the combined data from these experiments. Identification of the core oligosaccharide structure enabled a search for glycosyltransferase homologs in the Pm70 genome and revealed a clustering of the genes putatively responsible for outer core oligosaccharide biosynthesis.
A naturalistic study of the effects of pharmacotherapy on substance use disorders among ADHD adults.

BackgroundStudies of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show an elevated prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) and the substance abuse literature shows that ADHD is elevated in substance users. Some researchers postulate that stimulant treatment of ADHD increases the risk for SUD in ADHD patients but follow-up studies suggest treatment protects patients from subsequent SUDs. This report uses retrospective data to assess the impact of prior ADHD pharmacotherapy on SUDs in 206 ADHD adults (n=79 late-onset ADHD, n=127 full ADHD) grouped by lifetime history of ADHD treatment (no treatment, past treatment, current and past treatment).MethodStructured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) data were used to establish abuse and dependence, and Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) responses were used to establish prevalence of use, preference for cigarettes, alcohol and drugs of abuse, complications from use, and motivation for use (get high, change mood, sleep better).ResultsNo differences were found in the prevalence of cigarette smoking, alcohol or drug abuse or dependence, as well as no significant differences in 1-month prevalence of any use or use more than 20 times. No differences were found in complications of drug or alcohol use across groups. Subjects with current treatment rated getting high as a motivating factor significantly more frequently than subjects in the past treatment group; this result lost significance when we included ADHD diagnostic category.ConclusionsOur results are consistent across substances and ADHD diagnoses, and support the hypothesis that pharmacotherapy does not cause subsequent SUDs.
Alternative theories of sharecropping: Some tests using evidence from northeast India

The recent debate concerning the efficiency of sharecropping contracts yields a number of testable hypotheses, four of which can be examined in the light of some primary data for a group of sharecroppers in northeast Bihar. The salient feature of the empirical analysis is the comparison of the resource allocation patterns on owned and rented land cultivated by the same farmer, which provides a more powerful test of inefficiency than those advocated previously. Broadly speaking, the findings support the ‘Marshallian’ position that such contracts do involve inefficiency—in the Bihar context, at least.
An Evaluation of Floor Surfaces

Three floor surfaces (concrete, a San-EZE-7/8″ thick resilient rubber mat, and a Traction Mat-3/8″ rubber mat with raised knob design) were evaluated based on foot dimensions, lower leg and foot temperature and body comfort. Nine college students (2 females) stood for one hour on each of the floor types performing two types of visual inspection: inspecting pennies for a particular year, and inspecting pennies for several years at a time. There was a significant difference in body comfort between floor surfaces. Both mats were better than concrete (although not always statistically significantly so). The Traction mat was better for upper, mid and lower back comfort; the San-EZE mat was better for lower leg, ankle, hindfoot and forefoot. The temperature of the calf and instep was significantly higher for both mats than for concrete.
The Cross-Sectional Dispersion of Stock Returns, Alpha, and the Information Ratio

Both the cross-sectional dispersion of U.S. stock returns and the VIX provide forecasts of alpha dispersion across high-performing and low-performing portfolios of stocks that are statistically and economically significant. These findings suggest that absolute return investors can use cross-sectional dispersion and time-series volatility as signals to improve the tactical timing of their alpha-focused strategies. Because active risk increases by a greater amount than alpha, however, high-return-dispersion/high-VIX periods are followed by slightly lower information ratio dispersion. Therefore, relative return investors who keep score in an information ratio framework are unlikely to find return dispersion useful as a signal regarding when to increase or decrease the activeness of their portfolio strategies.
An Outbreak and Source Investigation of Enterococcal Spondylitis in Broilers Caused by Enterococcus cecorum

Enterococcus cecorum was isolated from spondylitis lesions in broilers from two flocks in North Carolina that were experiencing increased mortality. Affected birds showed paresis and paralysis, clinical signs characteristic of enterococcal spondylitis (ES). Affected birds rested on their hocks and caudal abdomens with legs extended forward and were unable to stand or walk. Necropsy examination of affected birds revealed firm to hard inflammatory masses involving the vertebral bodies at the level of the free thoracic vertebra that bulged dorsally and compressed the spinal cord. When opened, lesions contained pale, tan to yellow caseonecrotic material. Microscopically, necrosis and fibrinoheterophilic spondylitis with intralesional gram-positive bacteria were seen. Heavy growth of E. cecorum recovered from vertebral lesions confirmed the diagnosis of ES. To investigate possible sources of the organism for one of the flocks bacterial cultures were made from the environment, water lines, mice trapped on the farm, cecal/cloacal swabs from one of the parent broiler breeder flocks, egg residue, hatching eggs, and the hatchery environment. Except for cecal/cloacal swabs from the breeders, E. cecorum was not isolated from any of these samples. When compared phenotypically and genotypically, cecal/cloacal isolates of E. cecorum from the breeders differed from isolates from spondylitis lesions in the broilers. The source of E. cecorum for the broiler flocks was not determined, but vertical transmission appears unlikely.
Least squares approximation of perfect reconstruction filter banks

Designing good causal filters for perfect reconstruction (PR) filter banks is a challenging task due to the unusual nature of the design constraints. We present a new least squares (LS) design methodology for approximating PRFBs that avoids most of these difficult constraints. The designer first selects a set of subband analysis filters from an almost unrestricted class of rational filters. Then, given some desired reconstruction delay, this design procedure produces the causal and rational synthesis filters that result in the best least squares approximation to a PRFB. This technique is built on a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system model for filter banks derived from the filter bank polyphase representation. Using this model, we frame the LS approximation problem for PRFBs as a causal LS equalization problem for MIMO systems. We derive the causal LS solution to this design problem and present an algorithm for computing this solution. The resulting algorithm includes a MIMO spectral factorization that accounts for most of the complexity and computational cost for this design technique. Finally, we consider some design examples and evaluate their performance.
A Yeast TATA-Binding Protein Mutant That Selectively Enhances Gene Expression from Weak RNA Polymerase II Promoters

We describe a unique gain-of-function mutant of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) subunit of Saccharomyces cerevisiae TFIID that, at least in part, renders transcriptional transactivators dispensable for efficient mRNA expression. The yTBPN69S mutant enhances transcription from weaker yeast promoter elements by up to 50-fold yet does not significantly increase gene expression directed by highly active promoters. Therefore, this TBP mutant and transcriptional transactivators appear to affect a common rate-limiting step in transcription initiation. Consistent with the hypothesis that this step is TFIID recruitment, tethering of TBP to a target promoter via a heterologous DNA binding domain, which is known to bypass the need for transcriptional transactivators, also nullifies the enhancing effect exerted by the N69S mutation. These data provide genetic support for the hypothesis that TFIID recruitment represents a rate-limiting step in the initiation of mRNA transcription that is specifically enhanced by transcriptional transactivators.
Cereals, legumes, and chronic disease risk reduction: evidence from epidemiologic studies

There is growing evidence that cereals and legumes play important roles in the prevention of chronic diseases. Early epidemiologic studies of these associations focused on intake of dietary fiber rather than intake of grains or legumes. Generally, these studies indicated an inverse association between dietary fiber intake and risk of coronary artery disease; this observation has been replicated in recent cohort studies. Studies that focused on grain or cereal intake are fewer in number; these tend to support an inverse association between intake of whole grains and coronary artery disease. Studies on the association of dietary fiber with colon and other cancers have generally shown inverse relations, but whether these relations are attributable to cereals, other fiber sources, or other factors is less clear. Although legumes have been shown to lower blood cholesterol concentrations, epidemiologic studies are few and inconclusive regarding the association of legumes with risk of coronary artery disease. It has been hypothesized that legumes, in particular soybeans, reduce the risk of some cancers, but epidemiologic studies are equivocal in this regard. Overall, there is substantial epidemiologic evidence that dietary fiber and whole grains are associated with decreased risk of coronary artery disease and some cancers, whereas the role of legumes in these diseases appears promising but as yet inconclusive.
A randomized controlled exercise training trial on insulin sensitivity in African American men: The ARTIIS study: Major category: study design, statistical design, study protocols.

Background Lack of regular physical activity at prescribed intensity levels is a modifiable risk factor for insulin resistance and the development of diabetes. African American men are at increased risk for developing diabetes and most African American men are not meeting the current recommended levels of physical activity. The primary objective of the Aerobic Plus Resistance Training and Insulin Resistance in African American Men (ARTIIS) study is to determine the effectiveness of an exercise training intervention aimed at reducing diabetes risk factors in African American men at risk for developing diabetes.
Ab initio approach to calculating activation energies as functions of electrode potential: Trial application to four-electron reduction of oxygen

Abstract A self-consistent ab initio approach to calculating Arrhenius activation energies for electron transfer reactions outside the Helmholtz plane and their dependences on electrode potential is introduced. The methodology is applied to the four steps of oxygen reduction to water in acidic aqueous electrolyte.
Proton-triggered switch based on a molecular transistor with edge-on gate

The manipulation of charge transport through single molecules so that electronic information can be controlled is a basic challenge that is important for both fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and the potential applications in single-molecule technologies. This paper reports the influence of protonation on the gating effect in a series of molecular wires utilizing a pyridinoparacyclophane (PPC) moiety as the edge-on gate. It was found that the molecular conductance, transition voltage, and the corresponding tunnelling barriers can be reversibly switched by the protonation/deprotonation process of the nitrogen atom on the PPC pyridine ring. It was found that protonation levels off the tunnelling barrier of different molecules and converts p-type molecular wires into n-type, reversibly.
Dynamics of CDKN1A in Single Cells Defined by an Endogenous Fluorescent Tagging Toolkit

Observing the endogenous abundance, localization, and dynamics of proteins in mammalian cells is crucial to understanding their function and behavior. Currently, there is no systematic approach for the fluorescent tagging of endogenous loci. Here, we used Cas9-catalyzed DNA breaks, short homology arms, and a family of donor plasmids to establish endogenous Fluorescent tagging (eFlut): a low-cost and efficient approach to generating endogenous proteins with fluorescent labels. We validated this protocol on multiple proteins in several cell lines and species and applied our tools to study the cell-cycle inhibitor CDKN1A in single cells. We uncover heterogeneity in the timing and rate of CDKN1A induction post-DNA damage and show that this variability is post-transcriptionally regulated, depends on cell-cycle position, and has long-term consequences for cellular proliferation. The tools developed in this study should support widespread study of the dynamics and localization of diverse proteins in mammalian cells.
Welfare Reform, Living Arrangements, and Economic Well-Being: A Synthesis of Literature

A primary objective of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) is reducing single mothers' dependence on the welfare system. This objective is sought not only through increased work, but also through changes in household structure — particularly encouraging healthy marriages and the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Indeed, moving from a one-parent to a two-parent family may have positive implications for the economic well-being of families with children.This literature review focuses on the relationships between welfare reform, household structure, economic well-being, and resource sharing. In particular, we address two questions:Have changes in welfare policies in the 1990s affected household structure? What are the effects of household structure on economic well-being and intra-household resource sharing? Studies examining these research questions have used qualitative and quantitative (both nonexperimental and experimental) methods. The qualitative studies reviewed are based on in-depth interviews with relatively few respondents; the nonexperimental quantitative studies are, for the most part, carried out with large-scale nationally representative data sets; and the experimental quantitative studies use both state administrative and welfare client survey data, and are based on random assignment designs. The effects of welfare reform on living arrangements have been examined using nonexperimental quantitative and experimental quantitative methods, while studies of the effects of living arrangements on economic well-being and resource sharing have used qualitative and nonexperimental quantitative methods.
Advanced Imaging Algorithms for Radiation Imaging Systems

The intent of the proposed work, in collaboration with University of Michigan, is to develop the algorithms that will bring the analysis from qualitative images to quantitative attributes of objects containing SNM. The first step to achieving this is to develop an indepth understanding of the intrinsic errors associated with the deconvolution and MLEM algorithms. A significant new effort will be undertaken to relate the image data to a posited three-dimensional model of geometric primitives that can be adjusted to get the best fit. In this way, parameters of the model such as sizes, shapes, and masses can be extracted for both radioactive and non-radioactive materials. This model-based algorithm will need the integrated response of a hypothesized configuration of material to be calculated many times. As such, both the MLEM and the model-based algorithm require significant increases in calculation speed in order to converge to solutions in practical amounts of time.
Photocatalytic property of La~(3+) doped BiVO_4 photocatalyst by citric acid sol-gel method

La3+ doped BiVO4 photocatalyst was synthesized by complexing sol-gel method using citric acid as chelate and characterized with XPS,XRD,SEM,BET and UV-Vis DRS.It revealed that pure BiVO4 and all the La3+ doped samples were monoclinic phases and no peaks of any other phases or impurities were detected.It also found that doping La3+ increased the amount of V4+,oxygen vacancies,the visible-light absorption and the absorbing boundary appear red shift,but little influence on morphology and the specific surface area.The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange(MO) solution under halogen lamp as visible light.Doping La3+ improved the photocatalytic activity and the highest photocatalytic degradation rate reached to be 96% when the La3+doped amount was 0.02%,which was more 58% or so than that of BiVO4 in 50min.
Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: Treatment with Xenogeneic Immune Ribonucleic Acid and Appropriate Surgical Resection

AbstractHerein we describe the first clinical treatment of renal cell carcinoma in humans with xenogeneic immune ribonucleic acid. Twelve patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma have been treated by appropriate operations to remove tumor bulk followed by specific passive immunotherapy. Xenogeneic specific immune ribonucleic acid was prepared from the spleen of normal sheep that had received 4 weekly injections of a homogenate of renal cell carcinoma.Results indicate that 1) xenogeneic specific immune ribonucleic acid can safely be given to humans without local or systemic toxicity, 2) there is a suggestion of clinical benefit, since only 2 patients have had progression of known metastases during treatment with immune ribonucleic acid and 3) xenogeneic immune ribonucleic acid can enhance the immune response to renal cell carcinoma, as demonstrated by in vitro lymphocytotoxicity tests.
Worse than Faithless: Plenitude and the Loss of Knowledge in The Giaour

Byron’s 1813–14 Eastern Tales are the most purely imaginative of his works. Despite their possible connections to the events of Byron’s life in the East, their exotic settings, highly colored plots and dramatic tone are both their impetus and their hallmark.1 In fact, precisely because the Tales are so firmly imaginative, it is surprising to discover that they, like the more sober Childe Harold I and II, are vehicles for Byron’s philosophical investigations. In both form and content, the Eastern Tales continue to move Byron’s epistemological inquiry forward, pushing Harold I and II’s suspicions about knowledge in both clearer and more fruitful directions. The first of the Tales, The Giaour, undertakes this investigation immediately and fully. Whereas Harold I and II voices uncertainty about any conceptualization that presents knowledge as stable and reliable, The Giaour begins to dismiss such conceptualizations altogether.
Mitochondrial SK Channels Attenuate Ca-Dependent Arrhythmia in Hypertrophic Hearts by Regulating Mito-ROS-Dependent Oxidation and Activity of RyR

Rationale: Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels are implicated in ventricular arrhythmias in the context of heart failure and myocardial infarct. In addition to their plasmalemmal localization, SK channels were recently discovered in mitochondria inner membrane (mSK). Activation of these channels is protective against ischemia-reperfusion injury by reducing intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We hypothesized that mSK may also play an important role in regulating mitochondrial function in cardiac disease as well.Objective: We investigated the role of mSK channels in Ca2+-dependent ventricular arrhythmia using a rat model of hypertrophy induced by banding of the ascending aorta (TAB).Methods and Results: Dual Ca2+ and membrane potential optical mapping of whole hearts from TAB rats revealed that membrane-permeable SK activator improved aberrant Ca2+ homeostasis and abolished VT/VF induced by b-adrenergic stimulation. Using whole cell patch-clamp and confocal Ca2+ imaging we found that membrane-permeable SK enhancers attenuated frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ waves and delayed afterdepolarizations in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, mSK inhibition enhanced; and activation reduced mitochondrial ROS production in TAB myocytes measured with MitoSOX. Monobromobimane assay demonstrated that increased oxidation of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in TAB cells was reversed by SK enhancers. Experiments in permeabilized TAB myocytes showed that SK enhancers restored SR Ca2+ content, suggestive of substantial improvement in RyR function.Conclusions: These data suggest that enhancement of mSK channels in hypertrophic rat hearts protects from Ca2+-dependent arrhythmia. This protection is mediated via decreased mitochondrial ROS and subsequent decreased oxidation of reactive cysteines in RyR, which ultimately leads to stabilization of RyR-mediated Ca2+ release.
Manipulations of the TNF-Receptor Affinity and Oligomerization Characterized by Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1 (TNFR1) and Death Receptor 5 (DR5) are members of the TNF receptor superfamily that are activated by binding to their ligands, TNFα and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) respectively. The TNFα-TNFR1 signaling pathway culminates with NF-κB activation and inflammatory response. The TRAIL-DR5 signaling pathway culminates in apoptosis. Recently, we have shown that TRAIL-induced apoptosis is initiated through the formation of large and highly structured networks held together by receptor dimers. In our current work, we use fluorescence lifetime measurements to study TNFR1. As an initial control to validate our approach, we monitored receptor-receptor binding affinity as a function of temperature and detergent concentration. Here, we have extended these initial studies to include investigation of the role of cholesterol and cytochalasin B. We have recently shown that cholesterol depletion in cells does not inhibit the formation of DR5 networks but, interestingly, does fail to initiate apoptosis. Others have shown that disruption of actin cytoskeleton by cytochalasin B in death receptor CD95, another member of the TNF receptor superfamily, induces and enhances apoptosis. Our lifetime measurements are used to investigate any potential connection between these cell-level observations and the biophysics of TNF-Receptor oligomerization.
Fundamentals of Light Sources

A broad selection of light sources is available for the biophotonics UV, visible, or infrared regions. These sources include arc lamps, light emitting diodes, laser diodes, superluminescent diodes, and various types of gas, solid-state, and optical fiber lasers. This chapter first defines terminology used in radiometry, which deals with the measurement of optical radiation. Understanding this terminology is important when determining and specifying the degrees of interaction of light with tissue. Next the characteristics of optical sources for biophotonics are described. This includes the spectrum over which the source emits, the emitted power levels as a function of wavelength, the optical power per unit solid angle emitted in a given direction, the light polarization, and the coherence properties of the emission. In addition, depending on the operating principles of the light source, it can emit light in either a continuous mode or a pulsed mode.
Foundations of Marx’s Thought

Karl Marx (1818–1883) was born into a solid middle-class family and grew up in the city of Trier (Tre ves in French) in the Rhineland area of Germany. His father was a middle-rung government bureaucrat. At the age of 25, in 1843, Marx married Jenny von Westphalen. They remained a devoted couple throughout their lives, with a family of five children, one of whom died at an early age. The family had to endure a rather harsh life because Marx, after completing his formal education, immediately embarked upon a career of revolutionary writing that left him with no stable source of income and led government officials to consider him as a persona non grata. At times the Marx family was assisted financially by Frederick Engels (1820–1895), whose father was a well-off industrialist. Marx had met Engels for the first time in 1844. Engels, who became Marx’s lifelong collaborator, was distinguished for his own intellectual writings.
Co-states initialization of minimum-time low-thrust trajectories using shape-based methods

This paper presents an approach for co-state initialization which is a crucial step in solving minimum-time low-thrust trajectory optimization problems using indirect optimal control numerical methods. Indirect methods used in determining the optimal space trajectories result in two-point boundary value problems which are typically solved by single- or multiple-shooting methods. Accurate initialization of the so-called co-state variables is necessary to achieve numerical convergence of iterative boundary value problem solvers. In this paper, we propose a method which exploits the trajectory generated by a shape-based method to estimate the initial values of the co-states. The performance of the algorithm is compared against two other approaches which respectively exploit random initialization of the co-states and a genetic algorithm. It is shown that by using the proposed approach, numerical convergence is improved especially for trajectories with higher number of revolutions.
Relationship of traffic fatality rates to maximum state speed limits

ABSTRACTObjectives: The objective of this study was to examine the safety effects of increases in U.S. state maximum speed limits during the period 1993–2013.Methods: Poisson regression was used to model state-by-state annual traffic fatality rates per mile of travel as a function of time, the unemployment rate, the percentage of the driving age population that was younger than 25, per capita alcohol consumption, and the maximum posted speed limit on any road in the state. Separate analyses were conducted for all roads, interstates and freeways, and all other roads.Results: A 5 mph increase in the maximum state speed limit was associated with an 8% increase in fatality rates on interstates and freeways and a 4% increase on other roads. In total, there were an estimated 33,000 more traffic fatalities during the years 1995–2013 than would have been expected if maximum speed limits had not increased. In 2013 alone, there were approximately 1,900 additional deaths—500 on interstates/freeways and 1,400 on othe...
MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC Uniform Rules of the Road: Require Motor Vehicle Operators to Take Certain Precautions When Passing Stationary Authorized Emergency, Towing, Recovery, and Highway Maintenance Vehicles

The Act protects various authorized vehicles stationed on the side of the road by requiring the operators of passing vehicles to slow down or to change lanes. The Act provides a penalty for failure to take these safety precautions.
Propellant Management Devices for Low-Gravity Fluid Management: Past, Present, and Future Applications

This paper presents a comprehensive background and historical review of propellant management devices used throughout space flight history. The purpose of a propellant management device is to separ...
H. Boyd Woodruff (1917-2017).

The quietly brilliant industrial microbiologist H. Boyd Woodruff, whose work underpinned two Nobel Prizes, died at home in Watchung, NJ, on 19 January. He was 99. We lost a dear friend and mentor, and the world lost one of its last living links to the dawn of antibiotic discovery. Boyd played a major role in the expansion of the pharmaceutical industry from relying primarily on chemistry to also embracing microbial natural products.
A potential role of pemetrexed (PMTX) for the treatment (Tx) of thymidylate synthase (TS) negative primary brain tumors and systemic malignancies with CNS metastasis.

e13519Background: Fluoropyrimidne analogue Capecitabine, a TS inhibitor, can cross blood brain barrier and has been used for the Tx of breast cancer with brain metastasis (mets). An antifolate Meth...
Application of a Discrete Choice Experiment to Assess Adherence-Related Motivation Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer.

Objective To develop and pilot test a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess the specific factors likely to motivate a given adolescent or young adult with cancer to adhere to medications included in treatment protocols. Methods A multimethod and iterative approach was used. Twenty adolescents and young adults with cancer participated in DCE pilot testing and refinement. Hierarchical Bayes was used to estimate attribute and attribute-level preference scores for each participant. Results The final DCE included nine choice sets composed of four attributes. The resulting DCE was modified with feedback from 20 adolescents and young adults (M[SD] age = 18.66 [2.95]) with cancer. The DCE was understandable and relevant. The factors likely to motivate adolescents and young adults with cancer to be adherent differed across individuals. Conclusions DCEs including the measure developed in this manuscript offer a novel approach to understanding individual-level differences critical for informing adherence-promotion efforts.
Does Change in Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody (AChR-Ab) Level Predict or Correlate with Clinical Change in Myasthenia Gravis (MG)? (S45.006)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if and how well AChR-Ab levels reflect change in clinical severity and thus might be useful as a biomarker of disease in clinical trials or to monitor treatment in the clinic, we reviewed the experience with these antibodies in a prospective treatment trial and in a large MG Clinic. BACKGROUND: AChR-Ab levels are frequently used as a biomarker in clinical trials of MG, and to monitor the response to treatment in the clinic. DESIGN/METHODS: We reviewed outcome data from all 85 patients in the Duke MG Registry who had at least two AChR-Ab determinations performed at the same laboratory and data from the Muscle Study Group prospective trial of mycophenolate mofetil(MMF). Antibody levels were measured at the same commercial laboratory. RESULTS: Change in AChR-Ab levels at 12 weeks in the MMF trial correlated only weakly with change in outcome measures such as Quantitative MG and MG-Composite scores. In the Duke MG patients, antibody levels fell in 88% of those who improved by clinical assessment and in 56% of those who were clinically unchanged or worse. Combining results from the two cohorts, a fall in AChR-Ab level had a sensitivity of 92% but specificity of only 37% for clinical improvement, a positive predictive value for clinical improvement of 83% and a negative predictive value of 59%. CONCLUSIONS: Although AChR-Ab levels fell in most MG patients who improved after treatment, they also fell in the majority of those who did not improve. Based on these results, we do not recommend the use of commercially-available AChR-Ab levels as a biomarker for following the clinical status of patients with MG in the clinic, nor in clinical trials. However, lack of antibody fall may indicate inadequate immunotherapy. Disclosure: Dr. Sanders has received personal compensation for activities with Athena Diagnostics, Accordant Health Services, Jacobus Pharmaceuticals, CytoKinetics, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc., Alexion, and UCB Pharma. Dr. Burns has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Section Editor for the Neurology podcast. Dr. Cutter has received personal compensation for activities with Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cleveland Clinic, Daichi-Sankyo, GlaxoSmithKline Inc., Genmab Biopharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Medivation, and Modigenetech. Dr. Cutter has received compensation for serving as the president of Pythagoras, INC. Dr. Cutter has received research support from various pharmaceutical corporations. Dr. Massey has received personal compensation for activities with Allergan, Inc. Dr. Massey has received research support from GlaxoSmithKline, Inc., Cytokinetics, Allergan, Inc., Merz Pharma, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Juel has received research support from Jacobus Pharmaceuticals and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Hobson-Webb has received research support from Genzyme Corporation. Dr. Muscle Study Group has nothing to disclose.
The Benefits of Antipsychotic Drugs: Symptom Control and Improved Quality of Life

Antipsychotic medications have been in use for more than 60 years, and the evidence shows that they have helped millions of people who suffer from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions in symptom control and quality of life improvement, and helped them to live relatively normal lives in the community. Although it is undeniable that these medications can cause significant, sometimes life-threatening side effects, which are reviewed in details in other chapters of this book, it is also unequivocal that antipsychotic medications have significant benefits for many psychiatric patients.
Abstract WP4: Conscious Sedation With Dexmedetomidine For Acute Stroke Patients Undergoing Intrarterial Therapy.

Background: The aim of this pilot study was to prospectively determine safety and feasibility of Conscious sedation (CS) with dexmedetomidine in stroke patients undergoing intra-arterial therapy (IAT). Methods: This industry sponsored prospective single arm study was conducted with institutional IRB approval. The following data points were collected: demographics, pre-procedure NIHSS, mean time to treatment, treatment modalities, sedation and procedure times and the use of adjunctive sedation medications. Outcome measures included intraprocedural pain scores and Richmond agitation sedation scale (RASS), recanalization score, intraprocedural complications, conversion to GA, modified Rankin scale at 30 days as well as a personal account of the patients experience during the procedure. Results: Fifty- one patients were enrolled in this study of which 41 patients underwent acute stroke therapy and were included in this analysis. Baseline characteristics are included in table 1. Site of occlusion was the MCA in 27 patients, ICA-terminus in 10 patients and BA in 4 patients. IAT was performed using the MERCI device in 30 patients, Penumbra device in 3, manual aspiration in 5, and angioplasty and stenting in 3 patients. Adjunctive IA tPA was administered in 6 patients. All patients tolerated treatment under CS. The mean procedural RASS was 0 and the mean pain score was 1. Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia (TICI) 2B/3 recanalization was achieved in 32 patients (78%). Two intra-procedural wire perforations (5%) were recorded. Ten patients (24%) had a mRs of Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CS in stroke patients who undergo IAT. In our cohort, CS was safe, feasible and well tolerated.
De novo main-chain modeling for EM maps using MAINMAST

An increasing number of protein structures are determined by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) at near atomic resolution. However, tracing the main-chains and building full-atom models from EM maps of ~4–5 A is still not trivial and remains a time-consuming task. Here, we introduce a fully automated de novo structure modeling method, MAINMAST, which builds three-dimensional models of a protein from a near-atomic resolution EM map. The method directly traces the protein’s main-chain and identifies Cα positions as tree-graph structures in the EM map. MAINMAST performs significantly better than existing software in building global protein structure models on data sets of 40 simulated density maps at 5 A resolution and 30 experimentally determined maps at 2.6–4.8 A resolution. In another benchmark of building missing fragments in protein models for EM maps, MAINMAST builds fragments of 11–161 residues long with an average RMSD of 2.68 A. Main-chain tracing remains a time-consuming task for medium resolution cryo-EM maps. Here the authors describe MAINMAST, a computational approach for building main-chain structure models of proteins from EM maps of 4-5 A resolution that builds main-chain models of the protein by tracing local dense points in the density distribution.
The Power of the F-Test in Two-Factor Nested Experiments

A tutorial review of two-factor nested experiments with random factors is presented. Results are given for the power of the F-test in such experiments...
Looking Backward in Time: The Coalescent

It is remarkable that the elegant Watterson formulation for the probability distribution for S n , given implicitly by (9.52), together with the perceptive remark following it, as well as the elegance and simplicity of many of the “age” formulas in Section 9.9, were not immediately seized upon and investigated at greater length immediately after they appeared to determine why formulas of these elegant forms arise. Since these formulas relate to the past history of the population, historical factors must explain them. Similarly, the unequal frequencies that tend to arise even among selectively equivalent alleles, as shown, for example, by (3.83), must be explained by historical factors: The oldest allele in a sample will tend to have a higher frequency than a newly arisen mutant allele. It fell to Kingman (1982a,b,c) to recognize the importance of these historical factors, to see that they are most simply approached by a retrospective analysis of the ancestry of the genes in a sample, to introduce the concept of the coalescent, which provides the framework for this retrospective analysis, and then to lay down the basic mathematical machinery of the coalescent process.
Surgical Risk Assessment and Prevention in Elderly Spinal Deformity Patients.

Introduction:Prevalence of adult deformity surgery in the elderly individuals continues to increase. These patients have additional considerations for the spine surgeon during surgical planning. We...
Property Tax Exemptions for Nonprofit Hospitals: What Are They Worth? Do They Earn Them? Evidence From New York City

This study estimates the property tax expenditure for nonprofit hospitals (NPHs) in New York City using Medicare and IRS data from 2011 through 2013. After comparing the estimates to various definitions of community benefits, it is concluded that NPHs generally earn their property tax break. Evidence is also presented that using book values is a reasonably accurate method for estimating the property tax expenditure nationwide. Finally, econometric analyses reveals that net income is negatively associated with community benefits, suggesting justification for taxing higher net income hospitals and reallocating the funds to similarly sized but lower net income hospitals.
Coronary artery fistula

Background Coronary artery fistula is a rare anomaly of the coronary arteries which results from an abnormal connection between a coronary artery with a cardiac chamber or vessel. Coronary steal phenomenon can lead to functional ischemia of the myocardium. The condition has been described extensively, however, the modalities for diagnosing this condition continue to advance. Methods This review summarizes the approach to managing this uncommon condition. Results We discuss the various surgical options, including the technique involved in treating specific types of fistulas. Conclusion We also review minimally-invasive options and trans-catheter closure along with indications for use of the different modalities.
The functional mechanisms of mutations in myelodysplastic syndrome

Overlapping spectrum of mutated genes affected in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and primary acute myeloid leukemia suggest common pathogenic mechanisms. However, the frequencies of specific mutations are significantly different between them, which implies they might determine specific disease phenotype. For instance, there are overrepresentations of mutations in RNA splicing factors or epigenetic regulators in MDS. We provide an overview of recent advances in our understanding of the biology of MDS and related disorders. Our focus is how mutations of in splicing factors or epigenetic regulators identified in MDS patients demonstrate phenotypes in knockin/knockout mouse models. For instance, mutant Srsf2 mice could alter Srsf2’s normal sequence-specific RNA binding activity. It exhibited changing in the recognition of specific exonic splicing enhancer motifs to drive recurrent missplicing of Ezh2, which reduces Ezh2 expression by promoting nonsense-mediated decay. Consistent with this, SRSF2 mutations are mutually exclusive with EZH2 loss-of-function mutations in MDS patients. We also review how gene editing technology identified unique associations between pathogenic mechanisms and targeted therapy using lenalidomide, including: (i) how haploinsufficiency of the genes located in the commonly deleted region in del(5q) MDS patients promotes MDS; (ii) how lenalidomide causes selective elimination of del(5q) MDS cells; and (iii) why del(5q) MDS patients become resistant to lenalidomide. Thus, this review describes our current understanding of the mechanistic and biological effects of mutations in spliceosome and epigenetic regulators by comparing wild-type normal to mutant function as well as a brief overview of the recent progresses in MDS biology.
Distributed coestimation in heterogeneous sensor networks

We propose a system-theoretical dynamic information fusion framework for heterogeneous sensor networks, where a sensor network with nonidentical node information roles and nonidentical node modalit...