cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Innate immunity and the evolution of resistance to an emerging infectious disease in a wild bird

Innate immunity is expected to play a primary role in conferring resistance to novel infectious diseases, but few studies have attempted to examine its role in the evolution of resistance to emerging pathogens in wild vertebrate populations. Here, we used experimental infections and cDNA microarrays to examine whether changes in the innate and ⁄or acquired immune responses likely accompanied the emergence of resistance in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) in the eastern United States subject to a recent outbreak of conjunctivitis-causing bacterium (Mycoplasma gallisepticum—MG). Three days following experimental infection with MG, we observed differences in the splenic transcriptional responses between house finches from eastern U.S. populations, with a 12year history of MG exposure, versus western U.S. populations, with no history of exposure to MG. In particular, western birds down-regulated gene expression, while eastern finches showed no expression change relative to controls. Studies involving poultry have shown that MG can manipulate host immunity, and our observations suggest that pathogen manipulation occurred only in finches from the western populations, outside the range of MG. Fourteen days after infection, eastern finches, but not western finches, up-regulated genes associated with acquired immunity (cell-mediated immunity) relative to controls. These observations suggest population differences in the temporal course of the response to infection with MG and imply that innate immune processes were targets of selection in response to MG in the eastern U.S. population.
ALCOHOL AND FAMILY VIOLENCE: THE TREATMENT OF ABUSING FAMILIES

All the world seems to know that alcohol abuse and family violence are often found together. Most cultures seem to have an array of jokes about the drunken husband who neglects his children or beats his wife. Yet few research studies have explored this alcohol-family violence association or causation. Maybe we have been afraid to find out.
The Role of RNA Interference in Targeting the Cancer Stem Cell and Clinical Trials for Cancer

Recently, compelling evidence has emerged in support of the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory for solid organ cancers. The CSC theory postulates that CSCs account for tumor initiation, tumor propagation, therapeutic resistance, and relapse following surgery or therapy. CSCs are able to do this through traits including (1) self-renewal, either through symmetric or asymmetric cell division via nonrandom chromosomal cosegregation; (2) the capacity for differentiation, which allows for the recapitulation of all cell types of the original tumor; and (3) tumor initiating capacity, which is the ability to propagate tumors when transplanted into a separate environment. The CSC theory provides better understanding of neoplastic formation and tumor propagation which may lead to novel exciting therapies for advanced cancer. Clear identification CSC-specific surface markers, genes (Nanog, Oct3/4, STAT3), and pathways such as TGF-β, hedgehog, and Wnt-β-catenin are crucial to the development of CSC-targeted treatments. RNAi provides a unique opportunity to silence cancer-causing stem cell genes at the pretranslation level, which is otherwise not possible with conventional therapies such as cytotoxic chemotherapy, small molecule inhibitors, or monoclonal antibodies. Owing to the explosion of knowledge generated by a growing understanding of the human genome and the development of high-throughput gene expression profiling of tissue stem cells, a plethora of genes that contribute to tumor initiation and the metastatic cascade are being discovered. RNAi therapy against multidrug resistance genes and CSC genes may provide exceptional benefit and herald a paradigm shift in the treatment of deadly diseases.
Transcription enhances intrachromosomal homologous recombination in mammalian cells.

Abstract The influence of transcription on homologous intrachromosomal recombination between direct and inverted repeats has been examined by using Chinese hamster ovary cells. Recombination was monitored between two integrated neomycin (neo) genes, including one silent allele and a second allele regulated by the inducible mouse mammary tumor virus promoter. Transcription of mouse mammary tumor virus neo alleles was regulated with the glucocorticoid hormone dexamethasone. Alleles transcribed at high levels recombined about two- to sevenfold more frequently than identical alleles transcribed at low levels. Direct repeats recombined primarily by a gene conversion mechanism; inverted repeats produced a variety of rearranged products. These results are discussed in relation to recombinational processes that regulate gene expression, influence gene family structures, and mediate genomic instability associated with cellular transformation and tumorigenesis.
Abstract TMP6: Peri-procedural Complications of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Stroke in SWIFT Trial

Background: Management of patients with ischemic stroke after endovascular treatment requires knowledge of peri-procedural complications. The SWIFT trial compared two devices (Merci and SOLITAIRE) in a randomized, prospective study. We reviewed peri-procedural complications of endovascular treatment and related clinical and technical factors. Methods: The SWIFT database was searched for major peri-procedural complications defined as: symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 36 hours, symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), air emboli, vessel dissection, major groin complications, and emboli to new vascular territories. Results: Major peri-procedural complications occurred in 18/144 patients (12.5%) at the following rates: sICH (4.9%); SAH (3.5%), air emboli (1.4%), vessel dissection (4.2%), major groin complications (2.8%), and emboli to new vascular territories (0.7%). We did not observe any statistically significant associations of complications with: age ( 65 y 11.6%); type of center (academic 9.3% vs non-academic 13.9%); duration of stroke symptoms ( 6 h), NIH stroke scale score (NIHSS 20,13.9%), iv thrombolytics (no iv tPA 10.5% vs iv tPA15.2%), atrial fibrillation (absent 10.1% vs present 14.7%), site of vessel occlusion (ICA 19.2%; MCA 11.5%); rescue therapy administered after endovascular treatment (no rescue 11.9% vs rescue 14.9%); or device (Merci 14.5%; Solitaire 11.2%). Comparing the Merci to the Solitaire retrieval device, we observed the following peri-procedural events: Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of peri-procedural complications is important for managing stroke patients after endovascular treatment. Fewer endovascular complications were observed after with SOLITAIRE device treatment compared to Merci device treatment, particularly symptomatic cerebral hemorrhage. Device registries will be helpful to gain deeper understanding of rare events.
The Rocha Nicaragua Project: Using Research to Build Relationships in International Service Learning

When class, language, and cultural differences abound between community residents and universities, it is particularly important for service-learning coordinators to take a step back from ‘‘helping’’ and work toward ‘‘understanding’’ through communitybased research. Through an in-depth discussion of the evolution of this project and our successes and failures doing service learning for the past six years in rural Nicaragua, we argue that research is an essential component of any international service–learning partnership not only for much needed assessment purposes but also for its relationship building potential both inside and outside of the host community.
Feeding and Nutrition of Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae). I. Survival of Bugs Fed on Artificial Diets

Artificial diets prepared from juice extracted from green beans were fed to lygus bugs through a Parafilm membrane. No evidence was obtained to indicate that the membrane adversely affected the feeding behavior of the bugs. Adult males survived an average of 46 days when fed on fresh bean juice and 44 days when fed on fresh beans. A diet prepared by lyophilizing fresh beans, followed by pulverization and then recombination of the bean powder with water enabled bugs started as third-instar nymphs to survive an average of 113 clays.
Nonequilibrium Radiation Modeling for a Low Enthalpy Hypersonic Shock Layer

A new technique is presented for inclusion of nonequilibrium electronic excitation and radiative emission in direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) calculations for non-ionized hypersonic flows. This technique follows earlier DSMC implementations involving assignment of quantized energy distributions to each simulated particle, and expands on previous work through physically consistent collisional relaxation routines which dramatically reduce statistical scatter in computed emission coefficients. Procedures are outlined for the use of experimentally derived rate coefficients to model collision-induced transitions between individual electronic energy states, and an extension of this work for state-to-state DSMC modeling of vibrational energy is proposed. A Mach 10 flow of reacting oxygen is used as a demonstration case, and additional simulations are performed to evaluate sensitivities to freestream Mach number, electronic collision numbers and various approximations employed for electronic energy exchange. It is shown that oxygen species emission is extremely sensitive to Mach number under conditions of interest, with a change in maximum local emission strength by around four orders of magnitude as the Mach number is varied between 8 and 12.
The Impact of Deep Sternal Wound Infection on Mortality and Resource Utilization: A Population-based Study.

Recent national infection control efforts have been directed at reducing postsurgical infection rates, related morbidity, and cost. We sought to evaluate population-level rates of deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) after cardiac surgery, associated mortality, and resource use compared to patients undergoing cardiac surgery without postoperative DSWI relative to historical trends. We analyzed the MarketScan ® Commercial Claims Databases from 2009 to 2013 to identify adult patients who developed DSWI after open cardiac surgery. Patients with and without DSWI were compared. The outcomes of interest included 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year in-hospital mortality. Utilization outcomes, including total hospital days and inpatient costs, were calculated in the time period from the index cardiac surgery through 90 days after DSWI diagnosis. In this cohort, 176,537 patients underwent one or more cardiac surgery procedures. DSWI occurred in 2835 (1.6 %) patients. One-year mortality for patients with DSWI was 10.7 versus 2.5 % (P < 0.001) in patients without DSWI. Mean hospital days in patients with DSWI were 33 versus 9 days for patients without DSWI (P < 0.001). Mean cost for patients with DSWI was greater than 2.5 times that of patients without DSWI ($211,478 vs $82,089, P < 0.001). Treatment of DSWI results in substantial morbidity, mortality, and excess cost for treating facilities. The rates of DSWI have not decreased dramatically over the last 10–20 years. Thus, more attention needs to be focused toward understanding treatment variation that exists in patients diagnosed with DSWI.
Description of the oxygen concentration delivered using different combinations of oxygen reservoir volumes and supplemental oxygen flow rates with the Ohmeda Universal Portable Anesthesia Complete draw-over vaporizer system.

The Ohmeda Universal Portable Anesthesia Complete system is used in austere conditions where oxygen resources are limited and must be conserved. The purpose of this study was to describe the concentration of oxygen delivered with different combinations of seven oxygen reservoir volumes and four oxygen flow rates. The Medical Education Technologies Incorporated Human Patient Simulator reproduced human physiological tidal volumes of four simulated patients of different weights based upon a typical soldier's weight. Using least squares multiple nonlinear regression, a formula for the curves of the oxygen concentrations was developed. The analysis, across the different patient weights, showed no appreciable increase in oxygen concentration beyond a reservoir volume of 260 mL. Our findings suggest the current standard universal portable anesthesia complete reservoir may not provide optimal oxygen delivery, therefore, we recommend the current reservoir volume he increased from 130 to 260 mL.
Molecular Genetics of Pediatric Soft Tissue Tumors: Clinical Application

The application of molecular genetics to pediatric soft tissue tumors has grown tremendously over the last decade. It has resulted in the identification of novel genes that have provided us with an increased understanding of oncogenesis. Furthermore, these findings have identified diagnostic and potentially prognostic factors for patient management. Molecular diagnostic techniques, such as reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), have become important tools for evaluating pediatric soft tissue tumors. By detecting characteristic fusion genes, these techniques have greatly increased the diagnostic accuracy of histopathological classification. One of the exciting promises of the development of these molecular techniques is their ability to detect micrometastasis and minimal residual disease. Monitoring of minimal residual disease in pediatric soft tissue tumors by quantitative RT-PCR may provide important prognostic information. Furthermore, the potential development of targeted therapy based on the understanding of the molecular pathology of a specific soft tissue tumor may complement existing treatments and improve disease outcome.
Exploring recursion in Hilbert curves.

This tip will describe the use of a graphical tool to explore the recursive Hilbert curves and will explain some of the mathematical information that can be visualized using this tool. 1. Brief History The sequence of recursive Hilbert curves was discovered by the mathematician David Hilbert about 100 years ago in order to answer the Space Filling Curves Problem. In its simplest version, this problem asks if there exists a continuous function from the unit interval [0, 1] that maps onto the unit square in the plane. The answer is yes and the sequence of Hilbert curves gives a constructive definition of the function. To obtain the function, one must “pass to the limit” as the level N of recursion goes to infinity. Hilbert curves became well known in the computer science community because Nicklaus Wirth used them as a key example of recursion in his fundamental text [2]. 2. Interactive Exploration of Hilbert Curves We have developed an interactive demonstration program that enables a student to explore Hilbert curves through several related visualizations. Students can:
Memoirs: The Structure and Development of Wax Glands of Pseudococcus Maritimus (Homoptera, Coccidae)

The females of Pseudococcus maritimus have three types of multicellular wax-glands, one with a triangular external pore, another opening through a long tube, and a third with a multilocular aperture. The first two are widely distributed on all surfaces of the adult. The third is restricted to the ventral surfaces of the last five segments. This multiloeular type is found only in the adult. The triangular glands are found at all stages and these structures progressively increase in number with each successive instar. The tubular type appears first in the second instar; the number is reduced in the third instar; and in the adult it is again increased to the largest number found at any stage. The three glands are all modifications of one general plan of histological structure. The glandular elements are sub-epidermal cells arranged in a ring of peripheral cells surrounding a single central cell. There are three peripheral cells in the triangular gland and ten in each of the others. The peripheral cells are uninucleate and contain vacuoles of secretory material. The central cell of the tubular and triangular glands has a large and two small nuclei and contains a large reservoir, from which a chitinized duct system leads to the gland-pore. The central cell of the multilocular gland is small and relatively undifferentiated. The author favours the view of Sulc that the wax is probably secreted by the peripheral cells, while the central cell secretes a substance that causes the wax filaments to adhere to form large cylinders. The glands are developed by cell-multiplication from the epidermis at the time when it is freed from the cuticula at the beginning of ecdysis. After the initial period of cell-multiplication the first differentiation is the development of the external pore within the neck-cell. Later in the development of multilocular glands it is believed the glandular cells grow through the neck-cell to establish the functional relationship with the pore. It is suggested that this is analogous to the relationship between tormogen cell and trichogen cell in the development of a spine.
The power of EFL student-researchers: A critical discourse analysis project “Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone”

Learner autonomy has been called for by many researchers in language teaching. Learner independence can be achieved through empowering students (Ss) by training them on ways to learn certain learning strategies rather than just teaching them certain linguistic features. This goal can be attained through implementing the learner-as-researcher approach called for by many researchers due to its potential ability to involve Ss in their learning process. This paper presents the findings of a multifaceted action research project intended to enhance Ss’ critical skills through implementing the Riggenbach Model (1999) to a linguistic micro aspect; learn more about Teacher –Student (T-S) interactions through critically analyzing a number of T-S interactions using Dobbs’ analysis model presented in Celce-Murcia and Olstein (2000), and use critical classroom discourse analysis (CCDA) to provide a macro-analytic explanation of identity and power relations of the Ss by examining student reflections and final products.
Evaluating Ad Hoc Teamwork Performance in Drop-In Player Challenges

Ad hoc teamwork has been introduced as a general challenge for AI and especially multiagent systems [16]. The goal is to enable autonomous agents to band together with previously unknown teammates towards a common goal: collaboration without pre-coordination. A long-term vision for ad hoc teamwork is to enable robots or other autonomous agents to exhibit the sort of flexibility and adaptability on complex tasks that people do, for example when they play games of “pick-up” basketball or soccer. As a testbed for ad hoc teamwork, autonomous robots have played in pick-up soccer games, called “drop-in player challenges”, at the international RoboCup competition. An open question is how best to evaluate ad hoc teamwork performance—how well agents are able to coordinate and collaborate with unknown teammates—of agents with different skill levels and abilities competing in drop-in player challenges. This paper presents new metrics for assessing ad hoc teamwork performance, specifically attempting to isolate an agent’s coordination and teamwork from its skill level, during drop-in player challenges. Additionally, the paper considers how to account for only a relatively small number of pick-up games being played when evaluating drop-in player challenge participants.
Frequency, load, and flux impacts on induction machine copper and core losses in the qd0-frame

This paper presents comprehensive validation tests of a recent qd0-frame core-loss model of three-phase induction machines at different load conditions. The machine is run at different frequencies/speeds and flux levels. These tests reinforce the model at different operating conditions before further model-based analysis and control design. Moreover, to properly use the model, a series of model parameter adaptation tests are applied under different frequencies (while the flux is constant) and different flux levels (while the frequency is constant). The effects of frequency and flux level on the model parameters as well as the copper and core losses are discussed. The simulated/estimated machine copper and core losses in the qd0-frame, which are calculated based on the core-loss model, are compared with the experimental counterparts at different testing conditions. Results show that the proposed core-loss model has excellent accuracy in estimating machine copper and core losses at different frequencies, loads, and flux levels with proper parameter adaptation of the model for each condition.
Leaving level-of-service behind: The implications of a shift to VMT impact metrics

Abstract Concern about climate change has led to policies in California that aim to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation. Although these policies mostly promote technological innovations, some policies aim to reduce GHG emissions by reducing the amount of driving, measured in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), through land use and transportation planning. The focus on VMT reduction represents a dramatic shift for the land use and transportation planning fields, which have traditionally prioritized auto mobility by reducing vehicle delay, measured as level of service (LOS). California has taken the bold step to replace LOS with VMT as the metric of transportation impact in the environmental review process for land use and transportation plans and projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This study compares these two metrics – VMT and LOS – and their implications for a sample of land use projects located in Davis, California. We compare the LOS impacts analyzed in the environmental impact reports for the projects to forecasted VMT impacts that we quantify using several available VMT estimation models. Our analysis of LOS mitigation shows how the CEQA process per se impacts the built environment, often in ways that increase vehicle capacity and thus VMT. We find that a switch to VMT metrics may lead to streamlining for projects that reduce travel demand because of their location or design, whereas LOS metrics have led communities to build expensive, capacity-increasing mitigation measures to ease vehicle delay. Finally, we show that the vehicle capacity constructed to mitigate LOS may contravene the goals and aspirations of many communities in California, as well as the state's goals for GHG reductions, and is unlikely to solve the congestion problem caused by misplaced land use development.
EvidenceNOW: Balancing Primary Care Implementation and Implementation Research

The mission of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is to generate knowledge about how America's health care delivery system can provide high-quality care, and to ensure that health care professionals and systems understand and use this evidence. In 2015 AHRQ invested in the largest primary care research project in its history. EvidenceNOW is a $112 million effort to disseminate and implement patient-centered outcomes research evidence in more than 1,500 primary care practices and to study how quality-improvement support can build the capacity of primary care practices to understand and apply evidence.EvidenceNOW comprises 7 implementation research grants, each funded to provide external quality-improvement support to primary care practices to implement evidence-based cardiovascular care and to conduct rigorous internal evaluations of their work. An independent, external evaluator was funded to conduct an overarching evaluation using harmonized outcome measures and pooled data. The design of EvidenceNOW required resolving tensions between implementation and implementation research goals.EvidenceNOW is poised to develop a blueprint for how stakeholders can invest in strengthening the primary care delivery system and to offer a variety of resources and tools to improve the capacity of primary care to deliver evidence-based care. Federal agencies must maximize the value of research investments to show improvements in the lives and health of Americans and the timeliness of research results. Understanding the process and decisions of a federal agency in designing a large clinical practice transformation initiative may provide researchers, policy makers, and clinicians with insights into future implementation research, as well as improve responsiveness to funding announcements and the implementation of evidence in routine clinical care.
Understanding the politics of personnel selection: An agency perspective

This paper presents a conceptual model describing how managers may use the selection process as an opportunity to engage in self-serving, politically motivated behaviors. Agency theory is used to explain the motivation for managers to use selection decisions to serve their own needs over those of their organizations. When the selection goals of managers and organizations do not align, then managers should be expected to give preference to their own goals by selecting candidates that best serve their goals over their organizations’ goals. Furthermore, organizational politics creates an environment that allows managers to ignore the goals of their organizations and make their own biased selection decisions. Implications of this conceptualization and directions for future research are discussed.
X-Ray and Neutron Diffraction for Probing the Interactions of Small Molecules with Membrane Structures

Publisher Summary A biological membrane contains several potential sites of interaction for organic substances. On a weight-weight basis, this membrane contains a nearly equal amount of protein and lipid. The calcium pump protein, a major protein comprising this system, is transmembrane with a portion of its mass extending into the aqueous domain on one side of the membrane. Thus, this membrane system offers several sites for small molecule interaction: (1) the bulk lipid matrix, (2) a lipid annular domain where the calcium pump protein and lipid bilayer make contact, (3) a hydrophobic region of the protein embedded within the hydrocarbon core of the membrane bilayer, and (4) a hydrophilic region of the protein external to the membrane bilayer. Nuclear magnetic resonance has been used to infer the position of small molecular structures in well-defined model lipid bilayer systems. This chapter describes some recent advances utilizing both X-ray and neutron diffraction for probing the interactions of small molecules including water with model and biological membranes. The theories for neutron and X-ray scattering are similar. The main difference arises from the nature of the interaction of the radiation with matter. Neutrons are scattered by the atomic nucleus whereas X rays are scattered by the electron clouds of atoms. X-Ray and neutron diffraction can be powerful tools for defining the precise interaction of small molecules with model and biological membranes. When combined with other methodologies, these tools can provide valuable information for defining the molecular mechanism of this interaction
Canonical Transfer-function Realization for Schur-Agler-class Functions of the Polydisk

Associated with any Schur-class function S((z)) (i.e., a contractive operator-valued holomorphic function on the unit disk) is the de Branges- Rovnyak kernel Ks((z,C)) = [=([I-S(z))S(C)) * ]/(1–) and the reproducing kernel Hilbert space H(KS) which serves as the canonical functional-model statespace for a coisometric transfer-function realization s((z)) = D+z(A)1B of S. To obtain a canonical functional-model unitary transfer-function realization, it is now well understood that one must work with a certain (2 × 2)- block matrix kernel and associated two-component reproducing kernel Hilbert space. In this paper we indicate how these ideas extend to the multivariable setting where the unit disk is replaced by the unit polydisk in d complex variables. For the case d> 2, one must replace the Schur class by the more restrictive Schur-Agler class (defined in terms of the validity of a certain von Neumann inequality) in order to get a good realization theory paralleling the single-variable case. This work represents one contribution to the recent extension of the state-space method to multivariable settings, an area of research where Israel Gohberg was a prominent and leading practitioner.
Plants for conservation of soil and water in arid ecosystems

Soil and water are the critical resources of the world, and they are especially critical in arid and semi-arid regions. Unfortunately they have been squandered through unwise and foolish use. Accelerated soil erosion has been a problem associated with dry land farming and grazing management in semi-arid areas of the world for as long as agriculture has been practiced. Successful ancient cropping practices were able to cope with the problem of soil erosion and lowered fertility mainly through a system of shifting cultivation (Leonard 1973). However increasing population pressure has resulted in grazing and cultivation, for all practical purposes, of all suitable land. Severe droughts, overgrazing, removal of grasses, trees and shrubs have caused severe losses of both soil and water in many regions of the world.
Cellular Compartmentalization of the Biosynthesis and Function of PGE2 and PGI2 in the Renal Medulla

It is clear from studies conducted in a number of laboratories that the biosynthesis of prostaglandins in the kidney is compartmentalized (Fig. 1). Compartmentalization of synthesis is apparently associated with compartmentalization of function. For example, in the renal tubule there is evidence that prostaglandins are formed by the thin limb of Henle’s loop, at least in the hydronephrotic rabbit kidney,1 by the thick ascending limb,2 and by the cortical and medullary collecting tubules,3–6 and that prostaglandins affect ion or water transport7–9 and/or adenylate cyclase activities10,11 in each of these regions of the tubule. Thus one of the major goals of studies on renal prostaglandin biochemistry has been that of localization—to define which cells form prostaglandins, to determine which of the active prostaglandin derivatives are formed by each of these cells, and, finally, to determine the site and mechanism of action of prostaglandins formed at the different locales. The rationale for this general approach is that by synthesizing the information coming from biochemical studies of this type, it should be possible to explain the function of prostaglandins in the intact kidney.
Long-Acting Reversible Contraception: Assessment of Knowledge and Interest among College Females.

AbstractObjective: To implement the Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Quality Improvement (LARC QI) project using evidence-based contraceptive counseling techniques to improve knowledge and inte...
Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Utilization of Fertility Preservation Services

Abstract Conditioning regimens for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are harmful to reproductive function, but national utilization of fertility preservation (FP) before HCT has not been studied. The primary aim of this descriptive retrospective analysis is to understand FP utilization in the HCT population of patients between ages 18 and 40 years, whereas the secondary aim is to describe temporal trends in FP before HCT. Key dates, procedures codes, and diagnosis codes were extracted from administrative and health services commercial claims data, which were obtained from FAIR Health's national claims database, to construct 29 patient-specific clinical journey timelines detailing the time from diagnosis to FP and to HCT. Patient characteristics studied include sex, age, HCT type (autologous and allogeneic), and census region. Key findings from primary and secondary analyses were that 7% of the HCT cohort had claims for FP services, FP utilization before HCT decreased with increasing age, there were 102 days (median) between FP and HCT procedure date, and 7 of 29 patients who received FP services had a nonmalignant primary indication for HCT. More research is needed to understand the barriers to FP before HCT so that targeted tools can be used to increase utilization and improve quality of life for HCT survivors.
The Role of the Thymus in the Immune Response.

THE THYMUS IS A PRIMARY LYMPHOID ORGAN ESSENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF T LYMPHOCYTES WHICH ORCHESTRATE ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES. T CELL DEVELOPMENT IN THE THYMUS IS SPATIALLY REGUALTED; KEY CHECKPOINTS IN T CELL MATURATION AND SELECTION OCCUR IN CORTICAL AND MEDULLARY REGIONS TO ELIMINATE SELF-REACTIVE T CELLS, ESTABLISH CENTRAL TOLERANCE, AND EXPORT NAIVE T CELLS TO THE PERIPHERY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO RECOGNIZE DIVERSE PATHOGENS. THYMIC OUTPUT IS ALSO TEMPORALLY REGULATED DUE TO AGE-RELATED INVOLUTION OF THE THYMUS ACCOMPANIED BY LOSS OF EPITHELIAL CELLS. IN THIS REVIEW, WE DISCUSS THE STRUCTURAL AND AGE-RELATED CONTROL OF THYMUS FUNCTION IN HUMANS.
Application of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to the Measurement of Strain Concentration of a PVA Dual-Crosslink Hydrogel Under Large Deformation

Hydrogels are a class of soft, highly deformable materials formed by swelling a network of polymer chains in water. With mechanical properties that mimic biological materials, hydrogels are often proposed for load bearing biomedical or other applications in which their deformation and failure properties will be important. To study the failure of such materials a means for the measurement of deformation fields beyond simple uniaxial tension tests is required. As a non-contact, full-field deformation measurement method, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a good candidate for such studies. The application of DIC to hydrogels is studied here with the goal of establishing the accuracy of DIC when applied to hydrogels in the presence of large strains and large strain gradients. Experimental details such as how to form a durable speckle pattern on a material that is 90% water are discussed. DIC is used to measure the strain field in tension loaded samples containing a central hole, a circular edge notch and a sharp crack. Using a nonlinear, large deformation constitutive model, these experiments are modeled using the finite element method (FEM). Excellent agreement between FEM and DIC results for all three geometries shows that the DIC measurements are accurate up to strains of over 10, even in the presence of very high strain gradients near a crack tip. The method is then applied to verify a theoretical prediction that the deformation field in a cracked sample under relaxation loading, i.e. constant applied boundary displacement, is stationary in time even as the stress relaxes by a factor of three.
Activation of SiC Surfaces for Vapor Phase Lubrication by Chemical Vapor Deposition of Fe

Vapor phase lubrication (VPL) has been proposed as a method for lubrication of high temperature engines. During VPL, lubricants such as tricresylphosphate (TCP), (CH3–C6H4O)3P=O, are delivered through the vapor phase to high temperature engine parts and react on their surfaces to deposit a thin, solid, lubricating film. Although ceramics such as SiC are desirable materials for high temperature applications, their surfaces are unreactive for the decomposition of TCP and thus not amenable to VPL. As a means of activating the SiC surface for TCP decomposition we have used chemical vapor deposition of Fe from Fe(CO)5. Modification of the SiC surface with adsorbed Fe accelerates subsequent decomposition of TCP and deposition of P and C onto the surface. In the temperature range 500–800 K, m-TCP decomposes more readily on Fe-coated SiC surfaces than on SiC surfaces. The C and P deposition rates depend on the thickness of the Fe film and are further enhanced by oxidation of the Fe. This work provides a proof-of-concept demonstration of the feasibility of using VPL for ceramics
Public health progress amid the health reform in Shenzhen

Overall enhancement of the public health system ranks a key task and goal for the ongoing health reform.This paper described the public health development in Shenzhen amid the ongoing health reform.Shenzhen has achieved the following objectives as required in the reform:better public service by public health institutions,availability of major and primary public health services as required by the state and city,overall elevation of public health service capabilities,and significant drop of disease morbidity and mortality.Challenges ahead include room of improvement in public health service network,incentive mechanism of public health service providers,and that of public health service delivery capability. Key words: Health care; System reform; Public health; Health service
A case for non-surgical management of splenic abscess in the setting of salmonella typhimurium bacteremia

Background Non typhoidal salmonella NTS infections typically present with symptoms of gastroenteritis Complications include extra intestinal infections such as meningitis osteomyelitis and bacteremia Here we report a case of splenic abscess associated with Salmonella typhimurium bacteremia in the setting of uncontrolled type diabetes mellitus DMII This represents a less common and potentially fatal complication of NTS Case presentation year old Caucasian male with a past medical history of uncontrolled DMII hypertension and hypercholesterolemia presented with weeks of flu like symptoms and left lower back discomfort He denied any symptoms of nausea vomiting or diarrhea He had no foreign travel Labs were significant for leucocytosis elevated CRP mild transaminitis and hemoglobin A c of He tested negative for HIV and hepatitis A B and C CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis showed splenomegaly cm with a gas and fluid containing collection x x cm suggestive of splenic abscess Patient was started on intravenous ceftriaxone daily Blood cultures grew Salmonella typhimurium Transesophageal echocardiography was negative for vegetations A percutaneous drain was placed the following day and his symptoms significantly improved His leucocytosis has resolved as well The splenic abscess decreased in size on repeated imaging of the abdomen at day six of antibiotics Outpatient intravenous ceftriaxone was continued for a total of six weeks along with optimal glycemic control A follow up CT scan after five weeks of treatment showed near resolution of the splenic abscess Follow up blood cultures were negative in addition to significant improvement in his symptoms Conclusion In patients with comorbidities including DMII or other immunocompromised status NTS should be considered as a causal agent for splenic abscess Early identification and drainage are necessary to improve the mortality associated with splenic abscess Conservative management of splenic abscess with empiric antibiotic treatment and percutaneous drainage is an alternative to splenectomy avoiding surgical complications and life long susceptibility to encapsulated organisms
Moderating Effect of Environment on Software Piracy: Exploring Determinants of Softlifting Attitude and Intention

Software piracy is a persistent and serious problem. In recent years, progress has been made to reduce software piracy. However, computer software is greatly susceptible to theft and market influences have recently contributed to a staggering $48 billion worldwide loss due to piracy (BSA, 2008). This paper outlines research in progress that will provide insight into software piracy attitude and intention. The purpose of the research is to investigate the moderating effect of environment on the relationship between behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward softlifting (i.e. the illegal duplication of copyrighted software by individuals) in three unique settings work, home, and school. This study promises to make several important contributions. The work should demonstrate the importance of including environment in theoretical models of the antecedents that influence softlifting attitude and intention. Results may also prove helpful to information systems professionals and educators in implementing measures to discourage software piracy.
The C-C Chemokine Receptor Type 4 Is an Immunomodulatory Target of Hydroxychloroquine

The emergence of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19) in China, reported to the World Health Organization on December 31, 2019, has led to a large global pandemic and is a major public health issue. As a result, there are more than 200 clinical trials of COVID-19 treatments or vaccines that are either ongoing or recruiting patients. One potential therapy that has garnered international attention is hydroxychloroquine; a potent immunomodulatory agent FDA-approved for the treatment of numerous inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, including malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Hydroxychloroquine has demonstrated promise in vitro and is currently under investigation in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19. Despite an abundance of empirical data, the mechanism(s) involved in the immunomodulatory activity of hydroxychloroquine have not been characterized. Using the unbiased chemical similarity ensemble approach (SEA), we identified C-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CCR4) as an immunomodulatory target of hydroxychloroquine. The crystal structure of CCR4 was selected for molecular docking studies using the SwissDock modeling software. In silico, hydroxychloroquine interacts with Thr-189 within the CCR4 active site, presumably blocking endogenous ligand binding. However, the CCR4 antagonists compound 18a and K777 outperformed hydroxychloroquine in silico, demonstrating energetically favorable binding characteristics. Hydroxychloroquine may subject COVID-19 patients to QT-prolongation, increasing the risk of sudden cardiac death. The FDA-approved CCR4 antagonist mogalizumab is not known to increase the risk of QT prolongation and may serve as a viable alternative to hydroxychloroquine. Results from this report introduce additional FDA-approved drugs that warrant investigation for therapeutic use in the treatment of COVID-19.
Entering British Airspace: Aviation and Film

This chapter examines the new spaces created by the expansion of the aviation industry in the 1920s and ’30s and argues that the production of ‘airspace’ was central to a new age of British modernity, identity and industry. Airspace, as discussed in this chapter, entailed not just the space above the earth where airplanes could travel, but also the spaces that the aviation industry required and inspired. At the same time these spaces were expanding, two new forms of film-making were also increasing in popularity: documentary and amateur film. This chapter uses these films to examine the production of airspace and consider how these technologies of expansion—cinema and aviation—helped to construct an expansive, modern, mobile image of Britain.
Dynamic Online Pricing with Incomplete Information Using Multi-Armed Bandit Experiments

Pricing managers at online retailers face a unique challenge. They must decide on real-time prices for a large number of products with incomplete demand information. The manager runs price experiments to learn about each product's demand curve and the profit-maximizing price. Balanced field price experiments, in practice can create high opportunity costs since a large number of customers are presented with sub-optimal prices. In this paper, we propose an alternative dynamic price experimentation policy. The proposed approach extends multi-armed bandit (MAB) algorithms, from statistical machine learning, to include microeconomic choice theory. Our automated pricing policy solves this MAB problem using a scalable distribution-free algorithm. We prove analytically that our method is asymptotically optimal for any weakly downward sloping demand curve. In a series of Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the proposed approach perform favorably compared to balanced field experiments and standard methods in dynamic pricing from computer science. In a calibrated simulation based on an existing pricing field experiment, we find that our algorithm can increase profits by 43% profits during the month of testing and 4% annually.
GAY AMERICAN “DEVIANCE”: Using International Comparative Analysis to Argue for a Free Speech and Establishment Clause Approach to Furthering Gay Marriage in the United States.

This article puts comparative and constitutional law scholarship into dialogue to show how LGBT Americans are fundamentally different from queer individuals and communities elsewhere in the world. Abroad, many queer groups are advocating for “status”-based rights to vote, legal employment, and public education, while in the U.S., such issues have never been at the center of the gay rights movement. Instead, LGBT Americans have sought “conduct”-based rights, like marriage, that have been circumscribed by the values of the religious majority. For this reason, the Fourteenth Amendment anti-subordination framework heavily utilized by U.S. gay rights activists is not adequate. LGBT advocates in the U.S. should also pursue First Amendment expressive freedoms and freedom from state-sponsored majoritarianism, similar to those available to religious minorities. As an additional benefit, refocusing LGBT advocacy and retreating from the effort to gain Fourteenth Amendment suspect class status for gay people will legitimize the American gay rights movement both on its own terms as well as in the eyes of traditional civil rights advocates.
Mutual Fund Structures and the Pricing of Liquidity

The paper develops an equilibrium model in which both the structure of mutual funds and the liquidity premium on a traded security are determined endogenously. The setting is one in which investors, subject to liquidity shocks, choose whether to invest directly in the security, invest via mutual funds or stay with cash. Mutual funds, by pooling across investors, emerge as an efficient way for investors with greater liquidation costs to invest -- by diversifying uncorrelated liquidity shocks, minimizing the impact of systematic shocks by optimal asset allocation and by enabling investors to commit to ex-post transfers across investors with different liquidity realizations. Alternative fund structures may be optimal depending on fund efficiency and other model parameters. In the equilibrium in which some investors hold the security directly and others hold mutual fund shares or cash, it is shown that mutual funds emerge as the marginal investors in the security, thereby determining its price and liquidity premium. In the presence of mutual funds, the liquidity premium is shown to be relatively insensitive to increases in the supply of the security, unlike the situation when mutual funds are absent. It is shown that improvements in fund efficiency will tend to result in fund structures with lower penalties for early withdrawal, a reduction in the security liquidity premium and an increase in the size of the fund industry. An interesting feature is that relatively small improvements in fund efficiency can result in large changes in the size of the mutual fund industry, accompanied by changes in fund structure -- which, we argue, is consistent with recent experience. The model is used to generate empirical predictions and to discuss policy and welfare implications.
Natural Rights, Human Rights, and Libertarianism

The present article is devoted to developing a libertarian understanding of whether natural rights may or may not underpin human rights and, if so, how. Libertarianism is first defined in terms of the nonaggression principle (NAP), in answer to the question “What is the proper use of force?” This provides a basis for the libertarian positions on property rights, taxation, and many other issues, including human rights. Various philosophical rationales for the NAP are explored, including utilitarianism, religion, and natural rights. The basis of human rights is then examined. Every ethical tradition supports the nonaggression principle, which makes it an ideal candidate for the fundamental basis of human rights. Unfortunately, other traditions expand upon human rights by adding “positive” rights that ultimately violate the NAP. The conclusion takes up the application of libertarian principles to three issues, which could be viewed as human rights questions: discrimination, abortion, and the “trolley problem.” The last one involves taking one life to save many others.