cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Four Protein Plasma Fingerprint of Acute Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) Predicts Long Term Survival.

Abstract There are no independent laboratory diagnostic tests for acute GVHD. We first identified 7 potential plasma biomarkers (IL-2R-α, CRP, IL-8, TIMP-1, TNFR1, HGF, CA-19.9) of acute GVHD using a combination of proteomic approaches and antibody microarrays. We next conducted a retrospective analysis using plasma samples from 424 patients at the University of Michigan under IRB approval. We obtained samples at the first clinical signs of acute GVHD prior to treatment and at equivalent time points in patients without GVHD (Table 1). The median duration of follow-up was 420 days with a minimum follow-up of 180 days. Patients with veno-occlusive disease, idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, or septic shock were not included. We measured plasma levels of the 7 proteins by sequential ELISA. Logistic regression models with and without leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV) tested the correlation of the laboratory values with the diagnosis of acute GVHD using area under the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC). The training set consisted of 282 randomly selected patients; the validation set included the remaining 142 patients. The final optimal fingerprint of four proteins excluded CRP because of its association with non-specific inflammation and included IL-2R-α, TNFR1, IL-8 and HGF, with AUCs of 0.91 and 0.89 in the training set (without and with LOOCV, respectively) and 0.86 in the validation set. The fingerprint had a strong association with grade of GVHD (p Download : Download high-res image (76KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure Table 1: . Patients characteristics GVHD- (N=242) GVHD+ (N=182) Age-yr Median (range) 45 (1–69) 49 (1–71) Donor type (%) MRD: 169 (70%) MRD: 105 (58%) URD: 73 (30%) URD: 77 (42%) Conditioning regimen Intensity (%) Full: 182 (75%) Full: 114 (63%) Reduced: 60 (25%) Reduced: 68 (37%) Day after BMT of samples : median (range) 30 (7–104) 29 (5–119) Grade at GVHD Onset (%) Grade 0 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3–4 242 (57%) 48 (12%) 100 (24%) 34 (7%) Organ Target at GVHD Onset (%) n/a Skin Gut Liver Combined 119 (65%) 38 (21%) 7 (4%) 18 (10%)
Understanding Physical Education Doctoral Students’ Perspectives of Socialization

Purpose:Despite an abundance of research on doctoral student socialization in higher education, little attention has been paid to physical education doctoral students. This study sought to understand physical education doctoral students’ perceptions of their socialization as preparation for faculty roles. Methods:Participants included 32 physical education doctoral students (16 female, 16 male) from US institutions of higher education. Data were collected in three phases using focus group interviews, an open-ended survey, and individual interviews. Results:Three first-order themes described: (a) indirect, but common pathways to pursuing a doctoral degree, (b) relationships are essential to the doctoral program experience, and (c) becoming a faculty member is a complex and ongoing process. Conclusion:Relationships, particularly with faculty members, are integral to doctoral education. Training for the role of doctoral advisor could be beneficial, as could connecting cohort members and promoting opportuniti...
A Framework for Imperfectly Observed Networks

Model a network as an edge-weighted graph, where the (unknown) weight $$w_e$$ of edge e indicates the frequency of observed interactions, and over time t we observe a Poisson ( $$t w_e$$ ) number of interactions across edges e. How should we estimate some given statistic of the underlying network? This leads to wide-ranging and challenging problems, on which this article makes only partial progress.
Early aspirin use and the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy

Background Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Little is known about the influence of aspirin on clinical expression of CAV. Methods We followed 120 patients with OHT at a single center for a median of 7 years and categorized them by the presence or absence of early aspirin therapy post-transplant (aspirin treatment ≥6 months in the first year). The association between aspirin use and time to the primary end-point of angiographic moderate or severe CAV (International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation grade ≥2) was investigated. Propensity scores for aspirin treatment were estimated using boosting models and applied by inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results Despite a preponderance of risk factors for CAV among patients receiving aspirin (male sex, ischemic heart disease as the etiology of heart failure, and smoking), aspirin therapy was associated with a lower rate of moderate or severe CAV at 5 years. Event-free survival was 95.9% for patients exposed to aspirin compared with 79.6% for patients without aspirin exposure (log-rank p = 0.005). IPTW-weighted Cox regression revealed a powerful inverse association between aspirin use and moderate to severe CAV (adjusted hazard ratio 0.13; 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.59), which was directionally consistent for CAV of any severity (adjusted hazard ratio 0.50; 95% confidence interval 0.23–1.08). Conclusions This propensity score–based comparative observational analysis suggests that early aspirin exposure may be associated with a reduced risk of development of moderate to severe CAV. These findings warrant prospective validation in controlled investigations.
Gas exchange processes of a small HCCI free piston engine – A computational study

Abstract Free Piston Linear Alternator engines (FPLAs) can be used for efficient electric power generation because they can provide high mechanical efficiencies due to low friction. Combining the free piston architecture with Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) can enable combustion of dilute fuel–air mixtures with high thermal efficiency. However, trapping losses can be a major source of unburned hydrocarbon emissions and combustion inefficiency in two-stroke engines. Therefore, controlling the gas exchange process of an HCCI FPLA is critical for delivering fresh charge in the combustion chamber, retaining high levels of residual gas, and minimizing trapping losses. In the current study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are utilized to model the gas exchange process and investigate the underlying phenomena behind trapping losses in a loop-scavenged FPLA. The effects of engine design parameters such as air box compression ratio, port target point, location, and inclination angle on scavenging and trapping efficiency were investigated. The results indicated that a moderate air box compression ratio (1.2:1) combined with high inclination angles of the scavenge ports can result in acceptable scavenging efficiency for HCCI combustion (∼35%) and very high trapping efficiency (>98%). The ability to predict the gas exchange process in consecutive cycles was also investigated. A repeatable gas exchange process over 10 cycles was simulated with the coefficients of variance (COVs) of trapped mass and effective equivalence ratio (φ′) being lower than 3%. Gross indicated efficiency of 38.1% was calculated with acceptable pressure rise rate.
Preparation of emulsifying wax/glyceryl monooleate nanoparticles and evaluation as a delivery system for repurposing simvastatin in bone regeneration.

Simvastatin (Sim) is a widely known drug in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, which has attracted so much attention in bone regeneration due to its potential osteoanabolic effect. However, repurposi...
Double Pareto Lognormal Distributions in Complex Networks

This article elaborates the mathematical concept of double Pareto lognormal distribution and provides an overview of complex networks and natural phenomena that exhibit double Pareto lognormal distributions. These include the number of friends in social networks, the number of downloads on the Internet, Internet file sizes, stock market returns, wealth in human societies, human settlement sizes, oil field reserves, and areas burnt from forest wildfire.
The Making of an Interpreter User

Au cours des premiers mois d’existence du Tribunal militaire pour l’Extreme-Orient (IMTFE, 1946-1948), les procedures d’interpretation ont ete elaborees avec plus ou moins de bonheur, dans la mesure ou le tribunal utilisait des interpretes « accidentels » et non formes, et ou il n’avait pas non plus d’experience dans l’utilisation de services d’interpretation. Cet article examine le processus de developpement des procedures d’interpretation pendant la premiere annee de proces. Il passe en revue les approches basees sur les normes dans le domaine des etudes d’interpretation, se refere au modele de Toury (1995) pour les « traducteurs naturels/innes » et fait appel a la notion de « normes negociees ». De plus, l’article analyse les discussions entre les participants au tribunal sur les questions d’interpretation. Au debut, le tribunal, en tant qu’utilisateur des interpretes et commissaire (administrateur) de l’evenement interprete, a essaye de faire respecter ses attentes quant a la maniere d’interpreter. Cependant, de telles normes ont ete negociees et modifiees en grande partie face aux reactions des interpretes, basees principalement sur les limites cognitives de ces derniers. Ceci illustre le role des interactions dans l’elaboration de normes et celui des contraintes cognitives de l’interprete dans le processus. L’article conclut que la « fabrication d'un traducteur naturel/inne » (Toury) va de pair avec la « fabrication d’un utilisateur de traducteurs/d’interpretes » dans le cas de l’IMTFE.1
Nonlinear Fluctuation-Dissipation Relations

The theme of this workshop is how the statistical properties of fluctuations manifest themselves in nonequi libriurn systems. Many of the talks presented here have explored the dynamic consequences of particular assumptions about these statistical properties. Very little has been said on the origin of the fluctuations and the specific physical mechanisms that result in a particular statistical property. We focus on this topic and consider the microscopic origin of fluctuations in thermo-dynamically closed systems (we do not consider external fluctuations in this discussion). We will thus study the dynamics of various physical systems in contact with a surrounding heat bath. In our analysis the system, the heat bath and their interactions are treated completely dynamically. Our aim is to start from a Hamiltonian for the composite system and to arrive finally at a stochastic differential equation of the generalized Langevin-type with completely determined statistical properties.
How Calculus Eligibility and At-Risk Status Relate to Graduation Rate in Engineering Degree Programs

The problematic persistence rates that many colleges and schools of engineering encounter has resulted in ongoing conversations about academic readiness, retention, and degree completion within engineering programs. Although a large research base exists about student preparedness in engineering, many studies report a wide variety of factors that makes it difficult to address specific issues that prohibit students from completing a degree in engineering. Many studies anecdotally address mathematics achievement as a factor associated with success, but few contain empirical data for significant findings specifically related to success or readiness to take calculus. This study specifically examines engineering degree completion of calculus eligible students compared to non-eligible calculus students upon acceptance into a College of Engineering as a first-semester freshman, and the mediating effects of being at-risk for non-matriculation on this relationship. A 10-year span of University student engineering admission and completion data was accessed and analyzed in order to provide distinguishing differentiating factors in student preparedness as they pertain to calculus eligibility and student success as defined by being at-risk for non-matriculation. This study documents a partial mediating effect of at-risk status on the relationship between calculus eligibility and graduation rate, however, calculus eligibility remains a significant predictor of graduation rate and together with at-risk status predicts a significant proportion of the variance in graduation rate.
A Layered Pork Model for Subdermal Antenna Tests at 433 MHz

Clinical or Biological Impact: Antennas for next generation implantable medical devices are likely to be distributed throughout the body, particularly in the near-surface subdermal regions, rather than tethered to the surface of the implantable device. A simple test bed for evaluating subdermal antennas during the design phase is needed. Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to create a simple biological test bed for subdermal implantable antennas that includes the normal expected variation of the tissues. Technology or Method: A layered model using pork products with skin, pork fat or lard, and pork loin or ground pork is used. Results: The ex vivo porcine tissues are similar to in vivo human tissues. Pork fat and loin have more variability than lard and ground pork but are more difficult in which to imbed subdermal antennas. This model provides an easy to use platform for testing subdermal antennas in the lab. This test bed was developed for 433 MHz: the industrial–scientific–medical band closest to the MedRadio band (402–405 MHz). Initial tests are demonstrated on a two-wire passive system for focusing power within the muscle region.
Beyond Graduation: Next Steps in Wellness

Physicians experience high rates of emotional distress, depression, burnout, and other consequences of chronic stress. The medical student looking ahead toward graduation will benefit from contemplating some of the particular challenges that are likely to arise and how to optimize well-being to withstand, and benefit from, these tests. Certain stressors specific to the post-graduate and post-training career phases can be anticipated. Emerging literature on how the system and the individual can optimize resilience and well-being will help guide implementation of practices that will benefit physicians, patients, and the healthcare system.
Multiple sclerosis relapse risk in the postoperative period: Effects of invasive surgery and anesthesia.

Background:Postoperative multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses are a concern among patients and providers.Objective:To determine whether MS relapse risk is higher postoperatively.Methods:Data were extra...
β7 Integrin Inhibition Can Increase Intestinal Inflammation by Impairing Homing of CD25hiFoxP3+ Regulatory T Cells

Background & Aims Integrin α4β7 mediates lymphocyte trafficking to the gut and gut-associated lymphoid tissues, a process critical for recruitment of effector lymphocytes from the circulation to the gut mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and murine models of intestinal inflammation. Antibody blockade of β7 integrins generally is efficacious in IBD; however, some patients fail to respond, and a few patients can experience exacerbations. This study examined the effects of loss of β7 integrin function in murine models of IBD. Methods In a mouse IBD model caused by lack of interleukin 10, a cytokine important in CD25hiFoxP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) function, genetic deletion of β7 integrin or antibody blockade of α4β7–mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 interaction paradoxically exacerbated colitis. Results Loss of β7 impaired the capacity of Tregs homing to the gut and therefore suppress intestinal inflammation in an adoptive T-cell transfer model; however, the intrinsic suppressive function of β7-deficient Tregs remained intact, indicating that the β7 deficiency selectively impacts gut homing. Deletion of β7 integrin did not worsen colitis in an acute dextran sodium sulfate model in which Treg number and function were normal. Conclusions In Integrin subunit beta (Itgb)7-/-Il10-/- mice, loss of β7-dependent Treg homing to gut-associated lymphoid tissues combined with loss of intrinsic Treg function exacerbated intestinal inflammation. These results suggest that IBD patients with reduced CD25hiFoxP3+ Treg numbers or function or lack of interleukin 10 could be at risk for failure of α4β7 blocking therapy.
Integrated Proteomics and Lipidomics Reveal That the Swarming Motility of Paenibacillus polymyxa Is Characterized by Phospholipid Modification, Surfactant Deployment, and Flagellar Specialization Relative to Swimming Motility

Paenibacillus polymyxa is a Gram-positive bacterium commonly found associated with plant roots. P. polymyxa can exhibit two forms of flagellar motility: swimming in liquid culture and swarming on a surface. Here, swimming cells were compared to swarming cells using an integrated proteomic and lipidomic approach, yielding information about how lipid modifications and protein/enzyme pathways are tailored for these specific phenotypes. Observed differences in both phospholipid composition and metabolism between the two conditions suggest membrane remodeling in response to the surrounding environment. Key enzymes involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism were abundant in swimming bacteria, while enzymes associated with glycerol-3-phosphate metabolism were more abundant in swarming bacteria. Several glycoside hydrolases were either unique to or more abundant during swarming. This likely reflects the degradation of their own exopolysaccharides to both enhance swarming and supply the necessary chemical energy to compensate for increased flagellar synthesis. The observed upregulation of biosynthetic gene clusters (polyketides, lantibiotics, and surfactin) in swarming bacteria suggest the importance of signaling, antimicrobial activity, and surfactin production during this mode of motility - the latter of which is confirmed via RT-PCR.
Radical SAM-Mediated Methylation of Ribosomal RNA

While RNA methylation occurs in all kingdoms of life, the type and the distribution of different methylated species varies substantially among archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. The most prevalent type of RNA methylation is methylation of nucleobases. However, despite recent advances in our knowledge of these marks, the biological roles of such modifications are still incompletely understood (Machnicka et al., 2013; Motorin & Helm, 2011; Sergeeva et al., 2014; Sergiev et al., 2011). A number of mechanisms have evolved to enable RNA methylation, which are tuned to the electronic demands of the substrate. Herein, we provide an overview of methods for expression, purification, and activity analysis of a specific type of RNA methylating enzymes, radical SAM methylsynthases. These enzymes modify the amidine carbon atoms of an adenosine, A2503, in bacterial 23S rRNA. The activities of these enzymes have only been recently reconstituted (Yan et al., 2010), which can be attributed to the complex anaerobic catalysis that they perform. As the substrate A2503 is located at the nascent peptide exit tunnel of the bacterial ribosome, methylations catalyzed by these enzymes have profound impact on the biology of the host strain. RlmN, an endogenous protein found in all bacteria, methylates the C2 amidine carbon and contributes to the translational fidelity (Benitez-Paez et al., 2012; Ramu et al., 2011; Vazquez-Laslop, Ramu, Klepacki, Kannan, & Mankin, 2010). Cfr, found in pathogenic species, methylates the C8 amidine carbon, a modification that confers resistance to various classes of antibiotics (Giessing et al., 2009; Long et al., 2006; Smith & Mankin, 2008). Interestingly, C2 methylated adenosine was recently detected in a subset of tRNAs, raising the question of the physiological role of this modification (Benitez-Paez et al., 2012). With an increase in available whole genome sequences, the development of methods to identify target substrates of RNA methylating enzymes (Khoddami & Cairns, 2013; Meyer et al., 2012; Tim, Katharina, & Matthias, 2010), as well as advances in the characterization of their activities, we anticipate the coming years will unravel novel aspects of mechanisms of the RNA methylation and deepen insight into the function of the resulting modification.
On Control Transitions in Autonomous Driving: A Framework and Analysis for Characterizing Scene Complexity

'Take-overs' are safety critical events in conditionally autonomous vehicles. These are cases where vehicle control is transferred from the autonomous system to a human driver during failure modes of the system. Safe take-overs depend on two key factors; the readiness of the driver, and the complexity of the scene. While prior work has addressed driver readiness estimation, scene complexity estimation for control transitions remains an unexplored topic. In this paper, we focus on characterizing the complexity of driving scenes as perceived by human drivers during takeover events. To this end, we collect naturalistic driving data using a conditionally autonomous vehicle, equipped with cameras and LiDAR sensors. We mine a diverse set of scenarios using the LiDAR point cloud statistics. We then collect take-over complexity ratings in these scenarios assigned by raters with varying degrees of driving experience. We present an analysis of inter-rater agreement, and the average rated complexity conditioned on features of the surrounding environment, detected agents around the ego-vehicle, and ego-vehicle actions and motion states.
Efficacy of commercial nasal bridle use in reducing feeding tube dislodgements in pediatric patients following double stage laryngotracheoplasty.

Abstract Introduction Maintaining placement of the nasogastric feeding tube (NGT) is imperative in the double stage laryngotracheoplasty (dsLTP) patient because of concerns for adequate nutrition and hydration in the postoperative period. Additionally, multiple reinsertions due to displacement potentiate surgical morbidities. The purpose of this study was to compare NGT dislodgment rates in children with and without a commercial nasal bridle following a dsLTP surgical procedure and to determine if the use of a commercial nasal bridle decreases accidental tube dislodgements. Methods Medical records of pediatric patients with NGT insertion for dsLTP between Jan 1, 2012 and June 15, 2018 were reviewed for nasal bridle use, demographics, feeding tube and bridle complications, x-rays to check NGT placement, length of stay (LOS), length of bridle use and accidental feeding tube dislodgements. Results A total of 67 patients (34 unbridled and 33 bridled) received an NGT after dsLTP. No differences in demographics were noted, except the bridled group was older (median age 6.5 [IQR: 3.7, 14.3] than the unbridled group (median age 3.2 [IQR: 2.2, 6.8], p = 0.05). There were 24 episodes of NGT dislodgement in 16 patients in the unbridled group and zero displacements in the bridled patients resulting in an incidence of 9.4 [95%CI: 6.0, 14.0] and 0.0 [95%CI: 0.0, 1.9] pullouts per 100 days for unbridled versus bridled patients, respectively. Those with displacement had significantly more x-rays to check placement (p = 0.0004) and LOS was longer (p = 0.06) with a mean (SD) of 10.9 (7.0) vs. no displacement 7.0 (3.6) days. Of those bridled, 67% were discharged with a bridle and 86% returned with the NGT and bridle in place (mean bridle placement of *** ± days) at the time of stent removal. No feeding tube or bridle complications were reported for either group. Conclusion The commercial nasal bridle significantly reduced NGT displacements without complication in the examined pediatric sample s/p dsLTP. Bridle use was associated with decreased radiology exposure and LOS and was successfully used in the outpatient setting.
Student Debt is a Civil Rights Issue: The Case for Debt Relief and Higher Education Reform

For an ever-growing number of students aspiring to higher education, borrowing is essential. Yet the burdens of indebtedness dis-proportionally harm Black and Latinx students. Debt also undermines the meaning and effect of higher education access, enabling many who borrow to reach the middle class but still limiting possibilities relative to students who do not need to borrow or who borrow less — students who are more likely to enjoy relative privilege. This Article identifies ways in which student indebtedness works systematically to disadvantage those students who belong to groups historically subordinated on the basis of race, and thus provides more concrete historical and empirical grounding for reforms that would improve the accessibility of higher education. The Article develops proposals for reform, including debt forgiveness and elimination of public institution tuition, to promote greater equity in access.
Do social features help in video-centric online learning platforms? A social presence perspective

Abstract The popularity of online learning is growing exponentially. Accordingly, it is critical to understand how we can facilitate the learning experience for users in these unique online environments. Past research consistently finds that one important antecedent of online learning outcomes is social presence. However, there is limited research related to how to foster social presence perceptions among users. Further, research has yet to understand whether there are boundary conditions for the positive effects of social presence perceptions on user outcomes (e.g., perceived learning, satisfaction). The current work describes two studies to address these questions. The first study uses an experimental design to investigate how the perception of social presence can be increased in the online learning context. In the second study, we investigate the degree to which social presence perceptions are more beneficial for some individuals versus others. Specifically, we consider two personality traits (i.e., conscientiousness, extraversion) as moderators of the relationships between social presence perceptions and two outcomes – perceived learning and satisfaction. Overall, the results of these two studies provide important insights into how to enhance user outcomes in online learning and training environments.
One call makes a difference: An evaluation of the Alzheimer's Association National Helpline on dementia caregiver outcomes.

Abstract Objective The study evaluated the effects of care consultation delivered through the Alzheimer’s Association National Helpline - a free resource in which master’s-level clinicians offer confidential support. The study compared the effectiveness of Helpline “Care Consultation” and “Care Consultation Plus” conditions on caller outcomes. Methods Four hundred and forty-five non-crisis callers were randomly assigned to the traditional Helpline “Care Consultation” or a “Care Consultation Plus” condition that included one additional booster call. Results While no differences were found between the two conditions, the study found that callers reported significantly improved caregiver mental health scores (27 % net improvement over baseline) and ability to manage emotions (29 % net improvement) at one week (p = .006). By one week, 70 % of callers had put action steps in place and by 1 month 80 % of callers had put action steps into place. Over 80 % of callers reported action steps were “helpful”. Conclusion A single call provided a measurable benefit to caregivers’mental health, ability to manage emotions and ability to engage in action planning and accessing resources. Practice Implications This pilot study demonstrated that the support provided via the Helpline can be effective at improving caregiver mental health and improving the ability of callers to “take action”.
Abstract P874: Trends in Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Vascular Neurology Fellowships From 2006 to 2018

Introduction: The need for recruitment of neurologists from underrepresented communities has been emphasized to maintain workforce diversity in academic neurology practice. The objective of the stu...
Exploring the association of social determinants of health and clinical quality measures and performance in HRSA-funded health centres

Objective This paper explores the impact of service area-level social deprivation on health centre clinical quality measures. Design Cross-sectional data analysis of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centres. We created a weighted service area social deprivation score for HRSA-funded health centres as a proxy measure for social determinants of health, and then explored adjusted and unadjusted clinical quality measures by weighted service area Social Deprivation Index quartiles for health centres. Settings HRSA-funded health centres in the USA. Participants Our analysis included a subset of 1161 HRSA-funded health centres serving more than 22 million mostly low-income patients across the country. Results Higher levels of social deprivation are associated with statistically significant poorer outcomes for all clinical quality outcome measures (both unadjusted and adjusted), including rates of blood pressure control, uncontrolled diabetes and low birth weight. The adjusted and unadjusted results are mixed for clinical quality process measures as higher levels of social deprivation are associated with better quality for some measures including cervical cancer screening and child immunisation status but worse quality for other such as colorectal cancer screening and early entry into prenatal care. Conclusions This research highlights the importance of incorporating community characteristics when evaluating clinical outcomes. We also present an innovative method for capturing health centre service area-level social deprivation and exploring its relationship to health centre clinical quality measures.
Application of Inequality Constraints to Variational Problems of Lifting Re-Entry

Inequality constraints are introduced into fhe variational formulation of the optimum re-entry problem for a lifting vehicle to prevent human and/or structural tolerances from being exceeded. These constraints consist of minimum and maximum angle of attack, maximum load factor, and maximum convective heat transfer (equilibrium temperature). The equations have been programed for the IBM 704 computer, and sample trajectories are presented for which the total heat transferred to certain critical areas on the windward surface of the vehicle is minimized. These trajectories indicate the dominant effect of the constraints on the optimum flight path, which is shown to consist of both unconstrained and constrained
Eminent Domain and High-Speed Rail in California: Sustaining Popular Support for Large-scale Transportation Infrastructure in the Aftermath of Kelo v. City of New London

DOI 10.1515/cjpp-2012-0025 Calif. J. Politics Policy 2013; 5(4): 731–753 Yishaiya Abosch* Eminent Domain and High-Speed Rail in California: Sustaining Popular Support for Large-scale Transportation Infrastructure in the Aftermath of Kelo v. City of New London Abstract: The Fifth Amendment limits government’s power to take private prop- erty to uses that are “public,” but the US Supreme Court has repeatedly declined to specify any limitation, preferring instead to defer to the judgment of politi- cal authorities on the validity of challenged takings. This paper explores a little noticed implication of judicial deference in relation to the controversy over California’s high-speed rail project: Absent independent audit of the planning process, even normally unobjectionable takings to establish transportation rights of way may appear inequitable, rally opposition, and fatally diminish the popular support required to sustain major infrastructure investments over many years. Keywords: eminent domain; high-speed rail; property. *Corresponding author: Yishaiya Abosch, California State University, Fresno – Political ­Science, 2225 E San Ramon, M/S MF19, Fresno, CA 93740, USA, Tel.: +559-278-8396, e-mail: yabosch@csufresno.edu 1 Introduction Public discussion of California’s high-speed rail project has so far highlighted questions about funding, routing, and profitability. As important as these issues are, however, none directly addresses the most urgent concern for the people most directly affected. Thousands of residents and businesses in California’s Central Valley will lose property, many against their will, and the growing sense that the project as a whole will never be completed strengthens opposition and makes completion even less likely. 1 The government’s ability to take private prop- 1 This study is limited to the issue of justifying takings to establish a right of way in the con- text of a segmented railroad project unlikely ever to be completed. It is agnostic on the many questions pertaining to the general feasibility of high-speed rail. For a taste of the disputes in the latter area compare the entry “Myths vs. Facts” on the Californians for High-Speed Rail blog (http://www.ca4hsr.org/hsr-info-2/myths-vs-facts/) with Joseph Vranich, et al. “The Cali- fornia High-Speed Rail Proposal: A Due Diligence Report” (http://reason.org/news/show/the- california-high-speed-rail).
Adventurous food futures: knowing about alternatives is not enough, we need to feel them

This paper investigates how we can enact, collectively, affording food systems. Yet rather than asking simply what those assemblages might look like the author enquires as to how they might also feel. Building on existing literature that speaks to the radically relational, and deeply affective, nature of food the aims of this paper are multiple: to learn more about how moments of difference come about in otherwise seemingly banal encounters; to understand some of the processes by which novelty ripples out, up, and through social bodies; to speak to, and suggest ways to resolve, ontological asymmetries within the agrifood literature pertaining to Cartesian dualisms; and to offer ways forward that allow agrifood scholars to talk about phenomena such as feelings and structures/barriers in the same sentence. The empirical flesh of the paper comes from an admittedly unconventional case study. On December 10, 2012, Amendment 64 was added to Colorado’s constitution making it legal for adults to consume marijuana for recreational purposes. The case examined is not about pot, however. The paper, rather, is about hopeful, hydroponic-inspired, agrifood futures; novel doings, feelings, and thinkings sparked by, among other things, food grown in basements and spare bedrooms.
Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas: cytologic features in 14 cases.

BACKGROUND Adenosquamous carcinoma (ASCa) is a rare subtype of ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with what to the authors' knowledge are limited cytologic descriptions. In the current study, the authors describe their experience with the fine-aspiration biopsy (FNAB) diagnosis of ASCa and characterize cytologic features in 14 cases. METHODS Fourteen cases of ASCa were identified from pathology case files. Cytologic material was examined for cellularity, grade, tumor cell necrosis, and specific features of glandular and squamous differentiation. RESULTS The 10 females and 4 males had an average age of 70 years. Nine patients (64%) were reported to have Stage IV disease at the time of presentation. All tumors were high grade, with moderate to high cellularity. Tumor cell necrosis was noted in 12. Nine of the 14 cases (64%) demonstrated predominantly squamous differentiation with keratinization. Seven of these nine contained at least focal intracellular mucin or honeycombed glandular sheets. Two of the nine had rare cytoplasmic vacuoles as the only evidence of glandular differentiation. Five cases (36%) were predominantly glandular. All but one of these five cases contained atypical to malignant keratinized cells. One of the five cases lacked keratinization but had tumor cells with dense cytoplasm; the diagnosis of ASCa was confirmed on histology. In 13 patients for whom followup was known, 12 had died of disease (mean, 5.6 months) and 1 was alive at 13 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS A specific diagnosis of ASCa is possible when aspirates show evidence of both squamous and glandular differentiation, although one component often predominates and features of dual differentiation may be focal. A purely squamous tumor should raise the suspicion of a metastasis, but also may represent undersampling of an ASCa. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2003;99:372–8. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Both Ca2+‐permeable and ‐impermeable AMPA receptors contribute to primary synaptic drive onto rat dorsal horn neurons

Blockade of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors in the rat spinal cord diminishes the development of hyperalgesia and allodynia associated with peripheral injury. Cobalt uptake studies reveal that Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors are expressed by some substance P receptor-expressing (NK1R+) neurons in lamina I, as well as other neurons throughout the superficial dorsal horn. Selective elimination of NK1R+ neurons in lamina I and lamina III/IV of the dorsal horn also suppresses development of hyperalgesia and allodynia. These observations raise the possibility that Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors contribute to excitatory synaptic drive onto the NK1R+ neurons associated with allodynia and hyperalgesia. The first synapse in the pain pathway is the glutamatergic excitatory drive from the primary afferent fibres onto dorsal horn neurons. Therefore, we tested whether Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors are located on lamina I and lamina III/IV NK1R+ neurons postsynaptic to primary afferent fibres, using inward rectification and polyamine toxins for receptor identification. We examined three different populations of dorsal horn neurons; lamina I NK1R+ neurons, including projection neurons, and non-NK1R+ (NK1R-) neurons including interneurons, and lamina III/IV NK1R+ neurons, believed to contribute to the low-threshold mechanosensory pathway. The majority of synapses in all three groups had rectification indices less than 1.0 and greater than 0.4, indicating that the AMPA receptors at these synapses are a mixture of Ca2+-permeable and -impermeable forms. Lamina III/IV NK1R+ neurons and lamina I NK1R- neurons have a significantly higher proportion of postsynaptic Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors than lamina I NK1R+ neurons. Thus synaptically positioned Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors directly contribute to low-threshold sensory afferent drive into the dorsal horn, and can mediate afferent input onto interneurons such as GABAergic neurons. These receptors also contribute to high-threshold primary afferent drive onto NK1R+ neurons in the superficial dorsal horn, but do so less consistently.
'Best Practices' or Not, it is Time to Re-Think Legal Education

This Response defends the use of the term "best practices" and uses Professor Robbins' critique as a launching point for a broader discussion of the state of legal education and the need for better data on its effectiveness.
Acetylhexosamine compounds enzymically released from Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell walls. II. Enzymic sensitivity of purified acetylhexosamine and acetylhexosamine-peptide complexes.

Abstract Free di-saccharide (N-acetylglucosamine-N-acetylmuramic acid) is released from a purified amino sugar complex, probably tetra-saccharide, by the action of egg-white lysozyme and of a similar enzyme secreted by a Streptomyces . The di-saccharide is also released from a purified poly-acetylamino sugar-peptide-di-saccharide compound by the action of the same enzymes on its poly-acetylamino sugar moiety. Differences in the affinity of egg-white lysozyme and of the Streptomyces enzyme for their substrates are discussed. A second bacteriolytic enzyme, also secreted by the Streptomyces , liberates free disaccharide from the purified peptide-di-saccharide and poly-acetylamino sugar-peptide-di-saccharide complexes by splitting the bond between the carboxyl group of muramic acid and the amino group of the peptide moiety.
Modified byte insertion/deletion for HDLC in ISDN

The authors describe a modification of the HDLC protocol to eliminate bit insertion/deletion and convert it into a byte-oriented protocol. Physical layer framing in the integrated-services digital network (ISDN) basic rate and primary rate adapters provide byte/octet-aligned data transmission. Conventional serial bit stream protocols can take advantage of this aspect of the ISDN standard to simplify the hardware necessary to implement the protocols. The modified version provides the same function as zero bit insertion/deletion in HDLC in a more efficient manner. Specifically, a technique is suggested which does byte insertion instead of bit insertion to insure data transparency. It is concluded that, in view of changing data communications standards and high-speed transmission medium, the byte-insertion technique should provide significant throughput enhancement for modified HDLC data links in ISDN. >
Promoter organization and activity of human monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B genes.

Monoamine oxidase A and B (MAO A and B) play important roles in the metabolism of biogenic and dietary amines and are encoded by two genes derived from a common ancestral gene. The promoter regions for human MAO A and B genes have been characterized using a series of 5′ flanking sequences linked to a human growth hormone reporter gene. When these constructs were transfected into NIH3T3, SHSY-5Y, and COS7 cells, the maximal promoter activity for MAO A was found in a 0.14 kilobase (kb) PvuII/DraII fragment (A0.14) and in a 0.15 kb PstI/NaeI fragment (B0.15) for MAO B. Both fragments are GC-rich, contain potential Sp1 binding sites, and are in the region where the MAO A and B 5′ flanking sequences share the highest identity (approximately 60%). However, the organization of the transcription elements is distinctly different between these two promoters. Fragment A0.14 consists of three Sp1 elements, all in reversed orientations, and lacks a TATA box. Two of the Sp1 sites are located within the downstream 90 base pair (bp) direct repeat, and the third is located at the 3′ end of the upstream 90 bp direct repeat. Fragment B0.15 contains an Sp1-CACCC-Sp1-TATA structure; deletion of any of these elements reduced promoter activity. Additional Sp1 sites, CACCC elements, CCAAT boxes, and direct repeats (four 30 bp direct repeats in MAO A and two 29 bp direct repeats in MAO B) are found in farther-upstream sequences of both genes (1.27 kb for MAO A and mostly in 0.2 kb for MAO B). Inclusion of these sequences decreased promoter activity. The different promoter organization of MAO A and B genes provides the basis for their different tissue- and cell- specific expression.
Nausea and vomiting in diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis.

Background Nausea and vomiting are frequent symptoms of gastroparesis. The aim of this study was to characterize nausea and vomiting in gastroparesis and to compare nausea and vomiting in patients with diabetic and idiopathic gastroparetics. We also quantitated the number of episodes of vomiting per day and the hours of nausea per day. Methods Patients diagnosed with gastroparesis at Temple University Hospital between May 2009 and December 2010 completed the Patient Assessment of Upper GI Symptoms questionnaire along with questionnaires about nausea and vomiting. Key Results A total of 157 patients [43 diabetic (DG) and 114 idiopathic gastroparetics (IG)] comprised the study group. Nausea was present in 91% of DG and 90% of IG (P = 0.822). Nausea symptom severity score was 3.51 ± 0.24 in DG and 3.42 ± 0.15 in IG (P = 0.362). DG patients reported 8.1 ± 1.2 compared to 7.9 ± 0.8 in IG (P = 0.44). Vomiting was present in 72% of DG and 55% of IG (P = 0.083). Vomiting symptom severity score was 2.69 ± 0.34 in DG and 1.83 ± 0.21 in IG (P = 0.010). DG patients reported 7.3 ± 1.7 vomiting episodes per day compared to 3.5 ± 0.9 in IG (P = 0.027). Both nausea and vomiting had a significant correlation with reduced quality of life. Conclusions & Inferences Nausea and vomiting are significant symptoms of gastroparesis. Vomiting was greater in DG compared with IG, both in terms of severity score and number of vomiting episodes, whereas nausea severity was similar. Hours of nausea per day and episodes of vomiting per week appear to be useful parameters for assessing symptoms of gastroparesis. Nausea and vomiting have a significant impact on quality of life.
The Current and Potential Clinical Relevance of Heart Failure Biomarkers

Heart failure is a growing epidemic, and our understanding of the intricacies of its pathophysiology continues to evolve. Over the last decade, biomarkers of heart failure have been extensively investigated, particularly for diagnosis and risk stratification. While the natriuretic peptides remain the gold standard heart failure biomarker, they are plagued by their non-specific nature; furthermore, the strategy of natriuretic peptide-guided care remains elusive. Multiple candidate markers indicative of other physiologic aspects of heart failure have been identified and studied, including soluble ST2, galectin-3, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponins. Each of these biomarkers has the potential to provide unique therapeutically relevant information. Ultimately, a multi-marker approach may be applied to improve care of patients with heart failure. Definitive clinical trials and the use of advanced statistical analytic techniques are needed to truly determine the optimal strategy of biomarker-assisted diagnosis, prognostication, and management of patients who suffer from this devastating condition.
A Note on the Number of Hamiltonian Paths in Strong Tournaments

We prove that the minimum number of distinct hamiltonian paths in a strong tournament of order $n$ is $5^{{n-1}\over{3}}$. A known construction shows this number is best possible when $n \equiv 1 \hbox{ mod } 3$ and gives similar minimal values for $n$ congruent to $0$ and $2$ modulo $3$.
Noninvasive tumor oxygen imaging by photoacoustic lifetime imaging integrated with photodynamic therapy

Oxygen plays a major role in cancer biology and tumor progression. In PDT, the reduction in efficacy is directly related to lack of oxygen because its molecular mechanism relies on oxygen as an energy mediator. Measuring tumor oxygenation can provide physicians with better diagnosis and optimization of treatment plans. However, clinical tools for directly assessing tissue oxygenation are limited. The gold standard is oxygen needle electrode, which is invasive and measures oxygen level at a single location. We present our work on developing a combined treatment-imaging modality that integrates PDT and photoacoustic oxygen imaging. We propose a system designed for clinical treatments of cancer of the oral cavity. Tissue oxygen imaging is performed by applying Photoacoustic Lifetime Imaging (PALI). This technology relies on photoacoustic probing of oxygen-dependent excitation lifetime of Methylene Blue. The dye is excited by the same wavelength of illumination source for PDT. Once excited, the population of photosensitizer molecules at triplet state has a lifetime depending on the oxygen level. The transition from excited triplet state to ground state can be probe by another laser, which generate photoacoustic signal that is used to map the lifetime. The lifetime map is then converted to pO2 distribution. We expect that PDT efficacy can be improved by applying PALI imaging feedback in real-time to determine, and individually optimize, O2-enriched gas breathing parameters and PDT light-dose during treatment. Successful implementation of PALI in PDT can also drive its application in guiding other cancer treatments that are affected by hypoxia.