cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast track program in patients undergoing radical cystectomy: results in 362 consecutive patients.

Background This article outlines our current perioperative management of patients undergoing cystectomy and urinary diversion using advancements in perioperative care to allow for early institution of an oral diet and early hospital discharge. Study Design Three hundred sixty-two consecutive patients underwent radical cystectomy and urinary diversion with curative intent (2001 through 2008). Each underwent a perioperative care plan ("fast track" program). Throughout our experience, evidence-based modifications to this program were instituted. We analyzed the impact of these modifications and report the outcomes with the most recent 100 patients in whom no additional modification has been used. Results Mean age of patients is 66.3 years, with 44% of the patients older than age 70 years and 12% older than age 80 years. We found no detrimental effects to immediate removal of the orogastric tube at the end of the procedure, but found a beneficial effect of empiric metoclopramide use, with lower rates of nausea and vomiting. Perioperative antibiotic coverage has been reduced to 24 hours as per American Urological Association guidelines. Gum-chewing has also been shown to be of benefit with regard to a more rapid recovery of bowel function. Use of nonnarcotic analgesics (eg, ketrolac) has also been central in the pathway. Finally, early institution of an oral diet has been an original and central component to our fast track program. Conclusions Successful application of a fast track program has been applied to our patients undergoing radical cystectomy and urinary diversion, with the potential to use evidence-based modifications to reduce morbidity and improve recovery.
Formulation of Stability Conditions for Systems Containing Driven Rotors

The much maligned energy-sink analysis is revisited to derive stability conditions for a dual-spin spacecraft that is subjected to possible energy additions by the motor torque. Landon's old idea of subtracting the work done by the motor torque from the energy function is applied to the case when both the platform and the rotor are quasirigid. This is made possible by way of a separation axiom that allows one to obtain an expression for the motor torque. It is shown that this process leads naturally to a symmetric stability condition expressible in terms of Hubert's core energy.
Classification of prime 3-manifolds with σ-invariant greater than RP 3

In this paper we compute the σ-invariants (sometimes also called the smooth Yamabe invariants) of RP 3 and RP 2 × S 1 (which are equal) and show that the only prime 3-manifolds with larger σ-invariants are S 3 , S 2 × S 1 , and S 2 ˜ ×S 1 (the nonorientable S 2 bundle over S 1 ). More generally, we show that any 3-manifold with σ-invariant greater than RP 3 is either S 3 , a connect sum with an S 2 bundle over S 1 , or has more than one nonorientable prime compo�
Left ventricular eccentric remodeling and matrix loss are mediated by bradykinin and precede cardiomyocyte elongation in rats with volume overload.

Objectives We hypothesized that left ventricular (LV) remodeling and matrix loss in volume overload (VO) are mediated by bradykinin (BK) and exacerbated by chronic angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. Background Chronic ACE inhibition increases anti-fibrotic BK and does not attenuate LV remodeling in pure VO. The relative contribution of changes in extracellular matrix versus cardiomyocyte elongation in acute and chronic LV chamber remodeling during VO is unknown. Methods Echocardiography, LV collagen content, and isolated cardiomyocytes were studied in rats after aortocaval fistula (ACF) of 12 h, 2 and 5 days, and 4, 8, and 15 weeks. We also studied ACF rats after BK2receptor (BK2R) blockade (2 days) or ACE inhibition (4 weeks). Results At 2 days after ACF, LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD)/wall thickness was increased, and LV interstitial collagen was decreased by 50% without cardiomyocyte elongation. The BK2R blockade prevented collagen loss and normalized LVEDD/wall thickness. From 4 to 15 weeks after ACF, interstitial collagen decreased by 30% and left ventricular end-systolic (LVES) dimension increased despite normal LVES pressure and isolated cardiomyocyte function. The ACE inhibition did not decrease LVEDD/wall thickness, further decreased LV interstitial collagen, and did not improve LV fractional shortening despite decreased LVES pressure. Conclusions Immediately after ACF induction, eccentric LV remodeling is mediated by interstitial collagen loss without cardiomyocyte elongation. Acute BK2R blockade prevents eccentric LV remodeling and improves function. Chronic ACE inhibition does not prevent eccentric LV remodeling or improve function. These findings suggest that ACE inhibitor-mediated increase in LV BK exacerbates matrix loss and explains why ACE inhibition is ineffective in VO.
Preliminary Lichen Inventory of Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee

Abstract Lichens were collected from Overton Park, an old-growth, urban park in Memphis, TN. The lichen survey was conducted to establish a baseline inventory of lichens present in the most southwestern part of the State of Tennessee. In total, 272 lichen voucher specimens were collected comprising 26 genera and 41 species.
Detecting hunts in wildlife videos

The propose a three-level algorithm to detect animal hunt events in wildlife documentaries. The first level extracts texture, color and motion features, and detects motion blobs. The mid-level employs a neural network to verify the relevance of the detected motion blobs using the extracted color and texture features. This level also generates shot summaries in terms of intermediate-level descriptors which combine low-level features from the first level and contain results of mid-level, domain specific inferences made on the basis of shot features. The shot summaries are then used by a domain-specific inference process at the third level to detect the video segments that contain hunts.
AcrAB and related multidrug efflux pumps of Escherichia coli.

The AcrAB system of Escherichia coli is a multidrug efflux system composed of an RND-type transporter AcrB and a periplasmic accessory protein AcrA, and pumps out a wide variety of lipophilic and amphiphilic inhibitors directly into the medium, presumably through the TolC outer membrane channel. AcrA, a highly elongated protein, is thought to bring the outer and inner membranes closer. It forms a trimer that interacts with a monomeric AcrB, which was shown by in vitro reconstitution to be a proton antiporter. Details of interaction between the AcrAB complex and TolC remain a major topic for study.
Newer concepts in the pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease

Abstract A model of myocardial ischemia based on the balance of oxygen demand and supply is presented. Ischemia is invariably the result of a limited coronary blood flow (supply), but increased oxygen consumption is often cited as a factor causing an imbalance of demand and supply. The role of contractility in ischemia, however, has been overemphasized, and inotropic agents such as glyosides and isoproterenol frequently have effects on supply that overshadow their effects on myocardial oxygen consumption. With deep ischemia leading to infarction, supply also tends to overshadow demand in determining the extent of transmural necrosis. Moreover, the anatomic pattern of supply precisely delineates both the region at risk following coronary occlusion and the ultimate extent of the infarction. These views are presented in anatomic models of myocardial ischemia and infarction.
POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS IN ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY PLANS: PAST USE AND FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS

Using the results of a survey of recovery plans for threatened and endangered species, we evaluated the role that Population Viability Analysis (PVA) has played in recovery planning and management of rare species in the United States. Although there was a significant increase over time in the percentage of plans presenting information on PVA and assigning recovery tasks to collect more such information, the use of PVA was still called for in less than half of the plans approved since 1991. Because scarcity of data for rare species may be limiting the application of PVA to endangered species, we also assessed how often recovery plans proposed to collect the full complement of data required to perform four general types of PVA. For most of the species in the database, proposed monitoring data would allow the simplest type of PVA method (i.e., analysis of total population counts) to be applied, but more complex PVAs would be possible for <25% of the species. We conclude with brief recommendations for how the use of PVA in endangered species recovery planning might be improved in the future.
Vesicle interactions with antibody and peptide hormone: Role of vesicle composition

Artificial lipid vesicles (artificial membranes) were shown to bind human 125I-antithyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and human 125I-thyrotropin. Vesicles made with gangliosides bound more antibody and hormone than vesicles lacking them. These gangliosides contained a variety of carbohydrates including glucose, galactose, N-acetyl-galactosamine, and sialic acid. The in vivo stability of antibody-vesicle complexes was a function of vesicle composition: vesicles were most stable when formed from phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and gangliosides. Anti-Tg-vesicle complexes bind to thyroglobulin, indicating that at least some of the antibody associated with the vesicle still retains ability to bind to its specific antigen. The addition of a specific antibody or hormone to artificial lipid vesicles may serve as a mechanism to confer specificity to the vesicle in vivo.
Qualitative research on psychological experience: A starting point for using interpretative phenomenological analysis

This special session invites academic researchers to temporarily adopt the commitments of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in order to gain insight into psychological experiences in engineering education research. In this session, we will introduce participants to IPA as a methodology that is committed to understanding the lived experience of particular phenomenon while also recognizing that the researcher plays an interpretive role in generating such understanding. The participants will gain an introduction to doing IPA to systematically interpret a transcript through multiple iterations of understanding a text. This experiential learning session will be vibrant with focused activities of conducting qualitative analysis and reflecting on the process. Additionally, we will connect the intentional, analytic processes that are practiced to more holistic principles related to quality in interpretive engineering education research. The expected outcome of this session is that participants will have a robust foundation to begin or advance their inquiries using IPA or other forms of qualitative research.
Active imitation learning of hierarchical policies

In this paper, we study the problem of imitation learning of hierarchical policies from demonstrations. The main difficulty in learning hierarchical policies by imitation is that the high level intention structure of the policy, which is often critical for understanding the demonstration, is unobserved. We formulate this problem as active learning of Probabilistic State-Dependent Grammars (PSDGs) from demonstrations. Given a set of expert demonstrations, our approach learns a hierarchical policy by actively selecting demonstrations and using queries to explicate their intentional structure at selected points. Our contributions include a new algorithm for imitation learning of hierarchical policies and principled heuristics for the selection of demonstrations and queries. Experimental results in five different domains exhibit successful learning using fewer queries than a variety of alternatives.
The Use of Microwaves for the Hyperthermic Treatment of Cancer: Advantages and Disadvantages

Currently there is a renewed interest in the use of hyperthermia as a treatment modality in the management of malignant disease. This interest is based on old, anecdotal data, as well as on recent quantitative investigations (reviews: Dietzel, 1975; Thrall et al., 1976; Har-Kedar and Bleehen, 1976; Bronk, 1976; Gerner et al., 1975). The mode of cell killing by hyperthermia is not well understood. Thermodynamic considerations suggest that protein molecules are at risk, and some authors have focused on chromosomal proteins (review: Dewey, 1977). Other evidence implicates RNA synthesis (Mondovi et al., 1969) or membranes (Bowler et al., 1973; Hahn et al., 1975). Survival curves of mammalian cells exposed to elevated (> 42°C) temperatures for variable lengths of time resemble curves for cells exposed to ionizing radiations, i.e., a shoulder at short exposure times followed then by an exponential part at longer exposure times.
Potential performance analysis and future trend prediction of electric vehicle with V2G/V2H/V2B capability

Due to the intermittent nature, renewable energy sources (RES) has brought new challenges on load balancing and energy dispatching to the Smart Grid. Potentially served as distributed energy storage, Electric Vehicle’s (EV) battery can be used as a way to help mitigate the pressure of fluctuation brought by RES and reinforce the stability of power systems. This paper gives a comprehensive review of the current situation of EV technology and mainly emphasizing three EV discharging operations which are Vehicle to Grid (V2G), Vehicle to Home (V2H), and Vehicle to Building (V2B), respectively. When needed, EV’s battery can discharge and send its surplus energy back to power grid, residential homes, or buildings. Based on our data analysis, we argue that V2G with the largest transmission power losses is potentially less efficient compared with the other two modes. We show that the residential users have the incentive to schedule the charging, V2G, and V2H according to the real-time price (RTP) and the market sell-back price. In addition, we discuss some challenges and potential risks resulting from EVs’ fast growth. Finally we propose some suggestions on future power systems and also argue that some incentives or rewards need to be provided to motivate EV owners to behave in the best interests of the overall power systems.
What drives dynamics in the Gulf of Alaska? Integrating hypotheses of species, fishing, and climate relationships using ecosystem modeling

We use a dynamic ecosystem model to evaluate the relative effects of fishing history, climate change, and predator-prey interactions in determining biomass trajectories for 12 species groups ranging from marine mammals through commercially exploited fish and invertebrates in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Ecosystem model fits under six alternative hy- potheses relating fishing, climate, and predation were evaluated. Fishing alone explained few GOA biomass trajectories; it was necessary to both estimate specific predator-prey relationships and provide some mechanism for increased production. No single control hypothesis explained all species dynamics simultaneously, suggesting that in the GOA, there is no single main driver of the ecosystem. Furthermore, the alternative control hypotheses implied contrasting sets of predator-prey rela- tionships (estimated functional response parameters). Therefore, a single set of "best fit" parameters for a given control hy- pothesis is unlikely to be useful in forecasting. Future modeling efforts supporting ecosystem-based fishery management could retain multiple working models to accommodate complex forcing (fishing, keystone species production, and environ- mental) differentially affecting components of the ecosystem. Resume : Un modele ecosystemique dynamique nous a servi a evaluer les effets relatifs de l'histoire de la peche, du chan- gement climatique et des interactions predateurs-proies sur la trajectoire des biomasses chez 12 groupes d'especes, allant de mammiferes marins jusqu'a des poissons et des invertebres exploites commercialement, dans le golfe de l'Alaska (GOA). Nous avons evalue l'ajustement du modele ecosystemique en fonction de six hypotheses de rechange qui relient la peche, le climat et la predation. La peche seule explique peu des trajectoires de biomasses du GOA; il est necessaire d'estimer des re- lations specifiques predateurs-proies et aussi de fournir un mecanisme quelconque pour l'accroissement de la production. Aucun mecanisme unique de controle n'explique simultanement toutes les dynamiques des especes, ce qui laisse croire que dans le GOA il n'existe pas un facteur explicatif unique de l'ecosysteme. De plus, les hypotheses de controle de rechange presupposent des series contradictoires de relations predateurs-proies (parametres estimes des reponses fonctionnelles). C'est pourquoi, il est peu vraisemblable qu'une seule serie de parametres « d'ajustement optimal » pour une hypothese de controle donnee puisse etre utile pour faire des predictions. Les efforts futurs de modelisation pour appuyer la gestion des peches basee sur l'ecosysteme pourraient retenir plusieurs modeles de travail afin d'accommoder le forcage complexe (pe- che, production des especes phares et environnement) qui affecte de maniere differente les divers compartiments de l'eco- systeme. (Traduit par la Redaction)
An Analytic Structure for the Feasibility Analysis on the Research Infrastructure Projects for the Next-Generation Network Computing Platform

The project to build a next-generation network computing platform is being implemented as part of the initiative to establish a basis for information technology research. The purpose of this project is to promote increased productivity of corporations by creating an environment for tests and evaluations, by establishing IT research facilities and by installing related equipment, which in turn will serve as the basis for technological progress at small and medium-sized companies. The purpose of this study is to construct the analytic structure of the feasibility study on this project.
Techno-Economic Comparison of Silicon Photonics and Multimode VCSELs

Recent technical and commercial milestones in Silicon Photonics technology including its introduction into commercial foundries, and successful integration of most optical components, as well as the choice of single mode fiber in some mega data centers have prompted the speculation that Si photonics is the new low cost solution for optical interconnects and that it may replace multi-mode vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (MM VCSEL). We show that the dominant technology has to offer the lowest cost for the single channel transceiver application, which represents 90% of the data center market and which historically dominates sales. We show that Si photonics is currently significantly more expensive than MM VCSEL for single channel, but that it can make a successful entry into the four channel single mode market with significant growth, capturing 20% of the data center market. We discuss the challenges with Si/InP integration; i.e., hybrid lasers for breaking the cost barrier and to enter the market. We show that both MM VCSEL and Si photonics technologies can operate at 50 Gb/s. We discuss the transmission reach limitations of Si photonics and MM VCSEL and show an example of reach extension for 100 Gb/s using MM VCSEL to 300 m of MM fiber. In addition we show that MM VCSEL has fundamentally lower power consumption than Si photonics and is a good candidate for super-computing applications.
Investigation on the Quality of Water Source in Guangzhou from 2005 to 2007

Objective To investigate the quality of water source in Guangzhou and provide scientific basis for controlling water pollution. Method From 2005 to 2007, samples of water source were collected in every quarter at water treatment plant and analyzed. Result We had collected 94 samples in three years, and tested for 32 general index and ammonia-nitrogen content. The chroma, turbiduty, aluminium, iron, manganese, COD, ammonia-nitrogen, fluoride, aerobic bacterial count, coliform bacteria, fecal coliform indexes were exceed the national standard, with the passing rate of only 3.13.%～93.95%. Conclusion We found that the main pollutant of the water source was organic pollutants. Strengthen the control of water pollution, choosing new water source were the best way to improve the quality of the water supply.
Cosmic parity violation due to a flavor-space locked gauge field

A flavor-space locked gauge field is shown to behave like a birefringent medium, imparting a preferred left- or right-circular polarization onto gravitational waves. In a cosmological scenario, such a gauge field can cause a primordial spectrum of gravitational waves to develop a net handedness. The degree of chiral asymmetry depends on the wavelength, the abundance of the gauge field, and the strength of the gauge coupling. An asymmetry in the gravitational wave spectrum would be imprinted on the photon polarization pattern of the cosmic microwave background at last scattering. In this scenario, cosmic parity violation is written on the sky, as we predict nonzero correlation of the curl polarization with the temperature, as well as curl with gradient polarization. We compare this phenomena with parity violation in models of chiral gravity, in which the chiral asymmetry is primordial, and with models of quintessence cosmic birefringence, in which parity-violating correlations are induced along the line of sight.
Web Infrastructure to Support e-Journal Preservation (and More).

E-journal preservation systems have to ingest millions of articles each year. Ingest, especially of the "long tail" of journals from small publishers, is the largest element of their cost. Cost is the major reason that archives contain less than half the content they should. Automation is essential to minimize these costs. This paper examines the potential for automation beyond the status quo based on the API provided by CrossRef, ANSI/NISO Z39.99 ResourceSync, and the provision of typed links in publishers' HTTP response headers. These changes would not merely assist e-journal preservation and other cross-venue scholarly applications, but would help remedy the gap that research has revealed between DOIs' potential and actual benefits.
Differential diagnosis of Friedreich ataxia

The clinical records of 72 patients with spinocerebellar ataxias which had manifested before the age of 20, were examined in a retrospective study. Depending on whether the muscle stretch reflexes in the legs were positive or negative, two groups were distinguished, that of early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes (EOCA) (13 P.) and that of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) (59 P.). The clinical course was much worse in the FA patients compared with EOCA. Cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus were not a feature of EOCA. Scoliosis and a disturbed position sense in the toes were more frequent in FA cases. The striking differences in clinical signs and course of the diseases justify the differentiation of EOCA from FA, as suggested by Harding in 1981.
Comment on “The Angry Patient”

This article formulates the main problem of the angry patient treated by Dr. Curtis as one of poor ego functioning. This is possibly of neuropsychological origin. Treatment would be training to strengthen ego functions and the patient–therapist relationship would be task oriented. The anger is not dealt with directly except as it interferes with the training. It is predicted that as the ego becomes stronger, the anger will become more controllable. There is some question of whether this patient would be able to cooperate with such a program.
Diminished postprandial hyperemia in patients with aortic and mesenteric arterial occlusive disease. Quantification by magnetic resonance flow imaging.

Background Superior mesenteric blood flow in the fasting and postprandial state in humans can be measured accurately by cine phase-contrast (CPC) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Postprandial flow changes associated with mesenteric arterial occlusive disease (MAOD) are unknown. Methods and Results We used CPC MR imaging to measure fasting and postprandial blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and vein (SMV) in 22 patients (mean age, 69 years) with aortic occlusive disease and MAOD and compared the results with similar measurements in 8 younger, asymptomatic volunteers (mean age, 34 years). All 22 patients had stenosis or occlusion of the splanchnic or pelvic arteries demonstrated by contrast aortography ; 19 were asymptomatic and 3 had symptoms of chronic mesenteric ischemia. Mean fasting blood flow was higher in patients (4.5 mL.kg -1 .min -1 ) than in volunteers (2.3 mL.kg -1 .min -1 ; P<.01). However, postprandial hyperemia (mean percentage change in SMV blood flow) was less in the asymptomatic (70% ; P<.001) and symptomatic patients (29% ; P<.01) than in the volunteers. Postprandial SMV flow was similar to SMA flow in the patients but was significantly greater than SMA flow in the volunteers (P<.005). Conclusions Postprandial mesenteric hyperemia is reduced in older patients with MAOD. The role of aging alone has not been determined. Fasting and postprandial flow changes in these patients may predict the onset of chronic mesenteric ischemia.
Effects of Acid Type and Alta™2341 on Listeria monocytogenes in a Queso Blanco Type of Cheese.

The behavior of Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated during storage of a queso blanco type of cheese produced with acidulants (citric, malic, or acetic acids) and a commercial lactic acid bacterium fermentation product, ALTA TM 2341 (ALTA). The cheese was prepared by direct acidification (final pH 5.2), with and without 0.6% ALTA, inoculated with 10 6 CFU/g of L. monocytogenes, and stored at 4 or 20°C for 42 and 7 days, respectively. Levels of L. monocytogenes increased in cheese coagulated with citric or malic acids and stored at 4°C, but decreased slightly in cheese coagulated with acetic acid At 20°C, counts of L. monocytogenes increased in cheeses acidified with citric or malic acid, but counts did not increase appreciably in cheese acidified with acetic acid When cheese was stored at 4°C, the presence of 0.6% ALTA resulted in lower counts of L. monocytogenes compared with counts in cheese that did not contain ALTA. However, at 20°C populations of L. monocytogenes increased in cheese containing ALTA regardless of acid type. Additional studies compared the effects of acetic acid, alone or in combination with 0.6 or 2.5% ALTA, against low (10 2 CFU/g) and high (10 6 CFU/g) inoculum levels. When inoculum levels were low, pathogen counts decreased by >1.1 log 10 CFU/g in all formulations at 4°C. After 7 days at 20°C, pathogen counts increased in the queso blanco type of cheese prepared with acetic acid alone. In contrast, in the presence of 0.6 or 2.5% ALTA, 7-day counts were less than the initial inoculum. With high inoculum levels at 4°C, counts of L. monocytogenes were less than the initial inoculum in the acetic acid-coagulated queso blanco type of cheese with or without ALTA. At 20°C, counts increased in the queso blanco type of cheese prepared with 0.6% ALTA, but decreased appreciably in cheese prepared with 25% ALTA. These results demonstrate that acetic acid is significantly more effective than malic or citric acids for controlling L. monocytogenes in queso blanco, and that inclusion of ALTA can provide added protection against the pathogen.
Coupling to Fast Waves Near the Lower Hybrid Frequency

Calculations show that the fast wave near the lower hybrid frequency may be launched efficiently into large tokamak plasmas. Coupling efficiency is calculated for waves, which may be useful for current drive experiments in the Princeton Large Torus, the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor, and reactor grade plasmas.
Novel Resolvin D2 Receptor Axis in Infectious Inflammation

Resolution of acute inflammation is an active process governed by specialized proresolving mediators, including resolvin (Rv)D2, that activates a cell surface G protein-coupled receptor, GPR18/DRV2. In this study, we investigated RvD2-DRV2-dependent resolution mechanisms using DRV2-deficient mice (DRV2-knockout [KO]). In polymicrobial sepsis initiated by cecal ligation and puncture, RvD2 (∼2.7 nmol/mouse) significantly increased survival (>50%) of wild-type mice and reduced hypothermia and bacterial titers compared with vehicle-treated cecal ligation and puncture mice that succumbed at 48 h. Protection by RvD2 was abolished in DRV2-KO mice. Mass spectrometry-based lipid mediator metabololipidomics demonstrated that DRV2-KO infectious exudates gave higher proinflammatory leukotriene B4 and procoagulating thromboxane B2, as well as lower specialized proresolving mediators, including RvD1 and RvD3, compared with wild-type. RvD2-DRV2-initiated intracellular signals were investigated using mass cytometry (cytometry by time-of-flight), which demonstrated that RvD2 enhanced phosphorylation of CREB, ERK1/2, and STAT3 in WT but not DRV2-KO macrophages. Monitored by real-time imaging, RvD2-DRV2 interaction significantly enhanced phagocytosis of live Escherichia coli, an action dependent on protein kinase A and STAT3 in macrophages. Taken together, we identified an RvD2/DRV2 axis that activates intracellular signaling pathways that increase phagocytosis-mediated bacterial clearance, survival, and organ protection. Moreover, these results provide evidence for RvD2-DRV2 and their downstream pathways in pathophysiology of infectious inflammation.
Catalase is a determinant of the colonization and transovarial transmission of Rickettsia parkeri in the Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum

The Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) has evolved as a competent vector of the spotted-fever group rickettsia, Rickettsia parkeri. In this study, the functional role of catalase, an enzyme responsible for the degradation of toxic hydrogen peroxide, in the colonization of the tick vector by R. parkeri and transovarial transmission of this pathogen to the next tick generation, was investigated. Catalase gene (CAT) expression in midgut, salivary glands and ovarian tissues exhibited a 2–11-fold increase in transcription level upon R. parkeri infection. Depletion of CAT transcripts using an RNA-interference approach significantly reduced R. parkeri infection levels in midgut and salivary gland tissues by 53–63%. The role of CAT in transovarial transmission of R. parkeri was confirmed by simultaneously blocking the transcript and the enzyme by injecting double-stranded RNA for CAT and a catalase inhibitor (3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) into gravid females. Simultaneous inhibition of the CAT transcript and the enzyme significantly reduced the egg conversion ratio with a 44% reduction of R. parkeri transovarial transmission. These data suggest that catalase is required for rickettsial colonization of the tick vector and transovarial transmission to the next generation.
Ketamine or Ketofol: Do We Have Enough Evidence to Know Which One to Use?

Ketamine and propofol are both commonly used emergency department (ED) procedural sedation agents. Their concurrent administration, often referred to as “ketofol”, is widely used for procedural sedation. A simple google search can lead to a lot of opinions on why we should use propofol, ketamine, or ketofol in a given situation for moderate or deep procedural sedation in the ED, but finding evidence that supports differences these opinions assume is much harder to come by. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Actin isoforms in neuronal development and function.

The actin cytoskeleton contributes directly or indirectly to nearly every aspect of neuronal development and function. This diversity of functions is often attributed to actin regulatory proteins, although how the composition of the actin cytoskeleton itself may influence its function is often overlooked. In neurons, the actin cytoskeleton is composed of two distinct isoforms, β- and γ-actin. Functions for β-actin have been investigated in axon guidance, synaptogenesis, and disease. Insight from loss-of-function in vivo studies has also revealed novel roles for β-actin in select brain structures and behaviors. Conversely, very little is known regarding functions of γ-actin in neurons. The dysregulation or mutation of both β- and γ-actin has been implicated in multiple human neurological disorders, however, demonstrating the critical importance of these still poorly understood proteins. This chapter highlights what is currently known regarding potential distinct functions for β- and γ-actin in neurons as well as the significant areas that remain unexplored.
Characterization of the mechanical properties of cancer cells in 3D matrices in response to collagen concentration and cytoskeletal inhibitors

Cellular processes, such as cell migration, adhesion, and proliferation depend on the interaction between the intracellular environment and the extracellular matrix (ECM). While many studies have explored the role of the microenvironment on cell behavior, the influence of 3D matrix mechanics on intracellular activity is not completely understood. To characterize the relationship between the mechanical components of the microenvironment and intracellular behavior, we use particle-tracking microrheology of metastatic breast cancer cells embedded in 3D collagen gels to quantify the intracellular activity from which the molecular motor activity and stiffness can be determined. Our results show that increasing collagen concentration of the 3D environments leads to an increase in intracellular stiffness and motor activity. Furthermore, our studies demonstrate that intracellular fluctuations depend on collagen concentration, even in the presence of a number of frontline chemotherapeutic and anti-MMP drugs, indicating that ECM concentration is an important and indispensable parameter to consider in drug screening.
Adolescence (Ages 12–20)

Adolescence begins with a well-defined, maturational event, puberty, and ends in a more nebulous manner. Chronologically the end of adolescence is usually defined by the attainment of age 20, but mastery of the psychological tasks of adolescence continues well into young adulthood. This phase of development is usually subdivided into four parts: preadolescence (ages 11–13), early adolescence (ages 13–15), middle adolescence (ages 15–17) and late adolescence (ages 17–19).
Sex Traveler/Enticer

The final type of Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) explored in this brief includes sex travelers/enticers. This subset of victimization is the most under-researched sect of CSEC. A sex traveler/enticer is an offender who travels domestically for the sole purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual act with a minor. These types of offenders utilize persuasion, manipulation, or enticement to coerce a minor into sexual activity. Sex travelers/enticers differ from sex tourists in that travelers mainly exploit children living in the US. Further, what differentiates travelers from other CSEC offenders is the process of enticement. Enticement is the use of any interstate or intrastate facility such as, the Internet, cell phones, or mail service, to deceive a minor into engaging in sexual activity. Similar to that of other CSEC offenses, the Internet and technological advances have propagated the coercion and manipulation of youth. The chance of an American child being enticed or targeted is incredibly high. Data suggests that 20 % children between the ages of 10 and 17 were sexually solicited on at least one occasion via the Internet. To our knowledge, the data regarding the traveler are limited. However, federally informed research suggests that middle-aged, Caucasian males are the primary traits of travelers. Their education levels, occupations, and socioeconomic status can vary significantly. They too may be situational or preferential offenders. The primary goals of these types of offenders include gaining the trust of the victim and manipulating them to perform lewd sexual acts; therefore, grooming of their victims is essential. Offenders may send gifts or bribes, find out information about family members or interests, and identify weaknesses to exploit the youth in the future. Once the offender has earned the trust of the victim, he will likely convince the youth to meet at a desired location with the intent of sexual exploitation.
Use of Mouthguards and Association With Concussion Rates in Rugby: A Critically Appraised Topic

Clinical Question: In rugby players, does using a mouthguard reduce the risk of concussion? Clinical Bottom Line: After examining the three studies included in this critical appraisal, results are ...
Metabolic Characterization of Inflammatory Breast Cancer With Baseline FDG-PET/CT: Relationship With Pathologic Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Receptor Status, and Tumor Grade.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine if, in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), baseline metabolic activity (maximum standardized uptake value [SUVmax]) of primary tumor and involved regional lymph nodes (IRLN) are prognostic markers of response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAS). Patients and Methods Baseline 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans were retrospectively reviewed among 61 women with IBC who received NAS, had mastectomy, and had available pathology reports. Primary tumor and IRLN SUVmax were compared between patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) versus those with residual disease after NAS. A multivariate Cox model was fit to evaluate the effects of SUVmax on overall survival, adjusting for pCR and stratified by receptor status and disease stage. Results SUVmax in primary IBC tumors tended to increase with tumor grade (trend test P = .06) and was lower for stage III, non–triple-negative (TN) versus stage III, TN and stage IV, non-TN disease (P = .04). Neither primary tumor nor IRLN SUVmax was significantly different comparing pCR versus residual disease after NAS. Adjusting for pathology response in the overall survival model stratified by stage and receptor status, baseline SUVmax in primary IBC tumor was associated with an estimated hazard ratio of 1.10 (95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.25; P = .15) for patients with stage III, TN and stage IV, non-TN disease. This hazard ratio corresponded to a 1.74-fold risk of death with 1 standard deviation (SD = 5.9) increase in baseline SUVmax in primary IBC tumor. Conclusion 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography provides prognostic information for newly diagnosed IBC. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and assess how such early information could affect treatment choices for IBC in the neoadjuvant setting.
Regulating microbiome manipulation

A crucial consideration for the clinical application of any burgeoning science is when the understanding of that field can be implemented without the risk of unforeseen harm. In our opinion, the need for caution is particularly urgent with respect to increasingly prevalent applications of microbiome science to medicine.
On Becoming a Plague Doctor.

On Becoming a Plague Doctor Despite its fearsome appearance, the plague doctor’s costume — the “personal protective equipment” of the Middle Ages — had a noble purpose. It was intended to enable ph...
Third-Order Statistics Reconstruction From Compressive Measurements

Estimation of third-order statistics relies on the availability of a huge amount of data records, which can pose severe challenges on the data collecting hardware in terms of considerable storage costs, overwhelming energy consumption, and unaffordably high sampling rate especially when dealing with high-dimensional data sources such as wideband signals. To overcome these challenges, this paper focuses on the reconstruction of the third-order cumulants under the compressive sensing framework. We derive a transformed linear system that directly connects the cross-cumulants of compressive measurements to the desired third-order statistics. We provide sufficient conditions for lossless third-order cumulant reconstruction via solving simple least-squares, and quantify the strongest achievable compression ratio. To reduce the computational burden, we also propose an approach to recover diagonal cumulant slices directly from compressive measurements, which is useful when the cumulant slices are sufficient for the inference task at hand. As testified by extensive simulations, the developed joint sampling and reconstruction approaches to third-order statistics estimation are able to reduce the required sampling rates significantly by exploiting the cumulant structure resulting from signal stationarity, even in the absence of any sparsity constraints on the signal or cumulants.
BGG reciprocity for current algebras

In Bennett et al. [BGG reciprocity for current algebras, Adv. Math. 231 (2012), 276–305] it was conjectured that a BGG-type reciprocity holds for the category of graded representations with finite-dimensional graded components for the current algebra associated to a simple Lie algebra. We associate a current algebra to any indecomposable affine Lie algebra and show that, in this generality, the BGG reciprocity is true for the corresponding category of representations.
Every rose has its thorns: Domesticity and care beyond the dyad in ECEC:

Care is traditionally researched in ECEC as a dyadic, human phenomenon that relies heavily of tropes of females as care providers. The assumption that care is produced in dyadic relationships occlu...
Should VCs' Principals Specify Minimum Portfolio Returns to be Delivered by Venture Capitalists (VCs)?

This study finds specification of minimum portfolio returns to be delivered by VCs in contracts that subsist between VCs and their principals is not a necessary condition for incentivization of optimal portfolio performance. Within populations of VCs who are characterized by risk aversion, formal theoretical predictions show competition only serves for revelation of true ability of VCs, as such, in entirety is self serving. Within said population, efficiency of financial inter-mediation is endogenously induced by structure of investment opportunity set risk. Absent demonstrations of ability by risk seeking VCs, the continuum of investment opportunity set risk that is occupied by said VCs would be lacking in economic viability. We have then that within said continuum, demonstrations of ability on part of risk seeking VCs induce each of viability and efficiency of financial inter-mediation. While there exists some overlap region in interior of the continuum that is occupied by each of risk averse and risk seeking VCs, we arrive at clustering of risk averse or risk seeking VCs to the right, and to the left, respectively of the overlap region. Overlap is feasible, because the overlap region is, for each of risk averse or risk seeking VCs, the 'lowest portfolio return segment', and because VCs' principals assess each of risk averse or risk seeking VCs on basis of First-order Stochastic Dominance and skewness of project returns. In aggregate, the continuum of opportunity set risk consists of a 'native risk-return' segment populated by risk averse VCs, an 'ability-induced risk-return' segment populated by risk seeking VCs, and an overlap region in interior of the continuum. Absent any assumptions to the effect, the formal theoretical model generates heterogeneity of necessity of pay-performance sensitivities within venture capital markets. In presence of heterogeneity of pay-performance sensitivities, and feasibility of negotiation of higher 'carry' by reputable VCs, VCs which achieve superior performance rationally are able to transition to smaller fund sizes. Formal theoretical support for rationality of transitions to smaller fund sizes by superior performers within venture capital markets had hitherto been lacking in literature of finance.
Social media derived biomarkers of mental health: opportunities, pitfalls, and the next frontier

Social media data is being increasingly used to computationally learn about and infer behaviors and underlying psychologies of people. Adopting a social ecological perspective, this talk highlights a series of approaches that allow the gleaning of potentially useful mental health biomarkers by harnessing At the same time, the talk discusses a critical analytic study surrounding the pitfalls of social media biomarkers of mental health -- in particular, the theoretical, domain, and psychometric validity of this novel information source as well as its underlying biases, when appropriated to augment conventionally gathered biomarkers, such as those gathered via surveys and verbal self-reports. Then, to overcome these pitfalls, this talk presents results from a case study, where computational algorithms to glean mental health biomarkers from social media were developed in a context-sensitive and human-centered way, in collaboration with domain experts and stakeholders. Specifically, this study, a collaboration with a health provider, reveals the ability and implications of using social media data of consented schizophrenia patients to forecast relapse and support clinical decision-making. The talk concludes with provocations of the path forward, emphasizing the need for a collaborative, multidisciplinary research agenda while realizing the potential of social media derived biomarkers in mental health -- one that incorporates methodological rigor, ethics, and accountability, all at once.
Synthesis and characterization of trigonal bipyramidal FeIII complexes and their solution behavior

Abstract A series of air-stable trigonal bipyramidal FeIII complexes supported by a redox non-innocent NNN pincer ligand, CztBu(PyrR)2− (R = iPr, Me, or H), were synthesized, fully characterized, and utilized for the investigation of the interaction between acetone and the FeIII center. The magnetic moments determined from the paramagnetic 1H NMR spectra in conjunction with EPR and Mossbauer spectroscopy indicate the presence of a high-spin ferric center. Cyclic voltammetry studies feature two quasi-reversible events corresponding to a metal-centered FeIII/II reduction around −0.40 V (vs. Fc) and a ligand-centered CztBu(PyrR)2/CztBu(PyrR)2 + oxidation at potentials near +0.70 V (vs. Fc). UV–Visible spectroscopy in CH2Cl2 showcases ligand–metal charge transfer (LMCT) bands, as well as coordination of acetone to CztBu(PyrH)2FeCl2. In situ IR spectroscopy and solution conductivity (κ) measurements of CztBu(PyrR)2FeCl2 with varied equivalents of acetone reveal that acetone is weakly associated with the iron center.
The oldest co-opted gag gene of a human endogenous retrovirus shows placenta-specific expression and is upregulated in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Vertebrate genomes contain endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that represent remnants of past germline infections by ancient retroviruses. Despite comprising 8% of the human genome, the human ERVs (HERVs) do not encode a replication competent retrovirus. However, some HERV genes have been co-opted to serve host functions, most notably the viral envelope-derived syncytins involved in placentation. Here, we identify the oldest HERV intact gag gene with an open reading frame (ORF), gagV1. Its provirus contains an intact env, envV1, and the first ORF found in a HERV gag leader, pre-gagV1, which encodes a novel protein. This HERV is linked to a related gag gene, gagV3, and these three genes all show patterns of evolutionary conservation in primates. gagV1 and pre-gagV1 orthologs are present in all simian primate lineages indicating that this HERV entered the germline of the common simian primate ancestor at least 43 million years ago, while gagV3 is found in Old and New World monkeys. gagV1 and gagV3 have undergone recurrent gene conversion events and positive selection. Expression of gagV1, gagV3, and pre-gagV1 is restricted to the placenta in humans and macaques suggesting co-option for placenta-specific host functions. Transcriptomic analysis of human tumors also found upregulated levels of gagV1 transcripts in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. These findings suggest that these HERV-V genes may be useful markers for the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and that they may have contributed to the successive domestications of env and gag genes in eutherians involved in the ongoing ERV-driven evolution of the placenta.