cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A synthesis of bentho-pelagic coupling on the Antarctic shelf: Food banks, ecosystem inertia and global climate change

Abstract The Antarctic continental shelf is large, deep (500–1000 m), and characterized by extreme seasonality in sea-ice cover and primary production. Intense seasonality and short pelagic foodwebs on the Antarctic shelf may favor strong bentho-pelagic coupling, whereas unusual water depth combined with complex topography and circulation could cause such coupling to be weak. Here, we address six questions regarding the nature and strength of coupling between benthic and water-column processes on the continental shelf surrounding Antarctica. We find that water-column production is transmitted to the shelf floor in intense pulses of particulate organic matter, although these pulses are often difficult to correlate with local phytoplankton blooms or sea-ice conditions. On regional scales, benthic habitat variability resulting from substrate type, current regime, and iceberg scour often may obscure the imprint of water-column productivity on the seafloor. However, within a single habitat type, i.e. the muddy sediments that characterize much of the deep Antarctic shelf, macrobenthic biomass appears to be correlated with regional primary production and sea-ice duration. Over annual time-scales, many benthic ecological processes were initially expected to vary in phase with the extraordinary boom/bust cycle of production in the water column. However, numerous processes, including sediment respiration, deposit feeding, larval development, and recruitment, often are poorly coupled to the summer bloom season. Several integrative, time-series studies on the Antarctic shelf suggest that this lack of phasing may result in part from the accumulation of a persistent sediment food bank that buffers the benthic ecosystem from the seasonal variability of the water column. As a consequence, a variety of benthic parameters (e.g., sediment respiration, inventories of labile organic matter, macrobenthic biomass) may act as “low-pass” filters, responding to longer-term (e.g., inter-annual) trends in water-column production. Bentho-pelagic coupling clearly will be altered by Antarctic climate change as patterns of sea-ice cover and water-column recycling vary. However, the nature of such climate-driven changes will be very difficult to predict without further studies of Antarctic benthic ecosystem response to (1) inter-annual variability in export flux, and (2) latitudinal gradients in duration of sea-ice cover and benthic ecosystem function.
Phenomenological Description of Tropical Clouds UsingCloudSatCloud Classification

AbstractTwo years of tropical oceanic cloud observations are analyzed using the operational CloudSat cloud classification product and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) lidar. Relationships are examined between cloud types, sea surface temperature (SST), and location during the CloudSat early morning and afternoon overpasses. Based on CloudSat and combined lidar–radar products, the maximum and minimum cloud fractions occur at SSTs near 303 and 299 K, respectively, corresponding to deep convective/detrained cloud populations and the transition from shallow to deep convection. For SSTs below approximately 301 K, low clouds (stratiform and stratocumulus) are dominant (cloud fraction between 0.15 and 0.37) whereas high clouds are dominant for SSTs greater than about 301 K (cloud fraction between 0.18 and 0.28). Consistent with previous studies, most tropical low clouds are associated with lower SSTs, with a strong inverse linear relationship between low cloud frequenc...
Billions of basepairs of recently expanded, repetitive sequences are eliminated from the somatic genome during copepod development

Background Chromatin diminution is the programmed deletion of DNA from presomatic cell or nuclear lineages during development, producing single organisms that contain two different nuclear genomes. Phylogenetically diverse taxa undergo chromatin diminution — some ciliates, nematodes, copepods, and vertebrates. In cyclopoid copepods, chromatin diminution occurs in taxa with massively expanded germline genomes; depending on species, germline genome sizes range from 15 – 75 Gb, 12–74 Gb of which are lost from pre-somatic cell lineages at germline – soma differentiation. This is more than an order of magnitude more sequence than is lost from other taxa. To date, the sequences excised from copepods have not been analyzed using large-scale genomic datasets, and the processes underlying germline genomic gigantism in this clade, as well as the functional significance of chromatin diminution, have remained unknown.
Pacific leatherback turtles face extinction.

Fisheries can help avert the alarming decline in population of these ancient reptiles. The dwindling numbers of leatherback turtles are signalling a threat to biodiversity in the oceans. A mathematical model based on our assessment of a once-large leatherback population predicts that unsustainable adult mortality, apparently due to human fishing activity, will soon drive this population to extinction.
Lyn tyrosine kinase signals cell cycle arrest in mouse and human B-cell lymphoma.

Tumor dormancy is an operational term used to describe a prolonged quiescent state in which tumor cells are present, but tumor progression is not clinically apparent. In order to study the mechanisms underlying tumor dormancy, we have utilized two murine models of dormancy with an aggressive murine B-cell lymphoma (BCL1) [1–3]. In the first model, BALB/c mice are immunized to the idiotype (Id) of the BCL1 immunoglobulin (Ig) before challenge with BCL1. In the second model, antibody to various epitopes on the BCL1 Ig (an IgM-λ) are injected into SCID mice before or after challenge with BCL1. In naive BALB/c or SCID mice, the tumor grows primarily in the spleen and splenomegaly is detected approximately one month after challenge with 3 x 104106 BCL1 cells. In Idimmune mice injected with 106 BCL1, 70% do not develop splenomegaly by day 60. We have used this time period as an arbitrary cut-off and have considered such mice to harbor dormant tumor. When the spleens of Id-immunized BALB/c mice that display tumor dormancy are examined, a population of dormant lymphoma cells (DLC) can be isolated by multiparameter cell sorting. The rarity of λ light chain in BALB/c mice (usually less than 0.5%) has facilitated isolation of the DLC. Examination of these cells shows that they are physiologically different from those of BCL1 cells growing in non-immune BALB/c.
Quantitation of experimental aortic regurgitation by roentgen videodensitometry

Abstract Videodensitometry was employed to evaluate the presence and degree of aortic regurgitation in 4 anesthetized closed chest dogs with chronically implanted aortic electromagnetic flow transducers before and after the creation of aortic regurgitation by valvotomy. Angiograms were recorded on magnetic tape after injection of 4 to 6 ml of radiopaque material (Renovist), and videodensograms (roentgendensity-time curves) were recorded upstream and downstream to the aortic valve on replay of the video tape. The aortic regurgitant index (X) was calculated as the ratio of areas (in roentgen density·seconds) of the left ventricular and aortic videodensograms. Eighty-eight determinations, covering a wide range of aortic regurgitation, were made at heart rates ranging from 50 to 200 beats/min and compared to simultaneously obtained regurgitant indexes by electromagnetic flowmeter (F), F = 0.92 X − 0.01, r = 0.95, and by upstream-sampling indocyanine green dye-dilution technique (D), D = 0.91 X + 0.05, r = 0.92. Replicate measurements of the regurgitant index by Videodensitometry were closely similar. We believe that Videodensitometry provides a sensitive method for detection and estimation of the severity of aortic regurgitation, presumably applicable in man.
Death Receptor–Independent Activation-Induced Cell Death in Human Melanoma Antigen–Specific MHC Class I–Restricted TCR-Engineered CD4 T Cells

Engaging CD4 T cells in antitumor immunity has been quite challenging, especially in an Ag-specific manner, because most human solid tumors usually do not express MHC class II molecules. We have recently shown that human CD4 T cells engineered to express a human melanoma-associated antigenic epitope, MART-127-35, specific MHC class I-restricted transgenic TCR function as polyfunctional effectors that can exhibit a helper as well as cytolytic effector function, in an epitope-specific and MHC class I-restricted manner (Chhabra et al. 2008. J. Immunol. 181: 1063-1070; Ray et al. 2010. Clin. Immunol. 136: 338-347). TCR-engineered (TCReng) CD4 T cells therefore have translational potential, and clinical trials with MHC class I TCReng CD4 T cells are under way. In this study, we show that although TCReng CD4 T cells could be useful in cancer immunotherapy, they are also susceptible to epitope-specific activation-induced cell death (AICD). We also show that the AICD in TCReng CD4 T cells is a death receptor-independent process and that JNK and p53 play critical roles in this process as pharmacological inhibitors targeting JNK activation and p-53-mediated transcription-independent mitochondria-centric death cascade rescued a significant fraction of TCReng CD4 T cells from undergoing AICD without affecting their effector function. Our data offer novel insights toward AICD in TCReng CD4 T cells and identify several potential targets to interfere with this process.
Equity Planning Outside City Hall Rescaling Advocacy to Confront the Sources of Urban Problems

Focusing on progressive economic development policy and the institutional form of the community–labor coalition—an alliance between labor unions and urban advocacy organizations—this article assesses the potential to scale equity planning “up” to political scales at which redistributive policy is both more effective and more likely to be enacted. I investigate when and why scaling up works through a comparison of two differently scaled campaigns to raise wages in Chicago’s service industries. The results indicate that equity planners in City Hall can expand their ability to address structural economic problems by allying with nationally organized activist organizations.
Colobronchial fistula as a late complication of coloesophageal interposition.

Abstract A 20-yr-old man developed recurrent respiratory symptoms and left lower lobe pneumonia 14 yr after long-segment colonic interposition for corrosive esophageal injury. A fistula, from a redundant supradiaphragmatic pouch of colon to a subsegmental bronchus of the lower lobe of the left lung, was discovered and treated successfully with surgical resection. This previously unreported complication, therefore, should be considered in patients who develop respiratory symptoms after coloesophageal interposition.
JOB TENURE AND THE SPREAD OF 401(K)S

Commentators constantly cite an increase in labor mobility as a major reason for the shift in the private sector from defined benefit to defined contribution plans. But while most casual observers accept such a phenomenon, economists have been hard pressed to find any significant change over time. Only in recent years have the data indicated that mobility might have increased for some groups. This pattern suggests that the advent of 401(k) plans led to an increase in mobility rather than an increase in mobility leading to the proliferation of 401(k)s. This brief attempts to sort out this "chicken and egg" issue using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).
Changes in Legal Socialization over Time

Our descriptive model of legal socialization includes three kinds of variables: legal reasoning, attitudinal factors rooted in particular situations, and behaviors. Our first empirical task is to describe these variables within our sample populations and show whether and how they changed during the socializing period. In this chapter we present a descriptive mapping of the socialization process, showing how legal development level, normative status of the behaviors, enforcement status of the rules, and frequency of rule-violating behaviors changed between the beginning and the end of the academic year. Possible relationships among the variables as they change, including our test of the competing hypotheses, are discussed in later chapters. Here we report data from two socialization designs: the first, which reflects natural socialization, follows a sample population of entering freshmen to the end of their first academic year; the second is an experimental design in which we manipulated the rule-enforcing environment for a representative population in four resident halls.
Solar-to-Biomass Conversion Efficiency

A maximum theoretical yield in solar-to-biomass conversion can be estimated from the efficiency of the photosynthetic process, considering utilization of all available light. The solar-to-biomass conversion yield is expected to be higher in algae than in terrestrial plants, because algae do not need to consume energy for the development of supporting structures, but all algal biomass is photosynthetically active. However, photosynthetic productivities obtained during mass cultivation of wild type algal strains are far below theoretical calculations, mainly because of light utilization inefficiency.
Introduction: Bullying and Hazing as Institutional and Societal Problems

This article introduces an issue of the Northeastern University Law Journal including articles related to bullying and follows a national symposium held at the law school on March 30, 2012 about bullying and a related practice, hazing. The questions we might ask about bullying and hazing are numerous. To what extent does, and should, law play a role in deterring and/or providing recompense for the victims of bullying or hazing? If law does play a role, what form does and should it take – statutory law, administrative law, case law (primarily torts), or other law? For those who perpetrate these acts, should only civil liability be imposed or should statutes criminalize the conduct? Are there competing social values or interests that limit either civil liability or give caution to the imposition of criminal sanctions? To what degree has legislation directed towards bullying or hazing actually been effective in reducing their incidence? To what extent does responsibility for these acts extend beyond the primary perpetrators to the institutions in which, or related to which, acts of bullying or hazing occur? This piece considers why bullying and hazing are of such huge importance, not only to the victims of such behavior, but also to others.
Some Recent Studies in Aquatic Hemiptera (including a new subgenus and a new species)

In the course of my studies on the taxonomy of the aquatic Hemiptera, there have accumulated a number of observations, some of which I wish to record at this time.
Comparison of Predatory Behavior in Five Species of Toxorhynchites (Diptera: Culicidae)

This study compares consumption and surplus killing aspects of feeding strategies of five Toxorhynchites species as fourth instars. Body movements are similar during attack and disposal of prey. An attack resulting in consumption is usually associated with an S-shaped posture of the predator during ingestiun. An attack resulting in abandonment of the prey is usually accompanied by a wiping of the mandibles across the aciculae. The predator species differ in intensity and temporal patterns of consumption and surplus killing. Species within a subgenus are the most similar in feeding and developmental characteristics. These characteristics can be used to predict characteristics of the original habitat. Three strategies of surplus killing are distinguished by various combinations of age at onset and intensity. Regardless of pattern of surplus killing, it never begins before most predator species achieve the minimal weight required for pupation.
Effects of UAS-Specific Capacity Constraints on Delays and Aircraft Encounters

This paper presents the impacts of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)-specific sector capacity constraints on the delay of UAS and the number of encounters between UAS and manned aircraft. The capacity constraints – represented by a limit placed on the number of aircraft allowed in a given sector – are satisfied by delaying the departure times of UAS that would otherwise exceed the constraint while preserving the intended routes of flights. A first-come first-served departure scheduler is used to determine departure times delays for UAS that satisfy the UAS-specific sector capacity constraints. In this paper, using both time-based and distance-based criteria for determining the aircraft encounters, the conflict risk for different UAS-specific capacity constraints is analyzed. Fast-time simulation results show that the number of encounters generally decreases as the UAS-specific sector capacity is reduced. When the capacity constraints are two times tighter, the number of encounters is reduced by up to 42%. The results also show a general trend toward increased departure delay for UAS as the capacity constraints get tighter.
Refinement of a Recent CFTR Homology Model Guided by Pore Formation

Cystic Fibrosis, which affects nearly 1 in 2,500 births in the Caucasian population, is caused by various mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. CFTR is a member of the ATP-binding-cassette (ABC) protein superfamily. While most ABC proteins are importers or exporters, CFTR is the only one that has evolved to function as an ion channel. Currently no crystal structure of full length CFTR exists, but due to its biological relevance, many CFTR homology models have been proposed. Now, using a recently published and experimentally supported model of CFTR, we have carried out all-atom Molecular Dynamics (MD) in an attempt to further characterize the dynamics of this recalcitrant protein. First, we refined the model utilizing MD flexible fitting (MDFF) and structural data from a 9-A cryo-EM map of CFTR. Next, roughly 1 microsecond of equilibrium MD simulations of the model within a membrane was used to probe three physically relevant states: the apo state, the proposed semi-apo state (1 ATP bound), and the bound state (2 ATP bound). Results show both experimentally demonstrated protein interactions as well as new, untested ones. For instance, an ATP-dependent interaction between the X-loop and Q-loop motifs was observed. A mechanistic picture of how ATP binding leads to channel activity will be reported. Specifically, structural metrics of protein motion are defined and used to explain the formation of a pore within CFTR in simulations when ATP is bound.
End-of-Life Issues for LGBT Elders

This chapter explores the end-of-life issues and what makes end-of-life issues different for LGBT adults. The laws and policies relating to end-of-life have many presumptions that favor family, specifically biological or adoptive family and family from marriage. These presumptions impact health care decision-making, visitation policies, health insurance, health benefits, retirement plans, taxation, and inheritance rules. The expansion of same-sex marriage is changing this picture, but a great deal of work remains to be done. Societal homophobia impacts access to care, relationship recognition, and even funeral planning. Ageism is common in some parts of the LGBT community, casting a shadow over many LGBT elders. Many of the current generation of LGBT elders survived the darkest days of AIDS and HIV, and this experience influences their views on aging and end-of-life.
Application of Distributed Control System on Variable Frequency Speed Regulation for Equipment Blender

The principle of frequency conversion technology was introduced.The merits of distributad control system applied in the engineering was analyzed,using DCS to control variable frequency speed regulation controller,thus control equipment blender motor speed,make motor in the output torque and power consumption same energy saving and emission reduction lesser,in order to achieve the goal.
Adaptability Analysis of Micro-power Wireless Communication Technology in Power Lines

For the field area communication network in transmission and distribution power grids,micro-power wireless technology has to solve the adaptive problem of long-distance transmission while supporting the time synchronization requirements of information processing.The building of a field area network using micro-power wireless transmission technology based on IEEE 802.11g is discussed,focusing on theoretical communication throughput,latency analysis in peer-topeer networking topology,followed by MATLAB simulation and experiment of the long-distance communication.Based on the data obtained and IEEE 2030,the adaptability of micro-power wireless communication technology in field area network is put forward.For the traffic synchronization demands of electric power information in the power system,an improved synchronization method for transmission and distribution power grids in deployed micro-power wireless technology is proposed, followed by performance analysis and simulation of the proposed synchronization algorithm.
On the prevalence of function side effects in general purpose open source software systems

A study that examines the prevalence and distribution of function side effects in general-purpose software systems is presented. The study is conducted on 19 open source systems comprising over 9.8 Million lines of code (MLOC). Each system is analyzed and the number of function side effects is determined. The results show that global variables modification and parameters by reference are the most prevalent side effect types. Thus, conducting accurate program analysis for many adaptive changes processes (e.g., automatic parallelization to improve their parallelizability to better utilize multi-core architectures) becomes very costly or impractical to conduct. Analysis of the historical data over a seven-year period for 10 systems show that there is a relatively large percentage of affected functions over the lifetime of the systems. The trend is flat in general, therefore posing further problems for inter-procedural analysis.
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase regulation by DNA methylation, transcription factor binding and alternative splicing (Review)

The catalytic subunit of telomerase, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), plays an essential role in telomere maintenance to oppose cellular senescence and, is highly regulated in normal and cancerous cells. Regulation of hTERT occurs through multiple avenues, including a unique pattern of CpG promoter methylation and alternative splicing. Promoter methylation affects the binding of transcription factors, resulting in changes in expression of the gene. In addition to expression level changes, changes in promoter binding can affect alternative splicing in a cotranscriptional manner. The alternative splicing of hTERT results in either the full length transcript which can form the active telomerase complex with hTR, or numerous inactive isoforms. Both regulation strategies are exploited in cancer to activate telomerase, however, the exact mechanism is unknown. Therefore, unraveling the link between promoter methylation status and alternative splicing for hTERT could expose yet another level of hTERT regulation. In an attempt to provide insight into the cellular control of active telomerase in cancer, this review will discuss our current perspective on CpG methylation of the hTERT promoter region, summarize the different forms of alternatively spliced variants, and examine examples of transcription factor binding that affects splicing.
Using decision modeling to guide drug allocation during a shortage

Background Drug shortages require clinical teams to decide how to allocate drugs in limited supply among their patients. Ethical frameworks are invaluable for promoting rational approaches to drug distribution, but gaps remain between ethical theory and clinical application. The goal of this work was to explore how decision modeling could supplement ethical frameworks to inform drug distribution from the perspective of a clinical team. Procedure We created a hypothetical pediatric oncology clinic with a limited supply of 50,000 mg of methotrexate (MTX) and 21 patients due for treatment on one of six regimens. We constructed a simple decision analytic model to compare the effectiveness of MTX in milligrams per life year saved for each regimen. The robustness of the model was tested under various conditions including alternative drug effectiveness and time horizons. Effects on outcomes and distribution by substituting alternative dosing were explored for each regimen. Results Prescribed therapy for this group of patients required 108,791 mg MTX. Two regimens for three patients required ≥20,000 mg/m2. If distributed in order of arrival, only seven patients could receive full treatment. If distributed in order of efficiency, 19 patients could receive treatment. If less effective regimens were substituted, 20 patients could receive treatment. The primary driver of efficiency was dose per square meter. Conclusions In this hypothetical drug shortage, no allocation scenario exists that does not result in a worse outcome for some patients. Evidence of drug efficacy affected the decisions to substitute alternative treatments. First-come-first-served allocation resulted in fewer patients receiving treatment than allocation based on efficiency.
Abstract P167: Conditional Deletion of the Na+/H+ Exchanger 3 in the Proximal Tubule of the Kidney Promotes Pressure Natriuresis in Mice

The development and progression of most, if not all, forms of hypertension appear to converge on a final common pathway or mechanism, i.e., increased renal salt retention due to significantly impaired pressure natriuresis responses. Yet the factors responsible for resetting the pressure natriuresis response in hypertension remain to be determined. The present study tested the hypothesis that the upregulation of the sodium and hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) impairs while selective knockout of this transporter in the proximal tubule promotes pressure natriuresis and lowers blood pressure in mice. Proximal tubule-specific NHE3 knockout mice (PT-NHE3-KO) were generated by the Cre/Lox approach, and confirmed by complementary PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescent imaging of NHE3 expression in the proximal tubule of the kidney, respectively. No abnormal histological phenotypes were observed in small intestines and the kidney of PT-NHE3-KO mice. Compared with wild-type mice (WT, n=12), PT-NHE3-KO mice (n=10) had significantly lower basal systolic blood pressure (WT: 116 ± 3 mmHg versus PT-NHE3-KO: 103 ± 3 mmHg, p
Differentially-Private Big Data Analytics for High-Speed Research Network Traffic Measurement

High-speed research networks (e.g., Internet2, Geant) represent the backbone of large-scale research projects that bring together stakeholders from academia, industry and government. Such projects have increasing demands on throughput (e.g., 100Gbps line rates), and require a high amount of configurability. Collecting and sharing traffic data for such networks can help in detecting hotspots, troubleshooting, and designing novel routing protocols. However, sharing network data directly introduces serious privacy breaches, as an adversary may be able to derive private details about individual users (e.g., personal preferences or activity patterns). Our objective is to sanitize high-speed research network data according to the de-facto standard of differential privacy (DP), thus supporting benefic applications of traffic measurement without compromising individuals' privacy. In this paper, we present an initial framework for computing DP-compliant big data analytics for high-speed research network data. Specifically, we focus on sharing data at flow-level granularity, and we describe our initial steps towards an environment that relies on Hadoop and HBase to support privacy-preserving NetFlow analytics.
Nonterminating q-Whipple Transformations for Basic Hypergeometric Series in U(n)

In this paper we derive multivariable generalizations of Bailey’s classical nonterminating q-Whipple and q-Saalschutz transformations. We work in the setting of multiple basic hypergeometric series very-well-poised on unitary groups U(n + 1), multiple series that are associated to the root system A n . We extend Bailey’s proofs of these transformations by first taking suitable limits of our U(n+ 1) 10ϕ9 transformation formula, in which the multiple sums are taken over an n-dimensional tetrahedron (n-simplex). A natural partition of the (finite) n-simplex combines with our analysis of the convergence of the multiple series to yield our transformations. We expect that all of these results will directly extend to the analogous case of multiple basic hypergeometric series associated to the root system D n .
Therapeutic Interventions for Caregiving Families

Families are key components of the health services delivery system, yet without appropriate integration with those systems. This chapter identifies challenges faced by families whose care for older members has shifted into the greater intensity level referred to as caregiving. This chapter begins with an analysis of the interface of families with healthcare systems, a critical context for the experience of family care for and with older adults. The structure of care over time is then explored as another critical context for understanding what could facilitate family resilience amidst care challenges. Characteristics of successful interventions with particular caregiving populations are then described. Finally, key questions to guide family therapists in helping family caregivers are presented and linked to the family resilience framework.
Before the window closed: internationalism, crossing borders, and reaching out to sisters across the seas

AbstractThis article puts into conversation existent and new scholarship regarding black radical women of the Left in the United States and South Africa during the twentieth century. It is primarily concerned with the evolution of women’s protest from localized issues of race-based discrimination to international, anti-colonial protests of the era. It is a timely response to contemporary historical analyses that emphasize the necessity of broadening historical concepts to include themes that cross traditional chronological, ideological, and geographical lines. This article posits four women whose ideological and organizational connections extended far beyond their own national borders and helped to change contemporary ideas regarding the supposed place of black women in national and international protests. The article illustrates the high level of awareness and commonality between communities in protest, and speaks directly to the conflicting intersections of gender, race, and protest that traversed both ...
Percutaneous Resection of Renal Pelvis and Calyceal Tumors

This chapter describes in details all the aspects of percutaneous management of renal pelvis tumors. These tumors are mostly low grade and bulky and the resection is with the intent of complete, curative and sometimes palliative purposes. Majority of these patients have compromised renal function or have significant co morbidities. The technical aspects of resection, follow up biopsy and surveillance are described with video samples of different stages. There will also be description of intracavitary treatment.
Genetic Polymorphism and Neomutationism

In the last several decades neo-Darwinism, particularly the balance theory of evolution (Dobzhansky 1955), has remained a dominant force in evolutionary biology. In this theory natural selection plays the most important role in determining the extent of genetic polymorphism and the rate of evolution. Although mutation is regarded as the ultimate source of genetic variation, its role in evolution is considered to be minor. This is because mutation occurs repeatedly at the phenotypic level and most natural populations seem to carry a sufficient amount of genetic variability, so that almost any genetic change can occur by natural selection whenever the change is needed. Namely, natural selection plays a creative role (Mayr 1963; Dobzhansky 1970). This is in sharp contrast to the mutationist’s view of evolution that prevailed in the first quarter of this century (e.g., Morgan 1925, 1932). In mutationism (in Morgan’s sense not de Vries’) natural selection plays a less important role than mutation, and its chief role is to preserve rare useful mutations and eliminate unfit genotypes; all creative roles are given to mutation. In the 1930’s and 1940’s mutationism gradually became unpopular among biologists for various reasons, and by 1950 it almost disappeared.
Electron Interactions with Cl2, CCl2F2, BCl3, and SF6

In this chapter we assess and synthesize the available information on the cross sections and the rate coefficients for collisional interactions of chlorine (Cl2) [1], dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl2F2) [2], boron trichlo-ride (BCl3) [3], and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) [4]. Definitions of the symbols we use to describe the various collision processes for these gases are as discussed in Ch. 1 (Table 1.3). All four gases are used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices and have a number of other important applications (for instance, SF6is the most commonly used gaseous dielectric [5]).
Open Educational Resources: The New Frontier:

Open educational resources (OERs) are materials that are available freely to students and faculty. While the concept of OERs was created about 10 years ago, the field of public health and health education has not widely adopted these materials. This article discusses the positive benefits of OERs to students and faculty, along with some of the potential challenges faced by adopting OERs. Ultimately, OERs could prove to be a solution to ensuring up-to-date information reaches students, faculty, and practitioners in the field and offer textbooks at a reasonable cost for students.
Enhanced nucleophilic substitution with coordinated 4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine: X-ray structures of 4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine (Bipy-Cl2), cis-dichlorobis(4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine)rhodium(III) hexafluorophosphate [Rh](PF6), and tris(4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) hexafluorophosphate [Ru](PF6)2

Abstract The chemical reactivity of 4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine (bipy-Cl2) changes profoundly upon coordination to a [Ru]2+ center. When not coordinated to [Ru]2+, bipy-Cl2 is relatively unreactive toward nucleophiles; but when coordinated to [Ru]2+, the chlorine atoms become susceptible to nucleophilic displacement. The X-ray structures of bipy-Cl2, cis-dichlorobis (4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine)rhodium (III) hexafluorophosphate [Rh](PF6), and tris(4,4‘-dichloro-2,2‘-bipyridine)ruthenium (II) hexafluorophosphate [Ru](PF6)2 reveal that the carbon-chlorine bond lengths do not change substantially upon coordination to the rhodium or ruthenium centers – implying that the carbon-chlorine bond strengths also do not change substantially. B3LYP calculations reveal that the standard enthalpy of activation (ΔH°≠) for the nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atom in [Ru (bipy)2{bipy-Cl}]2+(bipy = 2,2‘-bipyridine; bipy-Cl = 4-chloro-2,2‘-bipyridine) by OCH3− is 46.7 kJ mol−1, while the calculated ΔH°≠ value for the nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atom in free bipy-Cl by OCH3− is 72.8 kJ mol−1. However, the B3LYP calculations of the ΔH°≠ values for the nucleophilic displacement of the chlorine atom in the cis and trans isomers of [Ru (bipy) (2,2‘-biphenyl){bipy-Cl}], which are neutral complexes, are 76.0 and 73.8 kJ mol−1 respectively – comparable to that for the reaction involving free bipy-Cl. Hence, the calculations suggest that the overall positive charge of the complex is primarily responsible for lowering the activation barrier to nucleophilic substitution in coordinated chloro-bipyridines.
Elderly patients with multiple comorbidities: insights from the bedside to the bench and programmatic directions for this new challenge in lung transplantation

In aging populations, many patients have multiple diseases characterized by acceleration of the aging process including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and chronic kidney disease. Remarkable progress in minimally invasive, interventional therapies, such as percutaneous coronary intervention and transcatheter aortic valve replacement has enabled patients who were previously not transplant candidates because of co-existing problems to become potentially viable candidates for lung transplantation. Recently, we have observed an outstanding and steady increase in patients older 70 years of age with multiple comorbidities who are referred to our high-volume center as potential candidates for lung transplantation. However, the impact of diseases characterized by an accelerated aging process and their treatments on transplant outcomes remains unclear. This review aims to highlight these challenges in the current era of lung transplantation, review the prior literature, and discuss future directions with a multidisciplinary view including translational research, transplant medicine, and surgery, as well as from a programmatic and administrative standpoint.
Treatment of pediatric extra-axial sinogenic infection: case series and literature review.

Analyze the clinical presentation, microbiology, outcomes, and medical and surgical treatment strategies of intracranial extension of sinogenic infection in pediatric patients. A retrospective, single-center study of patients < 18 years of age, presenting with intracranial extension of bacterial sinogenic infections requiring surgical intervention over a 5-year period, was conducted. Electronic medical records were reviewed for age, sex, primary symptoms, duration of symptoms, presence of sinusitis at initial presentation, microorganisms isolated, mode of surgery, timing of surgery, length of stay, and neurologic sequelae. Seventeen patients were identified; mean age was 10 years with 82.3% male predominance. Average duration of illness prior to presentation was 9.8 days, with 64.7% of patients displaying disease progression while on oral antibiotics prior to presentation. Sinusitis and intracranial extension were present in all patients upon admission. Simultaneous endoscopic endonasal drainage and craniotomy were performed on 70.5% of the patients, with the remaining 29.5% undergoing endonasal drainage only. Of the patients who underwent simultaneous endoscopic endonasal drainage and craniotomy, 17.6% required repeat craniotomy and 5.8% required repeat sinus surgery. The most commonly isolated organisms were S. intermedius (52.9%), S. anginosus (23.5%), and S. pyogenes (17.6%). All patients were treated postoperatively antibiotic on average 4–6 weeks. Frequently occurring long-lasting complications included seizures (29.4%) and focal motor deficits (17.6%); learning disability, anxiety disorders, impaired cognition, and sensory deficits occurred less frequently. In the case of intracranial extension of bacterial sinogenic infection, early identification and surgical treatment are crucial to avoid neurological sequelae.
Nonesterified fatty acids, cognitive decline, and dementia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Dementia is rapidly growing as sources of morbidity and mortality as the US population ages, but its pathophysiology remains poorly understood. As a result, no disease-modifying treatments currently exist. We review the evidence that nonesterified fatty acids may play a key role in this condition. RECENT FINDINGS Nonesterified fatty acids appear to influence several pathways leading to dementia. In addition to their vascular effects, these moieties cross the blood-brain barrier, where they are toxic to several cell types. They may also influence insulin metabolism in the brain directly and indirectly, and some drugs that lower circulating levels appear to slow cognitive decline and brain atrophy in diabetes. SUMMARY Nonesterified fatty acids may contribute to dementia, much as they do to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Several therapeutic agents lower circulating levels of nonesterified fatty acids and should be tested for their potential preventive effects on cognitive decline in healthy populations before irreversible neuronal attrition occurs.
Vibrations and Wave Propagation in Rods

Abstract This article devoted to vibrations and wave propagation in rods does not attempt to cover all aspects of the subject. The enormous amount of research on the dynamic behavior of rods and the extensive literature that has resulted has forced a selection of the topics that are described. In deciding what to omit and what to include the guide has been Professor Mindlin's own research. Included are those topics on which he himself worked or which he directly influenced. The article describes theoretical studies directed to isotropic, linearly elastic rods. Space has been assigned to the various topics roughly in proportion to the attention each has received in the literature. The first section, which is devoted to extensional waves in rods is, accordingly, the longest. Torsional vibrations of rods is treated briefly and flexural vibrations in detail. The section on other vibrations in circular rods is short, after which vibrations in rods of non-circular section is discussed at greater length. In the final section, research is described in which Professor Mindlin was not directly involved but in which his theories were instrumental in the solution of the problem.
Antibiotic de-escalation on internal medicine services with rounding pharmacists compared to services without

Background Antimicrobial stewardship programs ensure antibiotic therapy is used appropriately and includes de-escalation when clinical status or culture data indicates broad-spectrum agents are no longer needed. Although the impact of infectious diseases clinical pharmacists has been well documented, there is limited research evaluating the impact of adult internal medicine clinical pharmacists on broad-spectrum antibiotic de-escalation while rounding on internal medicine teams. Objective To determine if broad-spectrum antibiotics were de-escalated more regularly and more rapidly in patients on internal medicine services with a rounding pharmacist at the bedside compared to internal medicine services without rounding pharmacists. Setting A single 700 bed academic medical center in the United States of America. Method This was a prospective observational cohort chart review. Main outcome measure The primary endpoint was appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotic de-escalation within 72 h or upon return of culture results. Result A total of 64 patients were included in this study with 39 in the pharmacist group and 25 in the no pharmacist group. De-escalation occurred in 35/39 patients on services with pharmacists and in 13/25 patients on services without pharmacists (p = 0.001). In terms of mean days of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, services with rounding pharmacists saw patients on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus coverage for an average of 2.12 days of their duration of therapy compared to 2.8 days in those without pharmacists (p = 0.821). Services with rounding pharmacists saw patients on Pseudomonas aeruginosa coverage for 2 days of their length of stay compared to 3 days in those without pharmacists (0.398). Conclusion This data shows that broad-spectrum antibiotics were de-escalated more frequently on medicine services with rounding pharmacists compared to services without pharmacists.
Long-term cochlear implantation outcomes in patients following head injury.

Objective In cases of a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss following head injury, the cochlear implant (CI) is the primary option for auditory rehabilitation. Few studies, however, have investigated long-term CI outcomes in patients following head trauma, including those without temporal bone fracture (TBF). Herein, the aim of this study is to examine CI outcomes following cases of head injury with and without TBF. Methods Audiometric outcomes of patients who received a CI due to a head injury resulting in severe to profound hearing loss at two tertiary care hospitals were analyzed. Patients were divided into those who received a CI in a fractured temporal bone (group A, n = 11 patients corresponding to 15 ears) and those who received a CI in a non-fractured temporal bone (group B, n = 8 patients corresponding to nine ears). Primary outcomes included duration of deafness prior to CI and postoperative consonant-nucleus-constant whole word (CNC) scores. Results Nineteen patients (84% male), corresponding to 24 CIs, were identified. Fifteen CI were performed on ears with TBF (group A), and nine CI were performed on ears without TBF (group B). No patients had an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). The mean duration of deafness was 5.7 and 11.3 years in group A and group B, respectively. The mean duration of CI follow-up (CI experience) was 6.5 years in group A and 2.1 years in group B. The overall mean postoperative CNC score for all subjects was 68.6% (±21.2%, n = 19 with CNC testing). There was no difference in CNC score between group A and group B (69.8% and 66% respectively, P = .639). Conclusion The study is among the largest series examining long-term outcomes of CI after head injury. CI is an effective method for auditory rehabilitation in patients after head injury. Level of evidence IV.
Identity evolution of STEM teachers in Egyptian STEM schools in a time of transition: a case study

The study was initiated as a response to the growing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) experience in Egypt in terms of the growing number of schools, number of students admitted, and the effect of this experience on the overall education system in the country. Viewing teachers as the backbone of the STEM experience and teaching as a relational sociocultural practice (Biesta, G. & Stengel, B. (2016) AREA Handbook of research on teaching, 5th edition), this research explores the evolution of teachers’ STEM identity during their professional journey in the Egyptian STEM education reform initiative. The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamic dialogical interaction between the different factors impacting the development/evolution of the STEM teachers’ identity. The study is guided by the following research questions: A multiple holistic case study design was used to explore the research questions within the bounded context of an established Egyptian STEM school. Data for this study were drawn from (1) semi-structured interviews conducted with seven teachers from an Egyptian STEM school and (2) document analysis of Ministry of Education decrees and the published reports of Education Consortium for the Advancement of STEM in Egypt. Using inductive and deductive data analysis, teachers were found to have undergone a deep transformative change process from a traditional teacher into teachers with a progressive mindset and student-centered classroom practices. The teachers developed strong conceptualizations of the STEM education, stressed the importance of collaboration, critical thinking, and motivation for teachers seeking to work in a STEM setting, and considered themselves moving towards established STEM teachers’ identity. This study concluded that STEM teachers’ identity can be viewed as a dialogical, dynamic, and evolving process that results from the interaction of personal and professional traits within new educational experiences exemplified by the new and different experiences in their STEM schools. Despite several challenges, such as limited resources and influence from the bureaucracy and norms of the traditional education system, the teachers still persist in their professional growth and desire to impact the larger context of the Egyptian education system.