cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Mod-p Alon-Babai-Suzuki Inequality

Alon, Babai and Suzuki proved the following theorem: i>Let p be a prime and let K, i>L be two disjoint subsets of l0, 1, … , i>p − 1r. i>Let vi>Kv e i>r, vi>Lv e i>s, i>and assume r(i>s − r + 1) ≤ i>p − 1 i>and n ≥ i>s + kr where kr is the maximal element of K. Let {\cal F} i>be a family of subsets of an n-element set. Suppose that (i) vi>Fv ∈ i>K (mod i>p) i>for each F ∈ {\cal F}s (ii) vi>E {\cap} i>Fv ∈ i>L (mod i>p) i>for each pair of distinct sets E, i>F ∈ {\cal F}. i>Then |{\cal F}| \leq ({n\atop s}) + ({n\atop s-1}) + \cdots + ({n\atop s-r+1}). They conjectured that the condition that i>r(i>s − r + 1) ≤ i>p − 1 in the theorem can be dropped and the same conclusion should hold. In this paper we prove that the same conclusion holds if the two conditions in the theorem, i.e. i>r(i>s − r + 1) ≤ i>p − 1 and i>n ≥ i>s + i>kr are replaced by a single more relaxed condition 2i>s − i>r ≤ i>n.
Polioencephalomalacia in a white-tailed deer. (Odocoileus virginianus borealis).

Polioencephalomalacia of ruminants is considered a noninfectious disease which most frequently affects cattle and sheep. The disease occurs in cattle of all ages, but the highest incidence is in 3- to 8-month-old calves10. In Colorado 12- to 18-month-old cattle had the highest incidence. The disease seems less severe in animals which are on pasture than those in feedlotsg. Polioencephalomalacia affects sheep of all ages from 10-day-old lambs to adults, a greater incidence being reported in pregnant ewe@. The disease has been described in a 2-year-old goat which was on a clean pasturelz. No report describing this disease in deer (Odocoilez4.r spp.) was found in the literature. TOURNUT et a1.20 reported polioencephalomalacia in a 6-month-old female antelope of unspecified variety. However, the basis for this diagnosis was the animal's response to thiamine therapy and polioencephalomalacia was not confirmed by post mortem examination. The purpose of this paper is to describe a spontaneous case of polioencephalomalacia in a white-tailed deer which was also infested with Pneumostrongylus tenuis.
Rationalization of State and Society: A Weberian View of Early Japan

This paper attempts to interpret Japanese institutional syncretism in light of the Weberian theory of rationalization. Much of the historical evidence revolves about the codification of Japanese law and the increasing formalization (e.g., bureaucratization) of both the political State and religion in early Japan, and particularly in reaction to the influence of China. Weber's differentiation of the types of rationality have enabled us to interpret the occurrence of the patterning of Japanese religion as syncretistic religion. A particular substantive rationality with an emphasis on methodical ways of life - with the Japanese emperor (tenno) and Shinto rituals as the sacred spiritual foundation, especially among aristocracies - subjugated practical rationality and led to the development of formal rationality in early Japan
Captivity induces hyper-inflammation in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus).

SUMMARY Some species thrive in captivity but others exhibit extensive psychological and physiological deficits, which can be a challenge to animal husbandry and conservation as well as wild immunology. Here, we investigated whether captivity duration impacted the regulation of a key innate immune response, inflammation, of a common wild bird species, the house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ). Inflammation is one of the most commonly induced and fast-acting immune responses animals mount upon exposure to a parasite. However, attenuation and resolution of inflammatory responses are partly coordinated by glucocorticoid hormones, hormones that can be disregulated in captivity. Here, we tested whether captivity duration alters corticosterone regulation and hence the inflammatory response by comparing the following responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; a Gram-negative bacteria component that induces inflammation) of birds caught wild and injected immediately versus those held for 2 or 4 weeks in standard conditions: (1) the magnitude of leukocyte immune gene expression [the cytokines, interleukin 1β and interleukin 6, and Toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 )], (2) the rate of clearance of endotoxin, and (3) the release of corticosterone (CORT) in response to endotoxin (LPS). We predicted that captivity duration would increase baseline CORT and thus suppress gene expression and endotoxin clearance rate. However, our predictions were not supported: TLR4 expression increased with time in captivity irrespective of LPS, and cytokine expression to LPS was stronger the longer birds remained captive. Baseline CORT was not affected by captivity duration, but CORT release post-LPS occurred only in wild birds. Lastly, sparrows held captive for 4 weeks maintained significantly higher levels of circulating endotoxin than other groups, perhaps due to leakage of microbes from the gut, but exogenous LPS did not increase circulating levels over the time scale samples were collected. Altogether, captivity appears to have induced a hyper-inflammatory state in house sparrows, perhaps due to disregulation of glucocorticoids, natural microflora or both.
Fairness, Stability and Optimality of Adaptive Multiagent Systems: Interaction Through Resource Sharing

An argument for stability is derived for multiagent systems characterized by resource sharing and algorithm selection. These multiagent systems reflect the trends of modern information systems and the argument made here can serve as a guide to designing robust multiagent systems. The argument is that fairness leads to stability and consequently optimality. The fairness is allocating resources according to the utilities achievable by individual agents. On the other hand, unfairness arises when resources are allocated strictly equally or as reserved beforehand. The source of instability is identified as excess resources resulting from the unfairness. Since excess resources of some agents can be utilized by others, a system becomes vulnerable to instability due to the interactions from resource sharing. The fairness eliminates excess resources and agents become securing definite valuations of resources, as a result of utility-maximizing behaviors. As a consequence, the system reaches an optimal equilibrium voluntarily after any perturbation.
Activation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Parathyroid Hormone Receptor Inhibits Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Aortic Fibrosis in Diabetic Arteriosclerosis

Rationale: Vascular fibrosis and calcification contribute to diabetic arteriosclerosis, impairing Windkessel physiology necessary for distal tissue perfusion. Wnt family members, upregulated in arteries by the low-grade inflammation of “diabesity,” stimulate type I collagen expression and osteogenic mineralization of mesenchymal progenitors via β-catenin. Conversely, parathyroid hormone (PTH) inhibits aortic calcification in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-deficient mice fed high fat diabetogenic diets (HFD). Objective: We sought to determine the impact of vascular PTH receptor (PTH1R) activity on arteriosclerotic Wnt/β-catenin signaling in vitro and in vivo. We generated SM-caPTH1R transgenic mice, a model in which the constitutively active PTH1R variant H223R (caPTH1R) is expressed only in the vasculature. Methods and Results: The caPTH1R inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling, collagen production, and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and calcification in vitro. Transgenic SM-caPTH1R;LDLR +/− mice fed HFD develop diabesity, with no improvements in fasting serum glucose, cholesterol, weight, body composition, or bone mass versus LDLR +/− siblings. SM-caPTH1R downregulated aortic Col1A1 , Runx2 , and Nox1 expression without altering TNF , Msx2 , Wnt7a/b , or Nox4 . The SM-caPTH1R transgene decreased aortic β-catenin protein accumulation and signaling in diabetic LDLR +/− mice. Levels of aortic superoxide (a precursor of peroxide that activates pro–matrix metalloproteinase 9 and osteogenic signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells) were suppressed by the SM-caPTH1R transgene. Aortic calcification, collagen accumulation, and wall thickness were concomitantly reduced, enhancing vessel distensibility. Conclusions: Cell-autonomous vascular smooth muscle cell PTH1R activity inhibits arteriosclerotic Wnt/β-catenin signaling and reduces vascular oxidative stress, thus limiting aortic type I collagen and calcium accrual in diabetic LDLR-deficient mice.
Environmentally friendly synthesis of biaryls: Suzuki reaction of aryl bromides in water at low catalyst loadings

Abstract Pd(DPPF)Cl 2 is shown to be an extremely active catalyst for the Suzuki reaction of aryl bromides in water. This green procedure provides biaryls in excellent yields and high turnover numbers (TONs) (TONs up to 870,000 for the reaction of 1-bromo-4-nitrobenzene and phenylboronic acid). A small amount of PEG-2000 also allows the recycling of the palladium catalyst for three times without any significant loss of catalytic activity.
Simulated Annealing: Folklore, Facts, and Directions

Simulated annealing is a (sometimes-maligned) probabilistic search method used in global optimization. Folklore has it that simulated annealing must use static (generally-large) neighborhoods, that it must blindly propose moves independently of objective-function values, that it must waste a lot of (computer) time rejecting moves, that tabu search and genetic algorithms as well as random restarting and deterministic methods are disjoint from simulated annealing, and that the canonical cooling schedule is worthwhile. All this is false. After exploding these myths, the role of search diversification in eliminating pathologies and in setting the stage for guaranteed linear speedup of parallel search is pointed out. Next we sketch a way to use low-discrepancy point sets in a preprocessor. Finally, we outline methods to handle noisy objective functions and argue that convergence results for simulated annealing have strong practical relevance in that setting.
3.4 Negotiating the Boundaries Within: An Anthropologist at Home in a Multiethnic Neighborhood in Urban Japan

The author revisits her field experience of living in a multiethnic neighborhood in urban Japan, where people of different historical, socio-cultural, and political backgrounds reside, taking an autoethnographic approach. The neighborhood was becoming multiethnic with an arrival of new immigrants at the time of her fieldwork. The purpose of this exploration is to re-examine her interaction with her research participants and research findings, and to add another layer of analysis to understand the role of interpretation and her role as a “native” anthropologist doing research “at home.” Through this examination, she clarifies many shades of “insider” and “outsider” status and how they depend on particular relationships in particular situations. She also shows how her positionality of being an “insider” led to a specific kind of “positioned” knowledge and “partial” perspectives in her interpretation of school and community. At the end, she discusses what role interpretation played in this study and why her analysis produced a critical assessment of educational programs in the field site.
Should microvolt T-wave alternans be utilized routinely in selecting patients for prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertion in the setting of ischemic heart disease?

Most patients who receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention never develop sustained ventricular arrhythmias. In addition, the majority of patients in the overall population who die suddenly are not identified by current methods of risk stratification ([1][1]).
Simultaneous determination of multiple tetracycline residues in milk by metal chelate affinity chromatography : Collaborative study

To meet federal and state regulatory needs, a liquid chromatographic (LC) method with ultraviolet (UV) detection was developed for determination of 7 tetracyclines at 30 ng/mL in milk. Raw milk samples are defatted, acidified, and centrifuged to remove proteins, and tetracyclines are specifically absorbed from the milk by chelation with metal ions bound to small Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow columns. Tetracyclines are removed from these columns with EDTA-containing buffer, and extracts are further cleaned by ultrafiltration. Finally, extracts are concentrated and analyzed simultaneously by using on-line concentration. This method was validated in a collaborative study that involved 11 laboratories, including the authors' laboratory. Each laboratory was asked to prepare and analyze known control and fortified milk samples, as well as 18 coded blind samples. Eight laboratories completed all analyses. Average interlaboratory recoveries for the known fortified samples ranged from 59% (methacycline at 15 ng/mL) to 78% (oxytetracycline at 60 ng/mL). Average recovery for each of 7 residues at 30 ng/mL were between 60 and 110%, meeting single-residue guidelines for accuracy set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSD R ) for the known fortified samples varied from 11 to 39%, with 6 of 7 residues at the 30 ng/mL level having RSD R values at or below 20%. Seven of 8 laboratories correctly identified blind control milk samples and all 28 residues present in blind samples. The metal chelate affinity-LC method for determination of multiple tetracycline residues in milk has been adopted first action by AOAC INTERNATIONAL.
Punitive Warfare, Counterterrorism, and

In order to address whether states can ever have the proper authority to militarily punish other international agents, I examine three attempts to justify punitive warfare from Augustine, Grotius and Locke for their relevance to both our contemporary international legal and political order and our contemporary security threats from sporadic terrorist or militant violence. Once a plausible model for a state’s valid authority to punish international agents is found, I will consider what punitive aims it can support and what challenges such punitive warfare would have in satisfying the remaining jus ad bellum conditions.
Level of Dietary Adherence to WCRF/AICR Recommendations among 81,079 Adventist Health Study-2 Participants

Background: More than 50 years of Adventist research on diet and disease risk, diet has been quantified by nutrients, food groups, and dietary patterns. An alternative and novel approach is the ind...
A Supply Chain Game Theory Framework for Cybersecurity Investments Under Network Vulnerability

In this paper, we develop a supply chain game theory framework consisting of retailers and consumers who engage in electronic transactions via the Internet and, hence, may be susceptible to cyberattacks. The retailers compete noncooperatively in order to maximize their expected profits by determining their optimal product transactions as well as cybersecurity investments in the presence of network vulnerability. The consumers reveal their preferences via the demand price functions, which depend on the product demands and on the average level of security in the supply chain network. We prove that the governing Nash equilibrium conditions of this model can be formulated as a variational inequality problem, provide qualitative properties of the equilibrium product transaction and security investment pattern, and propose an algorithm with nice features for implementation. The algorithm is then applied to two sets of numerical examples that reveal the impacts on the equilibrium product transactions, the security levels, the product prices, the expected profits, and the retailer vulnerability as well as the supply chain network vulnerability, of such issues as: increased competition, changes in the demand price functions, and changes in the security investment cost functions.
Induction of therapeutic senescence in vemurafenib-resistant melanoma by extended Inhibition of CDK4/6

Dysregulation of the p16-cyclin D1-CDK4/6-Rb pathway occurs frequently in melanoma; however, the therapeutic efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibition remains to be critically evaluated. We demonstrate that CDK4/6 inhibition inhibits melanoma progression through induction of senescence. Palbociclib, a specific CDK4/6 inhibitor, rapidly induces cell cycle arrest within 24 hours and continued exposure for 8 days or longer induces senescence. The induction of senescence correlates with inhibition of mTOR and more specifically mTORC1 signaling. Vemurafenib, a specific BRAF(V600E) inhibitor, has significant clinical efficacy in BRAF(V600E)-positive melanomas, but its impact is hampered by a rapid acquisition of resistance. Strikingly, we found that vemurafenib-resistant tumors remain sensitive to palbociclib, suggesting that initial treatment with vemurafenib followed by palbociclib with or without mTOR inhibitors might provide an avenue to overcome recurrence of vemurafenib-resistant metastatic disease. Taken together, these results support palbociclib as a promising therapeutic for treatment of melanoma. Cancer Res; 76(10); 2990-3002. ©2016 AACR.
Factors Influencing Effectiveness of Artificial Oviposition Devices for Apple Maggot

Paraffin-petrolatum domes or Parafilmed® wire hemispheres developed as oviposition devices for the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), were more effective (l) when used in cages shaded from direct light than when in unshaded cages; (2) when positioned on the cage floor and upright than when 13 cm above the floor or inverted; and (3) when baited with pre-ripe, crisp chunks of apple than when baited with fresh juice from such apples, apple cider, apple essence, or unbaited, Adults in unshaded cages appeared more excited and died earlier than adults in shaded cages. Paraffin-petrolatum domes were more effective (1) when formed with a smooth, rather than an irregular outer surface; (2) when colored with the largest amount of blue dye tested (short of that affecting the consistency of the paraffin-petrolatum mixture); and (3) when formed with the largest mesh size of cheesecloth tested. Wire hemispheres surfaced with 5 layers of Parafilm were more effective than those with 1 or 10 layers. When the most favorable levels of each of these factors were incorporated into a single experiment, a mean of 217.1 eggs per female (yielding 181.5 larvae) was obtained using paraffin-petrolatum domes and 133.9 eggs per female (yielding 117.8 larvae) using Para filmed wire hemispheres. Oviposition was at its peak when the adults were 4-6 weeks old; some continued to lay viable eggs even when 20 weeks old. Under the most favorable conditions, females lived an average of 69 days and males 60 days. An inadvertent increase in the relative humidity in some cages from the normal level of circa 51% to that of 85% or more resulted in earlier death of many adults. When moisture began to condense on the outer surface of the oviposition devices, females did not oviposit.
Enterovesical Fistula Secondary to Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of Appendix

AbstractWe report an unusual case of an enterovesical fistula secondary to adenocarcinoma of the appendix. (J. Urol., 138: 617–618, 1987)
THE SEVERELY DISABLED DRIVER: GEAR RATIO AND DRIVER TIME DELAY EFFECTS ON THE DYNAMICS OF STEERING

ABSTRACT Adaptation of standard power-assisted steering systems to the capabilities of the severely disabled driver requires (1) reducing driver effort at the steering wheel and (2) reducing the range of steering wheel rotation by reducing the gear ratio. This reduction, although desirable at low speeds, produces at high speeds unnecessary sensitivity which taxes the attention of the disabled driver and reduces the stability margin of the system. Through a simplified closed loop computer model of the driver/vehicle system (based on McRuer's cross-over model), the effects of steering ratio and driver time delay are investigated. Preliminary results show that a driver time delay greater than 0.4 s or a gear ratio smaller than 12 renders the system unstable.
Big Data and Smart (Equitable) Cities

Elected officials and bureaucrats claim that Big Data is dramatically changing city hall by allowing more efficient and effective decision-making. This has sparked a rise in the number of “Offices of Innovation” that collect, manage, use and share Big Data, in major cities throughout the U.S. This paper seeks to answer two questions. First, is Big Data changing how decisions are made in city hall? Second, is Big Data being used to address social equity and how? This study examines Offices of Innovation that use Big Data in five major American cities: New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Louisville, focusing specifically on three dimensions of Big Data and social equity: data democratization, digital access and literacy, and promoting equitable outcomes. Furthermore, this study highlights innovative practices that address social problems in order to provide directions for future research and practice on the topic of Big Data and social equity.
Differential effects of myostatin deficiency on motor and sensory axons

Introduction: Deletion of myostatin in mice (MSTN-/-) alters structural properties of peripheral axons. However, properties like axon diameter and myelin thickness were analyzed in mixed nerves, so it is unclear if loss of myostatin affects motor, sensory or both types of axons. Methods: Using the MSTN-/- mouse model, we analyzed the effects of increasing the number of muscle fibers on axon diameter, myelin thickness, and internode length in motor and sensory axons. Results: Axon diameter and myelin thickness were increased in motor axons of MSTN-/- mice without affecting internode length or axon number. The number of sensory axons was increased without affecting their structural properties. Discussion: These results suggest that motor and sensory axons establish structural properties by independent mechanisms. Moreover, in motor axons, instructive cues from the neuromuscular junction may play a role in co-regulating axon diameter and myelin thickness, while internode length is established independently. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Moisture Degradation Effects on the Mechanical Properties of HFPE-II-52 Polyimide: Experiments and Modeling

Polyimide resins are widely used as a matrix for high temperature fiber reinforced composites. However, when operated or stored in a hot wet environment, polyimides may undergo significant moisture degradation, greatly reducing the mechanical performance of the polyimide or polyimide matrix composite. The mechanisms of moisture degradation explored in this paper are twofold. First, hydrolytic degradation may occur, in which chemical bonds break at a rate that depends on temperature and moisture level. Hydrolytic degradation will be reflected in permanent decreases to the stiffness and strength of the material. Second, water vapor can act as a plasticizer at high temperature and cause instantaneous but reversible reduction of mechanical properties. A set of experiments designed to study the hydrolytic degradation and plasticization of the polyimide HFPE-II-52 are described here. The experiments consist of exposing the polyimide to high temperature, moisture saturated conditions over a range of times and temperatures. Following moisture exposure, compression tests are performed to measure the reductions of stiffness and yield stress. Temperature and moisture dependent kinetic models are developed and fit to the data. These experiments and models aim to provide a means for predicting the onset and rate of moisture degradation and its effect on the mechanical performance of polyimides and polyimide matrix composite laminates.
Characterization of Primary Carrier Transport Properties of the Light-Harvesting Chalcopyrite Semiconductors CuIn(S1–xSex)2

We report the carrier transport properties of CuIn(S1–xSex)2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), a promising chalcopyrite semiconductor series for solar water splitting. A low concentration Mg dopant is used to decrease the carrier resistivity through facilitating bulk p-type transport at ambient temperature. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements reveal a four-order magnitude decrease in bulk electrical resistivity (from 103 to 10–1 Ohm cm) for 1% Mg-doped CuIn(S1–xSex)2 as x increases from 0 to 1. Hall effect measurements at room temperature reveal p-type majority carrier concentrations that vary from 1015 to 1018 cm–3 and mobilities of approximately 1–10 cm2 V–1 s–1. These results provide insights into the fundamental carrier transport properties of CuIn(S1–xSex)2 and will be of value in optimizing these materials further for photoelectrochemistry applications.
Differentiation of clear from non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma using CT washout formula.

INTRODUCTION: To further elucidate potential patterns of contrast enhancement for renal neoplasm subtypes, we investigated utility of contrast washout formula to differentiate renal tumor histology after multiphase computerized tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single center retrospective cohort study of 163 patients with multiphase CT for renal masses obtained October 2007 to July 2012. Pathology confirmed clear cell (CC-RCC; n = 92), papillary (Pa-RCC; n = 43), chromophobe (Ch-RCC; n = 6), oncocytoma (OC; n = 11), or angiomyolipoma (AML; n = 11) histology. Two radiologists in consensus and blinded to histology recorded tumor size, morphology, and attenuation measurements in Hounsfield Units (HU). Data were analyzed between subgroups based on histology. Enhancement washout of the tumor was calculated by the formula (Mass nephrographic HU-Mass delayed HU)/(Mass nephrographic HU-Mass non-contrast HU) and used to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Tumor size was largest among CC-RCC (p < 0.001). Homogeneous composition was more common among Pa-RCC and Ch-RCC (p < 0.001). Median washout for Ch-RCC (0.27) was significantly different from that of OC (0.54, p = 0.05). Overall 25 (15.3%) of tumors had washout < 0. Tumors with washout value < 0 were Pa-RCC 24/43 (56%), and Ch-RCC 1/6 (14%). Washout value < 0 had a specificity of 99.2% for Pa-RCC and 100% for non-CC-RCC. Washout value ≥ 0 had a sensitivity and NPV of 100% for CC-RCC, OC, and AML. Washout value ≥ 0 had a specificity of 35.2% and a PPV of 66.7% for CC-RCC. CONCLUSIONS: Enhancement washout value < 0 is highly specific for Pa-RCC and non-CC-RCC. Washout value ≥ 0 is highly sensitive for CC-RCC, OC, and AML while there was a significant difference in median washout between OC and Ch-RCC. Further prospective investigation is requisite to confirm these findings.
Cervical Cancer Screening

Cervical cancer screening has significantly reduced the incidence of cervical cancer in the United States. National recommendations have evolved to keep pace with advancement in our understanding of human papilloma virus (HPV) biology as well as improvements in HPV testing. This chapter summarizes present national screening guidelines, reviews information regarding recent development in HPV biology and testing, discusses some of the controversies related to screening and provides clinicians with talking points for their patients.
Abstract 12575: Cellular Basis of C-Type Natriuretic Peptide Produced Augmentation on Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Functional Performance in Heart Failure

Background: In addition to its well-known vasodilating and natriuretic actions, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), has been viewed as an endogenous inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system, but its...
Electromagnenic Ghost Waves

Anisotropic dielectrics support ghost waves that combine properties of propagating and evanescent fields. Similarly to negative index media, these modes can grow exponentially through the transparent anisotropic material, leading to dramatic enhancement of local intensity.
The Tz’u-T’ung: A New Dictionary of Classical Polysyllabic Words and Phrases

The publication of Mr. Chu Ch’i-feng’s (朱起凤) Tz’u-t’ung by the Kaiming Book Company in Shanghai was a great event in the book world of China this year. The book is in two volumes, the second of which will be issued in the autumn. The present volume contains 1,623 pages of the text. It is said that the first edition of 5,000 copies has already been sold in the first month of its publication.
Development of central nervous system pathology in a murine transgenic model of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Abstract Transgenic mice expressing mutant Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), containing a substitution of glycine at position 93 by alanine, develop disease prevalently affecting motor neurons. Light microscopical and ultrastructural studies reveal that the earliest pathological features are microvesiculation of large neurons of the anterior horns of the spinal cord. These vacuoles originate from dilation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and from degenerating mitochondria. At the end stage of the disease, the microvesicular pattern gives way to atrophic anterior horns showing severe neuronal depletion and hyaline, filamentous inclusions in some of the surviving neurons. Posterior horn neurons and dorsal root ganglia are not affected. With disease progression, moderate degeneration of anterior and lateral columns, severe degeneration of anterior roots, and mild degeneration in posterior columns and roots become apparent. This study shows that a mutation in SOD, known to occur in a percentage of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, may affect only selective neuronal populations, although SOD is a ubiquitous enzyme.
Identification of functionally distinct domains of human granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor using monoclonal antibodies

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a glycoprotein that is required for the survival, growth, and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Although the primary structure of GM-CSF is known from cDNA cloning, the relationship between structure and function of GM-CSF is not fully understood. Fifteen different monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to human GM-CSF were generated to map immunologically distinct areas of the molecule. Each of the MoAbs was biotinylated and shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to bind to recombinant GM-CSF that had been affixed to a solid phase. Each of the 15 unconjugated MoAbs was then used to compete with each biotinylated MoAb for binding to GM-CSF. These cross-blocking studies identified eight distinct epitopes of native GM-CSF. Seven of these epitopes were also present in denatured GM-CSF by Western blotting, and four of the epitopes were at least partially conserved on GM-CSF that was reduced in beta-mercaptoethanol. MoAbs to four of eight epitopes neutralized both recombinant (glycosylated and nonglycosylated) and natural human GM-CSF in a GM colony-forming unit (CFU-GM) assay and blocked GM-CSF-induced activation of neutrophils. For most of the antibodies there was a good correlation between neutralizing activity and the capacity to block binding of 125I-GM-CSF to neutrophils or blasts. Non-neutralizing antibodies to one epitope partially blocked binding of 125I-GM-CSF to neutrophils. None of the MoAbs neutralized interleukin-3, G-CSF, or M-CSF. The locations of seven of the epitopes could be partially mapped with regard to the amino acid structure by determining reactivity to GM-CSF synthetic peptides or to human-mouse chimeric GM-CSFs. The neutralizing antibodies were found to map to amino acids 40-77, 78-94, or 110-127. Thus, these MoAbs are useful to identify functional domains of GM-CSF and in identifying regions that are likely to be involved in receptor interaction.
C. F. Richardson and the Houston Informer's Fight for Racial Equality in the 1920s

Abstract This research attempts to partially rectify the void in 1920s black press scholarship by examining the editorial vision of one of the South's most prominent, eloquent, and activist publishers, Clifton F. Richardson of the Houston Informer. What set Richardson apart from many African American publishers of the time and makes him particularly worthy of study is the fact that he did not view the three leading strains of black thought of the period—Garvey's black pride rhetoric, the Du Boisian activist vision of civil rights, or Washington's promotion of uplift—as being incompatible or in opposition. Although he rarely mentioned the men by name in the Informer, Richardson's personal values and the social conditions in which he lived led him to weave aspects of these three social visions together to create an editorial agenda coupled with civic action in an effort to bring tangible change to Houston's black population.
Surgical Comanagement by Hospitalists in Colorectal Surgery.

Background Patients with increasing age and medical complexity are undergoing colorectal surgery. Medical complications are not uncommon and may contribute to higher mortality. We implemented a surgical comanagement (SCM) model in July 2014 at our institution, where the same 2 SCM hospitalists were dedicated to colorectal surgery year round. Each patient was screened daily by an SCM hospitalist for prevention and management of medical complications. Before SCM, hospitalists were typically consulted after medical complications had occurred. Study Design We conducted a pre/post study at an academic medical center with 938 patients in the pre-SCM group (July 2012 to June 2014), and 1,062 patients in the post-SCM group (July 2014 to May 2016). We evaluated whether SCM by hospitalists improved outcomes of patients in colorectal surgery. Results There was no significant difference in medical complications, patient satisfaction, or 30-day readmission rate to our institution for medical cause with the SCM intervention. This intervention was associated with a significant decrease in the proportion of patients transferred to the ICU after rapid response team calls (relative risk [RR] 0.25 [95% CI 0.05 to 0.84], p = 0.039), proportion of patients with length of stay (LOS) ≥ 5 days (RR 0.73 [95% CI 0.64 to 0.83], p Conclusions Surgical comanagement intervention was associated with a decrease in transfers to the ICU after rapid response team call, LOS, medical consultants, and the cost of care.
Schooling and Fertility

This chapter is motivated by two of the growth facts stated in Chap. 1. G2—Children spend more time in school, within and across years, and less time working as an economy develops G3—Population growth rates may first rise but eventually experience a steady decline as economies develop
Structure in the Milky Way

The morphological and chemical structure of the Milky Way today is an important constraint on models of the formation and evolution of the Galaxy. We use H ii regions, the sites of recent massive star formation, to probe both the Galactic spiral structure and the Galactic metallicity structure. H ii regions are the brightest objects in the Galaxy at radio wavelengths and are detected across the entire Galactic disk. We derive the distances to H ii regions using parallax measurements or by deriving kinematic distances. Here we summarize ongoing work to assess the accuracy of kinematic distances and to complete the census of Galactic H ii regions in the Southern sky.
Percutaneous Orthotopic IVC Construction in a Pediatric Patient with Symptomatic IVC Agenesis

Inferior vena cava agenesis is an uncommon condition usually attributed to embryologic dysgenesis. When symptomatic, unprovoked deep venous thrombosis and/or lower extremity venous congestion are the most frequent manifestations. Its rarity has precluded consensus regarding appropriate management. Symptomatic chronic venous congestion requires surgical construction of auxiliary venous pathways, which may involve substantial morbidity, prolonged recovery and extensive scarring. We report successful minimally invasive management via percutaneous endovascular orthotopic inferior vena cava construction in a pediatric patient, thereby obviating the need for surgery and its associated morbidity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case study.
Spotlighting the hypoxia-centrosome amplification axis.

The abysmal success rate of anticancer drugs in clinical trials, is in part, attributable to discordance between cultured cancer cells and patient tumors. While tumors in vivo, display a lower mitotic index, patient tumors portray much higher centrosomal aberrations, relative to in vitro cultured cells. The microenvironment too differs considerably between the in vitro and in vivo scenarios. Notably, another hallmark of cancer, hypoxia, is not recapitulated in cell lines cultured under normoxic conditions. These observations raise the possibility that hypoxia may be the missing link that explains the discordance between cell biological phenomena in vitro versus physiological conditions. Further, the interplay between hypoxia and centrosome amplification (CA) is relatively understudied. Recent research from our laboratory, geared toward examining the biological link between the two, has uncovered that hypoxia induces the expression of proteins (Plk4, Aurora A, Cyclin D) implicated in CA, in a hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α)-dependent context. Our studies evidence that hypoxia fuels CA that underlie intratumoral heterogeneity and metastatic potential of cancer cells. Given the advent of HIF-1α inhibitors, this research has ramifications in aiding patient risk stratification and designing new cancer drug therapies to facilitate clinical decision-making.
Conservation: Guarding Panda Land.

Summary Protecting land to save biodiversity is a cornerstone of conservation. But how effective are protected areas? Two new studies on panda conservation reveal that protection is efficient and suggest ways for improving biodiversity protection.
Development and Validation of a Bordetella pertussis Whole-Genome Screening Strategy

The immune response elicited by the protective whole-cell pertussis (wP) versus the less-protective acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine has been well characterized; however, important clinical problems remain unsolved, as the inability of the currently administered aP vaccine is resulting in the reemergence of clinical disease (i.e., whooping cough). Strong evidence has shown that original, childhood aP and wP priming vaccines provide a long-lasting imprint on the CD4+ T cells that impacts protective immunity. However, aP vaccination might prevent disease but not infection, which might also affect the breadth of responses to Bordetella pertussis (BP) antigens. Thus, characterizing and defining novel targets associated with T cell reactivity are of considerable interest. Here, we compare the T cell reactivity of original aP and wP priming for different antigens contained or not contained in the aP vaccine and define the basis of a full-scale genomic map of memory T cell reactivity to BP antigens in humans. Our data show that the original priming after birth with aP vaccines has higher T cell reactivity than originally expected against a variety of BP antigens and that the genome-wide mapping of BP using an ex vivo screening methodology is feasible, unbiased, and reproducible. This could provide invaluable knowledge towards the direction of a new and improved pertussis vaccine design.
Preliminary characterization of the properties of cold-stored apheresis platelets suspended in PAS-III with and without an 8-hour room temperature hold.

BACKGROUND Use of extended cold storage of platelets promises to increase PLT availability and the bacterial safety of bleeding patients. No information is currently available on the preservation of apheresis PLT in vitro quality parameters when PLTs are held at room temperature early in the storage period prior to transfer to cold storage. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Double units of platelets suspended in 35% plasma/65% PAS-III were collected from normal consenting research donors and rested at room temperature for 1-2 hours. One of the units was then stored at 1-6°C while the other unit was placed on an agitator at 20-24°C. Eight hours after collection, the unit stored at room temperature was transferred to 1-6°C storage without agitation. Units were sampled for an array of PLT in vitro parameters on Days 1, 7, 14, and 21. RESULTS As expected, PLTs held for 8 hours at 20-24°C prior to 1-6°C storage had greater lactate levels and reduced glucose levels and pH compared to PLTs subjected to a 1-2-hour room temperature hold prior to cold storage (P < .05). Unexpectedly, platelets held for 8 hours at room temperature had less aggregation response to collagen, ADP, and TRAP compared to PLTs held 1-2 hours at room temperature prior to cold storage (P < .05, n = 8). CONCLUSION Decline of aggregation response should be considered when evaluating longer than necessary room temperature holds prior to cold storage of platelets.
Optimal Hölder exponent for the SLE path

We prove an upper bound on the optimal Holder ex- ponent for the chordal SLE path parameterized by capacity and thereby establish the optimal exponent as conjectured by J. Lind. We also give a new proof of the lower bound. Our proofs are based on the sharp estimates of moments of the derivative of the inverse map. In particular, we improve an estimate of the second author.
High-Efficiency Operating Modes for Isolated Piezoelectric-Transformer-Based DC-DC Converters

The drive to miniaturize power electronics motivates investigation into alternative converter energy storage technologies such as piezoelectrics, which offer fundamentally higher power density and efficiency capabilities compared to magnetics. Piezoelectric transformers (PTs) have seen utilization in dc-dc converter designs, but typically alongside magnetics or with limited/unreported efficiency. In this work, we systematically enumerate isolated dc-dc converter operating modes and topologies that utilize PTs as their only energy storage components. The proposed operating modes leverage simple converter topologies to maintain high-efficiency behaviors (e.g., zero voltage switching (ZVS) and all-positive instantaneous power transfer) across wide operating regions. We present techniques for deriving these operating modes’ ZVS regions, estimating PT efficiency, mapping switching sequence combinations to the PT’s resonant cycle, and solving for periodic steady state and switching times; these offer insights for comparing and implementing design options. We then illustrate an example design and verify our analyses using LTspice simulations, which attest to the high potential capabilities of dc-dc converters based on strategically-utilized PTs.
Sociodemographic Characteristics and Patient and Family Experience Survey Response Biases

Background: Enhancing Patient and Family Experience (PFE) is a priority in health care. Sociodemographic differences have been shown to impact health outcomes and experiences, but there is limited research on biases introduced from differential rates of PFE survey completion across various populations. This study’s objective was to assess survey completion rates across race/ethnicity, English proficiency, and socioeconomic status. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)’s PFE ambulatory survey data collected January 1 – July 31, 2019. National Research Corporation (NRC) Real-Time administered the surveys. Outcomes of interest were 1) survey response (answer ≥1 question), 2) …
Improving Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Providers' Perceptions of Palliative Care through a Weekly Case-Based Discussion.

Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a weekly palliative care-guided, case-based discussion of high-risk infants on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) physician (MD) an...
Conclusions: Touching and Being Touched – Experience and Ethical Relations

Sometimes, research can hit you in the stomach, making you angry and upset, possibly sick. With a bit of luck, this can be fine, as discontentment can be a force that propels you to become active and engage yourself. Sometimes, research can resonate in your heart, making you aware and empathetic. Not much luck is needed in these cases, as this will hopefully also stimulate you to get new ideas, a better understanding or hopefully even give you a better foothold for whatever you do in practice. Most of the time, research just passes you by, not leaving much of an impression. We do know that words can make a difference, that words can touch you. They evoke many different thoughts and emotions. It is not a single word alone that does this, it is the flow and rhythm of a text, how it takes the reader along, cognitively but also in space and time and in an embodied manner. To achieve different effects, we place words differently, we craft sentences that appeal to different senses and sensibilities, we use terms or jargon, we write complex sentences that juxtapose hosts of different qualities, as Michel Serres does in in The Five Senses (2008). We present a clear definition, we unfold arguments or put something to the point. Most of the word work we do, we do on our keyboards, sitting at a desk, in a train carriage or lying on a sofa. Thus, this word work happens remote from the site where our study took place, it is definitely not the same as the field work that we do, it is not the same as the numbers and algorithms that make up our data. But done well, it can still evoke the sense of what happens or happened “out there” in the field, the phenomena that the numbers point to, be they the numbers of people crossing a border or the feeling of someone who is lost or maybe even hunted (Guttorm, 2016).
Heart rate variability as a transdiagnostic biomarker of psychopathology

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), developed by the National Institute of Mental Health as a neuroscience-informed alternative to traditional psychiatric nosology, is an explicitly dimensional system in which classification of psychopathology is derived inductively (i.e., from basic science), across multiple levels of analysis (e.g., genetic, neural, psychophysiological, and behavioral). Although RDoC is often presented as paradigmatically revolutionary, a review of the history of psychophysiology suggests that roots of RDoC thinking extend at least as far back as the mid-20th Century. In this paper, we briefly and selectively review the historical emergence of neurobiologically-informed dimensional trait models of psychopathology, and we summarize our thinking regarding high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) as a transdiagnostic biomarker of self-regulation and cognitive control. When functional interactions between HF-HRV and systems of behavioral approach and avoidance are considered, diverse patterns of behavioral maladjustment can be subsumed into a single model. This model accommodates the general bifactor structure of psychopathology, and suggests that HF-HRV can be viewed as an autonomic, transdiagnostic biomarker of mental illness.
The Acquisition of Recursion: How Formalism Articulates the Child’s Path

We distinguish three kinds of recursion: Direct Recursion (which delivers a ‘conjunction’ reading), Indirect Recursion, and Generalized Transformations. The essential argument is that Direct Recursion captures the first stage of each recursive structure. Acquisition evidence will then be provided from both naturalistic data and experimentation that adjectives, possessives, verbal compounds, and sentence complements all point to con-junction as the first stage. Then it will be argued that Indirect Recursion captures the Strong Minimalist Thesis, which allows periodic Transfer and interpretation. Why is recursion delayed and not immediate? It is argued that an interpretation of Generalized Transformations in the spirit of Tree Adjoining Grammar offers a route to explanation. A labeling algorithm combines with Generalized Transformations to provide different labels for recursive structures projection. Recursion is then achieved by substitution of a recursive node for a simple node. One simple case is to substitute a Maximal Projection for a simple non-branching lexical node. A more complex case — essential to acquisition — is to substitute a category for a lexical string. Consequently, a computational ‘psychological reality’ can be attributed to explain why recursion requires an extra step for the addition of each recursive construction on the acquisition path.