cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poster Sessions CP11: Neurotoxicity and Neuroprotection

Here we explored the mechanisms of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) and glutamate (glu) in neuronal signalling and cell damage. Rats or primary neuronal cultures were treated with MK-801 and injected with/exposed to sPLA2 or glu. MK-801 partially inhibited sPLA2- and glu-induced neuronal death as well as [3H]arachidonic acid release. The involvement of cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) and plateletactivating factor (PAF) in sPLA2 or glu signalling was explored by treating cells with the selective cPLA2 inhibitor, AACOCF3, PAF-acetyl hydrolase (PAF-AH) or the presynaptic PAF-receptor antagonist, BN52021. AACOCF3 blocked sPLA2- and glu-induced neuronal death by 26 and 77%, respectively. PAF-AH ameliorated sPLA2 as well as glu neurotoxicity by 31 and 47%, whereas BN52021 inhibited sPLA2 induced neurotoxicity by 11% but did not significantly protect against glu-induced neurotoxicity. Expression in neurons of early response genes in response to sPLA2 or glu was further examined. An up-regulation of COX-2, c-fos, and c-jun, but not COX-1, was observed at earlier time points after rat striatal injection of glu as compared to sPLA2 injection. Moreover we treated neuronal cells with COX-2 inhibitors and found that neuronal cell death after sPLA2 and glu exposure was inhibited by 35 and 33%, respectively. Thus sPLA2 activates a neuronal signalling cascade that includes activation of cPLA2, AA-release, production of PAF and induction of COX-2. Hence sPLA2 and glu signalling are overlapping, but not identical. Cytosolic PLA2 may primarily drive glutamatergic neurotransmission, whereas PAF plays a more crucial role in sPLA2 neuronal signalling. Acknowledgements: Supported by EPSCoR grant NSF/LEQSF(2001-04)-RII-01 from the National Science Foundation.
Myocardial cholinergic receptor sites and enzyme activity in the Dahl model of essential hypertension

The density of muscarinic receptor sites, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and aceytlcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the myocardium of the Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rat was investigated. Both normotensive and hypertensive (as a result of 8.0% NaCl added to the diet) DS rats displayed a lower concentration of muscarinic receptors and less ChAT and AChE activity in myocardial tissue than normotensive DR rats. Lower receptor site density and enzyme activity in the myocardial of the DS line may reflect decreased vagal tone. If true, this may produce deficits in the ability to appropriately adjust heart rate (HR) in response to elevations in blood pressure (BP). Therefore, the present results may be viewed as exacerbational factors in the pathogenesis of hypertension in the DS line.
An update on proteinuric chronic kidney disease: The dual-goal approach

Lowering both blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion to specific goals may slow the progression of proteinuric chronic kidney disease. However, this dual-goal approach needs to be validated prospectively.
On the ability to provide evaluative comments: further explorations of children's narrative competencies.

This study investigated the changing functions of evaluative devices in children's narratives. The evaluative devices included (a) references to ‘frames of mind’, particularly to emotions, (b) character speech, (c) ‘hedges’, (d) negative qualifiers, and (e) causal connectors. Narratives were elicited from a 24-picture story book. The subjects were three groups of native English-speaking Americans (12 per group): five- and nine-year-old children and college undergraduate students. A quantitative comparison revealed that (i) adults used evaluative devices three times as often as five-year-olds, and two-and-a-half times as often as the nine-year-old children; (ii) adults used significantly more references to ‘frames of mind’ and ‘hedges’ than the children; and (iii) whereas five-year-olds used each evaluative type equally often, nine-year-olds and adults used references to ‘frames of mind’ significantly more than the other four evaluation types. A second analysis, focusing specifically on the discourse functions of references to ‘frames of mind’ revealed that, early on, this particular device is used to express a local evaluative perspective on particular events, while with increasing age it is used to signal the hierarchial organization of the story events. These findings are discussed with regard to two non-linguistic developmental achievements, the formation of event schemas and the formation of a theory of mind.
KING SOLOMON'S MINES?: AFRICAN JEWRY, BRITISH IMPERIALISM, AND H. RIDER HAGGARD'S DIAMONDS

In king Solomons mines (1885), H. Rider Haggard describes the journey of three robust English men who successfully penetrate a sexualized landscape in southern Africa,1 depicted as both the body of the long-dead Queen of Sheba and that of her contemporary, King Solomon. The three English adventurers, led by the narrator Allan Quatermain, climb "Sheba's breasts" (26; ch. 2), traverse her torso, and arrive finally at the location where diamonds are stored inside her cavernous body, in the space Haggard calls "King Solomon's treasure chamber" (27; ch. 2). Narrative desire and the mystery of the Jewish2 patriarch's ancient empire propel these men through a series of male bonding adventures that lead to their arrival and conquest of the famed mines, where they pocket diamonds "as large as pigeon-eggs" (225; ch. 17) and plot their escape from what they fear may be a sealed cave. Haggard's allusions to the wealthy and wise King Solomon participate in a long history of writing on this subject, beginning with ancient religious texts by Jews, Egyptians, Muslims, Christians, and various Africans. Common among these disparate versions are descriptions of Solomon's vast empire in the Middle East and northeast Africa, his seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, his gold Temple where he housed the Ark of the Covenant, and his impressive collection of golden artifacts attesting to his wealth and power. Given this well-known mythology, it seems odd that Haggard would write a narrative in which he sends three English men into Africa to steal diamonds from a Jewish King who, according to every other account, never had access to diamond mines. In the following pages I examine the implications of Haggard's substitution of diamonds for gold and Jewish space for African space. I am most interested in what this Jewish subtext accomplishes symbolically and ideologically in Haggard's depiction of British imperial theft. Along these lines, I consider the larger significance of the English men's escape from Solomon's figurative body with purportedly Jewish diamonds in their pockets. Recent Haggard criticism has explored the effects of this novel's use of a feminized African landscape (Chrisman and McClintock) and the colonialist imagination that naturalizes British imperialism in Africa (Low). Yet, Daniel Boyarin's assertion that "the very fact of being politically dominant, of having empires, produces mystification of the male body" (20-21) suggests that we have much to gain by reading other configurations of sexuality, race, and imperialism in this novel. While critics have astutely noted the
HIV Rev self-assembly is linked to a molten-globule to compact structural transition.

Abstract By regulating the differential expression of proviral pre mRNA in the host cell, Rev plays a crucial role in the HIV-1 life cycle. The capacity of Rev to function is intimately linked to its ability to self-associate. Nevertheless, little is known about the exact role of self-association in the molecular mechanism defining its biological activity. A prerequisite knowledge is a definition of the molecular events undertaken by Rev during the process of self-assembly. Thus, this study was initiated to monitor the structure of Rev as a function of protein concentration. Rev undergoes a structural transition as a consequence of self-assembly. This structural transition was monitored by three spectroscopic methods. The accessibility of the single tryptophan in Rev monomer to acrylamide quenching increases with decreasing protein concentration. At very low concentration of Rev, the tryptophan accessibility is close to that of an unfolded Rev. As evaluated by circular dichroism, the secondary structure of Rev is protein concentration dependent as evidenced by an increase in the magnitude of ellipticity with increasing protein concentration. Further, results from ANS binding studies indicate that the ANS binding sites in Rev experience an apparent increase in hydrophobicity as the Rev concentration was increased. These concentration dependent changes seem to reach a maximum above 5 μM Rev monomer concentration. In order to define the mode of Rev self-association sedimentation velocity and equilibrium experiments were conducted. There are evidently two consecutive progressive association processes. At protein concentrations below 0.5 mg/ml, the data from sedimentation studies can be fitted to a single isodesmic model. Simulation of velocity sedimentation profile indicates that free Rev monomer that has not entered into the association processes can best be described to exhibit a value of S20,w that is substantially smaller than 1.4 S, a value needed to fit the rest of the data. The latter value is consistent for a Rev monomer with the expected molecules weight and if it were to assume a compact globular shape. These spectroscopic and hydrodynamic results imply that monomeric Rev is in a molten globule state, which becomes more compact upon self-association.
High-resolution nitrogen gas profiles in sediment porewaters using a new membrane probe for membrane-inlet mass spectrometry

A probe inlet for membrane-inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) was developed to measure dissolved nitrogen and argon gas in sediment porewaters. This technique represents a significant improvement in the measurement of dissolved gas ratios in sediment cores and in small volume samples (<5 ml). The probe is stable, inexpensive and has relatively fast equilibration times (f4–5 min) for dissolved N2/Ar ratio analyses. The membrane probe is mounted at the end of a stainless steel capillary (0.75 mm OD) connecteddirectlytotheinletsystemofaquadrupolemassspectrometer.Themembraneisf1mm0.5mmresultinginprofiles thathaveadepthresolution of <2mm.Nitrogen/argonratiosmeasuredwiththeprobeinlethaveaprecision of <0.2%.Porewater N2/Ar ratios measured in cores collected from Raritan Bay, NJ, indicated that N2 was in equilibrium with the atmosphere in overlying waters and that nitrogen was up to 8% supersaturated by a depth of 1 cm. The increase in N2 is consistent with nitrogen production from denitrification of f2 mmol N2 m 2 day 1 . High-resolution nitrate profiles also provide evidence for
Fast Decision Procedures Based on Congruence Closure

The notion of the congruence closure of a relation on a graph is defined and several algorithms for computing it are surveyed. A simple proof is given that the congruence closure algorithm provides a decision procedure for the quantifier-free theory of equality. A decision procedure is then given for the quantifier-free theory of LISP list structure based on the congruence closure algorithm. Both decision procedures determine the satisfiability of a conjunction of literals of length n in average time O(n log n) using the fastest known congruence closure algorithm. It is also shown that if the axiomatization of the theory of list structure is changed slightly, the problem of determining the satisfiability of a conjunction of literals becomes NP-complete. The decision procedures have been implemented in the authors' simplifier for the Stanford Pascal Verifier.
Diphenylhydantoin. A Comparison Study of the Enzyme Immunoassay and a Chemical Method

Serum diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin) concentrations are determined using the homogeneous enzymatic immunoassay method (EMIT) and a chemical method (Wallace). Statistical least squares analysis of 38 samples determined by the two methods gave a slope of 1.09 with an Intercept of -1.20. The correlation coefficient was 0.98 with Syx = 1.99.
A Search for the 110 ← 111 Transition of Interstellar Thioformaldehyde

A search has been made for the 110 ← 111 transition of thioformaldehyde in interstellar clouds where formaldehyde is known to exist. Failure to detect this transition indicates that the ratio of thioformaldehyde abundance to that of formaldehyde is probably less than the abundance ratio of sulfur to oxygen.
Cooperative Distributed Robust Trajectory Optimization Using Receding Horizon MILP

Motivated by recent research on cooperative unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), this paper introduces a new cooperative distributed trajectory optimization approach for systems with independent dynamics but coupled objectives and hard constraints. The overall goal is to develop a distributed approach that solves small subproblems while minimizing a fleet-level objective. In the new algorithm, vehicles solve their subproblems in sequence while generating feasible modifications to the prediction of other vehicles' plans. In order to avoid reproducing the global optimization, the decisions of other vehicles are parameterized using a much smaller number of variables than in the centralized formulation. This reduced number of variables is sufficient to improve the cooperation between vehicles without significantly increasing the computational effort involved. The resulting algorithm is shown to be robustly feasible under the action of unknown but bounded disturbances. Furthermore, the fleet objective function is proven to monotonically decrease as the algorithm cycles through the vehicles in the fleet and over the time. The results from simulations and a hardware experiment demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can improve the fleet objective by temporarily having one vehicle sacrifice its individual objective, showing the cooperative behavior.
A method for estimating pharmacokinetic risks of concentration-dependent drug interactions from preclinical data.

This article evaluates a novel approach for estimating the pharmacokinetic risks associated with drug interactions in populations. Preclinical pharmacokinetic and metabolism data are analyzed with a stochastic differential equation-based pharmacokinetic model that recognizes that the risks associated with known drug interactions involve deterministic and stochastic components. Specifically, a Bernoulli jump-diffusion pharmacokinetic model that accounts for the pharmacokinetics, the variability inherent in the pharmacokinetics, and the idiosyncratic nature of the possibility of drug interactions is proposed. In addition, the variability inherent in the extent of drug interaction is explicitly accounted for. The approach provides useful mechanistic insights into the stochastic processes that “drive” drug interactions in populations because it yields analytical results. The validity of the model predictions was tested with experimental data from two previously investigated systems: N-1 and N-3 caffeine demethylation in populations with smokers and in the terfenadine-ketoconazole system.
Alloying behaviour of Au-Ge/Pt ohmic contacts to GaAs by pulsed electron beam and furnace heating

Au-Ge/Pt contacts on n-type GaAs have been irradiated by a pulsed electron beam to yield excellent ohmic behaviour. Auger electron spectroscopy (a.e.s.) measurements of the depth profiles of the constituent elements in these irradiated contacts indicate that considerable intermixing of the metals with Ga and/or As is not necessary for good ohmic behaviour. Subsequent isochronal (2 min) furnace heating in H2 of these contacts at different temperatures shows that the Au-Ge/Pt metallisation system is highly reactive, with the inter mixing and the ohmic behaviour being a strong function of the furnace temperature. From a.e.s. measurements the important role of Ge as a dopant in generating a heavily doped GaAs layer at the metal-GaAs interface responsible for the ohmic character of the contacts is confirmed. Low specific contact resistance is closely related to the ability in incorporating Ge in a shallow GaAs layer during the alloy cycle.
Abstract 129: Predicting Patients Who Will Have Cognitive Decline After Carotid Endarterectomy or Stenting Using Structural Connectivity Graph Analysis

Objectives: Many CEA and CAS patients experience postoperative neurocognitive decline. We sought to apply structural connectivity metrics to identify patients at increased risk for postoperative decline based solely on preoperative imaging. Methods: Under an IRB approved protocol 28 patients underwent presurgical T1 structural and 30 direction diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) MRI and neuropsychological tests before and 1 month after surgery. Patients with decline showed decreased performance on the Rey-AVLT on 1 month follow up. The T1 images were processed using FreeSurfer 5.3, with resulting segmentations reviewed and edited as needed under neuroradiologist supervision. Whole brain tractography was performed using Diffusion Toolkit and visually inspected. Connectivity matrices were then generated, and graph metrics were computed using the Brain Connectivity Toolbox. Results: Controlling for age, classifiers using the graph analysis metrics “weighted optimal community structure” & “binary component sizes” were able to identify patients that would experience cognitive decline with 81% sensitivity 83% and specificity (p Conclusions: Applying preoperative structural connectivity analysis in CEA and CAS patients may identify patients at increased risk for postoperative cognitive decline, and in so doing may help risk stratify patients and guide them to preventive interventions.
Effect of Dietary Gossypol on the Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

These studies show that gossypol affects development, emergence, weight, and fecundity of boll weevils, Anthonomlls grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), when they are fed diets that contain marginally adequate amounts of protein. The effect may be overcome by adding extra protein.
Host Plant and Temperature as Related to Survival and Reproduction of an Alfalfa Aphid, Macrosiphum creelii Davis

An alfalfa aphid, Macrosiphum creelii Davis (Homoptera: Aphididae), previously a noneconomic pest in the Pacific Northwest, became increasingly abundant beginning in 1963. Its host plant relationships were determined, as well as its developmental, survival, and reproductive rates on alfalfa in the laboratory. Anatomical differences were shown to distinguish it from the pea, Acyrthosiphum pisum (Harris), and potato, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), aphids with which it might be confused. Its primary host plants were found to be alfalfa, lentils, Austrian pea, and broadbean. Most host plants of the pea and potato aphids were not acceptable. M. creelii reproduced well at temperatures as low as 5 to l0°C, and provided up to 70 progeny each. The only parasite found to attack M. creelii was Aphidius pulcher Baker.
Changing paradigm of cancer therapy: precision medicine by next-generation sequencing

Precision medicine aims to identify the right drug, for the right patient, at the right dose, at the right time, which is particularly important in cancer therapy. Problems such as the variability of treatment response and resistance to medication have been long-standing challenges in oncology, especially for development of new medications. Solid tumors, unlike hematologic malignancies or brain tumors, are remarkably diverse in their cellular origins and developmental timing. The ability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze the comprehensive landscape of genetic alterations brings promises to diseases that have a highly complex and heterogeneous genetic composition such as cancer. Here we provide an overview of how NGS is able to facilitate precision medicine and change the paradigm of cancer therapy, especially for solid tumors, through technical advancements, molecular diagnosis, response monitoring and clinical trials.
Desecuritization, Domestic Struggles, and Egypt’s Conflict with Ethiopia over the Nile River

ABSTRACTEgypt maintained a policy of antagonism at arm’s length toward Ethiopia throughout Husni Mubarak’s presidency. This pattern changed immediately following Mubarak’s ouster. The burst of rapprochement and diplomatic activism that took shape in the spring of 2011 signaled a fundamental shift in the content and form of Egyptian policy vis-a-vis Ethiopia, which was reflected in President Muhammad Mursi’s reluctance to respond belligerently to Ethiopian initiatives 2 years later that threatened to diminish the northward flow of the Nile. Cairo’s evident restraint during the Mursi era cannot be explained by a change in the strategic circumstances that confronted Egyptian policy-makers. A more promising explanation can be found in a reformulation of desecuritization theory, which highlights the internal dynamics whereby potentially dangerous aspects of a country’s external environment get transformed into matters of routine political contestation.
Stroke Code Patients Are More Likely To Arrive at the Hospital by Ambulance on Weekends vs. Weekdays (P07.018)

Objective: To assess the arrival mode of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients on weekends compared with weekdays. Background Conflicting data exist on whether there is a weekend vs. weekday effect on AIS care processes and outcomes, but these associations may be affected by several pre-hospital factors including mode of hospital arrival. We assessed the arrival mode of stroke code patients to the hospital on weekends vs. weekdays. Design/Methods: We analyzed the dataset of an AIS network comprising prospectively collected socio-demographic, clinical, discharge and day-90 data on AIS patients presenting within 12 hours of ictus to five hospitals in San Diego between June 2004 and May 2011. Weekend admission was defined as the period from Friday, 17:01, to Monday, 08:59. The main outcome of interest was mode of arrival (ambulance vs. other). Outcomes were adjusted for pre-specified covariates in a multivariable logistic regression model. Pre-specified interactions of arrival mode vs. sex, race-ethnicity, and stroke severity were also evaluated. Results: Of 1238 patients, the mean age was 70 years, with 47% female, 66% Non-Hispanic White, 15% Hispanic White, 11% Black, and 8% other ethnicity. Baseline characteristics were similar in weekend and weekday patients. Patients presenting on weekends vs. weekdays were more likely to arrive at the hospital by ambulance (82.3 vs. 76.8%, p=0.017) and this difference persisted in multivariable analyses (adjusted OR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.10-2.01, p=0.009), but there were no interactions with sex (p=0.67), ethnicity (p=0.66), or index stroke severity (0.65). Conclusions: Stroke code patients in San Diego were more likely to arrive to the hospital by ambulance on weekends compared to weekdays. Further studies will need to investigate the reasons for this arrival mode disparity and its impact on care and outcomes. More community education is warranted to promote calling the ambulance for stroke-like symptoms, especially on weekdays. Supported by: Funding: NIH 5P50NS044148 (Meyer BC). Disclosure: Dr. Schlick has nothing to disclose. Dr. Raman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hemmen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Meyer has received personal compensation for activities with the National Institues of Health and a community hospital. Dr. Meyer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ernstrom has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ovbiagele has received personal compensation for activities with Avanir Pharmaceuticals.
Q: when should I discuss driving with my older patients?

Discuss driving safety with any patient who is age 80 or older, `or who has a high-risk medical condition.
Two New, Substrate-Controlled Nonmarine Ichnofacies

ABSTRACTSubstantial ichnocoenoses of ichnofossil assemblages in nonmarine environments can be grouped into two, substrate-controlled ichnofacies. These are traces in plant tissues (mostly wood and leaves) and in bone. Plant tissues and bones provide distinctive, “hardground” substrates that are colonized and/or utilized in the nonmarine realm by a substantial diversity of organisms, mostly arthropods and microorganisms. The trace fossil record in plant substrates is diverse, extending back to the Devonian, and is dominated by borings in wood created for feeding, reproduction, and shelter and by feeding traces on leaves, including mines and galls. The Paleoscolytus ichnofacies named here includes nonmarine trace fossil ichnocoenoses dominated by feeding traces and borings of low to moderate ichnodiversity. Woody and foliar substrates typify the Paleoscolytus ichnofacies, and it is to some extent the subaerial counterpart of the previously named Teredolites ichnofacies. Bone provides a source for feeding, r...
Measuring fatigue crack growth and closure in Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK)

Abstract Throughout industry, polymers are being used to replace parts that were previously fabricated from metals. Thus, the fatigue resistance of polymers needs to be well understood. Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) is often chosen for its good mechanical properties and high glass transition temperature. In this paper, the experiments and methods to study fatigue crack growth and subsequent crack closure are presented. Compact specimens made of PEEK were used to experimentally monitor fatigue crack growth at R = 0.1 and R = 0.7. Some unique aspects of the experiments include the use of compression pre-cracking and a back-face strain gauge to measure crack length. While measuring crack closure was the primary focus of the experiments, crack growth rate versus stress intensity factor range results were also generated. Using remote methods of measuring crack closure show that PEEK experiences a small level of crack closure, though the effects are minimal. However, indirect methods of measuring crack closure show that the phenomenon is more prevalent in the material than what was measured. Further research for continuing the study of fatigue crack closure in PEEK are discussed.
Dual Modulation of Human P-Glycoprotein and ABCG2 with Prodrug Dimers of the Atypical Antipsychotic Agent Paliperidone in a Model of the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Many atypical antipsychotic drugs currently prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia have limited brain penetration due to the efflux activity of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters at the blood–brain barrier (BBB), including P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and ABCG2. Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of the first class of homodimeric prodrug dual inhibitors of P-gp and ABCG2. These inhibitors are based on the structure of the atypical antipsychotic drug paliperidone (Pal), a transport substrate for both transporters. We synthesized and characterized a small library of homodimeric bivalent Pal inhibitors that contain a variety of tethers joining the two monomers via ester linkages. The majority of our compounds were low micromolar to sub-micromolar inhibitors of both P-gp and ABCG2 in cells overexpressing these transporters and in immortalized human hCMEC/D3 cells that are derived from the BBB. Our most potent dual inhibitor also contained an internal disulfide bond in the tether (Pal-8SS) that ...
Loop ileostomy versus total colectomy as surgical treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated disease: An Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma multicenter trial.

OBJECTIVESThe mortality of patients with Clostridium difficile–associated disease (CDAD) requiring surgery continues to be very high. Loop ileostomy (LI) was introduced as an alternative procedure to total colectomy (TC) for CDAD by a single-center study. To date, no reproducible results have been p
Resolution of Mitral Regurgitation With Left Ventricular Assist Device Support

Background Cardiac valve disease is common in patients with end-stage heart failure undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation (LVAD). The aim of this study was to determine if preoperative mitral regurgitation (MR) affects outcomes and hemodynamics in patients after LVAD implantation. Methods From March 2006 through May 2015, 238 consecutive patients underwent LVAD implantation. Patient cohorts included less than moderate to severe MR ( Results Significant hemodynamic improvements were seen in central venous pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac index, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, irrespective of preoperative MR severity. Significant resolution of MR occurred across both cohorts, with only 4 of 168 (2.4%) patients with ≥ moderate-severe MR at 180 days post-LVAD. There were no differences in complications or survival between MR severity cohorts postoperatively. Conclusions LVAD implantation unloads the left ventricle to promote left ventricle reverse remodeling and correct functional MR across all severity levels. The resolution of MR is sustained at 180 days post-LVAD. These results coupled with no survival difference with uncorrected MR between
Benign Bone Tumors

In orthopedic oncology, we are tasked with managing patients who have the misfortune of having tumors of the musculoskeletal system. These can be broadly grouped into bony and soft tissue masses. Each of these groups can in turn be either benign or malignant. In this chapter we provide a summary overview of benign bone tumors pertinent to the senior medical student on their orthopedic surgery clerkship.
Chapter 11 – Labor and Birth

Pregnancy involves physiological changes and psychological adjustments in the future mother as well as remarkable development and growth of the fetus. The internal relationship between mother and fetus terminates in childbirth, or parturition. This chapter first discusses the timing of birth and the role of hormones in the birth process. Then we see how knowledge about the hormonal control of birth has allowed us to induce labor artificially. Next, we describe the stages of labor and birth and some aspects of premature, multiple, and difficult births. Finally, the use of medications during labor and birth and birthing methods are reviewed.
Recent advances in investigations of the electronic and optoelectronic properties of group III, IV, and V selenide based binary layered compounds

This review article presents a comprehensive update on the recent research trends, advancement and future outlook of selected layered selenide based binary compounds featuring elements from group III, IV, and V of the periodic table. Due to their highly anisotropic structure as well as their availability in mono, few- and multi-layer form, these compounds constitute a perfect playground where a variety of possibilities in structural variation as well as functionalities are expected. This potentially gives rise to a library of unique and fascinating 2D selenide based systems. These systems appear to demonstrate some spectacular variety of fundamental physics as well as indicate that some of these systems can be beneficial for several niche applications directly or indirectly resulting from their electrical and optical properties. As such, a description of recent investigations pertaining to some of the key electrical and optical properties of a few chosen binary selenide based compounds such as indium selenide, tin selenide, gallium selenide, germanium selenide and bismuth selenide is described. A final note on immediate research needs and directions in developing these materials systems for future applications is discussed.
"That's not helping-T follicular helper cells drive skin fibrosis".

T follicular helper–like cells and IL-21 are drivers of skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.
Modification of a conventional polyurethane composition provides significant anti-biofilm activity against Escherichia coli

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections, caused by a build-up of biofilm on the catheter surface, are one of the most common nosocomial infections. For this work, we prepared a compositional variant of Tecoflex®, a commercial thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), with peptide-like cationic pendant functional groups to study their effect on biofilm growth. Tecoflex® is used for fabrication of catheters and therefore a variant that shows decreased biofilm accumulation could have the potential to combat nosocomial infections. The cationic pendant groups were incorporated into the polyurethane composition similar to Tecoflex® by copolymerization of an amine functionalized N-substituted diol to give a cationic polyurethane (Tecoflex-NH3+). The antimicrobial properties of this cationic polyurethane were investigated using Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium and as confirmed by microscopy studies and bactericidal assays, the cationic polyurethane coating exhibited a contact-killing mechanism, and it significantly slowed down the build-up of biofilm compared to Tecoflex® coating. Moreover, the cationic polyurethane demonstrated minimal toxicity towards mammalian cells.
Children, Youth, and College Students and QOL

In this chapter, I will describe QOL research related to children, youth, and college students. I will discuss the concept of QOL as it directly pertains to these population groups. This will be followed by a description of the research addressing the factors affecting subjective well-being.
Simulation modeling of estuarine ecosystems

A simulation model has been developed of Galveston Bay, Texas ecosystem. Secondary productivity measured by harvestable species (such as shrimp and fish) is evaluated in terms of man-related and controllable factors, such as quantity and quality of inlet freshwater and pollutants. This simulation model used information from an existing physical parameters model as well as pertinent biological measurements obtained by conventional sampling techniques. Predicted results from the model compared favorably with those from comparable investigations. In addition, this paper will discuss remotely sensed and conventional measurements in the framework of prospective models that may be used to study estuarine processes and ecosystem productivity.
Mechanical ventricular assist in children: Experience at the Children’s Hospital, Boston (1990 – 1995)

Mechanical circulatory support in children with severe cardiac failure is still limited by the availability of devices capable of accommodating the wide range of flows required for pediatric support. In the United States, circulatory assistance for cardiac failure is most commonly achieved by the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenator circuit (ECMO) (2, 3, 8). The most frequent indication for circulatory support is myocardial dysfunction following cardiac surgery. There is also a growing number of children placed on ECMO for acute decompensation of a chronic cardiomyopathy or a viral myocarditis, where mechanical support is used for temporary support or as a bridge to transplantation.
A Pathways Approach for an Anxiety Disorder

Caregiver stress is a growing problem with an aging population; many spouses are cast in the caregiver role for extended periods. Pre-existing anxiety disorders commonly recur in the face of caregiver stress. This chapter narrates the case of a 71-year-old retired professional woman, serving as caregiver for a husband with dementia. The stress of the caregiver role served to trigger a recurrence of a previously treated anxiety disorder. The case narrative illustrates the value of breath training and heart rate variability biofeedback for the anxiety disorder, as well as an effort to instill sustainable self-regulation skills and lifestyle changes for greater resilience in this long-term situation.
Grafting the Global North onto the Global South: Dystopian Transhumanism in Elia Barceló’s “Mil euros por tu vida”

This chapter examines the intersections between transhumanism and the socioeconomic cannibalization of the Global South in Elia Barcelo’s short story “Mil euros por tu vida” (A Thousand Euros for Your Life) (2008). The story, about a wealthy, older Spanish couple that undergoes a surgery that enables them to extend their lives by transferring their consciousness to the bodies of two young Africans for all but a few hours of the day, offers a platform for exploring issues such as colonialism, human trafficking, and immigration. Palardy analyzes spatial manifestations of disciplinary power and biopower, as well as the ambiguity of the guest–host relationship depicted in the story. In these embodied “contact zones,” there is a fine line between assimilation and annihilation of the Other.
Comparative morphology of male genitalic structures in the minute litter bugs Dipsocoromorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

Insect male genitalia show an evolutionarily variable morphology that has proven to be valuable for both, species identifications and phylogenetic analyses at higher taxonomic levels. Accurate usage of genitalic characters in taxonomic descriptions and phylogenetic analyses depends on consistency of terminology and validity of homology hypotheses. Both areas are underdeveloped in many insect groups. We here document the morphology and advance homology hypotheses of male genitalic features for the hemipteran infraorder Dipsocoromorpha, the minute litter bugs. Genitalic structures and the pregenital abdomen in Dipsocoromorpha are strikingly modified and diverse compared to other Heteroptera. In addition to variation in the shape of phallic structures (parameres and aedeagus), minute litter bug genitalia vary in the direction and degree of asymmetry and feature a plethora of processes derived from various abdominal segments with significant variation at low taxonomic levels. Here, male genitalic structures for an extensive taxonomic sample (32 genera and 71 specimens) are documented using scanning electron and confocal microscopy, and a universal terminology for genitalic structures across minute litter bugs is established that will facilitate species discovery and evolutionary research. We conclude by proposing primary homology hypotheses across the infraorder that now can be tested in a phylogenetic framework.
Das Land ohne Musik

Tracing the outlines of the social world of Edwardian music, after Beigel and Borie move to London.
Therapeutic trials of biologics in primary biliary cholangitis: An open label study of abatacept and review of the literature.

Abstract Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a classic autoimmune disease in which humoral, cytotoxic, and innate immune responses have been implicated with the specific targeting of a mitochondrial antigen. The mainstay of treatment remains the bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Corticosteroids may have some benefits, but to date, clinical trials of biologics targeting B cells and IL-12/23 have not shown any efficacy. Because activated T cells target the intrahepatic bile ducts in PBC and pre-clinical models suggested that blocking CD80/CD86 with CTLA-4 Ig might have therapeutic benefit in PBC, we performed an open-label trial to determine if CTLA-4 Ig (abatacept) is safe and potentially efficacious in PBC patients with an incomplete response to UDCA. PBC patients with an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) > 1.67 × the upper limit of normal after 6 months on UDCA treatment or who were intolerant of UDCA received abatacept 125 mg s.q. weekly for 24 weeks. The co-primary endpoint was ALP normalization or a >40% reduction from baseline. Among 16 subjects enrolled and who received at least 1 dose of abatacept, 1 (6.3%) met the co-primary endpoint. Absolute and percent changes in ALP [median (95% CI)] were +2.8 U/L (−90.9–96.6) and −0.28% (−21.1–15.5), respectively. No significant changes were observed in ALP, ALT, total bilirubin, albumin, immunoglobulins, or liver stiffness. Abatacept treatment decreased several non-terminally differentiated CD4+ but not CD8+ T cell populations, including decreases in CD4+ CCR5+ (p = 0.02) and CD4+ PD1+ (p = 0.03) lymphocytes. In contrast there were increases in CD4+ CCR7+ lymphocytes (p = 0.034). Treatment emergent adverse events occurred in 4 subjects. Abatacept was well tolerated in this population of PBC patients but like other biologics in PBC was ineffective in achieving biochemical responses associated with improved clinical outcomes.
Hilbert Transform–Based Stochastic Averaging Technique for Determining the Survival Probability of Nonlinear Oscillators

AbstractA Hilbert transform based definition of the response amplitude of randomly excited nonlinear oscillators has been proposed recently to address certain limitations associated with the standa...
Implementing Motivational Interviewing for Substance Misuse on Medical Inpatient Units: a Randomized Controlled Trial

General medical hospitals provide care for a disproportionate share of patients who misuse substances. Hospitalization provides a unique opportunity to identify and motivate patients to address their substance misuse. To determine the effectiveness of three strategies for implementing motivational interviewing for substance misuse with general medical inpatients. Type 3 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial (Clinical Trials.gov: NCT01825057). Thirty-eight providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurses) from 13 general medical inpatient services, and 1173 of their patients admitted to an academically affiliated acute care hospital. Implementation strategies included (1) a continuing medical education workshop on detection of substance misuse and provision of a motivational interview; (2) workshop plus bedside supervision (apprenticeship condition); and (3) a workshop plus ability to place a medical order for an interview from a consultation-liaison service (consult condition). Primary outcomes were the percentage of study-eligible patients who received an interview for substance misuse and the integrity (adherence, competence) of the interviews. The secondary outcome was the percent of patient statements within the interviews that indicated motivation for reducing substance misuse. 20.5% of patients in the consult condition received an interview, compared to 0.8% (Hedge’s g = 1.49) and 3.0% (Hedge’s g = 1.26) in the respective workshop only and apprenticeship conditions (p < 0.001). Motivational interviews in the consult condition were performed with more fundamental motivational interviewing adherence and competence than the other conditions. Most statements made by patients during the interviews favored reducing substance misuse, with no differences between conditions. Providers’ ability to place an order to have experts from the consultation-liaison service deliver a motivational interview was a more effective implementation strategy than a workshop or apprenticeship method for ensuring motivational interviewing is available to medical inpatients who misuse substances. NCT01825057
Automated Bird Plumage Coloration Quantification in Digital Images

Quantitative measurements of bird plumage color and patch size provide valuable insights into the impact of environmental conditions on the habitat and breeding of birds. This paper presents a novel perceptual-based framework for the automated extraction and quantification of bird plumage coloration from digital images with slowly varying background colors. The image is first coarsely segmented into a few classes using the dominant colors of the image in a perceptually uniform color space. The required foreground class is then identified by eliminating the dominant background color based on the color histogram of the image. The determined foreground is segmented further using a Bayesian classifier and an edge-enhanced model-based classification for eliminating regions of human skin and is refined by using a perceptual-based Saturation-Brightness quantization to only preserve the perceptually relevant colors. Results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.
CEO Networks and Shareholder Litigation

This paper documents that firms led by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) with greater network power and influence are more likely to be subject to securities class action (SCA) lawsuits, and that these lawsuits are more likely to led by institutional investors. Firms with more connected CEOs are more likely to have their firms’ cases dismissed, or, subject to the suit surviving a motion to dismiss, have lower settlement amounts than firms whose CEOs are less connected. The suits appear to be an alternative method of governance in that defendant firms with highly central CEOs are more likely to replace the CEO and increase the independence of the board in the years following the SCA. We find that the market values the suits, regardless of the immediate outcome, as cumulative abnormal returns around the announcement of the suit are highest for firms with highly connected CEOs. Further, CEOs whose firms are subject to SCA alternative governance suffer decreases in network power subsequent to the SCA.
Estimation of the area under a curve via several B-spline-based regression methods and applications.

Estimating the area under a curve (AUC) is an important subject in many fields of medicine and science. The regression model using B-spline functions provides flexibility in curve fitting, making i...
Using Structured Teams to Develop Social Presence in Asynchronous Chemistry Courses

Structured collaborative peer teams are widely recognized as a high-impact pedagogy that supports learning outcomes for diverse learners but it can be difficult to implement this pedagogy in an online environment. This communication describes a structure to use collaborative teams to develop and sustain a community of inquiry in an asynchronous online environment. Courses were designed to support the individual learner by developing strong peer-to-peer learning in teams. We describe how asynchronous teams were structured and what specific activities (cognitive and instructor-based) helped teams work effectively through the term. This practice was applied in two different environments: a first-year course at a two-year community college and a first-year lab sequence at a four-year university. At both institutions, student reflections described how teams supported learning and allowed development of process skills. Our results suggest that structured teams can support student learning in asynchronous classes at a wide range of institutions.
‘Drowning Nations’ Threaten New 21st Century Statelessness

Migration of peoples and communities due to climate change may have a dramatic effect on the globe in the next half-century. It is estimated that some 200 million people worldwide may be on the move because of increased storms, flooding, sea level-rise, and desertification.