cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitric oxide enhancement of fludarabine cytotoxicity for B-CLL lymphocytes

Fludarabine is active but not curative in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Nitric oxide (NO) supplied from exogenous, NO-donating pro-drugs can also induce apoptosis and death of acute leukemia cells. This study investigated combinations of fludarabine with NO-donating pro-drugs for their cytotoxicity against freshly isolated B-CLL lymphocytes following a 72 h exposure in vitro. The median IC(50)for fludarabine was 2.2 microM (n = 85). The nitric oxide donors DETA-NO, PAPA-NO, and MAHMA-NO were also cytotoxic, and their effects were inversely related to rates of NO release. Neither DETA-NO depleted of NO nor DETA itself was effective, indicating that NO was required for cytotoxicity. Drug interactions were evaluated by a modified combination index method. Synergy was observed in combinations of fludarabine or nelarabine (506U78) with DETA-NO in 52% and 88% of samples, respectively. Interestingly, the combination of fludarabine and DETA-NO was more cytotoxic in B-CLL cells less sensitive to fludarabine. DETA-NO did not enhance the activity of other DNA anti-metabolites, topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, or alkylating agents. Finally, the anti-leukemic activity of fludarabine alone or in combination with DETA-NO was found to correlate with inhibition of cellular RNA synthesis. These results indicate that NO donors could enhance fludarabine therapy for B-CLL.
Aerosol synthesis of shape-controlled template particles: a route to Ta3N5 nanoplates and octahedra as photocatalysts

Metal oxynitrides and nitrides are important materials for use as photocatalysts due to their ability to absorb visible light in comparison to their oxide counterparts. The photoactivity of these materials should be enhanced through shape-controlled particles and nanostructuring; however, facile syntheses to high fidelity shape control are rare. Here, the syntheses of porous Ta3N5 nanoplates and octahedra are reported through nitridation of aerosol-prepared template particles. Specifically, amorphous nanoplates and octahedra with a nominal composition of Ta2O5 were prepared selectively by aerosol-assisted molten salt syntheses (AMSS) through the use of different fluxes. The amorphous nature of the products from AMSS is surprising given their defined shape, yet the use of these templates decreased the nitridation time to Ta3N5 compared to most reports, resulting in a product with fewer surface defects. Moreover, the structure-controlled Ta3N5 samples yielded enhanced photocatalytic performances for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) compared to structurally ill-defined Ta3N5. Significantly, other metal oxynitrides or nitrides with defined nanoscale features and enhanced photoactivity should be possible through this synthetic approach.
Relationship between Oxygen Flux and Biofilm Performance

A fundamental study was carried out to assess the relationship between the availability of dissolved oxygen in a laboratory-scale biofilm reactor with some important system performance parameters such as biofilm growth rate, organic stabilization rate, sulfide production potential, aerobic layer-thickness, film density, and biofilm sloughing patterns. The feed solution was filtered sewage supplemented with glucose to maintain an initial COD of 300 mg/l. Four DO levels were examined: 1, 3, 5 and 8 mg/l. The test apparatus consisted of annular reactors, each having outer stationary and an inner rotating cylinders, so that the hydraulic shear throughout the reactor was uniform. The liquid space between the two concentric cylinders was 1.0 cm and the total growth surface was 1,200 cm 2 , while the liquid volume inside the reactor was 755 cm 3 . The rotating speed was controlled at 14 cm/s (0.46 ft/s) and the operating temperature was controlled at 20°C. The results of this study have indicated that an increase of DO tends to increase the cell yield, the maximum active (or aerobic) layer thickness, as well as the COD stabilization rate. However, DO shows no apparent effect on the film9s volumetric dry density. Instead, it is a function of the film thickness; i.e., the thicker film has a higher density. For a mature biofilm, the ratio of the aerobic to the total film thickness increases linearly from 0.08 to 0.27 when the DO is increased from 1 to 8 mg/l. The maximum COD removal rate at 8 mg/l DO and an initial COD of 300 mg/l is about 1.5 g/h/m 2 . Sulfide production starts to occur when the film thickness reaches 200 µm and the DO is at 1.0 mg/l. As the DO is increased to 8.0 mg/l, sulfide production still occurs when the film thickness reaches 700 µm. Therefore, odour production seems to be an inherent problem associated with the biofilm treatment system. The pattern of the biofilm sloughings seem to follow a 40- to 45-day cycle regardless of the operating DO. In most cases, massive and patchy sloughings occur for two to three days; beyond that, a gradual but steady redevelopment of the biofilm takes place. During times of sloughing, the overall treatment efficiency can be slightly affected, primarily due to the presence of high concentrations of SS in the treated effluent.
A comparison of potassium 42, rubidium 86, and cesium 134 as tracers of potassium in the study of cation metabolism of human erythrocytes in vitro.

Abstract 1.1. The usefulness of Rb 86 and Cs 134 as tracers of potassium in the in vitro study of erythrocyte electrolyte metabolism has been explored using K 42 as the standard of reference. 2.2. The eventual quantitative partition of these isotopes between the erythrocytes and plasma, after they were added to the plasma, was found to be nearly the same. 3.3. The calculated exchange rates of potassium between erythrocytes and plasma using K 42 or Rb 86 as the tracer were not detectably different by the methods used. 4.4. The mean potassium exchange rate, as measured with Rb 86 as the tracer, was 2.1 per cent of the red cell potassium per hour. 5.5. The exchange measured with Cs 134 as the tracer was less than one-fifth as great. 6.6. The effect of changes in the temperature of incubation and of raising the plasma potassium concentration was the same for each isotope. 7.7. The results suggest that Rb 86 , with its half-life of 19.5 days, may be useful under some circumstances as a tracer for potassium, at least from a qualitative point of view. Pertinent data should be validated with K 42 wherever possible.
Assessment of Spectral and Temporal Resolution in Cochlear Implant Users Using Psychoacoustic Discrimination and Speech Cue Categorization.

Objectives This study was conducted to measure auditory perception by cochlear implant users in the spectral and temporal domains, using tests of either categorization (using speech-based cues) or discrimination (using conventional psychoacoustic tests). The authors hypothesized that traditional nonlinguistic tests assessing spectral and temporal auditory resolution would correspond to speech-based measures assessing specific aspects of phonetic categorization assumed to depend on spectral and temporal auditory resolution. The authors further hypothesized that speech-based categorization performance would ultimately be a superior predictor of speech recognition performance, because of the fundamental nature of speech recognition as categorization. Design Nineteen cochlear implant listeners and 10 listeners with normal hearing participated in a suite of tasks that included spectral ripple discrimination, temporal modulation detection, and syllable categorization, which was split into a spectral cue-based task (targeting the /ba/-/da/ contrast) and a timing cue-based task (targeting the /b/-/p/ and /d/-/t/ contrasts). Speech sounds were manipulated to contain specific spectral or temporal modulations (formant transitions or voice onset time, respectively) that could be categorized. Categorization responses were quantified using logistic regression to assess perceptual sensitivity to acoustic phonetic cues. Word recognition testing was also conducted for cochlear implant listeners. Results Cochlear implant users were generally less successful at utilizing both spectral and temporal cues for categorization compared with listeners with normal hearing. For the cochlear implant listener group, spectral ripple discrimination was significantly correlated with the categorization of formant transitions; both were correlated with better word recognition. Temporal modulation detection using 100- and 10-Hz-modulated noise was not correlated either with the cochlear implant subjects' categorization of voice onset time or with word recognition. Word recognition was correlated more closely with categorization of the controlled speech cues than with performance on the psychophysical discrimination tasks. Conclusions When evaluating people with cochlear implants, controlled speech-based stimuli are feasible to use in tests of auditory cue categorization, to complement traditional measures of auditory discrimination. Stimuli based on specific speech cues correspond to counterpart nonlinguistic measures of discrimination, but potentially show better correspondence with speech perception more generally. The ubiquity of the spectral (formant transition) and temporal (voice onset time) stimulus dimensions across languages highlights the potential to use this testing approach even in cases where English is not the native language.
The post-Palaeozoic fossil record of drilling predation on lingulide brachiopods

Research on drilling predation, one of the most studied biological interactions in the fossil record, has been concentrated on prey with calcareous skeletons (e.g. molluscs, echinoids, rhynchonelliform brachiopods). Based on a compilation of literature sources and surveys of paleontological collections of the Florida Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of Natural History, we provide a tentative evaluation of the post-Palaeozoic history of drilling predation on the organophosphatic brachiopods of the family Lingulidae. Despite temporal, geographical and methodological limitations of the data assembled here, the results indicate that lingulide brachiopods have been subject to drilling predation since at least the Eocene. Variation in drilling frequencies at the locality level suggests that lingulides may occasionally experience somewhat elevated predation pressures from drilling organisms. Overall, however, drilling predation on lingulide brachiopods has been infrequent in the Cenozoic and may have been absent in the Mesozoic. The Mesozoic-to-Cenozoic increase in drilling frequencies on lingulides is similar to the trends observed in other marine benthic invertebrates and consistent with the hypothesis that predation pressures increased through time in marine ecosystems.
Employee mobility, spin-outs, and knowledge spill-in: How incumbent firms can learn from new ventures

Research summary: We consider conditions in which incumbent firms are particularly poised to benefit from knowledge spilling in from new ventures that employ individuals previously employed by the focal incumbent firm. We distinguish between inventors who leave their incumbent employers to found spin-outs and those who become non-founding employees of existing new ventures. Using a sample of new ventures and incumbent firms in the U.S. information technology (IT) sector, we find that incumbents are more likely to benefit from patented knowledge that spills in from their spin-outs than from new ventures that employ non-founding inventors formerly employed by the respective incumbent. Any advantage that parent firms have in reaping such knowledge quickly dissipates, however, when these parents have a history of misappropriating the intellectual property of others. Managerial summary: It has long been acknowledged that new ventures can acquire valuable knowledge from their larger and more established counterparts by hiring away their talented employees. We consider the possibility of a reverse flow of knowledge where established firms learn from those new ventures that have poached employees from them. We find that established information technology (IT) firms are more likely to learn and build on the technology of their spin-outs (i.e., new ventures founded by their former inventors) than from new ventures that simply employ non-founding inventors formerly employed by the respective IT firm. Any advantage that these IT firms had in reaping technical know-how from their spin-outs quickly dissipated, however, when they had a history of misappropriating the intellectual property of others. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Utilization trend and regimens of hypofractionated whole breast radiation therapy in the United States.

We aimed to evaluate the adoption of hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) over time and factors related to its adoption for patients undergoing lumpectomy. We also examined whether HF-WBI can increase the overall use of radiotherapy. Using data from the National Cancer Database between 2004 and 2013, we identified 528,051 invasive and 190,431 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients who underwent lumpectomy. HF-WBI was defined as 2.5–3.33 Gy/fraction to the breast, whereas conventional therapy (CF-WBI) was defined as 1.8–2.0 Gy/fraction. The usage of HF-WBI among invasive cancer patients increased from 0.7% in 2004 to 15.6% in 2013, and among DCIS patients, HF-WBI increased from 0.4% in 2004 to 13.4% in 2013. However, these changes only lead to a slight increase in the overall use of radiotherapy. Interestingly, for DCIS patients who lived ≥50 miles from hospitals, the uptake of HF-WBI translated to a moderate increase in the overall use of radiotherapy (58% in 2004 to 63% in 2013). Multivariable logistic regression showed that older age, node-negative or smaller tumor, living in mountain states, rural area, or ≥50 miles from hospitals, and treated in large or academic cancer centers were associated with elevated HF-WBI use. The median duration of finishing radiotherapy for HF-WBI was 26 days, compared to 47 days for CF-WBI. Although HF-WBI can save 3 weeks of patient time, its adoption remained low in the US. There was only a slight increase in the overall use of radiotherapy among patients undergoing lumpectomy.
Local-global classifier fusion for screening chest radiographs

Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe comorbidity of HIV and chest x-ray (CXR) analysis is a necessary step in screening for the infective disease. Automatic analysis of digital CXR images for detecting pulmonary abnormalities is critical for population screening, especially in medical resource constrained developing regions. In this article, we describe steps that improve previously reported performance of NLM’s CXR screening algorithms and help advance the state of the art in the field. We propose a local-global classifier fusion method where two complementary classification systems are combined. The local classifier focuses on subtle and partial presentation of the disease leveraging information in radiology reports that roughly indicates locations of the abnormalities. In addition, the global classifier models the dominant spatial structure in the gestalt image using GIST descriptor for the semantic differentiation. Finally, the two complementary classifiers are combined using linear fusion, where the weight of each decision is calculated by the confidence probabilities from the two classifiers. We evaluated our method on three datasets in terms of the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. The evaluation demonstrates the superiority of our proposed local-global fusion method over any single classifier.
Manifesting the Cyborg through Techno-Body Modification: From Human-Computer Interaction to Integration

A community of DIY cyborgs has emerged, known as 'grinders', who practice techno-body modification-the embedding of computing technology into the body. This paper reports on an ethnographic study following GrinderTech, an organization working to design, build and sell these technological artifacts, as it shifts from hacker collective to biotech startup. As technologies are embedded in the body, the boundary between human and machine starts to blur. We find that GrinderTech members, through the design and making of technologies for embedding, do so as a means to move beyond social and gendered binary constructions-or, societal norms that are practiced and performed, and re-enforced through language, as a way of creating power differentials in society, e.g. citizen/scientist and man/woman. Moreover, their motivations for designing and making these devices reflects their desire to re-imagine society. Finally, we re-conceptualize Human-Computer Interaction to include Integration-when technology is embedded in the human body-and discuss the theoretical and design implications of human-computer integration.
Early L2 Spoken Word Recognition Combines Input-Based and Knowledge-Based Processing:

This study examines the perceptual trade-off between knowledge of a language's statistical regularities and reliance on the acoustic signal during L2 spoken word recognition. We test how early learners track and make use of segmental and suprasegmental cues and their relative frequencies during non-native word recognition. English learners of Mandarin were taught an artificial tonal language in which a tone's informativeness for word identification varied according to neighborhood density. The stimuli mimicked Mandarin's uneven distribution of syllable+tone combinations by varying syllable frequency and the probability of particular tones co-occurring with a particular syllable. Use of statistical regularities was measured by four-alternative forced-choice judgments and by eye fixations to target and competitor symbols. Half of the participants were trained on one speaker, that is, low speaker variability while the other half were trained on four speakers. After four days of learning, the results confirmed that tones are processed according to their informativeness. Eye movements to the newly learned symbols demonstrated that L2 learners use tonal probabilities at an early stage of word recognition, regardless of speaker variability. The amount of variability in the signal, however, influenced the time course of recovery from incorrect anticipatory looks: participants exposed to low speaker variability recovered from incorrect probability-based predictions of tone more rapidly than participants exposed to greater variability. These results motivate two conclusions: early L2 learners track the distribution of segmental and suprasegmental co-occurrences and make predictions accordingly during spoken word recognition; and when the acoustic input is more variable because of multi-speaker input, listeners rely more on their knowledge of tone-syllable co-occurrence frequency distributions and less on the incoming acoustic signal.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Optimized Smoking Treatment Delivered in Primary Care.

Background The effectiveness of smoking cessation treatment is limited in real-world use, perhaps because we have not selected the components of such treatments optimally nor have treatments typically been developed for and evaluated in real-world clinical settings. Purpose To validate an optimized smoking cessation treatment package that comprises intervention components identified as effective in factorial screening experiments conducted as per the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST). Methods Adult smokers motivated to quit were recruited from primary care clinics (N = 623). Participants were randomized to receive either recommended usual care (R-UC; 10 min of in-person counseling, 8 weeks of nicotine patch, and referral to quitline services) or abstinence-optimized treatment (A-OT; 3 weeks of prequit mini-lozenges, 26 weeks of nicotine patch + mini-lozenges, three in-person and eight phone counseling sessions, and 7-11 automated calls to prompt medication use). The key outcomes were self-reported and biochemically confirmed (carbon monoxide, CO <6 ppm) 7-day point-prevalence abstinence. Results A-OT participants had significantly higher self-reported abstinence rates than R-UC participants at 4, 8, 16, and 26 weeks (ORs: 1.91-3.05; p <. 001). The biochemically confirmed 26-week abstinence rates were lower than the self-reported 26-week rates, but revealed a similar treatment effect size (OR = 2.94, p < .001). There was no moderation of treatment effects on 26-week abstinence by demographic, psychiatric, or nicotine dependence variables. A-OT had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for 26-week CO-confirmed abstinence of $7,800. Conclusions A smoking cessation treatment that is optimized via MOST development meaningfully enhances cessation rates beyond R-UC smoking treatment in smokers seen in primary care. Clinical Trial Registration NCT02301403.
Shock Induced Chemical Decomposition in Condensed Energetic Materials: Molecular Mechanisms

Shock wave experiments are uniquely suited to examine, in real-time, chemical changes at extreme conditions. Over the past two decades, we have undertaken comprehensive studies to understand the molecular mechanisms governing shock wave induced chemical decomposition (mechano-chemistry) in a number of condensed energetic materials (liquid nitromethane, and PETN and RDX single crystals). Following introductory comments and a brief overview of time-resolved spectroscopic methods, representative examples will be presented to illustrate the approach, successes, and challenges related to our chemical decomposition studies. Effective integration of experiments and theory at different length-and time-scales is an important need but this integration poses interesting challenges.Directions for future work will be outlined.
Laboratory techniques and rhythmometry

Today a branch of biological science, chronobiology, objectively describes an organism’s or ecosystem’s time structure, i.e., its non-random and thus predictable changes including rhythms [1] along with changes related to growth, development and aging. Biological time structure characterizes populations or groups as well as individual organisms or their sub-divisions: organ-systems, organs, tissues, cells and intra-cellular elements, including electron-microscopic ultrastructure. Several aspects of biological rhythms are innate, yet these rhythms are eminently adaptive: they are synchronized, modulated or at least influenced by a broad range of cyclic or other social or geophysical factors [1–4].
Facile Engineering of Long-Term Culturable Ex Vivo Vascularized Tissues Using Biologically Derived Matrices

Recent advances in tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting have enabled construction of cell-laden scaffolds containing perfusable vascular networks. Although these methods partially address the nutrient-diffusion limitations present in engineered tissues, they are still restricted in both their viable vascular geometries and matrix material compatibility. To address this, tissue constructs are engineered via encapsulation of 3D printed, evacuable, free standing scaffolds of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in biologically derived matrices. The ease of printability and water-soluble nature of PVA grant compatibility with biologically relevant matrix materials and allow for easily repeatable generation of complex vascular patterns. This study confirms the ability of this approach to produce perfusable vascularized matrices capable of sustaining both cocultures of multiple cell types and excised tumor fragments ex vivo over multiple weeks. The study further demonstrates the ability of the approach to produce hybrid patterns allowing for coculture of vasculature and epithelial cell-lined lumens in close proximity, thereby enabling ex vivo recapitulation of gut-like systems. Taken together, the methodology is versatile, broadly applicable, and importantly, simple to use, enabling ready applicability in many research settings. It is believed that this technique has the potential to significantly accelerate progress in engineering and study of ex vivo organotypic tissue constructs.
Metabolism and Redox in Pulmonary Vascular Physiology and Pathophysiology.

Abstract Significance: This review considers how some systems controlling pulmonary vascular function are potentially regulated by redox processes to examine how and why conditions such as prolonge...
Autonomous Power-Source Regulation in Series-Connected Low-Voltage Microinverters

This paper is focused on a photovoltaic system architecture based on series-connected low-voltage ac (LVac) microinverters. In contrast to standard microinverters, LVac microinverters do not require high step-up conversion stages, which leads to potentials for improved efficiency and reduced cost. This paper proposes a distributed autonomous control strategy for the LVac microinverters, where each module is operated autonomously by a controller that regulates instantaneous output power. Modeling of system dynamics is challenging due to the nonlinear and time-varying nature of the system. Under quasi-static assumptions, a linearized small-signal model is obtained and solved along the operating points traversed during a line cycle. The modeling approach and controller design are verified by simulations and experiments on a scaled-down system consisting of three series-connected LVac microinverters, demonstrating appropriate ac voltage sharing across the modules. In certain cases, including a low compensator gain in the control loop, significant total harmonic distortion (THD) is observed in the ac line current. In order to reduce the distortion, a pre-distortion technique is used in each LVac control loop to compensate the sinusoidal input reference. The experimental results demonstrate that the predistortion technique reduces the THD to 3%–4% across a wide operating range, without the need for additional electro-magnetic interference filter stages.
Interrogating the Analogy of the Marketplace of Ideas, Interpreting the First Amendment

AbstractAn oft-cited argument for the speech rights guaranteed in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is that free trade in the metaphorical marketplace of ideas is a route toward...
The side of the primary tumor affects overall survival in colon adenocarcinoma: an analysis of the national cancer database.

Due to conflicting study results on the effect of laterality on overall survival in primary colon cancers, we sought to examine the impact of left compared to right-sided primary tumors on overall survival for stage I–III colon cancer using the largest dataset to date. The 2006–2013 NCDB was queried for patients with single primary, stage I–III colon adenocarcinoma and grouped by stage and tumor location. For stage I–II tumors, 114,839 patients had resection (62% right:38% left). After adjustment, patients with right-sided tumors had superior survival ([HR right as reference]: 1.13, 95% CI 1.09–1.17, p < 0.001). For stage III tumors, 71,024 patients had resection, (59% right:41% left). After adjustment, patients with left-sided tumors had superior survival with chemotherapy (HR 0.85, p < 0.001) and no difference in survival without chemotherapy (HR 0.97, p = 0.18). The side of the primary tumor impacts overall survival across stages for colon adenocarcinoma. Patients with right-sided tumors have superior survival for stage I–II disease while patients with left-sided stage III disease demonstrate a survival advantage, suggesting an opportunity for investigators to use sidedness as a surrogate for prognosis and chemoresponsiveness.
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and alcohol abuse

Angiotensin converting enzyme plays a key role in the regulation of blood pressure and inhibitors of the enzyme are effective antihypertensive agents. An association between hypertension and alcohol abuse has long been recognized and manipulations of the renin-angiotensin system in laboratory animals has been shown to alter their consumption of ethanol. Procedures that decrease the renin-angiotensin system increase ethanol consumption. Paradoxically, inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme also diminish drinking. Several possible explanations for this observation have been proposed. However, observations on the relationship between stress-induced drinking and the antidipsogenic action of a fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone suggest another possibility: angiotensin converting enzyme may be involved in the metabolism of this peptide and thereby exert an influence on drinking behavior.
Community development transformation of Cooper neighborhood: a Rutgers-Camden University and LEAP Academy school collaboration through sustainable development

Comprehensive community initiatives integrating holistic educational approachs for children and families are vital to building and sustaining 100% high school graduation rate in a distressed urban ...
Introduction: Human Contradictions in Octavia E. Butler’s Work

The introduction situates Butler as a pivotal ancestral figure for Afrofuturism, not only as a literary pioneer but also as role model, differentiates the collection’s approach from other books on Butler, explains the title of the collection, and provides summaries of the chapters while highlighting connections between them.
Traumatic abdominal wall injuries—a primer for radiologists

Traumatic abdominal wall injuries encompass a broad clinical and radiological spectrum and are identified in approximately 9% of blunt trauma patients. The most severe form of abdominal wall injury-a traumatic abdominal wall hernia-is seen in less than 1.5% of blunt abdominal trauma patients. However, the incidence of concurrent intra-abdominal injuries in these patients is high and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Although the diagnosis of abdominal wall injuries is typically straight forward on CT, associated injuries may distract the interpreting radiologist in more subtle cases. Thus, it is important for the radiologist to identify abdominal wall injuries and their associated injuries on admission CT, as these injuries typically require surgical correction early in the course of their management. Untreated abdominal wall injuries subject the patient to increased risk of delayed bowel incarceration and strangulation. Therefore, it is important for the radiologist to be knowledgeable of injuries to the abdominal wall and commonly associated injuries to provide optimal patient triage and expedite management.
The Pathology of Parkinson's Disease and Potential Benefit of Dietary Polyphenols.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons, leading to bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor at rest, and postural instability, as well as non-motor symptoms such as olfactory impairment, pain, autonomic dysfunction, impaired sleep, fatigue, and behavioral changes. The pathogenesis of PD is believed to involve oxidative stress, disruption to mitochondria, alterations to the protein α-synuclein, and neuroinflammatory processes. There is currently no cure for the disease. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites of plants, which have shown benefit in several experimental models of PD. Intake of polyphenols through diet is also associated with lower PD risk in humans. In this review, we provide an overview of the pathology of PD and the data supporting the potential neuroprotective capacity of increased polyphenols in the diet. Evidence suggests that the intake of dietary polyphenols may inhibit neurodegeneration and the progression of PD. Polyphenols appear to have a positive effect on the gut microbiome, which may decrease inflammation that contributes to the disease. Therefore, a diet rich in polyphenols may decrease the symptoms and increase quality of life in PD patients.
Variable Release of Lipoteichoic Acid From Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Isolates Relates to Distinct Clinical Phenotypes, Strain Background, and Antibiotic Exposure.

Background Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of bacterial bloodstream infections. The heterogeneity in patient outcomes in S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) can be attributed in part to strain characteristics, which may influence host response to infection. We specifically examined the relationship between lipoteichoic acid (LTA) release from S. aureus and disease phenotype, strain background, and antibiotic exposure. Methods Seven strains of S. aureus causing different clinical phenotypes of bacteremia and two reference strains (LAC USA 300 and Mu3) were analyzed for LTA release at baseline and following exposure to antibiotics from different pharmacologic classes (vancomycin, ceftaroline, and tedizolid). LTA release was quantified by LTA-specific ELISA. Whole genome sequencing was performed on the clinical strains and analyzed using open-source bioinformatics tools. Results Lipoteichoic acid release varied by 4-fold amongst the clinical strains and appeared to be related to duration of bacteremia, independent of MLST type. Low LTA releasing strains were isolated from patients who had prolonged duration of bacteremia and died. Antibiotic-mediated differences in LTA release appeared to be associated with MLST type, as ST8 strains released maximal LTA in response to tedizolid while other non-ST8 strains demonstrated high LTA release with vancomycin. Genetic variations related to the LTA biosynthesis pathway were detected in all non-ST8 strains, though ST8 strains showed no variations despite demonstrating differential LTA release. Conclusion Our findings provide the basis for future studies to evaluate the relationship between LTA release-mediated host immune response and clinical outcomes as well as the potential for antibiotic modulation of LTA release as a therapeutic strategy and deserve confirmation with larger number of strains with known clinical phenotypes.
Assessing US Trainee and Faculty Perspectives on Exposure to Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging During Medical School

1170 Introduction: Nuclear medicine and molecular imaging (NM/MI) is a dynamic and exciting clinical specialty. Recent FDA-approval of multiple NM/MI diagnostic agents, targeted radionuclide therapies and new instrumentation suggest continued expansion of nuclear medicine clinical volume. The increase in clinical demand will likely require a commensurate increase in highly qualified and dedicated physicians who practice NM/MI. Despite this need, interest in training to become NM/MI physicians in the United States has waned in the past decade with an associated decrease in the number of active ACGME-accredited Nuclear Medicine/Nuclear Radiology training programs. The reasons for this decline in the US is complex , and there are ongoing discussions by stakeholder organizations to address this issue. Several parties have sought to develop training pathways to meet the demands of the field; also vital is the need to attract dedicated and talented medical graduates to pursue these pathways. The overall purpose of this study was to identify key factors that motivate trainees to pursue NM/MI as a career. As several studies highlight the impact of medical school experiences upon residency choice, for example in radiology, we aimed to identify areas of the medical school experience that may be especially important in exposing trainees to NM/MI. Methods: This survey-based study was IRB-approved. We disseminated two web-based surveys by email. The first surveyed NM/MI trainees about motivating factors for choosing the specialty. The second survey was sent to United States of America (US) medical school faculty responsible for student education and NM/MI residency program directors to gauge the current state of NM/MI didactics at their institution. We implemented surveys in REDCap, piloted the surveys with trainees and faculty from our institution, and refined the surveys in consultation with a statistician prior to dissemination. We sent out both surveys via email by the SNMMI on 4/23/2019 for anonymous voluntary participation. We did not provide incentives for participation. The surveys were opened for a period of 5 months with 3 reminder emails sent. Results: 78/2031 trainees and 44/188 faculty responded. Most trainees reported becoming first interested in NM/MI after medical school. Trainees reported little NM/MI exposure during medical school, despite faculty reporting that they provide NM/MI didactics (Figure 1). Instead, imaging clerkships, research and mentorship experiences were important influences for trainee’s specialty choice (Figure 2). All respondents thought that NM/MI should be pursued in conjunction with Diagnostic Radiology training (Figure 3). Conclusions: Survey results identified factors that motivate current NM/MI trainees to enter the field and highlight a potential opportunity to increase medical student exposure to NM/MI. Targets for curricular development that may increase effective NM/MI exposure during medical school were identified.
Culture in Family Therapy : New Variations on a Fundamental Theme

The civil rights movement demanded that institutions be more responsive and less discriminatory toward minority clients, and the nationwide development of community mental health programs in the 1970s attempted to expand services to economically disadvantaged and culturally marginalized groups. The multicultural movement of the 1990s has revitalized these concerns within newer, postmodern epistemologies that stress a social constructionist lens, a strength-based orientation, and a collaborative engagement with clients. Consistencies of language, meaning or belief systems, worldviews, and experiences often lend a sense of familiarity and community for people who share the same culture. Multiculturalism consists of more than a respect for multiple meanings or diverse values about family life. The construct of ecological niche makes it apparent that human beings share cultural borderlands or zones of overlap with others. Most immigrants and refugees demonstrate enormous capacity for resilient adaptations.
Impacts of group stunning on the behavioral and physiological parameters of pigs and sheep in a small abattoir.

Abstract This study investigated reactions of pigs (N = 148) and sheep (N = 77) to group stunning where animals were present for the slaughter of others. Mock stunning with an isolated animal was used as the control. In both species, there was little evidence to suggest a difference in blood glucose and cortisol with stun order (P ≥ 0.21). In pigs, lactate differed by stun order (P
Outcomes of Eyes With Diabetic Macular Edema That Are Lost to Follow-up After Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy.

Abstract Purpose : To evaluate the effect of loss to follow up (LTFU) on outcomes in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Design : Retrospective cohort study Methods : Single-center study of 90 eyes of 73 patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and DME treated with anti-VEGF injections who were LTFU for >6 months. Main outcomes were the change in mean visual acuity (VA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) at the return and final visits compared to the visit before LTFU. Results : Mean age was 64.5 years, mean LTFU duration was 322 days, and mean follow-up duration after return was 502 days. Compared to the mean VA at the visit before LTFU (0.42, Snellen ∼20/52), mean VA worsened at the return visit (0.54, Snellen ∼20/69, p=0.004). No significant change in the mean VA was noted at the 3-month after return visit (0.50, Snellen ∼20/63), the 6-month after return visit (0.46, Snellen ∼20/57), the 12-month after return visit (0.42, Snellen ∼20/52) and the final follow up (0.47, Snellen ∼20/59). When analyzed by NPDR severity before LTFU, no difference in VA was found from the visit before LTFU to the final visit. Mean CFT increased when comparing the visit before LTFU (270 μm) to the return visit (305 μm, p=0.012), but no difference was found by the final visit [247 μm, p=0.07]. Conclusions : Anti-VEGF treated DME patients who were LTFU for a prolonged period experienced a modest decline in VA that recovered after restarting treatment.
Improving Quality in Primary Care: A Model for Change

Health care spending accounts for 17.7% of the gross domestic product in the United States, and it is expected to continue rising at an annual rate of 5.3%. Despite high costs, health care quality lags behind other high-income countries; yet, over 70% of change initiatives fail. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies primary care leaders use for implementing quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes and reduce waste in primary care facilities. The target population consisted of 3 health care leaders of 3 primary care facilities in southern California who successfully implemented quality improvement initiatives. The conceptual framework for this study was Kotter’s 8-step of change management. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with senior health care leaders, document review, and quality reports. Patterns were identified through a rigorous process of data familiarization, data coding, and theme development and revision. Interpretations from the data were subjected to member-checking to ensure trustworthiness of the findings. Four themes emerged from this study: communication, leadership support, inclusive decision-making, and employee recognition.
Spermiation response to exogenous hormone therapy in hibernated and non-hibernated boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas)

Conservation programs for threatened high- elevation amphibian species rely on hibernation to trigger appropriate male reproductive behaviours and gametogenesis. Although common practice and anecdotal observations have supported the practice of hibernation, there is limited empirical evidence documenting the effects on reproduction in these species. In this study, the effect of hibernation on sperm quantity and quality was evaluated for the alpine species Anaxyrus boreas boreas. Hibernated (n=19) and non-hibernated (n=21) male toads were administered 10IUg-1 body weight (BW) human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and spermic urine was collected over 24h. Hibernation had no effect on the number of males undergoing spermatogenesis, but hibernated males produced sperm in higher concentrations. Sperm quality was measured in terms of total motility, forward progressive motility and quality of forward progression. Although there was no difference in the total sperm motility of samples from hibernated and non-hibernated toads, the percentage of sperm exhibiting forward progressive motility and the quality of forward progression was significantly greater from hibernated toads. These results support our hypothesis that hibernation impacts both sperm quantity and quality in male boreal toads. This study will better inform captive breeding management decisions for threatened alpine species, in imminent danger of extinction.
A Multiperiod Supply Chain Network Optimization Model with Investments in Labor Productivity Enhancements in an Era of COVID-19 and Climate Change

We are living in a very challenging time in history with the COVID-19 pandemic upon us plus the impacts of climate change now being notable with the frequency of various disasters increasing as well as their impacts. Nevertheless, products still must be produced, transported, and consumed in order to sustain humanity, and labor has revealed itself to be a critical resource in supply chain networks. In this paper, we construct the first multiperiod supply chain network model, which captures labor associated with the various supply chain network activities of production, transportation, storage over time, and distribution, and also includes link labor productivity enhancements that allow for investments in enhanced safety and health of the workers. We utilize a net present value (NPV) approach with the optimization model being formulated and solved as a variational inequality problem. We report the complete input and solution results for a series of numerical examples in terms of product flows, labor required, wages, as well as link labor productivity enhancements. We then further illustrate the relevance of the framework by conducting sensitivity analysis. We find that investing in link labor productivity can benefit workers also in terms of higher wages earned and the firm in terms of an increase in the optimal value of its objective function represented by the NPV, provided that consumers are aware of and responsive to such investments. This work adds to the literature on the integration and extension of concepts of operations research and economics in order to provide deeper insights into highly relevant aspects of supply chains during this time of their expanded importance.
The Transformations of Sulfur And Nitrogen in the Remote Atmosphere Background Paper

Many, if not most, sulfur and nitrogen compounds are introduced into the troposphere as gases (see Chapters 1 and 2) and a portion of these compounds are removed directly to the earth’s surface. Before their removal, most of the remaining fraction undergo both chemical transformation to another molecular form and physical transformation to a condensed phase, either in aerosol particles or in cloud droplets. Simultaneously, all the substances are mixed by eddy motions into the planetary boundary layer and, in some cases, throughout the troposphere and into the stratosphere. Volcanoes sporadically inject relatively small but important amounts of some species directly into the stratosphere where transformations also occur before slow transport back to the earth’s surface via the troposphere. Because three physical states are involved (gas, solid or liquid aerosol particles, and solute in cloud droplets), the transformations occurring in each phase and between the three phases need to be described.
CyberQuest: Problem Solving and Innovation Support System, Conceptual Background and Experiences

Preface AN INTRODUCTION TO CYBERQUEST Brief Description More Detailed Illustration Additional Features. Using the Results AN EXTENDED EXAMPLE Problem Description and Analysis Word Selection Idea Generation Sketches Idea Screening Idea Packaging and Evaluation Completion Add to "Previous Ideas" File APPLICATIONS OF CYBERQUEST Technical Managerial Social Humanities Education Product Development and Promotion Lessons Learned PROCESS EXPERIMENTS High Tech Experiments Lower-Tech Experiences Some Lessons Learned PROBLEM DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS Identifying Background Information Situation Structuring Analytic Tools Some Lessons Learned WORD SELECTION Word Hierachies Basic Words Key Words Experiments Some Lessons Learned IDEA GENERATION The Idea Generation Process and Concept Galaxies Notes General Notes Goals More Information Some Lessons Learned SCREENING Short Name Screening Status Categories Ratings and Scores Comments and Information Sharing Group Interaction Some Lessons Learned PACKAGING AND EVALUATION The Packaging Process Types of Packages Package Review Decisions Among Packages Some Lessons Learned REPORTING Varieties of Reports Modes of Output LOOKING AT THE RESULTS Idea Paths Alternate Goals A Framework Categories of Affecting Factors A Formative Assessment INPUTS: SESSION PREPARATION AND OPERATION Types of Sessions Preparation and Setup Facilitation Completion and Follow-up Incorporate Differences Some Lessons Learned IMMEDIATE EFFECTS Session Outputs Relationships User Comments Some Lessons Learned IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACTS Implementation Impacts Experiences from Other Cases Intended Goals Summary Some Lessons Learned-A Benefit Cost Perspective COMPARISON TO OTHER APPROACHES Reasonable Resemblances to Other Processes Comparison to Individual Efforts Comparison to Literature Searches Comparison to Group Activities CONCLUSIONS The Multitudinous Factor Issue The Use Issue The Small Time Issue The Impact Issue The Study Issue Looking Ahead References Author Index Subject Index