cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploratory study for identifying systemic biomarkers that correlate with pain response in patients with intervertebral disc disorders

Molecular events that drive disc damage and low back pain (LBP) may precede clinical manifestation of disease onset and can cause detrimental long-term effects such as disability. Biomarkers serve as objective molecular indicators of pathological processes. The goal of this study is to identify systemic biochemical factors as predictors of response to treatment of LBP with epidural steroid injection (ESI). Since inflammation plays a pivotal role in LBP, this pilot study investigates the effect of ESI on systemic levels of 48 inflammatory biochemical factors (cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors) and examines the relationship between biochemical factor levels and pain or disability in patients with disc herniation (DH), or other diagnoses (Other Dx) leading to low back pain, which included spinal stenosis (SS) and degenerative disc disease (DDD). Study participants (n = 16) were recruited from a back pain management practice. Pain numerical rating score (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and blood samples were collected pre- and at 7 to 10 days post-treatment. Blood samples were assayed for inflammatory mediators using commercial multiplex assays. Mediator levels were compared pre- and post-treatment to investigate the potential correlations between clinical and biochemical outcomes. Our results indicate that a single ESI significantly decreased systemic levels of SCGF-β and IL-2. Improvement in pain in all subjects was correlated with changes in chemokines (MCP-1, MIG), hematopoietic progenitor factors (SCGF-β), and factors that participate in angiogenesis/fibrosis (HGF), nociception (SCF, IFN-α2), and inflammation (IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TRAIL). Levels of biochemical mediators varied based on diagnosis of LBP, and changes in pain responses and systemic mediators from pre- to post-treatment were dependent on the diagnosis cohort. In the DH cohort, levels of IL-17 and VEGF significantly decreased post-treatment. In the Other Dx cohort, levels of IL-2Rα, IL-3, and SCGF-β significantly decreased post-treatment. In order to determine whether mediator changes were related to pain, correlations between change in pain scores and change in mediator levels were performed. Subjects with DH demonstrated a profile signature that implicated hematopoiesis factors (SCGF-β, GM-CSF) in pain response, while subjects with Other Dx demonstrated a biomarker profile that implicated chemokines (MCP-1, MIG) and angiogenic factors (HGF, VEGF) in pain response. Our findings provide evidence that systemic biochemical factors in patients with LBP vary by diagnosis, and pain response to treatment is associated with a unique profile of biochemical responses in each diagnosis group. Future hypothesis-based studies with larger subject cohorts are warranted to confirm the findings of this pilot exploratory study.
Effect of sodium cyanate on Trypanosoma cruzi in culture

The Brazil strain of Trypanosoma cruzi was shown in vitro to be sensitive to the carbamylating agent NaNCO in a dose and time-dependent fashion. The organisms may be irreversibly inhibited by high doses of NaNCO. It was not found to be effective in vivo in acutely infected mice.
Impact of Alcohol on Glycemic Control and Insulin Action

Alcohol has profound effects on tissue and whole-body fuel metabolism which contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality in individuals with alcohol use disorder. This review focuses on the glucose metabolic effects of alcohol, primarily in the muscle, liver and adipose tissue, under basal postabsorptive conditions and in response to insulin stimulation. While there is a relatively extensive literature in this area, results are often discordant and extrapolating between models and tissues is fraught with uncertainty. Comparisons between data generated in experimental cell and animals systems will be contrasted with that obtained from human subjects as often times results differ. Further, the nutritional status is also an important component of the sometimes divergent findings pertaining to the effects of alcohol on the regulation of insulin and glucose metabolism. This work is relevant as the contribution of alcohol intake to the development or exacerbation of type 2 diabetes remains ill-defined and a multi-systems approach is likely needed as both alcohol and diabetes affect multiple targets within the body.
Revisionary Notes on Neotropical Porcupines (Rodentia: Erethizontidae) 3. An Annotated Checklist of the Species of Coendou Lacépède, 1799

ABSTRACT The erethizontid rodent genus Coendou (including Echinoprocta and Sphiggurus) contains 13 valid species that live in tropical and subtropical forests from Mexico to Uruguay. This report tabulates information about the type material of all Recent nominal taxa referred to the genus, provides synonymies of all species recognized as valid, describes geographic distributions based on examined specimens, cites published descriptions of external and craniodental morphology, summarizes information that supports recommended binomial usage, and suggests where future taxonomic research is likely to be productive. Among other novel results, the nominal taxa richardsoni J.A. Allen, 1913, and rothschildi Thomas, 1902, are synonymized with C. quichua Thomas, 1899; a Paraguayan neotype is designated for C. spinosus (E Cuvier, 1823); and a specimen of C. rufescens is reported from Bolivia, extending the range of that species by 1800 km. Additionally, morphometric data are tabulated for several species not treated...
Content Coverage and Contextual Reading in Reading Groups

Teacher logs for 600 reading group sessions from grades 1, 3, and 5 were analyzed in an effort to identify whether the amount and mode of assigned contextual reading differed systematically between reading groups. Analyses indicated that groups designated as good readers read more total words and more words silently than groups designated as poor readers (p < .01). There were, however, no significant differences in the number of words read orally by the two groups, which indicated that the greater amounts of silent reading done by good reader groups account primarily for differences in amount of contextual reading noted. These data reinforce and extend the findings of other research on differences in content coverage and the pacing of students through reading materials.
Accurate prediction of deleterious protein kinase polymorphisms

Motivation: Contemporary, high-throughput sequencing efforts have identified a rich source of naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), a subset of which occur in the coding region of genes and result in a change in the encoded amino acid sequence (non-synonymous coding SNPs or ‘nsSNPs’). It is hypothesized that a subset of these nsSNPs may underlie common human disease. Testing all these polymorphisms for disease association would be time consuming and expensive. Thus, computational methods have been developed to both prioritize candidate nsSNPs and make sense of their likely molecular physiologic impact. Results: We have developed a method to prioritize nsSNPs and have applied it to the human protein kinase gene family. The results of our analyses provide high quality predictions and outperform available whole genome prediction methods (74% versus 83% prediction accuracy). Our analyses and methods consider both DNA sequence conservation, which most traditional methods are based on, as well unique structural and functional features of kinases. We provide a ranked list of common kinase nsSNPs that have a higher probability of impacting human disease based on our analyses. Contact: nschork@scripps.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available on Bioinformatics online.
Across the Board: Brent H. Shanks

In this series of articles, the board members of ChemSusChem discuss recent research that they consider of exceptional quality and importance for sustainability. In this contribution, Prof. Brent H. Shanks discusses the importance of biobased platform technologies for chemical syntheses. One of these technologies includes the appropriate design of biobased catalysts (i.e., enzymes), their incorporation into host systems such as microbes. As well as how the biocatalysis systems can be coupled with chemical catalysis.
Multiple perspectives on knowledge generating networks

Summary form only given. In management of technology, we need to deal with several knowledge-related processes such as knowledge generation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer etc. The knowledge network becomes a common form of knowledge creation structure for both the basic scientific research and the technological R&D. The knowledge generating network (KGN) represents a new challenge as an object of management because it is different from any conventional form of R&D organization. Instead of being a strictly defined organizational unit, with its boundaries of responsibility and range of resources, KGN is a structure that is fuzzy in its nature, partly open, requires a different system of control, motivation and evaluation. The technology manager needs to take into consideration a number of specific properties of KGN and to view it as a sociotechnical community. KGN contributes differently to different elements of R&D process. A review of those elements and functions that KGN may perform, in case of basic research and in technologically oriented R&D, indicates that importance of KGN depends on the phase of respective process. Two levels of importance: high and low are distinguished in tables illustrating that dependence. The Linstone multiple perspective approach to analysis of complex sociotechnical systems allowed us to identify twelve properties that have impact on performance of all major functions within the R&D process. The system under consideration (i.e. KGN) is viewed simultaneously from personal, organizational and technical perspectives.
Perceived Support and Low Emotional Distress: The Role of Enacted Support, Dyad Similarity, and Provider Personality

Two important issues in social support research are (a) the characteristics of support providers (e.g., enacted support and provider personality) that perceivers use to judge supportiveness and (b) the extent to which correlations between supportiveness and other constructs reflect the idiosyncratic perceptions of perceivers as well as the social consensus among observers. One-hundred daughter caregivers of parents with probable Alzheimer’s disease and their most important support providers completed measures of perceived and enacted support, dyad similarity, the personality characteristics of providers, and caregivers’ depressive symptoms. A number of different provider characteristics were linked to provider supportiveness. However, these links varied depending on whether they reflected the idiosyncratic perceptions of caregivers or the shared views of caregivers and providers. The link between perceived and enacted support was composed of both idiosyncratic and shared components, whereas the link betwe...
Polymerization of vinyl stearate multilayers

A study was made of the solid-state polymerization of built-up monomolecular layers of vinyl stearate. Polymerization was initiated by exposing the samples to 60Co γ-radiation. The reactions were followed by multiple internal reflection infrared spectroscopy. The structure of the multilayer monomer and polymer was studied by x-ray diffraction. Surface properties of the multilayers were studied by contact-angle measurements. Results showed that, under the proper conditions, monomer multilayers of vinyl stearate could be polymerized to virtually 100% completion. Reaction was favored by higher irradiation temperatures, larger doses of radiation, and by higher reaction temperatures. The x-ray diffraction photographs indicated that both the monomer and polymer multilayers possessed some single crystal character. Contact-angle measurements indicated that the molecules in both the monomer and polymer multilayers were closely packed.
Radioisotopic and biostratigraphic age relations in the Coast Range Ophiolite, northern California: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Western Cordillera

The Coast Range ophiolite (CRO) in northern California includes two distinct remnants. The Elder Creek ophiolite is a classic suprasubduction zone ophiolite with three sequential plutonic suites (layered gabbro, wehrlite-pyroxenite, quartz diorite), a mafi c to felsic dike complex, and mafi c-felsic volcanic rocks; the entire suite is cut by late mid-oceanic-ridge basalt (MORB) dikes and overlain by ophiolitic breccia. The Stonyford volcanic complex (SFVC) comprises three volcanic series with intercalated chert horizons that form a submarine volcano enclosed in sheared serpentinite. Structurally below this seamount are melange blocks of CRO similar to Elder Creek. U/Pb zircon ages from plagiogranite and quartz diorites at Elder Creek range in age from 165 Ma to 172 Ma. U/Pb zircon ages obtained from CRO melange blocks below the SFVC are similar (166‐172 Ma). 40 Ar- 39 Ar ages of alkali basalt glass in the upper SFVC are all younger at ≈164 Ma. Radiolarians extracted from chert lenses intercalated with basalt in the SFVC indicate that the sedimentary strata range in age from Bathonian (Unitary Association Zone 6‐6 of Baumgartner et al., 1995a) near the base of the complex to late Callovian to early Kimmeridgian (Unitary Association Zones 8‐10) in the upper part. The SFVC sedimentary record preserves evidence of a major faunal change wherein relatively small-sized, polytaxic radiolarian faunas were replaced by very robust, oligotaxic, nassellarian-dominated faunas that included Praeparvicingula spp. We suggest that CRO formation began after the early Middle Jurassic (172‐180 Ma) collision of an exotic or fringing arc with North America and initiation of a new or reconfi gured east-dipping subduction zone. The data show that the CRO formed prior to the Late Jurassic Nevadan orogeny, probably by rapid forearc extension above a nascent subduction zone. We infer that CRO spreading ended with the collision of an oceanic spreading center ca. 164 Ma, coincident with the oldest high-grade blocks in the structurally underlying Franciscan assemblage. We further suggest that the “classic” Nevadan orogeny represents a response to spreading center collision, with shallow subduction of young lithosphere causing the initial compressional deformation and with a subsequent change in North American plate motion to rapid northward drift (J2 cusp) causing sinistral transpression and transtension in the Sierra foothills. These data are not consistent with models for Late Jurassic arc collision in the Sierra foothills or a back-arc origin for the CRO.
Publicity and Pricelessness: Grassroots Decisionmaking and Justice in Rationing

The "grassroots turn" in bioethical discussions about justice in allocation of health care resources has attracted a great deal of support; in the absence of a convincing theory of justice in rationing, democratic decisionmaking concerning priority setting emerges with a kind of inevitability. Yet there remain suspicions about this approach--most importantly, worries about the socially corrosive impact of explicit, public decisionmaking that in effect sets a price on the lives of persons. These worries have been quieted, particularly by the work of Leonard Fleck, but not altogether stilled. I explore more sympathetically the ideals to which concerns about public rationing somewhat dimly respond, and suggest constraints on priority setting discussions which might accommodate those ideals rather better.
Heme oxygenase derived carbon monoxide and iron mediated plasmatic hypercoagulability in a patient with calcific mitral valve disease

We present a case of a patient with calcific mitral valve stenosis and plasmatic hypercoagulability. Using thrombelastography, the patient was determined to have an abnormally large velocity of plasma thrombus growth and strength with reduced vulnerability to lysis. Critically, increased carboxyhemoglobin concentration (2.4 %) was present, likely secondary to hemolysis from mitral stenosis and engagement of systemic heme oxygenase. It was determined that the patient’s plasmatic hypercoagulability was in part due to carboxyhemefibrinogen formation and iron-enhancement of coagulation via two thrombelastographic methods. In conclusion, future investigation of the involvement of both carbon monoxide and iron mediated hypercoagulability in the setting of stenotic valve disease is warranted.
Variations in human taste bud density and taste intensity perception

Some variations in human taste sensitivity may be due to different numbers of taste buds among subjects. Taste pores were counted on the tongue tips of 16 people with videomicroscopy, and the subjects were divided into two groups (N = 8) by the rank order of their taste bud densities. The "higher" density group averaged 374 +/- 134 taste pores/cm2, while the "lower" density group averaged 135 +/- 43 tp/cm2. The higher density group had an average fungiform papilla density which was 1.8 times greater than the lower density group and an average of 1.5 times more taste pores/papilla. The subjects also rated the intensity for 4 suprathreshold concentrations of 5 taste stimuli placed on the same region of the tongue where taste pores were counted. The group with higher taste bud densities gave significantly higher average intensity ratings for sucrose (196%), NaCl (135%) and PROP (142%), but not for citric acid (118%) and quinine HCl (110%) than the lower density group. Thus, the subjects with higher fungiform taste bud densities also reported some tastes as more intense than subjects with fewer fungiform taste buds.
Efficient area minimization for dynamic CMOS circuits

We present a new transistor ordering technique for the layout of dynamic CMOS leaf-cells which minimizes the cell area. The technique employs an Eulerian trail formulation which guarantees that the result is always of minimum width, i.e., the total diffusion area is optimum. A novel iterative improvement strategy minimizes the cell height as defined by the number of wiring tracks required to connect source and drain terminals. We were able to find a transistor ordering with the theoretical optimum area for many industrial circuits and standard test cases from the literature.
Evaluating the Predictive Value of Growth Prediction Models

This study evaluates four growth prediction models—projection, student growth percentile, trajectory, and transition table—commonly used to forecast (and give schools credit for) middle school students' future proficiency. Analyses focused on vertically scaled summative mathematics assessments, and two performance standards conditions (high rigor and low rigor) were examined. Results suggest that, when “status plus growth” is the accountability metric a state uses to reward or sanction schools, growth prediction models offer value above and beyond status-only accountability systems in most, but not all, circumstances. Predictive growth models offer little value beyond status-only systems if the future target proficiency cut score is rigorous. Conversely, certain models (e.g., projection) provide substantial additional value when the future target cut score is relatively low. In general, growth prediction models' predictive value is limited by a lack of power to detect students who are truly on-track. Limitations and policy implications are discussed, including the utility of growth projection models in assessment and accountability systems organized around ambitious college-readiness goals.
The influence of race and hospital environment on the care of patients with cervical spine fractures

Abstract Background The influence of non-white race on outcomes following orthopedic injury has been described in the past. The impact of such factors on hospital processes and quality of care after spinal trauma is less well understood. Study Design A cohort control study using the Massachusetts Statewide Inpatient Dataset (2003–2010) was used as the study design. Purpose This study aimed to determine whether (1) hospital processes and quality of care associated with the treatment of cervical spine fractures was significantly altered by non-white race and (2) whether findings were different among those treated at academic medical centers (AMCs). Sample The study comprised 10,841 patients. Outcomes Surgical rate, postoperative morbidity, mortality, and length of stay (LOS) were the outcome measures. Methods Baseline differences between cohorts were evaluated using chi-square or Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Logistic and negative binomial regression techniques were used to adjust for confounders, including whether a surgical intervention was performed. Subset analyses were performed to evaluate whether findings were different for individuals treated at AMCs. Results The rate of surgical intervention was not significantly different between non-whites and whites (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82–1.04). LOS (regression coefficient [RC] 0.18, 95% CI 0.13–0.23), mortality (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.20–1.85), and complications (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02–1.33) were significantly increased among non-white patients. These findings were largely preserved among those treated at AMCs. Conclusions Our results reinforce the fact that efforts at universal access to care may be insufficient to reduce differences in care among minority patients following cervical trauma. Future mixed-methods research is necessary to more effectively evaluate the etiologies behind health-care disparities associated with race in different health-care environments. Level of Evidence The level of evidence is Level III, prognostic study.
Isomeric Cross-Section Ratios for Reactions Producing the Isomeric Pair Hg 1 9 7 , 1 9 7 m

Excitation functions and isomeric cross-section ratios were determined for the ${\mathrm{Au}}^{197}(p, n)$ and ${\mathrm{Au}}^{197}(d, 2n)$ reactions. Isomeric cross-section ratios were also determined for the ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{196}(n, \ensuremath{\gamma})$, ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{196}(d, p)$, ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{198}(n, 2n)$, ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{198}(\ensuremath{\alpha}, \ensuremath{\alpha}n)$, and $\mathrm{Pt}(\ensuremath{\alpha}, xn)$ reactions. Those reactions for which compound nucleus formation predominates are treated by a statistical model. In this treatment the compound state is characterized by angular momentum and excitation energy. The analysis yields a value of 4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 for the parameter $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ which characterizes the dependence of the nuclear level density on angular momentum. Relatively small amounts of angular momentum are transferred in reactions which proceed predominantly by a direct interaction mechanism. Such reactions, therefore, give a larger yield of the isomer with spin closer to that of the target nucleus.
Conditions influencing human sperm capacitation and penetration of zona-free hamster ova *

The ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster ova was examined following low-temperature capacitation (4° C) in TES-Tris (TEST)-yolk buffer for periods of up to 66hours. Results obtained from 66 individuals demonstrated that the number of penetrations per ova were increased by an average of 2.5-fold when spermatozoa were capacitated for 42hours, as compared with 18hours. Furthermore sperm with extremely poor penetration rates after 18-hour capacitation was often improved by longer capacitation periods. Patients from our infertility clinic with 6 spermatozoa/ml of ejaculate had significantly lower penetration rates when compared with patients and donors with>20×10 6 spermatozoa/ml ( P ≤0.001). The observed effects of TEST-yolk buffer appear to be related to its ability to preserve sperm motility over prolonged periods, during which increased capacitation of the total sperm population is achieved.
Bioconservatism as Customized Science

Bioconservatism is a portmanteau of “biology” and “conservatism”. Thus, it implicates a certain customization of science, namely a conservative biology. Bioconservatives (or biocons) want a biology built according to conservative specifications. In the main, their customization work consists of drawing lines and limits for biological research and biotechnological applications-to reign in or prevent the disruptive potentials of technosciences that threaten the “known goods” of the present.
Comments on the Papers on East-West Trade : 2

My official invitation called for discussion of the papers by Professors Vajda and Nove. I shall make a few occasional references to Professor Khachaturov’s contribution as well.
Relevance, Role Theory, and Ratiocination

Role theory has a splendid neutrality. … The importance of role theory is undeniable, its range of influence has been vast, research engendered in its name diverse and bountiful. … Role theory appears to have a remarkable specificity for our time.
Transactivation and Coactivator Recruitment Assays for Measuring Farnesoid X Receptor Activity

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a nuclear receptor responsible for homeostasis of bile acids, lipids, and glucose. Compounds that alter endogenous FXR signaling can be used as therapeutic candidates or identified as potentially hazardous compounds depending on exposure doses and health states. Therefore, there is an increasing need for high-throughput screening assays of FXR activity to profile large numbers of environmental chemicals and drugs. This chapter describes a workflow of FXR modulator identification and characterization. To identify compounds that modulate FXR transactivation at the cellular level, we first screen compounds from the Tox21 10 K compound library in an FXR-driven beta-lactamase reporter gene assay multiplexed with a cell viability assay in the same well of the 1536-well plates. The selected compounds are then tested biochemically for their ability to modulate FXR-coactivator binding interactions using a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) coactivator assay. The assay results from the workflow can be used to prioritize compounds for more extensive investigations.
More than just tissue diagnosis in a patient with maxillofacial bony lesions and hypercalcemia

Brown tumors are a definitive feature of hyperparathyroidism. They are well-demarcated osteolytic lesions commonly in the appendicular skeleton. Primary hyperparathyroidism is typically suggested by hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia on routine labs. Much more rarely do these cases present with a craniofacial mass. Here we investigate a unique presentation of terminal stage primary hyperparathyroidism with a growing maxillary mass emphasizing the importance of a broad differential diagnosis and key diagnostic studies. Hyperparathyroidism can present in very unique ways. As otolaryngologists in the frontline, we must think beyond just tissue diagnoses so that appropriate and expedited care may be implemented. Laryngoscope, 127:1318-1321, 2017.
Investigating a Liver Fat Arterial Stiffening Pathway in Adult and Childhood Obesity

Objective— To investigate the relationship between hepatic fat content, circulating triglyceride levels and aortic stiffness in adult and childhood obesity. Approach and Results— Seventy-seven adults and 18 children across a wide range of body mass index (18.5–52.6 kg/m 2 ; percentile 8–100) with no identifiable cardiac risk factors underwent; 1H- magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify hepatic fat content and magnetic resonance imaging to assess aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and regional distensibility. In adults, multivariable regression showed age (β=0.09; P =0.02), liver fat (β=2.5; P =0.04), and serum triglyceride (β=0.47; P =0.01) to be independent predictors of PWV. Age and blood pressure–adjusted, moderated regression showed that 43% of the total negative effect of hepatic fat on PWV is attributable to indirect effects via increased triglyceride ( P =0.005). In addition, regional distensibility was positively correlated with hepatic fat (ascending; r =−0.35; descending, r =−0.23; abdominal, r =−0.41; all P r =0.72; P r =−0.52; P Conclusions— Increasing age, liver fat, and triglyceride are all related to increased aortic stiffness in adults. Even when controlling for the effects of age and blood pressure, hepatic fat has a negative effect on PWV, with substantial indirect effect occurring via increased circulating triglyceride level. This relationship between hepatic fat and aortic stiffness occurs early in the obesity process and is also seen in children. As such, hepatic fat content is a potential therapeutic target to treat the elevated vascular risk in obesity.
Evidence That Fibrinogen Inhibits Leukocyte Adhesion to Fibrin Clot and Immobilized Fibrinogen by Binding to the Substrate but Not to Integrins.

The recruitment of phagocytic leukocytes to sites of injured vessel wall plays an important role in thrombus remodeling during normal vascular repair and in the pathophysiology of thrombosis. Fibrin and fibrinogen, present in the thrombus, are potent adhesive substrates for neutrophils and monocytes. They support cellular attachment by binding cell surface receptors that belong to the β 2 subfamily of integrins. Adhesive interactions of neutrophils and monocytes with polymerized fibrin and insoluble fibrinogen matrix in vivo occur in the presence of high concentrations of circulating plasma fibrinogen (~2–4 mg/ml). One important property of fibrinogen that would have a major bearing on leukocyte adhesion is its capacity to form complexes with fibrin. Therefore, by virtue of its binding to the fibrin clot and/or immobilized fibrinogen, soluble plasma fibrinogen can influence leukocyte adhesion to these substrates. In this study, the possibility that soluble fibrinogen could protect fibrin from adhesion of leukocytes was examined. Fibrinogen was an efficient inhibitor of adhesion of U937 monocytoid cells and neutrophils to fibrin gel and immobilized fibrin(ogen). An investigation of the mechanism by which fibrinogen exerts its influence on leukocyte adhesion indicated that it did not block integrins but rather associated non-covalently and weakly with fibrin(ogen) substrates. Consequently, leukocyte integrins that engage fibrinogen molecules loosely bound to the fibrin(ogen) matrix are not able to consolidate their grip on the substrate; subsequently, cells detach. This conclusion is based on the evidence obtained in adhesion studies using various β 2 -integrin bearing cells and performed under static and flow conditions. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance studies, undertaken to determine the Kd of fibrinogen-fibrin interactions under flow conditions, indicated that fibrinogen formed complexes with fibrin(ogen) with micromolar affinities. Thus, these findings reveal a new role of fibrinogen in integrin-mediated leukocyte adhesion. They also imply that the anti-adhesive effect of fibrinogen may protect the thrombus from an excessive leukocyte accumulation and premature dissolution at the early stages of wound healing when hemostatic plug integrity is critical for preventing blood loss.
Long-term tillage impact on soil hydraulic properties

Abstract An improved understanding of the impact of tillage systems on soil hydraulic properties is necessary to conserve and manage soil water under a changing climate. The objective of this study was to specifically measure soil hydraulic properties (total porosity, water infiltration, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water retention characteristics) in no-till, chisel plow, disk, and moldboard plow systems under rainfed continuous corn (Zea mays L.) after 35 yr on silty clay loam soils in eastern Nebraska. We measured ponded water infiltration (positive soil water pressure) and tension (−1 kPa matric potential) infiltration to exclude macropore (>125 μm diameter) flow. Tillage treatments affected ponded infiltration only. Moldboard plow significantly increased ponded infiltration rate by 21.6 cm h−1 at 5 min and by 8.8 cm h−1 at 60 min compared with no-till. However, when compared with disk and chisel, moldboard plow increased ponded infiltration rates at all measurements times, which lasted 3 h. Regarding cumulative infiltration, moldboard plow increased cumulative infiltration by 26.9 cm to 39.0 cm after 3 h compared with other tillage systems. Similarities in tension infiltration suggest that the higher ponded infiltration for moldboard plow was most likely due to the presence of voids or fractures (>125 μm) created by full inversion tillage. Total porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water retention among the treatments did not differ. Overall, soil hydraulic properties did not differ among tillage systems except water infiltration in these silty clay loam soils after 35 yr of management.
Telling the Right Story: Narrative as a Mechanism for Japanese American Ethnic Boundary Maintenance

This study conceptualizes ethnic grand narrative, a comprehensive story of a people, as a mechanism for maintaining and policing ethnic community boundaries. Such symbolic boundaries are shaped through relational processes of negotiation and contestation: boundary work. Taking the case of Japanese Americans, I demonstrate that legitimate claim on community membership relies on more than common ancestry, as ethnicity usually implies. Through an examination of the newspaper discourse surrounding two Japanese American men, Scott Fujita and Lt. Ehren Watada, I find that the collective ethnic narrative serves to define ethnic community boundaries and is used as a reference point for individual narratives. Depending on the alignment between personal narratives and collective ethnic narratives, in terms of content and structure, determines an individual's legitimate claim on ethnic membership. Notwithstanding the continued value placed on perceived shared biological heritage, ethnic membership is better conceived of as a combination of both common ancestry and strong fit between personal and community narratives.
Palmar Soft Tissue Infection From Shewanella putrefaciens.

Shewanella putrefaciens, a gram-negative bacillus, ubiquitous in marine environments, is an opportunistic agent reported to cause rare human infection, most commonly in patients who are immunocompromised or who have a preexisting soft tissue defect. We present an immunocompetent, 40-year-old woman with a soft tissue infection of the left palm caused by S. putrefaciens. The patient's infection was complicated by the presence of retained foreign bodies, seashell fragments, from a traumatic fall. Following appropriate evaluation and surgical treatment, our patient experienced a successful outcome with no recurrence of infection or deficit in the affected hand. This case report complements the growing literature regarding morbidity attributed to S. putrefaciens infection.
The dynamic nature of territoriality, transience and biding in an exploited coyote population

Ideal despotic distribution theory and resource dispersion theory predict that individuals in populations of territorial species arrange themselves in space according to dominance and resource dispersion. When available territories are saturated, this can result in competition for preferred territories. Recently, transience in coyote populations was suggested as an advantageous life history strategy, even though transients may incur higher mortality and do not typically contribute reproductively to the population at that time. Here we assess potential types of biding, or awaiting better territory opportunities, in a highly-exploited coyote population in Virginia, USA. We used relocation data from coyotes collared from July 2011 — March 2014 to classify residents and transients based on a 95% home range area over a three-month moving window. We estimated home range stability as the distance between successive activity centers and compared it between subadults and adults. We used home range stability relative to home range area to identify extra-territorial excursions and territory turnover, or resident shifts into adjacent territories. Some coyotes adhered to the traditional form of transience, occupying very large home ranges or biding areas overlapping several resident territories, until a territory became vacant. Conversely, other individuals displayed evidence of resident territory turnover, suggesting individuals may use low quality territories as biding areas, waiting for better quality territories to become vacant. We suggest this biding population provides the capacity for rapid compensatory immigration. In response to high levels of mortality in exploited coyote populations, removal of individuals from territories may result in immediate colonization by another individual, confounding efforts to reduce overall coyote density. Thus, transience and biding may regulate population density and be a potentially advantageous life history strategy and may have implications for management of saturated populations of social predators.
Patient‐Reported Comorbidity and Survival in Older Adults with Cancer

Background Our ability to optimize the care of older adults with cancer and comorbid illnesses is insufficient because most clinical trials lack systematic measurement. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between patient-reported comorbidity and all-cause mortality using various comorbidity scoring algorithms. Materials and methods The Carolina Senior Registry was linked with the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry to obtain mortality data. Comorbidity was assessed using the patient-reported Older Americans Resources and Services Questionnaire subscale that assesses 13 specific conditions and the degree to which each impairs activities. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the association between comorbidities and all-cause mortality. Results The study sample included 539 patients; the median age was 72 years, 72% were female, and 47% had breast cancer. Overall, 92% reported ≥1 comorbid condition, with a mean of 2.7 conditions (range 0-10), with arthritis and hypertension the most common (52% and 50%, respectively). Approximately 60% reported a functional limitation related to comorbidity. After adjusting for time from diagnosis to geriatric assessment, age, cancer type, and stage, the risk of death increased by 5% for each unit increase in comorbidity burden score (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.10) and 12% for each comorbid condition impacting function (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.23). Conclusion Comorbid conditions in older adults with cancer are highly prevalent and associated with all-cause mortality, particularly those conditions that impair function. Routine comorbidity assessment should be included in clinical trials and can be measured via a simple one-page patient-reported questionnaire. Implications for practice In order to optimize and personalize the care of older adults with cancer, systematic measurement of comorbidities is necessary in both clinical trials and routine practice. Patient-reported comorbid conditions in older adults with cancer are highly prevalent and are associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, particularly for those conditions that impair function. Comorbidity can be systematically measured via a one-page patient-reported questionnaire and should be incorporated into future clinical trials and considered for use in oncology clinics to aid in assessing older adults with cancer.
Sign Levels Synopsis

This Tractatus-style sequence of propositions describes logical features of natural language discourse, pre-linguistic levels of signs interpreted in associative learning and animal communication, and the specialized discourses of the institutions of science, religion, law, politics, and the arts. Its comprehensive scope is designed to help overcome the compartmentalization of philosophy into its branches of epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. The general perspective is that of pragmatic naturalism as developed by the classical pragmatists Peirce, James, Schiller, and Dewey. Central to pragmatism is its emphasis on the use of practical inferences combining descriptive and expressive premisses with prescriptive “ought” conclusions guiding conduct. I argue that by making such inferences its focus, pragmatism enables contemporary philosophy to offset the effects of social specialization.
Dilution destabilizes engineered ligand-coated nanoparticles in aqueous suspensions

It is commonly true that a diluted colloidal suspension is more stable over time than a concentrated one because dilution reduces collision rates of the particles and therefore delays the formation of aggregates. However, this generalization does not apply for some engineered ligand-coated nanoparticles (NPs). We observed the opposite relationship between stability and concentration of NPs. We tested 4 different types of NPs: CdSe-11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, CdTe-polyelectrolytes, Ag-citrate, and Ag-polyvinylpyrrolidone. The results showed that dilution alone induced aggregation and subsequent sedimentation of the NPs that were originally monodispersed at very high concentrations. Increased dilution caused NPs to progressively become unstable in the suspensions. The extent of the dilution impact on the stability of NPs is different for different types of NPs. We hypothesize that the unavoidable decrease in free ligand concentration in the aqueous phase following dilution causes detachment of ligands from the suspended NP cores. The ligands attached to NP core surfaces must generally approach exchange equilibrium with free ligands in the aqueous phase; therefore, ligand detachment and destabilization are expected consequences of dilution. More studies are necessary to test this hypothesis. Because the stability of NPs determines their physicochemical and kinetic behavior including toxicity, dilution-induced instability needs to be understood to realistically predict the behavior of engineered ligand-coated NPs in aqueous systems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1301-1308. © 2018 SETAC.
Association Between Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Use and Cost Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss.

Importance Hearing loss (HL) is common among older adults and is associated with poorer health and impeded communication. Hearing aids (HAs), while helpful in addressing some of the outcomes of HL, are not covered by Medicare. Objective To determine whether HA use is associated with health care costs and utilization in older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used nationally representative 2013-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to evaluate the use of HAs among 1336 adults aged 65 years or older with HL. An inverse propensity score weighting was applied to adjust for potential selection bias between older adults with and without HAs, all of whom reported having HL. The mean treatment outcomes of HA use on health care utilization and costs were estimated. Exposures Encounter with the US health care system. Main Outcomes and Measures (1) Total health care, Medicare, and out-of-pocket spending; (2) any emergency department (ED), inpatient, and office visit; and (3) number of ED visits, nights in hospital, and office visits. Results Of the 1336 individuals included in the study, 574 (43.0%) were women; mean (SD) age was 77 (7) years. Adults without HAs (n = 734) were less educated, had lower income, and were more likely to be from minority subpopulations. The mean treatment outcomes of using HAs per participant were (1) higher total annual health care spending by $1125 (95% CI, $1114 to $1137) and higher out-of-pocket spending by $325 (95% CI, $322 to $326) but lower Medicare spending by $71 (95% CI, −$81 to −$62); (2) lower probability of any ED visit by 2 percentage points (PPs) (24% vs 26%; 95% CI, −2% to −2%) and lower probability of any hospitalization by 2 PPs (20% vs 22%; 95% CI, −3% to −1%) but higher probability of any office visit by 4 PPs (96% vs 92%; 95% CI, 4% to 4%); and (3) 1.40 more office visits (95% CI, 1.39 to 1.41) but 0.46 (5%) fewer number of hospital nights (95% CI, −0.47 to −0.44), with no association with the number of ED visits, if any (95% CI, 0.01 to 0). Conclusions and Relevance This study demonstrates the beneficial outcomes of use of HAs in reducing the probability of any ED visits and any hospitalizations and in reducing the number of nights in the hospital. Although use of HAs reduced total Medicare costs, it significantly increased total and out-of-pocket health care spending. This information may have implications for Medicare regarding covering HAs for patients with HL.
In vivo evaluation of the CB1 allosteric modulator LDK1258 reveals CB1-receptor independent behavioral effects.

Abstract In the present study, we examined whether LDK1258, which produces strong CB1 receptor allosteric effects in in vitro assays, would elicit in vivo effects consistent with allosteric activity. In initial studies, LDK1258 reduced food consumption and elicited delayed antinociceptive effects in the chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) model of neuropathic pain, which unexpectedly emerged 4 h post-injection. UPLC-MS/MS analysis quantified significant levels of LDK1258 in both blood and brain tissue at 30 min post-administration that remained stable up to 4 h. The observation that LDK1258 also produced respective antinociceptive and anorectic effects in rimonabant-treated wild type mice and CB1 (−/−) mice suggests an off-target mechanism of action. Likewise, LDK1258 produced a partial array of common cannabimimetic effects in the tetrad assay, which were not CB1 receptor mediated. Additionally, LDK1258 did not substitute for the CB1 receptor orthosteric agonists CP55,940 or anandamide in the drug discrimination paradigm. In other in vivo assays sensitive to CB1 receptor allosteric modulators, LDK1258 failed to shift the dose-response curves of either CP55,940 or anandamide in producing thermal antinociception, catalepsy, or hypothermia, and did not alter the generalization curve of either drug in the drug discrimination assay. Thus, this battery of tests yielded results demonstrating that LDK1258 produces antinociceptive effects in the CCI model of neuropathic pain, anorectic effects, and other in vivo pharmacological effects in a manner inconsistent with CB1 receptor allosterism. More generally, this study offers a straightforward screening assay to determine whether newly synthesized CB1 receptor allosteric modulators translate to the whole animal.
Chapter 23 – Fingerprint Recognition

Publisher Summary Fingerprints are one of the most mature biometric technologies and are considered legitimate evidence in courts of law all over the world. Fingerprints are, therefore, routinely used in forensic divisions worldwide for criminal investigations. This chapter provides an overview of fingerprint-based identification and summarizes algorithms for fingerprint feature extraction, enhancement, matching, and classification. It also presents a performance evaluation of these algorithms. The architecture of a fingerprint-based automatic identity authentication system consists of four components: user interface, system database, enrollment module, and authentication module. The user interface provides mechanisms for a user to indicate his identity and input his fingerprints into the system. The system database consists of a collection of records, each of which corresponds to an authorized person that has access to the system. The task of the enrollment module is to enroll persons and their fingerprints into the system database. The task of the authentication module is to authenticate the identity of the person who intends to access the system.