cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ciliary Extracellular Vesicles: Txt Msg Organelles

Cilia are sensory organelles that protrude from cell surfaces to monitor the surrounding environment. In addition to its role as sensory receiver, the cilium also releases extracellular vesicles (EVs). The release of sub-micron sized EVs is a conserved form of intercellular communication used by all three kingdoms of life. These extracellular organelles play important roles in both short and long range signaling between donor and target cells and may coordinate systemic responses within an organism in normal and diseased states. EV shedding from ciliated cells and EV-cilia interactions are evolutionarily conserved phenomena, yet remarkably little is known about the relationship between the cilia and EVs and the fundamental biology of EVs. Studies in the model organisms Chlamydomonas and Caenorhabditis elegans have begun to shed light on ciliary EVs. Chlamydomonas EVs are shed from tips of flagella and are bioactive. Caenorhabditis elegans EVs are shed and released by ciliated sensory neurons in an intraflagellar transport-dependent manner. Caenorhabditis elegans EVs play a role in modulating animal-to-animal communication, and this EV bioactivity is dependent on EV cargo content. Some ciliary pathologies, or ciliopathies, are associated with abnormal EV shedding or with abnormal cilia-EV interactions. Until the 21st century, both cilia and EVs were ignored as vestigial or cellular junk. As research interest in these two organelles continues to gain momentum, we envision a new field of cell biology emerging. Here, we propose that the cilium is a dedicated organelle for EV biogenesis and EV reception. We will also discuss possible mechanisms by which EVs exert bioactivity and explain how what is learned in model organisms regarding EV biogenesis and function may provide insight to human ciliopathies.
Creatine analogue beta-guanidinopropionic acid alters skeletal muscle AMP deaminase activity.

Dietary supplementation of the creatine analogue beta-guanidinopropionic acid (beta-GPA) decreases in vitro skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMP-D) activity in rats. Downregulation of AMP-D activity ...
Collaborative Health Care and Emerging Trends in a Community-Based Psychiatry Residency Model

This paper provides a report of an academic department of psychiatry’s journey into the change process associated with addressing the new requirements in health-care delivery, the emphasis on person-centered treatment models, and the implications for residency training programs. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry’s experience is based on responding to real-world shifts in which academic departments can play a leadership role. Importantly, methods are based on person-centered collaboration being central to a successful change process and include a description of the training, with data supporting implementation of the model. The model demonstrates increased access to care and improved behavioral health symptoms. It indicates that with proper training and supervision, psychiatry residents can be an agent of change. This brief review of our experience offers to other departments of psychiatry examples of collaborative strategies substantially informed by the needs and preferences of both persons accessing services and local communities.
Plastic Surgical Considerations for Urologic Surgeons

SUMMARY Some of the catastrophic problems involving the abdominal wall that occur after surgery are avoidable. Careful planning of the incision with vascular territories in mind can avoid devascularizing areas of skin. The use of intravenous fluorescein can help the surgeon to predict necrosis and take steps to circumvent the problem. These considerations and timely plastic surgical consultations can aid the urologic surgeon in providing patients with the optimal care.
[Anonymous], ‘A Winter-Day at Haworth’ (1867), in Chambers’s Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art: Fourth Series, no. 217 (22 February 1868), pp. 124–8

great bare hills sloping upwards on every side; long vistas between them, closed at length by other hills rising to a still greater height than those near at hand; here and there a farm-building standing out cold and lonely upon the barren fell; close at our feet a great street of houses, narrow as Chancery Lane, and running up the side of a hill steep as the roof of a house; hardly a tree to be seen in any direction, but all the landscape wrapped in a dazzling mantle of snow, whilst overhead is a leaden January sky: this was what I saw when I stood looking down at Haworth, during the early days of last year. A wild and gloomy scene it was, suited so well to the memories which the place called up, that it almost seemed as though the spot were in perpetual mourning for her who was gone, and whose home and resting-place I had come so far to see.
Economic Change as a Cause of International Conflict

This chapter reviews various hypotheses about the relation between economic change and governments’ readiness to participate in international conflict. It develops a theoretical model with hypothesised linkages from economic difficulty, to governments’ efforts to contain domestic political discontent stemming from that difficulty, through militarisation to participation in militarised international disputes. It also develops a hypothesis that democratic governments may respond to economic difficulty in a way that is systematically different from that of non-democratic governments. It then tests these hypotheses on two large bodies of cross-temporal and cross-national political and economic data. The results suggest some tendency for democratic governments to engage in international conflict more often after economic downturn, and for non-democratic governments to do so after economic expansion.
Effect of elevated temperature on alkali-activated geopolymeric binders compared to portland cement-based binders

Abstract This research focused on developing thermally-stable materials based on alkali-activation of slag, fly ash, and metakaolin compared to portland cement mixtures by using a hierarchical approach to material design. At lower length scales, X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterized the mineralogy that coupled to higher length scale experiments using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for determining the materials thermal stability. Additionally, high-energy X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) determined the best-performing material formulation that minimized thermal damage when exposed to high temperatures (650 °C). The thermal loading was ramped up to 650 °C from ambient temperature in 60 s and then held for a total of 10 min. The μCT identified that the alkali-activated fly ash mortar had less initial porosity than the ordinary portland cement mixtures, with more than 66% of the pores between 20 and 50 μm in diameter. Consequently, the alkali-activated fly ash mortar was able to dissipate approximately 565 °C in just 50 mm of material, outperforming all the other mixes studied in this paper with μCT confirming minimal damage after the temperature exposure.
Facilitating Lasting Changes at an Elementary School

The purpose of this study was to determine how to minimize waste in a school setting by reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting waste products. Specifically, the desire was to identify what steps could be taken to decrease waste practices at a Title I elementary school. Through the Washington Green Schools certification process, a Waste and Recycling Assessment and Characterization Audit allowed for the collection of data. The assessment examined how much and what types of waste products were disposed of at the school. Based on the audit, 93% of waste products in the cafeteria were recyclable or compostable. The results provided ways for the students and staff to take action resulting in behavioral changes that taught and modeled environmental conservation. This study can help revolutionize school communities by serving as a prototype for environmental sustainability enhancing an eco-friendly citizenry.
A dose escalation, single arm, phase Ib/II combination study of BEZ235 with everolimus to determine the safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics in subjects with advanced solid malignancies including glioblastoma multiforme.

TPS3116 Background: Downregulation of a number of signaling pathways, including the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, has been demonstrated to be efficacious in a large range of solid t...
Effects of capture rate and its repeatability on optimal sampling requirements in semiconductor manufacturing

We developed a sample planning model for semiconductor manufacturing which incorporates a capture rate model that represents real inspection tool behavior. Current practice is to represent the number of defects caught by an inspection tool by either a binomial random variable or by a fraction of the defects inspected. Models based on these principles merely use the mean capture rate (CR) of the inspection tool to fully characterize the number of defects caught by the inspection tool. The model we developed shows that using only the mean capture rate of the inspection tool does not fully represent the real behavior of the inspection tool. These models completely ignore the second moment properties such as the variance/covariance characteristics of the defect capture process. In this paper we introduce notions of defect-to-defect (DTD), wafer-to-wafer (WTW)and lot-to-lot (LTL) capture rate repeatability that represent the variance/covariance characteristics of the defect capture process in our sample planning model. Our study based on this model shows that the false alarm rate and lots at risk for a given sample plan depend heavily on the capture rate repeatability. Furthermore, the optimal sample plan for a given risk tolerance can be influenced substantially by this repeatability. In this paper we present a new sample planner model that incorporates capture rate repeatability. We define the necessary notions of capture rate repeatability and use them to develop the sample planner model. We present the risk trade-offs, and an algorithm to compute the optimal sample plan for a pre-specified risk level. Finally, we present the numerical results and our analysis of their implications.
Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease lookback study: 21 years of surveillance for transfusion transmission risk

BACKGROUND Transfusion transmission of human prion diseases has been observed for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), but not for the classic forms of prion disease (CJD: sporadic, genetic, and iatrogenic). Although the presence of prions or misfolded prion proteins in blood has been documented in some patients with the most common form of CJD, sporadic CJD, no transfusion-transmitted cases of CJD have been recognized. Since 1995, the American Red Cross has conducted a lookback study of the recipients of blood products from donors who develop CJD to assess the risk of blood-borne CJD transmission in the United States. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Blood donors subsequently diagnosed with confirmed or probable CJD were enrolled and the consignees were asked to identify the recipients of their blood products. These donors' transfusion recipients are traced annually with the National Death Index to see if they subsequently die of CJD. RESULTS To date, 65 CJD donors have been enrolled along with 826 of their blood recipients. These recipients have contributed 3934 person-years of follow-up and no transfusion-transmitted cases of CJD have been recognized. CONCLUSION From this study, as well as other epidemiologic studies, there is no evidence of CJD transfusion transmission; this risk remains theoretical.
Full Court Press: Mississippi State University, the Press, and the Battle to Integrate College Basketball

By James A. PetersonOxford: University Press of Mississippi, 2016, 272 pp.The conventional major college basketball wisdom is that the all-white, segregated University of Kentucky basketball team d...
The Origins and Flagship Project of NASA’s International Program: The Ariel Case Study

The complexity of satellite systems and challenges of operating in the near-Earth space environment necessitated that innovation take place as a collective learning process among many institutions in many countries. Between 1945 and 1958, scientist administrators functioned as important mediators of scientific practice and national interest, coordinating resources in the Upper Atmosphere Rocket Research Panel, the International Geophysical Year, and finally the organizational innovation of NASA. NASA’s first international satellite project enlisted talent from a number of UK institutions that over the years had already proven valuable partners in space science and upper atmospheric research. Thus, NASA provided a bureaucratic and funding mechanism to continue such collaboration, avoiding undue duplication of effort, but also setting an example of carefully meted inclusivity in space science (Angelina Long Callahan).
A Survey of Rewards for Teens: Extension and 25-year Follow-up

ABSTRACTExtant reward surveys and item preferences assessments have shown to be a reliable mode of ascertaining potential reinforcers for various populations; however, many are outdated and may comprise of items or rewards that contemporary populations may not value. The purpose of this research is to extend upon the Houlihan, Jesse, Levine, and Sombke (1991) Survey of Rewards for Teens (SORT) and assess whether there is evidence of a potential, generational shift in reward preferences in high school students from 1991 to 2016. This inquiry is of particular importance to behavior analysts due to the idiosyncratic nature of reward preference, a tendency for rewards to shift over time, and the salient role played by rewards in behavior therapy programs. Results suggest that the reward preferences of contemporary high school students differ when compared to the sample of adolescents in Houlihan et al. (1991) study. In addition, a proposed revision of the SORT is provided, whose development was derived based ...
The long noncoding RNA Blnc1 orchestrates homeostatic adipose tissue remodeling to preserve metabolic health.

Abstract Objective Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as powerful regulators of adipocyte differentiation and gene expression. However, their significance in adipose tissue metabolism and physiology has not been demonstrated in vivo. We previously identified Blnc1 as a conserved lncRNA regulator of brown and beige adipocyte differentiation. In this study, we investigated the physiological role of Blnc1 in thermogenesis, adipose remodeling and systemic metabolism. Methods We generated fat-specific Blnc1 transgenic and conditional knockout mouse strains and investigated how adipocyte Blnc1 levels are causally linked to key aspects of metabolic health following diet-induced obesity. We performed studies using cultured adipocytes to establish cell-autonomous role of Blnc1 in regulating adipocyte gene programs. Results Blnc1 is highly induced in both brown and white fats from obese mice. Fat-specific inactivation of Blnc1 impairs cold-induced thermogenesis and browning and exacerbates obesity-associated brown fat whitening, adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis, leading to more severe insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. On the contrary, transgenic expression of Blnc1 in adipose tissue elicits the opposite and beneficial metabolic effects, supporting a critical role of Blnc1 in driving adipose adaptation and homeostatic remodeling during obesity. Mechanistically, Blnc1 cell-autonomously attenuates proinflammatory cytokine signaling and promotes fuel storage in adipocytes through its protein partner Zbtb7b. Conclusions This study illustrates a surprisingly pleiotropic and dominant role of lncRNA in driving adaptive adipose tissue remodeling and preserving metabolic health.
Patent Foramen Ovale Closure for Stroke Prevention and Other Disorders.

Stroke is the fifth‐most common cause of death and the leading cause of preventable adult disability in the United States.[1][1] In 2013, there were 6.5 million stroke‐related deaths worldwide accounting for 11.8% of total deaths.[2][2] Strokes cost $34 billion each year in the United States.[
Patient Safety and Patients' Rights

Patient safety can be improved through the implementation of a physician reporting system, in which medical errors can be reported confidentially. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Ethical Issues in Community-Based Research and Intervention

Ethical issues arise at each stage of community-based research and intervention. We divide community-based research and intervention into six stages: (1) selecting the setting in which to address the research problem, (2) designing the research or intervention to fit the setting, (3) recruiting subjects, (4) collecting data, (5) data handling, analysis, storage and ownership, and (6) disseminating findings. In the latter two stages, ethical concerns arise if the data are confidential (see Boruch & Cecil, 1979, for solutions to problems of confidentiality) or if the findings are politically sensitive. However, some of the most complex and poorly understood ethical issues are likely to arise in the first three stages, which are the focus of this chapter.
PRODUCTION OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study in which human growth hormone (HGH) was produced in high yield in E. coli at a 400 liter fermentation scale. The E. coli strain carries a derivative of the plasmid pHGH 107 and is the subject of a scale-up fermentation program at CAMR on behalf of Kabi Vitrum AB. HGH yield was directly related to cell density, and the yield remained static or declined at the end of the logarithmic growth phase. Culture generation times were in the range of 60 to 72 minutes, and four to five generations gave log-phase cells containing at least 9 × 105 monomers/cell. Cells were killed in the fermenter by treatment at pH 12, which also resulted in partial lysis and release of HGH into the culture supernatant. HGH was purified in a four-step process. Ammonium sulphate precipitation was followed by ion-exchange, gel filtration, and hydrophobic chromatography. HGH dimer and 24 K mol. wt. HGH variant were only detected when extracts were held for prolonged periods early in the purification.
Conclusions and Future Prospects

There are a variety of analytical methods developed for the determination of lipid oxidation. However, many of them are old methods that depend on chemical reactions with a reagent, require long time and extensive labor, cannot be automated, measure only one kind of oxidation product, determine the concentration of an oxidation product that reaches a peak in a short time, and/or have inconsistencies due to multiple variations in the procedure. Modern analytical instruments, which can handle many samples at a time by automation, concomitantly detect many oxidation products, and be used for a long period of oxidation process, should be utilized to overcome the problems of current standard analytical methods. The NMR methods meet all these needs and should be more widely used for the analysis of lipids. More convenient, user-friendly NMR instruments such as small benchtop NMR instruments and software programs such as an automated analysis program for the fatty acid composition of vegetable oils have been developed.
Team-Based Learning Activities for First-Year Medical Students: Perception of the Learners.

Objectives Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning strategy that is used increasingly in medical education to promote critical thinking, knowledge application, teamwork, and collaboration. The aim of this study was to assess the students' perspective on the utility of TBL compared with traditional lectures. Methods We used a validated TBL student assessment instrument comprising three subscales studying accountability, preference for lecture or TBL, and student satisfaction. First-year medical students enrolled at the University of Florida College of Medicine in spring semester 2016 were asked to complete the questionnaire. Results The response rate was 50% (70/138). Although 81% of students reported that they had to prepare before TBL and believed they had to contribute to the learning of their team, only 52% believed that they were accountable for team learning. The majority believed that TBL activities are an effective approach to learning (74%), with 78% agreeing that TBL activities helped them recall information. Fewer than half (45%), however, believed that TBL helped improve their grades. Conclusions Students reported a preference and satisfaction with TBL over traditional lectures, but a mixed response was noted on the questions pertaining to accountability for team learning.
Update on Dietary Management of Childhood Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders.

Diet plays a significant role for children with functional abdominal pain disorders. A large majority of these children identify at least 1 food that exacerbates their symptoms. Malabsorbed carbohydrates may have both direct and microbiome-mediated physiologic effects. There are several factors associated with carbohydrate symptom generation, including (1) the amount ingested, (2) ingestion with a meal, (3) small intestinal enzymatic activity, (4) consuming the carbohydrate with microorganisms capable of breaking down the carbohydrate, (5) the gut microbiome, and (6) host factors. Therapies include carbohydrate (single and/or comprehensive) restriction, selective prebiotic and/or enzyme supplementation. Fiber supplementation may also be beneficial.
Estimating probability distributions of travel demand on a congested network

Abstract We aim to infer the probability density function (pdf) of Origin–Destination (O–D) demand variables using multiple sets of traffic counts over a network. Through integrating statistics and optimization techniques with transportation domain knowledge, we propose an estimation framework based on Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) with both options of exact and approximated estimators. Compared with existing methods for day-to-day O–D matrix estimation, our approach has three unique advantages. First, it is a rigorous statistical method with a capability of incorporating complex traffic network models suitable for a congested network. Second, our estimation framework is flexible to handle a wide variety of probabilistic models. Finally, instead of just providing point estimates, it reveals large sample statistical properties of the proposed estimator, which serve as a theoretical foundation for assessing estimation quality, constructing confidence region and testing model adequacy. Three numerical examples of different scales are accompanied to demonstrate various aspects of the proposed estimation framework.
The novel capsazepine analog, CIDD-99, significantly inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma in vivo through a TRPV1-independent induction of ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a deadly disease with a mere 40% five-year survival rate for patients with advanced disease. Previously, we discovered that capsazepine (CPZ), a transient receptor potential channel, Vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) antagonist, has significant anti-tumor effects against OSCC via a unique mechanism-of-action that is independent of TRPV1. Thus, we developed novel CPZ analogs with more potent anti-proliferative effects (CIDD-24, CIDD-99, and CIDD-111). METHODS Using OSCC xenograft models, we determined the efficacy of these analogs in vivo. TRPV1 interactions were evaluated using calcium imaging and a rat model of orofacial pain. Anti-cancer mechanism(s)-of-action were assessed by cell cycle analysis and mitochondrial depolarization assays. RESULTS CIDD-99 was the most potent analog demonstrating significant anti-tumor effects in vivo (P < 0.001). CIDD-24 was equipotent to the parent compound CPZ, but less potent than CIDD-99. CIDD-111 was the least efficacious analog. Calcium imaging studies confirmed that CIDD-99 neither activates nor inhibits TRPV1 confirming that TRPV1 activity is not involved in its anti-cancer effects. All analogs induced an S-phase block, dose-dependent mitochondrial depolarization, and apoptosis. Histological analyses revealed increased apoptosis and reduced cell proliferation in tumors treated with these analogs. Importantly, CIDD-99 had the most dramatic anti-tumor effects with 85% of tumors resolving leaving only minute traces of viable tissue. Additionally, CIDD-99 was non-noxious and demonstrated no observable adverse reactions CONCLUSION: This study describes a novel, highly efficacious, CPZ analog, CIDD-99, with dramatic anti-tumor effects against OSCC that may be efficacious as a lone therapy or in combination with standard therapies.
OPEnS Hub: Real-time Data Logging, Connecting Field Sensors to Google Sheets

In Earth science, we must often collect data from sensors installed in remote locations. Retrieving and storing these data can be challenging. Present options include proprietary commercial dataloggers, communication devices, and protocols with rigid software and data structures that may require ongoing expenses. While there are open-source solutions that include telemetry, such as EnviroDIY’s Mayfly, none presently generate real-time, remotely accessible workbooks. The OPEnS Lab developed the OPEnS Hub, a new approach to using low-power, open-source hardware and software to achieve real-time data logging from the field to the web. The Hub is an order of magnitude less expensive than commercial products, inherently modular and flexible, and aims to reduce technical barriers for users with little programming experience. Data can be collected remotely using a host of transmission protocols to relay data from distributed in-situ monitoring devices. The Hub mesh-networks with several nodes and saves to an onboard microSD card. Telemetry options include 900 MHz Long Range Radio with up to 25 km range and nRF for higher data rates. Ongoing transmissions from the Hub to the internet currently employ Ethernet with potential support for Wi-Fi and the cell network. The Hub engages a dynamic, low-latency portal to Google Sheets via the free API, PushingBox, and an adaptable Google Apps Script. This framework was tested on 12 individual sensors nodes at remote sites in Oregon. This manuscript details our methods and evaluates PushingBox, Google Apps Script, Adafruit Industries’ open-hardware Feather development boards, HTTP, and the aforementioned modes of data transfer.
Teacher outcomes from a statewide initiative to build assessment literacy

Abstract Contemporary professional development programs for teachers often aim to build assessment literacy. This study advances empirical examination in this important area. We examined the outcomes of a state education agency-sponsored teacher professional development initiative in the northwestern United States. Over five academic-year months, participants completed assignments, attended webinars, viewed videos, and developed assessment materials. Results showed no changes in teacher knowledge of assessment concepts across the training. Teacher self-efficacy for assessment tasks, however, increased significantly. Teachers reported self-efficacy levels that were modestly correlated with their demonstrated knowledge. These results highlight an opportunity to investigate affective and contextual variables as outcomes or mediators of assessment literacy initiatives and examine existing assessment literacy measures for sensitivity to change. Future studies and professional development efforts should consider how to engage teachers in authentic training opportunities that stimulate transferable growth while remaining feasible within constraints of time and geography.
Physical inactivity among parents of children with and without Down syndrome: the National Health Interview Survey

Background Emerging evidence suggests that parents of children with intellectual disabilities have poorer physical health than parents of typically developing children. However, it is unclear why. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in physical inactivity among a population-based sample of parents of children with and without Down syndrome. Methods Data for this analysis come from 11 waves (2005-2016) of the National Health Interview Survey, a U.S. nationally representative survey. Minutes per week of leisure-time physical activity were ascertained by self-report with physical inactivity defined as reporting no leisure-time physical activity. Parents were classified as (1) parents of typically developing children, (2) parents of children with Down syndrome, (3) parents of children with a developmental disability that had a high functional impact (autism, cerebral palsy, vision impairment or hearing impairment), (4) parents of children with an intellectual or developmental disability, but who did not have Down syndrome or a high-impact developmental disabilities, and (5) parents of children with other special health care needs. Results Parents of children with Down syndrome were more likely to be physically inactive compared with parents of typical children (odds ratio [OR]: 1.51 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.08, 2.12]) and had the lowest likelihood among all subgroups of parents to children with developmental disabilities or special health care needs. Parents of children with Down syndrome also had a significantly greater likelihood of being physically inactive compared with parents of children with other special health care needs (OR: 1.56 [95% CI: 1.11, 2.19]), with developmental disabilities without high functional impact (OR: 1.58 [95% CI: 1.12, 2.24]) and with developmental disabilities with high functional impact (OR: 1.46 [95% CI: 1.03, 2.08]). Conclusion Parents of children with Down syndrome are more likely to be physically inactive compared with parents of typically developing children and parents of children with other developmental disabilities or special health care needs. These findings suggest that parents of children with Down syndrome are a population in urgent need for interventions/programmes that promote physical activity, particularly as child well-being is linked to caregiver health.
Deploying Fluorescent Nucleoside Analogues for High-Throughput Inhibitor Screening.

High-throughput small-molecule screening in drug discovery processes commonly rely on fluorescence-based methods including fluorescent polarization and fluorescence/Forster resonance energy transfer. These techniques use highly accessible instrumentation; however, they can suffer from high false-negative rates and background signals, or might involve complex schemes for the introduction of fluorophore pairs. Herein we present the synthesis and application of fluorescent nucleoside analogues as the foundation for directed approaches for competitive binding analyses. The general approach describes selective fluorescent environment-sensitive (ES) nucleoside analogues that are adaptable to diverse enzymes that act on nucleoside-based substrates. We demonstrate screening a set of uridine analogues and development of an assay for fragment-based lead discovery with the TcdB glycosyltransferase (GT), an enzyme associated with virulence in Clostridium difficile. The uridine-based probe used for this high-throughput screen has a KD value of 7.2 μm with the TcdB GT and shows a >30-fold increase in fluorescence intensity upon binding. The ES-based probe assay is benchmarked against two other screening approaches.
The role of airports in city employment growth, 1950–2010

Abstract This study considers the effects of commercial airports on local economies over the post-World War II period (specifically, 1950–2010). To overcome endogeneity concerns, a pooled synthetic control event study strategy is employed on newly digitized historical aviation data to estimate treatment effects on a variety of employment, population, and wage outcomes. I find that airports have led to, on average, 3.9 percent growth in total employment (and 3.4% growth in population) per decade. Over the 30-year period for which wage and air traffic data are available, earnings per worker increased by 2%, and per-capita personal income increased by 3%, corresponding to growth rates of up to 1.2 percent per decade, respectively.
Evaluation and management of the critically ill adult asthmatic in the emergency department setting

Abstract Introduction Asthma is a common reason for presentation to the Emergency Department and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While patients may have a relatively benign course, there is a subset of patients who present in a critical state and require emergent management. Objective This narrative review provides evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with severe asthma. Discussion It is important to consider a broad differential diagnosis for the cause and potential mimics of asthma exacerbation. Once the diagnosis is determined, the majority of the assessment is based upon the clinical examination. First line therapies for severe exacerbations include inhaled short-acting beta agonists, inhaled anticholinergics, intravenous steroids, and magnesium. Additional therapies for refractory cases include parenteral epinephrine or terbutaline, helium‑oxygen mixture, and consideration of ketamine. Intravenous fluids should be administered, as many of these patients are dehydrated and at risk for hypotension if they receive positive pressure ventilatory support. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation may prevent the need for endotracheal intubation. If mechanical ventilation is required, it is important to avoid breath stacking by setting a low respiratory rate and allowing permissive hypercapnia. Patients with severe asthma exacerbations will require intensive care unit admission. Conclusions This review provides evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and management of severe asthma with a focus on the emergency clinician.
Sulfate precipitation in produced water from Marcellus Shale for the control of naturally occurring radioactive material.

Abstract Produced water (PW) generated during unconventional oil and gas extraction is characterized by very high total dissolved solids (TDS) that mainly consist of alkali and alkaline earth metals. Dominant PW management strategy (i.e., injection in Class II disposal wells) is scrutinized by regulatory agencies, and the public and PW treatment that enables high water and salt recovery (i.e., evaporation/crystallization) is being considered as an alternative. Produced water generated in the Marcellus Shale play also contains very high levels of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in the form of Ra-226 and Ra-228, which is one of the key impediments for the recovery of high-quality salts. This study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of Ra-226 removal using co- and post-precipitation with barium sulfate to enable advanced PW treatment processes. High Sr/Ba molar ratios in PW lead to relatively low Ba2+ and Ra2+ removal, and Ba2+ concentration adjustment is necessary to achieve required treatment standards (i.e., [Ba2+]
Methylated DNA marker panel for metastatic melanoma: Discovery and tissue validation.

e22024Background: Disease surveillance in high risk melanoma patients using PET/CT is recommended every 6 months, an algorithm that is extremely expensive and often difficult to access. Biomarkers ...
Intraductal pancreatic cancer is less responsive than cancer in the stroma to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is often the treatment of choice for borderline resectable and locally advanced invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); however, most cancers only partially respond to therapy. We hypothesized that the location of residual neoplastic cells in resected specimens following NAC could provide a clue as to the mechanisms of resistance. PDAC cells invade the stroma but can also invade back into and spread via the pancreatic ducts, which has been referred to as “cancerization of ducts” (COD). We compared the responsiveness to chemotherapy between PDAC cells in the stroma and PDAC cells in the duct. Pancreatic resections from a total of 174 PDAC patients (NAC, n = 97; immediate surgery, n = 77) were reviewed. On hematoxylin and eosin sections, COD was identified at the same prevalence in both groups (NAC: 50/97 cases, 52%; immediate surgery: 39/77 cases, 51%; p = 0.879, Fisher’s exact test). However, using quantitative image analysis of CK19 immunohistochemistry, we found that the proportion of cancer cells that were intraductal was significantly different between the NAC and immediate surgery groups (median; 12.7% vs. 1.99%, p < 0.0001, Mann–Whitney U test). This proportion was highest in patients with marked therapy responses (36.2%) compared with patients with moderate or poor responses (7.21 & 7.91%). In summary, our data suggest that intraductal components in PDAC are less responsive to chemotherapy than the remainder of the tumor, which could have important implications for therapeutic resistance.
Amending microbiota by targeting intestinal inflammation with TNF blockade attenuates development of colorectal cancer.

Intestinal inflammation and microbiota are two important components of colorectal cancer (CRC) etiology. However, it is not clear how tuning inflammation using clinically relevant anti-inflammatory treatment impacts microbiota or whether this consequently influences CRC outcome. Here, using chemically induced (DSS/Apcmin/+) and spontaneous (Apcmin/+;Il10−/−) mouse CRC models colonized by colibactin-producing Escherichia coli, we established the role of microbiota in mediating the antitumorigenic effect of anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. We found that TNF blockade attenuated colitis and CRC development. Microbiota community structure and gene activities significantly changed with disease development, which was prevented by TNF blockade. Several microbiota functional pathways underwent similar changes in patients following anti-TNF therapy. Under cohousing condition, TNF blockade failed to prevent colitis, cancer development and disease-associated microbiota structural changes. Finally, microbiota transplantation showed reduced carcinogenic activity of microbiota from anti-TNF-treated mice. Together, our data demonstrate the plasticity of microbiota, which could be reverted to noncarcinogenic status by targeting inflammation. Jobin and colleagues show that targeting inflammation with TNF therapy has a preventative effect on carcinogenic activity of the microbiota in mouse models of colitis-associated colorectal cancer.
Expectancy Value Theory as a Tool to Explore Teacher Beliefs and Motivations in Elementary Mathematics Instruction.

This case study explores the utility of Expectancy Value Theory (EVT) as a framework for studying elementary teachers’ beliefs and motivations with respect to reformed mathematics instruction. A model for coding and evaluating qualitative data using EVT is proposed and illustrated using interviews with three primary school teachers in an urban school district in the United States. Results from the study indicate that anticipated costs associated with reform instruction, including not covering required content and not meeting district benchmarks, function as strong inhibitors to reform, even among teachers who value reform instruction, who exhibit a strong sense of self-efficacy, and who believe in their students’ capacities to succeed with reform-oriented instruction.
An exotic smooth structure on CP²#6CP²

We construct smooth 4–manifolds homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic to CP#6CP2 . AMS Classification numbers Primary: 53D05, 14J26 Secondary: 57R55, 57R57
Pre- and Post-GFC Policy Multipliers

This paper estimates the change in policy multipliers in the U.S. relative to their pre-2008 financial crisis levels using an augmented Blanchard-Perotti model to allow for the dynamic effects of shocks to the central bank balance sheet, real interest rates and debt levels on economic activity. Given the elevated debt level and significantly larger central bank balance sheet in the U.S. after 2008, the paper estimates the likely impact of new stimulus packages. We find that expenditure multipliers have fallen post-2008 crisis because of higher government debt, implying that the effectiveness of fiscal policy has declined. The analysis also investigates the impact of quantitative easing. The results suggest that it is beneficial, but requires sizable balance sheet interventions to lead to noticeable effects on real GDP. The results are used to assess the impact of the policy packages to address COVID-19. Because of rising debt stocks, dealing with a crisis is becoming more and more costly despite the current low interest rate environment.
Infancia y la política cultural del desarrollo en el Día Panamericano, 1930-1948

(analytical)This article takes a critical look at the construction of Latin American childhood imagined from the vantage point of the United States through the cultural politics of Pan Americanism. It analyzes children’s participation in the celebrations of Pan American Day (April 14) as a political-cultural project of the Pan American Union. Through cultural historical analysis of primary sources, the article argues that children gained political visibility in the public sphere as cultural agents of a new hemispheric political initiative led by Washington, D. C. The resulting metaphorical construction of Latin America as childlike in the (neo)colonial gaze infantilized the region’s inhabitants, a historical tendency that intensified when children were mobilized as agents of hemispheric diplomacy. Keywords: Modern history, Foreign relations, diplomacy, Latin American history, childhood, nationalism.
An expert system architecture for construction planning

Construction planning involves the choice of construction technologies, the definition of work tasks, the estimation of required resources and durations, the estimation of costs, and the preparation of project schedules. A knowledge-based expert system design to accomplish these tasks, CONSTRUCTION PLANEX, is described in this paper. This system synthesizes activity networks, diagnose resource needs and predicts durations and costs. The CONSTRUCTION PLANEX system could be useful as an intelligent assistant in routine planning, as a laboratory for the analysis and evaluation of planning strategies, and as a component of more extensive construction assistance systems involving design or project control. The operation of a prototype system to plan building excavation tasks is described and illustrated with an example.
Lashes to Ashes, Exploring the Hidden Dimensions of Human Hair

Hair is power, beauty and seduction: a reflection of ethnicity and religion, and even a canvas for self-expression. A key feature in defining identity and social status, it holds the essence of our individuality. However, once removed from its original and natural setting—the epidermis—hair is seen as waste, and often evokes disgust. The objective of this thesis is to explore human hair, which particularly in the Arabic-Islamic region, carries great significance and raises many religious, cultural, and gender issues. Through design, and informed by critical design theory, I explore how this corporeal material can be reused and re-presented as a means of interrogating the references, symbolism, and connotations of hair
Thrombophlebitis associated with pregnancy

Abstract Of 32,337 pregnant patients observed, 457 had significant superficial or deep thrombophlebitis either during or following termination of pregnancy. Superficial thrombophlebitis was diagnosed in 52 patients during pregnancy and 341 after pregnancy; deep thrombophlebitis occurred in 17 patients during pregnancy and in 47 after it. Although anticoagulant medications were not used for treatment of superficial thrombophlebitis during pregnancy, they commonly were administered for severe superficial thrombophlebitis that followed pregnancy. All patients who had deep thrombophlebitis were treated with anticoagulant drugs. Only 13 of the 32,337 patients developed pulmonary embolism in association with pregnancy. All patients who developed thrombophlebitis or pulmonary embolism recovered after treatment without serious sequelae.
CellFast: Interactive Unstructured Volume Rendering and Classification

CellFast is an interactive system for unstructured volume visualization. Our CellFast system uses optimizations of OpenGL triangle fans, customized quicksort, memory organization for cache efficiency, display lists, tetrahedral culling, and multithreading. The optimizations improve the performance of an approach similar to Shirley and Tuchman’s projected tetrahedra rendering to provide 1 frame/second for 240,122 tetrahedral cells, 3 frames/second for 70,125 tetrahedral cells, and 15 frames/second for 12,936 tetrahedral cells. CellFast also performs fully automated classification to assist rendering. Demonstration of fluid flow, medical simulation, and medical imaging datasets are provided. CellFast provides for very high resolutions (up to 3840x1024), at frame rates that are orders of magnitude higher in performance compared to those in the literature. The CellFast system combines an interactive renderer and automatic classification to make unstructured volume rendering more useful.
Permissible Faith Ventures

Debates in religious epistemology have grown stale and the dialectic predictable. Certainly, some debates have assumed greater prominence and generated an interesting body of literature (e.g., the literature on divine hiddenness and skeptical theism). But the positions in the field have hardened. Like all other areas in philosophy, it occasionally takes an iconoclast to shake things up and breathe new life into moribund debates. John Bishop reinvigorates the field and hopefully redirects the debates with his recent book, Believing by Faith: An Essay on the Epistemology and the Ethics of Religious Belief. Bishop displays the care, rigor, and creativity those familiar with his work in the philosophy of action and the philosophy of religion have come to expect from him. What he offers is a wellcrafted development and defense of a modest fideism that takes believing and acting on beliefs in evidentially ambiguous circumstances to be epistemically and morally justified. Believing by Faith consists of a preface and nine chapters. But it can be divided into roughly three sections. Chapters one through four constitute prolegomena to the remaining chapters of the book in which Bishop develops and defends his own positive modest fideist account of the justifiability of holding and acting on what he calls ‘faith beliefs’ (i.e., existentially significant beliefs, practical commitment to which is a matter of choice, and are either framing principles of a doxastic framework or presuppose such a framing principle). In chapters five through seven, Bishop presents and refines his own account, which he christens ‘modest supraevidential fideism’ (p. 174)—a theory inspired by the work of William James (but not a theory that slavishly parrots James). Finally, chapters eight and nine are devoted to considering the case that can be made for his modest fideist religious epistemology. SOPHIA (2009) 48:85–90 DOI 10.1007/s11841-008-0082-3
Concurrent Systems Design

A characteristic of all concurrent systems is that of concurrent processing; that is, many activities occurring simultaneously whereby, frequently, the order of incoming events is not predictable. Consequently, as concurrent systems deal with several concurrent activities, it is highly desirable for a concurrent system to be structured into concurrent tasks (also known as concurrent processes). This article starts by providing an overview of concurrent processing concepts. In the next section, run-time support for concurrent tasks is briefly discussed. With this background, an overview of a design method for concurrent systems, including distributed and real-time applications, is given. The COMET method integrates object-oriented and concurrent processing concepts, and uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) notation. Keywords: concurrent processing concepts; tasks; run-time support; COMET method; unified modeling language; requirements; design modeling; analysis modeling