cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapy of Seminal Inadequacy I. Use of Pituitary, Chorionic and Equine Gonadotropins1

DURING THE PAST DECADE diverse gonadotropins have been used in the treatment of seminal inadequacy, with varying degrees of success (1–8). Present concepts of male endocrinology, however, lead to expectations of improvement from this therapy only in those patients in whom there is hypogonadotropic pituitary function in conjuction with testes capable of responding to increased gonadotropin levels (9). Therapeutic testing with gonadotropins at present appears to be the only practical clinical expedient for segregating patients likely to be benefited, since no applicable or trustworthy laboratory methods for quantifying pituitary function or testis receptivity are available. This report concerns 21 males with seminal inadequacy whose pretreatment, treatment and posttreatment seminal levels are judged to have been established accurately and whose trials of therapy are regarded as having been well controlled. METHODS OF STUDY The diagnosis of impaired seminal function of the 21 males was made during diagnostic...
CNAct-1 gene is differentially expressed in the subtropical mosquito Culex nigripalpus (Diptera: Culicidae), the primary West Nile Virus vector in Florida.

Abstract Analysis of differentially expressed genes is a common molecular biological tool to investigate changes in mosquito genes after a bloodmeal or parasite exposure. We report here the characterization of a differentially expressed actin gene, CNAct-1, from the subtropical mosquito, Culex nigripalpus Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae). The CNAct-1 genomic clone is 1.525 kb, includes one 66-bp intron, and a 328-bp 3′-untranslated region. The 376-amino acid putative translation product shares high similarity with muscle-specific actin proteins from other insects, including Culex pipiens pipiens L., Aedes aegypti (L.), Anopheles gambiae Giles and Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen). CNAct-1 is expressed in second and third instars, late pupae, and adult females and males. Interestingly, Cx. nigripalpus actin was highly expressed in female mosquito midgut tissue isolated 6–12 h after ingestion of a bloodmeal. This expression profile indicates a unique function for CNAct-1 in midgut processes that are initiated a...
Measuring the degree of similarity between web ontologies based on semantic coherence

The Internet comprises of a variety of websites, which both individually and in clusters generate large amounts of information. In order to make web pages machine-understandable we need a formal, explicit specification. This is provided by a Web Ontology. The importance of domain ontologies is widely recognized, particularly in its relation to the expected advent of the Semantic Web. For the task of detecting and recovering relevant ontologies, a means to measure the similarity between ontologies becomes a binding necessity on a vary large scale. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method that will effectively recognize and categorize different ontologies of the same domain and find the degree similarity between them to provide a framework for a research that can effectively provide a scope for merging the ontologies that relate to a similar concept in a domain.
Making Choice Studies Incentive Compatible

An allocation mechanism or institution is said to be incentive compatible when its rules provide individuals with incentives to truthfully and fully reveal their preferences. When the choice is binary, it is a simple matter to design incentive compatible mechanisms. However, when the domain of the choice task extends beyond two alternatives, things quickly become harder. In this chapter, we examine the conceptual issues involved in testing whether a choice experiment is incentive compatible, whether the evidence supports the claims that they are , and what one can do to enhance the incentive compatibility of choice experiments. We also identify several open issues. There are many variants of “choice experiments” in use. In the context of this volume, it can refer to any situation in which a decision-maker is asked to rank or choose from two or more alternatives and where there are several choices to be made in which one or more attributes of the alternatives are varied. Thus, a single question in which someone is asked if they would be willing to buy an apple at $1 would not qualify, since there is no variation in any attribute of the apple. But if three questions are asked in which the person has to choose between the apple and parting with $1, $2 or $3, respectively, we have the most rudimentary choice experiment, or statedchoice (SC) study, as the term is used in this volume. In fact, elementary ordered tasks of this kind have become a popular means of eliciting valuations in experiments, and are known as Multiple Price Lists (MPL). In general, there are many more attributes than prices that are varied, and we shall refer to those as Conjoint Choice Experiments. There appears to be no logical reason to restrict the term “choice experiments” to hypothetical tasks, although that is common in the area of nonmarket valuation and
Serum Cobalamin and Methylmalonic Acid Concentrations in Hyperthyroid Cats Before and After Radioiodine Treatment

Background Hyperthyroidism, the most common endocrine disorder in cats, has been associated with low serum cobalamin concentrations. Whether this is a functional cobalamin deficiency of clinical importance has not been assessed. Hypothesis/Objectives Cats with hyperthyroidism experience a functional cobalamin deficiency which correlates with their clinical catabolic state and is reversible with return of the euthyroid state. Animals Thirty-nine client-owned hyperthyroid cats. Methods Prospective observational study. Serum cobalamin, methylmalonic acid, and clinical scores were determined in each hyperthyroid cat at enrollment and when euthyroid (60 days after radioiodine treatment). Results Five of the 39 hyperthyroid cats (13%) had a low serum cobalamin concentration ranging from 350 ng/L in 2 of the hypocobalaminemic cats once euthyroid. None of the hyperthyroid/hypocobalaminemic cats had increased serum methylmalonic acid concentrations (175–601 nmol/L). In cats with clinical and biochemical hyperthyroidism, there was no correlation between serum cobalamin concentrations with total T4 concentration (P = .12) or clinical scores including body weight (P = .11) and BCS (P = .54). Conclusions and Clinical Importance In this population of hyperthyroid cats, the prevalence of hypocobalaminemia was low. Specifically, hyperthyroid cats, in which concurrent gastrointestinal disease is unlikely. Hypocobalaminemia is not a functional deficiency requiring supplementation in hyperthyroid cats without gastrointestinal disease.
Penance in the Jesuit Mission to Japan, 1549–1562

The early modern Japanese Church developed syncretistic practices in which Roman Catholicism came to function similarly to Buddhism and Shintō. This study examines the development of such practices, with particular focus on penitential rituals. It argues that certain of these rites were produced in the very early years of the mission through extensive discussions between European priests and Japanese Christians. They were compromises that were both hard-fought and intentional.
Complications and Yield of Computed Tomography-Guided Transthoracic Core Needle Biopsy of Lung Nodules at a High-Volume Academic Center in an Endemic Coccidioidomycosis Area

Previous studies with small sample sizes have shown a wide range of complication rates and no study has investigated the yield of computed tomography-guided transthoracic core needle biopsies (CTTCB) for coccidioidomycosis. To better assess the safety, accuracy, and risk factors for complications of CTTCB of pulmonary nodules, we conducted a retrospective study at a high-volume academic center in an endemic coccidioidomycosis area. We conducted a retrospective study of 203 patients who underwent CTTCB of pulmonary nodules between December 2010 and May 2013. We collected demographics, clinical, and radiographic data. Each case was reviewed for complications. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by comparing CTTCB with final diagnoses. The overall complication rate was 25 %. Pneumothorax accounted for 24 % of complications with 7 % of pneumothoraces requiring chest tube. 1.5 % were complicated by hemoptysis but none required blood transfusions. There was an association between complications and age, presence of emphysema on CT, traversed lung length, and lesion depth. The overall sensitivity of the CTTCB for all types of lung cancer was 93 %, and specificity of 100 %. The positive predictive value of CTTCB for lung cancer was 100 %. The sensitivity and specificity of CTTCB for a coccidiomycosis lung nodule was 83 % with a specificity of 100 % with a PPV of 100 %. Our study demonstrates that CTTCB is a relatively safe method for evaluating lung nodules and highly accurate in evaluating lung nodules due to coccidioidomycosis in an endemic area. The primary risk factors for complications from CTTCB are the presence of emphysema on CT scan, lesion depth, and traversed lung length.
Child Support Receipt, Mobility, and Housing Quality

This study uses administrative records for the state of Wisconsin as well as Zillow Real Estate data on median house values to examine the associations between the regularity of child support receipt on moves and changes in housing values following moves. Our sample consists of 13 329 custodial mothers with new orders from 2002 to 2006. Across several measures of child support and specifications of moves, regular receipt is negatively associated with any moves and with more than one move a year, holding constant the value of the child support received. In models examining associations between regularity and changes in housing quality after a move, an additional month of child support within 25 per cent of the order amount is associated with an $890 increase in housing value. These results imply that policy-makers concerned with housing stability consider both the regularity and absolute value of child support when considering family well-being.
Production of Diabetes Mellitus in Rats with Alloxan.

SummaryA single intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg/kg of alloxan into white rats causes typical diabetes mellitus. The histologic changes are necrosis and complete disappearance of the beta cells from the pancreatic islets.
Changes in Weight of Abraded and Unabraded Larval Pink Bollworm Under Submersion and Desiccation

Weight changes were determined in unabraded and lightly abraded fourth-instar nondiapause and diapause pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), larvae subjected to aqueous submersion and desiccation. In general, abrasion brought about greater changes in water content and was accompanied by greater larval mortality, particularly among submersed larvae, with no differences observed between sexes. About twice as long was taken for the weight change in diapause larvae to equal the change in nondiapause larvae. The average percent weight change of abraded larvae was as much as 6 times greater than that of live unabraded larvae and as much as 10 times greater in larvae killed by the treatment.
Impacts of Tourism and Exercise on Healthy Longevity

This study examines factors that are associated with tourism and exercise among the Chinese elderly aged 65 and over and the impacts of tourism and exercise on healthy longevity based on multiple logistic regressions and hazard models.The results show that the elderly who are living in urban and Han ethnicity,have higher socioeconomic status and more healthcare resources,or frequently participate in the daily leisure activities tend to have a higher likelihood of participations in tourism and exercise.The results further reveal that tourism and exercise could slow functional declines in both the instrumental activities of daily living(IADL) and ADL,while they could improve selfrate health and life satisfaction.Those who do exercise for many years gain more benefit in survivorship than those who do not.Tourism could protect cognitive function from declining in a short-term,but exercising could not.
Particle swarm optimization algorithm for solving uncapacitated multilevel lot-sizing problems

The classical Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is a powerful method to find the mini- mums of numerical functions on a continuous definition domain.It has been a very important optimization tool in many research fields.So far,papers on the application of PSO algorithm to multilevel lot-sizing (MLLS) problems can not be seen often.In view of this,a PSO algorithm combined with the mutation operator of Ge- netic algorithm (GA) is come up with to solve MLLS problems.Our aim is to expand the application scope of PSO algorithm.Experiments showed the feasibility and credibility of this algorithm.
Study on Limiting Factors of Influencing Hybrid Rice Ear and High Yield Cultival Ways

With II you No.7 as material to study the limiting factors of influencing hybrid rice earbearing and high yield cultival ways by hole application stage,hole application standard and triagle application N fertilizer.The results showed that the period before or behind seedlings number up to the most was the most sensitive period for influencing rice percentage of earbearing tiller.In all kinds of factors,light was the lead factor in this phase.The effect of increasing earbearing tiller percentage by adding nitrogen less than by improving light,increasing nitrogen could increase significantly percentage of earbearing tiller on condition that light condition of colony basal improved.Adopted triangle cultivation seedlings could improve colony basal light condition.In all,triangle cultivation seedlings and applying nitrogen at n-2 period was relatively good measures for rice production.Through these measures,seedlings became strong and number decreased significantly,percentage of earbearing tiller and number of grains per ear increased,led to increasing yield finally,but the extent of yield increasing correlated with soil fertility.
Daytime and nighttime urban heat islands statistical models for Atlanta

In this study, we empirically model the interactions between 2D and 3D geospatial information and both daytime and nighttime urban heat islands, and estimate the relative importance of various urba...
Loss analysis of a high efficiency GaN and Si device mixed isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter

High conversion efficiency is always desired in energy storage device (ESD). In this work a high efficiency GaN and Si device mixed isolated bidirectional dc-dc converter is proposed in the distributed ESD application. To optimize the efficiency of the bidirectional half-bridge push-pull active clamp converter over a wide input/output voltage and load range, it is necessary to accurately predict the dissipated power for each power component so as to identify and properly design the heavily loaded components. This paper describes a universal method to predict the power losses of the converter. Loss models are provided to calculate total component losses using the current and voltage information derived from the steady state inductor current calculator. Details of loss breakdown are given. With the presented converter prototype, a top efficiency of 98.3% and an output power of 1 kW in a wide input/output voltage range is achieved. The loss analysis provides valuable information for designing an efficiency optimized converters in the application.
The Role of Radical Cystectomy in the Management of High Grade Superficial Bladder Cancer (PA, P1PIS and P2)

AbstractBetween January 1979 and 1987, 411 consecutive patients were considered candidates for bilateral pelvic iliac lymph node dissection and radical cystectomy for the management of bladder cancer. From this group 160 were identified as having pathological stage P2 or less disease, including 11 who also had positive nodes. The 5-year actuarial survival rate for the respective stages at 95% confidence limits was 100% for stage PO/A, 80% for stage P1, 78% for stage P1 with stage PIS, 85% for pure stage PIS, 76% for stage P2 and 87% for stage P2 with stage PIS.Additionally, we identified a group of patients with stage P2 transitional cell carcinoma who were at significant risk for development of metastatic disease. Of 46 patients with stage P2 transitional cell carcinoma 18 had vascular space invasion resulting in 6 of 18 cancer-related deaths (33%).Our study demonstrates that radical cystectomy has been highly effective in curing patients with high grade superficial disease, including those with superfic...
Abstract 197: Phospholipids regulate the localization and oncogenic potential of protein tyrosine kinase 6 in prostate cancer

Background: Protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6, also called BRK) is an intracellular SRC-related tyrosine kinase that does not possess canonical localization signals. Lack of targeting yields flexibility in its intracellular localization and access to substrates. PTK6 is observed in the nuclei of prostate epithelial cells where it promotes differentiation and inhibits growth. PTK6 is activated at the plasma membrane in PTEN-deficient mouse prostate tumors where the concentration of PIP3 is high due to PTEN loss of function. Membrane-associated PTK6 induces cell transformation, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and tumor cell metastasis. In human prostate cancer, active PTK6 associates with the plasma membrane and its increased expression correlates with metastasis and poor survival. Our studies aimed to characterize how the mislocalization and activation of PTK6 in prostate cancer is regulated. Results: Based on our observation that loss of PTEN induces accumulation of PTK6 at the membrane, we hypothesized that PTK6 binds to the plasma membrane secondary messenger phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3). Amino acid sequence alignment predicts H52, Y53, and K54 of PTK6 as a potential PIP3 binding site, which resembles the lipid-binding HYK domain of tyrosine kinases BTK and Abl. Using NMR saturation transfer difference (STD) experiment, we observed that the SH2 domain of PTK6 contains a binding site for inositol trisphosphate (IP3) a soluble PIP3 mimic. As predicted, statistical analysis identified Y53 of the PTK6 HYK motif within the SH2 domain as a residue with substantial chemical shift perturbations (CSPs) induced by independent titrations with PIP3 analogs IP3, IP4, and 1,2-dihexanoyl PIP3 in 15N HSQC, as compared to controls. Using autophosphorylated and unphosphorylated PTK6, NMR STD experiments show that only active (pY342) PTK6 binds to IP3. Treatment of prostate cancer cells with the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin reduces active PTK6 at the plasma membrane. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that active PTK6 is recruited to the plasma membrane through direct interactions with PIP3. Membrane association places PTK6 in close proximity to its oncogenic substrates AKT, FAK and BCAR1, thereby promoting tumor progression. These findings may facilitate identification of novel PTK6 inhibitors that block its association with the membrane, while not affecting its tumor suppressive role in the nucleus. This work is funded by NIH grant 1R01CA188427 to ALT and VG. Citation Format: Darren J. Wozniak, Ben Hitchinson, Wenjun Bie, Vadim Gaponenko, Angela L. Tyner. Phospholipids regulate the localization and oncogenic potential of protein tyrosine kinase 6 in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 197.
Stalin, the Split with Yugoslavia, and Soviet–East European Efforts to Reassert Control, 1948–53

The June 1948 Cominform summit was a landmark event for the Soviet bloc. Yugoslavia, which had been one of the staunchest postwar allies of the Soviet Union, was publicly denounced and expelled from the Communist Information Bureau (Cominform), the body that had been created at Moscow’s initiative in September 1947 to bind together the East European Communist parties (as well as the French and Italian Communist parties) under the exclusive leadership of the Soviet Communist Party. Tension between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia had been developing behind the scenes for several months and had finally reached breaking point in March 1948. The rift stemmed from substantive disagreements, domestic political maneuvering, and a clash of personalities pitting the Soviet dictator, Iosif Stalin, against the leader of the Yugoslav Communists, Josip Broz Tito. Crucial documents released since 1990 from the former Soviet bloc archives indicate that the level of animosity between the two countries by mid-1948 was even greater than Western analysts had previously thought. The archival evidence also shows that Stalin’s determination to reassert control over Yugoslavia never slackened up to the time he died in 1953.
P048 Gene expression profiling of transplant formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies: comparison of a custom TaqMan® low density array and quantitative nuclease-protection assay

Aim We developed a custom TLDA to monitor changes of gene expression in FFPE renal and small bowel allografts. Here we carried out a parallel comparison of expression profiles of marker genes obtained with TaqMan® technology and with the automated qNPA system. Methods Kidney, small bowel and heart transplant FFPE biopsies with different levels of rejection were selected. 5–6 curls of 10 μm were cut from each biopsy for analysis in TLDA (47 markers including immune, inflammatory and apoptosis genes), and in HTG Edge System using the Immuno-Oncology Expression assay (HTGIOE, 26 markers), or HTG EdgeSeq Oncology Biomarker assay (HTGESOB, 2558 genes, format for NGS). Data was presented as differential expression. Results There are 10 overlapping markers between our TLDA and the HTGIOE assay. Analysis of 30 kidney biopsies with both technologies gave similar results for all 10 markers. Several markers were not detected in some samples analyzed with the HTG Edge System, mostly in normal donor and non-rejection samples. 11 unique markers of HTGIOE assay showed potential value for monitoring gene expression in kidney. 55 samples of heart biopsies were analyzed in TLDA and HTGIOE. Similar results were obtained with both technologies for all overlapping markers. 15 useful markers for monitoring gene expression in heart were found in HTGIOE assay. HTGIOE markers often did not express in non-rejection samples. We also analyzed 17 small bowel biopsies in HTGESOB, which contains 39 of the 47 markers in our TLDA (8 for SB, 17 for both kidney and small bowel, and 14 for kidney). 17.3% of the 2558 genes in the panel showed 2-fold increase expression relative to non-rejection. 15 markers in our TLDA (6 small bowel specific, 7 for both kidney and small bowel, and 2 kidney specific) were in the 5% of markers with the highest fold change. Conclusions We showed that expression analysis carried out with TLDA and qNPA are comparable. The qNPA technology developed by HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. is a good alternative to assess expression in biopsies. We found that the HTGIOE could be an excellent automated tool to evaluate panels with low number of markers in a clinical lab. The HTGESOB allows evaluation of a large number of genes, but it includes a NGS step that makes it costlier and time consuming. It is a good exploratory tool for searching new markers.
A comprehensive model of regional electric vehicle adoption and penetration

Abstract This study focused on the adoption of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) as a policy towards having a more sustainable transportation with lower Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The current paper aimed to explore potential factors that can be attributed to purchasing PEVs in order to estimate their penetration in 58 California counties. A Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis was applied to the 2012 California Household Travel Survey dataset, which includes both PEV and conventional car buyers’ information, as well as some other secondary data sources. The model developed a broad set of factors including demographic and travel-related characteristics, socioeconomic variables, and infrastructural and regional specifications. The results identified that a household's income, maximum level of education in the household, the buyer's car sharing status, charging stations density, and gas price in the region can significantly impact PEV adoption. The model was validated using data from the 2012 Household Travel Survey conducted in the Delaware Valley region. With sufficient data availability, the methodology can be applied to evaluate changes in vehicle fleet composition and the levels of emissions in response to transportation policies. The model is believed to have a wide range of applications in electricity utilizing, gasoline/diesel retailing, and battery and automotive manufacturing. Additionally, the model can assist policy makers and transportation planners to optimize their infrastructural investments by identifying counties where the response of drivers to added charging station would be maximized, implying that larger benefits can be achieved.
A DEAD-box protein acts through RNA to promote HIV-1 Rev-RRE assembly

The HIV-1 Rev protein activates nuclear export of unspliced and partially spliced viral RNA transcripts, which encode the viral genome and the genes encoding viral structural proteins, by binding to and oligomerizing on the Rev Response Element (RRE). The human DEAD-box protein 1 (DDX1) enhances the RNA export activity of Rev through an unknown mechanism. Using a single-molecule assembly assay and various DDX1 mutants, we show that DDX1 acts through the RRE RNA to specifically accelerate the nucleation step of the Rev-RRE assembly process. Single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) experiments using donor-labeled Rev and acceptor-labeled DDX1 show that both proteins can associate with a single RRE molecule. However, simultaneous interaction is only observed in a subset of binding events and does not explain the extent to which DDX1 promotes the nucleation step of Rev-RRE assembly. Together, these results are consistent with a model wherein DDX1 acts as an RNA chaperone, remodeling the RRE into a conformation that is pre-organized to bind the first Rev monomer, thereby promoting the overall Rev-RRE assembly process.
Multiple Principals and Legislative Cohesion

In many systems, legislators find themselves accountable to multiple principals. This article seeks to further answer how legislators decide between their principals and what factors condition legislators to choose one over the other. We argue that electoral uncertainty, operationalized as electoral volatility, pushes legislators towards the principal that has the greatest influence over their re-election. Using European Parliament electoral results and roll-call data from the second to the sixth European Parliaments (1984–2009), we show that increases in electoral volatility decreased European group cohesion and pushed legislators to side more with the positions of their national parties over their European group when the two disagreed.
Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy, a progressive disease, is the major cause of acquired blindness in the developed countries. Despite cutting-edge research in the field, the exact mechanism of this multifactorial disease remains elusive. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade extracellular matrix and play significant role in regulating intracellular homeostasis. In the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, activation of gelatinase MMPs (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in the retina is an early event, and activated MMPs damage the mitochondria and augment retinal capillary cell apoptosis, a phenomenon which is observed before histopathology characteristic of diabetic retinopathy can be seen. MMPs are regulated by a number of different mechanisms including cleavage of their zymogens, regulation of their tissue inhibitors, and their gene expressions by transcriptional factors and epigenetic modifications. This chapter reviews the current literature about the role of MMPs in the development of diabetic retinopathy, and describes different mechanisms to regulate their activation. With evolving research implicating MMPs in both preneovascularization and neovascularization stages of diabetic retinopathy, they could be an attractive target to inhibit the development/progression of diabetic retinopathy, a disease which has potential to rob vision during the most productive years of a diabetic patient's life.
Three Measures of Broker-Dealer Risk Appetite and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns

We examine the pricing performance of various measures of dealer risk appetite. We construct a novel measure of risk appetite that captures the provision of leverage to the clients of broker-dealer firms. We also construct a factor mimicking portfolio that tracks shocks to the leverage of broker-dealers. We show that intermediary pricing models convincingly outperform benchmark models for a class of test assets which the benchmark factors were specifically designed to price.
Interferometric fir phase imaging of a tokamak plasma

Multichannel phase imaging of dielectric objects has been demonstrated in the laboratory using a microbolometer detector array and 400 GHz carcinotron radiation cource. The application of this imaging system to perform single shot measurements of electron density profiles in a tokamak plasma is described. The primary advantages are increased spatial resolution together with a much simpler optical system.
Lateral Hypothalamic Control of the Ventral Tegmental Area: Reward Evaluation and the Driving of Motivated Behavior

The lateral hypothalamus plays an important role in many motivated behaviors, sleep-wake states, food intake, drug-seeking, energy balance, etc. It is also home to a heterogeneous population of neurons that express and co-express multiple neuropeptides including hypocretin, melanin-concentrating hormone, cocaine- and amphetamine- regulated transcript, and neurotensin. These neurons project widely throughout the brain to areas such as the locus coeruleus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the amygdala, and the ventral tegmental area. Lateral hypothalamic projections to the ventral tegmental area are believed to be important for driving behavior due to the involvement of dopaminergic reward circuitry. The purpose of this article is to review current knowledge regarding the lateral hypothalamic connections to the ventral tegmental area and the role they play in driving these behaviors.
Congenital Anomalies of the Great Vessels

The congenital anomalies of the great vessels are anomalies of the aorta, resulting in aortic hypoplasia/stenosis or causing compression of neighboring organs; anomalies of the pulmonary artery, resulting in pulmonary artery hypoplasia/stenosis or causing compression of neighboring organs; and abnormal congenital shortcuts involving major intrathoracic vessels, leading to a left to right shunt or a right to left shunt.
Data-driven multi-scale multi-physics models to derive process---structure---property relationships for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) possesses appealing potential for manipulating material compositions, structures and properties in end-use products with arbitrary shapes without the need for specialized tooling. Since the physical process is difficult to experimentally measure, numerical modeling is a powerful tool to understand the underlying physical mechanisms. This paper presents our latest work in this regard based on comprehensive material modeling of process---structure---property relationships for AM materials. The numerous influencing factors that emerge from the AM process motivate the need for novel rapid design and optimization approaches. For this, we propose data-mining as an effective solution. Such methods--used in the process---structure, structure---properties and the design phase that connects them--would allow for a design loop for AM processing and materials. We hope this article will provide a road map to enable AM fundamental understanding for the monitoring and advanced diagnostics of AM processing.
The evil-god challenge: extended and defended

Stephen Law developed a challenge to theism, known as the evil-god challenge (Law (2010) ). The evil-god challenge to theism is to explain why the theist's responses to the problem of evil are any better than the diabolist's – who believes in a supremely evil god – rejoinders to the problem of good, when all the theist's ploys (theodicy, sceptical theism, etc.) can be parodied by the diabolist.In the first part of this article, I extend the evil-god challenge by showing that additional theist replies to the problem of evil (more theodicies, the privation view of evil, and others) also may be appropriated, with just as much plausibility, in support of the diabolist position. In the second part of the article, I defend the evil-god challenge against several objections.
Stabilization of wild-type p53 in human T-lymphocytes transformed by HTLV-I

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is an aggressive malignancy associated with infection by the human T-lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I). We now demonstrate that p53 expression is elevated in the HTLV-I-transformed T-lymphocyte lines C81, MT-2, MT-4 and HUT 102. In pulse-chase experiments, the p53 protein demonstrated a prolonged half-life of 2 to 8 h in HTLV-I-transformed cells compared with 0.5 to 1.0 h for wild-type p53 in primary human and murine fibroblasts, or human peripheral blood lymphocytes. In cell lines C81 and HUT 102, which exhibited the longest p53 protein half-life, the wild-type-related PAb1620 epitope was detected at reduced levels. The PAb240 mutant-related p53 epitope was not detected in any of the transformed cell lines. By direct sequence analysis of RT-PCR products, the entire p53 cDNA coding sequence was determined to be wild-type in all four cell lines. Stabilization of wild-type p53 may represent its functional inactivation and contribute to lymphocyte transformation by HTLV-I.
The Gold Standard of Dental Care: The Juvenile Horse

Postpartum evaluation of the foal's head and mouth are performed to detect craniofacial malformations and other congenital defects. Detailed oral examination and diagnostic imaging can provide diagnostic and prognostic information about congenital abnormalities of the mouth or skull. Important abnormalities of foals include wry nose, cleft palate, overbite (parrot mouth), and underbite (monkey mouth, sow mouth). Tumors and cysts can be detected in young horses. In juvenile horses, primary dental care procedures include oral examination, management of sharp enamel points, management of deciduous teeth, and management of wolf teeth. Facial or jaw swellings are also important considerations.
INCREASED RATES OF CARDIOVERSION AND ABLATION IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND SLEEP APNEA COMPARED TO PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ALONE: A NATIONWIDE STUDY

AF is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias leading to increased morbidity and mortality. It is associated with structural heart disease, HTN, diabetes and sleep apnea (SA). The relation between AF and SA has been well documented. We aim to determine the impact of SA in the outcomes of AF in
Nonlinear time series in R: Threshold cointegration with tsDyn

Abstract The notion of cointegration describes the case when two or more variables are each nonstationary, yet there exists a combination of these variables which is stationary. This statistical definition leads to a rich economic interpretation, where the variables can be thought of as sharing a stable relationship, and deviations from a long-run equilibrium are corrected. Implicit in the definition, however, is the requirement that any small deviation from the long-run equilibrium needs to be corrected instantaneously and symmetrically. Threshold cointegration relaxes the linear and instantaneous adjustment assumption by allowing the adjustment to occur only after the deviations exceed a critical threshold. Likewise, it can accommodate asymmetric adjustment, where positive or negative deviations are not necessarily corrected in the same way. This flexible framework can be used to model economic phenomena such as transaction costs, stickiness of prices, or asymmetry in agents’ reactions. In this chapter, I survey the concept of threshold cointegration, and show how to use this model within R with package tsDyn. In Section 1 , I review briefly the concept of stationarity and cointegration, then explain the concept of threshold cointegration. In Section 2 , I discuss in detail the econometrics of threshold cointegration, presenting the main tests and estimators. I describe then the package tsDyn in Section 3 , and show how to use it with an empirical application on the term structure of interest rates in Section 4 .
The Basics and the Advancements in Diagnosis of Bacterial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the leading infectious cause of death and the sixth-leading cause of death overall worldwide. Streptococcus pneumoniae, with more than 90 serotypes, remains the most common identified cause of community-acquired acute bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics treat LRTIs with a bacterial etiology. With the potential for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, defining the etiology of the LRTI is imperative for appropriate patient treatment. C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are point-of-care tests that may differentiate bacterial versus viral etiologies of LRTIs. Major advancements are currently advancing the ability to make rapid diagnoses and identification of the bacterial etiology of LRTIs, which will continue to support antimicrobial stewardship, and is the focus of this review.
White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism

In White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo deploys social reproduction theory to identify and account for the phenomenon she calls white fragility: the patterns of perceptions and behaviors exhibited by wh...
Expansion of the urea electrocatalytic oxidation window by adsorbed nickel ions

The electrocatalytic oxidation of urea using Ni-based catalysts is able to oxidize urea at high rates, reaching hundreds of mA cm−2 depending on electrode and solution properties. Most of the demonstrated systems, however, report a drop-off in current ~ 0.3 V positive of the Ni2+/Ni3+ redox transition resulting in a dramatic decrease of activity. The drop-off limits the electrochemical window available for urea decomposition. To overcome this narrow window, Ni2+ ions are herein adsorbed onto carbon black electrodes cohesively bound with Nafion. The resulting electrodes are electrochemically tested for urea electro-oxidation activity whereby their cyclic voltammograms display no drop-off in activity up to 1.5 V positive of the Ni2+/Ni3+ transition. The oxidation currents of the adsorbed Ni2+ electrodes demonstrate urea decomposition rates nearly identical to Ni-metal films, and impedance measurements show similar charge transfer limitations. Electrodes are monitored after electrochemical cycling with atomic force microscopy to reveal that adsorbed species coalesce into surface particles, which behave like bulk Ni(OH)2, implying that the commonly observed drop-off in current may be due to structural characteristics of Ni(OH)2 and NiOOH. The simplicity of the adsorption process and its ability to widen the electrochemical window for urea oxidation allows new substrates to be incorporated into urea degradation systems without sacrificing high urea oxidation rates.
Distress: Characterizing What Causes the Thermometer to Shift in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Attending a Multidisciplinary Clinic

A diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) can result in multifactorial stress. If not addressed, distress can have a negative impact on outcomes. The experience of patients with newly diagnosed BC has not been sufficiently investigated. This study characterizes distress among new patients in a multidisciplinary care (MDC) clinic. The study aimed to determine the degree of distress at presentation, to characterize the sources, and to evaluate the impact of an MDC visit. A retrospective review was performed from January 2015 to November 2017. Charts were accessed for demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment data. Distress scores (DS) and problems as captured using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Thermometer were completed before evaluation and in a subgroup after an MDC visit. Predictors of severe distress (DS ≥4) were investigated using multivariable logistic regression. The paired t test was used to determine the impact of an MDC visit. The mean initial DS (n = 474) was 4.98. The top four sources of distress were worry, anxiety, fears, and sadness. Age younger than 65 years was significantly associated with a higher DS at presentation (p < 0.003). Among the patients queried before and after MDC (n = 137), a significant reduction in distress was identified (5.58–2.94; p < 0.0005). Severe distress was found in 66 % of the patients with a recent diagnosis of BC, with younger age related to higher distress scores at presentation. Emotional stressors were the predominant factors accounting for distress. A same-day MDC visit was associated with a significant reduction in DS. These data indicate the importance and feasibility of proactively screening patients. Our research lends support to the value of multidisciplinary evaluation in this setting.
Moral injury and the four pillars of bioethics

Health care providers experience moral injury when their internal ethics are violated. The routine and direct exposure to ethical violations makes clinicians particularly vulnerable to harm. The fundamental ethics in health care typically fall into the four broad categories of patient autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and social justice. Patients have a moral right to determine their own goals of medical care, that is, they have autonomy. When this principle is violated, moral injury occurs. Beneficence is the desire to help people, so when the delivery of proper medical care is obstructed for any reason, moral injury is the result. Nonmaleficence, meaning do no harm, has been a primary principle of medical ethics throughout recorded history. Yet today, even the most advanced and safest medical treatments all are associated with unavoidable, harmful side-effects. When an inevitable side-effect occurs, not only is the patient harmed, the clinician also suffers a moral injury. Social injustice results when patients experience suboptimal treatment due to their race, gender, religion, or other demographic variables. While moral injury occurs routinely in medical care and cannot be entirely eliminated, clinicians can decrease the prevalence of injury by advocating for the ethical treatment of patients, not only at the bedside, but also by addressing the ethics of political influence, governmental mandates, and administrative burdens on the delivery of optimal medical care. Although clinicians can strengthen their resistance to moral injury by deepening their own spiritual foundation, that is not enough. Improvements in the ethics of the healthcare system as a whole are necessary in order to improve medical care and decrease moral injury.
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy Through Arts-Based Learning: Preservice Teachers Engage Emergent Bilinguals

Rooted in arts-based learning, funds of knowledge, and culturally sustaining pedagogies, this paper describes the experiences of a cohort of preservice teachers who co-created arts integration units with emergent bilingual students, engaging them in the creation of plays based on culturally relevant children’s literature. This cohort was designed by eight professors to prepare professionals to serve the needs of culturally diverse and economically vulnerable communities through arts-based teaching and assessment modalities. We share three telling cases about these preservice teachers’ reflections on their pedagogy and their students’ engagement illustrating how the arts can foster inclusive ways of knowing and communicating.
Finite element analysis of the rotator cuff: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Finite element modeling serves as a promising tool for investigating underlying rotator cuff biomechanics and pathology. However, there are currently no concrete guidelines for reporting in finite element model studies. This has compromised the reliability, validity, and reproducibility of literature due to omission of pertinent items within publications. Recently a Finite Element Model Grading Procedure has been proposed as a reporting guideline for model developers. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of rotator cuff focused finite element models and characterize the reporting quality of those articles. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase to find relevant articles. Each article was graded and given a reporting quality ranking based on a score generated from the Finite Element Model Grading Procedure. Findings We found that only 5/22 articles had scores of 75% or higher and fell within the “exceptional” reporting quality range. Most of the articles (16/22) fell within the “good” reporting quality range with scores between 50% and 75%. However, 9/16 articles within the “good” reporting quality range had scores below 60%. Interpretation This study indicates that improved guidelines and standards for good reporting practices must be made in the field of finite element modeling. Furthermore, it supports the use of the Finite Element Model Grading Procedure as an objective method for evaluating the quality of finite element model reporting in the literature.
Enhancing kidney DDAH-1 expression by adenovirus delivery reduces ADMA and ameliorates diabetic nephropathy.

Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide and increased oxidative stress, is a hallmark characteristic in diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (DN). High levels...
Factors Affecting Depth of Penetration in Microneedling- and Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery: The Importance of Timing of Topical Application.

BACKGROUND Microneedling- and laser-assisted drug delivery are emerging techniques used to treat various conditions. However, key parameters affecting drug penetration remain unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the importance of timing of topical application, needle length, and device type for drug delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Skin harvested from cosmetic surgeries was treated with black ink applied before or after treatment with a microneedling pen (MP), roller, or fractional ablative CO2 laser, and incubated for different time intervals. Ink penetration was additionally tested using different needle lengths. Sandwich estimator was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Ink applied before MP penetrated deeper compared to ink applied afterward at 1 and 3 hours, and roller microneedling in both the ink-before and -after scenarios at 1, 3, and 6 hours (p < .05). Microneedling demonstrated lateral extension of ink beyond microchannels with increased ink penetration over time. CO2 laser demonstrated ink localization within microthermal zones without time-dependent increases in depth after 30 minutes. Ink penetration increases by 0.06 mm per 1 mm increase in needle length. CONCLUSION Ink applied before MP results in the deepest penetration of ink. Microneedling offers unique advantages in transdermal delivery as its channels exhibit increasing penetration over time and lateral extension of product.