cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eyeing autophagy and macropinocytosis in the corneal/limbal epithelia

Macroautophagy/autophagy is vital for cellular homeostasis and helps cells respond to various stress situations. Macropinocytosis enables cells to nonselectively engulf and take up large volumes of fluid and is known to supply amino acids to cells. The stem cell-enriched limbal epithelium has the machinery necessary to carry out both autophagy and macropinocytosis; however, both processes are relatively understudied in this tissue. We have demonstrated that these processes are linked via MIR103-MIR107, a microRNA family that is limbal epithelial-preferred. Loss of MIR103-MIR107 causes the accumulation of large vacuoles that originate, in part, from a dysregulation in macropinocytosis via activation of SRC-RAS signaling. We found that these vacuoles were autophagic in nature and retained in cells due to inappropriate regulation of end-stage autophagy. Specifically, MIR103-MIR107 regulates diacylglycerol-PRKC/protein kinase C and CDK5 (cyclin dependent kinase 5) signaling, which enables DNM1 (dynamin 1) to function in vacuole clearance.
Is there any association between ventricular ectopy and falls in community-dwelling older adults?

Uni-channel ECG was recorded using a wearable-sensor in 45 female elders aged 65 and above. Participants were categorized as non-fallers (n=22) and fallers (n=23) based on historical report of falling in the last 12 month. For data analysis, PVC episodes were extracted using an automatic code developed in Matlab, and checked manually by an expert to ensure accuracy. Number of PVC episodes per hour was extracted as the parameter of interest in this study and compared between fallers and non-fallers using analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Number of PVC episodes per hour was not significantly different (p>0.05) between non-fallers (41.65±74.22) and fallers (43.62±59.48). In this study, the association of PVC frequency with fall risk and fear of fall was also studied; Number of PVC episodes were higher in high fall risk compared to low fall risk, and in high concern of fall compared to low concern of fall (p>0.05).
Is there any significant difference between tumor regression grade systems of rectal cancer

3583 Background: Tumor regression grade (TRG) is a measure of histopathologic response of rectal cancer to preoperative chemoradiation (CRT) and correlates with outcomes. Several TRG systems have been reported including Mandard (5, 3 tier), Dowrak/Rodel (5, 3 tier), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), and American Joint Committee of Cancer (AJCC). The purpose of this study is to compare the different TRG systems and determine which one(s) best predict recurrence and survival. Methods: Review of prospective maintained database from 1998 to 2007 identified 563 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (T3/4 and/or N1) and treated with long-course CRT followed by total mesorectal excision. TRG was determined by measuring proportion of tumor mass replaced by fibrosis. Patients were then classified into the various TRG schemes which were compared by analyzing association with recurrence and survival using concordance index (CI) and reclassification index. CI is a measure that summarizes the pred...
Abiotic Photosynthesis: From Prebiotic Chemistry to Metabolism

The basic concepts necessary to understand the origin of life are presented. The existing models conducting to the emergence of biochemistry from geochemistry on Earth are introduced. The chapter is focused on abiotic photosynthesis as a way to capture energy and generate the core of central metabolism. Universality in intermediate metabolism, mineral catalysis, hydrothermal vents, and the iron-sulfur proposals are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the model of non-enzymatic prebiotic metabolism that can potentially connect the RNA world and the compartmentalization in protocells approach. Catalysis in mineral surfaces is suggested as the main mechanism for the possible origin of the central metabolic pathways. Candidate semiconductor minerals such as zinc sulfide could have driven this prebiotic chemistry in the young planet. A shallow-water hydrothermal vent system is presented as a model environment where the first microorganisms on Earth used the suggested non-enzymatic chemical reactions as a pioneer mechanism for carbon dioxide fixation and energy storage that resulted in prebiotic metabolism.
Altered coupling of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-G protein in rat parotid during aging.

A possible role for altered signal transduction mechanisms in impaired alpha 1-adrenergic-stimulated secretory function during aging was investigated in parotid cells prepared from adult (6 mo) and old (24 mo) rats. Compared with adults, epinephrine-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] production were reduced 31 and 36% in cells of old rats, respectively. There was a highly significant correlation between 45Ca2+ efflux and Ins(1,4,5)P3 production. In saponin-permeabilized cells, no significant differences in Ins(1,4,5)P3-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux in adult and old preparations were observed. When G proteins were stimulated by guanosine 59-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) or NaF, no age differences in Ins(1,4,5)P3 production were detected. Stimulation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) by CaCl2 in adult and old cells was also comparable. Moreover, no differences in immunolabeled common alpha (GTP binding site), Gi alpha, PLC-gamma, or PLC-delta could be detected in either cytosol or membranes of adult and old preparations. In the absence of 59-guanylylimidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p], no age-related changes in epinephrine competition for [3H]prazosin binding sites were observed. Approximately 30% of the agonist binding sites existed in a high-affinity form at both ages. Gpp(NH)p caused large rightward shifts of epinephrine displacement curves in adult membranes (converting all binding sites to the low-affinity form), but not old. Moreover, epinephrine was much more effective in stimulating G protein low-Km GTPase in parotid membranes from adult than old rats. These data suggest that age-related impairments in alpha 1-adrenergic responsiveness are mediated, at least in part, by the functional alterations in the coupling of G proteins with alpha 1-adrenergic receptors.
A Study of ADPCM Using an RML Parameter Estimator

Abstract This paper provides further study of a recently suggested algorithm for the adaption of an IIR filter used as a sequentially adaptive backward predictor within an adaptive differential pulse code modulation (ADPCM) scheme.
Dempster–Shafer Approach to Temporal Uncertainty

A novel approach to the modeling of uncertainty in temporal information is developed by the use of Dempster–Shafer (D–S) theory. Temporal uncertain events are first represented by the use of nested intervals, using an inner more certain interval and the outer less certain interval with associated D–S mass values for each interval. The concept of the elapsed time between temporal events is defined, and detailed examples are given that illustrate the belief and plausibility for the ranges of elapsed times. The similarity for events is described where intervals’ similarities are based on a relative measure of their relationships such as overlap or during. If the uncertain temporal events are determined to be similar then aggregations of such events are developed, both by averaging interval bounds and by the merging of the intervals. Finally, an initial exploration of the uncertainty for spatiotemporal data was developed by extending the nested interval uncertainty representations of our approach.
Adaptation in Living Systems

Adaptation refers to the biological phenomenon where living systems change their internal states in response to changes in their environments in order to maintain certain key functions critical for their survival and fitness. Adaptation is one of the most ubiquitous and arguably one of the most fundamental properties of living systems. It occurs throughout all biological scales, from adaptation of populations of species over evolutionary time to adaptation of a single cell to different environmental stresses during its life span. In this article, we review some of the recent progress made in understanding molecular mechanisms of cellular-level adaptation. We take the minimalist (or the physicist) approach and study the simplest systems that exhibit generic adaptive behaviors, namely chemotaxis in bacterium cells (Escherichia coli) and eukaryotic cells (Dictyostelium). We focus on understanding the basic biochemical interaction networks that are responsible for adaptation dynamics. By combining theoretical...
Predicting progression to diabetes in islet autoantibody positive children

Abstract While full oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) helps improve prediction, it requires intravenous access with 6 sample collections for glucose and C-peptide. The objective of this study was to explore less costly and less time-consuming options. All children being prospectively followed by the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) who had a complete baseline OGTT and at least one confirmed islet autoantibody (Ab+) were included in this study (n = 68). Of 68 Ab+ subjects with a baseline OGTT, 25 developed diabetes after a mean follow-up 5.7 yrs, at a mean age of 12.4 yrs. Univariate proportional hazards (PH) models suggested that age at seroconversion, number of Ab+, IA-2A levels, HbA1c and metabolic variables from the OGTT predicted progression to diabetes, while HLA DR3/4, BMI, levels of IAA or GADA did not. Five multivariate PH predictive models were similar (p = 0.32). All five models included age at seroconversion, number of Ab+, IA-2A levels and HbA1c, and in addition included: model 1 - 1 h glucose and 1 h C-peptide; model 2 - 2 h glucose and 2 h C-peptide; model 3 - glucose sum and C-peptide sum; model 4 - glucose AUC and C-peptide AUC; and model 5: index 60. A model containing age at seroconversion, number of Ab+, IA-2A levels, HbA1c, 1 h glucose and 1 h C-peptide was as predictive for type 1 diabetes progression as models including all sum or AUC values for glucose and C-peptide from full OGTT. The performance of this model should be confirmed in an independent population of Ab+ children.
Individual differences in corticolimbic structural profiles linked to insecure attachment and coping styles in motor functional neurological disorders.

Abstract Background Insecure attachment and maladaptive coping are important predisposing vulnerabilities for Functional Neurological Disorders (FND)/Conversion Disorder, yet no prior structural neuroimaging studies have investigated biomarkers associated with these risk factors in FND populations. This magnetic resonance imaging study examined cortical thickness and subcortical volumes associated with self-reported attachment and coping styles in patients with FND. We hypothesized that insecure attachment and maladaptive coping would relate to limbic-paralimbic structural alterations. Methods FreeSurfer cortical thickness and subcortical volumetric analyses were performed in 26 patients with motor FND (21 women; 5 men) and 27 healthy controls (22 women; 5 men). For between-group comparisons, patients with FND were stratified by Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Ways of Coping Scale-Revised, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale scores. Within-group analyses were also performed in patients with FND. All analyses were performed in the complete cohort and separately in women only to evaluate for gender-specific effects. Cortical thickness analyses were whole-brain corrected at the cluster-wise level; subcortical analyses were Bonferroni corrected. Results In women with FND, dismissing attachment correlated with reduced left parahippocampal cortical thickness. Confrontive coping was associated with reduced right hippocampal volume, while accepting responsibility positively correlated with right precentral gyrus cortical thickness. These findings held adjusting for anti-depressant use. All FND-related findings were within the normal range when compared to healthy women. Conclusion These observations connect individual-differences in limbic-paralimbic and premotor structures to attachment and coping styles in FND. The relationship between parahippocampal thickness and dismissing attachment may indicate aberrant social-emotional and contextual appraisal in women with FND.
First description of a cefixime- and ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolate with mutations in key antimicrobial susceptibility–determining genes from the country of Georgia

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae ( N. gonorrhoeae ) is a global health problem. Enhanced international collaborative surveillance and disease control is needed to reduce the global burden of this important pathogen. Currently, the antimicrobial resistance properties and molecular mechanisms of multidrug resistant N. gonorrhoeae in the country of Georgia represent a significant knowledge gap. Here we report the isolation of a strain of N. gonorrhoeae exhibiting resistance to cefixime and ciprofloxacin with reduced susceptibility to penicillin and tetracycline from a patient being treated at a Georgian medical center. Notably, this isolate was found to contain a mosaic penA allele; and to harbor mutations in genes conferring susceptibility to the beta-lactam, cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, macrolide and penicillin classes of antibiotic. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe the key mutations conferring the antimicrobial resistance properties of an isolate of N. gonorrhoeae from the country of Georgia.
The Early Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Uninsured Patients Undergoing Emergency General Surgery.

Abstract Background Under the Affordable Care Act, eligibility for Medicaid coverage was expanded to all adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level in states that participated. We sought to examine the national impact Medicaid expansion has had on insurance coverage for patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) and the cost burden to patients. Materials and methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to identify adults ≥18 y old who underwent the 10 most burdensome EGS operations (defined as a combination of frequency, cost, and morbidity). Distribution of insurance type before and after Medicaid expansion and charges to uninsured patients was evaluated. Weighted averages were used to produce nationally representative estimates. Results A total of 6,847,169 patients were included. The percentage of uninsured EGS patients changed from 9.4% the year before Medicaid expansion to 7.0% after (P Conclusions In the first year of Medicaid expansion, the number of uninsured EGS patients dropped by 2.4%. The cost burden to uninsured EGS patients decreased by over $300 million.
Physics and Chemistry: Commensurate or Incommensurate Sciences?

In the preface to this Introduction to Chemical Physics (1939), the American physicist and co-founder of quantum chemistry John C. Slater wrote the following: It is probably unfortunate that physics and chemistry ever were separated. Chemistry is the science of atoms and of the way they combine. Physics deals with the interatomic forces and with the large-scale properties of matter resulting from those forces. So long as chemistry was largely empirical and non-mathematical, and physics had not learned how to treat small-scale atomic forces, the two sciences seemed widely separated ... Now that statistical mechanics has led to quantum theory and wave mechanics, with its explanations of atomic interactions, there is really nothing separating them any more .... [However,] for want of a better name, since Physical Chemistry is already preempted, we may call this common field Chemical Physics.1
The Tobacco Industry and the creation of an epidemic of smoking-related lung adenocarcinoma: Surveillance-Epidemiology And End Results (SEER) analysis, 1973-2011.

e12625 Background: When epidemiologic research first demonstrated an association between cigarette smoking and lung cancer in the early 1950s, adenocarcinoma comprised about 5% of lung cancers and ...
The limit comparison test needs positivity

The limit comparison test for positive series does not extend to general series. An example is given. In a certain sense, this is the only possible example. Given a conditionally convergent series,...
Radical amino acid changes persist longer in the absence of sex

Abstract Harmful mutations are ubiquitous and inevitable, and the rate at which these mutations are removed from populations is a critical determinant of evolutionary fate. Closely related and otherwise similar sexual and asexual taxa provide a particularly powerful setting in which to study deleterious mutation elimination because sex should facilitate mutational clearance by reducing selective interference between sites. Here, we compared the rate of removal of conservative and radical nonsynonymous mutations in sexual vs. asexual populations of Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a New Zealand freshwater snail species featuring coexisting and ecologically similar sexual and asexual lineages. Our analyses revealed that radical changes are removed from populations at significantly higher rates than conservative changes and that sexual lineages eliminate these radical changes more rapidly than asexual counterparts, especially over relatively short time scales. Taken together, these results indicate that reduced efficacy of purifying selection in asexual lineages allows harmful mutations to remain polymorphic longer than in sexual lineages, potentially influencing the outcome of competition between sexual and asexual lineages. The fact that our ability to detect differential patterns of mutational clearance in sexual vs. asexual individuals required polymorphism data emphasizes the critical importance of population-level sampling for characterizing evolutionary phenomena.
Respiratory metabolism in hyperthermophilic organisms: hydrogenases, sulfur reductases, and electron transport factors that function at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees C.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the various respiratory metabolisms in hyperthermophilic organisms, which grow at temperatures at more than 100°C. Most of the hyperthermophilic organisms, especially those in the Archaea, are capable of reducing S o to form H 2 S. For some of these primitive organisms, this metabolic feature is coupled to energy production by conventional electrochemical gradient formation mechanisms. The versatility in types of sulfur dependent metabolism within geothermal waters is illustrated in the chapter by citing the characteristics of hyperthermophile Fyrobaculum islandicum isolated from two different sites in Iceland. This species grows chemolithotrophically with H 2 and CO 2 , using S° as terminal electron acceptor. It does so by conserving energy at the expense of H 2 -generated electrons that are sequentially transferred through unidentified membrane-bound redox proteins, eventually to a terminal sulfur reductase enzyme. In the presence of organic matter, the same organism uses other sulfur compounds as electron acceptors for heterotrophic growth. Versatility in respiratory metabolism also appears to be a key feature of life at temperature extremes even for those organisms that do not use a sulfur source as an electron acceptor. Two of the three O 2 ,-utilizing respiratory hyperthermophiles— namely, Fyrobaculum aerophilum and Aquifex pyrophilus use nitrate as a terminal acceptor of respiratory metabolism.
Auricular acupuncture for adult tonsillectomy

Objectives Adult tonsillectomy causes significant postoperative pain that can last over 14 days, but narcotic regimens only provide a modest reduction in pain. Auricular acupuncture has been demonstrated to improve pain with minimal complications. This study compared acupuncture versus control for pain, opioid consumption, nausea, and return of diet and activity following tonsillectomy. Methods A prospective, single-blinded randomized controlled trial was performed on 134 adults undergoing tonsillectomy at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Each patient was randomized to receive either auricular (Battlefield protocol) acupuncture with auricular bandages or bandages alone while under general anesthesia. Subjects journaled daily postoperative pain, diet, activity, and opioid consumption, then returned to the clinic on postoperative day 14 for a final questionnaire and evaluation. Results Ninety-nine patients completed the study with 50 patients in the acupuncture group and 49 patients in the control group. Pain scores for the acupuncture group following tonsillectomy were significantly lower than the control group on the day of surgery (2.9, 4.3; P = .01), but there was no statistically significant difference in pain thereafter. There was an equivalent level of postoperative narcotic usage, nausea, emesis, functional activity and diet between the two groups. The main complication following tonsillectomy was secondary hemorrhage and there was no significant difference between the two groups (20%, 10%; P = .13). Conclusion Auricular acupuncture provides increased pain relief on the day of surgery, an effect that seems to diminish after 24 hours. Level of evidence 1b Laryngoscope, 130: 1907-1912, 2020.
Exploring the families of origin of LGBTQ former foster youth and their trajectories throughout care

Abstract Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or queer (LGBTQ) identified youth are overrepresented in the foster care system. Many experience discrimination, violence, and oppression related to their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression before, during, and after foster care. There is limited research regarding LGBTQ-identified youth who have aged out of the foster care system. Theoretically informed by intersectionality, queer, and feminist theories, the purpose of this community based qualitative research study was to gain a nuanced understanding of the experiences of 25 diverse LGBTQ former foster youth before, during, and after being in foster care. In-depth qualitative interviews with LGBTQ former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 26 provided participants with the opportunity to narrate their histories and pathways into and out of the foster care system. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) was used to analyze interview findings. This article presents one cluster of interview findings pertaining to: (1) LGBTQ former foster youth’s reasons for first entering foster care; (2) the effects of intergenerational mental health and substance abuse; (3) family and caregiver rejection as a barrier to permanency; and (4) experiences of transitioning from foster care.
Cell-specific exon methylation and CTCF binding in neurons regulates calcium ion channel splicing and function

Cell-specific alternative splicing modulates myriad cell functions and this process is disrupted in disease. The mechanisms governing alternative splicing are known for relatively few genes and typically focus on RNA splicing factors. In sensory neurons, cell-specific alternative splicing of the presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channel Cacna1b gene modulates opioid sensitivity. How this splicing is regulated has remained unknown. We find that cell-specific exon DNA hypomethylation permits binding of CTCF, the master regulator of chromatin structure in mammals, which, in turn, controls splicing in noxious heat-sensing nociceptors. Hypomethylation of an alternative exon specifically in nociceptors allows for CTCF binding, and expression of CaV2.2 channels with increased opioid sensitivity. Following nerve injury, exon methylation is increased, and splicing is disrupted. Our studies define the molecular mechanisms of cell-specific alternative splicing of a functionally validated exon in normal and disease states - and reveal a potential target for the treatment of chronic pain.
Desensitization Therapy for Mechanical Circulatory Support Patients with Existing Driveline Infection: Is It Safe with Current Desensitization Therapies?

Purpose Patients with end-stage heart failure may undergo mechanical circulatory support (MCS) as a bridge to transplant. This strategy may be complicated by sensitization due to blood transfusions as well as driveline infections. As sensitization narrows the donor pool, desensitization may be performed. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of desensitization therapy on infections in MCS patients with an existing driveline infection. Methods We reviewed 45 MCS patients who developed a driveline infection between 2012-2018. Patients were divided into: sensitized (PRA >10%, n=22) and not sensitized (n=23). Sensitized patients were divided into: desensitization (when CPRA > 50%; n=7) and no desensitization (n=15). Desensitization included IVIG, rituximab, bortezomib and/or plasmapheresis. Outcomes were assessed 1 year after the driveline infection: survival, freedom from readmission, freedom from new driveline infection, and freedom from any infection. Results There was no difference between sensitized and non-sensitized MCS patients with a driveline infection in 1-year survival, freedom from readmissions, or freedom from any subsequent infection. There was no difference in outcomes between sensitized patients who received desensitization therapy and those who did not. Conclusion Desensitization appears to be safe in MCS patients with an existing driveline infection to potentially expand the compatible donor pool.
Chapter 5 – Metadata

This chapter focuses on metadata standards and the process of building metadata in digital libraries. It begins with the definitions of metadata and an overview of different types of metadata standards used in the description and management of digital library resources. Next, it introduces the concept of schemas as a foundational metadata building block and reviews a number of schemas developed and used in libraries, archives, and museums. In addition to the theoretical aspects of metadata, this chapter examines the practice of designing and implementing metadata in digital collections with a focus on developing metadata application profiles and the use of content and value standards. Furthermore, it discusses user-generated tagging and linked open data in the context of describing and sharing digital library resources.
DOE-NE Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program and EPRI Long-Term Operations Program – Joint Research and Development Plan

Nuclear power has contributed almost 20% of the total amount of electricity generated in the United States over the past two decades. High capacity factors and low operating costs make nuclear power plants (NPPs) some of the most economical power generators available. Further, nuclear power remains the single largest contributor (nearly 70%) of non-greenhouse gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. Even when major refurbishments are performed to extend operating life, these plants continue to represent cost-effective, low-carbon assets to the nation's electrical generation capability.
Discourse and Identity on Facebook by Mariza Georgalou

Discourse and Identity on Facebook by Mariza Georgalou London, England: Bloomsbury Academic US $128 ISBN 9781474289122 (Hardback) 332 pages 2017
Abstract A14: Modeling drug combination sensitivity with Hopfield networks and transcriptomics data

The Hopfield neural network model is one of the simplest models able to mathematically implement Waddington’s interpretation of normal and anomalous cell phenotypes as dynamical attractors of epigenetic landscapes. Here, we propose a computational approach based on Hopfield’s associative memories that integrate gene expression data and gene interactome networks in (1) a model representing the dynamics and control of disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM), and (2) a model describing the control of angiogenesis. The MM model is built using single-cell RNA-seq data from bone marrow aspirates of MM patients as well as patients diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), two medical conditions that often progress to full MM. We identify different clusters of MGUS, SMM, and MM cells, map them to Hopfield associative memory patterns, and model the dynamics of transition between the different patterns. The model is then used to identify combinations of genes whose simultaneous inhibition is associated with delayed disease progression. In the angiogenesis control model, we use single-cell RNA-seq data to predict specific combinations of targets for inhibition that could induce a cellular transition from tip-like to stalk-like endothelial cells, inhibiting the formation of capillary sprouts in blood vessels. The model generates novel hypotheses for combinations that could complement standard VEGF inhibitors and lead to a more efficient control of angiogenesis in cancer. Citation Format: Carlo Piermarocchi, Sergii Domanskyi, Alex Hakansson, Giovanni Paternostro. Modeling drug combination sensitivity with Hopfield networks and transcriptomics data [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A14.
Synthesis and characterization of a hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel with antioxidative and thermosensitive properties

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is initiated by progressive atherosclerotic blockages of the arteries supplying the lower extremities. The most common presentation of PAD is claudication (leg pain and severe walking limitation), with many patients progressing to limb threatening ischemia and amputation. Biomaterial approaches are just beginning to be explored in the therapy of PAD with different materials now being evaluated for the delivery of cells or growth factors in animal models of PAD. A biomaterial matrix optimized for minimally invasive injection in the ischemic leg muscles of patients with PAD is urgently needed. There are several important requirements for optimal delivery, retention, and performance of a biomaterial matrix in the mechanically, histologically, and biochemically dynamic intramuscular environment of the PAD leg. Ideally, the material should have mechanical properties matching those of the recipient muscle, undergo minimal swelling, and should introduce properties that can ameliorate the mechanisms operating in PAD like oxidative stress and damage. Here we have developed an injectable, antioxidative, and thermosensitive hydrogel system based on hyaluronic acid (HA). We first synthesized a unique crosslinker of disulfide-modified poloxamer F127 diacrylate. This crosslinker led to the creation of a thermosensitive HA hydrogel with minimal swelling and muscle-matching mechanical properties. We introduced unique disulfide groups into hydrogels which functioned as an effective reactive oxygen species scavenger, exhibited hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-responsive degradation, and protected cells against H2O2-induced damage. Our antioxidative thermosensitive HA hydrogel system holds great potential for the treatment of the ischemic legs of patients with PAD.
Methods of Integration

1. Integrate functions using: The method of substitution Integration by parts The table lookup approach 2. Use numerical integration—in particular, the Trapezoidal Rule—to approximate: The definite integral of a function whose antiderivative does not have an elementary form The definite integral of a function whose antiderivative does not have an elementary form 3. Approximate the definite integral associated with a discrete function by fitting a curve to the data and integrating the fit function
A Nonsmooth Approach to Multicontaminant Mass and Water Integration

Abstract This work presents a novel approach for process integration that accounts for the presence of multiple contaminants in fixed-load water integration problems and mass exchange networks with a single solvent source. Existing approaches to the multicontaminant problem are either unable to solve for contaminant concentrations or use superstructures that grow rapidly with problem size and require solving nonconvex mixed-integer programs. To address these limitations, we have extended previous work on solving single contaminant problems using the generalized nonsmooth integration operator. By assuming mass transfer relations and scaling the concentrations according to the limiting contaminant, we can directly apply a nonsmooth integration operator to solve the mass integration problem. The result is a simple nonsmooth system of two equations for each mass exchange system regardless of the system size that can be used to solve for any selection of unknowns including contaminant concentrations.
Video quality evaluation and testing verification of H.264, HEVC, VVC and EVC video compression standards

This paper is a comparative analysis with respect to video compression, coding efficiency with respect to performance and quality of the compressed video of Advanced Video Coding (H.264), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Versatile Video Coding (VVC) and MPEG-5 Essential Video Coding (EVC). The approach used for coding and comparative analysis is by keeping the video quality (QP) and group of pictures (GOP) constant for all the four codecs. Performance with respect to quality and coding efficiency is tabulated with respect to objective quality metrics analysis like (PSNR, M-SSIM, Bitrate, compression ratio) and subjective quality analysis. From both these techniques, it is observed that the VVC is superior to EVC, HEVC and H.264 in terms of compression. Therefore, more bitrate savings is observed for VVC which is 15% to 45% more when compared to EVC. Due to the complexity of the encoder block, VVC takes almost twice the time taken to encode EVC and HEVC taking the least time to encode the video bit streams. The conclusion of the quality of video keeping system parameters constant, showed VVC performing better than EVC, followed by HEVC and then H.264 for both objective and subjective analysis. Time taken to decode the encoded sequences is almost same with very less delta difference between the video codecs. The codec configurations with algorithmic enhancements is also explained in this paper.
Anterior Cruciate Reconstruction with Quadriceps Autograft using QuadLink Anterior Cruciate Ligament FiberTag TightRope Implant

Quadriceps tendon autografts have been shown to be a reliable option for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The graft allows for optimal functional outcomes while reducing donor site morbidity. Although quadriceps graft fixation can be achieved using a variety of techniques, there is a lack of consensus on the optimal technique. Additionally, femoral fixation techniques have variance in durability and reproducibility. The purpose of this Technical Note and video is to provide our preferred method of quadriceps tendon autograft preparation and fixation using the Quad Link ACL FiberTag TightRope Implant in a single-bundle ACL reconstruction.
Role of Arterial Spin Labelling Perfusion weighted MRI in evaluation of children with hemiplegic migraine. (P3.301)

Objective: To evaluate utility of Arterial Spin Labelling Perfusion weighted MRI in children with hemiplegic migraine. Background: Patients with hemiplegic migraines usually presents with aura including motor, sensory, visual or language symptoms that are completely reversible. Given their sudden onset that could last up to 24 hrs, physicians often order MRI of the brain in order to rule out stroke as the etiology of symptoms. ASL is a MR perfusion technique the exploits arterial water as a freely diffusible tracer for quantitative measurement of cerebral blood flow. Design/Methods: MRI brain exams were reviewed in 22 children with clinical concern for hemiplegic migraine retrospectively. ASL sequences were assessed for perfusion abnormalities- hyper perfusion (increased ASL) or hypoperfusion (decreased ASL) by two Pediatric Neuroradiologists in conjunction with conventional MRI. Patients with structural brain abnormalities, brace artifact, and without motor weakness were excluded from study. All patients had normal findings on conventional sequences. Results: MRI brain studies on 13 children were analyzed for hyper or hypoperfusion on ASL sequences. Time to scan from onset of symptoms was around 7 hrs. ASL sequencing was abnormal (either decreased or increased ASL) in all patients. Conclusions: This is the first study to show abnormal perfusion on ASL in children with hemiplegic migraine. This is a preliminary data as study is still ongoing. Characterization of perfusion abnormalities may provide critical insights in understanding the pathogenesis of hemiplegic migraine with possible therapeutic implications. Study Supported by: None Disclosure: Dr. Patil has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nikam has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jain has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kandula has nothing to disclose.
Development of an Organic Toxicity Characteristic for Identification of Hazardous Waste

Publisher Summary Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was charged with identifying wastes that pose a hazard to human health and the environment when improperly managed. In fulfilling this mandate, EPA identified a number of characteristics that, if exhibited by a waste, would indicate that the waste is hazardous. These characteristics include ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and extraction procedure toxicity. Extraction procedure toxicity characteristic (EPRC) identifies hazardous waste by evaluating the potential of a waste to release toxic constituents to the ground water. The toxicity characteristic entails the use of a leaching test to measure the tendency of a waste to leach, coupled with extract concentrations, above which the waste is defined to be a regulated or hazardous waste. In developing the toxicity characteristic, the agency's concern was that potentially hazardous industrial waste might, unless subjected to regulatory control, be sent to a sanitary landfill, with a resulting high level of potential groundwater contamination.
Mandatory Intensivist Management Decreases Length of Stay, Facilitates an Increase in Admissions and Minimizes Closure of a Neurocritical Care Unit

The primary objectives of this study were to identify patient and community benefits of mandatory intensivist management in a neurocritical care (NCC) unit. Our hospital recently mandated intensivist management for patients admitted to the NCC unit. As one of the only comprehensive stroke centers in Orlando, an unacceptably high number of patients were being denied admission because of overcapacity. We compared length of stay (LOS), complications, outcomes, total admissions, and emergency transfer center closure rates before and after implementation of mandatory intensivist management. A retrospective review comparing 1551 patients admitted to a 20 bed NCC unit from November 1, 2009 to October 31, 2010 (prior to mandatory intensivist management) with 1702 patients admitted from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 (after the requirement) was performed. This included examining LOS, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III (APACHE) scores, service line closure rates, and mortality during both time periods. Analysis revealed that despite comparable APACHE scores, implementation of mandatory intensivist management reduced overall NCC LOS, 4.6 versus 3.7 days, (p < 0.01) and increased the number of monthly admissions, 129 versus 142, (p = 0.02). The percentage of patients declined admission because of a closed service line was reduced from 12.36 to 5.66 %, (p = 0.02). Mortality and infection rates remained unchanged. Implementation of mandatory intensivist management in the NCC unit decreased LOS, increased admissions, and decreased service line closure rates, while maintaining patient care.
Women in the Workplace: Feminism’s Potential Impact

Despite advances for women in the workplace, several factors continue to negatively impact women’s sense of well-being at work. These factors include sex discrimination, gender role constraints, a male dominated workplace, and rigidity in work/family arrangements. This chapter will review ways a feminist perspective may assist women in the workplace by challenging traditional gender-roles, giving a context for discrimination, and providing a sense of competency in managing the work environment, perhaps leading to a greater overall sense of well-being. Lastly, using the feminist perspective, the chapter concludes with some recommendations for improving the workplace for women.
C-terminal Opening Mimics 'Inside-Out' Activation of Integrin alpha5beta1

Integrins are adhesion molecules that convey signals both to and from the cytoplasm across the plasma membrane. In resting cells, integrins in a low affinity state can be activated by 'inside-out signaling', in which signals affecting integrin heterodimer cytoplasmic domains cause a conformational change in the integrin ligand-binding headpiece connected to the membrane by two long, approximately 16 nm stalks. Here we demonstrate a mechanism for conveying a conformational change over the long distance from the plasma membrane to the headpiece. We prepared soluble, alpha5beta1 integrin heterodimer extracellular fragments in which interactions between alpha- and beta-subunit cytoplasmic domains were replaced with an artificial clasp. Release of this C-terminal clasp by specific protease cleavage resulted in an approximately 14 nm separation of the stalks coupled to increased binding to fibronectin. This activation did not require any associated molecules or clustering and was observed with physiological concentrations of divalent cations. These findings suggest that the overall mechanism for integrin inside-out activation involves the spatial separation of the cytoplasmic and/or transmembrane domains.
Chapter 3 Alternative approaches to development economics

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a discussion on alternative approaches to development economics and focuses on the three major approaches that can be classified as neoclassical, Marxist, and structuralist-institutionalist. The chapter focuses on a few, highly selective, areas of enquiry with a brief, impressionistic, comparative assessment of some major contributions in each area. The chapter discusses five such distinct, but not entirely unrelated areas: (1) theory of the household; (2) institutions and resource allocation; (3) income distribution and growth; (4) trade and development; and (5) economic policy and the state. While these five involve some of the core issues of development economics and may represent a fair cross-section of some of the active disputes. Some of the neo-neoclassical models now fully recognize the crucial dependence of efficiency of resource allocation on asset ownership structures and property relations. Similarly, some of these non-Walrasian models have given up on market-clearing factor prices and explored the microeconomics of equilibria with involuntary unemployment and rationing. Similar bridge building between the alternative approaches has been attempted by rational-choice Marxists in tracing the micro foundations of class analysis in postulates of individual behavior and in general in using the techniques of game theory in understanding social interaction and historical change in situations of interest conflicts.
Seed aging, delayed germination and reduced competitive ability in Bromus tectorum

In annual plants, increased competitive advantage has often been attributed to rapid germination and early establishment. In contrast, many annual species exhibit some degree of delayed germination (i.e., seed dormancy) that results in the formation of age structure within the seed population. Delayed germination can be an effective bet-hedging strategy in variable or unpredictable environments as a seed bank can buffer against years with reproductive failures and reduce the probability of local extinction. However, there has been little consideration of the direct effects of aging within the seed pool although the potential demographic costs of such a strategy (e.g., mortality in the seed bank or delayed reproduction) are well known. We used aged (4 year-old) and freshly produced seed from meadow steppe and sagebrush steppe populations of an annual grass (Bromus tectorum)to investigate the importance of seed age on seedling vigor and competitive ability. Aged seed from the meadow steppe population exhibited delays in germination that reduced plant growth and final biomass when the plants were grown with competition. Aged seed from the sagebrush steppe population did not exhibit delays in germination. By including a treatment that experimentally delayed the germination of freshly produced meadow steppe seed, we also examined the effects of delayed germination alone. A comparison of results from this delay treatment with those from the aged seed treatment suggested that the reduced competitive ability of meadow steppe plants produced from aged seed, although largely a result of the temporal delay in germination, was partly due to reduced seed vigor. Together these results indicate that physiological costs associated with seed age may affect aboveground competitive interactions and, in turn, the relative fitness of older cohorts in the soil seed bank.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Cytidine Diphosphate 3,6-Dideoxyhexoses IX. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE CYTIDINE DIPHOSPHATE-d-GLUCOSE PYROPHOSPHORYLASE FROM PASTEURELLA PSEUDOTUBERCULOSIS, TYPE V

Abstract In this paper is described a method for the purification of CDP-d-glucose pyrophosphorylase from a rough mutant of Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis type V which yields an enzyme 50% pure with high specific activity. When this material is subjected to gel electrophoresis at pH 7.5, the activity can be identified with one of the two major bands on the gel. By means of Sephadex gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis studies, the enzyme was found to be a single subunit composed of a single polypeptide chain of molecular weight 110,000. Michaelis-Menten kinetics was observed for the four compounds utilized by the enzyme. Values of Km for each of the substrates are as follows: CTP, 0.11 mm; glucose 1-phosphate, 0.11 mm; CDP-d-glucose, 0.41 mm; and Mg2-PPi, 0.43 mm. The enzyme requires a divalent cation for activity, cobalt being the most active in the direction of CDP-glucose synthesis and magnesium and cobalt in the direction of pyrophosphorolysis. The enzyme was inhibited by CDP-ascarylose, CDP-abequose, and a mixture of CDP-d-fucose and CDP-6-deoxy-d-glucose. The inhibition by CDP-ascarylose is characterized by nonlinear Dixon plots of 1/v versus I, a Hill plot with a slope of 2.3 for I, but linear Lineweaver-Burk plots for CTP and glucose 1-phosphate in the presence of the inhibitor. The presence of CDP-ascarylose causes a 10-fold increase in the Km for CTP, but Km for glucose 1-phosphate remains unchanged. The possible implications of these results are discussed.
In Defense of Federal Judicial Sentencing

Since we are imperfect-and there are no discernible signs that we are remotely approaching a spiritual state of perfection-many of our regulatory social processes are concomitantly imperfect. One of these lessthan-perfect processes is the procedure for imposing sanctions upon convicted criminal offenders. The dramatic impact of this procedure seems to heighten its imperfections. In our federal government, this procedure has remained exclusively judicial. But, there is a growing dissatisfaction, not only among the lay, but among lawyers and judges as well, with the judicial sentencing process.' The dissatisfaction centers around what has been commonly referred to as "disparity" in sentencing. It is claimed that there is too wide a range of sentences by different judges for the same offense and even by the same judge. Indeed some have gone so far as to say that the standards in the case of judge-imposed sanctions are "vague and almost non-existent."' In the past few decades, as our population has increased, so has crime,3 so has the number of offenders,4 so has the number of judges.' With the increase in crime and the expansion of our judicial system, there has been