cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Superoxide generation in transformed B-lymphocytes from patients with severe, malignant osteopetrosis.

Severe, malignant osteopetrosis is a disease characterized by osteoclasts that fail to resorb bone. Serious defects in the ability of white blood cells to eradicate infectious agents confound the clinical course. Defective superoxide generation by neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes contributes to this inability to fight infection. To elucidate the mechanisms resulting in the defective superoxide generation observed in osteopetrotic leukocytes, gene expression, translocation, and phosphorylation of the major components that form the fimctional NADPH oxidase complex were studied in transformed B-lymphocytes. The expression of the p47 subunit of NADPH oxidase was reduced in B-lymphocytes collected from osteopetrotic patients compared to those from controls. Phosphorylation and translocation of p47 to the cell membrane after PMA stimulation was similar in B-lymphocytes from both patients and normal controls. However, total amount of p47 phosphorylation and translocation was reduced in patient samples. This was further supported by the experiment using p47 antisense oligonucleotide. The other major components of the oxidase (p91, p22, p67) were found to be present at normal levels. Thus, the reduction in p47 expression results in reduced ability to assemble a ftmctional NADPH oxidase complex at the membrane of lymphocytes from osteopetrotic patients. This defect translates into reduced superoxide generation and an increased propensity for infection.
What Type of Cognitive Testing Should Be Part of Routine Electroconvulsive Therapy Practice

Several decades of research have yielded much information on the cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and have informed ECT technical factors such as electrode placement, stimulus dosing, and stimulus parameters. However, the question of what type of cognitive testing should be part of routine ECT practice has not been definitively clarified. The author reviews the recommendations, or lack thereof, in several published ECT guidelines and discusses the purposes that cognitive testing during ECT should serve and difficulties that most ECT services would encounter with intensive testing schedules. Practical utility of formal cognitive testing during and after ECT has not been satisfactorily demonstrated in ECT research. In addition, several key aspects of testing, such as cognitive domain to be tested, specific tests to be used, personnel to do the testing, time points of testing, and exactly how the test results will be interpreted and used have yet to be determined with precision. It is suggested that research efforts be undertaken to address these large gaps in ECT practice.
Enhancing opacity of stochastic discrete event systems using insertion functions

This paper extends prior works on the enforcement of opacity for systems modeled as finite-state automata using insertion functions. Insertion functions insert fictitious events at the output of the system, thereby obfuscating its secret behaviors. In this paper, we use insertion functions to enhance opacity for systems modeled as probabilistic finite-state automata. Specifically, we quantify each insertion function based on the opacity level that it achieves, defined as the probability that the system remains opaque. We then develop an algorithmic procedure that synthesizes an optimal insertion function that maximizes the opacity level, when the system's observable output is finite-length.
High-Resolution Imaging Spectroscopy at Terahertz Frequencies

HISAT, a multi-element heterodyne interferometer attached to Space Station Freedom, will provide spectroscopic images with unprecedented detail of those submillime-ter lines of C, O and C+ which are critical diagnostics of UV excitation in the Galaxy. With the arcsecond angular resolution achievable from the space station, HISAT will reveal: — The distribution of sources of ultraviolet radiation in the Galaxy; — The effective temperature of the UV radiation as a function of galactocentric radius; — The chemical and isotopic enhancement of atomic carbon and oxygen with galactic radius; — The propagation of UV radiation in molecular clouds and its stimulative, or inhibitive, effect on star formation; —The density structure, dumpiness or fragmentation, of molecular clouds throughout the Galaxy. HISAT has been selected by NASA for a concept-phase study.
Limning the Literary Universe: Coleridge, Jung and the Imagination of Otherness

I wish in this chapter to discuss the nature of imaginative experience when it invites us to consider the concerns of religious reality rendered by way of literature’s angle of vision. Such discussion might help us understand why literature ‘matters’ so much to us, especially when seen from -the reader’s perspective. I heartily concur with Inge Crosman Wimmers: we know that novels ‘are not simply verbal constructs whose illusion building we can rationally dismiss. They are experienced as events while they engage us in a particular process of world building, feeling and thinking.’3 And such vital engagement enlists our imaginative vision powerfully. Literature, as Albert Gelpi puts it, ‘epitomizes and mediates the life of consciousness, it requires us … readers … to know ourselves in searching and demanding ways, and so opens the possibility of being ourselves and of being something different and perhaps better.’4 This ethical function of literature is being recognised frequently today (we shall see that it has been an abiding concern of Iris Murdoch throughout her career).
Quantitative SERS Detection of Trace Glutathione with Internal Reference Embedded Au-core/Ag-shell Nanoparticles

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely studied and applied for over three decades. However, reliable SERS detection of molecules with low polarizability is still suffering from poor sensitivity and reproducibility. In this paper, we have reported a new strategy for performing quantitative SERS detection of Raman insensitive Glutathione (GSH), based on GSH-induced replacement of a highly Raman sensitive four-mercaptopyridine (MP) adsorbed on the surface of four-aminothiophenol (ATP) embedded Au-core/Ag-shell particles. This replacement led to a strong decrease of the MP SERS signal, which was used to determine the concentration of GSH. The adoption of GSH-induced Raman probe replacement leads to high sensitivity, while the use of internal reference method provides an improved accuracy of the GSH quantification.
Confounders of Vasovagal Syncope: Orthostatic Hypotension

Orthostatic hypotension is an important cause of syncope, especially in the older patients. Although there are multiple causes, the treatments are focused on improving symptoms. The mainstays of therapy are careful attention to hydration; bolus ingestion of water (osmopressor response); and the judicious use of short-acting pressor agents for the orthostatic hypotension. A significant proportion of patients can also have supine hypertension, which may necessitate the use of short-acting pressor agents overnight.
Dihedral-Angle-Controlled Crossover from Static Hole Delocalization to Dynamic Hopping in Biaryl Cation Radicals

In cases of coherent charge-transfer mechanism in biaryl compounds the rates follow a squared cosine trend with varying dihedral angle. Herein we demonstrate using a series of biaryl cation radicals with varying dihedral angles that the hole stabilization shows two different regimes where the mechanism of the hole stabilization switches over from (static) delocalization over both aryl rings to (dynamic) hopping. The experimental data and DFT calculations of biaryls with different dihedral angles unequivocally support that a crossover from delocalization to hopping occurs at a unique dihedral angle where the electronic coupling (Hab) is one half of reorganization (λ), that is, Hab=λ/2. The implication of this finding in non-coherent charge-transfer rates is being investigated.
Exploring Recovery Perspectives in Individuals Diagnosed with Mental Illness

ABSTRACTUsing a phenomenological research design with a photovoice method, we aimed to understand the lived experience of eight individuals diagnosed with mental illness and identify factors affecting their recovery. We conducted focus group interviews whereby participants discussed their recovery, shared photographs taken of items symbolizing their recovery, and created personalized photobooks or scrapbooks. Data analysis yielded the following themes: (1) caring relationships, (2) leisure and outings, and (3) relaxation, stress reduction, and coping. Findings revealed factors influencing recovery from mental illness and can be used to develop person-centered and occupation-based interventions to promote recovery in clients with mental health issues.
Emphysema is associated with thoracic vertebral bone attenuation on chest CT scan in HIV-infected individuals.

Background Age-related chronic diseases are prevalent in HIV-infected persons in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. Bone mineral density (BMD) loss and emphysema have separately been shown to occur at a younger age and with lesser risk exposure in HIV-infected compared to HIV-uninfected individuals. In non-HIV infected smokers, emphysema has been shown to independently predict low BMD. We hypothesized that emphysema would independently associate with thoracic vertebral bone attenuation, a surrogate for bone mineral density, in HIV-infected individuals. Methods Clinical, pulmonary function, and radiographic data were analyzed for 164 individuals from the University of Pittsburgh’s HIV Lung Research Center cohort. Chest CT scans were used to quantify emphysema and compute Hounsfield Unit (HU) attenuation of the 4th, 7th, and 10th thoracic vertebrae. The association between mean HU attenuation values across the three vertebrae and radiographic emphysema, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), steroid use, viral load, CD4 count, and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results In univariate analysis, mean HU attenuation decreased with increasing age (p<0.001), pack years (p = 0.047), and percent emphysema (p<0.001). In a multivariable model, including pack years, age, sex, ART and steroid use, greater emphysema was independently associated with this surrogate marker of BMD in HIV-infected individuals (p = 0.034). Conclusions The association of emphysema with thoracic bone attenuation in HIV-infected individuals is consistent with previous reports in non-HIV infected smokers. These findings suggest that emphysema should be considered a potential marker of osteoporosis risk in HIV-infected individuals.
Optimization of Control Strategies and Buffer Sizes in Discrete Manufacturing Systems

Abstract Based on a Markov process model, we develop an optimization approach to determine the sizes of inventory facilities in discrete manufacturing systems. Following the study on the optimal combination of MRP and JIT control strategies in the production line with optimal buffer sizes, we propose the optimal hybrid Push/Pull control strategy for general discrete manufacturing systems. It is to use Push (MRP) policy at all initial stages of all blanches of production line, and Pull (Kanban control of JIT) at all following stages.
Planning the Defense

ONCE YOU’VE MADE THE IMPORTANT decision to defend, your focus needs to quickly shift to actually planning the effort. This is the stage where you figure out what precisely you will do and when you will do it. This is when you must think through all the defensive options, select the best ones, and then mobilize to execute the plan.
INTERLEUKINS | IL-10

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an immunomodulatory cytokine that regulates important aspects of innate and cell-mediated immunity. It is synthesized by hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells, including macrophages and epithelial cells within the lung. The biologically active form of IL-10 is a homodimer that binds to the IL-10 receptor, which is expressed on leukocytes as well as structural cells. The primary function of this cytokine is to downregulate inflammation via inhibition of cytokine production and other inflammatory mediators. IL-10 is secreted in response to acute inflammation and under conditions that promote tolerance or anergy. The absence of IL-10 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of uncontrolled inflammation during the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic Pseudomonas colonization in cystic fibrosis, and allergic airways disease. However, IL-10 also possesses immunostimulatory properties for cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells. Furthermore, IL-10 has been implicated as a mediator of critical illness-induced immunosuppression and matrix deposition/remodeling in interstitial lung disease. Thus, IL-10 is clearly a complex molecule with potential therapeutic uses in modulating inflammation, but its salutary anti-inflammatory effects must be weighed against its potentially stimulatory effects on cytotoxic activity and adverse impacts on host defense and fibrosis.
Genetic and Pharmacological Discovery for Alzheimer's Disease Using Caenorhabditis elegans.

The societal burden presented by Alzheimer’s disease warrants both innovative and expedient means by which its underlying molecular causes can be both identified and mechanistically exploited to discern novel therapeutic targets and strategies. The conserved characteristics, defined neuroanatomy, and advanced technological application of Caenorhabditis elegans render this metazoan an unmatched tool for probing neurotoxic factors. In addition, its short lifespan and importance in the field of aging make it an ideal organism for modeling age-related neurodegenerative disease. As such, this nematode system has demonstrated its value in predicting functional modifiers of human neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we review how C. elegans has been utilized to model Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, we present how the causative neurotoxic peptides, amyloid-β and tau, contribute to disease-like neurodegeneration in C. elegans and how they translate to human disease. Furthermore, we describe how a variety of trans...
Application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in geriatric mood disorders

The prevalence of mood disorders in the rapidly-growing older adult population merits attention due to the likelihood of increased medical comorbidities, risk of hospitalization or institutionalization, and strains placed on caregivers and healthcare providers. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) quantifies biochemical compounds in vivo, and has been used specifically for analyses of neural metabolism and bioenergetics in older adults with mood disorders, usually via proton or phosphorous spectroscopy. While yet to be clinically implemented, data gathered from research subjects may help indicate potential biomarkers of disease state or trait or putative drug targets. Three prevailing hypotheses for these mood disorders are used as a framework for the present review, and the current biochemical findings within each are discussed with respect to particular metabolites and brain regions. This review covers studies of MRS in geriatric mood disorders and reveals persisting gaps in research knowledge, especially with regard to older age bipolar disorder. Further MRS work, using higher field strengths and larger sample sizes, is warranted in order to better understand the neurobiology of these prevalent late-life disorders.
Prioritising African capacity building research needs using nearest neighbour analysis

We developed a visual research map to stimulate African capacity building studies by interviewing subject matter experts, reviewing the contemporary literature and then conducting non-parametric statistical analysis. First we collected data during a brain storming session held at a three-day conference designed for this study. The participants were subject matter expert practitioners who emigrated from Benin, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Algeria, and Nigeria. The nominal group technique was applied to develop research questions which the practitioners felt were not answered in the contemporary literature. We statistically analysed the relationships between the research questions and the empirical literature using a nearest neighbour network analysis to develop a visual research map. We then revisited the literature in more detail using the visual research agenda map to develop specific recommendations for scholars to close the gap in African capacity building practices. This paper should generalise to anyone performing capacity building research in Africa by giving them a prioritised visual research agenda with a preliminary literature review.
Metal Allergy and Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is characterised by protein allergy, a skewed immune system towards Th2, dry itchy skin with barrier impairment and a flexural dermatitis. There are conflicting reports as to whether metal allergy is more or less common in patients with atopic dermatitis compared to non-atopic individuals. Under experimental conditions, atopic dermatitis subjects are less readily sensitised to contact allergens; however, metal ions may be able to penetrate the atopic dermatitis skin barrier with greater ease. False-positive/irritant patch test reactions to metal are more common in atopic dermatitis individuals. Similarly, irritant contact reactions to metal may be more common in atopic dermatitis, and allergic contact dermatitis may more readily spread from the site of origin.
TCTAP A-016 The Impact of High Triglycerides/High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in the ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

The ratio of triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol has been proposed as an easily obtainable atherogenic marker and high TG/HDL-C is related to insulin resistance. This study focuses the impact of high TG/HDL-C and cardiovascular mortality in the ST-segment elevation myocardial
Software to Communicate Global Models

Global simulation models can be powerful tools (1) to develop academics’ knowledge of the global socio-politico-environmental world and (2) to analyze possible policies. However, they require considerable knowledge about their workings and the types of questions they are designed to answer before one can use them. Hence it is useful for communication among academics, analysis, and education in schools and universities to develop descriptions of the models and accessible computerized versions of the models. This paper presents new tools for an interactive, adaptive, and user-friendly genre for presenting and using complex simulation models. This way to communicate simulation models has hitherto not been possible nor emphasized. The software should not only include the models, but also document them and guide people through a learning process. These issues apply to all kinds of simulation modeling, but illustrations in this paper come from global social and environmental models.
Cell Culture and the Eukaryotic Cells Used in Biotechnology

If cells are to be used by the biotechnologist, they must be grown. While it is relatively easy to produce a culture (think of moldy bread or spoiled milk), doing so in a controlled environment requires some knowledge and training. Most cell cultures used by the biotechnologist contain only one cell type (a monoculture), but constructs used for tissue engineering (for example) often have two or more cell types. Cell type must be accounted for when establishing and maintaining a cell culture, but the source of a cell type will also have a bearing on what can be done with the culture. For example, you may have some lung cells in a culture flask, but are they primary cells, cancer cells, or an engineered cell line? We shall soon see why this last question is important.
Psychotherapy Utilization and Presenting Concerns among International Asian and Asian American Students in a University Counseling Center

Limited psychological research has disaggregated the experiences of Asian American (AA) from international Asian (IA) college students seeking psychotherapy. When combined, important differences be...
Vengeful Citizens, Violent States: A Theory of War and Revenge

From crusading in the Middle Ages to genocide in the twentieth century, from ancient blood feuds to modern urban riots, from tribal warfare to suicide terrorism, revenge has long been recognized as a root cause of violence in human societies. Developing a novel theory linking individual vengefulness to state behavior, Rachel M. Stein brings the study of revenge into the field of international relations. Stein argues that by employing strategically crafted rhetoric, leaders with highly vengeful populations can activate their citizens' desire for revenge and channel it into support for war, thereby loosening the constraint of democratic accountability and increasing their freedom to use military force as a tool of foreign policy. This book will change the way scholars think about how citizens form their opinions regarding the use of military force and about the role those opinions play in shaping when and how democracies go to war.
Drosophila Neuroscience: Should I Land or Should I Jump?

Summary Information about behavioral states can be integrated in decision-making circuits. In Drosophila, the behavioral state — flying versus not flying — determines whether flies land or jump by dynamically coupling visual information to pre-motor descending neurons.
Initial experience with React 68 aspiration catheter.

IntroductionWe describe our initial experience with the React 68 catheter (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland), an FDA-approved catheter designed for aspiration in cases of emergent large vessel occlusion,...
Establishing a Sustainable, Integrated Pre-professional Interprofessional Simulation Program

Interprofessional education (IPE) is an emergent topic that has received considerable attention during the recent years among health science educators in a variety of fields and at all levels. This chapter discusses the present state of simulation in pre-professional interprofessional health science education and describes eight attributes associated with programs that have established successful IPE curricula. Finally, it will discuss relevant concepts necessary to support programs as they work to establish sustainable pre-professional interprofessional simulation experiences.
Whose Law Governs Your Data?: Takedown Orders and 'Territoriality' in Comparative Perspective

Takedown orders, a particular form of injunctive relief, are the principal means through which courts around the world regulate access to information on the Internet. These takedown orders, when applied on a global scale, aggravate cross-border legal conflicts over free speech, privacy, and national security. They affect some of the biggest and most culturally influential corporations in existence today. At the same time, global takedown orders are poorly understood. While there is a growing literature discussing them from the perspective of privacy law, free speech, and national security, the jurisdictional bases of takedown orders have not been examined in depth. This Symposium Essay provides a starting point for such an examination by surveying takedown orders governing access to online data and analyzing how they are treated by courts in the European Union, Canada, and the United States. After highlighting the increasingly divergent positions that the United States and its traditional foreign allies have taken with regard to electronic data and access to it, this Essay surveys recent E.U., Canadian, and U.S. proceedings involving global takedown orders, and compares the approaches taken in those forums. In doing so, it reveals that, when it comes to global takedown orders enjoining access to online data, these systems sometimes differ both in the category of jurisdiction they invoke to justify their authority and in how they conceptualize “territoriality” itself. This Essay argues these differences must be accounted for in order to reduce cross-border legal conflicts over data.
Excavating theory in teacher evaluation: Implementing evaluation frameworks as Wengerian boundary objects

The purpose of this paper is to begin to excavate the unstated theoretical underpinnings of teacher evaluation systems as they exist in policy and practice and to explicitly consider how these evaluation systems might intersect theoretically with social learning theory. Research suggests that organizational leaders believe growth-based evaluation practices have yet-untapped potential to support teacher learning within teacher communities. However, models of teacher evaluation, as defined in federal and state policy and developed and implemented in practice, rarely make explicit the theoretical and conceptual frameworks upon which they are based. Further, evaluation models do not explicitly intersect with the conceptual frameworks for such learning, e.g., communities of practice (CoPs) and social learning theory. Rather, the role of teacher evaluation in social learning within and across educational organizations remains under-theorized. We argue for research examining potential connections in theory and practice between two existing conceptual frameworks: 1) social learning theory and 2) teacher evaluation systems (understood as policy, models, and practices).
New Insights From MRI and Cell Biology Into the Acute Vascular-Metabolic Implications of Electronic Cigarette Vaping

The popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) has grown at a startling rate since their introduction to the United States market in 2007, with sales expected to outpace tobacco products within a decade. Spurring this trend has been the notion that e-cigs are a safer alternative to tobacco-based cigarettes. However, the long-term health impacts of e-cigs are not yet known. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approaches, developed in the authors' laboratory, provide conclusive evidence of acute deleterious effects of e-cig aerosol inhalation in the absence of nicotine in tobacco-naive subjects. Among the pathophysiologic effects observed are transient impairment of endothelial function, vascular reactivity, and oxygen metabolism. The culprits of this response are currently not fully understood but are likely due to an immune reaction caused by the aerosol containing thermal breakdown products of the e-liquid, including radicals and organic aldehydes, with particle concentrations similar to those emitted by conventional cigarettes. The acute effects observed following a single vaping episode persist for 1-3 h before subsiding to baseline and are paralleled by build-up of biological markers. Sparse data exist on long-term effects of vaping, and it is likely that repeated regular exposure to e-cig aerosol during vaping will lead to chronic conditions since there would be no return to baseline conditions as in the case of an isolated vaping episode. This brief review aims to highlight the potential of pairing MRI, with its extraordinary sensitivity to structure, physiology and metabolism at the holistic level, with biologic investigations targeting serum and cellular markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Such a multi-modal framework should allow interpretation of the impact of e-cigarette vaping on vascular health at the organ level in the context of the underlying biological alterations. Applications of this approach to the study of other lifestyle-initiated pathologies including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and metabolic syndrome are indicated.
Play-Based Design: Giving 3- to 4-Year-Old Children a Voice in the Design Process

There has been a dramatic growth in interactive technology use by children under the age of 5 during the past decade. Despite this growth, children under the age of 5 typically participate only as users or testers in the design process in the overwhelming majority of projects targeting this population presented in key child-computer interaction venues. In this paper we introduce play-based design, an age-appropriate design method to give 3-4-year-old children a voice in the design process. More specifically, we contribute a thorough analysis of the use of existing methods to design technologies for children under the age of 5, a summary of the process that resulted in the development of play-based design, a detailed description of play-based design, a qualitative analysis of our experience implementing play-based design with two groups of children, and a discussion of play-based design's place among other methods, its advantages, and limitations.
Leisure among Second-Generation Mexican-American Youth Residing in Underprivileged Communities in Southern California

The study explored leisure among second-generation Mexican-American youth residing in low-income communities in Southern California with a particular focus on how neighborhood features influenced t...
Markers Of Coagulation And Hemostatic Activation Identify COVID-19 Patients At High Risk For Thrombotic Events, ICU Admission and Intubation

ABSTRACT Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with a coagulopathy giving rise to venous and arterial thrombotic events. The objective of our study was to determine whether markers of coagulation and hemostatic activation (MOCHA) on admission could identify COVID-19 patients at risk for thrombotic events and other complications. Methods COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary academic healthcare system from April 3, 2020 to July 31, 2020 underwent standardized admission testing of MOCHA profile parameters (plasma d-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1.2, thrombin-antithrombin complex, and fibrin monomer) with abnormal MOCHA defined as ≥ 2 markers above the reference. Prespecified thrombotic endpoints included deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and access line thrombosis; other complications included ICU admission, intubation and mortality. We excluded patients on anticoagulation therapy prior to admission and those who were pregnant. Results Of 276 patients (mean age 59 ± 6.4 years, 47% female, 62% African American race) who met study criteria, 45 (16%) had a thrombotic event. Each coagulation marker on admission was independently associated with a vascular endpoint (p Conclusions Admission MOCHA with ≥ 2 abnormalities identified COVID-19 patients at increased risk of ICU admission and intubation during hospitalization more effectively than isolated admission D-dimer measurement. Admission MOCHA with
Structural disorder-driven topological phase transition in noncentrosymmetric BiTeI

We investigate using local structural disorder to induce a topologically nontrivial phase in a solid state system. Using first-principles calculations, we introduce structural disorder in the trivial insulator BiTeI and observe the emergence of a topological insulating phase. By modifying the bonding environments, the crystal-field splitting is enhanced, with spin-orbit interactions producing a band inversion in the bulk electronic structure. Analysis of the Wannier charge centers and the surface electronic structure reveals a strong topological insulator with Dirac surface states. Finally, we propose a prescription for inducing topological states from disorder in crystalline materials. Understanding how local environments produce topological phases is a key step for predicting disordered and amorphous topological materials.
Necrotizing Pancreatitis from Hypertriglyceridemia: More Severe Disease?

Necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) is caused by hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) in up to 10% of patients. Clinical experience suggests that HTG-NP is associated with increased clinical severity; objective evidence is limited and has not been specifically studied in NP. The aim of this study was to critically evaluate outcomes in HTG-NP. We hypothesized that patients with HTG-NP had significantly increased severity, morbidity, and mortality compared to patients with NP from other etiologies. A case–control study of all NP patients treated at a single institution between 2005 and 2018 was performed. Diagnostic criteria of HTG-NP included a serum triglyceride level > 1000 mg/dL and the absence of another specific pancreatitis etiology. To control for differences in age, sex, and comorbidities, non-HTG and HTG patients were matched at a 4:1 ratio using propensity scores. Outcomes were compared between non-HTG and HTG patients. A total of 676 NP patients were treated during the study period. The incidence of HTG-NP was 5.8% (n = 39). The mean peak triglyceride level at diagnosis was 2923 mg/dL (SEM, 417 mg/dL). After propensity matching, no differences were found between non-HTG and HTG patients in CT severity index, degree of glandular necrosis, organ failure, infected necrosis, necrosis intervention, index admission LOS, readmission, total hospital LOS, or disease duration (P = NS). Mortality was similar in non-HTG-NP (7.1%) and HTG-NP (7.7%), P = 1.0. In this large, single-institution series, necrotizing pancreatitis caused by hypertriglyceridemia had similar disease severity, morbidity, and mortality as necrotizing pancreatitis caused by other etiologies.
Use of MASCC score in the inpatient management of febrile neutropenia: a single-center retrospective study

The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) score is used to risk stratify outpatients with febrile neutropenia (FN). However, it is rarely used in hospital settings. We aimed to describe management, use of MASCC score, and outcomes among hospitalized patients with FN. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with cancer and FN. We collected patient demographics, cancer characteristics, microbiological profile, MASCC score, utilization of critical care therapies, documentation of goals of care (GOC), and inpatient deaths. Outcomes associated with low- (≥ 21) versus high-risk (< 21) MASCC scores are presented as absolute differences. Of 193 patients, few (2%, n = 3) had MASCC scores documented, but when calculated, 52% (n = 101) had a high-risk score (< 21). GOC were discussed in 12% (n = 24) of patients. Twenty one percent (n = 40) required intermediate/ICU level of care, and 12% (n = 23) died in the hospital. Those with a low-risk score were 33% less likely to require intermediate/ICU care (95% CI 23 to 44%) and 19% less likely to die in the hospital (95% CI 10% to 27%) compared to those with high-risk score. MASCC score was rarely used for hospitalized patients with FN, but high-risk score was associated with worse outcomes. Education efforts to incorporate MASCC score into the workflow may help identify patients at high risk for complications and help clinicians admit these patients to a higher level of care (e.g., intermediate/ICU care) or guide them to initiate earlier GOC discussions.
Towards a Common Basis of Comparison Across a Broad Trade Space of Mars Architecture Options

Over the years, many studies looking at different approaches and concepts for a human Mars mission have been performed. However, it is difficult for present-day Mars studies to take advantage of findings from the past since it is often tedious and time-consuming to tap into this large body of work and reconcile differences in ground rules and assumptions. Currently, the Advanced Concepts Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is working to recapture and re-baseline previous Mars studies to establish a broad basis of comparison for future Mars studies. This paper is the first step in this re-baselining work, and establishes a plan to enumerate, synthesize, and evaluate previous Mars studies in a common framework.
Editorial: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and the Function of Self-Injury.

The study by Asarnow et al.1 is the third major paper from a large, federally funded, randomized, controlled trial of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as compared to Individual and Group Supportive Therapy (IGST) for reducing self-injury in teens. The first paper established the superiority of DBT as compared to IGST.2 The second paper focused on predictors and moderators of treatment outcome.3 The goal of this, the third, publication1 is to identify the mechanism by which DBT is effective in reducing suicidal and self-injurious behavior in an at-risk group of adolescents. The value of DBT in reducing suicidal behavior is increasingly important as we face what appears to be a rise in attempt rates and suicide deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.4.
Optical topological transitions in photonic hypercrystals

We demonstrate that Dirac dispersion cones in photonic hypercrystals originate from an optical topological transition. The resulting singularity in the photonic density of states has a strong effect on the emissivity of the hypercrystal.
Cerebral infarction complicating hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome.

Hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome (HSES) is a severe, life-threatening illness affecting infants and young children. Patients stricken with this illness suffer high rates of neurological injury and mortality. We describe a child with HSES whose course was complicated by global cerebral infarction. This injury, although extensive and severe, was not appreciated during the initial examination of the child. Cerebral infarction during HSES may not be detected reliably unless imaging studies of the central nervous system are preformed after cerebral edema has resolved. CASE REPORT The patient was a 7-week-old girl born to a healthy 20-year-old woman. The infant had been healthy until 1 week prior to admission when she developed an upper respiratory tract infection.
A Functional Genomics Strategy to Identify Genes That Regulate the Production of Biologically Active Metabolites in Plants

Plants produce an extraordinary range of biologically active metabolites and many of these are valuable because of their roles in human health and nutrition. A majority of these natural products are classified as “secondary” compounds, to distinguish them from the essential products of primary metabolism. These are often unique to certain plant families or species. This diversity is one of several factors that has hampered the elucidation of many secondary pathways. Regulatory properties often associated with the biosynthesis of secondary compounds, such as cell-type specific localization and transient expression, also may obscure the true biosynthetic potential of a plant. An additional impediment to studying genes involved in this diverse metabolism is that many plant species have complex genomes and are not amenable to efficient genetic techniques. The strategy described here circumvents these difficulties by applying pharmacological activity screens at the level of undifferentiated plant callus tissue. This strategy allows functional detection of compounds of pharmacological interest and offers a means for applying a functional genomics strategy to mutagenized cell cultures.
A Simple Method For Plating and Cloning Ciliates and Other Protozoa

SYNOPSIS. A simple method is described for plating and cloning ciliates and other protozoa, based on a principle differing from that traditionally used for plating and cloning bacteria and other microorganisms. This procedure, referred to as the silicone-oil-plating-procedure (SOPP), involves vortexing small volumes of culture medium containing protozoa with larger volumes of a non-toxic silicone oil and plating the resulting unstable emulsion in small plastic petri plates. Discrete microdroplets of culture medium form containing protozoa entrapped and immobilized between the hydrophobic surfaces of the plastic petri dish and the oil. Protozoa, isolated by this method grow, divide, and multiply to form clones. the procedure may be used for plating and cloning protozoa in bacterized and axenic culture. Variations of the basic method may be applied to isolating protozoa from the wild, washing protozoa to remove microorganisms, screening for potential mutants, and for replica plating.
Theoretical analysis of the effect of positioning on hemodynamic stability during pregnancy.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:1094–1098 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives: A left lateral tilt of 15° has been advocated during trauma resuscitation of near-term pregnant patients to avoid the potential for hemodynamic compromise caused by aortocaval compression in the supine position. This recommendation is supported by limited objective evidence, and an experimental determination of the optimal tilt required would be very difficult to accomplish logistically. A derivation of the Guyton/Coleman/Summers computer model of cardiovascular physiology was used to analyze the theoretically expected hemodynamic responses to varying degrees of lateral tilt for a normal pregnancy and during a simulated hemorrhagic shock. Methods: Computer simulation studies were used to predict the degree of left lateral tilt required to restore hemodynamic normalcy during the final 20 weeks of gestation. The analytic procedure involved recreating the clinical conditions for a virtual subject through a simulated reenactment of the clinical transfer of a pregnant patient from a lateral to a supine positioning. An analysis of model validity in the context of this particular clinical condition found the model predictions to be within 5% to 12% of experimental results. Results: During the simulated lateral to supine position transfer, the virtual patient with Class I hemorrhage had a 7% greater fall in cardiac output and a 17% greater fall in mean arterial pressure (MAP) than the corresponding nonhemorrhagic patient. The model suggests that 15° of tilt will result in hemodynamic normalization only up to 26 weeks of gestation. In addition, 13% greater tilt is required to achieve hemodynamic normalcy in the hemorrhaged term pregnant patient. Conclusions: Current trauma guidelines suggest that the pregnant trauma patient be placed in a 15° left lateral tilt position to prevent aortocaval compression. A computer simulation study suggests that this tilt may be inadequate to offload the vena cava and normalize the circulation.
The circulatory response to smoking; the variation in ballistocardiographic smoking tests in healthy young men.

Abstract 1. 1. A total of 245 ballistocardiographic smoking tests were done on healthy male medical students, all of them smokers. Sixty-nine subjects (Series O) had one test each at a random time in the day. To test the reproducibility of results 32 men had four tests each, two before breakfast and two before lunch (Series F) and 6 subjects had eight tests each under circumstances kept as standard as possible in every way (Series E). 2. 2. The findings on a single smoking test in 113 students previously described, were essentially unchanged when the nonsmokers and female students were excluded, leaving the 69 subjects of Series O. 3. 3. In 32 male smokers (Series F), smoking a cigarette before lunch produced results similar to those in Series O: a highly significant mean rise in systolic and diastolic pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output, and a fall in stroke volume. Pulse pressure was little affected. Compared with these tests, those performed before breakfast showed lower control readings, with a complementary increase in the response to smoking, so that the final figures after smoking were remarkably constant. Results were essentially the same on a second day. Heavier smokers tended to have lower control values and a bigger response to smoking. Exercise habits influenced the results little. 4. 4. In the eight tests repeated on each of 6 subjects, the first test appeared to be an unbiased estimate of the mean. The reproducibility of the results was calculated, and it proved to be an individual characteristic, that is, mean confidence limits are of value in groups of subjects only. Analysis of variance shows that the change in systolic and diastolic pressures, heart rate, and cardiac output after smoking are likely to prove of value in classifying the subjects, but that for the other two measurements, the “overlap” of individual variation appears to be too great. 5. 5. Comparison of the three series of tests revealed no great differences. The results in Series O, Series E, and the tests before lunch in Series F were substantially the same. The findings in Series F before breakfast were the only exceptions: in the main, control readings were lower and the response to smoking proportionately greater at that time than in any other series of tests. However, this enhancement of response seems of little practical value. 6. 6. From these findings it appears that the ballistocardiographic smoking test, in which blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output are measured, gives results which are sufficiently reproducible for use as a screening test to classify young adults according to their patterns of circulatory reactivity. The results were materially unchanged by attempts to standardize further the test conditions, except that on the average, the response was more marked in the fasting state.
An Investigation of the Properties of Computer-Based Case Simulations

A previous study attempted to predict the difficulty of computer-based case simulations from variables associated with the cases. The objectives of this study included improving instructions to case developers and identifying problematic cases earlier in the case development cycle. The best predictors were found to be variables associated with the analytic scoring key, many of which are collected during field testing when the cases are already complete. This study evaluated the possibility that scoring key variables could be predicted from other properties of the cases. These case properties included variables associated with the patient (age/gender), the diagnosis, the initial treatment setting, the initial patient condition, the requirements for case management, and the structure of the simulation. Stepwise regression procedures were used with 28 simulated cases to predict the number of different harmful actions requested by examinees. Three models emerged that differed according to the area of medicine: Model 1, Internal Medicine; Model 2 Obstetrics/Gynaecology; and Model 3, no medical area. The variables identified in these models were also found to predict difficulty measures well. The conclusion was that the variables identified in this study are promising for possible use in planning for new case simulations.
The case for VOS: the vector operating system

Operating systems research for many-core systems has recently focused its efforts on supporting the scalability of OS-intensive applications running on increasingly parallel hardware. Lost amidst the march towards this parallel future is efficiency: Perfectly parallel software may saturate the parallel capabilities of the host system, but in doing so can waste hardware resources. This paper describes our motivation for the Vector OS, a design inspired by vector processing systems that provides efficient parallelism. The Vector OS organizes and executes requests for operating system resources through "vector" interfaces that operate on vectors of objects. We argue that these interfaces allow the OS to capitalize on numerous chances to both eliminate redundant work found in OS-intensive systems and use the underlying parallel hardware to its full capability, opportunities that are missed by existing operating systems.
Borland C++ handbook

This updated and revised second edition is aimed primarily at new and current Turbo C++ users upgrading to Borland C++ and anyone converting from Microsoft C. The text covers the fundamentals of Windows concepts and using the Borland C++ compiler for creating Windows programs.