cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
97 Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis.

Amiodarone is used to treat life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias with an additional off-label indication for intractable atrial fibrillation. Amiodarone toxicity occurs in about 23% of patients. This may be a clinical or laboratory diagnosis. Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) occurs in 3% of all the patients treated and is subclassified into type 1 and 2. Amiodarone is a long-acting benzofuran with iodine accounting for 39.3% of its molecular weight. The half-life is 200 days, accounting for AIT lasting around 8 months. Patients with ventricular arrhythmias who need to remain on amiodarone are treated with thyroidectomy. Radioiodine ablation of the thyroid gland does not work for AIT. Amiodarone itself helps prevent conversion of T4 to the more active T3. Hence stopping the amiodarone may often allow the hyperthyroidism to progress to AIT. When treating AIT, propylthiouracil is usually started at 700 mg tid, with prednisone 30 mg daily. Other treatments include iopanoic acid (oragraphin), which prevents the conversion of T4 to the more potent T3. The use of iopanoic may reduce the use of steroids, with their complications. However, the iopanoic acid does not prevent the destructive thyroiditis that is seen with type 2 AIT. Iopanoic acid contains 66.68% iodine, and a prolonged course can lead to hyper- or hypothyroidism. The production of iopanoic acid for human use was discontinued 5 years ago. However, iopanoic acid is still available from compounding pharmacies and may continue to be indicated for this complication.
Medicolegal aspects of tinnitus.

Every acoustical system has an underlying level of noise. High-fidelity buffs refer to the signalto- noise ratio. The human auditory (acoustic) system is no exception. Other normal physiological noises include the sound of the pulse in the inner ear, the opening of the eustachian tube, the noise of respiration, and the like. Pathological tinnitus, on the other hand, is noise associated with dysfunction of the auditory system.
The pathology of neural-arch defects; a dissection study.

In discussing the relative significance of neural-arch defects and split spinous processes (bifid spines), Willis stated: "When the defect destroys the integrity of that portion of the bony arch between the vertebral body and the inferior articular processes as in the case of a bilaterally separate neural arch the condition is much more serious. Here we have the anchorage of the spine depending merely upon a fibrocartilaginous union with ligamentous and muscular support." Again, "Rupture of the synchondrosis [defect] is more serious than the ligamentous injury which accompanies it. The separated bone ends are covered with cartilaginous material and, therefore, show no tendency to reunite." In this particular specimen, the defect in the isthmus on the right was united not by fibrocartilage, but by unusually strong fibrous ligaments, and was ensheathed in a fibrous capsule. The isthmus on the left was completely absent, and there was no evidence of fibrocartilaginous replacement. The pseudo-articulations between the pedicles, and the abnormal prolongations of the cephalad portions of the laminae, were effected by ligaments and not by cartilage. Findings in this specimen were: (a) the complete absence of an isthmus on one side, and, on the other side, a defective isthmus strongly fixed by ligaments and three times the length of the normal isthmus above; (b) the abnormal conformations of the laminae and their pseudo-articulations with the pedicles; (c) the structural variations noted in the ligamentum flavum on each side; and (d) the associated presence of a partial developmental lumbarization of the first sacral segment and a sacralization of the first coccygeal segment.
Intraoperative relationships between regional myocardial distribution of bypass graft flow and the coronary collateral circulation.

The relationships between collateral coronary flow and the volume and regional distribution of graft blood flow were studied in 14 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. With the use of an electromagnetic flowmeter, graft flow was quantitated and the regional distribution of this flow was measured by radionuclide techniques. Two separate solutions containing macroaggregated human serum albumin particles labeled with 123I and 99mTc were injected into the bypass grafts. Specially designed sterile scintillation probes were used to count both radionuclides simultaneously to map the distribution of the macroaggregates over 53 areas covering the surface of the heart. Flow in milliliters per minute was calculated for each of the 53 regions by combining electromagnetic graft flow and the percentage distribution of the radioactivity. Injections were made into two separate grafts in two patients, into the same graft with an adjacent graft first open and then temporarily occluded in seven patients, into a graft with two sequential anastomoses in four patients, and into a single graft before and during reactive hyperemia in one patient. In nine patients, there was no evidence of collateral communication between the anterior, lateral, and posterior regions of the myocardium, regardless of the presence or absence of angiographically visualized collateral vessels. In three patients, there was clear demonstration of an area of common perfusion over the apex of the heart, supplied by both the anterior and posterior coronary arteries. Only two patients had collateral flow between closely adjacent regions of the anterolateral left ventricle and neither had angiographically demonstrable collateral vessels. In four patients with sequential anastomoses to adjacent areas of myocardium, both the total volume and the distribution of flow were improved by grafting both areas. From these data, we have concluded that (I) bypass graft flow is distributed to localized regions of myocardium, (2) collateral blood flow rarely occurs between adjacent areas of myocardium, (3) sequential or multiple grafts are beneficial in completely revascularizing adjacent areas of underperfused myocardium, and (4) concepts of coronary collateral blood flow and function derived from experimental animals may not apply to patients, and human data are necessary for application to the clinical situation.
Gametocytes, sporozoites and liver schizonts.

Plasmodium falciparum differs from other human species of Plasmodium in the short, limited exo-erythrocytic stage in the life cycle, which is an apparent disadvantage in surviving through a prolonged non-transmission season such as occurs throughout much of tropical Africa. The mechanism of survival of the parasite from one transmission season to the next and their importance in malaria control are discussed. S. Afr. Med. J ., 48, 1123 (1974).
TU‐AB‐BRA‐12: Quality Assurance of An Integrated Magnetic Resonance Image Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy Machine Using Cherenkov Imaging

Purpose: To investigate the viability of using Cherenkov imaging as a fast and robust method for quality assurance tests in the presence of a magnetic field, where other instruments can be limited. Methods: Water tank measurements were acquired from a clinically utilized adaptive magnetic resonance image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) machine with three multileaf-collimator equipped 60Co sources. Cherenkov imaging used an intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) camera placed 3.5m from the treatment isocenter, looking down the bore of the 0.35T MRI into a water tank. Images were post-processed to make quantitative comparison between Cherenkov light intensity with both film and treatment planning system predictions, in terms of percent depth dose curves as well as lateral beam profile measurements. A TG-119 commissioning test plan (C4: C-Shape) was imaged in real-time at 6.33 frames per second to investigate the temporal and spatial resolution of the Cherenkov imaging technique. Results: A .33mm/pixel Cherenkov image resolution was achieved across 1024×1024 pixels in this setup. Analysis of the Cherenkov image of a 10.5×10.5cm treatment beam in the water tank successfully measured the beam width at the depth of maximum dose within 1.2% of the film measurement at the same point. The percent depth dose curve for the same beam was on average within 2% of ionization chamber measurements for corresponding depths between 3–100mm. Cherenkov video of the TG-119 test plan provided qualitative agreement with the treatment planning system dose predictions, and a novel temporal verification of the treatment. Conclusions: Cherenkov imaging was successfully used to make QA measurements of percent depth dose curves and cross beam profiles of MRI-IGRT radiotherapy machines after only several seconds of beam-on time and data capture; both curves were extracted from the same data set. Video-rate imaging of a dynamic treatment plan provided new information regarding temporal dose deposition. This study has been funded by NIH grants R21EB17559 and R01CA109558, as well as Norris Cotton Cancer Center Pilot funding.
Physiological Factors Affecting the Accumulation of Plastocyanin, Cytochrome c-552, and a 30-kD Soluble Protein in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The accumulation of several proteins involved in photosynthesis is controlled by physiological factors which are generated either internally by ongoing developmental programs or externally by the environment. The dependence of photosynthesis on metal ions such as Cu, Mn, and Fe is well documented [1]. The suggestion that these ions might serve as regulators of the assembly of some components of the photosynthetic apparatus follows the early work of Wood [2] who demonstrated that, depending on the availability of Cu in the growth medium, either the Cu-protein plastocyanin (PC) or the heme-protein cytochrome c-552 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can function as electron carriers between the cyt b6/f complex and PSI. Cells of C. reinhardtii supplemented with physiological concentrations of Cu accumulate PC but lack cyt c-552 (Figure 1). In Cu-deficient medium, alternatively, cyt c-552 accumulates concomitantly with a decrease in PC levels. Previously we have shown that at least two different Cu-responsive mechanisms govern the reciprocal expression of these two proteins [3]. PC accumulation is controlled at the post-translational level by a mechanism involving the rapid degradation of apoPC [4]. In contrast, the accumulation of cyt c-552 in response to Cu is managed at the level of stable cyt c-552 messenger RNA [3,5].
An Explanation for the Sensitivity of the Mean State of the Community Atmosphere Model to Horizontal Resolution on Aquaplanets

AbstractThe sensitivity of the mean state of the Community Atmosphere Model to horizontal resolutions typical of present-day general circulation models is investigated in an aquaplanet configuration. Nonconvergence of the mean state is characterized by a progressive drying of the atmosphere and large reductions in cloud coverage with increasing resolution. Analyses of energy and moisture budgets indicate that these trends are balanced by variations in moisture transport by the resolved circulation, and a reduction in activity of the convection scheme. In contrast, the large-scale precipitation rate increases with resolution, which is approximately balanced by greater advection of dry static energy associated with more active resolved vertical motion in the ascent region of the Hadley cell.An explanation for the sensitivity of the mean state to horizontal resolution is proposed, based on linear Boussinesq theory. The authors hypothesize that an increase in horizontal resolution in the model leads to a redu...
Mechanistic Studies on Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Silylation of Aryl C-H Bonds.

Several classes of enantioselective silylations of C–H bonds have been reported recently, but little mechanistic data on these processes are available. We report mechanistic studies on the rhodium-catalyzed, enantioselective silylation of aryl C–H bonds. A rhodium silyl dihydride and a rhodium norbornyl complex were prepared and determined to be interconverting catalyst resting states. Kinetic isotope effects indicated that the C–H bond cleavage step is not rate-determining, but the C–H bond cleavage and C–Si bond-forming steps together influence the enantioselectivity. DFT calculations indicate that the enantioselectivity originates from unfavorable steric interactions between the substrate and the ligand in the transition state leading to the formation of the minor enantiomer.
Ecohydrologic processes and soil thickness feedbacks control limestone-weathering rates in a karst landscape

Abstract Chemical weathering of bedrock plays an essential role in the formation and evolution of Earth's critical zone. Over geologic time, the negative feedback between temperature and chemical weathering rates contributes to the regulation of Earth climate. The challenge of understanding weathering rates and the resulting evolution of critical zone structures lies in complicated interactions and feedbacks among environmental variables, local ecohydrologic processes, and soil thickness, the relative importance of which remains unresolved. We investigate these interactions using a reactive-transport kinetics model, focusing on a low-relief, wetland-dominated karst landscape (Big Cypress National Preserve, South Florida, USA) as a case study. Across a broad range of environmental variables, model simulations highlight primary controls of climate and soil biological respiration, where soil thickness both supplies and limits transport of biologically derived acidity. Consequently, the weathering rate maximum occurs at intermediate soil thickness. The value of the maximum weathering rate and the precise soil thickness at which it occurs depend on several environmental variables, including precipitation regime, soil inundation, vegetation characteristics, and rate of groundwater drainage. Simulations for environmental conditions specific to Big Cypress suggest that wetland depressions in this landscape began to form around beginning of the Holocene with gradual dissolution of limestone bedrock and attendant soil development, highlighting large influence of age-varying soil thickness on weathering rates and consequent landscape development. While climatic variables are often considered most important for chemical weathering, our results indicate that soil thickness and biotic activity are equally important. Weathering rates reflect complex interactions among soil thickness, climate, and local hydrologic and biotic processes, which jointly shape the supply and delivery of chemical reactants, and the resulting trajectories of critical zone and karst landscape development.
AB1243 Getting a heeadsss in psychosocial screening: use of standardised clinic note templates for psychosocial screening in a paediatric rheumatology clinic

Background Children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases are at risk for psychosocial challenges related to illness, treatment, and normal development and should receive psychosocial screening. Psychosocial assessments have been successfully utilised in other paediatric specialties, including oncology and gastroenterology. A common psychosocial screening tool is the HEEADSSS (home environment, education/employment, eating, activities, drugs, sexuality, suicide/depression, and safety). This tool is easy to remember, quickly administered, and modifiable for younger children. Objectives We conducted a quality improvement project aimed to increase psychosocial screening by providers in a single paediatric rheumatology clinic by instituting standardised follow up templates for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) including the HEEADSSS assessment. Methods The quality improvement intervention evaluated in this study involved the creation of disease specific follow up note templates inclusive of the HEEADSSS assessment and introduction of the templates to the paediatric rheumatology fellows clinic. Charts of patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of JIA or SLE were reviewed during a 3 month window prior to (February-April 2017) and after (October-December 2017) the intervention. Charts were reviewed for presence of 2 elements of the HEEADSSS assessment documented within the previous 12 months: smoking exposure (all patients) and sexual activity (ages 11 years and up). The proportion of patients with completed HEEADSSS assessment components pre- and post-intervention were compared using Fisher’s exact test. Results Chart review included 36 patients pre- and 42 post-intervention (table 1). There was an increase in assessment of both measures in the period immediately following the intervention. Assessment of smoking exposure increased from 0.0% to 21.4% (p=0.003) with greater but not significant improvement in SLE versus JIA patients (29.4% versus 16.4%, p=0.45). Assessment of sexual activity in patients 11 years and older increased from 13.0% to 37.5% (p=0.09), although this comparison may be underpowered due to decreased sample sizes. Conclusions Introduction of standardised note templates with the HEEADSSS assessment has resulted in preliminary improvement in psychosocial screening by providers in a single paediatric rheumatology clinic as demonstrated by improved rates of screening for smoking exposure and a trend towards improved screening rates for sexual activity. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings, and future studies will assess whether the improvement seen is sustained and whether usage of this template can be expanded to other paediatric patient populations. Acknowledgements We thank the EMR team for helping develop the note templates and the fellows for adopting these templates. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Rare-event Analysis for Extremal Eigenvalues of the Beta-Laguerre Ensemble

In this paper we consider the extreme behavior of the largest eigenvalue coming from the beta-Laguerre ensemble, which is a generalization of the Wishart matrix and plays an important role in Multivariate Analysis. In particular, we focus on the case when the dimension of the feature p is much larger than or comparable to the number of observations n, a common situation in modern data analysis. We provide asymptotic approximations and bounds for the tail probabilities of the largest eigenvalue. In addition, we construct efficient Monte Carlo simulation algorithms to compute the tail probabilities. Simulation results show that our method has the best performance amongst known approximation approaches, and furthermore provides an efficient and accurate way for evaluating the tail probabilities in practice.
TITANIUM-ALUMINUM SYSTEM

The titanium-rich end of the Ti-Al phase diagram has been determined to the compound TiAI3 (62.7 pct Al), thus joining the aluminum-rich portion previously investigated by others and completing the diagram. Micrographic analysis and X-ray diffraction were the chief methods used to determine the phase relationships.
Ultrafast Intense Probes of Nonlinear Optical Material Interactions

The study of the interaction of intense optical pulses with materials is as old as the subject of nonlinear optics itself. Experiments in the sixties established that a host of complex physical processes could act in concert as local field intensities approached the material breakdown threshold. In general, ionization of the material, electrostriction, stimulated scattering (Raman and Brillouin 3-wave processes), thermal breakdown, and other phenomena occurred simultaneously in the breakdown region. The consequences of these interactions were generally so catastrophic that little progress could be made in establishing a quantitative understanding of the role of the separate physical processes involved [1]. Recent progress in producing ultrashort optical pulses in the femtosecond to picosecond regime has opened up the possibility of isolating these complex material interactions in bulk materials. Dimensionality of the material plays a significant role in influencing the nature of optical pulse propagation in different materials.
Quantifying the Contribution of Obesity to Incident Childhood Asthma: It's About Time.

Several studies in the past 15 years have reported a link between obesity and asthma, 2 of the most common chronic pediatric diseases. As we have understood these associations better, there has been recognition of 2 mechanistically distinct types of pediatric obesity–related asthma, one in which asthma precedes obesity1 and the other in which obesity precedes asthma.2 However, the incidences of these types of pediatric obesity–related asthma are not known. In the current issue of Pediatrics , Lang et al3 address this gap in knowledge and report a risk of 23% to 28% of new asthma cases attributable to obesity among children residing in the United States. This study has many strengths.3 Access to detailed data in the PEDSnet system,4 which includes clinical and medical claims data collected longitudinally on a quarterly basis from 8 large pediatric health systems in the United States, allowed the authors to conduct a stringent analysis of asthma diagnosis using different definitions routinely used in asthma research. They included children that were diagnosed in 1 clinical … Address correspondence to Deepa Rastogi, MBBS, MS, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3415 Bainbridge Ave, Bronx, NY 10467. E-mail: drastogi{at}montefiore.org
Multi-scale evaluation of hybrid fiber restraint of alkali-silica reaction expansion in concrete

Abstract A multitude of deterioration mechanisms commonly associated with shortening the service life of conventional concrete structures are characterized by expansive internal forces for which a cementitious matrix is ill suited to resist. The addition of fibers has been shown to provide an effective mitigation scheme for several such expansive processes, most often in the form of high dosages of microfiber reinforcement. Hybridization of fibers of different sizes, to take advantage of their synergistic benefits, can provide an optimal balance of functional workability and enhanced mechanical performance. In this study one such hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HyFRC) is evaluated for alkali-silica reaction mitigation, focusing first on the influence of the chosen microfibers and subsequently on the combined effect of micro- and macrofibers with respect to expansion potential and mechanical property retention of the concrete composite. While a low dose of the microfibers alone proved inadequate to restrain the deterioration mechanism beyond an early stage, the fiber size hybridization in HyFRC exhibited successful mitigation of expansion under standardized test conditions.
Amplifying fluorescent conjugated polymer sensor for singlet oxygen detection.

A “higher energy gap” concept was applied towards designing an efficient turn-on amplifying sensor for singlet oxygen – an important biomedical and environmental monitoring analytical target. The concept is based on modulation of intramolecular energy transfer in fluorescent conjugated polymers through the formation of a higher energy gap “roadblock” upon reaction with a target analyte. The polymer sensor incorporates 1,4-disubstituted tetracene units which act as reactive sites for singlet oxygen. The resulting polymer sensor demonstrates significant fluorescent signal amplification and a broader analyte detection range relative to a corresponding small-molecule sensor.
Cell Separation and Identification

There have been many earlier reviews of the approach that one might take to the separation and identification of cells from a tissue not previously studied. The use of purified cells in suspension from tumors and from the tissues that are the ancestral precursors of tumors offers a different kind of environment in which to study the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids and eicosanoids in their interactions with these cells. In the space available in this chapter, we shall present an overview of the methodology in this area and shall refer the reader to other reviews for the more detailed treatment of different aspects of this subject.
Chloroprocaine Provides Safe, Effective, Short-Acting Spinal Anesthesia Ideal for Ambulatory Surgeries: A Retrospective Review

BackgroundThe ideal local anesthetic for use in ambulatory spinal anesthesia is safe, with minimal adverse effects, and of a duration that does not impede post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) discharge...
Risk score for nonhome discharge after lower extremity bypass.

Abstract Objective Patients undergoing lower extremity bypass (LEB) for peripheral artery disease require intensive health care resource utilization including rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities. However, few studies have evaluated factors that lead to nonhome discharge (NHD) in this population of patients. This study sought to predict NHD by preoperative risk factors in patients undergoing LEB for peripheral artery disease using a novel risk score. Methods The Vascular Study Group of New England database was queried for elective LEB for peripheral artery disease including claudication and critical limb ischemia from 2003 to 2017. Patients were excluded if the procedure was not elective, if they were not admitted from home, if they were bedridden, or if they died during the index admission. Only preoperative factors were considered in the analysis. The primary end point was NHD including rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities. Data were split two-thirds for model derivation and one-third for validation. In the derivation cohort, bivariate analysis assessed the association of preoperative factors with NHD. A parsimonious manual stepwise binary logistic regression for NHD aimed at maximizing the C statistic while maintaining model simplicity was performed. A risk score was developed using the β coefficients and applied to the validation data set. The risk score performance was assessed using a C statistic and Hosmer-Lemeshow test for model fit. Results There were 10,145 cases included with an overall NHD rate of 26.4% (n = 2676). Mean age was 66 years (range, 41-90 years). NHD patients were older (72 years vs 64 years; P .999. The risk score ranged from 0 to 18, with a mean score of 4 (standard deviation ±3.5). The risk score was divided into low risk (0-4 points; n = 5272 [52%]; NHD = 10.1%]), moderate risk (5-9 points; n = 3663 [36.7%]; NHD = 36.7%), and high risk (≥10 points; n = 1210 [11.9%]; NHD = 66.1%). Conclusions This novel risk score was highly predictive for NHD after LEB for peripheral artery disease using only preoperative comorbidities. High-risk patients account for 12% of LEB but nearly a third of all patients requiring NHD. This risk score can be used preoperatively to determine high-risk patients for NHD, which may help improve preoperative counseling and hospital efficiency by allocating resources appropriately.
Review: Patient safety: a core value of nursing - so why is achieving it so difficult?:

Issues of patient safety have had greatest effect when responding to failures in safety or poor performance at particular hospitals or by particular individuals. Florence Nightingale was no different. Her understanding about what we now term as patient safety grew out of her own experiences of adverse events in healthcare. She learned from those patients that died unnecessarily and she learned about what worked in order to minimise risk and harm. These lessons were so profound for her that she devoted the rest of her life to improving patient safety through, amongst other things, good basic nursing care. Interestingly, however, the need for a systematic effort to address patient safety only really began to emerge in the 1990s, both in the United Kingdom and internationally, when concern about patient safety began to rise among healthcare professionals. This paper describes the journey from the publication of the US Institute of Medicine’s seminal report To Err is Human (Kohn et al., 1999), to today. To Err is Human set out the scale of the problem for the first time, saying that deaths due to ‘medical error’ in hospitals were more common than deaths due to vehicle accidents, breast cancer or HIV/AIDS, and argued for a system-wide, nationally led response to improve patient safety. Over the last 10 years inquiries into failures in care provided by institutions or individuals have taken place regularly, along with a number of national reviews of patient safety in the NHS. This paper describes eloquently the challenges faced by the NHS as identified by these inquires and reviews; a culture of indifference or blame, acceptability that complications of care are the norm, the struggle to gain sustained implementation of change. The paper then goes on to view patient safety through the lens of perioperative care, providing a focus on culture, training, communication and team work. This is skilfully described by authors who clearly have an expert understanding and knowledge related to this field. Despite the efforts of the last decade, the authors conclude that the same challenges faced by Florence Nightingale and her peers in the 1860s remain today and calls for perioperative nurses to embrace safety science and human factors.
Potential anti-carcinogenic effect of probiotic and lactic acid bacteria in detoxification of benzo[a]pyrene: A review

Abstract Background Contaminations of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]p) in food is the main source of B[a]p exposure to humans. B[a]p as one of the most studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) omnipresent in the environment and food. Bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) now have been used to study the elimination of carcinogenic contaminants of food via stable physical binding. Scope and approach The current theoretical study revealed that biological detoxification of B[a]p is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method. Data was collected by “web of science”, “research gate”, “google scholar”, BJFU online library etc. The aim of this study was to discuss the efficiency of probiotic and LAB cells in in-vitro binding with B[a]p and in in-vivo anti-carcinogenicity and anti-mutagenicity against B[a]p and the whole overview of detoxification mechanism in the food system. To the best we know, this is the first review that focuses on the approaches of probiotics and LABs in the removal of B[a]p. This research will be utilized in the food industrial processing and in the industries that use the “probiotic cell technology” such as pharmaceutical, food, feed etc. Key findings and conclusions This study established that B[a]p binding percentage of probiotic and LAB cells were double comparatively non-LAB cells after a critical comparison. It was found that probiotic and LAB cells were effective in in-vivo removal of B[a]p on oral administration and also effective in removal of B[a]p from the food systems. It was concluded that probiotic strains were highly efficient in the removal of B[a]p also having no toxic effects and potential adverse health effects.
Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation in Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns using Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy

We use diffuse correlation spectroscopy to safely quantify cerebral blood flow response to spontaneous fluctuations in autonomic and respiratory activities to help characterize the elevated risk of intraventricular hemorrhage in extremely premature newborns.
Race, Ancestry, and Vitamin D Metabolism: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Context A comprehensive characterization of racial/ethnic variations in vitamin D metabolism markers may improve our understanding of differences in bone and mineral homeostasis and the risk of vitamin D-related diseases. Objective Describe racial/ethnic differences in vitamin D metabolism markers and their associations with genetic ancestry. Design, setting, participants In a cross-sectional study within the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), we compared a comprehensive panel of vitamin D metabolism markers across self-reported racial/ethnic groups of Black (N = 1759), White (N = 2507), Chinese (N = 788), and Hispanic (N = 1411). We evaluated associations of proportion African and European ancestry with this panel of markers in Black and Hispanic participants using ancestry informative markers. Latent class analysis evaluated associations between patterns of vitamin D measurements with race/ethnicity. Results Compared with Black participants, White participants had significantly higher serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and fibroblast growth factor-23; lower concentrations of parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; circulating vitamin D metabolite ratios suggesting lower CYP27B1 and higher CYP24A1 activity; higher urinary concentrations of calcium and phosphorus with higher urinary fractional excretion of phosphorus; and differences in vitamin D binding globulin haplotypes. Higher percent European ancestry was associated with higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D and lower parathyroid hormone concentrations among Black and Hispanic participants. Latent classes defined by vitamin D measurements reflected these patterns and differed significantly by race/ethnicity and ancestry. Conclusions Markers of vitamin D metabolism vary significantly by race/ethnicity, may serve to maintain bone and mineral homeostasis across ranges of 25-hydroxyvitamin D production, and be attributable, at least partly, to genetic ancestry.
Group-Level Assessment (GLA) as a Methodological Tool to Facilitate Science Education

Group-Level Assessment (GLA) is a qualitative, participatory research methodology that can be used within science education, specifically to meet the Science and Engineering Practices dimension of the K-12 Next Generation Science Standards. In contrast to traditional qualitative research methods, GLA is a concrete methodological tool intended for large groups. GLA follows a 7-step process in which diverse stakeholders work together to generate, analyze, and prioritize ideas that lead to action planning. Emphasizing personal relevance, shared decision-making, systematic inquiry, and collaboration in the design and process, GLA is best positioned conceptually and theoretically within community-based participatory research and inquiry-based learning approaches. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe how GLA can be utilized as an innovative methodology to incorporate students’ lived experiences in science education. We describe how to conduct GLA and provide a case example of GLA in action conducted as part of a larger science education program with students and teachers in STEM.
D strings on D manifolds

Abstract We study the mechanism for the appearance of massless solitons in type II string compactifications. We find that by combining T -duality with strong/weak duality of type IIB in ten dimensions enhanced gauge symmetries and massless solitonic hypermultiplets encountered in Calabi-Yau compactifications can be studied perturbatively using D -strings (the strong/weak dual to type IIB string) compactified on “ D -manifolds”. In particular the nearly massless solitonic states of the type IIB compactifications correspond to elementary states of D -strings. As examples we consider the D -string description of enhanced gauge symmetries for type IIA string compactification on ALE spaces with A n singularities and type IIB on a class of singular Calabi-Yau 3-folds. The class we study includes as a special case the conifold singularity in which case the perturbative spectrum of the D -string includes the expected massless hypermultiplet with degeneracy one.
Extracellular vesicles from young women’s breast cancer patients drive increased invasion of non-malignant cells via the Focal Adhesion Kinase pathway: a proteomic approach

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane particles that contribute to cancer progression and metastases by transporting biologically significant proteins and nucleic acids. They may also serve as biomarkers of various disease states or important therapeutic targets. Breast cancer EVs have the potential to change the behavior of other cells in their microenvironment. However, the proteomic content of EVs isolated from young women’s breast cancer patients and the mechanisms underlying the influence of EVs on tumor cell behavior have not yet been reported. In our current translational studies, we compared the proteomic content of EVs isolated from invasive breast cancer cell lines and plasma samples from young women’s breast cancer (YWBC) patients and age-matched healthy donors using mass spectrometry. We analyzed the functionality of EVs in two dimensional tumor cell invasion assays and the gene expression changes in tumor cells after incubation with EVs. We found that treatment with EVs from both invasive breast cancer cell lines and plasma of YWBC patients altered the invasive properties of non-invasive breast cancer cells. Proteomics identified differences between EVs from YWBC patients and healthy donors that correlated with their altered function. Further, we identified gene expression changes in non-invasive breast cancer cells after treatment with EVs that implicate the Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) signaling pathway as a potential targetable pathway affected by breast cancer-derived EVs. Our results suggest that the proteome of EVs from breast cancer patients reflects their functionality in tumor motility assays and may help elucidate the role of EVs in breast cancer progression.
Excessive use of technology: can tech providers be the culprits?

Seeking to assess the possible responsibility of tech providers for excessive use patterns.
Travel in the digital age: Vehicle ownership and technology-facilitated accessibility

Abstract Despite their negative externalities, cars provide many benefits. Chief among these is the ability to travel to destinations within a reasonable time budget. Consequently, in the U.S. most households—even low-income households—own and use automobiles. But technological innovations may be altering this dynamic. New technology-facilitated services and activities may reduce the advantages of private vehicle ownership, potentially allowing households to live car-free or downsize their household vehicle fleets. In this study we use data from the 2017 U.S. National Household Travel Survey to investigate the relationship between these innovations and vehicle ownership. We find a positive relationship between the use of ridehail and carshare services and the likelihood of being a zero-vehicle household. The data also show a positive relationship between online shopping and working from home and the likelihood of having fewer household vehicles than adults. Combined, the findings suggest that new technology-facilitated activities may allow some households to eliminate or reduce their dependence on privately-owned vehicles. For other households, new technology-facilitated services may not directly affect their decisions about automobile ownership, but rather increase their access to opportunities while easing the financial burden of vehicle ownership. Agencies and organizations should explore opportunities to better connect households—particularly households with travel and financial constraints—to technology-facilitated services and activities that enable improved access.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility and HIV Incidence in the United States.

Background The connection between food insecurity and HIV outcomes is well established. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the primary food safety net program in the United States, may have collateral impacts on HIV incidence. "Broad-based categorical eligibility" for SNAP is a policy that provides a mechanism for states to increase the income or asset limits for SNAP eligibility. Methods We estimated the association between the number of new HIV diagnoses in 2010-2014 for each state and (1) state income limits and (2) state asset limits for SNAP eligibility. We fitted multivariable negative binomial regression models with number of HIV diagnoses specified as the outcome; SNAP policies as the primary explanatory variable of interest; state and year fixed effects; and time-varying covariates related to the costs of food, health care, housing, employment, other SNAP policies, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families spending. Results HIV diagnoses within states had a statistically significant association with state income limits for SNAP eligibility (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.94 per increase in the income limit by 35% of federal poverty level; 95% CI, 0.91-0.98), but no association with state asset limits (increased asset limit vs no change: IRR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.94-1.10; eliminated asset limit vs no change: IRR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.99-1.10). Conclusions State income limits for SNAP eligibility were inversely associated with the number of new HIV diagnoses for states between 2010 and 2014. Proposals to eliminate the use of broad-based categorical eligibility to increase the income limit for SNAP may undercut efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
Learning with self-attention for rental market spatial dynamics in the Atlanta metropolitan area

The rental housing market plays a critical role in the United States real estate market. Prior studies have used various approaches to model housing rent, such as interpolation, hedonic modeling, and machine learning. However, only a few studies have modeled rental prices based on textual data, which provides rich and contextual information about rental properties. In addition, many models, especially deep learning models, use an end-to-end black box for prediction, which hides the decision process. Such models are difficult to interpret and explain the driving factors. This study builds on our previous work, aiming to develop and evaluate rental market spatial dynamics models combining Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks and self-attention mechanism. We compare the performance of the proposed model with our previous models on predicting rental prices in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. We also use techniques from saliency maps to explain the generated model. Results show that the self-attention-based model outperforms our previous models. The saliency map techniques reveal how the model attends to a different part of the textual information. The predicted results reflect the spatial variation of textual information. Such a model offers practical pricing references for homeowners and renters, and spatial patterns for urban planners and stakeholders.
Conserved Structure Modules within the lncRNA SChLAP1 Mediate Protein Recognition Implicated in Aggressive Prostate Cancer

The lncRNA Second Chromosome Locus Associated with Prostate 1 (SChLAP1) was previously identified as a predictive biomarker and driver of aggressive prostate cancer. Recent work suggests that SChLAP1 may bind the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex to promote prostate cancer metastasis, though the exact role of SWI/SNF recognition is debated. To date, there are no detailed biochemical studies of apo SChLAP1 or the SChLAP1:SWI/SNF complex. Herein, we report the first secondary structure model of SChLAP1 utilizing SHAPE-MaP both in vitro and in cellulo. Comparison of the in vitro and in cellulo data via {Delta}SHAPE identified putative protein binding sites within SChLAP1, specifically to evolutionarily conserved exons of the transcript. We also demonstrate that global SChLAP1 secondary structure is sensitive to both purification method and magnesium concentration. Further, we identified a 3'- fragment of SChLAP1 (SChLAP1Frag) that harbors multiple potential protein binding sites and presents a robustly folded secondary structure, supporting a functional role for this region. This work lays the foundation for future efforts in selective targeting and disruption of the SChLAP1:protein interface and the development of new therapeutic avenues in prostate cancer treatment.
Super-resolution imaging with mid-IR photothermal microscopy on the single particle level

Photothermal microscopy has achieved single molecule sensitivity. However, the analytes are usually restricted to be natural absorbers in the visible light region. Mid-infrared (MIR) imaging, on the other hand, provides a wealth of information, but encounters difficulties of diffraction-limited spatial resolution and scarcity of ideal detectors. Here we present Mid-IR photothermal heterodyne imaging (MIR-PHI) microscopy as a high sensitivity, super-resolution mid-IR imaging technique. In MIR-PHI, a tunable Mid- IR pulsed laser at 150 kHz is used to excite a micron sized particle. Energy relaxation creates a temperature gradient around the particle, changing the refractive index of the surrounding solvent and creating a thermal lens. A collinear, counter propagating probe beam (a 532 nm CW laser) is modified by the thermal lens and generates a super-resolution photothermal image. We studied 1.1 μm polystyrene beads at the single particle level using this technique. Various solvents with different heat capacities and refractive indices are tested for the best image contrast. The wide applicability and potentially high sensitivity of this technique make it promising for biological imaging and identification.
Classification of epidemiological data: a comparison of genetic algorithm and decision tree approaches

Describes an application of genetic algorithms (GAs) to classify epidemiological data, which is often challenging to classify due to noise and other factors. For such complex data (that requires a large number of very specific rules in order to achieve high accuracy), smaller rule sets, composed of more general rules, may be preferable, even if they are less accurate. The GA presented in this paper allows the user to encourage smaller rule sets by setting a parameter. The rule sets found are also compared to those created by standard decision-tree algorithms. The results illustrate tradeoffs involving the number of rules, descriptive accuracy, predictive accuracy, and accuracy in describing and predicting positive examples across different rule sets.
Light Scattering As a Probe of Liquid Helium

Laser light sources and advances in optical spectrometers have made possible the use of inelastic light scattering as a probe of liquid helium. Pure 4He, pure 3He, and isotopic mixtures have been studied in several laboratories. The experiments fall into two categories: Brillouin and Raman scattering. Brillouin scattering measures the spectrum of the equilibrium density fluctuations which contains contributions from all the hydrodynamic modes of the liquid. The velocity and attenuation of high-frequency first and second sound have been obtained by this technique, and it is currently being used to study the dynamics of the critical regions associated with the lambda transition and with the tricritical point. Raman scattering gives information about the elementary excitations in the medium. These experiments have been used to measure roton linewidths, to demonstrate the existence of a bound state of two rotons, and to study optical phonons in solid helium.
On the contrasting spin dynamics of La2-xSrxCuO4, Nd2-xCexCuO4 and YBa2Cu3O6+x near half filling

We present simple calculations which show that the incommensurability upon doping and the width of the magnetically ordered phase in Mott-Hubbard insulators depend strongly on the location of the hole/electron pockets in the Brillouin zone. For LaSrCuO systems, we found the pockets at (+or- pi /2,+or- pi /2), in which case the corrections to the antiferromagnetic spin stiffness rapidly grow with doping and destroy commensurate spin ordering even at a very small doping. On the other hand, in NdCeCuO, the hole pockets are located at ( pi ,0) and the symmetry-related points, in which case the corrections to the stiffness scale linearly with the density of carriers and do not destroy commensurate spin ordering. For YBCO systems, the situation is less certain, but our results favour hole pockets at ( pi /2, pi /2). We also briefly discuss the tendency towards phase separation.