cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of neonatal lung parenchymal density via ultrashort echo time MRI with comparison to CT.

Purpose To demonstrate that ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can achieve computed tomography (CT)-like quantification of lung parenchyma in free-breathing, non-sedated neonates. Because infant CTs are used sparingly, parenchymal disease evaluation via UTE MRI has potential for translational impact. Materials and Methods Two neonatal control cohorts without suspected pulmonary morbidities underwent either a research UTE MRI (n = 5; 1.5T) or a clinically-ordered CT (n = 9). Whole-lung means and anterior–posterior gradients of UTE-measured image intensity (arbitrary units, au, normalized to muscle) and CT-measured density (g/cm3) were compared (Mann–Whitney U-test). Separately, a diseased neonatal cohort (n = 5) with various pulmonary morbidities underwent both UTE MRI and CT. UTE intensity and CT density were compared with Spearman correlations within ∼33 anatomically matched regions of interest (ROIs) in each diseased subject, spanning low- to high-density tissues. Radiological classifications were evaluated in all ROIs, with mean UTE intensities and CT densities compared in each classification. Results In control subjects, whole-lung UTE intensities (0.51 ± 0.04 au) were similar to CT densities (0.44 ± 0.09 g/cm3) (P = 0.062), as were UTE (0.021 ± 0.020 au/cm) and CT (0.034 ± 0.024 [g/cm3]/cm) anterior–posterior gradients (P = 0.351). In diseased subjects' ROIs, significant correlations were observed between UTE and CT (P ≤0.007 in each case). Relative differences between UTE and CT were small in all classifications (4–25%). Conclusion These results demonstrate a strong association between UTE image intensity and CT density, both between whole-lung tissue in control patients and regional radiological pathologies in diseased patients. This indicates the potential for UTE MRI to longitudinally evaluate neonatal pulmonary disease and to provide visualization of pathologies similar to CT, without sedation/anesthesia or ionizing radiation. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:992–1000.
Horizontal Immobility: How Narratives of Neighborhood Violence Shape Housing Decisions

While poor families experience high residential instability, they also stay put for extended periods of time before moving. When they do move, they are likely to move laterally to a similarly disad...
Expanding Analytical Tools for Characterizing Ultrasmall Silica-based Nanoparticles.

C′ dots are fluorescent inorganic–organic hybrid nanoparticles synthesized in water comprised of a silica core with a covalently embedded near infrared dye, and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) outer layer. C′ dots containing the integrin specific ligand, cycloRGDyC, are the first of their kind particles approved for human clinical trials. In the continued clinical development of these nanoparticles, high-resolution analytical approaches are needed. Here we investigate the use of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) to analyze cycloRGDyC-Cy5-C′ dots. Given the stability and protein-like size, we reasoned that these nanoparticles would be compatible under RP-HPLC conditions typically used to characterize peptides and proteins. Our results show that RP-HPLC provides excellent resolution, showing significant heterogeneity of these nanoparticles. C′ dots also exhibit unusual peak profiles where RP-HPLC chromatogram peak shapes change from run to run, possibly due to the conformational heterogeneity or charge distribution of the particle surface due to the PEG groups. In addition we describe a novel thiol-mediated release of C′ dot ligands to directly estimate cycloRGDyC by exposing the particles to organic thiols. Ligand release is presumably afforded by a reverse Michael reaction mechanism.
Insurance denials for cancer clinical trial participation after the Affordable Care Act mandate.

BACKGROUND The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a mandate requiring most private health insurers to cover routine patient care costs for cancer clinical trial participation; however, the impact of this provision on cancer centers’ efforts to accrue patients to clinical trials has not been well described. METHODS First, members of cancer research centers and community-based institutions (n = 252) were surveyed to assess the status of insurance denials, and then, a focused survey (n = 77) collected denial details. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine associations between the receipt of denials and site characteristics. RESULTS Overall, 62.7% of the initial survey respondents reported at least 1 insurance denial during 2014. Sites using a precertification process were 3.04 times more likely to experience denials (95% confidence interval, 1.55-5.99; P ≤ .001), and similar rates of denials were reported from sites located in states with preexisting clinical trial coverage laws versus states without them (82.3% vs 85.1%; χ[2] = 50.7; P ≤ .001). Among the focused survey sites, academic centers reported denials more often than community sites (71.4% vs 46.4%). The failure of plans to cover trial participation was cited as the most common reason provided for denials (n = 33 [80.5%]), with nearly 80% of sites (n = 61) not receiving a coverage response from the insurer within 72 hours. CONCLUSIONS Despite the ACA's mandate for most insurers to cover routine care costs for cancer clinical trial participation, denials and delays continue. Denials may continue because some insurers remain exempt from the law, or they may signal an implementation failure. Delays in coverage may affect patient participation in trials. Additional efforts to eliminate this barrier will be needed to achieve federal initiatives to double the pace of cancer research over the next 5 years. Future work should assess the law's effectiveness at the patient level to inform these efforts. Cancer 2017;123:2893–900. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Clinical Reasoning Workshop: Cervical Spine and Shoulder Disorders.

Introduction Information processing and cognitive factors may be a cause of physician diagnostic errors. While the conceptual framework of dual processing in clinical reasoning is widely accepted, ...
Low rate of initiation and short duration of breastfeeding in a maternal and infant home visiting project targeting rural, Southern, African American women.

Despite the benefits of breastfeeding for both infant and mother, rates in the United States remain below Healthy People 2020 breastfeeding objectives. This paper describes breastfeeding outcomes of the Delta Healthy Sprouts participants during gestational and postnatal periods. Of specific interest was whether breastfeeding intent, knowledge, and beliefs changed from the early to late gestational period. Additionally, analyses were conducted to test for associations between breastfeeding initiation and breastfeeding intent, knowledge and beliefs as well as sociodemographic characteristics and other health measures. Eighty-two pregnant women were enrolled in this project spanning three Mississippi counties. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Because both groups received information about breastfeeding, breastfeeding outcomes were analyzed without regard to treatment assignment. Hence participants were classified into two groups, those that initiated breastfeeding and those that did not initiate breastfeeding. Generalized linear mixed models were used to test for significant group, time, and group by time effects on breastfeeding outcomes. Breastfeeding knowledge scores increased significantly from baseline to late gestational period for both groups. Across time, breastfeeding belief scores were higher for the group that initiated breastfeeding as compared to the group that did not breastfeed. Only 39% (21 of 54) of participants initiated breastfeeding. Further, only one participant breastfed her infant for at least six months. Breastfeeding intent and beliefs as well as pre-pregnancy weight class significantly predicted breastfeeding initiation. Our findings indicate that increasing knowledge about and addressing barriers for breastfeeding were insufficient to empower rural, Southern, primarily African American women to initiate or continue breastfeeding their infants. Improving breastfeeding outcomes for all socioeconomic groups will require consistent, engaging, culturally relevant education that positively influences beliefs as well as social and environmental supports that make breastfeeding the more accepted, convenient, and economical choice for infant feeding. clinicaltrials.gov NCT01746394 . Registered 5 December 2012.
Developing the Program Evaluation Utility Standards: Scholarly Foundations and Collaborative Processes

Developing the third edition of the program evaluation utility standards required multilevel collaborations among task force members, members of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, sponsoring organizations, and hundreds of involved stakeholders. The scholarship on evaluation use, influence, and collaboration was foundational for the utility standards and materials accompanying them and equally important for informing the processes guiding utility standards development. This article emphasizes the foundational role of this recent scholarship and the roles played by all who collaborated in planning and implementing the utility standards development processes. Il a fallu une collaboration a toutes sortes de niveaux entre les membres du groupe de travail, les membres du Comite mixte sur les normes d'evaluation en education, les organisations commanditaires et des centaines d’intervenants pour arriver a la troisieme edition des normes d’utilite en evaluation de programme. Les normes d’utilite et les documents connexes ont leur fondement dans les recherches sur l’utilisation, l’influence de l’evaluation, et la collaboration, recherches qui ont eu un impact important sur les processus qui ont guide l’etablissement des normes d’utilite. Le present article met l’accent sur le role fondamental de ces recherches recentes et sur les roles joues par toutes les personnes qui ont contribue a la planifi cation et a la mise en oeuvre des processus d’elaboration des normes d’utilite.
Effects of parasitic parameters on electromagnetic interference of power electronic modules

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a concern for modern day wide bandgap (WBG) power electronic modules due to the increasing demand for fast and high frequency switching. In this paper, EMI issues due to parasitic ringing at turn-on and turn-off of silicon carbide (SiC) power devices are investigated. To illustrate the need for parasitic optimization to reduce EMI at turn-on and turn-off, wire bonded and wire bondless power modules with a single switching position consisting of two SiC power devices connected in parallel are considered. The wire bondless power modules exhibit lower parasitic inductances compared to wire bonded power modules. As such, the turn-on and turn-off ringing is significantly reduced for the wire bondless power module yielding reduced radiated EMI. To measure the conducted EMI, wire bonded and wire bondless power modules are fabricated and characterized. The wire bondless power modules are shown to have better electromagnetic compatibility at both radiated and conducted frequency range.
Incidence of Acute Complications Following Surgery for Syndactyly and Polydactyly: An Analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database from 2012 to 2014.

Purpose Congenital hand differences are infrequent phenomena, and their treatment represents a relatively small fraction of cases performed by hand surgeons. Little is known about the incidence of wound complications and acute postoperative problems given the relative rarity of these procedures. This study sought to characterize the incidence of complications within 30 days of surgery for congenital hand differences. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) contains prospective data regarding 30-day morbidity from 64 pediatric centers across the United States. Data from all available years (2012–2014) were queried for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes pertinent to the treatment of congenital hand differences. Bivariate statistics, Fisher exact tests and Poisson 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to assess the incidence of complications and examine risk factors for these outcomes. Results We identified a total of 1,656 congenital hand cases that represented 4 different CPT codes, including surgery for simple syndactyly, complex syndactyly, and polydactyly. The overall incidence of complications was 2.2% (95% CI, 1.6%–3.1%; n = 37) with the most common complication being superficial surgical site infection (1.7%; 95% CI, 1.1%–2.4%) followed by related readmission (0.3%; 95% CI, 0.1%–0.7%). There was a higher incidence of complications observed in patients undergoing complex syndactyly repair (5.2% for complex syndactyly repair vs 2.3% for all others). Conclusions The rate of acute complications following procedures to correct syndactyly and polydactyly is low, the most common of which is superficial surgical site infection. The incidence of acute complications may be helpful in counseling patients and families. We suggest that further research must prioritize collecting data on long-term functional outcomes. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic II.
Case 2: New-onset Seizures in a 14-year-old Boy

1. Karen Teelin, MD, MSEd* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY A 14-year-old previously healthy African American boy presents to the emergency department after 2 episodes of generalized tonic-clonic activity lasting 30 seconds to 1 minute each, followed by a period of drowsiness. Both episodes occurred on the day of presentation. Before presentation he experienced headaches, fatigue, cough, and nasal congestion with intermittent low-grade fevers during the past 3 weeks. He was started on amoxicillin for sinusitis 5 days before presentation, with symptomatic improvement. He has not had mental status changes, vomiting, rash, or trauma. However, he uses marijuana daily. He denies other illicit drug use. His current medications include amoxicillin, pseudoephedrine, and acetaminophen. He has no personal or family history of seizures. On presentation, he is afebrile, with blood pressure of 110/62 mm Hg, a pulse of 62 beats/min, weight of 50.6 kg (112 lb) (40th percentile), and height of 174 cm (68.5 in) (75th percentile). He is sleepy and difficult to arouse. Fundoscopic examination is not performed. Pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light. Extraocular movements are intact. There is weakness of the left seventh cranial nerve. Cranial nerve VII on the right side is normal. Muscle strength is 2/5 in the left upper extremity, and normal …
BLIMP1 Induces Transient Metastatic Heterogeneity in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most metastatic and deadly cancers. Despite the clinical significance of metastatic spread, our understanding of molecular mechanisms that drive PDAC metastatic ability remains limited. By generating a genetically engineered mouse model of human PDAC, we uncover a transient subpopulation of cancer cells with exceptionally high metastatic ability. Global gene expression profiling and functional analyses uncovered the transcription factor BLIMP1 as a driver of PDAC metastasis. The highly metastatic PDAC subpopulation is enriched for hypoxia-induced genes, and hypoxia-mediated induction of BLIMP1 contributes to the regulation of a subset of hypoxia-associated gene expression programs. These findings support a model in which upregulation of BLIMP1 links microenvironmental cues to a metastatic stem cell character.Significance: PDAC is an almost uniformly lethal cancer, largely due to its tendency for metastasis. We define a highly metastatic subpopulation of cancer cells, uncover a key transcriptional regulator of metastatic ability, and define hypoxia as an important factor within the tumor microenvironment that increases metastatic proclivity. Cancer Discov; 7(10); 1184-99. ©2017 AACR.See related commentary by Vakoc and Tuveson, p. 1067This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1047.
Supporting quality in experiential education through enhanced faculty engagement.

Abstract Introduction There are ongoing assessment and improvement activities related to strategies to improve the quality of education in the complex and resource-intensive area of experiential education (EE). One undescribed approach for design and delivery of EE programs for schools and colleges, with reliance on volunteer preceptors, is to utilize clinical practice faculty in formal partnerships with EE leadership to enhance curriculum and assessment. Commentary and implications Clinical practice faculty, who possess practice setting expertise, can serve as course directors for advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations. In this role, they can collaborate with EE faculty and staff to create more course-specific expectations, learning objectives, and criteria for APPE rotation experiences. This model could increase consistency for students and preceptors, using an approach that is analogous to content experts serving as course directors in didactic curriculum. This commentary explores the potential of this strategy to increase quality and consistency in EE.
Risk of gastrointestinal cancers in patients with cystic fibrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Summary Background The management and life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis have improved substantially in the past three decades, which has resulted in an increased number of these patients being diagnosed with malignancies. Our aim was to assess the risk of gastrointestinal cancers in patients with cystic fibrosis. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases with no language restrictions for studies published from inception of the databases to Aug 1, 2017, assessing the risk of gastrointestinal cancers in patients with cystic fibrosis. We also searched abstracts from scientific meetings and the bibliographies of identified articles for additional references. Studies were included if they reported the standardised incidence ratio (SIR) or incidence ratio per person-years. No exclusion criteria with regard to patient characteristics (age, sex, comorbidities, cystic fibrosis mutation type), study setting (location and time period), or method of reporting cancer diagnoses were applied. The primary outcome was risk of gastrointestinal cancer and site-specific gastrointestinal cancers in patients with cystic fibrosis compared with the general population. Pooled summary estimates were calculated using a random-effects model, and subgroup analyses were done to establish whether risk of gastrointestinal cancer varied according to patient lung transplant status. The study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42017075396. Findings Our search identified 95 681 records, of which six cohort studies including 99 925 patients (544 695 person-years) were eligible for the meta-analysis. The overall risk of gastrointestinal cancer was significantly higher in patients with cystic fibrosis than in the general population (pooled SIR 8·13, 95% CI 6·48–10·21; p Interpretation Our study suggests that patients with cystic fibrosis had a significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer compared with the general population, including small bowel, colon, biliary tract, and pancreatic cancers. These findings highlight the need to develop individualised screening strategies for site-specific gastrointestinal cancers in patients with cystic fibrosis. Funding None.
AntWall: A System for Mobile Adblocking and Privacy Exposure Prevention

Mobile devices have become an essential part of our every-day lives but are also suffering from various privacy and security risks. The ease of app development has led to a plethora of apps that employ poor security practices and often expose personal identifiers to remote servers. Moreover, these privacy exposures often come from third-party libraries that are leveraged by multiple apps, leading to cross-app tracking of users. This tracking is typically used to serve personalized ads, which cost the user extra data and take up screen real estate. In this demo, we will showcase AntWall, a system for preventing exposures of personal information and blocking ads.
Robustness of the Two-Sample T-Test

In the literature, one finds evidence that the two-sample t-test is robust with respect to departures from normality, and departures from homogeneity of variance (at least when sample sizes are equal or nearly equal). This evidence, presented in various articles, is usually based on an approximate approach without error analysis or on a simulation approach that is of limited extent. The present paper takes a closer and more extensive look at the quality of this procedure under departures from the primary assumptions of normality and of equal variances. The results presented are a synthesis of several previous papers by the author and colleagues, with particular emphasis on the use of a broad Monte Carlo approach to the assessment of robustness.
Operations for Sarcomas on the Chest and Abdominal Walls

Soft-tissue sarcomas arising in the chest wall are unusual tumors which are difficult to manage owing to the limited thickness of the soft tissues overlying the ribs, rib cartilages, intercostal muscles, and sternum. Obtaining an adequate margin on these tissues often requires resection of the full thickness of the chest wall, and traditional repairs have included the use of fascia or prosthetic mesh to prevent functional disabilities (flail chest) (1–3,5–10). When a limited skin and chest wall resection has been performed, local skin flaps can be mobilized to obtain coverage over the chest wall closure. Recently, the use of myocutaneous flaps has provided more reliable replacement of extensive full-thickness chest wall defects (7). Flaps that can be used include the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, or rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps (see Chapter 9). These flaps have the advantage of the use of autogenous, vascularized fascia to obtain a good chest wall closure, thus preventing paradoxical motion and potential late breakdown of the chest wall closure. In addition, adequate skin coverage is obtained. The resulting skin defect may be closed primarily or with a split-thickness skin graft. Another method of chest wall reconstruction includes the use of omentum (4). This can be rotated through the abdomen, thus not requiring a microvascular anastomosis, and can be placed on top of either fascia lata or synthetic mesh and covered with a split-thickness skin graft. These methods all enable the surgeon to perform a wide soft-part resection, thus decreasing the chance of local recurrence developing in these patients.
The neurotoxicity of commonly used general anaesthetics: is it possible?

Over the last 50–60 years there has been an exponential increase in the number of anaesthetic interventions in all age groups—from very young children to ageing adults. These interventions are increasingly complex and therefore require aggressive and highly-skilled anaesthetic management. Anaesthesia professionals are frequently involved in providing anaesthesia care on a repetitive and/or long-term basis (e.g. multiple surgical interventions, prolonged sedation in the intensive care units), in very early stages of human development (e.g. very premature babies—as young as 20 weeks post-conception) [1] as well as in the very late stages of human life.
In vitro activation of the HIV-1 enhancer in extracts from cells treated with a phorbol ester tumor promoter.

Abstract The transition from persistent to lytic infection by the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, is marked by a burst of viral replication and gene expression that occurs when infected cells are stimulated by physiological inducers or tumor promoters like 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA). We report here that the HIV enhancer is activated specifically by TPA in several non-lymphoid cell types, and that this transcriptional regulation can be reproduced in a cell-free system. In vitro transcription experiments revealed a 6-fold activation of the HIV promoter in nuclear extracts prepared from TPA-induced HeLa tk- cells, whereas a control (human alpha-globin) promoter was transcribed with equal efficiency in either induced or uninduced cell extracts. A corresponding increase in the activity of a cellular DNA-binding protein that interacts with the HIV enhancer was detected in TPA-treated cells with DNase I footprint experiments. This increase occurred in the absence of de novo protein synthesis, suggesting a post-transcriptional activation mechanism. Analysis of HIV deletion mutants suggests that the enhancer is the target for the TPA effect both in vitro and in vivo. The cell-free system described here should facilitate studies on the mechanism of phorbol ester induction of gene-specific transcription factors.
Role of Humic Substances in the Complexation and Detoxification of Heavy Metals: Case Study of the Dnieper Reservoirs

Results of long-term investigations of the heavy metal content and speciation in the Dnieper water bodies (Ukraine) are presented. The particular importance was given to the study of dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition, to binding affinity of metals such as Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd for DOM, and to molecular weight distribution and chemical nature of metal-DOM complexes. The chemiluminescence and anodic stripping voltammetry in combination with membrane filtration, gel permeation chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography were used for this purpose. It is shown that complexation with natural organic ligands plays the major role in the fate of HM in fresh water systems. The prevailing fraction of dissolved metals is found to present as complexes with humic substances, mainly, with fulvic acids. For the evaluation of the stability of aquatic ecosystems to the toxic action of HM, the potential complexing ability of DOM was investigated. The results on copper toxicity are presented obtained in long-term experiments with distilled and tap waters as well as with the natural water from the Kanev reservoir containing additives of copper ions and humic acids (HA). The toxic effect of free Cu2+ ions is determined using biotests with Daphnia magna. It was established that a decrease in integral water toxicity correlated with a reduction in free Cu2+ concentration in water medium. Hence, Cu2+ ions present in aquatic media in the form of non-toxic complexes with organic ligands. The maximal decrease in toxicity was observed in natural water where the complexation occurred with participation of both DOM and added HA.
A Note on the Behavior of Incompatible Trace Elements in Alkaline Magmas

Several recent studies have shown notable regularities in the behavior of incompatible trace elements in alkaline volcanic suites [1–5], and there has been some discussion of the significance of these features, especially of linear correlation (or lack of it) between such trace elements [5]. This contribution is not an exhaustive treatment of trace element behavior, the principles of which have been applied to alkaline rocks by others [4,6,7]. Rather it is proposed to discuss some petrogenetic uses to which such data may be put.
The Log of Health—A Practical Plan: For the Correction of Defects in High School

(1936). The Log of Health—A Practical Plan. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 90-126.
The Establishment Clause and Public Funding of Religious Colleges

This Article examines the Establishment Clause’s limitations on public funding using evangelical Christian college cases wherever possible. It purposely is designed as a primer for Christian college administrators who want to avoid constitutional challenges when seeking public funding. After a brief section on the Establishment Clause’s history, this Article focuses in Part II on “indirect funding” cases that govern the constitutionality of student loans where the student exercises an independent choice as to which college will receive his or her loan proceeds. Part III of this Article examines the First Amendment law governing direct public funding of educational institutions (e.g., grants, tuition payments and bonds where money flows directly to colleges from the government). Finally, in Part IV this Article summarizes the current status of Establishment Clause law as applied to religious colleges, and provides some concluding remarks.
Bandwidth Efficient Channel Estimation Method for Airborne Hyperspectral Data Transmission in Sparse Doubly Selective Communication Channels

A channel estimation (CE) method based on compressed sensing (CS) is proposed to estimate the sparse and doubly selective (DS) channel for hyperspectral image transmission from unmanned aircraft vehicles to ground stations. The proposed method contains three steps: (1) the priori estimate of the channel by orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP), (2) calculation of the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) estimate of the received pilots given the estimated channel, and (3) estimate of the complex amplitudes and Doppler shifts of the channel using the enhanced received pilot data applying a second round of a CS algorithm. The proposed method is named DS-LMMSE-OMP, and its performance is evaluated by simulating transmission of AVIRIS hyperspectral data via the communication channel and assessing their fidelity for the automated analysis after demodulation. The performance of the DS-LMMSE-OMP approach is compared with that of two other state-of-the-art CE methods. The simulation results exhibit up to 8-dB figure of merit in the bit error rate and 50% improvement in the hyperspectral image classification accuracy.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting: Technical Overview and Initial Results

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance is a versatile tool that enables noninvasive characterization of cardiac tissue structure and function. Parametric mapping techniques have allowed unparalleled differentiation of pathophysiological differences in the myocardium such as the delineation of myocardial fibrosis, hemorrhage, and edema. These methods are increasingly used as part of a tool kit to characterize disease states such as cardiomyopathies and coronary artery disease more accurately. Currently conventional mapping techniques require separate acquisitions for T1 and T2 mapping, the values of which may depend on specifics of the magnetic resonance imaging system hardware, pulse sequence implementation, and physiological variables including blood pressure and heart rate. The cardiac magnetic resonance fingerprinting (cMRF) technique has recently been introduced for simultaneous and reproducible measurement of T1 and T2 maps in a single scan. The potential for this technique to provide consistent tissue property values independent of variables including scanner, pulse sequence, and physiology could allow an unbiased framework for the assessment of intrinsic properties of cardiac tissue including structure, perfusion, and parameters such as extracellular volume without the administration of exogenous contrast agents. This review seeks to introduce the basics of the cMRF technique, including pulse sequence design, dictionary generation, and pattern matching. The potential applications of cMRF in assessing diseases such as nonischemic cardiomyopathy are also briefly discussed, and ongoing areas of research are described.
Iterated Integrals and Population Time Series Analysis

One of the core advantages topological methods for data analysis provide is that the language of (co)chains can be mapped onto the semantics of the data, providing a natural avenue for human understanding of the results. Here, we describe such a semantic structure on Chen’s classical iterated integral cochain model for paths in Euclidean space. Specifically, in the context of population time series data, we observe that iterated integrals provide a model-free measure of pairwise influence that can be used for causality inference. Along the way, we survey recent results and applications, review the current standard methods for causality inference, and briefly provide our outlook on generalizations to go beyond time series data.
Biomechanical comparison of three epitendinous suture patterns as adjuncts to a core locking loop suture for repair of canine flexor tendon injuries

Objective To determine the effects of different epitendinous sutures (ES) in addition to core locking-loop (LL) sutures on the mechanical properties and gap formation in a canine cadaveric tendon model. Study design Experimental, ex vivo, biomechanical study. Sample population Seventy-two cadaveric superficial digital flexor tendon specimens. Methods Superficial digital flexor tendon specimens were divided into four groups (n = 18): sharply transected and repaired with LL, LL + simple continuous ES, LL + Silfverskiold cross-stitch ES, and LL + interlocking horizontal mattress ES. Constructs were loaded to monotonic failure. Failure modes, gapping, yield, peak, and failure forces were analyzed. Significance was set at P Results Yield, peak, and failure forces increased by 2.5-fold, two-fold, and twofold, respectively when ES groups were compared with core LL suture patterns alone (P .827). Conclusion Adding an ES reduced gap formation and increased yield, peak, and failure forces of tenorrhaphies. No difference was detected between the epitendinous patterns tested in this study. Clinical significance The addition of an ES seems more relevant than the specific type of pattern to improve the biomechanical properties of flexor tendon repairs. In vivo studies are warranted to determine the biological implications of the patterns tested here.
Individualised axitinib regimen for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma after treatment with checkpoint inhibitors: a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 study.

Summary Background Checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a standard of care for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Treatment options after checkpoint inhibitor therapy include vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-R) tyrosine kinase inhibitors, although no prospective data regarding their use in this setting exist. Axitinib is a VEGF-R inhibitor with clinical data supporting increased activity with dose titration. We aimed to investigate the activity of dose titrated axitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who were previously treated with checkpoint inhibitor. Methods We did a multicentre, phase 2 trial of axitinib given on an individualised dosing algorithm. Patients at least 18 years of age with histologically or cytologically confirmed locally recurrent or metastatic renal cell carcinoma with clear cell histology, a Karnofsky Performance Status of 70% or more, and measurable disease who received checkpoint inhibitor therapy as the most recent treatment were eligible. There was no limit on number of previous therapies received. Patients received oral axitinib at a starting dose of 5 mg twice daily with dose titration every 14 days in 1 mg increments (ie, 5 mg twice daily to 6 mg twice daily, up to 10 mg twice daily maximum dose) if there was no axitinib-related grade 2 or higher mucositis, diarrhoea, hand-foot syndrome, or fatigue. If one or more of these grade 2 adverse events occurred, axitinib was withheld for 3 days before the same dose was resumed. Dose reductions were made if recurrent grade 2 adverse events despite treatment breaks or grade 3–4 adverse events occurred. The primary outcome was progression-free survival. Analyses were done per protocol in all patients who received at least one dose of axitinib. Recruitment has been completed and the trial is ongoing. This trial is registered with ClincalTrials.gov , number NCT02579811 . Findings Between Jan 5, 2016 and Feb 21, 2018, 40 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of study treatment. With a median follow-up of 8·7 months (IQR 3·7–14·2), the median progression-free survival was 8·8 months (95% CI 5·7–16·6). Fatigue (83%) and hypertension (75%) were the most common all-grade adverse events. The most common grade 3 adverse event was hypertension (24 patients [60%]). There was one (3%) grade 4 adverse event (elevated lipase) and no treatment-related deaths occurred. Serious adverse events that were likely related to therapy occurred in eight (20%) patients; the most common were dehydration (n=4) and diarrhoea (n=2). Interpretation Individualised axitinib dosing in patients with metastatic renal cell inoma previously treated with checkpoint inhibitors did not meet the prespecified threshold for progression free survival, but these data show that this individualised titration scheme is feasible and has robust clinical activity. These prospective results warrant consideration of axitinib in this setting. Funding Pfizer.
Childhood socioeconomic status, comorbidity of chronic kidney disease risk factors, and kidney function among adults in the midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study

There is a lack of empirical effort that systematically investigates the clustering of comorbidity among known risk factors (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and elevated inflammation) of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and how different types of comorbidity may link differently to kidney function among healthy adult samples. This study modeled the clustering of comorbidity among risk factors, examined the association between the clustering of risk factors and kidney function, and tested whether the clustering of risk factors was associated with childhood SES. The data were from 2118 participants (ages 25–84) in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Study. Risk factors included obesity, elevated blood pressure (BP), high total cholesterol levels, poor glucose control, and increased inflammatory activity. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated from serum creatinine, calculated with the CKD-EPI formula. The clustering of comorbidity among risk factors and its association with kidney function and childhood SES were examined using latent class analysis (LCA). A five-class model was optimal: (1) Low Risk (class size = 36.40%; low probability of all risk factors), (2) Obese (16.42%; high probability of large BMI and abdominally obese), (3) Obese and Elevated BP (13.37%; high probability of being obese and having elevated BP), (4) Non-Obese but Elevated BP (14.95%; high probability of having elevated BP, hypercholesterolemia, and elevated inflammation), and (5) High Risk (18.86%; high probability for all risk factors). Obesity was associated with kidney hyperfiltration, while comorbidity between obesity and hypertension was linked to compromised kidney filtration. As expected, the High Risk class showed the highest probability of having eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (P = .12; 95%CI = .09–.17). Finally, higher childhood SES was associated with reduced probability of being in the High Risk rather than Low Risk class (β = − 0.20, SE = 0.07, OR [95%CI] = 0.82 [0.71–0.95]). These results highlight the importance of considering the impact of childhood SES on risk factors known to be associated with CKD.
Contrast Administration to the Deceased Kidney Donor Has No Impact on Post-Transplant Outcomes

Abstract Background Contrast-induced acute kidney injury may occur in patients undergoing imaging studies. This study reviews all deceased kidney donors at a single center during a 15-y period to determine if donor contrast exposure results in contrast-induced acute kidney injury in the donor or is associated with worse outcomes in the transplant recipient. Methods Donor and recipient renal functions were recorded, including donor serum creatinine and recipient delayed graft function, creatinine clearance at 1 y, and early and late graft survival. Donor contrast exposure was recorded as the number of preprocurement contrasted studies. Results Donor and recipient records were available for 1394 transplants (88%). There were 51% of donors who received any contrasted study (38%, one study; 12%, two studies, and 1%, three studies). Donor contrast exposure was not associated with significant differences in preprocurement serum creatinine levels. Post-transplant, donor contrast exposure was associated with risk of neither delayed graft function (4% for all) nor early kidney graft loss. Creatinine clearance at 1 y was equivalent. Five-year Cox regression demonstrated higher graft survival for contrast-exposed grafts (P = 0.03). Conclusions There is no negative effect of donor contrast administration on early and late kidney graft function. These findings included donor kidneys exposed to as many as three contrasted studies.
Scientists, Society, and Stuttering.

More than 70 million people worldwide are affected by developmental stuttering. It is important to reach out to the public, scientific and medical communities, and those who stutter with a goal to raise awareness about stuttering. In this short perspective, we argue that to educate, advocate, and spread awareness about stuttering, we need role models, support, and opportunities.
Mass Shootings and Routine Activities Theory: The Impact of Motivation, Target Suitability, and Capable Guardianship on Fatalities and Injuries

This study uses the routine activities framework to identify motivation, target, and guardian characteristics influencing the severity of mass shooting fatalities and injuries. Significant findings...
The Blind Side: Latency Challenges in Millimeter Wave Networks for Connected Vehicle Applications

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) is a promising network access technology to enable the high data rates, high reliability and ultra-low latency required by connected vehicle services in future vehicular networks. However, mmWave links are prone to blockages due to high penetration loss, which can cause frequent service interruptions and degrade the system performance in terms of reliability and latency. In this study, we analyze the latency and reliability performance of mmWave communications between vehicles and roadside units (RSUs) in a highway scenario, where the line-of-sight (LOS) links can be blocked by vehicles. First, we establish a continuous-time Markov chain model of the blockage events. By using the steady-state solution of this model, we explicitly derive the blockage probability and average blockage duration, which can be used to characterize the reliability and latency performance. We validate the accuracy of the analytical model by comparing it with simulations using real-world traffic data and vehicle distributions. We demonstrate that reducing the duration of long-lasting blockage events is more challenging than reducing the frequency of blockages. We consider three approaches to control the blockage probability and distribution of blockage durations: (i) increasing RSU density, (ii) increasing RSU heights and (iii) managing the vehicular speed limits. We show that the first two approaches are effective in reducing the blockage probability, whereas the third approach can be used to eliminate long blockages and improve latency performance. We discuss the implications of our results in terms of the benefits and challenges associated with these approaches.
Innovation Across Types of Organization: A Meta-Analysis (Innovación Sobre Tipos De Organización: Una Revisión Metanalítica)

English Abstract: A meta-analysis was performed on the relationship between specialization and innovation in organizations. This analysis showed a statistically significant correlation for this relationship. Results suggest that the type of organization is a moderator of the specialization-innovation relationship as such that in manufacturing organization this correlation is stronger than in service organizations. Some implications for future research are presented. Spanish Abstract: Se desarrollo un metanalisis para analizar la relacion entre especializacion e innovacion en las organizaciones. Este analisis produjo correlaciones estadisticamente significativas de la relacion estudiada. Los resultados indican que el tipo de organizacion es un moderador de la relacion entre especializacion e innovacion, de modo que en organizaciones de manufactura esta relacion es mas fuerte que en organizaciones de servicios. Se presentan ademas algunas implicaciones para investigaciones futuras.
Detection of homolog-independent meiotic DNA repair events in C. elegans with the intersister/intrachromatid repair assay.

Accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in developing germ cells is critical to promote proper chromosome segregation and to maintain genome integrity. To directly detect homolog-independent (intersister/intrachromatid) meiotic DSB repair, we exploited the genetics and germline physiology of C. elegans to (1) induce a single DSB in nuclei across discrete stages of meiotic prophase I; (2) detect repair of that DSB as a homolog-independent crossover or noncrossover; and (3) sequence the resultant product to assess mechanisms of recombination. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Toraason et al. (2021).
The Gödelian Challenge

The primary goal of this chapter is to give a careful statement of what, for want of a more descriptive title, we refer to as the Standard Argument against Hilbert’s Program (or the SA, for short). This argument, as the title of the chapter suggests, is that which is derived from Godel’s Second Incompleteness Theorem (or G2, as we shall refer to it from here on out).
Von Hippel–Lindau Syndrome

Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome is a multisystem disorder inherited as an incompletely penetrant autosomal dominant trait. The chief features of the syndrome are tumors, both benign and malignant. Multiple visceral cysts are common as well. The von Hippel–Lindau gene, located on chromosome 3p25-26 is a recessive tumor-suppressor gene. Its function is complex. Some genotype-phenotype correlation exists. Effective treatment can be accomplished by early clinical and molecular identification of gene carriers. Anticipatory guidance is the key. Keywords: fibronectin assembly; hemangioblastoma; hypoxia-inducible factor; mRNA elongation; pheochromocytoma; polycythemia; chuvash type; renal cell carcinoma; tumor suppressor; Von Hippel-Lindau
Tricyclic Antidepressant Overdoses in Adolescent Patients

Tricyclic antidepressant plasma levels were measured in nine hospitalized adolescent overdose patients to define the medical seriousness of the drug ingestion. Seven out of nine of these patients ingested medication prescribed for treatment of their psychiatric symptoms. Indications for tricyclic therapy in adolescents are vague. The more frequent use of these drugs makes the potential for life-threatening ingestions relatively common. The amount of drug ngested is usually poorly documented. Plasma measurements are of value in assessing the efficacy of the various medical treatments of overdose patients. Two of these nine overdoses were medically serious as defined by plasma measurements. Supportive care with cardiac monitoring was adequate in one case; however, a fatality occurred in the other under what could be described as optimal patient management conditions.