cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Plant Extracts on Survival and Development of Melanoplus differentialis and M. sanguinipes (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Extracts of selected plant species were bioassayed by incorporating them into an artificial diet used to rear Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas) and M. sanguinipes (F.). Marked differences in survival and rate of development of grasshoppers were observed. Within species there were no significant differences in sizes of nymphs or adults reared on the different extract preparations. The number of stadia required before completing development varied but was not related to type of diet. Differences in survival and rate of development were not the result of differences in food consumption or digestion coefficient. There was no correlation between efficacy of extracts from a plant species and the rate of ingestion by grasshoppers in the field. The plant extract was not essential for the 1st instar, but deprivation in any later stadia caused decreased survival and slowed development. Definite symptoms preceded death in 62% of the nymphs on diets with the extract withdrawn after any period.
Dietary and nutritional status of boarding students of primary and secondary schools in rural area of Liuzhou City

[Objective]To understand the dietary and nutritional status of boarding school students in rural area of Liuzhou City,and provide theoretical basis for carrying out nutritional intervention.[Methods]A total of 6 000 boarding students of primary and secondary schools in rural area of Liuzhou City were selected.The dietary survey was carried out via dietary billing and weighing.The height,weight and hemoglobin content of students were measured for nutritional evaluation.[Results]Single species of food,irrational dietary structure,generally inadequate intake of key nutrients,especially for high-quality protein,vitamin A and trace elements calcium and zinc existed in rural boarding schools of Liuzhou City,as well as excessive salt intake.The detection rates of malnutrition and low body weight were 7.17% and 52.32% and the prevalence rate of anemia was 16.39%,except for malnutrition,the rests were all over the national average of rural students.[Conclusion]Dietary and nutritional status of students is not optimistic in rural boarding schools of Liuzhou City.Nutrient intake is generally inadequate.Therefore,it is necessary to adopt effective measures to promote rational diet,so as to improve students' nutritional status.
234 EVALUATING THE DOMAIN-SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF TBX3 IN LIMB DEVELOPMENT IN A MOUSE MODEL OF ULNAR-MAMMARY SYNDROME

Tbx genes have important roles in mammalian embryogenesis. In particular, mutations in TBX3 and TBX5 cause Ulnar-mammary and Holt-Oram syndromes in humans, respectively. These transcription factors are expressed in the early stages of limb development and disruption of these genes in the aforementioned syndromes results in variable limb defects. Importantly, Tbx3 is the only known Tbx gene expressed in both the early limb mesenchyme and in the Apical Ectodermal Ridge (AER), which is a crucial signaling center directing limb outgrowth. It has previously been shown that Tbx3 null mouse mutants die in mid gestation, which prevents a complete analysis of the roles of this protein in limb development. Therefore, we developed a conditional mutagenesis system using gene targeting in mice. This system employs conditional alleles of Tbx3 and a series of Cre-recombinase expressing drivers which permits us to perform tissue- specific ablation of Tbx3 function in the AER versus the limb mesenchyme, and as compared with ablation in all limb precursors. This approach allows us to interrogate the expression domain-specific roles of Tbx3 in gene regulation during limb morphogenesis. We will present anatomic and molecular phenotypes of these domain-specific mutants and offer hypotheses about the potential regulatory roles played by Tbx3 during normal and abnormal limb morphogenesis.
Summary of system commissioning test for Three Gorges-Guangdong HVDC project

System commissioning test of the Three Gorges-Guangdong HVDC project was summarized.The main technical contents of system commissioning test were introduced,and the technical problems appeared and being solved during the system commissioning test were analyzed and summarized.The primary and the secondary equipments were checked throughout the test,and operated very well.The functions of the secondary control and protection equipments were tested during system commissioning test.The functions for control and protection system of HVDC and valve cooling equipment operated normally during the tests of start/stop,low power and normal voltage operation,reduced voltage operation,rated and over load operation.The problems of this HVDC project were solved through the system commissioning test,which assured the safety and reliability of operation for this HVDC project.
Selected Case Studies

We have already described the basics of storage deals in Section 1.2.3, and introduced spot-based control problem formulations in Section 3.3.2. (Recall that we also considered storage in Section 3.1.4 in contrasting dynamic hedging strategies [delta-hedging vs. rolling intrinsic].) In fact, in the discussion of control-based approaches, we pointed out that essentially forward-based valuations in terms of baskets-of-spread options provide lower bounds to this generally intractable optimization problem. This connection was not accidental; in Section 3. 1.1 we stressed the basic unity of the two valuation paradigms (spot vs. forward). We will now provide a concrete example in support of these claims.
Heat Conduction in Crystalline Silicon Films

The nature of heat transport in crystalline non-metallic solids is very different from that in their amorphous counterparts. This yields drastic differences in the magnitude and temperature dependence of the thermal conductivities of the two types of materials. The short mean free paths of heat carriers in amorphous materials permit the use of the heat diffusion equation to describe thermal phenomena at typical operating temperatures of microdevices. The validity of this approximation in crystalline silicon regions of compact semiconductor devices is the central question of this chapter.
A Global Administrative Solution to Title and Tenure Insecurity: The Implementation of a Global Title and Rights Registry

The security of title, tenure, and associated rights to immovable property (often referred to as real estate) has a significant influence on economic and political matters and implications for human rights. Yet, despite having substantial impact on a variety of stakeholders, widespread global insecurity of title and tenure persists. This article proposes the solution lies in the creation of a Global Title and Rights Registry (GTRR). The GTRR will not simply be a repository for collecting and issuing titles. Rather, it will incorporate a mechanism allowing states to maintain their authority while holding them accountable to their citizens. More specifically, the GTRR will harness modern crowdsourcing technology (the collective gathering and sharing of data) to unite formal and informal practices at the state level with existing international best practices in the context of global administration. Exploring a GTRR solution is appropriate in today’s heavily interconnected world in which global standards are already being set with respect to title and tenure. It is better to engage with this evolution and proactively consider a global administrative solution rather than risk the unstructured development of an alternative that may not be fit for purpose.
Cardiac Amyloidosis: Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies

Cardiac amyloidosis in the United States is most often due to myocardial infiltration by immunoglobulin protein, such as in AL amyloidosis, or by the protein transthyretin, such as in hereditary and senile amyloidosis. Cardiac amyloidosis often portends a poor prognosis especially in patients with systemic AL amyloidosis. Despite better understanding of the pathophysiology of amyloid, many patients are still diagnosed late in the disease course. This review investigates the current understanding and new research on the diagnosis and treatment strategies in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. Myocardial amyloid infiltration distribution occurs in a variety of patterns. Structural and functional changes on echocardiography can suggest presence of amyloid, but CMR and nuclear imaging provide important complementary information on amyloid burden and the amyloid subtype, respectively. While for AL amyloid, treatment success largely depends on early diagnosis, for ATTR amyloid, new investigational agents that reduce production of transthyretin protein may have significant impact on clinical outcomes. Advancements in the non-invasive diagnostic detection and improvements in early disease recognition will undoubtedly facilitate a larger proportion of patients to receive early therapy when it is most effective.
Abstract 791: Inhibitory effects of theaflavin-3, 3′-digallate (TF3) on ovarian cancer cells

Theaflavin-3, 39-digallate (TF3) is a black tea polyphenol produced from polymerization and oxidization of green tea ployphenols epicatechin gallate and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) during fermentation of fresh tea leaves. TF3 has been reported to have anti-cancer properties. However, the effect of TF3 on tumor angiogenesis and the underlying mechanisms are not clear. In the current research, TF3 was verified to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Compared with EGCG, TF3 was more potent. TF3 inhibited human ovarian carcinoma OVCAR-3 cells induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cell model and in chick chorioallantoic membrane model. TF3 reduced tumor angiogenesis by down-regulating HIF-1α and VEGF. One of the mechanisms was TF3 inactivated Akt/ mTOR/ p70S6K/ 4E-BP1 pathway and Akt/ c-Myc pathway. Besides, TF3 suppressed the cleavage of Notch-1, subsequently decreased the expression of c-Myc, HIF-1α and VEGF, and finally impaired cancer cells induced angiogenesis. Nevertheless, TF3 didn’t have any influence on MAPK pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest that TF3 might serve as a potential anti-angiogenic agent for cancer treatment. Citation Format: Yi C. Chen, Gary O. Rankin. Inhibitory effects of theaflavin-3, 3′-digallate (TF3) on ovarian cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 791. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-791
Automatic Pavement Object Detection Using Superpixel Segmentation Combined With Conditional Random Field

Pavement images contain various objects, such as lane-marker, manhole covers, patches, potholes, and curbing. Accurate and robust computer vision algorithms are necessary to detect these various objects that have random shapes, colors, and sizes. In this paper, we have addressed the problem of automatic object detection in pavement images using a unified framework. To detect an object of arbitrary shape in an efficient way, we first divide the image into small consistent regions called superpixels. These superpixels are fast to calculate and preserve object boundaries. We then compute several texture and intensity features within each superpixel. After that, we train support vector machine (SVM) classifier for every feature separately in one-verses-all paradigm. In testing, we first estimate the probability of each superpixel being the part of some object of interest using these SVM classifiers. Since these superpixels’ probabilistic scores are independently computed, they do not preserve neighborhood consistency. Therefore, to enforce superpixel neighborhood label consistency, we use contextual optimization technique i.e., conditional random field (CRF). The output of CRF is a pixel-wise binary label map for the objects and background. In addition, due to the lack of any publically available dataset for pavement objects’ detection evaluation, we have introduced a new challenging object detection dataset for pavement images. We have performed extensive experiments on this dataset and have obtained encouraging results.
Overexpression of Sema3E and Sema5A in pilocytic astrocytoma

We have previously found that Sema5A, a member of the semaphorin gene family, is up-regulated in pediatric pilocytic astrocytomas (PA) at the mRNA level by microarray analysis and real-time RT-PCR. By further analysis of the expression level of all 17 semaphorin genes in the microarray dataset, we found that Sema5A and Sema3E are the only two semaphorin genes that are highly up-regulated in pilocytic astrocytomas. In this study, the up-regulation of Sema3E was further confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, the over-expression of both SEMA3E and SEMA5A proteins were also confirmed by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Since pilocytic astrocytoma is characterized by extensive vasculature, co-immunofluorescent staining of both CD31 and SEMA3E (or SEMA5A) was performed. The result showed that a higher expression of SEMA3E was around the CD31 positive endothelial cells. Based on semaphorin’s function in angiogenesis and a higher expression of SEMA3E and SEMA5A around endothelial cells in these PA samples, these genes could be potential biological markers and anti-angiogenesis therapeutic targets for pilocytic astrocytomas.
Kinetics of Silane Decomposition in High-Pressure Confined Chemical Vapor Deposition of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

We study the kinetics of silane pyrolysis via confined high-pressure chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) at pressures of 20–33 MPa in a microcapillary of 5.9 μm inner diameter. We find the growth rate to be first order with respect to silane concentration, with an activation energy of 53.7 ± 2.9 kcal/mol and a pre-exponential factor of 1.5 × 1010 m/s. The obtained activation energy is in the range of activation energies reported for hydrogen desorption from c-Si surfaces, suggesting that hydrogen desorption from the surface is the rate-limiting step in film growth. To further investigate this finding, reactive molecular dynamics simulations of thermal decomposition of silane on clean and hydrogen-passivated c-Si were performed. Homogeneous reactions were not observed in any of the simulations, in support of the hypothesis that heterogeneous silane decomposition on the silicon surface is the dominant mechanism for film deposition. In silane pyrolysis simulations on clean c-Si surfaces, almost all available s...
Integrating tea nanoparticle with short peptides to generate tunable hydrogel scaffolds for diabetic ulcer

Tea is very popular in the world owing to its numerous therapeutic effects in lowering blood pressure, decreasing blood coagulation, repairing oxidative damage among many others. Due to their promising biodegradability, biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity, tea nanoparticles isolated from tea leaves have a great potential for various biomedical applications. Small molecules like polyphenols and polysaccharides from tea exhibit anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. As the major polyphenolic compound found in tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) exhibits excellent anti-oxidant and free radical-scavenging activities. The wound healing process is closely related to extensive oxidative stress to the system. Because of the strong antioxidant activities, EGCG has been proposed for wound healing by facilitating reepithelialization. Short peptides are known to be easily form self-supporting transparent hydrogel structures. Fmoc-Phe-Phe is such an intriguing peptide that it could form stable hydrogels by means of adjusting temperature and pH values during the synthesis process. The hydrogel could be transplanted to full-thick-ness wounds for the treatment of deep wounds. The hydrogel matrix could help the migration of host cells and blood vessels, as well as allow the rapid recovery of the wound and regeneration of tissues. Also, the hydrogel provides a barrier to protect the wound from the infection of microorganism. A peptide-polysaccharide hybrid hydrogel triggered by calcium ion is to be constructed. The calcium-triggered-co-assembly of Fmoc-Phe-Phe peptide and tea nanoparticle is able to self-assemble into nanofibers. The cross-link structure by the noncovalent and ionic interactions between calcium and polysaccharide in tea nanoparticle would enhance the mechanical property of hydrogel. The peptide hydrogel along with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and polyphenols from tea nanoparticles could have a positive effect on wound healing. In this study, the calcium-ion-triggered co-assembly of Fmoc-Phe-Phe peptide and tea nanoparticle to form hybrid hydrogel was investigated. The morphological structure of the hybrid hydrogel was modulated by optimizing the ratio of the peptide, calcium ion and tea nanoparticle to achieve the best mechanical property for diabetic ulcer applications. We also investigated the potential of tea nanoparticle-incorporated peptide hydrogel for the treatment of wound healing in diabetic mice. Under glucose diabetic conditions EGCG had a positive effect, therefore the hybrid hydrogel with tea nanoparticle may be potentially used as a healing agent for diabetic ulcer.
The roles of ethics in gene drive research and governance

Ethics research queries the norms and values that shape the goals and justification for gene drive projects, and that might lead to issue or opposition to such projects. A framework for organizing ...
Clinical and Novel Biomarkers in the Management of Prostate Cancer

Clinical outcomes in prostate cancer after initial screening and treatment for organ-confined disease and in advanced stage after drug intervention can be heterogeneous. Serum prostate-specific antigen which has a modest value as a screening biomarker while widely used in practice in all subsequent stages has limitations for prognostication or prediction of drug efficacy. Recent advances in genomic sciences and the identification of the mutational landscape of organ-confined and advanced-stage disease have contributed to the development of molecular biomarker profiling in addition to serum prostate-specific antigen. Genomic biomarkers are in development for application to screening for lethal disease subtypes, monitoring of disease recurrence after initial treatments, prognostication, as well as for prediction of drug efficacy. The application of translational molecular profiling in prostate cancer has the potential to enhance clinical management and outcomes in the future. Molecular biomarkers in development in organ-confined disease include both DNA- and RNA-based candidate and pathway-based biomarkers. In advanced-stage disease, molecular biomarker profiling has emerged for identifying therapeutic targets, prediction of drug efficacy, and for prognostication of survival that includes germline single nucleotide profiling and somatic aberrations including copy number variation and mutations and RNA-based profiling. This review summarizes the current state of clinical biomarkers used in practice, their limitations, and novel molecular biomarkers being developed for several clinical endpoints in early- and late-stage cancer.
Alfred North Whitehead's Informal Philosophy of Education

The objective of this article is to show that Whitehead had a very important philosophy of education both on the formal level. The consistency found is well worth noting. I researched many of Whitehead's major works for his formal views and Lucian Price's Dialogues of Alfred North Whitehead. In my opinion Price's book is the best available for the purpose of getting Whitehead's candid informal view of education. The paper is divided into sections according to the particular subject matter. Since Whitehead describes education as the study of “life and all of its manifestations”. It is appropriate to cover some of these areas: the purpose of education, the role of science and speculation, education and civilization, and both the process of education and process education are reviewed. Whitehead's philosophy of education is sweeping in scope. In his philosophy we find the importance of experience, imagination, speculation, generalization, factual knowledge, specialization, relevance, intuition, novelty, curiosity, theory, practice, pleasure, harmony, freedom, discipline, technical and liberal education and unification. He, in fact, unifies all these seemingly different areas into a coherent philosophy of education.
Neuroscience in Forensic Contexts: Ethical Concerns

This chapter addresses whether the use of new neuroscience techniques, especially non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the data from studies employing them raise new ethical issues for forensic psychiatrists and psychologists. The implicit thesis throughout is that if the legal questions, the limits of the new techniques and the relevance of neuroscience to law are properly understood, no new ethical issues are raised. A major ethical lapse would occur if practitioners use neuroscience without the proper understanding. It concludes that little new neuroscience is directly relevant at present to forensic practice and prescribes modesty and caution before employing it as the basis for expert reports and testimony in criminal and civil law cases.
Efficacy of the resilience and adjustment intervention after traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTObjective: Examine a psychoeducational and skill-building intervention’s effectiveness for individuals after traumatic brain injury (TBI), using a two-arm, parallel, randomized, controlled trial with wait-listed control.Methods: The Resilience and Adjustment Intervention (RAI) targets adjustment challenges and emphasizes education, skill-building and psychological support. Overall, 160 outpatients were randomly assigned to a treatment or wait-list control (WLC) group. The manualized treatment was delivered in seven 1-h sessions. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was the primary outcome measure. Secondary measures included the Mayo Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 (MPAI-4), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) and 13-Item Stress Test.Results: After adjusting for injury severity, education and time postinjury, the RAI group (N = 75) demonstrated a significantly greater increase in resilience (effect size = 1.03) compared to the WLC group (N = 73). Participants in the RAI group demonstra...
Abstract 1187: Imaging Measures for Prediction of Cardiovascular Events in Men and Women: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background: Imaging-derived subclinical disease measures, including coronary artery calcium (CAC), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and left ventricular mass (LVM) have been shown to be independently associated with an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease (CVD). We compared these imaging subclinical disease measures for their overall- and gender-specific ability to predict incident CVD. Methods: The study sample consisted of a total of 4965 participants (48% males, mean age 62±10 years; 39% Caucasian, 13% Chinese, 26% African American, 22% Hispanic) who had available measures of CAC by computed tomography, IMT by ultrasonography and LV mass and volume by magnetic resonance imaging. All participants were free of clinical CVD at baseline and were prospectively followed for a median of 4.8 years. Results: There were 257 CVD events during follow up, including 159 coronary heart disease (CHD) events, 76 heart failure (HF) events and 57 strokes. After adjustment for traditional risk factors and other imaging measures, incident HF was best predicted by body size adjusted LVM (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 4.39, 95% CI 2.44–7.90, for top quartile vs. bottom two quartiles of LVM). Incident stroke was best predicted by increased LVM-volume ratio (HR: 1.42 per 1 standard deviation [SD] increment, 95% CI 1.16–1.72). Incident CHD was most strongly associated with log-transformed CAC (HR: 2.44 per 1 SD, 95% CI 1.98–3.02). Log-transformed CAC was also the best imaging measure of incident total CVD events overall (HR: 1.69 per 1 SD, 95% CI 1.45–1.97) and for men (HR: 1.96 per 1 SD, 95% CI 1.61–2.37) and women (HR: 1.39 per 1 SD, 95% CI 1.08–1.79) separately. As compared to traditional risk factors alone, overall risk prediction (c-statistic) for future CHD, stroke, HF and all CVD was significantly improved by adding CAC, LVM-volume ratio, LVM and CAC respectively (all p<0.05). None of the imaging measures showed a significant interaction with gender for any of the CVD outcomes. Conclusions: In a large multi-ethic population free of clinical CVD at baseline, LVM predicted HF, LVM-volume ratio predicted stroke, and CAC was most strongly associated with CHD and all CVD. There was no evidence that imaging measures differed in their association with incident CVD by gender.
The Legal Aspects of the Ocean

For centuries it was thought that the oceans were so immense that their resources and capacity to receive waste products from land were inexhaustible. As the use of the sea has increased, this assumption has been found to be incorrect. This realization, combined with the finding of new and important marine resources and the development of the technology to get these resources, has started a new kind of “land rush,” this time in the ocean. Before this decade is over it is probable that the countries of the world will have obtained some form of national jurisdiction over at least some 37 745 000 square nautical miles (over 100 million square kilometers) of the ocean floor. This is an area equivalent to 87% of the land area of the earth. These new territorial and economic claims have been discussed and debated in a series of Law of the Sea Conferences which started in late 1973. This chapter describes the events leading up to these conferences and some of the results.
Alcohol Use and Multimorbidity Among Individuals Living with HIV.

Alcohol is prevalent among people living with HIV and can lead to multiple comorbid conditions (multimorbidity). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between alcohol use history and multimorbidity among people living with HIV. A retrospective cohort study design was conducted at an urban, academic infectious disease clinic in Kentucky. Individuals seeking care between 2010 and 2014 were included. Modified Poisson regression was used to examine the relationship between alcohol use history (never, current, and former use) and multimorbidity (≥ 2 conditions). A total of 949 individuals were included in the study, with 5.1 and 17.6% reporting former and current alcohol use, respectively. Sixty-five percent had ≥ 1 condition and 82.6% of those had ≥ 2 conditions diagnosed. The risk of multimorbidity was 1.70 (95% CI 1.35–2.14) times higher for a current user compared to a never user. Reductions in alcohol use may lead to lower rates of multimorbidity.
Online Approximate Optimal Path-Planner in the Presence of Mobile Avoidance Regions

An infinite-horizon optimal regulation problem is considered for a control-affine nonlinear autonomous agent subject to input constraints in the presence of dynamic avoidance regions. A local model-based approximate dynamic programming method is implemented to approximate the value function in a local neighborhood of the agent. By performing local approximations, prior knowledge of the locations of avoidance regions is not required. The developed feedback-based path-planning strategy guarantees uniform ultimate bounded convergence of the approximated control policy to the optimal policy while also ensuring that the agent remains outside of the avoidance regions.
History and Memory in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Remembering the Teacher of Righteousness

The nature and reliability of the ancient sources are among the most important issues in the scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is noteworthy, therefore, that scholars have grown increasingly skeptical about the value of these materials for reconstructing the life of the Teacher of Righteousness. Travis B. Williams' study is designed to address this new perspective and its implications for historical inquiry. He offers an important corrective to popular conceptions of history and memory by introducing memory theory as a means of informing historical investigation. Charting a new methodological course in Dead Sea Scrolls research, Williams reveals that properly representing the past requires an explanation of how the mnemonic evidence found in the relevant sources could have developed from a historical progression that began with the Teacher. His book represents the first attempt in Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship to integrate history and memory in a comprehensive way.
The Power of Communication: Increasing Patron Engagement through Outreach and Assessment

National trends suggest that many library services are under-used due to lack of effective marketing, as opposed to lack of community interest. This paper uses Dibner Library’s instructional worksh...
Latinx Muslims “Like” One Another: An Ethnographic Exploration of Social Media and the Formation of Latinx Muslim Community

Sharing the results of multiple months of a “social media based ethnography” centered around the “Latino Muslim Facebook Group” (LMFG) and augmented by previous study of the wider Latinx Muslim community, this chapter by Ken Chitwood illustrates that via status updates, “likes,” pictures, videos, and other social media interactions, Latinx Muslims are crafting a distinct and hybrid Latinx Muslim identity in the context of a digitally connected transnational umma. Chitwood argues that this cosmos construction is a reaction to being “a quadruple minority” and is not necessarily grand in the mechanisms of its assemblage, but is instead created through seemingly mundane exchanges between multiple voices concerning everyday piety, digital visual culture, community tensions, and political discussions online and on the go via app.
Variants of uncertain significance in prenatal microarrays: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective To categorise the variants of uncertain significance found with prenatal chromosomal microarray and determine the proportion of such variants that are associated with a well-known phenotype in order to establish how often they remain truly of uncertain significance. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting The University of California, San Francisco. Population All patients with a variant of uncertain significance on prenatal microarray between 2014 and 2018. Methods Each variant was classified as a copy number variant that (a) contains Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM)-annotated disease-causing genes ('OMIM morbid genes'); (b) confers autosomal recessive carrier status; (c) is associated with incomplete penetrance; (d) is >1 Mb in size without OMIM morbid genes; (e) demonstrates mosaicism; or (f) contains significant regions of homozygosity. For each variant of uncertain significance, we examined the existing literature to determine whether the predicted phenotype(s) was known. Main outcome measure Prevalence and classification of variants and how much information is available regarding the likelihood of an affected phenotype. Results Of 970 prenatal microarrays, 55 (5.8%) had at least one variant of uncertain significance. The most common were copy number variants containing OMIM morbid genes (36.8%). In all, 48 (84.2%) were associated with a known phenotype; 55 (96.5%) had data available regarding the likelihood of an affected phenotype. Conclusions The prevalence of variants of uncertain significance with prenatal microarray was 5.8%. In the large majority of cases, data were available regarding the predicted phenotype. Tweetable abstract Variants of uncertain significance occur in 5.8% of prenatal microarrays. In the overwhelming majority of cases, outcome information is available.
Synthesis of α-Ketoamide-Based Stereoselective Calpain-1 Inhibitors as Neuroprotective Agents.

Calpain inhibitors have been proposed as drug candidates for neurodegenerative disorders, with ABT-957 entering clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. The structure of ABT-957 was very recently disclosed, and trials were terminated owing to inadequate CNS concentrations to obtain a pharmacodynamic effect. The multistep synthesis of an α-ketoamide peptidomimetic inhibitor series potentially including ABT-957 was optimized to yield diastereomerically pure compounds that are potent and selective for calpain-1 over papain and cathepsins B and K. As the final oxidation step, with its optimized synthesis protocol, does not alter the configuration of the substrate, the synthesis of the diastereomeric pair (R)-1-benzyl-N-((S)-4-((4-fluorobenzyl)amino)-3,4-dioxo-1-phenylbutan-2-yl)-5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxamide (1 c) and (R)-1-benzyl-N-((R)-4-((4-fluorobenzyl)amino)-3,4-dioxo-1-phenylbutan-2-yl)-5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxamide (1 g) was feasible. This allowed the exploration of stereoselective inhibition of calpain-1, with 1 c (IC50 =78 nM) being significantly more potent than 1 g. Moreover, inhibitor 1 c restored cognitive function in amnestic mice.
Cardiovascular disease and severe hypoxemia associated with higher rates of non-invasive respiratory support failure in COVID-19

ABSTRACT Rationale Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) is the major complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet optimal respiratory support strategies are uncertain. Objectives To describe outcomes with high-flow oxygen delivered through nasal cannula (HFNC) and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in COVID-19 AHRF and identify individual factors associated with failure. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 treated with HFNC and/or NIPPV to describe rates of success (live discharge without endotracheal intubation (ETI)), and identify characteristics associated with failure (ETI and/or in-hospital mortality) using Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazard models. Results A total of 331 and 747 patients received HFNC and NIPPV as the highest level of non-invasive respiratory support, respectively; 154 (46.5%) in the HFNC cohort and 167 (22.4%) in the NIPPV cohort were successfully discharged without requiring ETI. In adjusted models, significantly increased risk of HFNC and NIPPV failure was seen among patients with cardiovascular disease (subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) 1.82; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-2.83 and sHR 1.40; 95% CI 1.06-1.84), respectively, and among those with lower oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen (SpO2/FiO2) ratio at HFNC and NIPPV initiation (sHR, 0.32; 95% CI 0.19-0.54, and sHR 0.34; 95% CI 0.21-0.55, respectively). Conclusions A significant proportion of patients receiving non-invasive respiratory modalities for COVID-19 AHRF achieved successful discharge without requiring ETI, with lower success rates among those with cardiovascular disease or more severe hypoxemia. The role of non-invasive respiratory modalities in COVID-19 related AHRF requires further consideration.
Physics-Informed Deep Learning for Traffic State Estimation.

Traffic state estimation (TSE), which reconstructs the traffic variables (e.g., density) on road segments using partially observed data, plays an important role on efficient traffic control and operation that intelligent transportation systems (ITS) need to provide to people. Over decades, TSE approaches bifurcate into two main categories, model-driven approaches and data-driven approaches. However, each of them has limitations: the former highly relies on existing physical traffic flow models, such as Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) models, which may only capture limited dynamics of real-world traffic, resulting in low-quality estimation, while the latter requires massive data in order to perform accurate and generalizable estimation. To mitigate the limitations, this paper introduces a physics-informed deep learning (PIDL) framework to efficiently conduct high-quality TSE with small amounts of observed data. PIDL contains both model-driven and data-driven components, making possible the integration of the strong points of both approaches while overcoming the shortcomings of either. This paper focuses on highway TSE with observed data from loop detectors, using traffic density as the traffic variables. We demonstrate the use of PIDL to solve (with data from loop detectors) two popular physical traffic flow models, i.e., Greenshields-based LWR and three-parameter-based LWR, and discover the model parameters. We then evaluate the PIDL-based highway TSE using the Next Generation SIMulation (NGSIM) dataset. The experimental results show the advantages of the PIDL-based approach in terms of estimation accuracy and data efficiency over advanced baseline TSE methods.
Years of Life Lost Associated with COVID-19 Deaths in the United States During the First Year of the Pandemic

Abstract Background Years of Life Lost (YLL) measure the shortfall in life expectancy due to a medical condition and have been used in multiple contexts. Previously it was estimated that there were 1.2 million YLLs associated with COVID-19 deaths in the United States through July 11, 2020. The aim of this study is to update YLL estimates for the first full year of the pandemic. Methods We employed data regarding COVID-19 deaths in the United States through January 31, 2021 by jurisdiction, gender, and age group. We used actuarial life expectancy tables by gender and age to estimate YLLs. Results We estimated roughly 3.9 million YLLs due to COVID-19 deaths, which corresponds to roughly 9.2 YLLs per death. We observed a large range across states in YLLs per 10,000 capita, with New York City at 298 and Vermont at 12. Nationally, males had a higher number of YLLs per death than females (9.5 versus 8.8), but there was significant variation in gender differences across states. Conclusions Our estimates provide further insight into the mortality effects of COVID-19. The observed differences across states and genders demonstrate the need for disaggregated analyses of the pandemic’s effects.
The Impact of Multi-Connectivity and Handover Constraints on Millimeter Wave and Terahertz Cellular Networks

Wireless communication over terahertz (THz) frequency bands is envisioned as the key enabler of many applications and services offered in 6G networks. The abundantly available bandwidth in THz frequencies can satisfy the ultra-high user throughput requirements and accommodate a massive number of connected devices. However, poor propagation characteristics, shadowing, and blockages may result in sudden outages and necessitate frequent handovers. Therefore, an inefficient handover procedure will impose severe challenges in meeting the ultra-high reliability and low latency requirements of emerging applications. In blockage driven mmWave and THz networks, a higher multi-connectivity degree and efficient handover procedures are needed to reduce the data plane interruptions and to achieve high reliability. We present an analytical model to study the impact of handover procedures and multi-connectivity degree on the latency and reliability of blockage driven wireless networks. From the network protocol design perspective, our study offers a quick and accurate way to envisage how network architecture and protocols should evolve in terms of multi-connectivity degrees and handover procedural efficiency. Our results suggest that, for THz systems, coverage range should be increased even if it comes at the cost of increased initial access and base station discovery times.
The influence of facility volume on patient treatments and survival outcomes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND This study evaluates the influence of facility case-volume on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatments and overall survival (OS). METHODS The 2004-2015 National Cancer Database was queried for patients with NPC receiving definitive treatment. RESULTS A total of 8260 patients (5-year OS: 63.4%) were included. The 1114 unique facilities were categorized into 854 low-volume (treating 1-8 patients), 200 intermediate-volume (treating 9-23 patients), and 60 high-volume (treating 24-187 patients) facilities. Kaplan-Meier log-rank analysis demonstrated significantly improved OS with high-volume facilities (p < 0.001). On cox proportional-hazard multivariate regression after adjusting for age, sex, income, insurance, comorbidity index, histology, AJCC clinical stage, and treatment type, high-volume facilities were associated with lower mortality risk than low-volume (HR = 0.865, p = 0.019) and intermediate-volume facilities (HR = 0.916, p = 0.004). Propensity score matching analysis confirmed this association (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Higher facility volume was an independent predictor of improved OS in NPC, suggesting a possible survival benefit of referrals to high-volume medical centers.
Hybrid NiO/Co3O4 nanoflowers as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract The construction of advanced nanostructures as well as the hybridization of different active materials are highly desirable for achieving lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) anode with superior electrochemical performance. Herein, we developed a simple solvothermal method, with a subsequent annealing process for the synthesis of flower-like NiO/Co3O4 with dense pores on the petals and investigated its potential as anodes for LIBs. The as-prepared hybridized NiO/Co3O4 anode material exhibited an impressive capacity (1428.8 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles, and 668.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 600 cycles), which is a significant improvement compared with its corresponding building blocks as well as the physical mixture of NiO and Co3O4. This excellent performance is attributed to the unique flower-like porous architecture and the synergetic effect of two electrochemically cooperative anode materials, simultaneously overcoming the conductivity deficiency and capacity fading due to severe volume expansion during cycling. The material design principle and synthesis approach are expected to be useful for other battery electrodes, as well as in other applications such as catalysis, microwave absorption and gas sensing.
Experimental Design for Controlled Study of two Surface Multipactor in a Microstrip Transmission Line

Multipactor is a challenge for vacuum electronic and spaceborne RF devices, causing noise, wasting power, and potentially damaging surfaces1. It has been studied for decades, yet efforts to eliminate or counteract its effects are frustrated by several factors. F or example, avoiding the predicted onset windows requires reliable a priori knowledge of the surface secondary emission yield (SEY). However, the materials' SEY data reported in the literature can vary, as it is difficult to obtain exactly repeatable SEY results. SEY can be affected by real surface conditions such as defects, adsorbed species and other deviations from a perfect, clean state. Moreover, SEY dependence upon primary impact angle and secondary emission energy are frequently neglected in predictive multipactor models1. Additionally, the vacuum environment has a non-negligible impact, yet these initial conditions are not always fully characterized3, To approach this problem under well-characterized conditions and in a controlled, repeatable manner, we are designing and building a full experimental suite to initiate and study two surface multipactor, and its suppression, in a microstrip transmission line. We present our initial analysis and our experimental designs to first achieve multipactor.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy hospital resource utilization in octogenarians

Abstract Background Although pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is feasible in patients greater than or equal to 80 years, little is known about the potential strain on resource utilization. Methods Outcomes and inpatient charges were compared across age cohorts (I: ≤70, II: 71 to 79, III: ≥80 years) in 99 patients who underwent PD (2005 to 2013) at our institution. The generalized linear modeling approach was used to estimate the impact of age. Results Perioperative complications were equivalent among cohorts. Increasing age was associated with intensive care unit use, increased length of stay (LOS), and the likelihood of discharge to a skilled facility. After controlling for covariates, hospital charges were significantly higher in Cohort III ( P = .006) and Cohort II ( P = .035) when compared with Cohort I. However, hospital charges between Cohorts II and III were equivalent ( P = .374). Complications ( P = .005) and LOS ( P Conclusions Increasing age was associated with increased intensive care unit, LOS, and discharge to skilled facilities. However, octogenarians had equivalent PD charges and outcome measures when compared with septuagenarians and future studies should validate these findings in larger national studies.
Intracranial Hypotension Manifesting as Recurrent Thunderclap Headache with Aphasia (P3.063)

OBJECTIVE: Illustrate a case of intracranial hypotension manifesting as thunderclap headache with aphasia. BACKGROUND: Previously described manifestations of low intracranial pressure include orthostatic headache, thunderclap headache and focal neurologic deficits. CASE: An 81-year-old right handed male who underwent complex spinal surgery with instrumentation three months prior developed daily headaches exacerbated by cough and position changes. He awoke from sleep with a severe headache that was maximal at onset, bitemporal, radiating to the occiput, and sharp in character. He also noted generalized weakness, garbled speech, word finding difficulties, and nausea. He sought emergent evaluation at our institution. He was alert, oriented and following commands. CT head was negative for subarachnoid blood, however lumbar puncture was deferred due to initial concerns of a punctate hyperintensity in the caudate. Overnight his headache spontaneously resolved. MRI brain the following day showed crowding of the structures in the posterior fossa, with the cerebellar tonsils descending through the foramen magnum. Grossly, the patient9s brain appeared to sag within the cranial vault. Susceptibility weighted images did not show any evidence of hemosiderin deposition. There was no evidence of pachymeningeal enhancement. After being seated upright for transport, the patient had abrupt recurrence of his headache with garbled speech, anomia, and word substitutions. His symptoms resolved after lying flat and receiving an IV fluid bolus. Suspicion for intracranial hypotension was raised. An MRI of the entire spine with and without contrast revealed two posterior extradural fluid collections, one at the T11 level and one from L2-L5 An empiric trial of epidural blood patch was pursued. Subsequently, the patient had complete resolution of his headaches and no further episodes of aphasia. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial hypotension can manifest as “thunderclap” headache with focal neurologic findings, including aphasia Disclosure: Dr. Ruff has nothing to disclose.
Dynamical Light Scattering at the Nonequilibrium Crystal-Melt Interface

The interface between a growing crystal and its melt has long been a system of both fundamental and practical interest. A large body of theoretical literature exists on the crystal growth process, originating with the earliest model of Wilson (1900) and Frenkel (1932). Experimental studies have, until recently, been largely limited to photographic observations and to kinetic studies, i.e. analysis of the functional relationship between growth velocity and the undercooling of the interface.