cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protecting Marine Ecosystems: Regulation Versus Market Incentives

ABSTRACT Tradable harvest rights are gradually replacing prescriptive regulations in the management of commercial fisheries. We provide evidence that this management strategy can also successfully achieve non-commercial marine conservation goals, such as limiting unintended catch (bycatch) of protected species. We examine fishers' responses to the introduction of tradable harvest rights for protected species, ‘bycatch rights,’ in the US West Coast groundfish fishery, finding evidence of adjustment along several margins and estimating the marginal cost of conservation. Fishers adapted to bycatch rights by changing fishing location, gear, time of day fished, and duration of fishing activity. As a result, catches of protected species fell dramatically. The nuanced nature of fishers’ responses indicates that the least-cost way of achieving conservation goals can involve fine-tuned behavioral adaptations that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with command-and-control regulation. JEL Codes: K2, Q22, D23.
Genes and smells

The recently sequenced genomes of several vertebrate species revealed large differences between the odorant receptor (OR) repertoires of even closely related species. These differences are a consequence of frequent gene duplications and subsequent mutations of duplicated genes. The same mechanisms are at work within a species, and different human genomes therefore show an unparalleled variability in the number and sequence of OR genes. Recent research has started to explore the consequences of this genetic variability for how we perceive odours. stop codons. In humans, about half of the OR genes are pseudogenes. Some researchers concluded from this that in humans olfactory abilities are rapidly degrading and looked for explanations of why this might be the case. One suggestion was that the acquisition of trichromatic colour vision reduced adaptive pressure on the OR genes 3
Diagnostic Algorithms for Parasomnias

Parasomnias are undesirable physiological phenomena which occur at or around sleep. Analysis of the symptoms through history-taking, physical examination, polysomnography, and other forms of neurological testing is at the core of diagnosis and treatment choices. An algorithm for diagnosis of parasomnias is provided to aid in the process of diagnosis.
Quantization in Financial Economics: An Information-Theoretic Approach

The authors show how the formal framework of quantum mechanics arises in economics generally and in financial economics in particular as a natural consequence of an information-theoretic approach to these fields. Specifically, extremizing Fisher information, subject to the constraint that the associated probability density reproduces observed economic phenomena, results in Schrodinger-like equations. The authors illustrate the utility of this approach with examples from financial economics. As an emergent consequence of information theory, the use of quantum formalism in economics can be seen as a powerful approach for understanding complex dynamics grounded in the probabilistic view of economics advocated by Knight and Keynes.
Mapping the Health Information Landscape in a Rural, Culturally Diverse Region: Implications for Interventions to Reduce Information Inequality.

The media is an important source of health information, especially critical in rural communities with geographically-dispersed populations that are harder to reach through other channels. Yet health information is unequally distributed; these information disparities are compounded in rural areas, which may contribute to health disparities. We identify and describe health-related news in a culturally-diverse rural California county characterized by high levels of poverty, unemployment, low educational attainment, and over half of Mexican-origin. We conducted a census of all available print news sources and then used content analysis to identify and characterize all health information printed in a 6-month study period. A total of 570 health-related articles were published. Five newspapers accounted for more than 80% of published health-related articles (n = 466); only one targeted the majority Latino population. The most common topic was access to health care/insurance/policy (33%), followed by diet/nutrition (13%), infectious disease (10%), and general prevention (9%). Just over one-quarter of health-related articles included useful information. Differences across newspaper types existed: independent newspapers reported more on health-related events compared with chain newspapers, and both ethnic-targeted newspapers and independently-published papers were more likely to include useful information compared with chain newspapers. While this region suffers from high rates of obesity and diabetes, there were relatively few articles on obesity and diabetes themselves, or linking behavioral risk factors with these conditions. One area we found absent from coverage pertained to the numerous environmental health threats prevalent in this heavily polluted, agricultural area (just 40 articles discussed environmental health threats). We also discovered that coverage of social determinants of health was lacking (just 24 of the 570 health articles), which was notable in a region that suffers extreme economic, educational, and health disparities. This analysis of a rural region’s local news coverage of health issues demonstrates significant opportunity to engage with rural local media, particularly ethnic media, to disseminate health information. Such a strategy holds considerable promise to advance public health goals using a multilevel approach: From an individual perspective, improving the amount and utility of the information can inform and educate publics in areas with otherwise low levels of health information access. From a policy perspective, improving coverage of the social determinants of health could shape public opinion to support policies that improve health.
On the direct measurement of very large strain at high strain rates

When dynamic plastic strain exceeds 4-percent deformation in completely annealed polycrystalline aluminum, difficulties in the optical measurment of strain occur because of changes in the diffuse-ambient-background light arising from the growth of a mottled surface, or “organe peel.”
On Compound Evaluation

Items being evaluated invariably have different aspects that must be taken into account, and the ways in which this must be done are highly variable and situation-specific. The particular purposes of the problematic evaluation at issue will be of paramount consideration here.
Other Foot Fractures

The purpose of this brief chapter is to take a look at the five most distal tarsal bones in the foot, review the basic anatomy of these structures, and review the types of fractures, treatment methods, and some complications postoperatively. This brief review will give a quick insight into these anatomically small and sometimes forgotten bones of the midfoot.
Epigenetics: Making your mark on DNA.

Understanding the biological roles of modifications to DNA, RNA and proteins is critical to revealing how cells regulate gene expression in development and disease. Two papers now present a combination of new tools and discoveries that could enable biologists and chemical biologists to better study epigenetic regulation in mammals.
C-band stepped frequency radiometry for hurricane probing

The measurements of wind speed and rain rate over a large dynamic range has been demonstrated by using passive microwave remote sensing measurements by a C-band radiometer flying above a hurricane. The measurements were obtained by using a unique variable frequency radiometer, the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), which is capable of near simultaneous measurements at several widely spaced frequencies in a near octave bandwidth in the C-band microwave frequency region. In addition, an algorithm was developed which computes the surface wind speed and rain rate from the SFMR measured radiometric brightness temperature at two frequencies, and this algorithm was tested using experimental data collected during flights into Hurricane Allen during 1980. Results showed a reasonable agreement between the SFMR measured data and measurements obtained by weather radar.
Entwicklung eines kulturspezifischen gemischten Methodenansatzes zur globalen Forschung

With much of the development of mixed methods occurring through the works of scholars from the US, the UK, Canada, and the Anglos-Saxon/English-speaking countries, the discourse about a global research community must consider how it needs to be sensitive to diverse cultures. Clearly, the discussion must focus on adapting mixed methods to best fit the problems of countries, the cultural norms of conducting research, and the scholarly talents of in-country investigators. Unfortunately, the mixed methods literature is largely silent on diverse cultural adaptations of mixed methods. In this article, we first trace the involvement of worldwide countries in the historic development of mixed methods. Then, to gain a better understanding of the use and adaptation of mixed methods in diverse world academic cultures, we provide a qualitative study of themes mentioned by participants from seven different countries. From both the historical overview and the qualitative study, we end by making suggestions about specific strategies for a global discourse about mixed methods research, and suggest a de-colonizing presence of the Anglo-Saxon/English-speaking countries in the global expansion of mixed methods.
Interferons in Combination with Cytotoxic Modalities for Cancer Treatment

The study of combination therapy with interferons (IFNs) is relatively new, with the largest body of data derived from in vitro systems. Animal studies and clinical trials have begun to probe treatment effectiveness and associated toxicities. While a variety of responses have been reported in differing systems, it was apparent that IFN employed with selected cytotoxic agents or radiation can be beneficial. The data suggest more preclinical and animal studies are required to define new and optimal ways for IFNs to complement or augment therapy for human malignancies.
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Sampling

Recently, Monte Carlo (MC) based sampling methods for evaluating high-dimensional posterior integrals have been rapidly developing. Those sampling methods include MC importance sampling (Hammersley and Handscomb 1964; Ripley 1987; Geweke 1989; Wolpert 1991), Gibbs sampling (Geman and Geman 1984; Gelfand and Smith 1990), Hit-and-Run sampling (Smith 1984; Belislc, Romeijn, and Smith 1993; Chen 1993; Chen and Schmeiser 1993 and 1996), Metropolis-Hastings sampling (Metropolis et al. 1953; Hastings 1970; Green 1995), and hybrid methods (e.g., Muller 1991; Tierney 1994; Berger and Chen 1993). A general discussion of the Gibbs sampler and other Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods is given in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B (1993), and an excellent roundtable discussion on the practical use of MCMC can be found in Kass et al. (1998). Other discussions or instances of the use of MCMC sampling can be found in Tanner and Wong (1987), Tanner (1996), Geyer (1992), Gelman and Rubin (1992), Gelfand, Smith, and Lee (1992), Gilks and Wild (1992), and many others. Further development of state-of-the-arts MCMC sampling techniques include the accelerated MCMC sampling of Liu and Sabatti (1998, 1999), Liu (1998), and Liu and Wu (1997), and the exact MCMC sampling of Green and Murdoch (1999). Comprehensive accounts of MCMC methods and their applications may also be found in Meyn and Tweedie (1993), Tanner (1996), Gilks, Richardson, and Spiegel-halter (1996), Robert and Casella (1999), and Gelfand and Smith (2000). The purpose of this chapter is to give a brief overview of several commonly used MCMC sampling algorithms as well as to present selectively several newly developed computational tools for MCMC sampling.
Survey Nonresponse in the Auditing Profession: Trends and Recommendations

SUMMARY Researchers have anecdotally noticed the decline in response rates from accounting professionals (particularly auditors) across time. We document the extent of this decline and analyze the ...
Security of Chaos-Based Communication and Encryption

During the last decade a new approach for secure communication, based on chaotic dynamics attracted the attention of the scientific community. In this chapter we give an overview and describe the research that was done at the Institute for Nonlinear Science (INLS) on this topic. We begin this chapter with a brief introduction to chaos-based encryption schemes. We then describe a new method for public key encryption that we have developed which is based on distributed chaotic dynamics. Next, we lay out a quantitative cryptanalysis approach for symmetric key encryption schemes that are based on active/passive decomposition of chaotic dynamics. We end this chapter with a summary and suggestions for future research.
Selbstorganisation oder Anarchie? Erfahrungen zu Enterprise 2.0

Mein Name ist David Faller und ich komme aus dem IBM Forschungs- und Entwicklungslabor in Boblingen, in der Nahe von Stuttgart. Von Haus aus bin ich Ingenieur und Softwareentwickler, aber seit knapp vier Jahren in die Fuhrungskrafteriege gewechselt und bin dort mit meinem Team fur die Themen Services fur die Kollaborationsprodukte der IBM verantwortlich und leite ein Kompetenzzentrum zum Thema Web 2.0 und 3D-Internet. Wir beschaftigen uns dabei besonders mit der Frage, wie mit diesen neuen Internettechnologien umgegangen werden kann. In dieser Position begleite ich Projekte innerhalb und auserhalb unseres Unternehmens.
On the General Physics of Heat Conduction in Ordered and Disordered Solids

Heat conduction is temperature times entropy transport. In good crystalline material both the entropy content and transport is contained in the same entity i.e. phonon. In disordered systems there may be localized excitations as well as collective excitations; in this case heat can be transported both by hopping (diffusion) of entropy between localized states or by the collective excitations, which may be sound waves, spin waves or the like. In this latter case, the heat current can be thought of as a mixture of “ballistic” (i.e. collective) and “stochastic” (i.e. hopping) transport. Some history and general phenomenological features are discussed.
Sirens and Masts

I frame Odysseus, and his homebound journey past the sirens, as the allegorical window of interest in this chapter. I suggest the landscape of a supervision session with a resistant problem-solving companion as viewed helpfully through the panes of this allegory.
Control of Flow Separation over a Flapped Airfoil Using Low-Aspect-Ratio Circular Pins

The implementation of an array of finite-span, low-aspect-ratio circular pins as a flow control method to mitigate separation over a flapped airfoil was investigated experimentally in a wind tunnel...
E-035 Endovascular treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms with the scepter XC balloon and low-profile visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) JR. device

Background The Scepter XC balloon catheter can be used for balloon-assisted coiling (BAC) of cerebral aneurysms, but also accommodates delivery of a low profile visible intraluminal stent (LVIS Jr.). We assessed the safety and effectiveness of BAC using the Scepter XC, with LVIS Jr. stent-assisted coiling (SAC) as a bailout option. Methods A single-institution prospectively-maintained neurointerventional database was retrospectively reviewed for wide-necked (neck width ≥4 mm or dome-to-neck ratio Results The cohort included 169 wide-necked saccular intracranial aneurysms treated in 157 procedures. SAC was used to treat 25% of aneurysms by deploying the LVIS Jr through the Scepter XC. The overall procedural complication rate was 11%, including 3.2% rates of symptomatic thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications, with no significant differences in complications between BAC and SAC procedures (p=0.26). The overall complete aneurysm occlusion rate was 59%, with trends toward higher complete aneurysm occlusion and lower retreatment rates with SAC (78 vs 54%, p=0.07; 0 vs 9.3%, p=0.10). Multivariate logistic regression identified aneurysm size, procedure technique (BAC or SAC), and duration of follow up as independent predictors of complete aneurysm occlusion. Conclusions Initial experience using the Scepter XC for BAC, with LVIS Jr. SAC as a bailout option, demonstrates acceptable angiographic and clinical results. Disclosures A. Wallace: None. Y. Kayan: 2; C; Medtronic, Penumbra, Microvention. J. Delgado Almandoz: 2; C; Medtronic, Penumbra, Microvention, Accriva. J. Fease: None. A. Milner: None. J. Scholz: None. M. Thomas: None.
CIB1 depletion with docetaxel or TRAIL enhances triple-negative breast cancer cell death

Patients diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) have limited treatment options and often suffer from resistance and toxicity due to chemotherapy. We previously found that depleting calcium and integrin-binding protein 1 (CIB1) induces cell death selectively in TNBC cells, while sparing normal cells. Therefore, we asked whether CIB1 depletion further enhances tumor-specific killing when combined with either the commonly used chemotherapeutic, docetaxel, or the cell death-inducing ligand, TRAIL. We targeted CIB1 by RNA interference in MDA-MB-436, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, docetaxel-resistant MDA-MB-436 TNBC cells and ME16C normal breast epithelial cells alone or combination with docetaxel or TRAIL. Cell death was quantified via trypan blue exclusion using flow cytometry and cell death mechanisms were analyzed by Western blotting. Cell surface levels of TRAIL receptors were measured by flow cytometry analysis. CIB1 depletion combined with docetaxel significantly enhanced tumor-specific cell death relative to each treatment alone. The enhanced cell death strongly correlated with caspase-8 activation, a hallmark of death receptor-mediated apoptosis. The death receptor TRAIL-R2 was upregulated in response to CIB1 depletion, which sensitized TNBC cells to the ligand TRAIL, resulting in a synergistic increase in cell death. In addition to death receptor-mediated apoptosis, both combination treatments activated a non-apoptotic mechanism, called paraptosis. Interestingly, these combination treatments also induced nearly complete death of docetaxel-resistant MDA-MB-436 cells, again via apoptosis and paraptosis. In contrast, neither combination treatment induced cell death in normal ME16C cells. Novel combinations of CIB1 depletion with docetaxel or TRAIL selectively enhance naive and docetaxel-resistant TNBC cell death while sparing normal cell. Therefore, combination therapies that target CIB1 could prove to be a safe and durable strategy for treatment of TNBC and potentially other cancers.
Incidence of pancreatitis with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in advanced cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Systemic immune side effects including pancreatitis have been reported with the use of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) (CTLA-4, PD-1 and PDL-1). However, the true incidence, risk, causes (tumor or drug specific) of pancreatitis and relation to other immune side effects, especially diabetes mellitus (DM) are unknown. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all clinical trials using ICI for the incidence of any grade lipase elevation, pancreatitis or DM. Results The incidence of asymptomatic lipase elevation after ICI use is 2.7% (211/7702) and grade 2 pancreatitis is 1.9% (150/7702). No pancreatitis related mortality has been reported in these clinical trials. Patients treated with CTLA-4 inhibitors have increased incidence of pancreatitis when compared to patients treated with PD1 inhibitors 3.98% (95% CI: 2.92 to 5.05) vs 0.94% (95% CI: 0.48 to 1.40); P value Conclusions Our study provides precise data for the incidence of pancreatitis among patients using ICI based on tumor types and ICI regimens. ICI use for solid tumors is associated with increased incidence of all grades of lipase elevation and pancreatitis, especially for CTLA-4 agents and ICI combination. Although it does not appear to be associated with mortality, ICI related pancreatitis should be recognized early for appropriate treatment and to potentially reduce long term complications.
The Structure of Pulmonary Hypertension Health Care Delivery: Translating Ethical Considerations into Practice

The ethical imperative to provide optimal care to patients applies not only to individual caregivers, but also to the medical community as a whole. Best care frequently requires a team approach. Th...
Wernicke Encephalopathy—Clinical Pearls

Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) was first described by Carl Wernicke in 1881. WE is caused by thiamine deficiency. Alcoholism is the most common etiologic factor associated with WE in the United States, but it can occur in any patient with a nutritional deficiency state such as hyperemesis gravidarum, intestinal obstruction, and malignancy. WE is a clinical diagnosis. The common findings include mental status changes, ocular dysfunction, and a gait apraxia, present in only 10% of cases. Only a few cases of WE are diagnosed before death. Approximately 80% of patients with untreated WE have development of Korsakoff syndrome, which is characterized by memory impairment associated with confabulation. The initial clinical diagnosis of WE is critical, keeping in mind that the classic triad of symptoms is often absent. Recognition of nutritional deficiency and any portion of the classic triad should prompt treatment. Additionally, hypothermia, hypotension, and coma should raise clinical suspicion for the disease. Primary treatment includes timely administration of thiamine, for which the route and dosage remain controversial. Clinical judgment should be exercised in diagnosis and treatment (dosage, frequency, route of administration and duration) in all cases of WE. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment may be preferred to prevent prolonged or persistent neurocognitive impairments given the excellent safety profile of thiamine. Further prospective research is warranted to better understand the disease biology, risk factors, and treatment recommendations.
Prognostic Role of Albumin, Bilirubin, and ALBI Scores: Analysis of 1000 Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Radioembolization.

Introduction: We compared the efficacy of the ALBI (albumin–bilirubin) score to the established Child–Pugh (CP) grade in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with yttrium-90 radioembolization (Y90). We further assessed the individual contributions of albumin and bilirubin to survival prediction. Methods: 1000 consecutive HCC patients treated with Y90 were included. Overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan Meier analysis. Sub-stratification analyses were performed using CP and ALBI and in subgroups determined by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) or Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging. The independent impact (hazard ratio (HR)) of ALBI, CP, albumin, and bilirubin on survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results: Median OS for ALBI 1, 2, and 3 grades was 46.7, 19.1, and 8.8 months, respectively. The HR for death for ALBI 2 vs. ALBI 1 was 3.39 (1.75–6.57); ALBI 3 vs. ALBI 1 was 7.58 (3.89–14.79); and the c-index was 0.623. Median OS for CP A, B, and C was 21.7, 11.3, and 6.0 months, respectively. The HR for death for CP B vs. CP A was 2.04 (1.71–2.43); CP C vs. CP A was 3.27 (2.08–5.14); and the c-index was 0.616. Stratified OS showed unique prognostic groups identified by ALBI within CP-B and CP-C. Median OS for albumin grades 1, 2, and 3 was 46.0, 17.1, and 9.1 months, respectively. Median OS for bilirubin grades 1, 2, and 3 was 15.6, 21.0, and 5.8 months, respectively. The HR for death for albumin 2 vs. 1 was 2.48 (1.81–3.41); albumin 3 vs. 1 was 4.74 (3.44–6.54); and the c-index was 0.640. The HR for death for bilirubin 2 vs. 1 was 1.09 (0.82–1.44); bilirubin 3 vs. 1 was 2.37 (1.66–3.40); and the c-index was 0.533. Conclusions: ALBI outperforms CP in survival prognosis in Y90 treated patients. On sub-analyses, serum albumin (not bilirubin) appears to be the main driver of survival prediction. Our study supports the prognostic ability of ALBI and may suggest a role of albumin alone as a biomarker for patients with HCC.
On Dvoretzky's theorem for subspaces of Lp

Abstract We prove that for any 2 p ∞ and for every n-dimensional subspace X of L p , represented on R n , whose unit ball B X is in Lewis' position one has the following two-level Gaussian concentration inequality: P ( | ‖ Z ‖ − E ‖ Z ‖ | > e E ‖ Z ‖ ) ≤ C exp ⁡ ( − c min ⁡ { α p e 2 n , ( e n ) 2 / p } ) , 0 e 1 , where Z is the standard n-dimensional Gaussian vector, α p > 0 is a constant depending only on p and C , c > 0 are absolute constants. As a consequence we show optimal lower bound on the dimension of random almost spherical sections for these spaces. In particular, for any 2 p ∞ and every n-dimensional subspace X of L p , the Euclidean space l 2 k can be ( 1 + e ) -embedded into X with k ≥ c p min ⁡ { e 2 n , ( e n ) 2 / p } , where c p > 0 is a constant depending only on p. This improves upon the previously known estimate due to Figiel, Lindenstrauss and Milman.
Text mining for clinical support

Background: In 2013, the Dahlgren Memorial Library (DML) at the Georgetown University Medical Center began using text mining software to enable its clinical informationists to quickly retrieve specific, relevant information from MEDLINE abstracts while on patient rounds. Description: In 2013, DML licensed the use of the Linguamatics I2E text-mining program, and DML’s clinical informationist began using it to text mine MEDLINE abstracts on patient rounds. In 2015, DML installed I2E on a server at Georgetown and negotiated with Elsevier to obtain the right to download and text mine the full text of clinical journals in ScienceDirect to support clinical decision making. In 2016, the license agreements for the New England Journal of Medicine and the BMJ platform were modified to allow text mining. In 2018, PubMed Central open access content was added to the Linguamatics license. Results: DML’s informationists found that they were able to quickly find useful information that was not retrievable by traditional methods, and clinicians reported the information was valuable. Conclusion: The ability to text mine MEDLINE abstracts and selected journal articles on patient rounds has allowed DML’s clinical informationists to quickly search large amounts of medical literature that can be used to answer physicians’ clinical questions. DML plans to acquire additional journal articles from selected publishers in the future, which should increase the usefulness of the project. Virtual Projects are published on an annual basis in the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) following an annual call for virtual projects in MLAConnect and announcements to encourage submissions from all types of libraries. An advisory committee of recognized technology experts selects project entries based on their currency, innovation, and contribution to health sciences librarianship.
“Why Take the Photo if You Didn’t Want It Online?”: Agency, Transformation, and Nonconsensual Pornography

This article analyzes nonconsensual pornography, the form of image-based sexual abuse colloquially known as “revenge porn,” through a consideration of agency and circulation in visual rhetoric as w...
Burrowing dynamics of aquatic worms in soft sediments.

We investigate the dynamics of Lumbriculus variegatus in water-saturated sediment beds to understand limbless locomotion in the benthic zone found at the bottom of lakes and oceans. These slender aquatic worms are observed to perform elongation–contraction and transverse undulatory strokes in both water-saturated sediments and water. Greater drag anisotropy in the sediment medium is observed to boost the burrowing speed of the worm compared to swimming in water with the same stroke using drag-assisted propulsion. We capture the observed speeds by combining the calculated forms based on resistive-force theory of undulatory motion in viscous fluids and a dynamic anchor model of peristaltic motion in the sediments. Peristalsis is found to be effective for burrowing in noncohesive sediments which fill in rapidly behind the moving body inside the sediment bed. Whereas the undulatory stroke is found to be effective in water and in shallow sediment layers where anchoring is not possible to achieve peristaltic motion. We show that such dual strokes occur as well in the earthworm Eisenia fetida which inhabits moist sediments that are prone to flooding. Our analysis in terms of the rheology of the medium shows that the dual strokes are exploited by organisms to negotiate sediment beds that may be packed heterogeneously and can be used by active intruders to move effectively from a fluid through the loose bed surface layer which fluidizes easily to the well-consolidated bed below.
Antibiotics after Simple (Acute) Appendicitis are not Associated with Better Clinical Outcomes: A Post-Hoc Analysis of an EAST Multi-Center Study

Background: The post-operative management of simple (acute) appendicitis differs throughout the United States. Guidelines regarding post-operative antibiotic usage remain unclear, and treatment gen...
Long-Acting Lipoglycopeptides for the Treatment of Bone and Joint Infections.

Background: The long-acting lipoglycopeptides dalbavancin and oritavancin possess excellent microbiologic activity against gram-positive bacteria and provide prolonged tissue exposure at sites of infection. Moreover, these antibiotics are well tolerated and do not require therapeutic drug monitoring. Methods: Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic experiments ascertained that one to two doses of these long-acting agents can provide an extended period (≥6 weeks) of antimicrobial therapy. Results: Clinical studies subsequently found that microbiologic and clinical response rates with these agents were comparable to standard antibiotic agents used in the treatment of bone and joint infections. In addition, pharmacoeconomic analyses have discovered cost savings with the use of these antimicrobial agents in the treatment of serious deep-seated bacterial infections. Conclusions: Thus, these long-acting lipoglycopeptides offer potential for cost-effective outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy of difficult to treat infections, such as osteomyelitis.
Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on In-Hospital Mortality and Stroke in Acute Aortic Syndromes.

Abstract Background Acute aortic syndromes may present with a number of cardiovascular complications, including atrial fibrillation. We assessed the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in patients presenting with acute aortic syndromes and evaluated atrial fibrillation's association with in-hospital mortality and stroke. Methods Consecutive patients with acute aortic syndromes admitted to a single tertiary care center from January 2015 to March 2020 were included. We identified patients with atrial fibrillation on the presenting electrocardiogram. Results A total of 309 patients with acute aortic syndromes were included in our analyses: 148 (48%) presented with Stanford type A and 161 (52%) with Stanford type B acute aortic syndromes. Twenty-seven (8.7%) patients had atrial fibrillation on the presenting electrocardiogram: 12 (44%) with type A and 15 (56%) with type B acute aortic syndromes. Patients with atrial fibrillation were older, more likely to be white, had a higher frequency of history of cancer, peripheral artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, compared with those without atrial fibrillation. Acute aortic syndromes patients with atrial fibrillation had higher frequencies of in-hospital mortality compared with those without atrial fibrillation (40.7% vs 12.4%, P Conclusion In patients presenting with acute aortic syndromes and atrial fibrillation, we observed higher frequencies of in-hospital mortality, without differences in the frequencies of stroke.
Comparison of cRGDfK Peptide Probes with Appended Shielded Heptamethine Cyanine Dye (s775z) for Near Infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Cancer.

Previous work has shown that the sterically shielded near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent heptamethine cyanine dye, s775z, with a reactive carboxyl group produces fluorescent bioconjugates with an unsurpassed combination of high photostability and fluorescence brightness. This present contribution reports two new reactive homologues of s775z with either a maleimide group for reaction with a thiol or a strained alkyne group for reaction with an azide. Three cancer-targeting NIR fluorescent probes were synthesized, each with an appended cRGDfK peptide to provide selective affinity for integrin receptors that are overexpressed on the surface of many cancer cells including the A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells used in this study. A set of cancer cell microscopy and mouse tumor imaging experiments showed that all three probes were very effective at targeting cancer cells and tumors; however, the change in the linker structure produced a statistically significant difference in some aspects of the mouse biodistribution. The mouse studies included a mock surgical procedure that excised the subcutaneous tumors. A paired-agent fluorescence imaging experiment co-injected a binary mixture of targeted probe with 850 nm emission, an untargeted probe with 710 nm emission and determined the targeted probe’s binding potential in the tumor tissue. A comparison of pixelated maps of binding potential for each excised tumor indicated a tumor-to-tumor variation of integrin expression levels, and a heterogeneous spatial distribution of integrin receptors within each tumor.
Racial equity and inclusion still lacking in neuroscience meetings

The death of George Floyd in 2020 sparked intense emotion, and increased recognition of the need to take active measures in matters of race within science and academia. This piece considers the field’s immediate actions with regard to Black representation at neuroscience conferences, and whether we are rising to the occasion in an area under our control.
Association of anemia with functional outcomes in patients with mechanical thrombectomy.

Abstract Introduction Anemia at presentation is associated with worse outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aim to investigate the association of anemia parameters with functional dependence and mortality in patients who undergo mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent MT for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion at a comprehensive stroke center from 1/2015 to 6/2020. Anemia was considered a dichotomous categorical variable with a cutoff point of hemoglobin (Hb) Results 188 patients met our inclusion criteria. Anemia on presentation, lower mean and minimum values of five-day Hb and HCT, and higher variability in five-day Hb and HCT parameters were associated with higher 3-month mortality. Men with lower mean and minimum values of five-day Hb and HCT had a significantly higher likelihood of functional dependence at 3-months. This finding was not replicated amongst women in our cohort. Conclusion Our study demonstrated higher 3-mortality in patients with anemia and Hb variability. Our study also demonstrated a higher likelihood of functional dependence in patients amongst men with anemia.
Alcohol Use and Zinc Status in HIV+ Adults in Miami, Florida

Objective: Zinc (Zn) deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in HIV, and is not reversed with ART. Zn deficiency affects the immune system and may be aggravated by excessive alcohol use. ...
Predicted favorable visibility conditions for anomalous tails of comets

Visibility conditions are used to list the comets that have displayed a sunward dust tail during the time of earth's passage through the orbital plane of the comet. A computer program describing the conditions for this type of antitail observability was applied to the Catalogue of Cometary Orbits (Marsden, 1975), starting with the comets of 1737. It is shown that only about 20-30% of the nearly parabolic comets that should have displayed an antitail at the node were actually observed to do so. There appears to be a general absence of antitails among the short period comets.
Decentralized Control with a Prescribed Degree of Stability: A Unified Discrete/Continuous-Time Design

A unified notion for the degree of stability of continuous-time and sampled-data systems is presented, and a decentralized controller design is developed that guarantees a prespecified H ? norm bound and a prescribed degree of stability for the closed-loop system. Numerical methods are presented for the solution of the resulting controller design equations.
Pleading Standards after Bell Atlantic v. Twombly

In Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, the Supreme Court repudiated the familiar language from Conley v. Gibson, that a complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitled him to relief. This essay critiques Bell Atlantic and discusses some of its implications for pleading claims in the future.
Modeling the Transport and Chemical Evolution of Onshore and Offshore Emissions and their Impact on Local and Regional Air Quality Using a Variable-Grid-Resolution Air Quality Model

This semiannual report summarizes the research performed from 17 April through 16 October 2004. Major portions of the research in several of the project's current eight tasks have been completed, and the results obtained are briefly presented. We have successfully developed the meteorological inputs using the best possible modeling configurations, resulting in improved representation of atmospheric processes. Ingestion of satellite-derived sea surface temperatures in conjunction with the use of our new surface data assimilation technique have resulted in largely improved meteorological inputs to drive the MAQSIP-VGR. The development of the variable-grid-resolution emissions model, SMOKE-VGR, is also largely complete. We expect to develop the final configuration of the SMOKE-VGR during the upcoming reporting period. We are in the process of acquiring the newly released emissions database and offshore emissions data sets to update our archives. The development of the MAQSIP-VGR has been completed and a test run was performed to ensure the functionality of this air quality model. During the upcoming reporting period, we expect to perform the first MAQSIP-VGR simulations over the Houston-Galveston region to study the roles of the meteorology, offshore emissions, and chemistry-transport interactions that determine the temporal and spatial evolution of ozone and its precursors.
Inhibition of fluoropyrimidine catabolism by benzyloxybenzyluracil. Possible relevance to regional chemotherapy.

Abstract Regional infusion with fluoropyrimidines is useful in the treatment of hepatic metastases. However, the effectiveness of regional infusion is minimized by rapid degradation of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) and 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) by the liver which limits the availability of drug for anabolism to active metabolites. 5-Benzyloxybenzyluracil (BBU) is a potent inhibitor of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the initial enzyme in FUra catabolism (Naguib FMN, el Kouni MH and Cha S, Biochem Pharmacol38: 1471–1480, 1989). The effect of BBU on fluoropyrimidine catabolism in the liver was evaluated using the isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL). BBU infused at 0.35 μM over the course of 1 hr demonstrated no hepatotoxicity as measured by bile flow, O2 uptake and lactate dehydrogenase leakage. The effect of BBU (0.35 μM) on the catabolism of FUra (10 μM) or FdUrd (10 μM) was quantitated by HPLC at 5- or 10-min intervals over a 1-hr period. BBU maximally inhibited FUra catabolism by approximately 83%. Further studies utilizing short-term (20 min) infusion of BBU prior to administration of FUra suggested that the inhibition of DPD was reversible. While FdUrd phosphorolysis was not affected, subsequent catabolism of FUra decreased by 70%. Studies on isolated hepatocytes indicated that the increased FUra level in perfusate resulted from inhibition of FUra catabolism and not from inhibition of FUra transport. The significant inhibition of FUra catabolism suggests that BBU may be useful in modulating regional chemotherapy by these fluoropyrimidines.
Catecholamines during therapeutic abortion induced with intra-amniotic prostaglandin F2α

Serial plasma, amniotic fluid, and urine samples were analyzed for epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) in eight subjects during midtrimester abortion induced by intra-amniotic prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). After PGF2alpha administration, plasma E increased and there was no change in plasma NE levels. Amniotic fluid levels of E and NE decreased initially. During the course of abortion the mean level of E in the amniotic fluid increased after fetal distress and decreased after fetal death, indicating that the midtrimester fetus of both E and NE increased following PGF2alpha. The observation that mean plasma levels and urinary excretion rate changes correlated better with the course of abortion and uterine contractility rather than with the time of PGF2alpha administration was consistent with the hypothesis that the catecholamine response may be due to the stress of labor rather than to the PGF2alpha per se.
Scalable Defect Tolerance Beyond the SIA Roadmap

As feature sizes approach the single-digit nanometer domain, manufacturing defects will become much more commonplace. Each computing fabric will have multiple defects, and physical and economic limits will make it impossible to eliminate them all. This will be true whether manufacturing is done using futuregeneration CMOS processes, or technologies such as Chemically Assembled Electronic Nanotechnology (CAEN). We will therefore have to find a way to use these fabrics inspite of the defects.
A role for calreticulin in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

Calreticulin (CRT) plays a role in the clearance of dying cells and has been implicated in autoimmunity. Recent evidence indicates that cell surface CRT (csCRT) acts as a signal transducing receptor for the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) shared epitope (SE). The SE binding site on CRT has been mapped to amino acid residues 217-223 in the P-domain. Upon interaction with dendritic cells (DCs), the SE activates potent immune regulatory events. In CD8α(+) DCs, which express higher abundance of csCRT, the SE inhibits the tolerogenic enzyme indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase with resultant inhibition of regulatory T (Treg) cell differentiation. In CD8α(-) DCs, the SE ligand increases secretion of IL-6 and IL-23 and facilitates generation of Th17 cells, a T cell subset known to play a role in autoimmunity. On the basis of these recent findings, we discuss the possibility that the csCRT may play a pathogenic role in RA by transducing SE-activated Th17-polarizing signals.
Neutral endopeptidase inhibitors potentiate substance P-induced contraction in gut smooth muscle

To determine the role of endogenous neutral endopeptidase (NEP), also called enkephalinase (EC 3.4.24.11), in regulating tachykinin-induced contraction of gut smooth muscle, we studied the effects of NEP inhibitors on the contractile responses to substance P (SP) in isolated longitudinal strips of ileum or duodenum in rats and ferrets. Leucine-thiorphan and phosphoramidon shifted the concentration-response curves of SP to lower concentrations in all tissues studied, but the sensitivity to SP was greater and the effect of leucine-thiorphan was less in the ferret, a finding that correlated with the observation that the ferret ileum contained substantially less NEP activity than rat ileum. Captopril, bestatin, MGTA, leupeptin, and physostigmine did not alter contractile responses to SP, suggesting that kininase II, aminopeptidases, carboxypeptidase N, serine proteinases, and acetylcholinesterase do not modulate the SP-induced effects. These studies suggest that, in the ileum and duodenum, NEP modulates the actions of SP and, furthermore, that the sensitivity of tissues may be determined, at least in part, by the amount of enzymatically active NEP present.
Beginning Primary Teachers’ Experiences With Curriculum Guides and Pacing Calendars for Math and Science Instruction

Considerable research suggests that standardizing curricular materials can undermine teachers’ ability to facilitate learning. Nonetheless, U.S. school districts’ curriculum guides have become increasingly standardized, with teachers being required to follow predetermined pacing calendars indicating which standards to teach during specific months, weeks, or days. Pressure to comply with curriculum guides and their associated pacing calendars is a particular concern among beginning teachers. Given these issues, this investigation explored three first-year teachers’ experiences with curriculum guides and pacing calendars in the primary grades. Although curriculum guides helped participants learn the curriculum and decide how to sequence the content, rigid campus policies that required participants to follow pacing calendars led to uncomfortable professional dilemmas and teacher resistance. Findings suggest that despite novice teachers’ fears of being reprimanded and their lack of professional knowledge, the...
Theoretical prediction of plate height in serially coupled capillary columns

Abstract All equation has been derived and tested for the prediction of the plate height on a serial combination of capillary columns in gas chromatography. The results show good agreement with experimental data. This equation, together with an equation for the apparent capacity factor, can be used to optimize the system parameters in resolving a mixture.
Ifosfamide associated myoclonus-encephalopathy syndrome.

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of movement disorders associated with ifosfamide toxicity. One of the most common adverse events of ifosfamide treatment is central nervous system toxicity. However, little is known about the occurrence of movement disorders associated with ifosfamide toxicity. We performed a retrospective computer search of the electronic medical records database of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN from 1 January 1997–30 June 2010, using a series of search terms to identify all patients that had been treated with ifosfamide for systemic cancer. Among 400 patients that have ever used ifosfamide, we selected those patients that had any neurological complication in their medical records after the use of ifosfamide. Fifty-two had a neurological complication after ifosfamide administration. The most common neurological complication was encephalopathy that was present in 11 cases (21%). The presence of a movement disorder time locked to the administration of ifosfamide was reported in seven cases (13%). Generalized myoclonus was most common, occurring in four patients while postural tremor was documented in the other three. All patients with myoclonus had asterixis. Four of the patients also had encephalopathy. In six patients the movement disorders resolved within 48 h, spontaneously, after the discontinuation of ifosfamide, while in one case resolved in 24 h after the treatment with methylene blue. Our study demonstrates that although encephalopathy is the most common adverse neurological event associated with ifosfamide toxicity, movement disorders, including generalized myoclonus, asterixis, and postural tremors may also occur. Treatment with methylene blue may be further considered as useful to ameliorate the movement disorders.