cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pre-military abuse, mental health, and hazardous alcohol use among military personnel

AbstractThe present study examined whether pre-military sexual and physical abuse and negative mental health symptoms prior to military service contributed to hazardous alcohol use (i.e., alcohol-related consequences, dependency symptoms, and consumption) controlling for combat exposure. Participants were a community sample of 506 (183 women) active duty, National Guard/reservists, and veterans who completed an online survey assessing pre-military abuse, pre-military mental health symptoms, combat exposure, and hazardous drinking. Results using structural equation modeling showed that while controlling for gender and combat exposure, pre-military sexual abuse was associated with higher negative mental health symptoms prior to joining the military, which in turn was associated with higher reports of current alcohol consumption. Our findings suggest that hazardous alcohol use may not be strictly related to experiences on the battlefield and that mental health prior to military enlistment may be associated w...
The use of the sleep laboratory in the diagnosis of affective disorders.

The current status of electroencephalographic sleep as a diagnostic aid for the affective disorders is examined. The authors consider the methodologic factors necessary to control for accurate use of EEG sleep studies, review the EEG sleep characteristics for various affective states, discuss the potential applications of such findings for differential diagnosis, and examine the limitations and directions for future research for EEG sleep.
Transplantation in the elderly patient.

As protocols of immunosuppression improve in selectivity and, more importantly, as clinicians become more adept at tailoring the degree of immunosuppression to the needs of individual patients, both enthusiasm and success with organ transplantation in the elderly will improve. This has particular relevance as the average age of the population is increasing. Arbitrary age limits, largely the products of the 1970s and early 1980s, have now been abandoned. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm to demonstrate skill in treating the older patient must be tempered by an understanding of the extreme shortage of available donor organs. In terms of lifeyears saved, the older patient offers much less potential than younger patients. At some point, the coexistence of other lifethreatening illnesses in older patients must influence the desire to save older lives.
JC Polyomavirus Infection of Primary Human Renal Epithelial Cells Is Controlled by a Type I IFN-Induced Response

ABSTRACT The JC and BK human polyomaviruses (JCPyV and BKPyV, respectively) establish lifelong persistent infections in the kidney. In immunosuppressed individuals, JCPyV causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a fatal neurodegenerative disease, and BKPyV causes polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVN). In this study, we compared JCPyV and BKPyV infections in primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial (HRPTE) cells. JCPyV established a persistent infection, but BKPyV killed the cells in 15 days. To identify the cellular factors responsible for controlling JCPyV infection and promoting viral persistence, we profiled the transcriptomes of JCPyV- and BKPyV-infected cells at several time points postinfection. We found that infection with both viruses induced interferon production but that interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were only activated in the JCPyV-infected cells. Phosphorylated STAT1 and IRF9, which are responsible for inducing ISGs, translocated to the nucleus of JCPyV-infected cells but did not in BKPyV-infected cells. In BKPyV-infected cells, two critical suppressors of cytokine signaling, SOCS3 and SOCS1, were induced. Infection with BKPyV but not JCPyV caused reorganization of PML bodies that are associated with inactivating antiviral responses. Blockade of the interferon receptor and neutralization of soluble interferon alpha (IFN-α) and IFN-β partially alleviated the block to JCPyV infection, leading to enhanced infectivity. Our results show that a type I IFN response contributes to the establishment of persistent infection by JCPyV in HRPTE cells. IMPORTANCE The human polyomaviruses JCPyV and BKPyV both establish lifelong persistent infection in the kidneys. In immunosuppressed patients, BKPyV causes significant pathology in the kidney, but JCPyV is only rarely associated with disease in this organ. The reasons behind this striking difference in kidney pathology are unknown. In this study, we show that infection of primary human renal tubule epithelial cells with JCPyV and BKPyV results in divergent innate immune responses that control JCPyV but fail to control BKPyV. This is the first study that directly compares JCPyV and BKPyV infection in vitro in the same cell type they naturally infect, and the significant differences that have been uncovered could in part explain the distinct disease outcomes.
Adhesion- and Degranulation-Promoting Adapter Protein Promotes CD8 T Cell Differentiation and Resident Memory Formation and Function during an Acute Infection

During acute infections, naive Ag-specific CD8 T cells are activated and differentiate into effector T cells, most of which undergo contraction after pathogen clearance. A small population of CD8 T cells persists as memory to protect against future infections. We investigated the role of adhesion- and degranulation-promoting adapter protein (ADAP) in promoting CD8 T cell responses to a systemic infection. Naive Ag-specific CD8 T cells lacking ADAP exhibited a modest expansion defect early after Listeria monocytogenes or vesicular stomatitis virus infection but comparable cytolytic function at the peak of response. However, reduced numbers of ADAP-deficient CD8 T cells were present in the spleen after the peak of the response. ADAP deficiency resulted in a greater frequency of CD127(+) CD8 memory precursors in secondary lymphoid organs during the contraction phase. Reduced numbers of ADAP-deficient killer cell lectin-like receptor G1(-) CD8 resident memory T (TRM) cell precursors were present in a variety of nonlymphoid tissues at the peak of the immune response, and consequently the total numbers of ADAP-deficient TRM cells were reduced at memory time points. TRM cells that did form in the absence of ADAP were defective in effector molecule expression. ADAP-deficient TRM cells exhibited impaired effector function after Ag rechallenge, correlating with defects in their ability to form T cell-APC conjugates. However, ADAP-deficient TRM cells responded to TGF-β signals and recruited circulating memory CD8 T cells. Thus, ADAP regulates CD8 T cell differentiation events following acute pathogen challenge that are critical for the formation and selected functions of TRM cells in nonlymphoid tissues.
Enhancement of 1.5 μm emission under 980 nm resonant excitation in Er and Yb co-doped GaN epilayers

The Erbium (Er) doped GaN is a promising gain medium for optical amplifiers and solid-state high energy lasers due to its high thermal conductivity, wide bandgap, mechanical hardness, and ability to emit in the highly useful 1.5 μm window. Finding the mechanisms to enhance the optical absorption efficiency at a resonant pump wavelength and emission efficiency at 1.5 μm is highly desirable. We report here the in-situ synthesis of the Er and Yb co-doped GaN epilayers (Er + Yb:GaN) by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). It was observed that the 1.5 μm emission intensity of the Er doped GaN (Er:GaN) under 980 nm resonant pump can be boosted by a factor of 7 by co-doping the sample with Yb. The temperature dependent PL emission at 1.5 μm in the Er + Yb:GaN epilayers under an above bandgap excitation revealed a small thermal quenching of 12% from 10 to 300 K. From these results, it can be inferred that the process of energy transfer from Yb3+ to Er3+ ions is highly efficient, and non-radiative reco...
In Vivo Evidence of Modulation of the Hemophilia Phenotype by the Factor V Leiden.

The amelioration of hemophilia phenotype or delayed onset of the bleeding episodes in subjects with severe hemophilia A (FVIII deficiency) has been associated with inherited resistance to activated protein C due to factor V Leiden (R506Q), FVL. These observations were confirmed by in vitro systems in which homozygous phenotype of FVL increased thrombin formation in presence of < 1% FVIII by nearly 5-fold (Blood 90:3067). Here we provide in vivo evidence of the beneficial interaction of FVL on the hemophilia phenotype in mice. Animals with severe deficiency of factor VIII due to deletion of intron 16 of factor VIII gene (HA) or large gene deletion of factor IX (HB) were crossed with FVL homozygous mice \[+/+] on C57Bl6 strain [Cui et al. (Blood 96:4222)] We used a modified activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assay to compared clotting times among male HA (n=30), HA/FVL [+/+\] (n=7), FVL \[+/+\] (n=5), and litermate WT mice (n=6) with age ranging from 6–12 weeks. Blood samples were collected by tail vein transection into 3.8% sodium citrate. Values for the aPTT in male HA were 67.3 ± 4 sec, and among WT or FVL [+/+] values were 37 ± 4 sec or 31± 2 sec, respectively. Whereas intermediate aPTT values of 53 ± 3.7 sec were determined in HA/FVL [+/+], which differs from HA mice (p<0.0001) but also from WT or FVL (p<0.0001). A similar shortening of aPTT was also determined among HB/FVL[+/+] which were compared to HB, 55 ± 7 sec vs. 64 ± 0.9. Hemostatic challenge by tail clipping assay failed to revealed differences in bleeding times/blood loss among hemophilia animals with or without FVL mutation. To test whether a more sensitive technique would provide further evidence of the improved hemostasis in HA/FVL mice, we assessed real-time in vivo thrombus formation by confocal and widefield microscopy. Mice were anesthetized and the cremaster muscle was exposed for intravital microscopy. Infusion of fluorescently labeled antibody to murine platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex via the jugular vein allowed monitoring of platelet deposition upon laser-mediated endothelial injury at several sites of the arterial vessel wall. No thrombus formation was observed in severe HA mice following successive vascular injuries, a finding also common in severe HB mice. However, infusion of factor VIII concentrated clearly induced the thrombi formation upon vascular injury. HA/FVL mice tested presented thrombus formation in a comparable fashion of HA-FVIII transfused mice. These in vivo data provide support to the hypothesis that the FVL mutation has the potential to improve the phenotype of severe hemophilia and may offer a novel therapeutic target for hemophilia.
Where Is Benjamin

The trouble with everything Benjamin wrote was that it always turned out to be sui generis. (Hannah Arendt, Illuminations)Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft’s stimulating book is a provocation and a lament. It...
Acculturation and bicultural integration in organizations: Conditions, contexts, and challenges

This study examined acculturation and bicultural integration in organizational settings, with particular attention to the factors that influence individuals’ acculturation processes; the challenges and opportunities they face; the ways in which they integrate home- and host-culture features; and the conditions that facilitate third-culture building with host-culture members. A qualitative approach using in-depth interviews with Americans living in Sweden, Swedes living in the United States, and Swedish-American biculturals having grown up with ties to both countries was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the processes of acculturation in organizational contexts. Results emerging from a grounded theory analysis identify assimilation as the predominant acculturation approach for reasons of cultural preference. Culture-specific features are integrated in limited ways and third-culture building takes place in contexts where home-culture connections exist. Bicultural individuals integrate their two cult...
A tetrad of chromatin interactions for chromosome pairing in X inactivation.

An unusual pairing of homologous X chromosomes occurs during X inactivation. A new study in mouse embryonic stem cells shows that telomeres and the telomeric RNA PAR-TERRA are responsible for additional pairwise interactions that guide Xic–Xic pairing.
The Federal Power Act's Controversial Municipal Preference: The Merwin Dam Dispute and Legislative Proposals to Amend Federal Hydro-Licensing Procedures

A review of the public preference controversy analyzes the Merwin Dam case and examines legislative proposals to modify or eliminate the municipal preference. If the controversy should spur congressional action in favor of a preference for existing licensees, the result could be to stabilize the hydropower market and save ratepayers up to $4.5 billion. The author concludes that enabling legislation is more of a limiting factor in altering policies than court decisions. While the methods employed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) may be improper, its reasoning that municipal preference should not be a part of FERC relicensing proceedings is sound.
A 100-Year Review: Stress physiology including heat stress

Stress is an external event or condition that places a strain on a biological system. The animal response to a stress involves the expenditure of energy to remove or reduce the impact of the stress. This increases maintenance requirements of the animal and results in loss of production. The biological response to stress is divided into acute and chronic phases, with the acute phase lasting hours to a few days and the chronic phase lasting several days to weeks. The acute response is driven by homeostatic regulators of the nervous and endocrine systems and the chronic phase by homeorhetic regulators of the endocrine system. Both responses involve alterations in energy balance and metabolism. Thermal environment affects all animals and therefore represents the largest single stressor in animal production. Other types of stressors include housing conditions, overcrowding, social rank, disease, and toxic compounds. "Acclimation" to a stress is a phenotypic response developed by the animal to an individual stressor within the environment. However, under natural conditions, it is rare for only one environmental variable to change over time. "Acclimatization" is the process by which an animal adapts to several stressors within its natural environment. Acclimation is a homeorhetic process that takes several weeks to occur and occurs via homeorhetic, not homeostatic, mechanisms. It is a phenotypic change that disappears when the stress is removed. When the stress is severe and not relieved by acclimatization or management changes, the animal is considered chronically stressed and is susceptible to increased incidence of disease and poor health. Milk yield and reproduction are extremely sensitive to stress because of the high energy and protein demands of lactation and the complexity of the reproductive process and multiple organs that are involved. Improvements in protection of animals against stress require improved education of producers to recognize stress and methods for estimating degree of stress on animals.
Cultivar affects the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of commercially available lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) varieties.

Abstract Although agronomic factors affecting essential oil composition within lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) are well documented, much less is known about conditions that influence foliar phenolic levels. Therefore in this study, the effect of cultivar and seed company on the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of five commercially available lemon balm varieties was determined. Cultivar (p = 0.009) and seed company (p = 0.020) had a significant effect on total phenolic concentrations. Analysis of individual phenolic acid levels by high-performance liquid chromatography showed substantial variations in the phenolic acid composition among cultivars. Rosmarinic (p = 0.001), gentisic (p = 0.014), chicoric (p
A testbed for simulating electromagnetic effects on software execution

A simulation environment for studying the effects of electromagnetic perturbations on software execution is presented. We execute a program inside the processor and then we introduce glitches at different points in time and at different locations to modify the program execution. We manage to alter the state of a counter program by introducing glitches taking into account the target instruction and the timing diagram associated with it.
Management of Postoperative Arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias in the perioperative period are common and a major source of morbidity. The most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (AF), occurs in 30–40% of patients after cardiac surgery, and in up to 4% of patients after noncardiac surgery. Such arrhythmias are responsible for increased length of hospital stay as well as increased healthcare costs. This chapter will address the diagnosis and treatment of perioperative arrhythmias and will suggest simple, cost-effective strategies for evaluation and prevention. As many patients undergoing general and cardiac surgical procedures have implanted arrhythmia control devices (pacemakers and/or defibrillators), this chapter will also discuss the perioperative care of these patients.
Knowledge regarding and patterns of genetic testing in patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer participating in the iCanDecide trial.

BACKGROUND The current study reports rates of knowledge regarding the probability of a BRCA1 and/or S pathogenic variant and genetic testing in patients with breast cancer, collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a tailored, comprehensive, and interactive decision tool (iCanDecide). METHODS A total of 537 patients newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer were enrolled at the time of their first visit in 22 surgical practices, and were surveyed 5 weeks (496 patients; Response Rate [RR], 92%) after enrollment after treatment decision making. Primary outcomes included knowledge regarding the probability of carrying a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant and genetic testing after diagnosis. RESULTS Overall knowledge regarding the probability of having a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant was low (29.8%). Significantly more patients in the intervention group compared with the control group had knowledge regarding the probability of a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant (35.8% vs 24.4%; P <.006). In multivariable logistic regression, the intervention arm remained significantly associated with knowledge regarding the probability of having a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-2.70). CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study suggest that although knowledge concerning the probability of having a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant remains low in this patient population, the interactive decision tool improved rates compared with a static Web site. As interest in genetic testing continues to rise, so will the need to integrate tools into the treatment decision process to improve informed decision making.
Abstract TP310: Inter- Rater Reliability of Telephonic Modified Rankin Scale Obtained for a Telestroke Network

Introduction: The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) has been established as a standard measurement of stroke disability and is widely used in major stroke clinical trials. Previous studies compared inter...
Disparities in the diagnostic evaluation of microhematuriaand implications for the detection of urologic malignancy

Abstract Introduction Disparities in survival for bladder and kidney cancer among the genders and patients with varying insurance coverage have been identified. Microhematuria (MH), a potential early clinical sign of genitourinary malignancy, should prompt a standardized diagnostic evaluation. However, many patients do not complete a full evaluation and may be at risk of a missed or delayed identification of genitourinary pathology. Methods Patients 35 and older with a new diagnosis of MH between 2007 and 2015 were retrospectively identified at a large health system. Our primary outcome of interest was completion of cystoscopy and imaging. Regression modeling was used to assess associations between gender and insurance status with completion of a MH evaluation, adjusted for clinical factors, urinalysis data, and patient demographics. Results Of 15,161 patients with MH, only 1,273 patients (8.4%) completed upper tract imaging and a cystoscopy; 899 (5.9%) within 1 year. Median time to imaging was 75days and 68.5days for cystoscopy. Of those with an incomplete evaluation, 23.7% underwent cystoscopy and 76.3% underwent imaging. Male gender, private insurance, and increased MH severity on UA were associated with a complete evaluation. More patients who completed an evaluation were diagnosed with bladder (4.8% vs. 0.3%) and kidney cancer (3.1% vs. 0.4%) when compared to those who did not. Conclusion Few patients complete a timely evaluation of MH. Women and underinsured patients are disproportionately less likely to complete a work-up for microhematuria and this may have downstream implications for diagnosis.
Examination of the Gateway Hypothesis in a rat model.

Abstract The Gateway Hypothesis is based on epidemiological data and states there is a progression of drug use from use of a softer drug (e.g., nicotine) to use of a harder drug (e.g., morphine). It has been suggested that this sequence is causal and is relevant to drug prevention policies and programs. The present experiment used an animal model to investigate whether the Gateway Hypothesis involves a causal progression. Subjects were 16 female and 16 male Sprague-Dawley rats with ages comparable to late adolescence/emerging adulthood in humans. Subjects received nicotine (6 mg/kg/day) or saline for 21 days SC via osmotic minipump and subsequently were allowed to self-administer IV morphine (0.5 mg/kg/injection, 3 h/day) for 10 days. Results did not confirm the Gateway Hypothesis. In fact, rats pre-exposed to nicotine self-administered significantly less morphine than did rats pre-exposed to saline. These findings may be relevant to future drug use prevention policies and programs.
A Growth Mindset Pilot Intervention for a Graduate-Level Biostatistics Course.

A growth mindset emphasizes the malleability of intelligence. The purpose of this pilot study was to implement and evaluate a growth mindset intervention for graduate students. Participants were twenty graduate students recruited from an introductory public health biostatistics class. Students were assessed three times during one semester. At each time point, students completed assessments of growth mindset, grit, social and emotional health, and attitudes toward statistics. Student grades were collected from the course instructor. Descriptive results indicate that growth mindset, grit, and social and emotional health fluctuated little over time. Mean scores for four attitudes toward statistics components improved over time. We found limited relationships between growth mindset and final grades. Growth mindset-based strategies may be more impactful at a persona, rather than academic, level. First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
The Dream of Cheap, Clean Atomic Energy

Fundamental research for atomic technology began in the 1920s (see Figure 6.1), some six decades ago. In 1939, Professor Hahn and one of his students, Luise Meitner, found that very large amounts of energy in the form of heat were released when atomic nuclei were split.
Intracranial complications of pediatric rhinosinusitis: Identifying risk factors and interventions affecting length of hospitalization.

Abstract Objective To identify risk factors and interventions affecting length of hospitalization (LOH) and clinical outcome in children with intracranial complications of rhinosinusitis. Methods Retrospective chart review of 12 children hospitalized at 2 academic medical centers for intracranial complications of rhinosinusitis over the past 5 years. Results 12 patients were identified with an average age at presentation of 13 years old. 92% were male and 75% were African American. The most common presenting symptoms were fever and headache. Localizing neurological symptoms including hemiparesis and aphasia, in addition to seizures occurred in 33% of patients and increased LOH significantly (33 versus 15 days, p = 0.03). Epidural (EA) and subdural abscesses (SA) were the most common intracranial complications. 58% of patients were initially treated with a combination of open neurosurgical (ON) intervention and endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and LOH was significantly shorter for these patients compared to those treated otherwise (14 versus 31 days, p = 0.02). Streptococcus species were the most common group of bacteria identified in 75% of cases, with S. anginosus accounting for 42% of cases. The overall average LOH was 21 days with 92% of patients having complete resolution of symptoms by time of discharge. Conclusions Treatment of intracranial complications of acute rhinosinusitis can have favorable outcomes after appropriate surgical management. Localizing neurologic symptoms and seizures portend longer hospital stay and recovery time. Shorter hospital stay was seen in those undergoing early combined ON and ESS interventions.
Systolic Algorithms and Systolic Processors

The systolic processing provides a possibility to solve a large number of standard problems on multicellular computing devices with autonomous cells. Interruptions by the host computer are necessary only for changing of the computing mode and occurs only a few times while solving the problem. They arise on the starting and final phases and sometimes on an intermediate phase. Cells with small local memory process all data on the fly. The most ample area of systolic processing is the demonstration of systolic designs for a number of standard algorithms.
The effect of urinary diversion on long-term kidney function after cystectomy.

Abstract Objectives Cystectomy with urinary diversion is associated with decreased long-term kidney function due to several factors. One factor that has been debated is the type of urinary diversion used: ileal conduit (IC) vs. neobladder (NB). We tested the hypothesis that long-term kidney function will not vary by type of urinary diversion. Methods and Materials We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent cystectomy with urinary diversion at our institution from January 1, 2007, to January 1, 2018. Data were collected on patient demographics, comorbid conditions, perioperative radiotherapy, and complications. Creatinine values were measured at several time points up to 120 months after surgery. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (ml/min per 1.73 m2) was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. A linear mixed model with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to compare GFR between the IC and NB cohorts over time. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed based on 2 different calculations of GFR (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation vs. Modification of Diet in Renal Disease), with and without excluding patients with preoperative GFR less than 40 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Results Among 563 patients who underwent cystectomy with urinary diversion, a NB was used for 72 (12.8%) individuals. Patients who had a NB were significantly younger, had a lower American Society of Anesthesiologists score, greater baseline GFR, better Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, lower median Charlson comorbidity index, and were less likely to have received preoperative abdominal radiation (all P Conclusions Among highly selected patients with an NB, deterioration of kidney function may potentially be lower over time than among IC patients. However, the statistical significance varied between analyses and we cautiously attribute these observed differences to patient selection.
TNK-BP, Party Autonomy, and Third-Country Mandatory Rules

This article looks at a recent dispute between British oil major BP plc and its Russian partners in a Russian joint-venture, TNK-BP, which had become the third largest Russian oil company. The dispute was about the alleged breach by BP of a noncompete (or exclusivity) clause in a shareholder agreement that had been signed between offshore legal entities and was governed by English law. Although the clause was arguably contrary to Russian competition law, it was upheld by an arbitral tribunal in Stockholm. The turmoil set off by the dispute ultimately led to the full acquisition of TNK-BP by Rosneft, the state-controlled Russian oil company, for approximately $55bn, and a significant expansion of Russian state control over the oil &gas sector. The article comments on the persistent lack of effect of third-country mandatory rules in transnational contractual practice and the eviction of national laws through cross-border corporate and contractual planning . It calls for increased transparency in systemically important transactions, through publication of court injunctions and large scale arbitral awards (at least in part).
The Financial Crisis of 2007–2009 and the Great Recession

This chapter expands upon the topics covered in the previous chapters and covers some new ground. The chapter starts with the impact of monetary policy on the economy. It presents an overview of the financial crisis that started in 2007. I discuss various factors that led to the financial crisis and how the Fed responded. Then I talk about the so-called Modern Monetary Theory.
Survey of Solid State Drives, Characteristics, Technology, and Applications

NAND flash storage is a common digital storage architecture, because of its affordability and mature design, NAND flash is a dominant storage technology used in embedded systems, and general purpose computers in the form of solid state drives (SSD). The use of SSD in datacenters is less common, because of reliability and cost concerns of the storage, its use in datacenters is an area of active research. Other aspects of the technology being investigated are stacked layers of memory cells, optimization of flash controller algorithms, SSD and digital forensics, and storage class memories. The future challenges and directions for research are provided at the end.
A Pharmacovigilance Study of Adverse Drug Reactions Reported for Cardiovascular Disease Medications Approved Between 2012 and 2017 in the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Database.

Between 2012 and 2017, the FDA approved 29 therapies for a cardiovascular disease (CVD) indication. Due to the limited literature on patient safety outcomes for recently approved CVD medications, this study investigated adverse drug reports (ADRs) reported in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). A disproportionality analysis of spontaneously reported ADR was conducted. Reports in FAERS from Quarter 1, 2012, through Quarter 1, 2019, were compiled, allowing a 2-year buffer following drug approval in 2017. Top 10 reported ADRs and reporting odds ratios (ROR; confidence interval (CI)), a measure of disproportionality, were analyzed and compared to drugs available prior to 2012 as appropriate. Of 7,952,147 ADR reports, 95,016 (1.19%) consisted of reports for newly approved CVD medications. For oral anticoagulants, apixaban had significantly lower reports for anemia and renal failure compared to dabigatran and rivaroxaban but greater reports for neurological signs/symptoms, and arrhythmias. Evaluating heart failure drugs, sacubitril/valsartan had greater reports for acute kidney injury, coughing, potassium imbalances, and renal impairment but notably, lower for angioedema compared to lisinopril. Assessing familial hypercholesterolemia drugs, alirocumab had greater reports for joint-related-signs/symptoms compared to other agents in this category. A newer pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, selexipag, had greater reports of reporting for bone/joint-related-signs/symptoms but riociguat had greater reports for hemorrhages and vascular hypotension. Pharmacovigilance studies allow an essential opportunity to evaluate the safety profile of CVD medications in clinical practice. Additional research is needed to evaluate these reported safety concerns for recently approved CVD medications.
The flexible impact of member affect in groups performing complex decision-making tasks:

Positive and negative affect are often thought to influence the quality of group decision-making by prompting different cognitive processing styles: a less effortful heuristic style in the case of ...
Modern UNOS Data Reveals Septuagenarians have Inferior Heart Transplant Survival

BackgroundWhile heart transplantation is increasingly performed in the United States for elderly patients, survival outcomes have primarily been analyzed in single-center studies. The few existing long-term studies have indicated no difference in HTx outcomes between patients [≥]70 years and 60-69 years age, but these studies only assessed to 5-years post-transplant and included data from the 1980-90s, introducing significant variance due to poorer outcomes in that era. We analyzed the UNOS database from 1987-2020, stratified by timeframe at 2000, to derive a more representative comparison of modern HTx survival outcomes. MethodsAll UNOS HTx recipients over 18 years of age (n=66,186) were divided into 3 cohorts: 18-59, 60-69 and [≥]70 years old. Demographic data as well as perioperative factors were evaluated for significance using Chi-Squared and H-Tests as appropriate. Kaplan-Meier Curve and cox regressions with log-rank tests were used to assess 5 through 10 year survival outcomes. Results45,748 were 18-59 years old, 19,129 were 60-69 years old and 1,309 were [≥]70 year old. The distribution of most demographic and perioperative factors significantly differed between cohorts. Pairwise survival analysis involving the 18-59 cohort always indicated significance. While there was no significance between the two older cohorts in the earlier timeframe, there was significance in the later timeframe from 6-10 years post-HTx (p<0.05). Cox regressions confirmed results. ConclusionsThe results indicate that since 2000, recipients 60-69 years of age have better 6 through 10-year post-transplant survival than older recipients, a relationship previously obscured by worse outcomes in early data.
Expressions of Anti-Black Biases, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions in the Full-Service Restaurant Industry:

Verbal and behavioral manifestations of anti-Black biases have been shown to be quite common in many full-service restaurant establishments. Such explicit expressions of anti-Black biases have been...
SPRM: Source Path Routing Model and Link Failure Handling in Software-Defined Networks

Software Defined Networking (SDN) has emerged as a promising paradigm with the key idea of separating control and data planes. However, this separation causes various scalability issues (e.g., increased response time, overhead on the controller and core SDN switches) in Wide Area Networks (WANs). While addressing such scalability issues, it is important to maintain the performance gains of the Reactive SDN and also to handle link failures. To jointly address scalability, performance, and link failure issues, we propose a new Source-Path Routing Model (SPRM) by combining the best of proactive and reactive approaches along with a simple packet programming mechanism. Specifically, SPRM pre-calculates and pre-installs multiple paths (proactive part) but then selects/assigns one of these paths for an incoming flow based on the available dynamic network state information (NSI) (reactive part). We also utilize SPRM to effectively cope with the link failures by using multiple paths as backup to each other. Our simulation results show that SPRM performs much better than the pure Reactive SDN in terms of path establishment delay and flow table size while (a) maintaining its performance gains in terms of link utilization and load balancing, and (b) quickly recovering from a link failure without causing extra memory overhead on the data plane.
Accuracy of Signs, Symptoms, and Hematologic Parameters for the Diagnosis of Infectious Mononucleosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The accuracy of individual symptoms, signs, and several easily obtainable hematologic parameters for diagnosing infectious mononucleosis (IM) still needs to be confirmed. Improving the diagnosis of IM based on the clinical findings could prompt physicians to identify better which patients need a diagnostic test for IM. This study performed a systematic review to determine the accuracy of symptoms, signs, and hematologic parameters in patients with suspected IM that used heterophile antibody test or viral capsid antigen tests as the reference standard. Methods: The PubMed database was searched for all relevant articles. Two reviewers reviewed all studies in parallel and assessed the quality of the selected studies using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies 2 (QUADAS-2) criteria. The pooled measures of diagnostic performance were calculated by bivariate meta-analysis for each clinical finding, which included sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, the diagnostic odds ratios, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Seventeen studies were included in our final analysis. The prevalence of IM ranged from 2.1% to 80% among prospective cohort studies. The presence of splenomegaly (positive likelihood ratio [LR+], 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-5.51), palatal petechiae (LR+, 1.32-11.40), posterior cervical lymphadenopathy (LR+, 3.16; 95% CI, 1.45-5.20), and axillary or inguinal cervical lymphadenopathy (LR+, 3.05; 95 CI, 1.85-4.70) were moderately useful for ruling in IM. The most helpful hematologic parameters for ruling in IM include lymphocytes greater than 4 × 109/L and greater than 40% to 50%, or atypical lymphocytes greater than 40%. A combination of lymphocytes greater than 50% and atypical lymphocytes greater than 10% (LR+, 50.40; 95% CI, 8.43-162) was also found to be helpful to rule in disease. Most of the clinical findings have limited diagnostic value in ruling out the disease when absent. Conclusions: Although most symptoms and signs were unhelpful, the likelihood of IM is appreciably increased by several examination findings. Hematologic parameters were more accurate than symptoms and signs. Since most clinical findings have limited diagnostic value in ruling out the disease, physicians should not rely on the absence of any individual symptom or clinical sign for ruling out IM.
Neutrophil hyperpolarization in response to a chemotactic peptide

The chemotactic peptide formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), at concentrations below 10(-9) M, elicits a sustained increase in the human neutrophil's membrane potential within 10 s of its addition. This hyperpolarization, detected with the fluorescent cationic potentiometric probes, 3,3'-dipentyloxacarbocyanine (diO-C5-(3)), and 1,1'-dipropyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine iodide (diI-C3-(3)), and with the anionic probe bis-(1,3-diethylthiobarbituric)trimethine oxonol (bis-oxonol), is immediately followed by a large depolarization when [fMLP] greater than 10(-9) M. By extracellular substitution of sodium ions with potassium ions or choline or by pretreatment of the cells with ionophores, we report here that the hyperpolarization is primarily dependent on an intact potassium ion gradient and is accompanied by a concurrent acidification of the cytoplasm (approximately 0.05 pH unit) Although the latter occurs simultaneously with a large, transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ at [fMLP] greater than 10(-10) M, it occurs without a detectable increase in cytosolic Ca2+ at [fMLP] less than 10(-10) M. The hyperpolarization is neither affected nor initiated by the chemotactic peptide antagonist tert-butyloxycarbonyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, whereas the depolarization is completely inhibited. Neutrophils isolated from patients with X-linked chronic granulomatous disease exhibit normal hyperpolarizations and cytosolic Ca2+ increases in response to chemotactic peptides but exhibit no depolarization or oxidative burst. The hyperpolarization appears earlier in the ontogeny of differentiating myeloid precursor cells than either the rise in cytosolic Ca2+ or the depolarization response. Together, these findings indicate that an increase in transmembrane potential is one of the earliest events in the neutrophil response to chemotactic peptides, coinciding temporally with increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+ and H+ concentrations but preceding detectable oxidative burst activity.
La Caja De Pandora: Improving Access to Hospice Care Among Hispanic and African-American Patients

Many patients clinging to hope in the form of potentially curative treatment could benefit from hospice services, but, for the most part, it is not until the patient accepts the finality of his or her condition that the physical, psychological and social benefits of hospice care become accessible to the patient and his or her family. Under current Medicare regulations and other health care payers’ policies, patients must abandon the hope of curative treatment before opting for hospice services. As a result, many terminally ill patients access the services late, sometimes a few hours before death. Scholars have proposed that such a barrier to access, present in Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurers’ coverage rules, may be responsible for lower utilization of hospice services and later access to hospice services than has been proven to be beneficial to patients and their families. This problem becomes even more significant, and other barriers beside coverage rules become apparent, when considering the health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Not only do patients in racial and ethnic minority groups access hospice late, like the general population, but they also access it in far fewer numbers. The statistics are especially stark among African-American and Hispanic patients. This Article explores these powerful statistics, seeking to shed light on the end-of-life decision-making process for Hispanics and African-Americans, with an eye toward identifying barriers to access and utilization of hospice services among those populations.
Purification and Characterization of a Specific 3-Deoxy-d-manno-Octulosonate 8-Phosphate Phosphatase from Escherichia coli B

A phosphatase specific for the hydrolysis of 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate (KDO)-8-phosphate was purified approximately 400-fold from crude extracts of Escherichia coli B. The hydrolysis of KDO-8-phosphate to KDO and inorganic phosphate in crude extracts of E. coli B, grown in phosphate-containing minimal medium, could be accounted for by the enzymatic activity of this specific phosphatase. No other sugar phosphate tested was an alternate substrate or inhibitor of the purified enzyme. KDO-8-phosphate phosphatase was stimulated three- to fourfold by the addition of 1.0 mM Co(+) or Mg(2+) and to a lesser extent by 1.0 mM Ba(2+), Zn(2+), and Mn(2+). The activity was inhibited by the addition of 1.0 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Cu(2+), Ca(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), and chloride ions (50% at 0.1 M). The pH optimum was determined to be 5.5 to 6.5 in both tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-acetate and HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid) buffer. This specific phosphatase had an isoelectric point of 4.7 to 4.8 and a molecular weight of 80,000 +/- 6,000 as determined by molecular sieving and Ferguson analysis. The enzyme appeared to be composed of two identical subunits of 40,000 to 43,000 molecular weight. The apparent K(m) for KDO-8-phosphate was determined to be 5.8 +/- 0.9 x 10(-5) M in the presence of 1.0 mM Co(2+), 9.1 +/- 1 x 10(-5) M in the presence of 1.0 mM Mg(2+), and 1.0 +/- 0.2 x 10(-4) M in the absence of added Co(2+) or Mg(2+).
Natalizumab-Related PML Is Possible Even With Recent Negative JCV Antibody Testing (P4.030)

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in a patient on natalizumab who9s last John Cunningham virus (JCV) antibody testing 2 weeks before onset of symptoms was negative. BACKGROUND: Natalizumab-related PML has a mortality of 22[percnt], but many survivors have a poor functional outcome. An important PML risk factor is seropositivity for anti-JCV antibodies and serology should be retested periodically. Previously, 2 natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis PML patients were anti-JCV antibody negative but testing dated from 8 and 9 months before diagnosis. DESIGN/METHODS: Case presentation and literature review. RESULTS: A 70-year-old woman who had been on natalizumab for more than 4 years and had never received immunosuppressants developed PML symptoms of progressive right arm weakness 2 weeks after last negative anti-JCV antibody testing (index value 0.19). The initial brain MRI was reported as having a new MS lesion but short-term repeat MRI raised the concern for PML and CSF JCV PCR came back positive. While prior routine JCV antibody retesting every 3 months per our clinic standard had been negative until 2 weeks prior to onset of symptoms, at time of diagnosis serum anti-JCV antibody was positive with an index of 2.56. CONCLUSIONS: Negative anti-JCV antibody patients are still at risk for the development of PML because of the potential for de novo infection as well as possibly false negative test result, of which the reported rate is 3[percnt]. This case reiterates that any natalizumab-treated patient with new MRI lesions or new symptoms could have PML and suggests that JCV antibody should be repeated even if recently negative. Moreover, in such cases, short-term repeat MRI and/or CSF testing warrants consideration. Study Supported by: not supported Disclosure: Dr. Brosseau has nothing to disclose. Dr. Stobbe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cramer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lipe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wundes has nothing to disclose.
Transition to green cellular network

This paper shows that in every propagation environment, there is a free space propagation medium, due to the existence of Fresnel Zones. This gives rise to Fresnel zone break point d o , where d o is the distance between the transmitter and the receiver. Radio frequency propagation within d o is similar to free space propagation. This enables us to design low power small cells to conserve energy, thereby reducing RF & CO2 pollution. With this foundation in mind, we will develop a hierarchical cellular structure for the next generation green cellular network comprising Macrocell, Microcell, Picocell and Femtocell.
Altered expression of sialic acid-bearing glycoconjugates as revealed by lectin binding to choroid plexus in perinatal hydrocephalic rats

Glycoconjugates perform key roles in the development and maintenance of the CNS. A chief saccharide element in brain development is sialic acid, usually occurring as Nacetyl-neuraminic acid. Previous studies by H. Jones et al. demonstrated that glyco-conjugate secretions into CSF, by circumventricular organs like the SCO, may be associated with hydrocephalus development. Therefore, we used 4 lectins (LPA, SNA, MAL-II and WGA), specific for several forms of sialic acid, to probe for alterations in sialic acidbearing glycoconjugate profiles in the CSF-secreting choroid plexus (CP) of the HTx rat hydrocephalus model. Lectins are proteins that bind to carbohydrate residues in an antibody-like manner. We used 3 cohorts of rats: prenatal (20 days of gestation); neonatal (1 day after birth); and postnatal (4 days). Five choroid epithelial domains/ parameters were analyzed: apical cell surface; lateral surface; basal surface; cytoplasm; and all domains considered collectively. Staining intensity was judged visually on a 1+ to 4+ scale, at 400×. Means of sialic acid staining intensity were calculated using 5 animals from each cohort.