cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proteoglycan synthesis in two murine bone marrow stromal cell lines

There is evidence indicating that stromal proteoglycans are an important functional component of the hematopoietic microenvironment. Proteoglycan synthesis was therefore investigated in the MS3–2A and D2XRII hematopoietic stromal cell lines. These lines differ in their capacity to support hematopoiesis in vitro, D2XRII supporting in vitro hematopoiesis, whereas MS3–2A does not. Cells were labeled with 35S- sulfate as precursor, and 4 mol/L guanidine HCl extracts of cells and media were analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography, cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation, and molecular sieve chromatography. Proteoglycans were further examined by enzymatic and chemical digestions. MS3–2A cells produced at least three proteoglycan species. Two chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) proteoglycans, Kav = 0.40 and Kav = 0.68 on Sepharose CL-2B, were present primarily in the medium. The respective glycosaminoglycan molecular weight (mol wt) values were 38 kd and 40 kd. A heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan of Kav = 0.58 and glycosaminoglycan mol wt 36 kd was present primarily in the cell layer extract. D2XRII cells synthesized two HS proteoglycans. The larger (Kav = 0.45; glycosaminoglycan mol wt, 30 kd) was of low density on gradient centrifugation and more prominent in the cell layer extracts, whereas the smaller (Kav = 0.68; glycosaminoglycan mol wt, 38 kd) was dense and present mainly in the culture medium. A single CS/DS proteoglycan species of Kav 0.78 and average glycosaminoglycan of mol wt 18 kd was present in roughly equal amounts in the medium and in the cell layer. MS3–2A and D2XRII thus appear phenotypically distinct with respect to proteoglycan synthesis. These differences are discussed in relation to the microenvironmental function of bone marrow stromal elements.
Abstract 541: RAGE Regulates Cellular Migration and Adhesion Through Proteolysis of Its Ectodomain

Introduction Enhanced expression of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) not only plays deleterious roles in various vascular diseases but also affects many vascular properties including endothelial permeability, leukocyte adhesion and transmigration. Decreased serum level of soluble RAGE (sRAGE), which inhibits RAGE functions, has been associated with various inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis. Notably, several studies have shown that the release of sRAGE ectodomain (ECD) occurs by proteolysis from the cell surface. However, little is known about how this process is regulated and the functional effects of RAGE ECD shedding. Hypothesis We hypothesize that shedding of RAGE ECD is a fundamental process regulating cell signaling pathways leading to altered cell function. Methods & Results Toward this end, we first demonstrated that RAGE ECD shedding is a conserved mechanism in humans and mice. Next, we showed that common activators of ECD shedding, such as the protein kinase C activator PMA; the metalloproteinase-activator APMA; and the calcium ionophore ionomycin, can induce RAGE ECD release. Furthermore, various inflammatory mediators including CRP and TNF-alpha can induce RAGE ECD shedding. Inhibition studies revealed RAGE ECD shedding could be blocked by metalloproteinase, PKC, and various MAP kinase inhibitors. Finally, utilizing a proteolytically resistant splice variant of RAGE lacking the ECD shedding site (RAGEv4), we investigated the cellular function of RAGE shedding. Compared to cell expressing RAGE or empty vector, the expression of RAGEv4 resulted in impeded cell migration. Moreover, RAGEv4 reduced cellular adhesion as compared to vector control and RAGE expressing cells. Key downstream signaling pathways affected by RAGE ECD shedding are being currently investigated. Conclusions RAGE ECD shedding is a conserved and tightly regulated mechanism involving distinct signaling pathways. Shedding of RAGE regulates key cellular properties including adhesion and migration. Our data suggest that proteolysis of RAGE is a major regulatory process and may emerge as a novel therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases.
Deriving convex hulls through lifting and projection

We consider convex hull descriptions for certain sets described by inequality constraints over a hypercube and propose a lifting-and-projection technique to construct them. The general procedure obtains the convex hulls as an intersection of semi-infinite families of linear inequalities, each derived using lifting techniques that are interpreted using convexification tools. We demonstrate that differentiability and concavity of certain perturbation functions help reduce the number of inequalities needed for this characterization. Each family of inequalities yields a few linear/nonlinear constraints fully characterized in the space of the original problem variables, when the projection problems are amenable to a closed-form solution. In particular, we illustrate the complete procedure by constructing the convex hulls of the subsets of a compact hypercube defined by the constraints $$x_{1}^{b_{1}} x_{2}^{b_{2}} \ge x_3$$ and $$x_1 x_{2}^{b_{2}} \le x_3$$ , where $$b_1,b_2\ge 1$$ . As a consequence, we obtain a closed-form description of the convex hull of the bilinear equality $$x_1x_2=x_3$$ , in the presence of variable bounds, as an intersection of a few linear and nonlinear inequalities. This explicit characterization, hitherto unknown, can improve relaxation techniques for factorable functions, which utilize this equality to relax products of functions with known relaxations.
Behavioral Profiles of Youth Who have Experienced Victimization

Victimization has been associated with increased depression, anxiety, anger, and delinquency; yet, research on adolescent victimization has largely relied on variable-centered approaches to examine associations with singular outcomes. With secondary data from the Developmental Victimization Survey, we utilized latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of youth, ages 12–17, based on clusters of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. We also examined how the behavioral outcome clusters were associated with different forms of victimization. Four behavioral subscales were included within the latent profile analysis and a four-class model had the best fit. Youth in Class 3 (high depression, anxiety, anger, and delinquency) were significantly more likely to have experienced peer/sibling victimization and to have experienced indirect victimization than youth in Class 2 (high depression, anxiety, and anger). The study findings indicate that certain types of victimization have greater consequences on mental health and that the unique clustering of symptoms is at least partially accounted for by the types of victimization experienced.
Drug Delivered Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate (PEGDA) Hydrogels and Their Mechanical Characterization Tests for Tissue Engineering Applications

Tissue Engineering has been studied to develop tissues as an alternative approach to the organ regeneration. Successful artificial tissue growth in regenerative medicine depends on the precise scaffold fabrication as well as the cell-cell and cell-scaffold interaction. Scaffolds are extracellular matrices that guide cells to grow in 3D to regenerate the tissues. Cell-seeded scaffolds must be implanted to the damaged tissues to do the tissue regeneration. Scaffolds’ mechanical properties and porosities are the two main scaffold fabrication parameters as the scaffolds must be able to hold the pressure due to the surrounding tissues after the implantation process. In this research, scaffolds were fabricated by photolithography and Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate (PEGDA) which is a biocompatible and biodegradable material was used as a fabrication material. In order to compare the compressive properties of PEGDA only with the compressive properties of drug delivered PEGDA, firstly, PEGDA only solutions were prepared. Then, PEGDA was mixed with Meloxicam 15 mg, Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg and Spironolactone-hctz 25-25 mg respectively and they were placed under the UV light for about 15 minutes to solidify the cylindrical shaped hydrogels. 5 samples from each group were fabricated under the same conditions. Laboratory temperature, photoinitiator concentration and UV light intensity was kept constant during the fabrication process. After the fabrication was completed, Instron 3369 universal mechanical testing machine with the 5 mm/min compression rate was used to do the compression tests to compare the drug effects on PEGDA hydrogels. Our results indicate that average ultimate strength of PEGDA only samples was 3.820 MPa. Also, due to the fact that Meloxicam 15 mg and PEGDA mixture did not solidify under the UV light at all, compression test could not be performed for PEGDA- Meloxicam 15 mg mixture. However, Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg and Spironolactone-hctz 25-25 mg dissolved within the PEGDA completely and our compression results show that average ultimate strengths were 3.372 MPa, 1.602 MPa, 1.999 MPa respectively. This preliminary research showcases that compressive properties of the PEGDA-based photopolymerized scaffolds can be altered with the control of the drug type and drug concentration.
Acute concussion: making the diagnosis and state of the art management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Concussion is an increasingly common injury in children. We aim to review the basic epidemiology and management of acute concussion and highlight recent studies that have contributed to our understanding of care for this injury. RECENT FINDINGS While concussion is considered a 'mild' form of traumatic brain injury, recent evidence suggests that as many as 30% of children are still symptomatic 1 month after injury. Although there is increasing interest in finding objective measures of injury and recovery, emerging imaging and serum biomarkers are not ready for routine clinical use. Identification of children at risk for prolonged symptoms is vital. Prolonged rest after injury may worsen outcomes. SUMMARY Concussion is a common injury in children. Objective measures of injury and recovery are needed, as are targeted therapies to mitigate the risk of prolonged recovery after injury.
The Science of Politics in the United States

The study of politics in the United States today is something in size, content, and method unique in Western intellectual history. As Professor Pendleton Herring has recently said: “Political science as a subject of systematic enquiry started with Aristotle but as a profession it has won its greatest recognition in the United States and within our generation. One fact is clear: no other country in the world has so large, so well trained, so competent a profession dedicated to the teaching and analysis of government… . This profession … is now part of our national strength.” Not merely has the size of “the profession” grown so much since Aristotle's day, but the method has also markedly changed. American methods have consciously aspired to the modern concepts of natural science. There has been an advocacy of an integrated science of society, resting especially on concepts drawn from modem physics, biology, and psychology, and on a marked displacement of speculative philosophy and historical study. There now follow, from a sceptical foreigner, some reflections on the claims of Professor Herring. It is surely important for friends and neighbours to make some judgment on how a political science profession can become a “partof … national strength” and how relevant these new methods can be to the peculiar historical experience of the United States.
Prevalence of lead poisoning in a suburban practice.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (EBLLS, lead > or = 10 micrograms/dL [0.48 mumol/L]) in a suburban family practice setting and to assess the utility of a questionnaire as an alternative to universal screening in identifying individuals with EBLL in a low-risk population. METHODS Parents bringing children aged 1 through 3 years into the office for any type of visit were offered the opportunity to complete a questionnaire concerning risk for lead poisoning and to obtain free blood lead testing for their child. No child in this study had previously been tested for lead toxicity. The lead levels found on testing were correlated with the questionnaire results. RESULTS Two hundred thirty-two children with an average age of 20 months were tested. Blood lead levels ranged from 0 to 53 micrograms/dL (2.56 mumol/L). Elevated blood lead levels were found in 5.6% of the study population. The five questions suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were taken as a group, and any "yes" or "don't know" response was considered a risk factor. These questions had a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 41.6% in identifying children with EBLL. An additional question regarding residence in a home built before 1960 (or not knowing the age of the home) was a better screening test for EBLL (sensitivity 92.3%, specificity 57.1%) than the five CDC questions. Lower household income was associated with an EBLL, but sex, race, and home location (urban, suburban, rural) were not. CONCLUSIONS Risk-assessment questionnaires are useful tools in selecting children who are at risk for an EBLL from low-risk populations. Comparison of this study with similar studies suggests that the most useful questions for this purpose may vary according to location. In this and other studies to date, however, questionnaires show less than 100% sensitivity in identifying children with EBLL.
Congenital Bladder Obstruction: Research Strategies and Directions

Congenital bladder obstruction (CBO) continues to challenge the clinician and scientist in terms of its health impact on patients, as well as its wide spectrum of biologic effect. Bladder dysfunction due to congenital obstruction can produce significant and often insidious injury to the upper urinary tract in addition to causing incontinence and urinary tract infection. The biological changes of congenitally obstructed bladder are not well described, yet represent alterations in growth regulation, connective tissue remodelling, and changes in developmental patterns, and therefore reflect fundamental principles of biological response.
Pair Potentials for van der Waals Solids from a One-Electron Model

Recent years have seen much attention paid to the details of the interatomic potentials used to calculate the lattice properties of the rare gas crystals. Thus, for example, we have the extensive work of Klein and co-workers1 on argon. They determined a multiparameter potential by fitting to beam scattering and second virial coefficient data, and then examined that potential by stringent comparisons of calculated liquid and solid properties to empirical values. As this example might suggest, it is not far from correct to say that, with the exception of solid He, the essential problem for the theory of the ground state of rare gas crystals has been to test various empirical and semiempirical potentials. Such a situation is somewhat unsatisfying, for it would be preferable to have a theory of rare gas crystals which incorporated an ab initio treatment of the electronic structure of the solid into its description of lattice properties. The present work is motivated by that desire.
The influence of salinity and water chemistry on acute toxicity of cadmium to two euryhaline fish species.

Abstract The euryhaline killifishes, Fundulus heteroclitus and Kryptolebias marmoratus inhabit estuaries that rapidly change salinity. Although cadmium (Cd) toxicity has been well characterized in fish inhabiting freshwaters, fewer studies have examined the toxic effects of Cd in estuarine and saltwater environments. Additionally, current environmental regulations do not account for organism physiology in different salinity waters even though metal sensitivity is likely to change in these environments. In this study, we investigated effects of changing salinity on acute Cd toxicity to larval (7–9 d old) F. heteroclitus and K. marmoratus. Median 96-h lethal concentrations (LC50) for Cd were calculated for both fish species at six different salinities. As salinity increased, metal toxicity decreased in both fish species up to 18 ppt salinity; and F. heteroclitus were more sensitive than K. marmoratus at salinities above 12 ppt. To determine which components of saltwater were protective against Cd toxicity, we investigated the influence of CaSO4 (100 and 200 mg/L), CaCl2 (200 mg/L), and MgSO4 (300 mg/L) on Cd toxicity to K. marmoratus. The results demonstrated that both competition with calcium and complexation with chloride reduced the toxic effects of Cd to K. marmoratus. These findings could be used to improve marine/estuarine biotic ligand models for the determination of site-specific water quality criteria for Cd.
The Role of Network Structure in Manufacturing Joint-Venture Formations

This paper develops a network theory based framework of manufacturing equity-based partnership formations and provides an empirical test in the context of the global automotive industry. Specific t...
Integrative Approaches in Ceramic Petrography

Integrative Approaches in Ceramic Petrography presents research on pottery from Arizona, Belgium, China, Crete, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Peru, Syria, and Turkey, spanning 5,000 B.C. to the ninet...
Local control after brain-directed radiation in patients with cystic versus solid brain metastases.

Brain metastases can be radiographically cystic or solid. Cystic metastases are associated with a greater intracranial disease burden and poorer oncologic outcomes, but the impact of cystic versus solid appearance on local control after radiation remains unknown. We investigated whether cystic versus solid nature is predictive of local control after management with stereotactic or whole brain radiation (WBRT) and whether the radiation modality utilized is an effect modifier. We identified 859 patients with 2211 newly-diagnosed brain metastases managed with upfront stereotactic radiation or WBRT without preceding resection/aspiration at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2000 and 2015. Multivariable Cox regression with an interaction term and sandwich covariance matrix was used to quantify local failure. Cystic lesions were more likely to recur than solid ones when managed with stereotactic radiation (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.32–4.10, p = 0.004) but not WBRT (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.62–1.36, p = 0.67), p-interaction = 0.007. 1 year local control rates for cystic versus solid metastases treated with stereotactic radiation were 75% versus 88%, respectively; estimates with WBRT were 76% versus 76%, respectively. However, no significant differences were noted between the two cohorts in post-radiation outcomes including all-cause mortality and neurologic death (p > 0.05). Among patients with brain metastases, stereotactic radiation yields improved local control and less morbidity than WBRT, and consequently for many patients the cystic versus solid designation does not impact treatment selection. However, our results suggest that in patients with a large number of cystic brain metastases, a lower threshold to consider WBRT, as opposed to stereotactic radiation, should be employed. If our results can be confirmed, further investigation into the underlying mechanism(s) would be warranted.
Improved social services and the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder among economically vulnerable people after a natural disaster: a modelling study.

Summary Background Hurricanes and other natural disasters produce public health and economic consequences that last well beyond their immediate aftermath. Resource loss is a core driver of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after large-scale traumatic events. We examined the effect of restoration of residential and housing-related financial resources on recovery from PTSD in post-disaster contexts. Methods We built an agent-based model, empiricised with observational and experimental data, to test the effects of differing health service approaches on PTSD recovery, measured by prevalence and persistence. We tested a social services case management (SSCM) approach similar to Psychological First Aid, featuring shelter-based social service provision and linkage to mental health treatment for people who were displaced and had income loss, by comparing the treatment effectiveness of usual care alone, usual care with SSCM, stepped care alone, and stepped care with SSCM. Findings An SSCM approach to restore housing and provide linkage to mental health services among people who were displaced and had income loss after a large-scale natural disaster resulted in between 1·56 (95% CI 1·55–1·57) and 5·73 (5·04–6·91) times as many remitted PTSD cases as non-SSCM conditions at the end of the first year, and between 1·16 (1·16–1·17) and 2·28 (2·25–2·32) times as many remitted cases at the end of the second year. Interpretation Restoring economic and housing resources to populations affected by a natural disaster would significantly reduce the mental health burden in populations, particularly those with resource loss, after a disaster. Funding US Department of Health and Human Services.
Toward Robust Interpretable Human Movement Pattern Analysis in a Workplace Setting

Gaining a better understanding of how people move about and interact with their environment is an important piece of understanding human behavior. Careful analysis of individuals’ deviations or variations in movement over time can provide an awareness about changes to their physical or mental state and may be helpful in tracking performance and well-being especially in workplace settings. We propose a technique for clustering and discovering patterns in human movement data by extracting motifs from the time series of durations where participants linger at different locations. Using a data set of over 200 participants moving around a hospital for ten weeks, we show this technique intuitively captures local temporal relationships between hospital rooms and also clusters them in a fashion consistent with the room type labels (e.g. lounge, break room, etc.) without using prior knowledge. Machine learning features derived from these clusters are empirically shown to provide information similar to features attained using domain knowledge of the room type labels directly when predicting mental wellness from self-reports.
Molecular dynamics investigation of threshold displacement energies in CaF2

Abstract Understanding the propagation of radiation damage in a material is paramount to predicting the material damage effects. To date, no current literature has investigated the Threshold Displacement Energy (TDE) of Ca and F atoms in CaF2 through molecular dynamics and simulated statistical analysis. A set of interatomic potentials between Ca-Ca, F-F, and F-Ca were splined, fully characterizing a pure CaF2 simulation cell, by using published Born-Mayer-Huggins, standard ZBL, and Coulomb potentials, with a resulting structure within 1% of standard density and published lattice constants. Using this simulation cell, molecular dynamics simulations were performed with LAMMPS using a simulation that randomly generated 500 Ca and F PKA directions for each incremental set of energies, and a simulation in each of the [1 0 0], [1 1 0], and [1 1 1] directions with 500 trials for each incremental energy. MD simulations of radiation damage in CaF2 are carried out using F and Ca PKAs, with energies ranging from 2 to 200 eV. Probabilistic determinations of the TDE and Threshold Vacancy Energy (TVE) of Ca and F atoms in CaF2 were performed, as well as examining vacancy, interstitial, and antisite production rates over the range of PKA energies. Many more F atoms were displaced from both PKA species, and though F recombination appears more probable than Ca recombination, F vacancy numbers are higher. The higher number of F vacancies than Ca vacancies suggests F Frenkel pairs dominate CaF2 damage.
Antibiotic therapy in acute gastroenteritis: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Background Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common reason for emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The role of antibiotics in AGE is unclear, as the current literature shows only a minor impact on the duration of symptoms and the overall clinical course. Our goal was to assess whether antibiotic therapy in patients with AGE affects the length of hospital stay (LOS). Methods In a retrospective study, we evaluated 479 patients admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of AGE. The study compared the 219 patients (46%) treated with antibiotics to the remainder treated with supportive therapy. The diagnosis of AGE was made either clinically or based on imaging findings. The primary outcome of this study was to compare the LOS in days between both groups. Results Patients treated with antibiotics had a similar LOS to those treated with supportive therapy (2.62 vs. 2.66 days, P=0.77). Patients with presumed sepsis had a higher likelihood of receiving antibiotics compared to those without presumed sepsis (risk ratio 1.49, 62.5% vs. 41.95%; P<0.001). In this subgroup, patients who received antibiotics had a slightly shorter LOS than those who received only supportive therapy, but the difference was not statistically significant (2.09 vs. 2.54 days, P=0.69). Conclusion We found no difference in the LOS for hospitalized patients with AGE treated with antibiotics when compared to supportive therapy. This calls into question the role of antibiotics in the management of AGE.
RRAM-Based In-Memory Computing for Embedded Deep Neural Networks

Deploying state-of-the-art deep neural networks (DNNs) on embedded devices has created a major implementation challenge, largely due to the energy cost of memory access. RRAM-based in-memory processing units (IPUs) enable fully layerwise-pipelined architectures, minimizing the required SRAM memory capacity for storing feature maps and amortizing its access over hundreds to thousands of arithmetic operations. This paper presents an RRAM-based IPU featuring dynamic voltage-mode multiply-accumulate and a single-slope A/D readout scheme with RRAM-embedded ramp generator, which together eliminate power-hungry current-mode circuitry without sacrificing linearity. SPICE simulations suggest that this RRAM-based IPU architecture can achieve an array-level energy efficiency up to 1.2 2b-POps/s/W and an area efficiency exceeding 45 2b-TOps/s/mm2.
1 – The Pollutants

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the classification and discusses the extent of air pollution problems. They are: acidic deposition, asbestos, carbon dioxide, indoor pollution, lead, long-range transport, nuclear accidents, non-ionizing radiation, risk assessment and management, stratospheric ozone, toxic substances, and visibility. The chapter discusses the global sources, concentrations, and important scavenging processes of the more important atmospheric trace gases. Although, in many cases, the total mass of natural emissions surpasses pollutant emissions on a worldwide basis, they are dispersed. Pollutant emissions are emitted from point sources or limited area sources. As a result, local ambient air quality levels might rise to environmentally undesirable and even health-endangering levels. Because of its effect on visibility and its association with soiling, corrosion, and respiratory effects, suspended particulate matter, or smoke, has received the earliest and most universal concern of air pollution clean-up programs.
Objective identification of local spatial structure for material characterization

Abstract Objective tools for characterizing materials at the atomic level are often difficult to develop because of the size or structure of the data. Atom probe tomography (APT) is a measurement t...
Ion-linked double-network hydrogel with high toughness and stiffness

In this paper, a facile one-pot method was developed to fabricate ion cross-linked calcium-alginate/poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) double-network hydrogels with excellent toughness and stiffness. In comparison to the sodium alginate/PAAm hybrid gel, the as-fabricated calcium-alginate/PAAm gel demonstrated superior mechanical properties. After soaking in calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution, the size of the as-synthesized hybrid gel can be well controlled without observable volumetric swelling through manipulating the equilibrium between shrinkable elastic energy from ionic (Ca2+) bonds and swelling osmotic energy. This material design and processing technology are promising to fabricate complicated-shaped cartilage with high geometric fidelity. After soaking in 8 wt% CaCl2 solution for 2 h, compressive strength of calcium-alginate/PAAm gel was significantly improved by 92 % compared to PAAm single network hydrogel, meanwhile the size and shape of calcium-alginate/PAAm gel were nearly changed and deformed, respectively.
Academic Entrepreneurship: The NSF I-Corps Program—Case Study Part II [Entrepreneur Viewpoint]

Reports on the I-Corps program, a nationally-renowned initiative with sites throughout the U.S. One full site was launched at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in January 2015 and was the first I-Corps program in the state of Florida. This program is customer-focused learning and targets early stage startups. It promises that spinning off an invention into a business is a process that can be learned and systematically executed. This program serves as the platform to initiate a conversation between your team members on one side and the market and customer on the other side, test your idea, and provide a better sense of direction for your idea and its applications. It helps students gain the resources, knowledge, confidence, and skills to enter an industry mindset and to convert their creative ideas into something tangible and useful.
Simulating streamflow and water table depth with a coupled hydrological model

A coupled model integrating MODFLOW and TOPNET with the models interacting through the exchange of recharge and baseflow and river-aquifer interactions was developed and applied to the Big Darby Watershed in Ohio, USA. Calibration and validation results show that there is generally good agreement between measured streamflow and simulated results from the coupled model. At two gauging stations, average goodness of fit (R2), percent bias (PB), and Nash Sutcliffe efficiency (ENS) values of 0.83, 11.15%, and 0.83, respectively, were obtained for simulation of streamflow during calibration, and values of 0.84, 8.75%, and 0.85, respectively, were obtained for validation. The simulated water table depths yielded average R2 values of 0.77 and 0.76 for calibration and validation, respectively. The good match between measured and simulated streamflows and water table depths demonstrates that the model is capable of adequately simulating streamflows and water table depths in the watershed and also capturing the influence of spatial and temporal variation in recharge.
The Impact of Custodial Grandparenting on Cognitive Performance in a Longitudinal Sample of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

There are currently 2.7 million grandparents raising grandchildren in the United States. As grandparent caregiving has become more prevalent, concerns have surfaced regarding the effect of addition...
‘Nel cuore di tufo’: vernacular architecture and the genius loci of Bomarzo

Rarely are the characteristics of a people and the region they live in so intimately linked as they are in Tuscia. In the silence, nestled between the copper-colored walls of the forre (almost like...
Altered mental status in COVID-19.

Altered mental status (AMS) is a common neurological manifestation of COVID-19 infection in hospitalized patients. The principal causes of AMS have yet to be determined. We aimed to identify the common causes of AMS in patients with COVID-19 presenting to the emergency department with AMS on arrival. We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients presenting with AMS to three New York hospitals, from March 1 to April 16, 2020. Underlying causes of AMS on arrival to the emergency department (ED) were categorized as (1) neurological causes (stroke, seizure, encephalitis); (2) metabolic encephalopathy; (3) indeterminant. Multivariable analysis was used to assess independent predictors. Overall, 166 patients presented to the ED with AMS. Metabolic encephalopathy was diagnosed as the cause in 154 (92.8%), with 118 (71.1%) categorized as multifactorial ME and 36 (21.7%) with single-cause ME. Hypoxia 103 (62.0%) and renal failure 75 (45.2%) were the most common underlying mechanisms. Neurological causes of AMS occurred in a total 20 patients (12%) and as the sole factor in 5 (3.0%); 10 (6.0%) cases were seizure related and 10 (6.0%) were cerebrovascular events. Of the 7 patients with indeterminant causes, only 1 was suspicious for encephalitis (0.6%). Age, pre-existing dementia and cerebrovascular disease, and impaired renal function were independent predictors of AMS. In patients with COVID-19, AMS on presentation to the ED is most frequently caused by metabolic encephalopathy (delirium). Seizures and cerebrovascular events contribute to a lesser degree; encephalitis appears rare.
Pelvic fractures in severely injured elderly: a double-adjustment propensity score matched analysis from a level I trauma center

Pelvic trauma has increased risk of mortality in the elderly. Our study aimed to analyze the impact of the additional burden of pelvic fractures in severely injured elderly. This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained trauma registry from 2012 to 2018 at an American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level I Trauma Center. Trauma patients aged ≥ 65 years with ISS ≥ 16 and AIS severity score ≥ 3 in at least two body regions were divided in two groups: group I, consisted of elderly polytrauma patients without pelvic fractures, and group II elderly who had concomitant pelvic fractures. We used a double-adjustment method using propensity score matching (PSM) with subsequent covariate adjustment to minimize the effect of confounding factors, and give unbiased estimation of the impact of pelvic fractures. Balance assessment was conducted by computing absolute standardized mean differences (ASMDs) and ASMD < 0.10 reflects good balance between groups. Of 12,774 patients admitted during this time, 411 (3.2%) elderly with a mean age of 77.75 ± 8.32 years met the inclusion criteria. Of this cohort, only 92 patients (22.4%) had pelvic fractures. Females outnumbered males (55 vs. 45%). Comparing characteristics of group I and group II using ASMDs, pelvic trauma patients were more likely to have higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), head injuries, lower extremity injuries, anticoagulant therapy, and cirrhosis. Fewer variables differed significantly after matching. We observed few instances of worse outcomes associated with pelvic trauma using PSM with and without covariate adjustment. Crude PSM without covariate adjustment, showed a significantly higher rate of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for pelvic trauma (p < 0.001). Crude PSM also showed a significantly higher rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in group II (p = 0.006). PSM with covariate adjustment did not confirm differences on these outcomes. PSM both without and with covariate adjustment found lower ventilator days and ICU length of stay among patients with pelvic trauma. No significant differences were seen on 12 outcomes: death, acute kidney injury (AKI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cardiac arrest with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), myocardial infarction (MI), pulmonary embolism (PE), unplanned intubation, unplanned admission to intensive care unit (ICU), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and hospital length of stay. At a Level I Trauma Center the additional burden of pelvic fractures in seriously injured elderly did not translate into higher mortality. PSM without covariate adjustment suggests worse rates among pelvic trauma patients for DVT and VAP but covariate adjustment removed statistical significance for both outcomes. Pelvic trauma patients had shorter time on ventilator and in the ICU. Whether similar analytic methods applied to patients from larger data sources would produce similar findings remains to be seen.
Dual Photothermal/Chemotherapy of Melanoma Cells with Albumin Nanoparticles Carrying Indocyanine Green and Doxorubicin Leads to Immunogenic Cell Death.

Recent focus on cancer immunotherapies has led to significant interest in the development of therapeutic strategies that can lead to immunogenic cell death (ICD), which can cause activation of an immune response against tumor cells and improve immunotherapy outcomes by enhancing the immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment. In this work, we used a nanomedicine-mediated combination therapy to deliver the ICD inducers doxorubicin (Dox), a chemotherapeutic agent, and indocyanine green (ICG), a photothermal agent. Specifically, these agents were loaded into nanoparticles (NPs) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) that were prepared through a desolvation process. The formulation of BSA NPs was optimized to achieve NPs of 102.6 ± 2.12 nm in size and loadings of 8.55 ± 0.01% and 5.69 ± 0.02% (w/w) for ICG and Dox, respectively. The controlled release of these agents from the BSA NPs was confirmed. Upon laser irradiation for 2.5 min, NPs at a dose of 62.5 μg/mL were able to increase the temperature of the cells by 7°C and thereby inhibit the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells in vitro. Surface presentation of heat shock proteins and calreticulin from the cells after treatment confirmed the ability of the Dox/ICG loaded BSA NPs to induce ICD in the melanoma cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Panel Discussion on Decision Theory

This essay is a summary of the views that were expressed at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Intelligent Decision Aids in Process Environments during a panel discussion. The panelists were D. Dubois, Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse; B. Fischhoff, Decision Research, Eugene; P. Garbolino, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa; G. Volta, CEC-Joint Research Center, Ispra; and W. Wagenaar, University of Leiden, Leiden. The panel was chaired by the author, who also assumes full responsibility for the contents of this summary.
Signal Detection Theory and ROC Analysis in Psychology and Diagnostics: Collected Papers

Contents: Preface. Introduction. Part I: Theory, Data, and Measures.The Relative Operating Characteristic in Psychology. Form of Empirical ROCs in Discrimination and Diagnostic Tasks. Indices of Discrimination or Diagnostic Accuracy. Part II: Accuracy and Efficacy of Diagnoses.Measuring the Accuracy of Diagnostic Systems. Choosing the Right Decision Threshold in High-Stakes Diagnostics. Part III: Applications in Various Diagnostic Fields.Medical Imaging Techniques: A Review. Medical Imaging Techniques: An Illustrative Study. Enhancing and Evaluating Diagnostic Accuracy. Information Retrieval Methods. Predictive Validities of Aptitude Tests. Accuracy and Response Bias in Survey Research. System Operator Response to Warnings of Danger. Appendix: Computer Programs for Fitting ROCs.
“But I’m Not Good at Math”: The Changing Salience of Mathematical Self-Concept in Shaping Women’s and Men’s STEM Aspirations

Math self-concept (MSC) is considered an important predictor of the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Women’s underrepresentation in the STEM fields is often attributed to their consistently lower ratings on MSC relative to men. Research in this area typically considers STEM in the aggregate and does not account for variations in MSC that may exist between STEM fields. Further, existing research has not explored whether MSC is an equally important predictor of STEM pursuit for women and men. This paper uses a national sample of male and female entering college students over the past four decades to address how MSC varies across STEM majors over time, and to assess the changing salience of MSC as a predictor of STEM major selection in five fields: biological sciences, computer science, engineering, math/statistics, and physical sciences. Results reveal a pervasive gender gap in MSC in nearly all fields, but also a great deal of variation in MSC among the STEM fields. In addition, the salience of MSC in predicting STEM major selection has generally become weaker over time for women (but not for men). Ultimately, this suggests that women’s lower math confidence has become a less powerful explanation for their underrepresentation in STEM fields.
Ancient conserved domains shared by animal soluble guanylyl cyclases and bacterial signaling proteins.

Soluble guanylyl cyclases (SGCs) are dimeric enzymes that transduce signals downstream of nitric oxide (NO) in animals. They sense NO by means of a heme moiety that is bound to their N-terminal extensions. Using sequence profile searches we show that the N-terminal extensions of the SGCs contain two globular domains. The first of these, the HNOB (H eme NO Binding) domain, is a predominantly α-helical domain and binds heme via a covalent linkage to histidine. Versions lacking this conserved histidine and are likely to interact with heme non-covalently. We detected HNOB domains in several bacterial lineages, where they occur fused to methyl accepting domains of chemotaxis receptors or as standalone proteins. The standalone forms are encoded by predicted operons that also contain genes for two component signaling systems and GGDEF-type nucleotide cyclases. The second domain, the HNOB associated (HNOBA) domain occurs between the HNOB and the cyclase domains in the animal SGCs. The HNOBA domain is also detected in bacteria and is always encoded by a gene, which occurs in the neighborhood of a gene for a HNOB domain. The HNOB domain is predicted to function as a heme-dependent sensor for gaseous ligands, and transduce diverse downstream signals, in both bacteria and animals. The HNOBA domain functionally interacts with the HNOB domain, and possibly binds a ligand, either in cooperation, or independently of the latter domain. Phyletic profiles and phylogenetic analysis suggest that the HNOB and HNOBA domains were acquired by the animal lineage via lateral transfer from a bacterial source.
Smoking, Alcohol, and Bone Health

Smoking and alcohol consumption are two lifestyle factors that have important contributions to skeletal health. Deleterious effects of smoking on the skeleton have been recognized for several decades. The 2000 Surgeon General’s Report on Women and Smoking (1) recognized smoking as a significant contributor to bone health and fracture risk. That report concluded that smoking adversely affects bone density and increases hip fracture risk in postmenopausal women. However, as male osteoporosis has been recognized as a considerable disease burden, the role of smoking in male bone health deserves equal consideration.
Ionic Liquids as Additives of Coffee Bean Oil in Steel-Steel Contacts

Environmental awareness and ever-growing restrictive regulations over contamination have increased the need for more environmentally-friendly lubricants. Due to their superior biodegradability and lower toxicity, vegetable oils are a good alternative to replace currently-used mineral oils. However, vegetable oils show low oxidation and thermal stability and poor anti-wear properties. Most of these drawbacks can be attenuated through the use of additives. In the last decade, ionic liquids have emerged as high-performance fluids and lubricant additives due to their unique characteristics. In this study, the tribological behavior of two phosphonium-based ionic liquids is investigated as additives of coffee bean oil in steel-steel contact. Coffee bean oil-ionic liquid blends containing 1, 2.5, and 5 wt% of each ionic liquid are studied using a block-on-flat reciprocating tribometer and the test results are compared to commercially-available, fully-formulated lubricant. Results showed that the addition of the ionic liquids to the coffee bean oil reduces wear volume of the steel disks, and wear values achieved are comparable to that obtained when the commercially-available lubricant is used.
Comparison of estimates of zinc absorption in humans by using 4 stable isotopic tracer methods and compartmental analysis

Background: Adjustment of gastrointestinal absorption is the primary means of maintaining zinc homeostasis; however, a precise, accurate method for measuring zinc absorption in humans has not been identified. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the estimates of the fraction of dietary zinc absorbed (FZA) by using 4 stable isotopic tracer methods: mass balance (MB) corrected for endogenous secretion, fecal monitoring (FM), deconvolution analysis (DA), and the double isotopic tracer ratio (DITR) method. Design: All 4 methods were applied to a single data set for each of 6 women. FZA was also determined for each subject by using a detailed compartmental model of zinc metabolism, and that value was used as the reference with which the simpler methods were compared. Results: The estimates of FZA (x ± SD) determined by DA (0.27 ± 0.08) and the DITR technique in plasma (0.30 ± 0.10), 24-h urine samples (0.29 ± 0.09), and spot urine samples (0.291 ± 0.089) all compared well with the FZA reference value from the compartmental model (0.30 ± 0.10). The MB and FM methods tended to overestimate FZA compared with the reference value. Conclusions: The determination of FZA by MB or FM is laborious, is sensitive to subject compliance, and may result in an overestimate. DA, although relatively accurate, has the disadvantage of requiring multiple blood drawings over several days. In contrast, the DITR technique applied to a spot urine specimen obtained ≥3 d after tracer administration provides an accurate measure of FZA and is easy to implement; therefore, it is the recommended method for determination of FZA.
Robotic-assisted colorectal surgery in the United States: a nationwide analysis of trends and outcomes.

While robotic-assisted colorectal surgery (RACS) is becoming increasingly popular, data comparing its outcomes to other established techniques remain limited to small case series. Moreover, there are no large studies evaluating the trends of RACS at the national level. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2009–2010 was retrospectively reviewed for robotic-assisted and laparoscopic colorectal procedures performed for cancer, benign polyps, and diverticular disease. Trends in different settings, indications, and demographics were analyzed. Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare selected outcomes between RACS and conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS). An estimated 128,288 colorectal procedures were performed through minimally invasive techniques over the study period, and RACS was used in 2.78 % of cases. From 2009 to 2010, the use of robotics increased in all hospital settings but was still more common in large, urban, and teaching hospitals. Rectal cancer was the most common indication for RACS, with a tendency toward its selective use in male patients. On multivariate analysis, robotic surgery was associated with higher hospital charges in colonic ($11,601.39; 95 % CI 6,921.82–16,280.97) and rectal cases ($12,964.90; 95 % CI 6,534.79–19,395.01), and higher rates of postoperative bleeding in colonic cases (OR = 2.15; 95 % CI 1.27– 3.65). RACS was similar to CLS with respect to length of hospital stay, morbidity, anastomotic leak, and ileus. Conversion to open surgery was significantly lower in robotic colonic and rectal procedures (0.41; 95 % CI 0.25–0.67) and (0.10; 95 % CI 0.06–0.16), respectively. The use of RACS is still limited in the United States. However, its use increased over the study period despite higher associated charges and no real advantages over laparoscopy in terms of outcome. The one advantage is lower conversion rates.