cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum glucose measurements as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for mTOR inhibition

C292 Hyperglycemia is a mechanism-based toxicity of inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and change in serum glucose could therefore be a pharmacodynamic biomarker for these drugs. To develop change in serum glucose as a biomarker, serum glucose measurements from 70 patients who received mTOR inhibitor therapy for at least 35 days on trials of sirolimus or temsirolimus were examined for effects of mTOR exposure. For all subjects, mean pre-treatment serum glucose was 100mg/dl [standard deviation (SD) = 22], mean serum glucose after 4 weeks of therapy was 111mg/dl [SD = 31], with mean change +11mg/dl [SD = 33, 95% C.I. (+3, +18), p = 0.0049 for paired t-test]. Although across the population mTOR inhibition is associated with glucose elevation, these unstructured specimen collections had a broad range of values: pre-treatment glucose [42-177mg/dl], on-treatment glucose [43-214mg/dl], and change in glucose [-82 - +121mg/dl]. As these ranges are too broad for reproducible use as a biomarker, fasting serum measures were evaluated for reduced measurement variability. For 22 subjects with non-fasting pre-treatment glucose measurements mean glucose = 107mg/dl [SD = 25; range = 66-177mg/dl], for 48 subjects with fasting pre-treatment measures mean = 97mg/dl [SD= 20; range= 42-169 mg/dl]. Of all subjects, 12 had both fasting and non-fasting glucose measurements at pre-treatment and after 4 weeks of mTOR inhibitor therapy. For non-fasting measurements: mean pre-treatment glucose = 109.5 mg/dl [SD =35], mean on-treatment glucose = 128.2 mg/dl [SD = 53], mean change = 19 [SD=54] while for fasting measurements mean pre-treatment glucose = 87.5 mg/dl [SD = 21], mean on-treatment glucose = 122.3, and mean change = 35 [SD =43]. These data are consistent with glucose elevation as a mechanism-based effect of mTOR inhibition and the broad population distribution suggests that a subset of patients is susceptible to this effect more than others. Fasting glucose measurements reduce measurement variability and will be used to develop serum glucose as a biomarker for mTOR inhibition in the next phase of clinical biomarker studies.
The Quintessential Alternating Copolymer Family: Alkyl Vinyl Ether co-Maleic Anhydride Copolymers

From the viewpoint of polymerization behavior, a characteristic property of both maleic anhydride and alkyl vinyl ethers is their low reactivity in homopolymerization under common conditions of radical polymerization. Yet, together they can be easily copolymerized to create alternating maleic anhydride/alkyl vinyl ether copolymer with high molecular weight (Fig. 4.1) [1, 2]. These copolymers prove to be extremely versatile, making possible molecular structure modifications to adjust their properties by varying the R group in the vinyl ether monomer units. Some of the C1–C18 alkyl vinyl ethers are commercially available. The practical importance of maleic anhydride–alkyl vinyl ether copolymers is related to the versatility of the chemical reactions that can be performed on the anhydride unit, yielding a variety of useful derivatives via and/or post-polymerization.
Asymptotic weight enumerators of randomly punctured, expurgated, and shortened code ensembles

In this paper, we examine the effect of random puncturing, expurgating, and shortening on the asymptotic weight enumerator of certain linear code ensembles. We begin by discussing the actions of the three alteration methods on individual codes. We derive expressions for the average resulting code weight enumerator under each alteration. We then extend these results to the spectral shape of linear code ensembles whose original spectral shape is known, and demonstrate our findings on two specific code ensembles: the Shannon ensemble and the regular (j, k) Gallager ensemble.
Feature subset selection using the wrapper method: overfltting and dynamic search space topology

In the wrapper approach to feature subset selection, a search for an optimal set of features is made using the induction algorithm as a black box. The estimated future performance of the algorithm is the heuristic guiding the search. Statistical methods for feature subset selection including forward selection, backward elimination, and their stepwise variants can be viewed as simple hill-climbing techniques in the space of feature subsets. We utilize best-first search to find a good feature subset and discuss overfitting problems that may be associated with searching too many feature subsets. We introduce compound operators that dynamically change the topology of the search space to better utilize the information available from the evaluation of feature subsets. We show that compound operators unify previous approaches that deal with relevant and irrelevant features. The improved feature subset selection yields significant improvements for real-world datasets when using the ID3 and the Naive-Bayes induction algorithms.
One-star rating for a five-star program: evaluating 'Hospital Compare'.

Abstract Objectives For healthcare systems of any size, it is important to minimize costs while maximizing outcomes. One idea of how to achieve these goals has been the reduction in hospital-related complications, including infection and surgical complications, among others. In the United States, policy makers recently adopted the ‘Hospital Compare’ program as a way to encourage consumers and improve hospitals. This article evaluates the effectiveness of this policy. Study design This article uses an observed cohort study of most US hospitals across four different indices. Methods Each observed hospital was evaluated at least once each year over a span of three years for rates of hospital-acquired infections and compared to what reasonably ought to have been the rate based on hospital factors. Hospitals poorly rated in the base year were compared against remaining institutions for their ability to meet national benchmarks in future years. Results Despite government attempts to show individuals the comparative quality of hospitals, there is little evidence that these informed consumer choices were substantially enough to motivate changes. Across most metrics used, poorly rated hospitals were unlikely to improve at rates that the designers of Hospital Compare would have envisioned. Conclusions Although it is possible that the effects could shift over time, it is unlikely that the Hospital Compare program properly understood and anticipated patient calculus for choosing a hospital. Technical complexity and other issues further undermined the program. Despite this, the goal of reducing complications is worthwhile, but a different strategy should be pursued.
Tradition and transition: neoliberal multiculturalism and the containment of indigenous insurgency in southern Mexico in the 1990s

Why did Mexico’s disruptive indigenous movement begin to fade during the ‘indigenous boom’ years of the 1990s? Containing the influence of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) i...
Direct Selection of Fluorescence-Enhancing RNA Aptamers.

RNA aptamers that generate a strong fluorescence signal upon binding a nonfluorescent small-molecule dye offer a powerful means for the selective imaging of individual RNA species. Unfortunately, conventional in vitro discovery methods are not efficient at generating such fluorescence-enhancing aptamers, because they primarily exert selective pressure based on target affinity—a characteristic that correlates poorly with fluorescence enhancement. Thus, only a handful of fluorescence-enhancing aptamers have been reported to date. In this work, we describe a method for converting DNA libraries into “gene-linked RNA aptamer particles” (GRAPs) that each display ∼105 copies of a single RNA sequence alongside the DNA that encodes it. We then screen large libraries of GRAPs in a high-throughput manner using the FACS instrument based directly on their fluorescence-enhancing properties. Using this strategy, we demonstrate the capability to generate fluorescence-enhancing aptamers that produce a variety of different...
Language domains differentially predict mathematics performance in young children

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between child language ability and mathematics performance. First- and second-grade children (N = 365) were assessed on language ability and mathematics performance. Structural equation models revealed that receptive syntax and a broad screening tool significantly predicted math performance, while vocabulary did not. Path analyses corroborate these findings, with receptive syntax emerging as the only significant predictor of all indicators of mathematics performance. We conclude that syntax is a strong predictor of mathematics performance while vocabulary is not. Further, although many studies use receptive vocabulary to index language, it may not be the most predictive of or the best proxy for language ability in young children in the context of mathematics learning.
Leukemic mantle cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a rare composite lymphoma and literature review

Composite lymphomas are rare entities that either represent a collision of two separate lymphomas, or one lymphoma that expresses two distinct phenotypes. Mantle cell lymphoma has been reported in some composite lymphomas, but when combined with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, it can be difficult to recognize because of the phenotypic overlap of these two entities. We report a case of a 75-year-old male with a slowly progressing lymphocytosis, but who was otherwise asymptomatic. Flow cytometry revealed two different populations, one showing bright Lambda positivity and CD5(+), while the other was positive for both lambda and kappa and was CD5(+). Subsequently, cytogenetics revealed two different populations, one with a trisomy 12 and the other with a t(11;14). Additionally, immunohistochemistry on a bone marrow biopsy showed SOX-11 to be negative and cyclin D1 to be positive on scattered lymphocytes. This was consistent with a composite lymphoma of leukemic mantle cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic lymphoma.
Tumor mutation burden and efficacy of targeted therapy in patients with EGFR mutant lung cancers.

9042Background: Tumor mutation burden (TMB) is a biomarker of response to immune checkpoint blockade. The impact of TMB on outcomes with targeted therapies has not been explored. We hypothesized th...
Memory processes underlying long-term semantic priming

Two decades of research in semantic priming has provided substantial evidence for a distinction between short- and long-term semantic priming effects. Early models of cognition suggested a single mechanism to explain priming at short and long lags. Later models refuted this explanation and proposed that different mechanisms are necessary to account for different durations of priming effects. Two alternative explanations of long-term semantic priming effects have been proposed in the extant literature. The first explanation is that long-term semantic priming effects rely upon the incremental strengthening of abstract semantic memory representations. The second explanation is that long-term priming is the result of memory for prior cognitive operations. In two experiments, we used different semantic content - word meaning versus category membership - to investigate the mechanisms accountable for long-term semantic priming. Evidence from the two experiments suggests that long-term semantic priming effects are due to different memory processes for different semantic content. Long-term semantic priming of word meanings was dependent on strengthening abstract semantic memory representations and persistent priming of category membership was dependent on memory for prior cognitive operations.
DSRC Based Sensor-Pooling Protocol for Connected Vehicles in Future Smart Cities

Abstract Smart cities are racing to create a more connected Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) that rely on collecting data from every possible sensor such as a smart utility meter or a smart parking meter. The use of more sensors resulted in generating a lot of information that maps the smart city environment conditions to more real time data points that needed to be shared and analyzed among smart city nodes. One possibility, to carry and share the collected data, is in autonomous vehicles systems, which use the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technology. For example, in a Car-to-Parking-Meter or a Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, short-range embedded sensors such as Bluetooth, Cameras, Lidar send the collected data to the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU) or to a road side gateway for making collaborative decisions and react to the environment’s surrounding conditions. The goal of this research is to develop and test a DSRC based sensor-pooling protocol for vehicles to cooperatively communicate inclement weather or environment conditions. Five simulation experiments are setup using PreScan and Simulink to validate and study the scalability of the proposed solution. PreScan is an automotive simulation platform that is used for developing and testing Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). The research findings proved that the DSRC can be used to effectively stream the short range sensors’ collected data over a long distance communications link.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Public Higher Education:Integrating Accounting and Quality to Assess Value

Rising costs and concerns over quality create a perception of the diminishing value of a college degree. Value is a concept that combines both costs and quality. This paper proposes an approach to value-based measurement in higher education that captures both costs and quality so that cost-effectiveness is assessed. The proposed assessment model will have potential to demonstrate comparative value between institutions, as well as academic colleges and departments within institutions. It also has implications for policy-makers.
Switchable living nickel(II) α-diimine catalyst for ethylene polymerisation

Design and synthesis of a Ni(II) “sandwich” α-diimine complex (1) resulted in a switchable catalyst for the living polymerisation of ethylene over a range of temperatures and pressures. Varying these conditions produced a well-defined tetrablock copolymer comprising branched and highly linear polyethylenes. This copolymer improved the toughness of a phase separated LDPE/HDPE blend by nonreactive interfacial compatibilisation.
Efficient Sequential and Parallel Algorithms for Estimating Higher Order Spectra

Higher order spectra (HOS) are a powerful tool in nonlinear time series analysis and they have been extensively used as feature representations in data mining, communications and cosmology domains. However, HOS estimation suffers from high computational cost and memory consumption. Any algorithm for computing the kth order spectra on a dataset of size n needs O(n^k-1 ) time since the output size will be O(n^k-1 ) as well, which makes the direct HOS analysis difficult for long time series, and further prohibits its direct deployment to resource-limited and time-sensitive applications. Existing algorithms for computing HOS are either inefficient or have been implemented on obsolete architectures. Thus it is essential to develop efficient generic algorithms for HOS estimations. In this paper, we present a package of generic sequential and parallel algorithms for computationally and memory efficient HOS estimations which can be employed on any parallel machine or platform. Our proposed algorithms largely reduce the HOS' computational cost and memory usage in spectrum multiplication and smoothing steps through carefully designed prefix sum operations. Moreover, we employ a matrix partitioning technique and design algorithms with optimal memory usage and present the parallel approaches on the PRAM and the mesh models. Furthermore, we implement our algorithms for both bispectrum and trispectrum estimations. We conduct extensive experiments and cross-compare the proposed algorithms' performance. Results show that our algorithms achieve state-of-the-art computational and memory efficiency, and our parallel algorithms achieve close to linear speedups. The code is available at https://github.com/ZigengWang/HOS.
Rapid metabolism increases the level of 2,4-D resistance at high temperature in common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus)

Common waterhemp emerges throughout the crop growing season in the Midwestern United States, and as a result, the seedlings are exposed to a wide range of temperature regimes. Typically, 2,4-D is used in the Midwest to control winter annual broad-leaf weeds before planting soybean and in an early post-emergence application in corn and sorghum; however, the evolution of 2,4-D-resistant common waterhemp in several Midwestern states may limit the use of 2.4-D for controlling this problem weed. Moreover, temperature is one of the crucial factors affecting weed control efficacy of 2,4-D. This research investigated the effect of temperature on efficacy of 2,4-D to control 2,4-D susceptible (WHS) and -resistant (WHR) common waterhemp. Do se-response of WHS and WHR to 2,4-D was assessed at two temperature regimes, high (HT; 34/20 °C, d/n) and low (LT; 24/10 °C, d/n). Whole plant dose response study indicated an increased level of 2,4-D resistance in WHR at HT compared to LT. Additional investigation of the physiological mechanism of this response indicated that both WHS and WHR common waterhemp plants rapidly metabolized 14C 2,4-D at HT compared to LT. In conclusion, a rapid metabolism of 2,4-D conferred increased level of resistance to 2,4-D in WHR at HT. Therefore, application of 2,4-D when temperatures are cooler can improve control of 2,4-D resistant common waterhemp.
Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Outcomes and Complications.

Background Neoadjuvant therapy and liver transplantation is an effective treatment for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) addresses the problem of organ shortage, but has higher risk of technical complication that can be aggravated by radiotherapy. We investigated the incidence of vascular and biliary complication in pCCA compared with non-pCCA patients and their impact on patient and graft survival. Study Design All consecutive LDLTs (n = 247) performed between 2000 and 2017 were reviewed, including demographics, donor variables, operative details, and postoperative outcomes. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between variables and outcomes. Results Seventy-four LDLTs (30.0%) were performed for pCCA and 173 for other indications. Forty-nine patients (66.2%) had primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated pCCA; the remainder had de novo pCCA. LDLT for pCCA was associated with nonstandard arterial (p = 0.001) or portal vein reconstruction (p Conclusions Late vascular complication is common after LDLT for pCCA, but do not adversely affect long-term survival. LDLT provides excellent survival, particularly for patients with no residual disease at the time of transplantation.
Confidentiality of Attorney-Client Communications in the United States

This chapter first outlines the extent of the right to counsel in criminal cases in the United States, that is, when it is first recognized, the types of cases where appointed counsel is mandatory etc. It then delves into limitations on the ability to meet with and confidentially speak with defense counsel placed on incarcerated defendants and during trial with respect to all defendants. Finally, it explores the extent to which law enforcement authorities may search attorney’s offices, or intercept confidential oral or electronic communications between attorney and client, or access them in digital storage after the communication. Important in this respect are the relatively strict exclusionary rules in the United States when law enforcement investigators violate the right to confidentiality of lawyer-client relations protected by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or the laws relating to the right to counsel and attorney-client privilege.
The Female Prison Experience

Incarcerated females have unique background characteristics that shape and influence the prison experience. Much of the research on the perceptions and experiences of incarcerated individuals is limited to males. However, as the number of women in the correctional system has increased over the past several decades, more research has considered how the prison experience varies by gender. Research on incarcerated populations has found gender differences in the subcultures formed, behavioral adjustment, and need for social support during incarceration. Incarcerated females place more importance on relationships during incarceration, which is related to institutional adjustment. Females tend to commit less serious behavioral infractions during their incarceration suggesting that adjustment may be strongly related to emotional factors such as stress and anxiety. Further, the need for social support during incarceration and post-release tends to be more salient for female offenders. More research is necessary to determine which programs may best counteract the negative effects of incarceration for females.
Intraventricular adult Taenia solium causing hydrocephalus: A case report

Background Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic infection of the central nervous system worldwide and is caused by the larval form of the tapeworm Taenia solium. In general, T. solium larval form may be located in the neuraxis, resulting in pathology. Here, we report a rare case of female with a history of adult onset seizures presenting with adult form T. solium in the fourth ventricle, causing hydrocephalus. Case description A 36-year-old female patient with a known history of adult onset seizures presented with a 1-year history of progressively worsening bilateral headaches with vertigo and intermittent nausea. A computerized tomography scan revealed ventriculomegaly and transependymal flow, with an obstruction at the level of the fourth ventricle. Outpatient magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a lobulated cystic mass within the fourth ventricle, demonstrating a gross appearance consistent with racemose NCC. The patient underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy, and gross examination of the resected cyst revealed a mature T. solium larvae encased in a cystic membrane. Given that our patient was born and raised in Mexico but had not returned since the age of 8, NCC was an unexpected finding. Conclusion The present case highlights the importance of maintaining high suspicion for NCC in all patients presenting with seizures or hydrocephalus of unknown cause. Even in patients with a very remote history of residence in an endemic country, NCC can be an overlooked, underlying cause of both chronic neurologic symptoms, as well as acute, life-threatening neurologic emergencies.
Strain rate sensitivity of hardness in indentation creep with conical and spherical indenters taking into consideration elastic deformations

Abstract Using finite element analysis and analytical modeling, we investigate the strain rate sensitivity of the hardness in indentation creep ( m H ) and the relationship between m H and the strain rate sensitivity of the flow stress, mσ, for cone (self-similar) and spherical (non-self-similar) indenters. The present m H / m σ results extend previous results (Elmustafa et al, 2007a, b) for cones in terms of a universal curve that describes the ratio m H / m σ as a function of H / E ∗ / ∊ H starting from a value of 1, for small values of H / E ∗ / ∊ H (fully plastic) to zero at H / E ∗ / ∊ H ≈ 2.5 (fully elastic). We also investigated the effect of varying effective strain levels ( ∊ H ). For the cone, the strain level is determined by the angle β (25.3°, 22.5°, 19.7°) which is the angle the cone face makes with the specimen surface. mH/mσ becomes vanishingly small and the material undergoes full elastic deformation for H/E*≈ 0.23 and 0.18 for the β angles of 25.3° and 19.7°, respectively, as compared to β angle of 22.5° for which H/E*≈ 0.21 as shown by Elmustafa et al. (2007a). The simulation results of mH/mσ versus H/E* for various β angles collapsed to a single curve when H/E* is normalized to the tangent of the β angles. In the case of the spherical indenter, the strain level is a function of indent radius/indenter radius ratio ( a / R ) . Simulations were performed for depths between 0.01 and 0.5 R for the non-self similar spherical indentations. The results indicate that the ratio mH/mσ does not maintain a unique relation with H/E* and varies with the increase in the ratio of depth of penetration to the radius of the indenter, a / R . It is also concluded that the data collapsed to a single curve similar to the one produced for conical indentation and that mH/mσ approaches zero for a normalized (H/E*)/(a/R) of ≈ 0.4. It is also found that the normalized hardness data, when mH/mσ approaches zero, fits Johnson solution well. Nanoindentation experimental data of Al2O3 samples using a spherical indenter tip displayed identical behavior similar to Johnson fully elastic behavior solution.
Residue Interaction Network Analysis Predicts a Val24–Ile31 Interaction May be Involved in Preventing Amyloid‐Beta (1–42) Primary Nucleation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients could benefit from a more effective treatment than the current FDA-approved options. Because amyloid-beta (Aβ) is thought to play a central role in AD pathogenesis, many experimental drugs attempt to reduce Aβ-induced pathology. Preventing amyloid accumulation may be a more effective strategy than clearing Aβ plaques after they form. If preventing Aβ accumulation can treat or prevent AD, then understanding Aβ primary nucleation may aid rational drug design. This study examines Aβ residue interaction networks and reports network and structural observations that may provide insight into primary nucleation. While many studies identify structural features of Aβ that promote aggregation, this study reports features that may resist primary nucleation by examining Aβ42 studies in more and less polar solvents. In Aβ42 in a less polar solvent (PDB ID: 1IYT), Val24 and Ile31 have higher betweenness and residue centrality values. This may be due to a predicted interaction between Val24 and Ile31. Residues in the central hydrophobic cluster (CHC) of Aβ40 and Aβ42 had significantly higher betweenness values compared to the average betweenness of the structures, highlighting the CHC’s reported role in oligomerization. The predicted interaction between Val24 and Ile31 may reduce the likelihood of primary nucleation of Aβ.
Localization of Brachial Plexopathies Using a Novel Diagnostic Program

Background: Assessing the extent and specific location of brachial plexus injuries can be difficult given the variety of mechanisms of injury and anatomic complexity of the plexus. We developed a p...
Evaluation of powder rheology as a potential tool to predict tablet sticking

Abstract Tablet sticking, a phenomenon in which material adheres to the surface of tablet-punch face, is an ongoing and costly problem in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and is a significant issue for drug-product formulators. Here, it was hypothesized that the underlying cause of this phenomenon is due to intermolecular interactions between punch face and drug molecules. The present study evaluates powder rheology as a potential predictive technique for these interactions between the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and punch face. In this study, we describe a series of powder rheology experiments to estimate the sticking tendencies of five model drugs to five different tablet punch metals. The results have shown that this approach was able to differentiate the five model drugs based on their sticking propensity to each punch metal used. Furthermore, the predicted sticking tendency rank order of the drugs obtained from powder rheology technique was validated by compression studies.
Controlling subterranean forces enables a fast, steerable, burrowing soft robot

Robotic navigation on land, through air, and in water is well researched; numerous robots have successfully demonstrated motion in these environments. However, one frontier for robotic locomotion remains largely unexplored—below ground. Subterranean navigation is simply hard to do, in part because the interaction forces of underground motion are higher than in air or water by orders of magnitude and because we lack for these interactions a robust fundamental physics understanding. We present and test three hypotheses, derived from biological observation and the physics of granular intrusion, and use the results to inform the design of our burrowing robot. These results reveal that (i) tip extension reduces total drag by an amount equal to the skin drag of the body, (ii) granular aeration via tip-based airflow reduces drag with a nonlinear dependence on depth and flow angle, and (iii) variation of the angle of the tip-based flow has a nonmonotonic effect on lift in granular media. Informed by these results, we realize a steerable, root-like soft robot that controls subterranean lift and drag forces to burrow faster than previous approaches by over an order of magnitude and does so through real sand. We also demonstrate that the robot can modulate its pullout force by an order of magnitude and control its direction of motion in both the horizontal and vertical planes to navigate around subterranean obstacles. Our results advance the understanding and capabilities of robotic subterranean locomotion.
Primary Care Health Care Use for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have delayed care for chronic disease (1). We sought to examine factors associated with total and virtual health care use for primary care visits for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) during the pandemic. Using our electronic medical record, we identified patients in the Cleveland Clinic Health System with a diagnosis of T2D with a prepandemic primary care visit between 1 August 2019 and 14 March 2020 (period 0), with follow-up data collected during two pandemic periods: period 1, from 15 March 2020 to 30 June 2020, when in-person visits were rapidly converted to virtual (telephone or video); and period 2, from 1 July 2020 to 15 November 2020, when in-person visits resumed. We obtained demographic characteristics including age, sex, race, insurance type, median income estimated by zip code based on the American Community Survey 2014–2018 5-year estimates (2), and baseline glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Patient characteristics were summarized with appropriate descriptive statistics. We assessed factors associated with completing any follow-up visits using logistic regression and then assessed factors associated with completing virtual visits using a mixed-effects logistic regression model with a random intercept at the patient level. All statistical analyses were performed in R (cran.r-project.org), and statistical significance was established at two-sided P values <0.05. There were 76,015 patients with T2D …
Gentamicin increases renal susceptibility to an acute ischemic insult.

Abstract The nephrotoxic potential of GM is well recognized. However, that GM can also enhance the susceptibility of the kidney to acute ischemia has not, to our knowledge, been investigated. To explore this possibility, normal rats (N = 7) and rats pretreated with GM (50 mg/kg for 2, 4, 6, or 8 days; N=6 each) were anesthetized with inactin and subjected to a constant infusion of Na iothalamate- 125 I to permit every 20 min determinations of GFR. After completion of a 40 min control period, the rats were subjected to 15 min of bilateral renal ischemia (renal pedicle cross-clamping). After vascular clamp release, GFR was again measured every 20 min for an additional 2 hr. Only rats that had received GM for 8 days had a significant decrease in renal function before renal ischemia. Non-GM-treated rats lost 27% ± 5 of their baseline GFR in response to the ischemic insult. The percent loss of GFR after renal ischemia was significantly greater in all GM-treated groups of rats and ranged from 56% to 91% (p
Enhancing Security by System-Level Virtualization in Cloud Computing Environments

Many trends are opening up the era of cloud computing, which will reshape the IT industry. Virtualization techniques have become an indispensable ingredient for almost all cloud computing system. By the virtual environments, cloud provider is able to run varieties of operating systems as needed by each cloud user. Virtualization can improve reliability, security, and availability of applications by using consolidation, isolation, and fault tolerance. In addition, it is possible to balance the workloads by using live migration techniques. In this paper, the definition of cloud computing is given; and then the service and deployment models are introduced. An analysis of security issues and challenges in implementation of cloud computing is identified. Moreover, a system-level virtualization case is established to enhance the security of cloud computing environments.
The Role of Interleukin-1 in the Failing Heart

Although the last ten years have seen dramatic improvements in the therapeutic approach to CHF, the expanding number of those afflicted with this disease and its persistent poor prognosis make it clear that additional novel approaches are necessary. In this regard, there has recently been an increasing appreciation of an important inflammatory component in both the development and progression of the failing heart. Specifically, increased levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines have been found to be elevated in patients with advanced stage disease and these levels appear to correlate with a worse prognosis. This has lead to the description of the ‘cytokine hypothesis’ of myocardial dysfunction in which myocardial injury is associated with the elaboration of pro-inflammatory molecules by both immune effector cells, as well as cells intrinsic to the heart itself (Fig. 1). These cytokines then act in both a paracrine (cardiac myocyte) and autocrine (cardiac fibroblast) manner to augment the changes in myocardial phenotype and function characteristic of the failing heart. As an example of potential autocrine action, many cytokines have direct effects on extracellular matrix homeostasis. Accordingly, a role in the myocardial remodeling that occurs following injury/infarction has been suggested [1, 2, 3]. As such, if the local expression of cytokines can be targeted therapeutically, the myocardial response to injury at the level of both acute dysfunction as well as the subsequent remodeling could be modified.
Comparing the Performance of Adaptive Filtering and Ranked Output Systems

Some insight into the behavior of adaptive filtering systems may be gained by comparing them with similar ranked-output retrieval systems. This is not easys however, a new optimization measure, introduced for the TREC-9 filtering track, makes some such comparison possible. A series of experiments using the TREC-9 filtering data shows that filtering effectiveness is comparable to routing effectiveness, and demonstrates the gains to be made from adaptation.
Behavioral Consequences of Malnutrition in Early Life

A large number of studies have focused on the link between malnutrition and behavior. The long-term consequences of early malnutrition are now receiving increasing attention as better public health measures and medical care ensure the survival of many children with childhood malnutrition who would previously have succumbed. The vast majority of these studies have examined the behavioral outcomes of children with severe malnutrition, who are the most easily identified group within the much larger population of children suffering from milder forms of malnutrition. In addition, children with severe forms are more likely to demonstrate aberrant behavioral outcomes than are the milder cases. Those who are less severely malnourished are also likely to be disadvantaged, but the long-term effects in this population remain more difficult to identify by current methodologies.
Throughput and mode selection in two-way MIMO systems under queuing constraints

In this paper, the throughput of and mode selection between half-duplex and full-duplex modes are studied in two-way multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems operating under statistical queuing constraints. In particular, the effective capacity of these systems is determined in order to identify the throughput under constraints on the buffer overflow probability. In the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime, the optimal input covariance matrices that achieve the minimum energy per bit of the system are investigated. Full-duplex mode is found to have better performance at low SNRs and short distances, while half-duplex mode outperforms full-duplex operation at high SNR levels and long distances. Additionally, in the numerical results, the influence of the self-interference cancelation parameter and QoS exponent on the throughput is analyzed.
Unmasking Class, Gender. and Sexuality in Nicaragua

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Katherine Borland Year: 2006 Pages: 248 Publisher: University of Arizona Press ISBN: 0-8165-2511-0 (hard cover). Prices: $45.00 USD(hard cover).
Academic Procrastination and Student Achievement in an Introductory Economics Course

Procrastination and its adverse effect on student performance at the college and university level has been studied extensively in other disciplines, particularly in educational psychology. However, the topic has been neglected very much in economics education literature. This study examines the motivational and cognitive factors of procrastination and how they affect student achievement, as reflected by exam scores, and is based on samples of two large sections of introductory micro and macro classes, each initially consisting of 177 and 180 students, respectively. Using homework assignment data, the results show that in almost all of the exams given in the two classes, procrastinators on the average scored significantly less than non-procrastinators. Using both homework assignments and survey data in the macro section, the results show that procrastination has a significant and negative influence on student achievement with homework assignment data but a negative and insignificant effect with survey data. Implications are discussed, particularly as to the benefit of identifying and assisting procrastinators early in a semester by the timely evaluation of students’ completion of homework assignments.
Watershed control on the carbon loading of marine sedimentary particles

Abstract Previous investigations of the factors governing organic carbon burial on continental margins have pointed toward the important, apparently protective association of carbon with mineral particles. These studies have also revealed dramatic transformations of carbon-particle relationships at the land-sea interface. Riverine particles in some settings lose a large portion of their loads of sorbed terrestrial carbon upon discharge to the ocean and gradually reload to similar levels with marine carbon. The Eel River in northern California and the adjacent continental shelf were selected as an ideal system to investigate the rates of these processes. The river is episodically subject to large floods, and the shelf stratigraphy preserves a record of the resultant large pulses of sediment and carbon input to the marine environment. Carbon isotopic, carbon to nitrogen, and carbon to surface area ratios of particles in flood deposits were expected to reflect the rapid unloading of terrestrial carbon from discharged particles, whereas nonflood sediments that have accumulated at slower rates on the shelf were expected to carry higher loads of marine carbon. Our results indicate, however, that particles on the Eel shelf have retained their loads of terrigenous carbon, and that a significant portion of the particle-sorbed carbon buried on the shelf is kerogen derived from the Mesozoic-Tertiary Franciscan Complex. We hypothesize that rates of uplift and mass wasting in the Eel watershed and rates of particle delivery to and burial on the continental shelf, are so rapid that kerogen is not completely oxidized and is recycled instead. The loading of carbon on clay-sized particles delivered to the shelf, moreover, is dependent on river discharge and may reflect the relative importance of different mass wasting processes during precipitation events of varying intensity. The Eel River system is likely to be representative of other small, mountainous rivers and indicates that processes on land may play an important role in governing the amount and character of carbon being buried on the continental margins.
The kinetics of exchange of trivalent actinide ions with europium ethylenediaminetetraacetate

Abstract The kinetics of exchange has been studied for Cm(III), Bk(III) and Cf(III) with EuEDTA− in aqueous solution of 0·10 M ionic strength with acetate buffer. As with Am(III) the exchange is a first order reaction with both acid-dependent and acid-independent rate terms. The rate constants for the dissociation follow an l r dependence (r = actinide ionic radius) whereas the rate constants for the association show a non-linear pattern with l r . It can be argued that the dependency of the dissociation constants is related to processes in which metal-ligand bonds are broken whereas the l r dependency of the association constants seem to be a function of the hydrated actinide ionic radius.
YAFFE ON CRIMINAL ATTEMPTS

Central to Gideon Yaffe's powerful theory of the legitimate criminalization of unsuccessful attempts is his “transfer principle,” according to which, “ if a particular form of conduct is legitimately criminalized, then the attempt to engage in that form of conduct is also legitimately criminalized. ” I argue that this principle, taken together with Yaffe's theory of the nature of attempts, threatens to lead to a normatively problematic conclusion in support of the legitimate criminalization of attempts that are merely a matter of thinking and do not involve action in the public space. And I argue that Yaffe's efforts to block this conclusion are themselves problematic. This leads to a proposed revision of the “transfer principle,” one that draws on plausible normative views about the nonlegitimacy of criminal sanctions in cases of attempts that are merely a matter of thinking and do not involve action in the public space.
Eukaryotic initiation factor-4E and cyclin D1 expression associated with patient survival in lung cancer.

Abstract Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and cyclin D1, two important factors in cell-cycle progression, play key roles in the carcinogenesis of varied human cancers. However, eIF4E expression in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its association with cyclin D1 has received little investigation. One hundred forty-seven subjects with primary NSCLC, with long-term follow-up and essential clinicopathologic parameters (including age, sex, tumor grade, tumor stage, smoking history, performance status, weight loss, histology grade, and survival data) were evaluated based on expression of eIF4E and cyclin D1. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using monoclonal antibodies against eIF4E and cyclin D1. While 134 of 147 cases (91%) were positive for eIF4E, 82 of 136 cases (63%) were positive for cyclin D1. Western blot results were consistent with those illustrated by immunohistochemistry. While eIF4E(+) correlated with significantly shorter patient survival ( P = .03), cyclin D1(+) correlated with longer patient survival ( P = .01). Assessment of coexpression of cyclin D1 and eIF4E shows greater value in determining the prognosis of NSCLC: patients with eIF4E(+)/cyclin D1(−) have poorer outcome, those with eIF4E(−)/cyclin D1(+) have a more favorable outcome, and those with eIF4E(+)/cyclin D1(+) have an intermediate outcome ( P = .02). The negative effect on survival in patients with eIF4E(+) suggests its potential prognostic role in NSCLC. These results warrant further investigation to explore the value of eIF4E in identifying patients with aggressive disease for adjuvant treatments.
Absentee Ownership in the Fire-Prone Northern California Foothills

Absentee–owned parcels make up one-third to one-half of private properties in wildland–urban interface areas of the United States. The prevalence of absenteeism in fire-prone areas is of concern to resource management agencies, community fire-safe councils, and homeowners who share boundaries with these parcels. In the foothills of Butte County, California, absentee-owned parcels make up over half of privately owned noncorporate parcels. The concern by fire-safe councils in this fire-prone wildland–urban interface is that absentee owners will not participate actively in fuel reduction. We used geographic information systems to illustrate the extent and geographic distribution of absentee parcels in the foothills and in one community, Concow. The article provides some initial findings about the impressive acreage and complex spatial distribution of absentee-owned parcels in relation to owner-occupied parcels. The article also raises some methodological issues about the definition of absenteeism.
Degradation action of water on S‐glass

Glass fiber reinforced composites have been used to an increasing extent as structural components because of their high strength at relatively low densities. They are more resistant to moisture and weathering than most other structural materials. However, under environments of high humidity and temperature, glass fiber composites with an epoxy or polyester matrix lose a considerable fraction of their.strength- after a relatively short time. For high strength glass reinforced composites, the glass filaments are mostly of the S-glass and E-glass types. This investigation reports the solvent effect of water on S-glass rovings (filament strands) and powders. S-glass is the strongest silicate glass developed in the past decade, the composition of which in weight percent is: A12O3/MgO/SiO2 = 25/10/65. In the temperature range covered (30 to 50°C), analyses of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon in water after different time periods indicate that magnesium is preferentially leached out of S-glass, either as filaments or as powders, by water. The concentrations of magnesium and silicon in the water reached 2 mg/litre or more depending on the temperature and length of contact time, while the aluminum concentration reached no more than 0.2 mg/litre. Decomposition products of the ingredients present in a composite, including the coupling and curing agents, could further complicate the degradation process. Rate relations are proposed and discussed based on the dissolution data.
Inhibition of uracil DNA glycosylase by an oxacarbenium ion mimic.

We have investigated the inhibition of the DNA repair enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) by an 11-mer oligonucleotide (AIA) containing a cationic 1-aza-deoxyribose (I) residue designed to be a stable mimic of the high-energy oxacarbenium ion reaction intermediate [Werner, R. M., and Stivers, J. T. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 14054−14064]. Inhibition kinetics and direct binding studies indicate that AIA binds weakly to the free enzyme (KD = 2 μM) but binds 4000-fold more tightly to the enzyme−uracil anion (EU) product complex (KD = 500 pM). The importance of the positive charge on the 1-nitrogen in binding is established by the observation that AIA binds >30 000-fold more tightly to the EU complex than the corresponding neutral tetrahydrofuran (F) abasic site product analogue (AFA). The unusual inhibition mechanism for AIA results in a time dependence that resembles slow-onset inhibition even though the apparent on-rate of the inhibitor for the EU- binary product complex is moderate (1 μM-1 s-1). Accordingly,...