cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elongator Plays a Positive Role in Exogenous NAD-Induced Defense Responses in Arabidopsis

Extracellular NAD is emerging as an important signal molecule in animal cells, but its role in plants has not been well-established. Although it has been shown that exogenous NAD+ activates defense responses in Arabidopsis, components in the exogenous NAD+-activated defense pathway remain to be fully discovered. In a genetic screen for mutants insensitive to exogenous NAD+ (ien), we isolated a mutant named ien2. Map-based cloning revealed that IEN2 encodes ELONGATA3 (ELO3)/AtELP3, a subunit of the Arabidopsis Elongator complex, which functions in multiple biological processes, including histone modification, DNA (de)methylation, and transfer RNA modification. Mutations in the ELO3/AtELP3 gene compromise exogenous NAD+-induced expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola ES4326, and transgenic expression of the coding region of ELO3/AtELP3 in elo3/Atelp3 restores NAD+ responsiveness to the mutant plants, demonstrating that ELO3/A...
Effects of the test conditions on the ablation property of EPDM insulation

The effect of ablation time,gas flow and ablation angle on ablation performances of EPDM insulation were studied by means of ablation experiment.The experimental results show that the ablation rate of EPDM insulation is different at different ablation time.The ablation rate is directly proportional to gas flow.The charring layer is easy to exfoliate when the combustion gas ablates the EPDM insulation at a certain angle.
Recovery of Electrical Energy in Microbial Fuel Cells

Recovery of electrical energy is a key parameter for evaluating the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this brief review, we analyze energy data in the sampled publications on continuously operated MFCs from the past 12 years and present a rough picture of energy recovery in MFCs. We observe that most MFCs produce a normalized energy recovery (NER) lower than 1.5 kWh/m3 or 1.0 kWh/kg of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The small MFCs (<100 mL) that produce high power densities do not exhibit any obvious advantage in NER compared with the larger MFCs. Pure substrates lead to better performance in both power and energy recovery. MFCs seem to be able to extract more energy (kilowatt hour per kilogram of COD) from low-strength substrates. The separator/membrane does not significantly affect NER. To establish an energy balance in MFCs and gain a better understanding of the MFC application niche, NER should be properly presented in future studies.
SU-G-201-07: Dosimetric Verification of a 3D Printed HDR Skin Brachytherapy Applicator

Purpose: The use of radiation as a treatment modality for skin cancer has increased significantly over the last decade with standardized applicators. Utilizing 3D printing, the ability to make applicators specifically designed for each patient's anatomy has become economically feasible. With this in mind it was the aim of this study to determine the dosimetric accuracy of a 3-D printed HDR brachytherapy applicator for the skin. Methods: A CT reference image was used to generate a custom applicator based on an anthropomorphic head and neck phantom. To create the applicator a 1cm expansion anteriorly with 0.5cmX0.5cm trenches on the outer surface that were spaced 1cm sup-inf to accommodate standard 6F flexible catheters. The applicator was printed using PLA material using a printrbot simple printer. A treatment plan optimized to deliver a clinically representative volume was created in Oncentra and delivered with a nucletron afterloader. Measurements were made using TLDs and EBT3 gafchromic film that were placed between the applicator and the phantom's forehead. An additional piece of film was also used to qualitatively asses the dose distribution in the transverse plane. Using a standard vaginal cylinder and bolus, a standardized curve correlating TLD and film exposure-to-radiation dose was established by irradiating film to known doses (200,500,700 cGy) at a 3.5 cm radius distance. Results: Evaluated TLDs showed the absolute dose delivered to the skin surface using the 3-D printed bolus was 615cGy±6%, with a mean predicted TPS value in the measured area of 617.5±7%. Additionally, planar dose distributions had good qualitative agreement with calculated TPS isodoses. Conclusion: This work demonstrates patient specific 3-D printed HDR brachytherapy applicators for skin cancer treatments are practical and accurate in TPS calculations but additional measurements are needed to verify additional sites and dose at depth.
Spine Injuries in Child Abuse

Background:Although rare, spinal injuries associated with abuse can have potentially devastating implications in the pediatric population. We analyzed the association of pediatric spine injury in abused children and determined the anatomic level of the spine affected, while also focusing on patient
Substrate design optimization for high performance small form factor flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) packages

This work summarizes the multiple design and development activities within Intel to optimize the real estate for FCBGA packaging technology. The advantages made are part of the cost saving solutions to enable high performance small form factor flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) substrate. Key focus areas include challenges in enabling ultra mini 0402/0201 die side capacitor (DSC), optimizing transfer media or material handling system, optimizing assembly and test tooling design for smaller and cheaper substrate design.
Cell-based therapeutic strategies for replacement and preservation in retinal degenerative diseases

Cell-based therapeutics offer diverse options for treating retinal degenerative diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). AMD is characterized by both genetic and environmental risks factors, whereas RP is mainly a monogenic disorder. Though treatments exist for some patients with neovascular AMD, a majority of retinal degenerative patients have no effective therapeutics, thus indicating a need for universal therapies to target diverse patient populations. Two main cell-based mechanistic approaches are being tested in clinical trials. Replacement therapies utilize cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to supplant lost or defective host RPE cells. These cells are similar in morphology and function to native RPE cells and can potentially supplant the responsibilities of RPE in vivo. Preservation therapies utilize supportive cells to aid in visual function and photoreceptor preservation partially by neurotrophic mechanisms. The goal of preservation strategies is to halt or slow the progression of disease and maintain remaining visual function. A number of clinical trials are testing the safety of replacement and preservation cell therapies in patients; however, measures of efficacy will need to be further evaluated. In addition, a number of prevailing concerns with regards to the immune-related response, longevity, and functionality of the grafted cells will need to be addressed in future trials. This review will summarize the current status of cell-based preclinical and clinical studies with a focus on replacement and preservation strategies and the obstacles that remain regarding these types of treatments.
The Handle of the Broom.

Alison Glover was one of the first to document significant practice variation in clinical care in a study on the incidence of tonsillectomy in school-age children in the United Kingdom in 1938.[1][1] Since that time, there have been a number of studies linking clinical care practice variation with
Variation of Free Asparagine Concentration and Association with Quality Parameters for Hard Red Spring Wheat Grown in North Dakota

Free asparagine in wheat is known to be a precursor for the formation of acrylamide, which is unacceptable to consumers owing to its potential risks to human health. This research was performed to determine variation of free asparagine concentration (FAC) in hard red spring (HRS) wheat grown in North Dakota. Quality traits and FAC were analyzed for 75 HRS wheat genotypes grown at three locations. The ANOVA indicated that growing location had a strong effect on FAC. The main effect of genotype and interaction of genotype × location were also highly significant (P < 0.001). The genotype × location interaction was also explored graphically using a biplot of principal components calculated from the genotype and genotype × environment interaction model. The biplot analysis revealed that the pattern of interaction of genotype × location might be a noncrossover type. Certain HRS genotypes were identified to have consistently low FAC across growing locations. The FAC showed low genotypic correlations with quality...
Artificial bee colony feature selection algorithm combined with machine learning algorithms to predict vertical and lateral distribution of soil organic matter in South Dakota, USA

ABSTRACTThe main purpose of this study, is to evaluate an advanced feature selection technique, artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm; to reduce the number of auxiliary variables derived from a digital elevation model (DEM) and remotely sensed data (e.g. Landsat images). A combination of depth functions (e.g. power, logarithmic and spline) and data miner methods (artificial neural network: ANN and support vector regression: SVR) were applied for three-dimensional mapping of soil organic matter (SOM) in Big Sioux River watershed, South Dakota, USA. Unsurprisingly, the ABC feature selection algorithm indicated that remote sensing data (e.g. NDVI) are powerful predictors at soil surface, however, with the increasing soil depth, the terrain parameters (e.g. wetness index) became more relevant. Our findings from this study demonstrated that both the spatial models generally performed well. The mean R2 values calculated by 10-fold cross validation suggested that SVR and ANN models could explain approximately 50...
A Population-Based Assessment of Emergency Department Observation Status for Older Adults With Cancer

Background: Hospitals' use of observation status for patients with cancer presenting to the emergency department (ED) is not well understood. This model of care delivery may be a viable alternative to inpatient admission for patients with cancer presenting with certain conditions. Our objective was to assess the use of observation status among Medicare beneficiaries with and without cancer. Methods: Population-based SEER-Medicare data were used to assess differences in the use of observation status between Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥66 years with and without cancer using a matched analysis (n=151,183 per cohort). We assessed the ratio of observation unit use to inpatient admission, between cancer and noncancer cohorts, and for patients diagnosed with breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers. Poisson regression models were used to calculate observation rate estimates and 95% CIs while adjusting for selected patient characteristics. Results: When considering the volume of hospitalizations, observation status is used less frequently among beneficiaries with cancer than those without (43 vs 69 observation status visits per 1,000 inpatient admissions, respectively). The estimated observation rate per 1,000 inpatient admissions was higher for beneficiaries aged <75 years versus those aged ≥75 years, those with a Charlson comorbidity index of 0 vs 1 or ≥2, and those without a prior hospitalization versus those with ≥1 prior hospitalizations. Patients with breast and prostate cancers had higher adjusted and unadjusted observation rates per 1,000 inpatient admissions compared with those with colon and lung cancers. Conclusions: Observation status is used proportionately less for beneficiaries with cancer than those without. There may be opportunities to develop standards for ED staff to manage certain conditions for patients with cancer in observation status, and to reserve hospital resources for those who need it most.
Below the Hall–Petch Limit in Nanocrystalline Ceramics

Reducing the grain size of metals and ceramics can significantly increase strength and hardness, a phenomenon described by the Hall–Petch relationship. The many studies on the Hall–Petch relationship in metals reveal that when the grain size is reduced to tens of nanometers, this relationship breaks down. However, experimental data for nanocrystalline ceramics are scarce, and the existence of a breakdown is controversial. Here we show the Hall–Petch breakdown in nanocrystalline ceramics by performing indentation studies on fully dense nanocrystalline ceramics fabricated with grain sizes ranging from 3.6 to 37.5 nm. A maximum hardness occurs at a grain size of 18.4 nm, and a negative (or inverse) Hall–Petch relationship reduces the hardness as the grain size is decreased to around 5 nm. At the smallest grain sizes, the hardness plateaus and becomes insensitive to grain size change. Strain rate studies show that the primary mechanism behind the breakdown, negative, and plateau behavior is not diffusion-base...
Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy to assess auditory attention

Speech intelligibility in background sound can improve when listeners attend to the target. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, previous work demonstrates that auditory attention alters Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals in the lateral frontal cortex (LFCx; Michalka et al., Neuron 2015), at least when directed to spatial cues. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we recorded BOLD responses from LFCx in 54 normal-hearing participants, each performing one of three auditory experiments. The weights of general linear modeling (GLM) fits of the fNIRS recordings were compared using analysis of variance. In experiment 1, when listeners selectively attended to stimuli differing in pitch and space, both left and right LFCx showed significant activation (p = 0.01 and 0.02 for left versus right LFCx). In contrast, passive listening to speech-shaped noise did not cause significant changes in LFCx activation (p = 0.3 and p 0.1 for left versus right LFCx). Experiment 2 confirmed t...
Testosterone Therapy: a Panacea for Sexual Dysfunction in Men?

In this article, we review the most recent articles examining the use of testosterone for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, reduced sexual desire, and ejaculatory dysfunction. The treatment of erectile dysfunction with testosterone therapy has long been investigated as a cure for sexual dysfunction. Men who are testosterone deficient can expect to benefit from testosterone therapy to address erectile dysfunction and libido, while ejaculatory function is unlikely to improve. The literature supports the use of testosterone therapy in testosterone-deficient men with sexual dysfunction. We recommend advising patients about the benefits of testosterone therapy while ensuring that it will address their individual concerns, without delaying adjunct treatments for sexual dysfunction.
Studies on the localization of fibrinogen binding sites on platelet glycoprotein IIIa.

The domains of various integrins involved in the binding to adhesive proteins are poorly characterized. The approaches to localize ligand binding sites on the adhesive receptors include studies on the genetic characterization of the defective β 2 subunits in leukocyte adhesion deficiency and the defective β 1 subunit in Glanzmann thrombasthenia, studies on the chemical and photoaffinity crosslinking of the adhesive ligands to the receptors, proteolytic degradation of the integrins, attempts to recognize binding sites with monoclonal antibodies, and studies on the synthetic peptides derived from glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa).
The Patent Lottery: Exploiting Behavioral Economics for the Common Good

Lotteries are immensely popular. Players are willing to give the organizer a large monetary cut of every ticket purchase in return for a chance at a jackpot. In some ways, our current patent system operates as a lottery as well. Most patents are relatively worthless, while a few are highly valuable. Reaching the major payout of a highly valuable patent takes perseverance in the face of tremendous uncertainty. Like lottery players, small entrepreneurial companies and individuals have shows signs of bounded rationality. In particular, what I call the patent lottery effect is associated with the phenomena of potential innovators overweighting the size of a potential payout on innovation while neglecting to fully consider the actual probability of obtaining that payout. The potential bounded rationality of actors in the patent system challenges our traditional notions of the patent incentive. In many settings, bounded rationality problems are patched-up with education and paternalism such as in the form of consumer protection. In this article, I take a different approach and instead explore ways that the overconfidence of innovators may alter our choice of innovation policy levers in ways that increase innovation but decrease the monopoly cost of patents.
Effective use of anxiolytics in older adults.

This article reviews the current classification of anxiety disorders and the frequency of these disorders in older adults. General treatment principles are discussed, and an overview of anxiolytic medications is presented. Use of these anxiolytic agents in specific disorders is then discussed, followed by a brief review of nonpharmacologic treatment approaches to anxiety disorders.
Adenoviral Vectors as Vaccine Carriers for Prevention of Rabies

In spite of available efficacious vaccines, rabies continues to claim the lives of thousands of humans each year, and nearly half of those are children. Preventive childhood vaccination in highly endemic areas would be expected to dramatically reduce this death toll. Nevertheless, large-scale childhood vaccination based on currently licensed vaccines would be too expensive. Novel vaccines that induce protective immunity after a single dose may be more cost-effective. This chapter describes the development of rabies vaccines based on recombinant adenoviral vectors. These vectors are highly immunogenic and induce sustained B cell responses after a single moderate dose. They are easy to expand and purify, and assays for scale-up production and release testing are in place. Adenoviral vectors therefore provide an alternative vaccine platform for prophylactic rabies vaccination.
Greater Exercise Pressor Response Is Associated With Impaired Claudication Outcomes in Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease.

We determined whether a greater exercise pressor response during a constant-load treadmill test was associated with lower peak walking time (PWT) and claudication onset time (COT) measured during a...
Shared Race/Ethnicity With Police and Male Offenders’ Self-Regulating Beliefs: Exploring the Salience of Instrumental and Normative Factors for Securing Obedience:

This study examines the impact of shared race/ethnicity with police on male offenders’ perceptions of voice, procedural justice, and obligation to obey. In addition to exploring propositions of the...
Histopathologic analysis of craniofacial arteriovenous malformations following Onyx embolization

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx) has been proposed as a suitable alternative embolic agent in the management of craniofacial arteriovenous malformations (CFAVM). Short-term efficacy studies have demonstrated promising results with good nidus penetration on post-treatment angiography. This article reports the histopathologic findings of direct vascular recanalization with Onyx at the time of surgical resection. A retrospective review of eight patients who underwent Onyx embolization followed by surgical excision for CFAVM was performed. The surgical specimens were evaluated for the presence of recanalized blood vessels in the embolic cast material and inflammatory changes. A total of 8 patients (mean age 31 years, range 15–57 years) underwent 25 CFAVM embolization and 16 surgical specimens were taken. The time period between initial Onyx embolization and surgery ranged from 12 months to 108 months. Onyx was identified in all of the 16 specimens at the time of resection. Recanalization was identified in 12 of the 16 specimens (75%). Chronic inflammatory changes were present in 13 of the 16 specimens (81.25%) ranging from mild (8) and moderate (4) to severe (1). Giant cells were present in 15 of the 16 specimens (93.75%). Staged Onyx embolization has been reported as clinically efficacious in the management of CFAVM with permanent occlusive properties. Recanalization was commonly seen in this patient cohort as early as 12 months after initial endovascular treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings to evaluate the permanence of Onyx as single agent management for CFAVM.
Suicide ideation among Southern U.S. Sexual minority college students.

AbstractSexual minority individuals are at higher risk for suicide ideation compared with heterosexual individuals. We tested whether the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide explains incr...
Randomized controlled trial of a simplified adductor canal block performed for analgesia following total knee arthroplasty.

Background and objectives The objective of the study was to determine if injection of local anesthetic into the vastus medialis and sartorius muscles adjacent to the adductor canal produces sensory changes comparable with adductor canal block (ACB). This could result in a technically easier and potentially safer alternative to ACB. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, patients received either ACB (n=20) or a simplified adductor canal (SAC) block performed using a new fenestrated nerve block needle (n=20). The time to perform each block as well as the number of attempts to position the needle were evaluated. A non-inferiority test was used to compare pain scores and opioid requirements for the ACB and the SAC block. Results The SAC block was performed more rapidly, with fewer needle passes, and had a higher success rate than the ACB. Three block failures and two vessel punctures were observed in the ACB group, while none of these events occurred in SAC block patients. Analgesia and opioid consumption for patients treated with the SAC block were not inferior to ACB. Conclusion The SAC block is technically easier to perform and potentially safer than ACB. This procedure can be performed using easily visible ultrasound landmarks and has the potential for use among a wide range of healthcare providers. Trial registration number NCT02786888.
IHI ID 23 Saving time, money, and stress: a quality improvement review of boston medical center’s guardianship process

Background A guardianship is a legal process that takes place when a patient cannot make informed healthcare decisions and there is no Health Care Proxy. A court appoints a person to serve as guardian. The burden was on a patients family to navigate the court system when a guardianship was necessary. This was difficult because Massachusetts has no public guardian program. BMC began this project to: improve the overall length of stay for patients who need a guardian; to avoid delays in care while awaiting appointment of a guardian; and to reduce costs related to discharge delays. Objectives To significantly reduce the number of days a patient who lacks capacity remains inpatient because of judicial guardianship issues. Methods We formed a multi-disciplinary group consisting of hospital stakeholders. This group identified, planned and executed interventions to streamline the guardianship processes. The group followed IHIs Model for Improvement using PDSA cycles. Results We implemented three simultaneous interventions: engaging outside counsel to handle guardianship cases; establishing a weekly guardianship committee to review the status of inpatients who might need a guardian; pursuing the completion of Health Care Proxy forms. These interventions immediately created a more efficient guardianship process. Conclusions Using outside counsel and establishing a guardianship oversight group to regularly review the status of patients admitted longer than the hospitals average length of stay will: reduce unnecessary hospital stays caused by delays in the process; reduce the costs related to prolonged stays; and increase the availability of hospital beds for patients in need of acute health care services.
GC/MS Quantitation of Benzoylecgonine Following Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Urine

An analytical procedure for the determination of benzoylecgonine in urine by GC/MS using a two step liquid-liquid extraction scheme has been developed. Benzoylecgonine is one of the principle metabolites of cocaine. The extraction uses a wash step prior to extraction and derivatization and requires 0.5 mL of urine. Benzoylecgonine is extracted in good % recovery at a basic pH by using 4 mL of dichloromethane. The method is accurate and sensitive and allows the quantitation of benzoylecgonine in urine at or below the National Institute on Drug Abuse confirmation cutoff level of 150 ng/mL.
N2-promoted hydrodeoxygenation

Because of the high strength of N≡N bonds, N2 is often employed as an inert gas. Now it has been shown that it can partly react to yield surface nitrogen species that facilitate C–O hydrogenolysis reactions on supported Ru catalysts.
Strategically Marketing Florida’s Cities: An Exploratory Study Into How Cities Engage in Public Marketing:

Over the course of this decade, Florida has emerged as one of America’s fastest growing and most visited states. As many of the state’s municipalities compete for opportunities to expand their tax ...
Logistics of carpet recycling in the U.S.: designing the recycling network

Transportation of post-consumer carpet from collection points to recycling facilities and then to the end-users of the recycled materials contributes significantly to the final costs of recycled ma...
Practical Exponential Coordinates Using Implicit Dual Quaternions

Modern approaches for robot kinematics employ the product of exponentials formulation, represented using homogeneous transformation matrices. Quaternions over dual numbers are an established alternative representation; however, their use presents certain challenges: the dual quaternion exponential and logarithm contain a zero-angle singularity, and many common operations are less efficient using dual quaternions than with matrices. We present a new derivation of the dual quaternion exponential and logarithm that removes the singularity, and we show an implicit representation of dual quaternions offers analytical and empirical efficiency advantages compared to both matrices and explicit dual quaternions. Analytically, implicit dual quaternions are more compact and require fewer arithmetic instructions for common operations, including chaining and exponentials. Empirically, we demonstrate a 25%–40% speedup to compute the forward kinematics of multiple robots. This work offers a practical connection between dual quaternions and modern exponential coordinates, demonstrating that a quaternion-based approach provides a more efficient alternative to matrices for robot kinematics.
Mathematical Models of Hysteresis

This chapter offers an overview of the hysteresis models that will be used throughout the book. After a short general classification of hysteresis models and parameter identification methods, the rectangular hysteresis operator is introduced. Then, the chapter focuses on summarizing the main equations, properties, and characteristics of the Preisach, energetic, Jiles-Atherton, Coleman-Hodgdon, and Bouc-Wen models. Particular attention is given to the analytical description of the general properties of hysteresis curves such as differential susceptibilities, remanence, coercivity, saturation, anhysteretic curve, energy lost, stability, accommodation, and limit cycle for each model. The second part of the chapter presents two techniques for the modeling of rate-dependent hysteresis, one based on the feedback (effective field) theory and the other one on the relaxation time approximation. Finally, a unified theory of vector models is presented; this theory can be applied to generalize any scalar model of hysteresis to vector systems.
Puberty drives fear learning during adolescence.

Risk for adverse outcomes, including the onset of mental illness, increases during adolescence. This increase may be linked to both new exposures, such as violence at home or in the community, or to physiological changes driven by puberty. There are significant sex differences in adolescent risk, for instance, anxiety disorders are significantly more prevalent in girls than boys. Fear learning is linked to mental health and may develop during adolescence, but the role of puberty in adolescent-specific change has not yet been systematically evaluated. We conducted a longitudinal study of fear learning that tested fear-potentiated startle (FPS) in 78 children (40 girls) aged 8-16 years. Participants completed two to three visits that included a differential fear conditioning task and self-report of both pubertal status and violence exposure. We tested for effects of sex, pubertal status, and violence exposure on FPS over time with latent growth curve models. We also examined the association between FPS and later anxiety symptoms. We found significant changes in FPS to the threat cue, but not the safety cue, across visits. Higher pubertal status was significantly associated with increased FPS to threat cues at each visit, whereas sex and violence exposure were not. FPS to threat during the baseline visit also predicted later anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that puberty drives increased fear response to threat cues similarly for girls and boys, and that this effect may not be significantly impacted by individual differences in violence exposure during early adolescence.
Remote Empathetic Viewpoint: A Novel Approach To Extending Cubism

In this paper, we present the concept of Remote Empathetic Viewpoints, an approach which allows the viewer to simultaneously access multiple remote viewpoints, granting us the ability to explore and extend the concepts of Cubism in 3D and in animation. In Remote Empathetic Viewpoints, we utilize a single Primary View Camera, a small set of Control lights, and a significantly large number of secondary cameras, whose positions and directions are referenced by Control Lights. By using such a multi camera system, we overcome the “shower door” affect that comes from using multiple cameras, which are used to obtain cubist rendering. By animating camera movement, we obtain temporal cubist art.
Performance evaluation of stool DNA methylation tests in colorectal cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: There is not sufficient evidence about whether stool DNA methylation tests allow prioritizing patients to colonoscopy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a wait-list for rescheduling colonoscopies once the mitigation is lifted. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the accuracy of stool DNA methylation tests in detecting colorectal cancer. METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane Library and MEDLINE via Ovid were searched. Studies reporting the accuracy (Sackett phase 2 or 3) of stool DNA methylation tests to detect sporadic colorectal cancer were included. The DerSimonian-Laird method with random-effects model was utilized for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Forty-six studies totaling 16 149 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of all single genes and combinations was 62.7% (57.7%, 67.4%) and 91% (89.5%, 92.2%), respectively. Combinations of genes provided higher sensitivity compared to single genes (80.8% [75.1%, 85.4%] vs. 57.8% [52.3%, 63.1%]) with no significant decrease in specificity (87.8% [84.1%, 90.7%] vs. 92.1% [90.4%, 93.5%]). The most accurate single gene was found to be SDC2 with a sensitivity of 83.1% (72.6%, 90.2%) and a specificity of 91.2% (88.6%, 93.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Stool DNA methylation tests have high specificity (92%) with relatively lower sensitivity (81%). Combining genes increases sensitivity compared to single gene tests. The single most accurate gene is SDC2, which should be considered for further research.
Antigen Presentation by B Cells in Multiple Sclerosis.

A Twist on HLA-Presented Peptides in Multiple Sclerosis A recent study of a class of HLA molecules on the surface of B cells in persons with multiple sclerosis revealed that many of these HLA molec...
Improved Microbial Water Quality Associated with Best Management Practices on Coastal Dairies and Livestock Grazing Operations

Abstract Dairy and livestock grazing operations can introduce pollutants such as fecal coliform to surface waters, posing risk to human health and ecological conditions. Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) that increase control of manure, runoff, and animal access to waterways can reduce deposition of microbial pollution into streams. Between 2000 and 2013, we monitored water quality (fecal indicator bacteria [FIB] consisting of fecal coliform [FC] and Escherichia coli [EC]) in three coastal watersheds that encompass intensively managed dairies, beef cattle grazing operations, and public use at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, California. Concurrently, approximately 30 BMPs were implemented to manage cattle and improve dairy infrastructure. We also monitored a fourth adjacent watershed without any BMPs and limited direct livestock influence. The primary FIB parameter was changed from FC to EC midway through the study in 2007, so we combined FC data from 2000 to 2006 with EC data from 2007 to 2013 using previously published EC/FC ratios and data from this study to create a continuous time series. Competing Bayesian generalized linear mixed models examined whether FIB was best explained by year, 24-h rainfall, season, or annual rainfall and compared results with numeric regulatory objectives for surface waters. FIB from 2000 to 2013 declined at all 13 water quality stations that were downstream of BMPs implemented during the study, while there was a slight positive trend in the adjacent watershed without BMPs and limited livestock influence. There was a 54−99% reduction in FIB with a sixfold increase in the frequency of samples meeting regulatory criteria over the study period, and results were robust to varying assumptions of the relationship between FC and EC. These findings indicate that targeted BMPs can effectively reduce FIB, increasing the probability of meeting water quality objectives across varying types of livestock operations.
Associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviors with child mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in public health and policy measures to reduce in-person contact and the transmission of the virus. These measures impacted daily life and mental well-being (MWB). The aims of this study were to explore the MWB impacts of COVID-19 on children and assess the associations among perceived changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB), with perceived MWB changes, using a mixed-methods approach. Methods A convergent parallel mixed-methods design consisting of an online survey with a convenience sample and interviews was conducted from May through July 2020 with parents/caregivers of kindergarten through 5th graders in the St. Louis region. Survey domains assessed included child MWB, PA, and SB. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed using a code book developed to elicit themes. Survey data was analyzed with chi-squared tests and logistic regressions. The dependent variable was perceived change in child MWB due to the impact of COVID-19. Independent variables included perceived changes in PA, SB, and child concerns about COVID-19. Results Sample size consisted of 144 surveys and 16 interviews. Most parents reported a perceived decrease in child MWB (74%), a decrease in child PA (61%), and an increase in child SB (91%). Discontentment with stay-at-home orders and concern about COVID-19 were associated with a perceived decrease in MWB. Children whose PA decreased were 53% less likely to have the same or better MWB (OR 0.47) and children whose outside PA decreased were 72% less likely to have the same or better MWB (OR 0.28). Common qualitative themes included difficulty in adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions due to school closures and lack of socializing, child concerns about family getting sick, and PA benefits for improving MWB. Conclusions Based on parent perceptions, MWB decreased with COVID-19. Maintained or increased child PA improved the chances MWB would remain the same or improve. Parent interviews provide context to these findings by showing how COVID-19 impacted MWB and the associations between PA and MWB. Understanding protective factors for child MWB during COVID-19 is important to offset negative long-term health outcomes from this ongoing pandemic.
Pneumonia in the Immunocompromised Host

Abstract Pneumonia in the immunocompromised host can be devastating and can result from both common and opportunistic organisms. This paper examines the imaging findings in mostly opportunistic organisms which cause pneumonia in the immunocompromised host. Some organisms, such as tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, and influenza will also be discussed because although they are not specifically opportunistic, they can result in extensive and devastating disease in immunocompromised patients. It is important for the radiologist to recognize unique imaging findings in pneumonia in the immunocompromised patient and raise the possibility of certain organisms to direct appropriate therapy.
Endothelial Cell Senescence with Age is Associated with Oxidative Stress-Mediated Suppression of Endothelial Function in Healthy Adults

Senescence is emerging as a key mechanism of vascular aging, but evidence in healthy humans is lacking. We hypothesized that endothelial cells (EC) become senescent with age in healthy adults and t...
Defining a Valid Age Cutoff in Staging of Well-Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Background Age 45 years is used as a cutoff in the staging of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) as it represents the median age of most datasets. The aim of this study was to determine a statistically optimized age threshold using a large dataset of patients treated at a comprehensive cancer center.
The Current State of Electronic Publishing of Scientific Manuscripts

This presentation surveys the area of electronic manuscript publishing with an emphasis on how XML, CML, and the INChI activities are having and will continue to have a major impact on scientific publishing. Keywords: pdf; e-publishing; open access; PubChem; SPARC; XML; Chemical Markup Language; CML; INChI; IUPAC; IUPAC-NIST Chemical Identifier; multimedia
Problem Solving in the DISCO Constraint Database System

This paper describes general approaches to solving two classes of problems using the DISCO constraint database system. The first class of problems occurs when distinct values from a subset of the integers must be assigned to the variables of a constraint satisfaction problem. The second occurs when a group of items must be selected from a subset of the integers such that each of a set of constraints holds.
Position Taking by Female Politicians: The Electoral Connection and Ensuing Influence of Political Role Models

The current political debate has not examined systematically how the distinctive legislative behavior and actions of women affect their electoral successes and the potential emergence of other female candidates. This study attempts to broaden our understanding of congressional members’ behavior through an empirical analysis of the relationship between position taking through amendments and election results, as well as the ensuing influence of this legislative action on potential congressional office-seekers. We examine how position taking through the sponsorship of amendments varies based on the gender of a legislator. We find that given all amendments offered between 1978 and 2000, women are just as likely to offer amendments as the political scholarship predicts. Importantly, we identify three issue types for the amendments sponsored, and we find that women offer significantly fewer amendments on domestic issues in the U.S. House of Representatives and significantly more amendments on feminine issues in the United States Senate. In all cases, amendment sponsorship is influenced by the legislator’s seniority and majority party status. Moreover, we report that House incumbents receive an increase in their vote share for every amendment they offer related to foreign affairs, but not on domestic or feminine issues. Sponsoring an amendment on feminine issues decreases a senator’s reelection vote, where as all other issues types provide no significant effect.
Staff considerations in technical services: the Chameleon approach

Faire le lien entre l'evolution technologique et les suggestions pour mettre en place des systemes viables est essentiel a la fois pour reussir la conversion du personnel et assurer la qualite du service d'information. De nouvelles habiletes, des plans financiers, l'ergonomie, des codes differents de communication, des partenariats createurs et l'accentuation mise sur les ressources humaines permettront d'affiner l'utilisation de l'ordinateur au sein des services techniques de bibliotheques
Speech recognition with continuous-parameter hidden Markov models

The acoustic-modelling problem in automatic speech recognition is examined from an information theoretic point of view. This problem is to design a speech-recognition system which can extract from the speech waveform as much information as possible about the corresponding word sequence. The information extraction process is factored into two steps: a signal-processing step which converts a speech waveform into a sequence of informative acoustic feature vectors, and a step which models such a sequence. The authors are primarily concerned with the use of hidden Markov models to model sequences of feature vectors which lie in a continuous space. They explore the trade-off between packing information into such sequences and being able to model them accurately. The difficulty of developing accurate models of continuous-parameter sequences is addressed by investigating a method of parameter estimation which is designed to cope with inaccurate modeling assumptions. >
Effect of melatonin and methionine-enkephalin on surfacing responses in goldfish.

Abstract Intracranial injection of 5 to 20 μg of methionine-enkephalin (M-ENK) increased surfacing responses in a dose-related manner in goldfish. This behavioral effect of M-ENK was completely inhibited by an injection of 8 μg naloxone, indicating that the surfacing response produced by M-ENK was mediated by naloxone-sensitive opiate receptors. The possibility of melatonin affecting opiate receptors directly, or indirectly through M-ENK was examined. The injection of melatonin caused surfacing responses and this effect was inhibited by naloxone. Although the behavioral effect of M-ENK was reduced by inhibition of melatonin synthesis by scotophobin A, the increased inhibition of melatonin synthesis did not cause increased inhibition of the M-ENK effect. It was also found that M-ENK did not affect the activity of the enzyme (hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase) in vitro , which is responsible for the conversion of N-acetylserotonin to melatonin. The results from these experiments suggested that melatonin may directly (or indirectly through M-ENK) affect opiate receptors.
Three-dimensional effects and shortwave cloud radiative forcing associated with shallow cumuli over the central North America

ABSTRACT Shallow cumuli are ubiquitous over large areas of the globe, in cluding both the interior of continents and the trade wind regions over the oceans. Measurements made at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility, located in central North America, provide a unique long-term data set that can be used to investigate the influence that these clouds have on the shortwave surface en ergy budget at a continental location. Using data collected for the summers of 2000 through 2007, inclusive, over 900 hours with fair-weather cumuli we re identified using data from a Total Sky Imager, cloud-radar and lidar. Data from a suite of surface radiometers was used to determine the shortwave forcing. This analysis estimat es the three-dimensional effects of shallow cumuli by examining the occurrences of both positive and negative shortwave forcing. We show that the average surface shortwave forcing is approximately -45.5 W m -2 . When the data are adjusted to account for periods without shallow clouds, the shortwave forcing over the entire summer (defined as May through August) are re duced in magnitude, with forcings of -2.1 W m
How well do we manage the odontogenic keratocyst

Purpose To answer the clinical question: Among patients treated for odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs), what is the overall 5-year disease-free rate and what factors are associated with disease recurrence? Materials and Methods The investigators implemented a retrospective cohort study and enrolled a sample composed of patients presenting for the evaluation and management of previously untreated OKCs. The predictor variables were grouped into demographic, medical, radiographic, and operative categories. The primary outcome variable was time to lesion recurrence. Data analyses were performed using univariate and bivariate or multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results The study sample was composed of 31 patients (31 OKCs) with a mean age of 41.0 years. Of the 31 OKCs treated, 19 (61.3%) were treated with decompression with or without residual cystectomy and 12 (38.7%) were treated with enucleation with or without adjunctive therapy. There were 8 recurrences in 8 patients, with a median time to recurrence of 17.8 months (interquartile range, 13.4 to 26.4 months). The 5-year disease-free estimate was 51.2% (95% confidence interval, 37.2%-65.2%). Multiloculated lesions were 33.6 times more likely to recur than unilocular lesions. Conclusion This may be the first study looking at disease recurrence after treatment of OKCs using appropriate statistical analyses for a time-dependent outcome (disease recurrence). The risk for recurrent disease is higher in this report than in many other studies and raises the issue that other reports may have underestimated the risk for recurrent disease owing to inappropriate statistical methods for assessing time-dependent outcomes.
Routine, Scale, and Inequality Introduction to the Special Issue on Ethics, Organizations, and Science

This special issue of Science, Technology, & Human Values contains articles concerned with ethics in and around scientific practice. These articles ask how organizational routines both produce and ...
Proposed resolution of contradiction in reported mechanisms of solubilization of neodymium in yttrium aluminum garnet

Abstract Conflicting published explanations of the mechanism of solubilization of Nd in YAG by addition of Gd or Lu are examined, and conclusions are drawn based largely on related earlier findings of the present authors and others.