cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flow Diversion for Treatment of Growing A2 Aneurysm in a Child: Case Report and Review of Flow Diversion for Intracranial Aneurysms in Pediatric Patients.

Background Intracranial flow diversion has gained increasing popularity since the approval of the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED). Although it is only approved for use in adult patients, the PED has been used to treat aneurysms in pediatric patients. We present the first reported case of the use of a PED in a pediatric patient to treat an unusual fusiform distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm. Case Description A 12-year-old girl presented with new onset seizures and was found to have a distal left anterior cerebral artery aneurysm. Initially, this was managed conservatively, but follow-up imaging performed 4 months after presentation demonstrated enlargement of the aneurysm. The patient underwent endovascular embolization of her aneurysm with PED. This was successfully performed and the patient recovered from the procedure with no neurologic deficits. Conclusions Follow-up digital subtraction angiography and magnetic resonance angiography at 6 and 12 months, respectively, showed complete occlusion of the aneurysm. We also reviewed the literature on flow diversion for treatment of pediatric intracranial aneurysms.
Analysis of optimal alignments unfolds aligners' bias in existing variant profiles.

Efforts such as International HapMap Project and 1000 Genomes Project resulted in a catalog of millions of single nucleotides and insertion/deletion (INDEL) variants of the human population. Viewed as a reference of existing variants, this resource commonly serves as a gold standard for studying and developing methods to detect genetic variants. Our analysis revealed that this reference contained thousands of INDELs that were constructed in a biased manner. This bias occurred at the level of aligning short reads to reference genomes to detect variants. The bias is caused by the existence of many theoretically optimal alignments between the reference genome and reads containing alternative alleles at those INDEL locations. We examined several popular aligners and showed that these aligners could be divided into groups whose alignments yielded INDELs that agreed strongly or disagreed strongly with reported INDELs. This finding suggests that the agreement or disagreement between the aligners’ called INDEL and the reported INDEL is merely a result of the arbitrary selection of one of the optimal alignments. The existence of bias in INDEL calling might have a serious influence in downstream analyses. As such, our finding suggests that this phenomenon should be further addressed.
A stable auroral red (SAR) arc with multiple emission features

Stable auroral red (SAR) arcs offer sub-visible evidence for storm-time linkages between the inner-magnetosphere and the mid-latitude ionosphere. A SAR arc's defining characteristics are horizon-to-horizon east-west extent, a few degrees of latitude in meridianal extent, emission only at the oxygen 6300 A line, and minimal brightness changes during a night— effects readily provided by steady heat conduction from the ring current-plasmapause interaction region. Here we describe a typical SAR arc (brightness ~300 Rayleighs) with several superimposed patches of emission in two oxygen lines (with a 6300 A/5577 A ratio of ~40). We find no evidence for highly-localized heating effects, but rather evidence from GPS satellites supporting low energy electron precipitation as the SAR arc modulating mechanism. Seven brightness peaks with average longitude spacing of ~4o define a new spatial pattern for SAR arcs studies.
Probabilistic inference using stochastic spiking neural networks on a neurosynaptic processor

Spiking neural networks are rapidly gaining popularity for their ability to perform efficient computation akin to the way a brain processes information. It has the potential to achieve low cost and high energy efficiency due to the distributed nature of neural computation and the use of low energy spikes for information exchange. A stochastic spiking neural network naturally can be used to realize Bayesian inference. IBM's TrueNorth is a neurosynaptic processor that has more than 1 million digital spiking neurons and 268 million digital synapses with less than 200 mW peak power. In this paper we propose the first work that converts an inference network to a spiking neural network that runs on the TrueNorth processor. Using inference-based sentence construction as a case study, we discuss algorithms that transform an inference network to a spiking neural network, and a spiking neural network to TrueNorth corelet designs. In our experiments, the TrueNorth spiking neural network constructed sentences have a matching accuracy of 88% while consuming an average power of 0.205 mW.
Elektrophile Aktivierung von Silicium‐Wasserstoff‐ Bindungen in katalytischen Hydrosilierungen

Hydrosilierungsreaktionen reprasentieren eine wichtige Klasse von chemischen Umwandlungen, und somit besteht ein erhebliches Interesse, den Umfang dieser Reaktionen durch die Entwicklung neuer Katalysatoren zu erweitern. Ein Hauptanliegen, das aus diesen Untersuchungen erwachst, ist die Entwicklung von Katalysatoren mit elektrophilem Charakter, die mittels Si-H-Aktivierung die Elektrophilie auf Silicium ubertragen. Dieser Mechanismustyp wurde fur Katalysatoren vorgeschlagen, die sich von den Ubergangsmetallen der 4. Gruppe bis hin zu Hauptgruppenelementverbindungen der 15. Gruppe erstrecken. Zudem sind andere elektrophile Siliciumspezies wie Silylenkomplexe und η3-H2SiRR′-Komplexe als Intermediate in Hydrosilierungsreaktionen identifiziert worden. In diesem Aufsatz werden unterschiedliche Typen von Katalysatoren verglichen, um die enorme Breite an Hydrosilierungsmechanismen aufzuzeigen, die uber elektrophile Siliciumzentren verlaufen. Die Bedeutung dieser Katalysatoren fur die Entwicklung neuer Hydrosilierungsreaktionen wird diskutiert.
Economic Factors and Health Disparities

Income is an important determinant of health, as individuals of low income status, particular minority groups such as African-Americans (AAs), have higher prevalence rates of morbidity and mortality than their European-American (EA) counterparts. This is because individuals of limited economic resources reside in neighborhoods with higher exposure to pollutants and toxic conditions that have adverse effects on their health. They also have limited access to good nutrition and medical care, both preventive and curative, or the information resources about health risk and health care patterns or how to alleviate environmental stresses. On the other hand, educational investments in formal schooling and graduate degree, as well as on-the-job training, are recognized as means to improve health outcomes.
Assessing the societal impact of publicly funded research

The paper offers a critical overview of recent conceptual and methodological endeavors to elevate the policy saliency of societal impacts as a criterion for formulating and assessing societal impacts. Beginning with an overview of the historical context for the contemporary rise to prominence of societal impacts as a criterion for allocating and assessing public research funds, it unpacks embedded, compound propositions that connect the governance of science to the design and implementation of assessment methodologies that satisfy the joint criteria of policy relevance and technical rigor. In doing so, it highlights analytical and methodological differences between ex ante rationales for increased attention to societal impacts and ex post assessments of the character and magnitude of these impacts. It next appraises the utility of different modes of evaluation, singling out those it deems best suited to the tasks at hand, while questioning the soundness of other contemporary approaches. It closing section calls attention to the problematic, indeed at points chimerical, character of endeavors to endeavor to link the political and normative elements embedded in calls for increased attention to societal impacts with structured program evaluations.
ECM turnover-stimulated gene delivery through collagen-mimetic peptide-plasmid integration in collagen.

Abstract Gene therapies have great potential in regenerative medicine; however, clinical translation has been inhibited by low stability and limited transfection efficiencies. Herein, we incorporate collagen-mimetic peptide (CMP)-linked polyplexes in collagen scaffolds to increase DNA stability by up to 400% and enable tailorable in vivo transgene expression at 100-fold higher levels and 10-fold longer time periods. These improvements were directly linked to a sustained interaction between collagen and polyplexes that persisted during cellular remodeling, polyplex uptake, and intracellular trafficking. Specifically, incorporation of CMPs into polyethylenimine (PEI) polyplexes preserved serum-exposed polyplex-collagen activity over a period of 14 days, with 4 orders-of-magnitude more intact DNA present in CMP-modified polyplex-collagen relative to unmodified polyplex-collagen after a 10 day incubation under cell culture conditions. CMP-modification also altered endocytic uptake, as indicated by gene silencing studies showing a nearly 50% decrease in transgene expression in response to caveolin-1 silencing in modified samples versus only 30% in unmodified samples. Furthermore, cellular internalization studies demonstrated that polyplex-collagen association persisted within cells in CMP polyplexes, but not in unmodified polyplexes, suggesting that CMP linkage to collagen regulates intracellular transport. Moreover, experiments in an in vivo repair model showed that CMP modification enabled tailoring of transgene expression from 4 to 25 days over a range of concentrations. Overall, these findings demonstrate that CMP decoration provides substantial improvements in gene retention, altered release kinetics, improved serum-stability, and improved gene activity in vivo. This versatile technique has great potential for multiple applications in regenerative medicine. Statement of Significance In this work, we demonstrate a novel approach for stably integrating DNA into collagen scaffolds to exploit the natural process of collagen remodelling for high efficiency non-viral gene delivery. The incorporation of CMPs into DNA polyplexes, coupled with the innate affinity between CMPs and collagen, not only permitted improved control over polyplex retention and release, but also provided a series of substantial and highly unique benefits via the stable and persistent linkage between CMP-polyplexes and collagen fragments. Specifically, CMP-modification of polyplexes was demonstrated to (i) control release for nearly a month, (ii) improve vector stability under physiological-like conditions, and (iii) provide ligands able to efficiently transfer genes via endocytic collagen pathways. These unique properties overcome key barriers inhibiting non-viral gene therapy.
NADH-nitrate reductase in barley leaves: Identification and amino acid composition of subunit protein

Abstract NADH-nitrate reductase (NADH:nitrate oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.6.1) isolated from barley (Hordeum vulgate L. cv. Steptoe) leaves was identified on a native slab gel after electrophoresis by staining for reduced methyl viologen nitrate reductase activity, NO2− production and diaphorase activity. The nitrate reductase protein, when subjected to a second-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, migrated as a single protein band of Mr 110000. Thus, barley nitrate reductase (native molecular weight 221000) consists of two identical subunits. Preparative SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to isolated highly homogeneous nitrate reductase subunit protein. Fluorograms of peptide maps indicated no homology among the nitrate reductase subunit and other polypeptides (60 kDa diaphorase, 41 kDa, 35 kDa and 25 kDa species) which are common contaminants of the affinity-purified nitrate reductase. Thus, the 60 kDa diaphorase and 41 kDa polypeptide observed under our experimental conditions are not breakdown products of the 110 kDa nitrate reductase subunit. The amino acid composition of the barley nitrate reductase subunit was similar to that reported for the nitrate reductase of Chlorella vulgaris and Ankistrodesmus braunii.
Localization and differential expression of two isoforms of the tight junction protein ZO-1

ZO-1 is a peripheral membrane protein of approximately 225 kDa located on the cytoplasmic side of all tight junctions. ZO-1 cDNA sequencing disclosed the presence of a 240-bp sequence in only some of the ZO-1 cDNAs studied. This 240-bp region encoded an inframe insertion of 80 amino acids, named motif-alpha. Expression of the predicted transcripts in normal rat and human tissues and in human epithelial cell lines (Caco-2, T84, Hep G2) was shown by reverse transcription of RNA and then DNA amplification. Immunoblot analysis showed both protein isoforms were present; however, in different cell lines, their amounts differed markedly relative to each other. Immunolocalization at light and ultrastructural levels, using antibodies generated against motif-alpha or shared sequences flanking it, indicated both forms localized indistinguishably to tight junctions. These observations demonstrate the existence and variable expression of ZO-1 isoforms and raise the question whether these isoforms contribute to tight junction diversity in different epithelia.
1.1 – Ene Reactions with Alkenes as Enophiles

The thermal reaction of an alkene having an allylic hydrogen (an ‘ene’) with a compound containing a double or triple bond (enophile) to form a new bond with migration of the ene double bond and 1,5-hydrogen shift is referred to as the ene reaction (equation 1). The ene reaction is mechanistically related to the much better known Diels–Alder reaction since both reactions can be concerted, proceeding through cyclic transition states involving six electrons.1–5Stepwise ene reactions proceeding through either a diradical or zwitterionic intermediate are also known. Ene reactions proceed most readily when the enophile, like the dienophile in a Diels–Alder reaction, is electron deficient. Similarly, the ene, like the diene in the Diels–Alder reaction, should be electron rich. Although the exact order depends upon the enophile and reaction conditions, the relative reactivity of alkenes as ene components has typically been found to be 1,1-di- > tri- > tetra- > mono- > 1,2-disubstituted. Unfortunately, ene reactions typically occur at higher temperatures than related Diels–Alder reactions, limiting the synthetic utility of the ene reaction.
Reengineering the census of population and housing in the united states

The United States Decennial Census of Population and Housing is an essential part of the American political, economic, and social systems. Census data are critically important in achieving equitable political representation, and in a variety of other public and private sector uses. Census 2000 was an unprecedented operational success and the most accurate census to date in terms of coverage. However, given the rapid demographic and technological changes that will continue to occur over this decade, the methods of Census 2000 cannot be repeated in 2010 without incurring unacceptable risk and cost. The reengineered 2010 Census consists of three highly integrated activities designed to dramatically improve upon what was a very good census in 2000. We will accomplish this by taking advantage of opportunities for innovation – made possible through the expanded use of technology – in order to: 1) increase the coverage, accuracy, and quality of census data; 2) reduce operational risk; 3) increase the relevance and timeliness of census long form data; and 4) contain costs. The three highly integrated activities we have embarked upon to meet these goals are: 1) the American Community Survey (ACS); 2) the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Enhancements Program; and 3) a multi-year program of comprehensive planning, development, and testing for a short form only 2010 Census. We expect that the cost reductions in the last component will be sufficient to offset the costs of all three components of the reengineered census. That is, all three components can be carried out at a cost that is no greater – and probably somewhat less – than the cost of repeating the Census 2000 process.
Concomitant Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Use in Cardiogenic Shock Requiring Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Background: There are contrasting reports on the effectiveness of a concomitant intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in cardiogenic shock patients treated with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxy...
Optimizing patient flow in a multidisciplinary haemophilia clinic using quality improvement methodology

INTRODUCTION Multidisciplinary clinics in academic settings are often inefficient and can lead to lengthy clinic visits for patients and staff. AIM We aimed to use quality improvement (QI) methodology and a multidisciplinary approach to optimize outpatient comprehensive haemophilia clinic flow. METHODS At baseline, a multidisciplinary QI team created a key driver diagram to identify drivers of haemophilia clinic flow. Identified drivers included patient needs/scheduling, provider flow and laboratory/research requirements. From December 2016 to August 2017, value stream mapping (VSM) was used to identify barriers to clinic flow, and plan-do-study-act cycles were used to address these barriers. Interventions included (a) standardizing the order in which providers saw patients to enable time-sensitive laboratories, (b) improving HTC team meeting functionality, (c) optimizing a visual management board and implementing a flow coordinator, (d) initiating a team huddle prior to clinic start and (e) modifying the clinic appointment template. Timely laboratory draw was used as a surrogate marker of clinic flow, and VSM utilization percentage was used as an objective measure of efficiency. RESULTS We did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in timed laboratory draws; however, clinic utilization percentage increased by 30%, which resulted in adding point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound services without lengthening clinic duration. CONCLUSION Quality improvement methodology is an effective means of improving clinic utilization in a multidisciplinary clinic.
Prognostic Value of Preoperative Red Cell Distribution Width: Fine-Tuning by Mean Corpuscular Volume

Background Abnormal red cell distribution width (RDW), reflecting heterogeneity of red blood cell (RBC) size, is associated with cardiovascular disease outcomes. However, whether RBC size itself, expressed as mean corpuscular volume (MCV), provides additional prognostic value is unclear. We therefore investigated the relationship between outcomes after cardiac surgery and both RDW and MCV simultaneously. Methods From January 2010 to January 2014, 16,097 patients underwent cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic and had complete blood count findings available for analysis. Outcomes included RBC transfusion, postoperative complications, and intensive care unit (ICU) and postoperative hospital lengths of stay. Risk-adjusted associations of RDW and MCV with outcomes and their relative importance in predicting outcome were identified by random forest machine learning. Results High RDW was associated with more RBC transfusions. Except for postoperative atrial fibrillation, risks of complications and ICU and postoperative lengths of stay were at their minimum when RDW was normal, 13% to 14%. The relationship of MCV to complications was U-shaped: high (macrocytosis) and low (microcytosis) values were associated with higher risk. RDW was an important risk factor for most postoperative outcomes and lengths of stay; MCV was less so, but provided prognostic value in addition to RDW alone, particularly when there was macrocytosis. Conclusions Abnormal RDW and MCV are associated with higher risk of transfusion and postoperative outcomes after cardiac surgery. RDW is one of the most important variables in predicting outcomes, but MCV provides additional prognostic value. Both should be taken into consideration when estimating the perioperative risk of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
Negative abortion experiences: predictors and development of post-abortion psychological and relational adjustment scale

Associations between several personal and contextual predic-tors of negative post-abortion mental health outcomes were explored using a large national sample of U.S. women who sought out post-abortion care from a crisis pregnancy center. The predictors examined included decisional regret, pregnancy wantedness, various forms of pressure, understanding of the procedure, and satisfaction with counseling provided by the abortion facility. Well-established measures of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse in addition to a newly developed assessment of abortion-related out-comes, the Post-Abortion Psychological and Relational Adjustment Scale (PAPRAS) were employed as the criteria in regression models. All analyses included controls for pre-abortion psychological adjustment and various forms of abuse in addition to a number of demographic variables. When the PAPRAS served as the outcome measure, the abortion context variables as a group accounted for 45.8% of the variance in women's post-abortion psychological and relational adjustment scores. Using the same sets of pre-dictors in a series of regression models and employing established measures of general anxiety, depression, PTSD, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse, 3.5% to 8.8% of the variance was explained. Based on psychometric analy-sis of the PAPRAS, there is evidence that this newly developed instrument holds promise for addressing the unique post-abortion mental health and relational concerns of women.
UNROOFED CORONARY SINUS A MULTIMODALITY DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH IN AN ADULT PATIENT

Unroofed coronary sinus defects are rare anomalies that result from abnormal embryologic development, leading to a partial or complete absence of the wall between the coronary sinus and the left atrium. This accounts for less than 1% of all atrial septal defects (ASD). Delayed diagnosis may lead to
Evaluation and management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has grown to become the dominant form of heart failure worldwide, in tandem with ageing of the general population and the increasing prevalences of obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The clinical syndrome of HFpEF is heterogeneous and must be distinguished from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction as well as other aetiologies that have different treatment strategies. The diagnosis of HFpEF is challenging and ultimately relates to the conceptual definition of heart failure as a clinical syndrome characterized by symptoms that are associated with a reduced capacity of the heart to pump blood adequately at normal filling pressures during diastole. Clinical trials to date have been largely unsuccessful in identifying effective treatments for HFpEF but evidence supports the use of diuretics, mineralocorticoid antagonists and lifestyle interventions. Pathophysiological heterogeneity in the presentation of HFpEF is substantial, and ongoing studies are underway to evaluate the optimal methods to classify patients into phenotypically homogeneous subpopulations to facilitate better individualization of treatment. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the predominant form of heart failure among elderly patients. In this Review, Borlaug describes the challenges of diagnosing HFpEF, summarizes the current recommendations for treatment and describes a new strategy of categorizing patients with HFpEF into phenotypically homogeneous subgroups to facilitate the individualization of treatment.
Sources, selection and breeding of Fusarium wilt ( Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum ) race 4 (FOV4) resistance in Upland ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) cotton

Diseases such as Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum (FOV), a soil borne fungal pathogen, represent expanding threats to cotton (Gossypium spp.) production around the world. For over a decade, FOV race 4 (FOV4) has adversely impacted cotton production in California’s San Joaquin Valley causing plant wilt and death. With this disease formally identified in 2019 in New Mexico and in 2017 in El Paso, TX region in proximity to the High Plains of west Texas—the largest Upland cotton producing region in the USA, the need to expand the genetic base of Upland (G. hirsutum L.) cotton and develop cultivars resistant/tolerant to FOV4 has become urgent. Our previous research in Pima (G. barbadense L.) cotton identified high levels of resistance to FOV4 in ‘Pima S-6’ germplasm, and our program publicly released Pima germplasm with improved FOV4 resistance. However, the search for resistant Upland cotton has proved more challenging compared to the effort in Pima. More than 1000 Upland accessions from the USDA-ARS Cotton Germplasm Collection were evaluated for reaction to FOV4 in artificial-greenhouse conditions and in naturally infested grower fields. Less than 0.1% of the tested accessions were selected to develop highly resistant FOV4 progeny. Two sources (NM12Y1004–NM12Y1005 and SA-3208) of Asiatic breeding origin were identified with tolerance to FOV4 and used to introgress and increase resistance. Pedigree information from other parental lines used to develop progeny revealed their sources to be exotic and wild Upland germplasm. That is triple/multiple crosses included the origin of these obsolete SA cultivars ‘Auburn M’, ‘DES 920’, ‘MARSPD202085’, ‘S.N.0503-1’, PD 2165, and ‘Stoneville 14’, among others. A range of severity of foliar symptoms, vascular root staining, and plant mortality occurred in the infested fields based on tested accessions and observations of susceptible germplasm/cultivar-checks, indicating moderate to severe inoculum levels with the sites. Many FOV4 infected Upland cultivars typically showed fewer leaf symptoms and much lower plant mortality in early stages of the disease compared to Pima cultivars. The inheritance of FOV4 resistance/tolerance in Upland cotton ranges from recessive to intermediate, unlike in Pima cotton where resistance seems to be dominant or more complete in the host plant. Highly resistant/tolerant Upland breeding lines were developed from this breeding research effort and will be publicly released to reduce the vulnerability of the cotton industry to this pathogen.
Hypomethylating Agents in Lymphoma

Epigenetic mutations are frequent and pathogenic in select subtypes of lymphoma, and agents modulating DNA and histone methylation—such as inhibitors of DNMT and EZH2, respectively—have demonstrated promise in treating these diseases. In particular, lymphomas derived from the germinal center—GC-DLBCL, FL, and AITL—are all characterized by epigenetic derangements. In an effort to target these derangements, DNMT inhibitors have been investigated as a means of improving responsiveness to chemotherapy in DLBCL patients, or as monotherapy or in combination with other epigenetic agents in the treatment of TCL. Histone methyltransferase inhibitors have demonstrated effectiveness in R/R FL patients with EZH2-activating mutations. New treatment options that target the pathogenesis of disease are needed. HDAC inhibitors have been in the clinic for over a decade for the treatment of lymphoma, and now methyltransferase inhibitors are finding their niche for this disease.
Detecting critical decision points during cognitive-behavioral therapy and light therapy for winter depression nonremission and recurrence

Abstract Using data from a clinical trial comparing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-SAD) and light therapy (LT) for winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD; n = 177), we explored critical decision points, or treatment weeks, that predict likelihood of nonremission at post-treatment and depression recurrence following treatment. In receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, we used weekly Structured Clinical Interview for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-SAD Version (SIGH-SAD) scores during treatment to predict nonremission at post-treatment (Week 6) and recurrence one winter later (Winter 1), two winters later (Winter 2), and any recurrence. Although several C-statistics of ≥ 0.70 were found, only Week 4 SIGH-SAD scores in CBT-SAD for nonremission had enough predictive ability to inform clinical decision-making (C-statistic = 0.80; sensitivity = 0.91; specificity = 0.68). Week 4 of CBT-SAD may be a critical time point to identify likely nonremitters who need tailoring of intervention, based on SIGH-SAD cutpoint score ≥ 13. This study illustrates how clinical trial data can inform detecting optimal decision points in treatment for identifying patients unlikely to remit, a critical first step to developing adaptive treatment strategies using decision rules to operationalize when and for whom treatment should change to maximize clinical benefit.
Identifying the Risk Culture of Banks Using Machine Learning

Although risk culture is a key element in the risk management process, identifying the risk culture of a firm can be challenging due to the abstract concept of culture. We introduce text mining and unsupervised machine learning algorithms to define the risk culture for U.S. bank holding companies and examine the relation between risk culture and performance. Applying principal component analysis on textually extracted features from 10-K filings identifies uncertainty, litigious and constraining sentiments among risk culture features to be significant in defining risk culture of banks. Cluster analysis of these features proposes three distinct risk culture clusters which we label as good, fair and poor. Consistent with regulatory expectations, sound risk culture in banks is characterized by high profitability ratios, bank stability, lower default risk and good governance.
Abstract PO012: Characterization of molecular, phenotypic, and drug sensitivity changes due to estrogen receptor alpha mutations in endometrial cancer

Estrogen signaling is essential for normal uterine function and has been shown to play critical roles in the development of endometrial cancer. Mutations in the ligand binding domain (LBD) of estrogen receptor alpha (ER) have been identified in primary endometrial cancer and hormone therapy resistant breast cancer. In endometrial cancer, ER mutations are associated with worse outcomes and obesity independent disease. However, additional molecular and phenotypic characterizations of these mutations are needed in the context of endometrial cancer. Utilizing a CRISPR/Cas9 tagging strategy to model the more common Y537S and D538G LBD mutations while epitope tagging ER’s endogenous locus in Ishikawa cells, we studied the regulatory and phenotypic consequences of mutant ER in endometrial cancer and have identified potential targeted therapies for the treatment of this disease. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments uncovered expression changes caused by ER mutations, including both estradiol-regulated genes and mutation-specific, estradiol-independent genes. We found mutation-specific changes in gene expression were not recapitulated with prolonged estrogen exposure in wildtype cells, suggesting the mutant ER transcriptome is distinct from constitutive ER activity. The unique mutant ER expression program was related to phenotypic changes in ER mutant endometrial cancer cells, including increased proliferation specifically in vivo and increased migration in vitro relative to wildtype cells, consistent with more aggressive endometrial tumors. Based on the transcriptional and phenotypic alterations caused by mutant ER, we explored gene regulation based drugs for the potential treatment of mutant ER endometrial tumors. We found that two small molecules, cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitor Alvocidib and steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC-3) inhibitor SI-2, decreased mutant ER’s ability to promote proliferation and migration. In conclusion, mutant ER confers estrogen-independent activity while causing additional regulatory changes in endometrial cancer cells. This activity has led us to identify two drugs that show efficacy in treating mutant ER endometrial cancer cells, however further study is needed to ascertain whether they can be utilized as novel therapeutic targets in this disease. Citation Format: Zannel Blanchard, Jeffery M. Vahrenkamp, Spencer Arnesen, Kristofer C. Berrett, Jason Gertz. Characterization of molecular, phenotypic, and drug sensitivity changes due to estrogen receptor alpha mutations in endometrial cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference: Endometrial Cancer: New Biology Driving Research and Treatment; 2020 Nov 9-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(3_Suppl):Abstract nr PO012.
Analyzing Effectiveness of Gang Interventions using Koopman Operator Theory

Koopman operator theory, applied via numerical techniques such as dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) and autoencoders, has recently emerged as an interesting mathematical framework for understanding how complex, high-dimensional dynamical systems evolve. In this paper, we apply several DMD and autoencoder algorithms to a dataset of gang involvement and activity to assess the effectiveness City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development’s (GRYD) Intervention Family Case Management Program. We compare various subsets of the data to explore differences in sub-populations. We then control for different covariates in our analysis of dynamical changes in population characteristics over time. Statistically significant results suggest the efficacy of the GRYD FCM Program.
Gender differences in comorbidities and risk factors in ischemic stroke patients with a history of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia and has been identified as a major risk factor for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Gender differences in the disease process, causative mechanisms and outcomes of AF have been investigated. In the current study, we determined whether there is a gender-based disparity in AIS patients with baseline AF, and whether such a discrepancy is associated with specific risk factors and comorbidities. Baseline factors including comorbidities, risk and demographic factors associated with a gender difference were examined using retrospective data collected from a registry from January 2010 to June 2016 in a regional stroke center. Univariate analysis was used to differentiate between genders in terms of clinical risk factors and demographics. Variables in the univariate analysis were further analyzed using logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each factor were used to predict the increasing odds of an association of a specific comorbidity and risk factor with the male or female AIS with AF. In the population of AIS patients with AF, a history of drug and alcohol use (OR = 0.250, 95% CI, 0.497–1.006, P = 0.016), sleep apnea (OR = 0.321, 95% CI, 0.133–0.777, P = 0.012), and higher serum creatinine (OR = 0.693, 95% CI, 0.542–0.886 P = 0.003) levels were found to be significantly associated with the male gender. Higher levels of HDL-cholesterol (OR = 1.035, 95% CI, 1.020–1.050, P < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (OR = 1.006, 95% CI, 1.001–1.011, P = 0.012), and the inability to ambulate on admission to hospital (OR = 2.258, 95% CI, 1.368–3.727, P = 0.001) were associated with females. Our findings reveal that in the AIS patients with atrial fibrillation, migraines, HDL, LDL and poor ambulation were associated with females, while drugs and alcohol, sleep apnea, and serum creatinine level were associated with male AIS patients with AF. Further studies are necessary to determine whether gender differences in risk factor profiles and commodities require consideration in clinical practice when it comes to AF as a risk factor management in AIS patients.
On Memristor Modeling for a VGA Application

A variable gain amplifier application featuring a physical memristor available from Knowm Inc. is considered. A hardware prototype of the amplifier is built and variable gain programming response verified. An in situ current-voltage characterization of the device is performed, and a SPICE circuit model for the memristor is extracted and implemented for LTSpice simulations. Simulation results show good agreement with measured variable gain amplifier responses of the experimental hardware. The proposed memristor characterization method and SPICE modeling technique provide a useful approach for further simulation evaluation of application specific analog memristor circuits such as a variable gain amplifier.
Novel Hybrid Circuit Breaker Topology Using a Twin Contact Mechanical Switch

DC smart grids have become very popular over the last decade. Furthermore, protection of DC grids has always been a challenge that must be addressed. DC fault has a different behavior from AC fault in which zero crossing current helps current interruption in circuit breakers. Moreover, DC fault current increases to much higher levels and in a faster pace as there is a small amount of reactance in DC systems comparing to AC systems. Hybrid Circuit Breakers (HCBs) are attractive for slow dynamic traditional load based microgrids due to their excellent conduction loss. However, the effect of their added reactance to the grid, which is a necessity to limit the fault current, severely decreases the grid response time to the pulse loads disqualifies them for most of the high demand modern micro grids. The all new Twin Contact HCB (TCHCB) offers a significantly smaller Current Limiting Reactance (CLR) making it a great alternative to Solid State CBs (SSCBs) with considerably high conduction loss and prerequisite of a cooling system.
WE-B-BRD-02: MR Simulation for Radiation Therapy

The use of MRI in radiation therapy is rapidly increasing. Applications vary from the MRI simulator, to the MRI fused with CT, and to the integrated MRI+RT system. Compared with the standard MRI QA, a broader scope of QA features has to be defined in order to maximize the benefits of using MRI in radiation therapy. These QA features include geometric fidelity, image registration, motion management, cross-system alignment, and hardware interference. Advanced MRI techniques require a specific type of QA, as they are being widely used in radiation therapy planning, dose calculations, post-implant dosimetry, and prognoses. A vigorous and adaptive QA program is crucial to defining the responsibility of the entire radiation therapy group and detecting deviations from the performance of high-quality treatment. As a drastic departure from CT simulation, MRI simulation requires changes in the work flow of treatment planning and image guidance. MRI guided radiotherapy platforms are being developed and commercialized to take the advantage of the advance in knowledge, technology and clinical experience. This symposium will from an educational perspective discuss the scope and specific issues related to MRI guided radiotherapy. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the difference between a standard and a radiotherapy-specific MRI QA program. 2. Understand the effects of MRI artifacts (geometric distortion and motion) on radiotherapy. 3. Understand advanced MRI techniques (ultrashort echo, fast MRI including dynamic MRI and 4DMRI, diffusion, perfusion, and MRS) and related QA. 4. Understand the methods to prepare MRI for treatment planning (electron density assignment, multimodality image registration, segmentation and motion management). 5. Current status of MRI guided treatment platforms. Dr. Jihong Wang has a research grant with Elekta-MRL project. Dr. Ke Sheng receives research grants from Varian Medical systems.
Development of an evidence-based strategy to assess and manage substance use in oncology patients

Background This project will empower cancer patients to address their substance use by establishing an evidence-based strategy for identifying and managing substance use during cancer treatment. The question is: Does the proactive identification and management of substance use in oncology patients improve specific patient outcomes such as quality of life, treatment adherence, and reduction in treatment complications? A multidisciplinary team identified substance use as a contributing factor in several adverse patient outcomes. Further research revealed that there are currently no evidence-based standards to guide the care of patients with alcohol and illicit substance use (AISU) who are diagnosed with cancer. AISU during cancer treatment significantly worsens quality of life outcomes, including problems with pain, sleep, dyspnea, total distress, anxiety, coping, shortness of breath, diarrhea, poor emotional functioning, fatigue and poor appetite[1-4]. AISU in cancer patients may also cause significant safety risks in the short and long term[5-9] and increased mortality [10]. After completing a literature review and an exhaustive needs assessment, the team developed a program to implement Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Therapy (SBIRT) in the outpatient radiation oncology department. The implementation plan includes motivational interviewing training, clinical pathways, and risk-based intervention toolkits that will incorporate oncology-specific resources. Conclusions AISU in cancer patients is a threat to safety and quality of life, and patients who use substances during cancer treatment represent an opportunity to improve wellness in a vulnerable population. A program that incorporates the use of SBIRT as part of routine patient care should improve both cancer-specific and all-cause patient outcomes and is critical to patient safety.
Type I Interferons Are Not Critical for Skin Allograft Rejection or the Generation of Donor-Specific CD8+ Memory T Cells

Type I interferons (IFN-I) link innate to adaptive immunity in microbial infection, autoimmune disease and tumor immunity. It is not known whether IFN-I have an equally central role in alloimmunity. Here we tested this possibility by studying skin allograft survival and donor-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in mice that lack the IFN-I receptor (IFN-IR-/-). We found that IFN-IR-/- mice reject fully allogeneic wild-type skin grafts at the same rate as wild-type recipients. Similarly, allograft rejection was not delayed if IFN-IR-/- male skin was transplanted to syngeneic IFN-IR-/- female mice. Quantitation of the male (H-Y)-specific CD8+ T-cell response in these mice revealed normal generation of donor-specific CD8+ effector T cells but fourfold reduction in CD8+ memory T cells. Memory CD8+ T cells generated in the absence of IFN-IR had normal phenotype and recall function, assessed by ex vivo cytokine production and the ability of IFN-IR-/- mice to mount second set rejection. Finally, these memory T cells were maintained at a constant number despite their inability to respond to IFN-1. Our findings indicate that IFN-I cytokines are not critical for acute allograft rejection or for the expansion and differentiation of donor-specific CD8+ T cells into long-lived, functional memory T cells.
Supra-tarsal injection of dexamethasone in the treatment of patients with refractory vernal keratoconjunctivitis

The response to supratarsal injection of dexamethasone in severe refractory vernal keratoconjunctivitis was studied in 20 patients (14 males and 6 females) at the ophthalmology department of Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa in 1997. Majority of the patients were in the age range of 11-20 years with mean age of 14.6 years. Although all patients experienced relief of symptoms in the first 2 days of dexamethasone injection, symptoms recurred in the majority 16 (80%) of the patients. Cobble stone papillae and limbal signs disappeared in 2 (11%) and 5 (38%) of the patients respectively. Resolution of limbal form of the disease is more dramatic when compared to the palpebral form. This study showed that supratarsal injection of dexamethasone in severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis is effective in few, partially effective in some and ineffective in many of our patients. Further studies, particularly a randomized controlled trial is recommended prior to utilization of this new therapeutic modality as a standard form of treatment in Ethiopian patients.
Sex and surgical outcomes and mortality after primary total knee arthroplasty: a risk-adjusted analysis.

Objective Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a widely utilized and effective treatment option for end-stage knee osteoarthritis (OA). Knee OA is more prevalent among women compared to men, but there are limited data on the sex differences in surgical outcomes after primary TKA. Methods Our sample consisted of all primary TKAs performed in Pennsylvania during the fiscal year 2002. We used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes to identify major complications and surgical revision. We used mixed-effects logistic regression models to examine the associations between sex and all-cause mortality, readmissions, and major surgical complications. We used proportional hazards models to assess the risk of surgical revision after index arthroplasty. We adjusted for race, age, hospital teaching status, hospital procedure volume, insurance status, and risk of mortality. Results In 17,994 primary TKAs, there were 46 and 220 deaths at 30 days and 1 year, respectively. Compared to women, men had higher adjusted odds of 1-year mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.48 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13–1.94]) after primary TKA. The overall odds of most major 30-day complications did not differ by sex except for surgical wound infections, which were higher in men compared to women (OR 1.31 [95% CI 1.08–1.60]); 30-day readmission was higher in men (OR 1.25 [95% CI 1.10–1.43]). Men had significantly higher rates of revision of index knee arthroplasty at 5 years (hazard ratio 1.20 [95% CI 1.05–1.36]) compared to women. Conclusion The higher rates of mortality, hospital readmissions, revision surgery, and wound infections in men undergoing elective primary TKA compared to women indicate there is a sex disparity in these outcomes.
Inelastic electron scattering from surfaces

This report contains highlights of accomplishments of the past year, for the University of California, Irvine and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee collaboration on surface excitations, and their interactions with low energy electrons. In addition, we present a summary of future research to be carried out in the coming grant year.