cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Dynamics-Markov State Model of Protein Ligand Binding and Allostery in CRIB-PDZ: Conformational Selection and Induced Fit.

Conformational selection and induced fit are well-known contributors to ligand binding and allosteric effects in proteins. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations now enable the theoretical study of protein–ligand binding in terms of ensembles of interconverting microstates and the population shifts characteristic of “dynamical allostery.” Here we investigate protein–ligand binding and allostery based on a Markov state model (MSM) with states and rates obtained from all-atom MD simulations. As an exemplary case, we consider the single domain protein par-6 PDZ with and without ligand and allosteric effector. This is one of the smallest proteins in which allostery has been experimentally observed. In spite of the increased complexity intrinsic to a statistical ensemble perspective, we find that conformational selection and induced fit mechanisms can be readily identified in the analysis. In the nonallosteric pathway, MD-MSM shows that PDZ binds ligand via conformational selection. However, the allosteric pathwa...
Spatio-temporal variation in childhood growth in Nigeria: a comparison of aggregation and interpolation

ABSTRACTThe mean height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) of children under five is an important indicator of the health status of a population. HAZ values are frequently aggregated and reported at the national level, potentially obscuring important within-country variation. We evaluated aggregation and interpolation methods to provide sub-national estimates over space and time, using survey data from Nigeria in 1990, 2003, 2008, and 2013. We aggregated HAZ values by region and by state, and interpolated the values spatially and spatio-temporally using thin plate splines. The results were evaluated with cross-validation using the root mean squared error (RMSE) as a measure of goodness of fit. Mean HAZ values increased from 1990 to 2013, but values rose more sharply in southern Nigeria than in the North. All methods performed better than assuming a constant national average. The state-level aggregation, and the spatial and spatio-temporal interpolations had similar RMSE values, but the interpolation methods showed mor...
Midwinter Cold Hardiness of Leitneria floridana from Three Provenances

Leitneria floridana Chapman (Florida corkwood) is native to the southeastern and south-central United States. This rare shrub has been cultivated north of its natural habitats. However, the cold hardiness of the species, and potential differences in hardiness among geographical provenances, have not been established. Our objective was to determine midwinter cold hardiness of stem segments from indigenous plants in Texas and Missouri, and from plants that had been cultivated for many years in northern Illinois, but were originally native to Missouri and Arkansas. After exposure to controlled low temperatures, the cortex and phloem were stained with 2,3,5triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and compared with discoloration of the same tissues to determine midwinter cold hardiness. The two assays correlated positively, and marked provenance differences in cold hardiness were found. The estimated temperature at which 50% of stems were injured (T 50 ) was ≈ –20C (–4F) in December and –10C (14F) in January for samples from Texas. The estimated T 50 for stems from Missouri and Illinois was at or below the lowest temperature tested [–35C (–31F) in December and –60C (–76F) in January]. Stems from cultivated plants in Illinois and from plants indigenous to Missouri were similarly hardy within the range of temperatures used. Autumnal acclimation and vernal deacclimation of L. floridana remain uncharacterized, but midwinter cold hardiness of L. floridana seems sufficient to permit its use north of its natural habitat. Substantial provenance differences in cold hardiness should be considered when selecting plants for landscaping outside the native range of L. floridana.
Introduction and General Principles of Autopsy

In this chapter, the general principles of pediatric autopsies are discussed, including the death certificate, deaths that must be referred to a medical examiner, the jurisdiction of the medical examiner, manners of death, benefits of an autopsy, and donor organs in this population.
Direct measurements of anchor damping in MEMS resonators

The aim of this study is to quantify the energy loss mechanisms for single anchored double-ended tuning forks (DETF) — particularly, gas damping, thermoelastic dissipation (TED) and anchor damping. We performed ring-down measurements of quality factor (Q) as a function of pressure to confirm the absence of air damping. We also measured Q over a wide temperature range including where the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) crosses zero, and consequently the effects from thermoelastic dissipation (TED) become negligible. This provides the first opportunity to directly quantify energy losses due to anchor damping and allows us to vary the mounting configuration to explore the impact of the mounting on the loss.
Monitoring Cerebral Blood Flow And Oxygenation During Cardiac Surgery

Brain injury is a devastating adverse event of cardiac surgery due to compromised blood supply to the brain. This study uses optical techniques to monitor cerebral hemodynamics during cardiac surgery to continuously evaluate brain perfusion.
A noteworthy accumulation of disparid crinoids from the type Cincinnatian (Upper Ordovician) of southwestern Ohio, USA: implications for the palaeoecology and taphonomy of crinoid “logjam” assemblages

Crinoids are a common and well-studied faunal component of the Upper Ordovician (Katian; Edenian) Kope Formation in the greater Cincinnati Arch region, USA. However, a relatively fresh outcrop exposing the Southgate and McMicken members of the Kope Formation at Cleves, Hamilton County, southwestern Ohio, has yielded a crinoid specimen worthy of description and comment. The specimen is a “logjam” of numerous articulated columns of Iocrinus subcrassus displaying parallel alignment, reflecting the influence of storm-generated currents. Iocrinus is not typically found in such a state; the genera Ectenocrinus and Cincinnaticrinus are generally associated with “logjams” in the type Cincinnatian, making this an unusual occurrence. At least one of the columns has the coiled dististele of another, smaller I. subcrassus tightly wrapped around it. Although I. subcrassus is known to employ a coiled dististele as an attachment strategy, ramose bryozoans are generally utilised as substrates and tight coiling around larger I. subcrassus columns has not previously been reported. Preservation of coiled dististeles, in general, is a feature not previously documented in Cincinnatian crinoid “logjams.” This specimen illustrates that unusual, noteworthy and/or rare material representing relatively common organisms continue to be discovered even within extensively studied units in the type Cincinnatian.
Connecting college and work: examining the relationship between students’ college employment experiences and their professional and career attitudes

This study examined the relationship between U.S. students’ employment experiences during college/university and their fourth-year professional career attitudes as defined by the Wabash National St...
Classifying Safety Events Related to Diagnostic Imaging From a Safety Reporting System Using a Human Factors Framework.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to measure diagnostic imaging safety events reported to an electronic safety reporting system and assess steps at which they occurred within the diagnostic imaging workflow and contributing sociotechnical factors. Methods The authors evaluated all electronic safety reporting system reports related to diagnostic imaging during calendar year 2015 at an academic medical center with 50,000 admissions, 950,000 ambulatory visits, and 680,000 diagnostic imaging studies annually. Each report was assigned a harm score ranging from 0 to 4 by the reporter; scores of 2 (minor harm) to 4 (death) were classified as “potential harm.” Two reviewers manually classified reports into steps involved in the diagnostic imaging chain and sociotechnical factors per the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework. The κ coefficient was used to measure interreviewer agreement on 10% of reports. The percentage of reports that could cause “potential harm” was compared for each step and sociotechnical factor using χ2 analysis. Results Of 11,570 safety reports submitted in 2015, 854 (7%) were related to diagnostic imaging. Although the most common step was imaging procedure (54% of reports), potential harm occurred more in result communication (odds ratio, 2.36; P = .05). Person factors most commonly contributed to safety reports (71%). Potential harm occurred more in safety reports that were related to tasks compared with person factors (odds ratio, 5.03; P Conclusions Safety events were related to diagnostic imaging in 7% of reported events. Potential harm occurred primarily during imaging procedure and result communication. Safety events were attributed to multifactorial sociotechnical factors. Further work is necessary to decrease safety events related to diagnostic imaging.
Corruption in North America: Canada and the United States

Neither Canada nor the United States is corrupt according to global standards and the critical measurement indexes. But both harbor pockets of corrupt practice and their political and jurisprudential procedures differ strikingly, with recent decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court contributing significantly to a weakening of bars against corrupt political behavior and undue corporate influence over elections. Leadership differences also influence tendencies towards rather than away from corruption, with a president coarsening the national moral fabric whilst a prime minister steers a steadier ship of integrity.
Pancreatoduodenectomy in patient with perforated duodenal diverticulum and peritonitis: Case report.

Abstract Introduction Duodenal diverticula are quite prevalent in general population, seen on up to 5% of radiology studies and up to 22% of autopsy examinations. Presentation of the case 70 years old female was admitted to the hospital with epigastric pain, fevers and elevated white cell count. Abdominal CT scan demonstrated evidence of perforated duodenal diverticulitis which failed to improve with IV antibiotics. Emergent pancreatoduodenectomy was performed with full recovery and uncomplicated hospital stay. Discussions Conservative therapy with antibiotics and bowel rest is successful in majority cases of perforation. Failure of conservative therapy demands surgical management. Variety of surgical approaches ranging from simple diverticulectomy to segmental resection, duodenal exclusion/bypass to pancreatoduodenectomy are available. Conclusion Pancreatoduodenectomy is an option when complicated duodenal diverticulum is not resolved with conservative or interventional therapy. This report has been written in concordance with the SCARE criteria Agha et al. [ 1 ].
Soil horizon delineation using vis-NIR and pXRF data

Abstract In this study, we evaluate the use of visible-near infrared (vis-NIR) and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) for delineating soil horizons and how these are affected by soil moisture in a Mollisol (A, Ab, 2E, and 2Bt) profile of south-central Wisconsin. The soil profile was scanned in the field (moist) and soil samples were taken that were scanned in the laboratory (dry) using a vis-NIR spectrometer and a pXRF spectrometer. The CIE L*a*b* color was extracted from the vis-NIR spectra, and the elemental ratios and weathering indices were calculated from the pXRF data. The CIE L*a*b* color, elemental concentrations, elemental ratios, and weathering indices of the vertical transect were interpolated into 1-cm interval up to 100-cm soil depth for moist and dry measurements which were further used in the clustering analysis for identifying soil horizons. It was found that soil moisture decreased L*, a*, and b* color coordinates and the elemental concentrations. Soil moisture had little effect on the vertical distribution of the CIE L*a*b* color and pXRF measurements. Moisture effects can be partly reduced by taking elemental ratios and calculating weathering indices, or corrected by a linear function. The color variables (a* and b*), Ca, and Calcium/Titanium ratio (CTR) distinguished A horizons (Ap, A2, and Ab), whereas the Al, Fe, Ruxton index (R), and Sesquioxide ratio (Saf) distinguished 2E, 2Bt1, and 2Bt2 horizons. The CIE L*a*b* color and pXRF data were excellent variables for delineating soil horizons, and the measurements on moist soil samples performed better than those measured on dry soil samples.
Efficacy of fall-applied residual herbicides on weedy rice control in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Field experiments were initiated near Colt, AR, in the fall of 2016 and continued through the summer of 2018 to evaluate rice tolerance and weedy (or red) rice control after fall-applied very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA)-inhibiting herbicides. A split-plot design was used for the experiment, with the whole-plot factor being winter condition (flooded or non-flooded) and the split-plot factors being herbicide and rate. Herbicide treatments included acetochlor, dimethenamid-P, pethoxamid, pyroxasulfone, and S-metolachlor applied at 1,050, 525, 420, 205, and 1,070 g ai ha-1 and at 2,100, 1,050, 840, 410, and 2,140 g ha-1 for low rates and high rates, respectively. Herbicides were applied in the fall, then ‘CL172’ rice was drill seeded in the spring of the following calendar year. Weedy rice control differed between years, but acetochlor and pyroxasulfone consistently provided the greatest levels of control across rates and flood conditions. Consequently, herbicides that best controlled weedy rice also caused the greatest injury to cultivated rice. Rice injury did not exceed 13% regardless of herbicide treatment at 3 wk after planting (WAP). However, the high rate of pyroxasulfone caused 20% rice injury at 5 WAP in 2018. Although it was expected that winter condition may affect residual activity of the VLCFA-inhibiting herbicides, herbicide selection and application rate both had much greater effects on rice injury and on weedy rice control. Based on these results, rice injury would be minimal or nonexistent after fall applications of the tested VLCFA inhibitors, and intermediate levels of weedy rice control may be achieved. The implementation of VLCFA-inhibiting herbicides in rice production systems would offer a novel herbicide site of action and offer a degree of selective control of weedy rice.Nomenclature: Acetochlor; dimethenamid-P; pethoxamid; pyroxasulfone, S-metolachlor; red rice, Oryza sativa L. ORYSA; rice, Oryza sativa L.
The Case for Neuroscience Research in the Classroom

Neuroscience courses, largely relegated to advanced undergraduate or graduate universities, are now being offered in high schools and middle schools. Low-tech versions of advanced neuroscience research tools are being used in hands-on labs. In this NeuroView, I will argue the need for and provide an overview of neuroscience research beyond academia.
Abstract 5264: Metabolic reprogramming with β-alanine to overcome chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer

Background: Increased aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) leading to acidic microenvironment confers chemoresistance to weakly basic Gemcitabine, the standard treatment in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Metabolomic perturbations in two PDAC cell lines having differential sensitivity to Gemcitabine was investigated by profiling over 40 metabolites using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Notably, a significant decrease in the concentration of β-alanine (βA) was observed in Gem resistant compared to Gem sensitive cell line, suggesting βA may have a role in chemotherapy response. We aimed to evaluate the role of βA supplementation in improving Gem efficacy in Gem resistant cell lines Methods: PDAC Panc-1 cell line extracts treated with Gem with and without βA supplementation were analysed via 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Aerobic glycolysis was quantified by measuring extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) using the Seahorse XF analyser platform. Global mRNA profiling was done by Next Generation Sequencing. Proliferation, migration and cell cycle analysis was measured by Xcelligence real time cell analysis system and flow cytometry, respectively. PANC-1 and BxPC-3 tumor xenografts treated with Gemcitabine with and without βA for 4 weeks and the tumor volumes and weights were measured. Results: βA supplementation in Gem resistant cells results in: (1) decreased basal glycolytic rate, proton leak and ATP production; (2) increased pyruvate, decreased lactic acid and NAD+ concentrations with decreased LDH-A transcription; also increased carnosine levels with a more basic pH in the conditioned media; (3) enhanced sensitivity to Gem treatment, with a significant reduction in proliferation, cell migration, and increased apoptosis and relative hENt-1 mRNA levels and (5) xenograft tumor volumes and weights were significantly reduced upon βA supplementation. Conclusion: βA supplementation reprograms cell metabolism by normalizing energy production and reducing microenvironment acidification, thus enhancing chemo-sensitivity in Gem resistant PDAC cells and xenografts. βA can be potentially used as a co-therapeutic in PDAC. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Danny Yakoub, Smitha T. Totiger, Alexandra Moran, Sujit Suwal, Julio Pimentel, Lauren O9Donell, Jamie Walls, Nagaraj Nagathihalli, Nipun Merchant. Metabolic reprogramming with β-alanine to overcome chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5264.
B Cells as an Immune-Regulatory Signature in Ovarian Cancer

Increasing evidence suggests that the immune system plays a dynamic role in the progression of ovarian cancer, the deadliest gynecological malignancy worldwide. Accumulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes has been associated with increased survival in ovarian cancer patients, and diverse interactions among immune cells in the tumor microenvironment determine tumor progression. While the regulatory functions of T cells among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are well defined and also involve therapeutic interventions, the role of B cells in ovarian cancer progression is still limited to their impact on survival. Recent studies have identified both pro- and anti-tumor responses of B cells in solid tumors, as different subsets of B cells play diverse roles in progression. Thus, in-depth characterization of B cell subtypes in each disease stage is crucial for understanding the importance and therapeutic potential of these cells in ovarian cancer. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about B cells in ovarian cancer and discuss emerging therapeutic interventions that could harness B cells to combat this deadly disease.
Neural reinstatement guides context-dependent emotional memory retrieval

Abstract Reactivating the memory of a context improves retrieval of information learned in that context. But does context reactivation resolve memory competition between related but conflicting emotional experiences? Here, we asked whether spontaneously retrieved episodic context disambiguates competing memories of fear and safety in the healthy brain and in posttraumatic stress disorder. During fMRI, subjects learned that items from an object category were a threat, and then learned that different items from the same category were safe in a unique context. The next day, subjects viewed new threat ambiguous stimuli from the same category and reported their expectation of threat. Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) was used to identify and decode neural patterns unique to the context of safety learning. We show that in healthy adults the degree of neural reinstatement of the safe context predicted activity to threat ambiguous stimuli in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and hippocampus, regions important for contextual modulation of emotional memory retrieval. The degree of context reinstatement also disambiguated subjects’ feelings of threat versus safety. In contrast, context reinstatement did not resolve emotional memory retrieval in subjects with PTSD, indicating a contextual processing deficit in this group. Finally, multivoxel pattern similarity between safe and threat ambiguous stimuli overlapped in the vmPFC in healthy adults but not in PTSD. These findings reveal how neural reinstatement helps resolve context-dependent memory retrieval between opposing sources of emotional information. Understanding how the human brain separately encodes and retrieves competing memories of related events has broad implications for the study of emotional memory, associative learning, and the neuropathophysiology of affective disorders.
Treatment decision-making and financial toxicity in metastatic breast cancer.

97Background: Shared decision-making (SDM), a process where patients partner with their physician to incorporate personal preferences into treatment decisions, is a tenet of high-value healthcare. ...
Convolutional neural networks for pavement roughness assessment using calibration‐free vehicle dynamics

Abstract Road roughness is a measure of how uncomfortable a ride is, and provides an important indicator for the needs of roadway maintenance or repavement, which is closely tied to the state and f...
Age-related trends in treatment use for children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Numerous and increasing treatment options face parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study sought to elucidate age-related trends in treatment use among children with ASD from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC; n = 2758). Our goals were to: (a) explore frequencies of use for various treatment types between preschool and adolescence, and (b) statistically compare rates of treatment-type use by children of different ages. Results indicated high reliance on school-based treatments (e.g., speech and occupational therapies), though use of these types of treatments decreased with age. Use of most treatment types peaked during the preschool years and decreased with age, except psychotropic medication, which was used more by older children. A stable proportion of the sample across ages endorsed biomedical treatments (i.e., complementary alternative medicine; CAM). Percentages of treatment-type use at three different ages (representing early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence) via Pearson chi-square analyses indicated significant associations ( α
Functional outcomes of older adults treated with radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

e17010Background: Older patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) may not be offered standard of care treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical cystectomy (RC) bas...
DNA damage repair pathway alterations in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma and implications on systemic therapy

Background Loss-of-function alterations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are associated with human tumorigenesis and may determine benefit from immune-oncology (I/O) agents as shown in colon cancer. However, biologic significance and relevance to I/O in metastatic clear cell RCC (ccRCC) are unknown. Methods Genomic data and treatment outcomes were retrospectively collected for patients with metastatic ccRCC. Tumor and germline DNA were subject to targeted next generation sequencing across >400 genes of interest, including 34 DDR genes. Patients were dichotomized according to underlying DDR gene alteration into (1) deleterious DDR gene alterations present (Del DDR); (2) wild-type (WT) and variants of unknown significance (VUS) DDR gene alterations present (WT/VUS DDR). Association between DDR status and therapeutic benefit was investigated separately for I/O and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Results Del DDR were detected in 43/229 patients (19%). The most frequently altered genes were CHEK2 and ATM. Clonality analysis was performed in 27 somatic DDR mutations and 17 were clonal (63%). For patients with I/O treatment, Del DDR status was associated with superior overall survival (log-rank p=0.049); after adjusting for International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium risks and extent of prior therapy, the HR for Del DDR was 0.41 (95% CI: 0.14–1.14; p=0.09). No association was seen with VEGF-TKI treatment (log-rank p=0.903). Conclusion Del DDR alterations are recurrent genomic events in patients with advanced RCC and were mostly clonal in this cohort. Loss-of-function events in these genes may affect outcome with I/O therapy in metastatic RCC, and these hypothesis-generating results deserve further study.
Enhancing epilepsy self-management and quality of life for adults with epilepsy with varying social and educational backgrounds using PAUSE to Learn Your Epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose People with epilepsy (PWE) come from a wide variety of social backgrounds and educational skillsets, making self-management (SM) education for improving their condition challenging. Here, we evaluated whether a mobile technology-based personalized epilepsy SM education intervention, PAUSE to Learn Your Epilepsy (PAUSE), improves SM measures such as self-efficacy, epilepsy SM behaviors, epilepsy outcome expectations, quality of life (QOL), and personal impact of epilepsy in adults with epilepsy. Methods Recruitment for the PAUSE study occurred from October 2015 to March 2019. Ninety-one PWE were educated using an Internet-enabled computer tablet application that downloads custom, patient-specific educational programs from Epilepsy.com . Validated self-reported questionnaires were used for outcome measures. Participants were assessed at baseline (T0), the first follow-up at completion of the PWE-paced 8–12-week SM education intervention (T1), and the second follow-up at least 3 months after the first follow-up (T2). Multiple linear regression was used to assess within-subject significant changes in outcome measures between these time points. Results The study population was diverse and included individuals with a wide variety of SM educational needs and abilities. The median time for the first follow-up assessment (T1) was approximately 4 months following the baseline (T0) and 8 months following baseline for the second follow-up assessment (T2). Participants showed significant improvement in all SM behaviors, self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, QOL, and personal impact of epilepsy measures from T0 to T1. Participants who scored lower at baseline tended to show greater improvement at T1. Similarly, results showed that participant improvement was sustained in the majority of SM measures from T1 to T2. Conclusion This study demonstrated that a mobile technology-based personalized SM intervention is feasible to implement. The results provide evidence that epilepsy SM behavior and practices, QOL, outcome expectation for epilepsy treatment and management, self-efficacy, and outcome expectation and impact of epilepsy significantly improve following a personalized SM education intervention. This underscores a greater need for a pragmatic trial to test the effectiveness of personalized SM education, such as PAUSE to Learn Your Epilepsy, in broader settings specifically for the unique needs of the hard-to-reach and hard-to-treat population of PWE.
Development Path and Case Analysis of Intelligent Energy in Intelligent City Construction

With the continuous progress of urbanization, the contradiction between urban development and environment and resources has become increasingly prominent, environmental pollution has been aggravating, energy is difficult to sustain, and urban development is facing many challenges. The concept of smart energy construction is put forward, and the environment of smart energy construction is analyzed by PEST analysis method. Next, the summary of smart energy construction contributing to smart city development is carried out, which is focusing on the application of smart energy construction projects in four areas: new energy automobile development, clean energy utilization, urban heat supply transformation and power demand side management. Adhering to electricity as the core, giving full play to the key role of smart grid in the construction of smart energy and smart cities will help achieve sustainable energy development and rapid and healthy social and economic development. Smart energy has played a huge role in promoting urban intelligentization in ensuring urban energy security and reliability, promoting urban green development, promoting the development of urban-related industries, and enhancing the connotation of urban services. It has become an important foundation and driving force for the development of smart cities in China.
3D Printed Glass Preforms for Optical Fibers with Non-Equilibrium Cross-Sections

Considering the demand for increasing complexity in optical fiber cross-sections, we present a novel approach for glass perform fabrication based on 3-D printing and show that it can produce glass preforms with non-equilibrium cross-sections.
“Confinement effects for nano-electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction”

Abstract Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is one of the most technologically relevant reactions. It occurs at the interface of the electrocatalyst and electrolyte, where oxygen reacts with protons and electrons to produce water. Because the electrocatalyst is dispersed on a high surface area support, morphological confinement becomes critical, as it dictates proton and oxygen transport. Furthermore, confinement is induced by ionomer, ionic liquids (ILs), or molecular additives, and their impact on electrocatalyst reactivity and transport properties is currently not well understood. We present an overview of electrostatics and mass transport–induced confinement and zoom in into ILs and molecular additives and try to unravel how local confinement induced by them impacts ORR.
Pathologic examination of placenta: a study on 500 live births to assess conformity to College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines and clinicopathologic correlation.

Pathological examination of placenta is vital to understand the pathophysiology of adverse perinatal outcomes, prevention of recurring conditions in subsequent pregnancies and medico-legal risk ass...
Always already there: theorizing an intra-disciplinary social studies

While social studies is often referred to as either disciplinary or interdisciplinary, we explain why the term intra-disciplinary might be more appropriate. Specifically, we present new materialist...
FURTHER TAXONOMIC NOTES ON VESPINAE (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE)

Lectotypes are designated for two species of Vespinae: Dolichovespula arctica (Rohwer) and Vespula intermedia (du Buysson). Dolichovespula albida (Sladen) is diagnostically distinct from D. norwegica (Fabricius), therefore it is a distinct phylogenetic species. This is also the case for Vespula intermedia versus V. rufa (Linnaeus).
Anesthetic Management for Heart Failure and Transplantation

Cardiac transplantation is widely accepted as a treatment of choice for patients with end-stage heart failure. Successful outcomes depend on many factors including proper patient selection, donor optimization, coordination and timing, optimized strategies for immunosuppression, and detailed perioperative care. In this chapter, we highlight patient selection, monitoring, and intraoperative and postoperative management of heart transplants.
Incentivizing suppliers using scorecard: A behavioral study

Supplier scorecards are a tool used by manufacturers to track supplier performance. We investigate the effectiveness of two manufacturer approaches for incentivizing desirable performance based on ...
Use of continuous intercostal nerve blockade is associated with improved outcomes in patients with multiple rib fractures.

Background Rib fractures are common among trauma patients and may result in significant morbidity and mortality. There are numerous treatment options, but ideal management is unclear. Delivery of local anesthetic via an analgesia catheter for continuous intercostal nerve blockade offers an attractive potential option for management of patients with rib fractures. Methods We performed a single-center, retrospective case–control analysis of trauma patients with multiple rib fractures from 2016 to 2018, comparing patients managed with continuous intercostal nerve blockade with standard care. Matching was performed in a 2:1 ratio by Injury Severity Score, age, and gender. Respiratory morbidity potentially secondary to rib fractures, including unplanned intubation, failure of extubation, need for tracheostomy, pneumonia, or mortality, were all identified and included. Potential complications due to catheter insertion were identified to be recorded. The primary outcome of interest was 30-day hospital-free days. Results Nine hundred and thirty-three patients were eligible for analysis, with 48 managed using intercostal blockade compared with 96 matching controls. No complications of intercostal blockade were identified during the study period. Controls demonstrated fewer rib fractures (6.60±4.11 vs. 9.3±3.73, p=0.001) and fewer flail segments (0.8±1.76 vs. 2.0±2.94, p=0.02). Those managed with intercostal blockade demonstrated significantly more 30-day hospital-free days (15.9±6.43 vs. 13.2±9.94, p=0.048), less incidence of pneumonia (4.2% vs. 16.7%, p=0.03), and lower hospital mortality (2.1% vs. 13.5%, p=0.03). When adjusting for number of rib fractures and number of flail segments, use of continuous intercostal nerve blockade was significantly associated with lower hospital mortality (OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.91), pneumonia (OR 0.15; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.76), or need for tracheostomy (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.83). Discussion The addition of continuous intercostal nerve blockade may help to improve outcomes in patients with multiple rib fractures compared with standard care alone. Level of evidence Therapeutic/care management; level IV.
Telehealth for Endocrinology: Experience and Effect on Utilization in the Prepandemic Era.

Abstract Objective Telehealth (TH) use in endocrinology was limited before the COVID-19 pandemic but will remain a major modality of care postpandemic. Reimbursement policies have been limited historically due to concerns of overutilization of visits and testing. Additionally, there is limited literature on endocrinology care delivered via TH for conditions other than diabetes. We assess real-world TH use for endocrinology in a prepandemic environment with the hypothesis that TH would not increase the utilization of total visits or related ancillary testing services compared with conventional (CVL) face-to-face office visits. Methods A single-institution retrospective cohort study assessing the prepandemic use of TH in endocrinology, consisting of 75 patients seen via TH and 225 patients seen in CVL visits. For most patients, TH was conducted via a clinic-to-clinic model. Outcomes measured were total endocrine visit frequency and frequency of related laboratory and radiology testing per patient, hemoglobin A1C, microalbumin, low-density lipoprotein, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroglobulin, and thyroid ultrasounds. Results For all endocrine visits, TH patients had a median of 0.24 (interquartile range, 0.015-0.36) visits per month. CVL patients had a median of 0.20 visits per month (interquartile range, 0.11-0.37). Total visits per month did not vary significantly between groups (P = .051). Hemoglobin A1C outcomes were equivalent and there was no increase in ancillary laboratory testing for the TH group. Conclusion Our observations demonstrate that, in a prepandemic health care setting, TH visits can provide equivalent care for endocrinology patients, without increasing utilization of total visits or ancillary services.
Cytologic analysis of vitreous fluids: A retrospective review of our 24 years of experience

BACKGROUND Cytologic analysis of vitreous fluid is an important component in diagnosis of vitreitis. No standard reporting guidelines exist for these specimens. This study chronicles our 24 years experience and proposes a tentative diagnostic model. METHODS Retrospective cytology reports review and database study. Clinical indications, cytologic patterns, ancillary studies performed, and diagnoses were recorded. RESULTS 176 samples from 160 patients were included and main cytologic patterns are reflected in Table 1. Most fluids were negative for malignancy (88%) and patterns IIB (53%) and IIA (19%) were dominant. The non-diagnostic rate was 7%; atypical and suspicious categories represented <0.5% of fluids tested and only 2% were positive for malignancy (3 intraocular lymphoma and one melanoma). Clinical indications for fluid examination were infection/inflammation (59%), to rule out lymphoma (11%), amyloidosis (3%), melanoma (2%), or to investigate intraocular hemorrhage. Fungal elements were demonstrated in 7 cases. No viral inclusions were appreciated; however, one case was positive for HSV 2 by IHC and 2 were negative by PCR. One case had Gram + cocci. Flow cytometry studies were suboptimal in 6 fluids, negative for an aberrant lymphocyte population in 11, and positive for high grade lymphoma in 3 cases. Atypical, suspicious and positive for melanoma were reported in 3 samples. Amyloid was identified in 1 aspirate. CONCLUSIONS Cytologic analysis of vitreous fluid is a useful tool. Modern techniques like flow cytometry and PCR testing further expand the diagnostic possibilities. Standardization of diagnostic terminology will aid clinicians caring for patients suffering from ocular disease.
Searching for Indicator Species of High Floristic Quality Depressional Wetlands in the US Southern Plains

Floristic Quality Assessment requires compiling a full list of vascular plant species for the wetland. Practitioners may lack the time and taxonomic skills for full-community vegetation surveys, especially when wetlands are large and complex. In this paper we broadly ask whether floristic quality indicator species may exist for wetlands, specifically evaluating indicator species potential for high floristic quality depressional wetlands in the US southern plains. Candidate indicators were identified for a broader context (depressions across Oklahoma prairie ecoregions) and narrower context (depressions in the northern Central Great Plains of Oklahoma) and evaluated based on performance, validity, and robustness criteria. Nine individual species and two species pairs showed exclusivity and ubiquity for high floristic quality, with their value generally improving in the narrower context. However, the overall best indicator (Eleocharis compressa) frequently occurred (> 20 % rate) in lower quality validation sites, and all indicators were lacking in one or more criteria. Combining E. compressa with select other candidates (Ammannia coccinea, Juncus torreyi, Leersia oryzoides) may compensate for weaknesses of individual species but the combinations may rarely be found across the region, suggesting they may not be useful in practice or that high-quality conditions are in fact scarce. Overall, these results offer mixed support for relying on indicator species to rapidly identify or verify high floristic quality depressional wetlands in the US southern plains. We recommend similar studies with larger datasets in other regions and testing other quality levels (low, moderate) before broadly concluding whether floristic quality indicator species may exist for wetlands.
A programmable vision chip with pixel-neighborhood level parallel processing

This paper presents a novel vision chip architecture based on pixel-neighborhood level parallel processing. The architecture consists of neighborhoods of 8×8 digital pixel sensors, where each group of 8×8 sensors is physically embedded within its own neighborhood processing core on the same focal plane. To that end, a low complexity neighborhood processor architecture along with a general-purpose, 8-bit instruction set has been designed and implemented. This allows program execution to be carried out in parallel on a two-dimensional array of pixel-neighborhood processing cores, allowing for direct scalability in terms of resolution. A prototype vision chip housing an array of 8×10 neighborhoods with a 64×80 resolution has been designed and fabricated in a 0.13 μm fabrication process. The singlechip vision system can be programmed to perform a variety of image and video processing tasks. A number of image processing tasks are presented to demonstrate the functionality of pixel-neighborhood level parallelism.
Interval analysis for concurrent trace programs using transaction sequence graphs

Concurrent trace programs (CTPs) are slices of the concurrent programs that generate the concrete program execution traces, where inter-thread event order specific to the given traces are relaxed. For such CTPs, we introduce transaction sequence graph (TSG) as a model for efficient concurrent data flow analysis. The TSG is a digraph of thread-local control nodes and edges corresponding to transactions and possible context-switches. Such a graph captures all the representative interleavings of these nodes/transactions. We use a mutually atomic transaction (MAT) based partial order reduction to construct such a TSG. We also present a non-trivial improvement to the original MAT analysis to further reduce the TSG sizes. As an application, we have used interval analysis in our experiments to show that TSG leads to more precise intervals and more time/space efficient concurrent data flow analysis than the standard models such as concurrent control flow graph.
Explanation-Based Generalization as Resolution Theorem Proving

This paper presents Explanation-Based Generalization as an augmentation of resolution theorem proving for Horn Clause Logic. The corresponding implementation, PROLOG-EBG, performs generalization as a byproduct of standard PROLOG theorem proving. This results in very a concise (four-clause) implementation of EBG. The propagation of consistent variable bindings by PROLOG during theorem proving corrects an error in the previously published EBG algorithm.
Omalizumab in asthmatics with IgE levels > 700 IU/ml

Introduction: Omalizumab, a monoclonal antibody against IgE, has been effectively used to control symptoms and reduce steroid requirements in asthmatics with serum IgE levels between 30-700 IU/ml and positive testing for perennial allergens. Its use when IgE levels are > 700 IU/ml is unclear. Aim: To evaluate the response of asthmatics treated with omalizumab with IgE levels > 700 IU/ml. Methods: A retrospective, case-controlled study was performed in an allergy referral clinic. Consecutive asthmatics treated with omalizumab ≥ 6 months with elevated IgE levels were identified, and demographic variables recorded. Systemic corticosteroid requirements, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, FEV1, Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, medications and allergen responses were recorded for a period of 6 months pre and post treatment. Results: Twenty-six patients with an IgE >700 IU/ml (Group 1) and 26 with an IgE of 30 to 700 IU/ml (Group 2) were identified. The mean IgE level was 2371 IU/ml (786-10979) vs. 221 IU/ml (30-578) respectively (p Conclusions: Omalizumab was effective in controlling asthma symptoms and reducing the need for systemic corticosteroids in patients with IgE levels > 700 IU/ml and produced clinical improvement similar to patients with IgE levels between 30-700 IU/ml.
Cell cycle protein suppression and p21 induction in differentiating Caco-2 cells

Despite intensive efforts, the exact cellular mechanisms leading to gut differentiation and development remain largely undefined. The cyclins, the cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), and the Cdk inhibitors (e.g., p21 and p27) are proteins that are important for cell cycle progression, subsequent growth inhibition, and differentiation of various cell types. The purpose of our study was to better define the role of these cell cycle proteins in gut differentiation using the Caco-2 human cell line, which spontaneously differentiates to a small bowel phenotype, as demonstrated by induction of sucrase-isomaltase (SI) gene expression. We found that protein levels of the cyclins (both D- and E-type) and the Cdks (both Cdk2 and Cdk4) progressively decreased in postconfluent Caco-2 cells. Moreover, cyclin E-associated histone H1 kinase activity decreased in an analogous fashion as the cyclins and Cdks. In contrast, induction of the Cdk inhibitor p21 occurred by 3 days postconfluency, which was before the increase in SI mRNA levels. These changes in the cell cycle proteins, which include a progressive decrease of the cyclins and Cdks and a concomitant induction of p21, suggest an important role for these proteins in Caco-2 cell differentiation. Identifying the cell cycle mechanisms responsible for intestinal cell differentiation will be important to our understanding of both normal gut development as well as gut neoplasia, which involves aberrant regulation of cell cycle arrest.
Efficient semiparametric mixture inferences on cure rate models for competing risks

Cancer patients may die from causes other than the diagnosed cancer. In a study of patients treated for soft tissue sarcoma, the patients may die from the disease or die without experiencing disease recurrence. In addition, a substantial proportion of the patients will remain cancer-free after surgical resection of the tumour, and therefore will not be at increased risk of any type of failure. Our goal is to describe the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy simultaneously on the probabilities of long-term survival, death from cancer, or death from other causes. To this end, we propose a semiparametric mixture model to determine the effects of factors on the probability of occurrence, allowing the surviving fraction, and the hazard rate conditional on each of the failure types. These quantities are combined in the mixture approach using a multinomial logistic model and a class of semiparametric transformation models. Estimation of the regression and nonparametric parameters is achieved with a novel nonparametric maximum likelihood approach. Statistical inferences can be conveniently made from the inverse of the observed information matrix. Simulation studies show that the procedures work well in practical settings. The methodology is illustrated with data from the soft tissue sarcoma study. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 43: 420–435; 2015 © 2015 Statistical Society of Canada Resume Les patients atteints du cancer peuvent aussi mourir d'une autre cause. Dans une etude sur les sarcomes des tissus mous, certains patients decedent de la maladie et d'autres meurent sans connai tre de rechute. De plus, une proportion importante des patients demeurent sans traces du cancer apres une resection de la tumeur et ne sont ainsi soumis a aucune augmentation de risque. L'objectif des auteurs consiste a decrire simultanement les effets d'une chimiotherapie adjuvante sur les probabilites de survie a long terme, de mort due au cancer et de mort due a une autre cause. A cette fin, les auteurs proposent un modele semi-parametrique de melange pour determiner les effets de differents facteurs sur les probabilites de ces evenements, utilisant une fraction de survie et un niveau de risque conditionel a chacun des types d’evenement. Ces quantites sont combinees dans le melange a l'aide d'un modele logistique multinomial et une classe de modeles de transformation semi-parametriques. Les auteurs estiment les parametres de la regression et les elements non parametriques par une nouvelle approche basee sur une vraisemblance non parametrique. L'inverse de la matrice d'information observee permet de proceder a l'inference statistique. Les auteurs presentent des etudes de simulation qui montrent que la procedure fonctionne bien dans des situations pratiques. Ils illustrent egalement leur methode a l'aide de donnees d'une etude sur les sarcomes des tissus mous. La revue canadienne de statistique xx: 1–16; 2015 © 2015 Societe statistique du Canada