cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symptom-related emergency department visits and hospital admissions during ambulatory cancer treatment.

People with cancer can experience distress associated with symptoms stemming from the disease itself and/or symptoms resulting from treatments and associated side effects. Symptom distress has a negative impact on patient quality of life (QoL), affecting the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains of life.1 Managing cancer symptoms and QoL issues are high priorities for oncology clinicians.2 Furthermore, attending to symptoms and side effects of treatment promotes safe and effective delivery of cancer therapies and may prevent or reduce the use of emergency department (ED) services and unplanned hospital admissions (HAs). The results of several descriptive, retrospective studies examining the clinical factors associated with emergency department visits (EDVs) and hospital admissions (HAs) in people with cancer suggest that relevant factors include symptoms and diagnoses.3–5 Common symptoms associated with EDVs and HAs in people with cancer include pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, dyspnea, and nausea and vomiting.3,5–7 Patients who have had a recent hospitalization are at increased risk of another HA.4 In addition, people with lung cancer3,5,6 and those with respiratory and other comorbid conditions may also be at increased risk of an EDV or HA.4,8 In summary, symptoms, cancer diagnoses, and comorbid conditions are associated with EDVs and HAs. Fever alone or fever with neutropenia is a strong predictor of an EDV or HA in people receiving chemotherapy or with newly diagnosed cancers, including hematologic malignancies.6,7 Other symptoms including pain, problems related to the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, and specific cancer diagnoses are also associated with EDVs and HAs. Attending to symptoms and problems before presentation to the ED may prevent or reduce use of ED services and the number of HAs. We found 4 studies that examined cancer symptom management and EDVs and HAs in: women with gynecologic cancer,9 ambulatory patients with breast or lung cancer receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy,10 patients with head and neck cancer receiving concurrent chemo-radiotherapy,11 and a sample of patients receiving chemotherapy for the first time.8 EDV and HA outcomes reported in those studies were mixed, suggesting that further investigation is needed. Most studies that have focused on EDVs and HAs in people with cancer were retrospective and medical record reviews; intervention studies have been mostly limited to patients receiving chemotherapy only. Therefore, we planned an analysis of prospective trial data from patients with various diagnoses and therapies. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with symptom-related EDV/HAs (sx-EDV/HAs) in ambulatory oncology patients who were receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
126 CEACAM6: A HORMONALLY REGULATED PROTEIN IN DIFFERENTIATING HUMAN FETAL LUNG TYPE II CELLS.

Ceacam6 (carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule) is a GPI-anchored membrane glycoprotein recently identified in human fetal lung undergoing in vitro hormone-induced differentiation of type II cells. The protein is a tumor biomarker in adult lung and selected other tissues, where it has antimicrobial activity; however, expression and function in lung have not been characterized. Undifferentiated epithelial cells were isolated by collagenase/trypsin digestion from human fetal lung (16-21 wk gestation) and cultured 1-5 d in the absence (control) or presence of DCI (dexamethasone, 10 nM; 8-Br-cAMP, 0.1 mM; isobutylmethylxanthine, 0.1 mM). Some cells in control media were treated with adenovirus Ad12A2 (0.5-6 pfu/cell) to overexpress thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) or were transfected by electroporation (AMAXA nucleofection technology) with siRNAs (200 nM) for TTF-1 or Ceacam6 to knockdown expression in the presence of DCI. CEACAM6 mRNA and protein were up-regulated ≈10-fold by exposure of fetal lung epithelial cells to either DCI or to a dose of Ad12A2 that produced a level of recombinant TTF-1 comparable with endogenous TTF-1 in DCI-treated cells. By confocal immunofluorescence, CEACAM6 localized to both intracellular vesicles, costaining with SP-B (ie, lamellar bodies), and to the plasma membrane of type II cells. Knockdown of TTF-1 (46 ± 4% of control) in DCI-treated cells reduced CEACAM6 mRNA and protein by 80% (n = 4). Knockdown of CEACAM6 expression by siRNA (88 ± 3%, n = 3) did not alter expression or staining patterns of TTF-1, SP-B or DC-LAMP (a lamellar body membrane protein). Secretion rates for CEACAM6 were similar for both DCI- and Ad12A2-treated cells, with no response to treatment with secretagogues that stimulate surfactant secretion. Treatment of cells with mannosamine, an inhibitor of GPI anchor synthesis, blocked ≈50% of CEACAM6 secretion, consistent with GPI-anchor involvement in the secretory mechanism. We conclude that CEACAM6 expression in primary fetal lung epithelial cells is regulated by glucocorticoid and cAMP and is dependent on TTF-1. CEACAM6 is associated with intracellular surfactant but is secreted primarily by a constitutive pathway independent of lamellar bodies. CEACAM6 may contribute to the innate defense mechanisms of the mature type II cell.
Three-dimensional PtNi hollow nanochains as an enhanced electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction

Three-dimensional porous PtNi hollow nanochains were successfully synthesized via a galvanic replacement method using Ni nanosponges as sacrificial templates in an aqueous solution. It is found that the composition and shell thickness of 3D PtNi hollow nanochains can be easily controlled by tuning the concentration of Pt precursors. The as-prepared PtNi hollow nanochains with an optimized composition present a high electrochemical surface area (70.8 m2 g−1), which is close to that of commercial Pt/C (83 m2 g−1). Moreover, the PtNi catalyst with a Pt content of ∼77% presents superior electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction compared to commercial Pt/C. It shows a mass activity of 0.58 A mgPt−1, which is around 3 times higher than that of Pt/C. This strategy may be extended to the preparation of other multimetallic nanocrystals with 3D hollow nanostructures, which are expected to present high catalytic properties.
Cross-National Differences in Charitable Giving in the West and the World

Most theories of cross-national variation in charitable giving have been tested only on samples of countries of Western European culture; this paper applies these theories to 114 countries, including 93 non-Western countries, using data from the Gallup World Poll. It finds strong support for economic and political theories of cross-national variation in charitable giving and partial support for religious and cultural theories. Theories effectively predict variation in giving in middle income non-Western countries but poorly predict variation in low-income non-Western countries. This suggests that economic development, not cultural or religious differences, separate non-Western countries from Western ones in patterns of giving behavior.
Electrocardiographic Responses to Deer Hunting in Men and Women

Objective Deer hunting includes various stimuli resulting in augmented sympathetic activity, increased heart rate (HR) response, and rhythm changes. Collectively, these superimposed stresses may increase an individual's risk for cardiovascular events. We undertook this study to evaluate HR and rhythm responses in multiple phases of deer hunting in men and women with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Nineteen participants age 38.3 ± 13.8 years (mean ± SD) with body mass index 29.2 ± 6.9 kg/m 2 followed their normal hunting routine. HR and rhythm were recorded continuously during the hunt using a small leadless electrocardiogram (ECG) patch monitor. Results Data were collected on 13 of 19 hunters while hiking. Three hunters recorded HR ≥85% of their age-predicted heart rate maximum (HRmax) for 1 to 2 minutes. Arrhythmias were detected in both participants with CVD and in 8 without CVD. Recorded rhythms included premature atrial, junctional, and ventricular complexes. Six hunters climbed a tree stand; 3 of them recorded HR ≥85% HRmax with sustained elevated HR response for 2 to 3 minutes with premature junctional contractions. Four of 19 participants dragged deer carcasses. During the drag, 1 male hunter recorded an HR of 91% HRmax, and another male hunter without CVD recorded an exercise-induced ischemic ECG. Fifteen of 19 hunters experienced "buck fever" (acute extreme excitation), with 7 reaching ≥85% HRmax for up to 1 minute. Ventricular bigeminy and trigeminy and ventricular couplets were observed in 1 subject during buck fever. Conclusions Men and women with and without CVD recorded substantial increases in HR and clinically relevant arrhythmias while deer hunting.
Epidemiology of Aging: Racial/Ethnic Specific Disease Prevalence

The disease incidence and prevalence in racial/ethnic minority populations are often discussed in terms of disparities. It is important to consider risk factors associated with the disease, stage of illness at the time of diagnosis, pathological presentations, and treatment. All these factors lead to prevalence of disease.
The Effects of Hypertension and Stroke on the Cerebral Vasculature

Hypertension and stroke both have detrimental effects on the cerebral arteries. Stroke impairs myogenic tone generation and the regulation of blood flow. It also alters the structure of the cerebral arteries such that the lumen diameter of the ischemic artery increases after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hypertension also causes artery remodeling but this results in a reduction in the lumen diameter of the arteries that could increase the risk of cerebral ischemia and the damage caused by it. Hypertension is a leading risk factor for stroke. Given the increasing interest in the vasculature as a therapeutic target for acute ischemic stroke, it would seem important that we develop a better understanding of the combined effects of hypertension and stroke on the cerebral arteries.
Polymer Fouling and Hydraulic Conductivity of Mixtures of Sodium Bentonite and a Bentonite-Polymer Composite

AbstractThe impact of entraining water-soluble polyacrylate eluted from a bentonite-polyacrylate composite (BPC) in sodium bentonite (Na-bentonite) was evaluated as a means to achieve low hydraulic...
Pharmacokinetics of Ethionamide Delivered in Spray-Dried Microparticles to the Lungs of Guinea Pigs

The use of ethionamide (ETH) in treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is limited by severe side effects. ETH disposition after pulmonary administration in spray-dried particles might minimize systemic exposure and side effects. To explore this hypothesis, spray-dried ETH particles were optimized for performance in a dry powder aerosol generator and exposure chamber. ETH particles were administered by the intravenous (IV), oral, or pulmonary routes to guinea pigs. ETH appearance in plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage, and lung tissues was measured and subjected to noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. Dry powder aerosol generator dispersion of 20% ETH particles gave the highest dose at the exposure chamber ports and fine particle fraction of 72.3%. Pulmonary ETH was absorbed more rapidly and to a greater extent than orally administered drug. At Tmax, ETH concentrations were significantly higher in plasma than lungs from IV dosing, whereas insufflation lung concentrations were 5-fold higher than in plasma. AUC(0-t) (area under the curve) and apparent total body clearance (CL) were similar after IV administration and insufflation. AUC(0-t) after oral administration was 6- to 7-fold smaller and CL was 6-fold faster. Notably, ETH bioavailability after pulmonary administration was significantly higher (85%) than after oral administration (17%). These results suggest that pulmonary ETH delivery would potentially enhance efficacy for tuberculosis treatment given the high lung concentrations and bioavailability.
Congenital entropion and hypotropia secondary to duplication of the inferior rectus muscle

Congenital anomalies of the extraocular muscles apart from congenital fibrosis are relatively rare. Duplication of extraocular muscles is a particularly rare congenital anomaly that has been rarely reported in the literature. We present a case of unilateral congenital entropion and hypotropia resulting from duplication of the inferior rectus muscle.
Factors influencing platelet clumping during peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell collection.

Background Platelet clumping is a common occurrence during peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) collection using the Spectra Optia mononuclear cell (MNC) protocol. If clumping persists, it may prevent continuation of the collection and interfere with proper MNC separation. This study is the first to report the incidence of clumping, identify precollection factors associated with platelet clumping, and describe the degree to which platelet clumping interferes with HSC product yield. Study design and methods In total, 258 HSC collections performed on 116 patients using the Optia MNC protocol were reviewed. Collections utilized heparin in anticoagulant citrate dextrose to facilitate large-volume leukapheresis. Linear and logistic regression models were utilized to determine which precollection factors were predictive of platelet clumping and whether clumping was associated with product yield or collection efficiency. Results Platelet clumping was observed in 63% of collections. Multivariable analysis revealed that a lower white blood cell count was an independent predictor of clumping occurrence. Chemotherapy mobilization and a lower peripheral blood CD34+ cell count were predictors of the degree of clumping. Procedures with clumping had higher collection efficiency but lower blood volume processed on average, resulting in no difference in collection yields. Citrate toxicity did not correlate with clumping. Conclusion Although platelet clumping is a common technical problem seen during HSC collection, the total CD34+ cell-collection yields were not affected by clumping. WBC count, mobilization approach, and peripheral blood CD34+ cell count can help predict clumping and potentially drive interventions to proactively manage clumping.
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for studying the electrochemical impact of porosity variations in composite electrode materials

The porosity in composite electrode materials can vary on micro-and nanometer scale and has a great impact on electrochemical performance in lithium-ion cells. Liquid electrolyte has to penetrate into the entire porous electrodes in order to enable lithium-ion diffusion. For studying the electrochemical impact of porosity variations in composite lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide thick films (Li(Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3)O2, NMC), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied. A rapid chemical screening of the complete electrode after electrochemical cycling and cell degradation was performed. This rather new technological approach was used to obtain post-mortem critical information about surface and bulk phenomena that define and control the performance of lithium-ion batteries. The influence of porosity variations along NMC electrode surfaces was studied regarding capacity retention, life-time, and lithium distribution. For this purpose, different geometrical arrangements of porosity distribution were generated by embossing. Using LIBS, elemental mapping of lithium was obtained with a lateral resolution of 100 μm. A correlation between porosity distribution, cell degradation and local lithium plating could be identified.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis Is a Late Manifestation of the Allergic March.

Background The allergic march describes the natural history of allergic conditions as they develop during childhood. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease that can be triggered by specific foods. Despite its allergic pathophysiology, the epidemiologic relationship between EoE and established members of the allergic march is unknown. Objective We sought to determine whether EoE meets epidemiologic criteria for being considered a member of the allergic march. Methods Using a primary care birth cohort of 130,435 children, we determined the natural histories of atopic dermatitis (AD), IgE-mediated food allergy (IgE-FA), asthma, EoE, and allergic rhinitis (AR) in individual patients. We then performed case-control analyses to establish the extent that existing allergic conditions influence the rate of subsequent EoE diagnosis. Results A total of 139 children developed EoE during the observation period (prevalence of 0.11%). The peak age of EoE diagnosis was 2.6 years, as compared with 0.3 years, 1 year, 1.1 years, and 2.1 years for AD, IgE-FA, asthma, and AR, respectively. The presence of AD (hazard ratio [HR] 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-4.6), IgE-FA (HR 9.1, 95% CI 6.5-12.6), and asthma (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.7) was independently and cumulatively associated with subsequent EoE diagnosis. The presence of AR was associated with subsequent EoE diagnosis (HR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0-3.9), and the presence of EoE was associated with subsequent AR diagnosis (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-3.5). Conclusions Allergic comorbidities are positively associated with EoE diagnosis. Together, our findings suggest that EoE is a late manifestation of the allergic march.
Case 55: It Is Now or Never

You have started a new job as an anesthesiologist in private practice. Your first case on your first day seems a simple one. The patient is a 27-year-old male (weight 90 Kg and height 5′8″, ASA 1) scheduled for elective arthroscopy of the shoulder, knee, and ankle, all on the left side. He is an unmarried construction worker accompanied by his father. He is a motorbike fanatic and has fallen of his bike in the past. He claims he is perfectly healthy except that in the last 6 months he has developed a hoarseness of his voice. He tells you that it has not got worse. His father nods in agreement. He went to an ENT surgeon 3 months ago, who told him that he has vocal cord polyps. The ENT surgeon indicated that there was no problem. However, you do not agree and you speak to the orthopedic surgeon to relay your concern. You suggest that a new ENT consult be obtained and that he be cancelled today. The surgeon informs you that it is “now or never” for this surgery as the patient’s insurance expires tomorrow. You consider regional blocks, but the patient refuses them and states he wants to be asleep. He would rather leave without the surgery than having it done under regional blocks.
Tumor Suppressor p53: A Multifunctional Protein Implicated in Seizure-Induced Neuronal Cell Death

It is ironic that the p53 “tumor antigen”, first discovered more than 20 years ago, was initially thought to play a major role in promoting tumorigenesis (Parada et al. 1984). It was not long after, however, that the p53 protein was found to be a potent tumor suppressor. In fact, since the mid1990s, p53 has been regarded as the “guardian of the genome” on the basis of its ability to block the proliferation of cells with mutated DNA (Lane 1992). For more than two decades, tumor suppressor p53 has been among the most widely studied proteins. Notably, the myriad cellular functions in which p53 is involved continue to increase (Levine et al. 2006; Efeyan and Serrano 2007; Fuster et al. 2007).
Nonstandard Analysis and Topology

In what follows, I will use the phrase “In a nonstandard extension” to mean we employ a superstructure which is a nonstandard extension of the structure with which we are working. That structure will at least contain the real numbers. We will write *ℕ∞ for *ℕ\ℕ.
Behavior, Modeling and Damping of a New Type of Resonance Involving Type-III Wind Turbines

A new type of resonance has been identified involving DFIG type wind turbines and inductive grids. This is different from other resonance involving DFIG wind turbines as there is no series compensation, the frequency of resonance is close to the fundamental, and the resonance is accompanied by a second frequency that is mirrored to it with respect to the fundamental. This work explores this resonance through the use of impedance models of the wind turbine. The impedance models used in this work are improved version of previously reported models, the models used in this work consider the dc bus dynamics and the coupling that occurs across the converters due to the non ideal dc voltage. These new impedance models can also take into account the mirrored harmonic frequency currents that arise due to the nonlinear nature of the turbine. A representative case is studied using the new impedance models, and the resonance is found to be due to the interaction between the turbine and grid impedances at a single frequency. The additional current is present only due to the nonlinear nature of the turbine and its due to the coupling over frequency. Finally, an active damper was proposed to eliminate the resonance and shown through simulations to be effective.
Impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston on women mud crab fishers in Fiji

Communities dependent on natural resources for food and livelihoods are extremely vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. Tropical cyclones are a frequent occurrence in the Pacific and can ha...
Regulation of proline-directed kinases and the trans-histone code H3K9me3/H4K20me3 during human myogenesis

We present a system-level analysis of proteome, phosphoproteome, and chromatin state of precursors of muscle cells (myoblasts) differentiating into specialized myotubes. Using stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture and nano-liqud chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry, we found that phosphorylation motifs targeted by the kinases protein kinase C, cyclin-dependent kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase showed increased phosphorylation during myodifferentiation of LHCN-M2 human skeletal myoblast cell line. Drugs known to inhibit these kinases either promoted (PD0325901 and GW8510) or stalled (CHIR99021 and roscovitine) differentiation, resulting in myotube and myoblast phenotypes, respectively. The proteomes, especially the myogenic and chromatin-related proteins including histone methyltransferases, correlated with their phenotypes, leading us to quantify histone post-translational modifications and identify two gene-silencing marks, H3K9me3 and H4K20me3, with relative abundances changing in correlation with these phenotypes. ChIP–quantitative PCR demonstrated that H3K9me3 is erased from the gene loci of myogenic regulatory factors namely MYOD1, MYOG, and MYF5 in differentiating myotubes. Together, our work integrating histone post-translational modification, phosphoproteomics, and full proteome analysis gives a comprehensive understanding of the close connection between signaling pathways and epigenetics during myodifferentiation in vitro.
Intersectional Advances? Inclusionary and Intersectional State Action in Uruguay

This chapter addresses the question of whether states can act intersectionally, and which social groups are most likely to push states to do so. I focus on the Uruguayan case, where I find that such action is limited to very specific instances that match the conditions required for inclusionary action: strong civil society mobilization, international pressure, party system change, and moderate- to low-cost solutions, alongside one simple, but thus far underutilized necessary condition for intersectional action: explicitly intersectional demands. I find in this case study, that women of color are more likely to engage in intersectional claims making and forward intersectional demands, while traditional feminist groups are less likely to do so.
Mental Health at the Crossroads: The Promise of the Psychosocial Approach

This book is a challenge to the enduring status and domination of bio-medical approaches in mental health services. Contributors from four continents argue that this domination, along with modernization and multidisciplinary work, will not improve people's lives unless social and psychological perspectives are appreciated and integrated. This implies new forms of relationships and social arrangements. Mental Health at the Crossroads: the Promise of the Psychosocial Approach is a timely analysis of the psychosocial approach as it resonates across the discipline divide, considering the past and future development. It is written from the perspectives of service users and carers, managers, practitioners, educators, researchers and policy makers, illustrated with case studies from Australia, Brazil, Italy, UK and the USA. This book presents an alternative approach to conventional thinking in mental health, providing a fascinating and valuable resource for those seeking new perspectives, grounded in theory with practice examples, in order to influence the current agenda and change practice.
Chronic Pain Prevalence and Exposures during Pregnancy

Pregnant women with chronic pain present a unique clinical challenge for both chronic pain and obstetrical providers, and clinical guidelines do not exist. The present study describes the prevalence and management of chronic pain during pregnancy in a perinatal mood disorder clinic. A retrospective chart review of pregnant women who presented to the Women’s Mental Health Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) for an initial evaluation from July 2013 to June 2016 was conducted to obtain demographic and medical information, including pharmacological exposures. Data are described using the mean and standard deviation for continuous data and frequency for categorical data. Pain complaints and medications are presented as counts and percentages. Differences between women with and without chronic pain were assessed by t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square analysis for categorical variables. Of the 156 pregnant women, chronic pain conditions were reported by 44 (28.2%). The most common chronic pain complaints included neck and/or back pain (34.1%) and headaches (31.8%). Of subjects with chronic pain, 95.5% were taking at least one prescription medication (mean = 2.6 ± 2.1, range of 0–10). Acetaminophen (43.2%) and opioids (43.2%) were the most common. The complexity of managing maternal benefits of treatment with the risks of fetal exposures presents a uniquely challenging clinical scenario for healthcare providers.
Visualizing Point Cloud Classifiers by Curvature Smoothing

Recently, several networks that operate directly on point clouds have been proposed. There is significant utility in understanding their mechanisms to classify point clouds, which can potentially help diagnosing these networks and designing better architectures. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to visualize features important to the point cloud classifiers. Our approach is based on smoothing curved areas on a point cloud. After prominent features were smoothed, the resulting point cloud can be evaluated on the network to assess whether the feature is important to the classifier. A technical contribution of the paper is an approximated curvature smoothing algorithm, which can smoothly transition from the original point cloud to one of constant curvature, such as a uniform sphere. Based on the smoothing algorithm, we propose PCI-GOS (Point Cloud Integrated-Gradients Optimized Saliency), a visualization technique that can automatically find the minimal saliency map that covers the most important features on a shape. Experiment results revealed insights into different point cloud classifiers.
Our Climate Moment Is Now! (Or How to Change the Story to Save Our World)

The Trump Administration has expressed its intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. However, may of the states and cities that together make up the United States have declared that they "are still in." This draft chapter for a forthcoming book by the Environmental Law Collaborative for the Environmental Law Institute discusses some of the steps that state and local decision-makers have taken toward deep decarbonization, and suggests that a zero-carbon future is attainable despite federal intransigence.
A Day in the Life: A Daily Diary Examination of Marijuana Motives and Protective Behavioral Strategies Among College Student Marijuana Users:

This study examined marijuana-use motives and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) as within- and between-subject predictors of marijuana-related outcomes. Furthermore, we explored differences be...
Quantifying the Benefits of Home Buyouts for Mitigating Flood Damages

Abstract With increasing costs of floods across the globe, interest has grown in using managed retreat strategies, such as home buyouts, for flood mitigation. For years, national-level estimates of the benefits of flood mitigation investments in the United States have been estimated as being on the order of 4:1 (USD) or more recently 6:1 (USD), according to the Federal Emergency management Agency and others. Localized evaluation of the true costs and benefits for communities is limited, however, and primarily centered around avoiding direct structural damages. Home buyouts, where individuals’ properties are purchased and removed from risk while reducing impervious areas, are only one of many mitigation options captured in the national estimates. This paper presents a scenario analysis to estimate a localized return on investment of a home buyout program for Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee in the United States that justifies investment in such programs. It considers the cost of buyouts across the community over several decades. It also compares those costs to benefits such as changes in stormwater attenuation, damages avoided, and exposed populations for a specific extreme flood event. Overall, at a localized scale, the study demonstrates that the return on investment is comparable to national averages, and that proactive implementation significantly increases the value of benefits relative to costs. The approach has potential applicability to other areas in the United States and beyond. It can be used to make the case for investment in such mitigation programs utilizing similarly available data.
Prognostic Significance of HPV Status in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Large-Population Database Study

ObjectiveTo explore the survival implications of human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity and subtype in larynx cancer through a national cancer database. To investigate staging discrepancies in laryn...
Understory vegetation contributes to microclimatic buffering of near-surface temperatures in temperate deciduous forests

Accurately predicting microclimate is considered a high priority for understanding organismal responses to climate change at biologically relevant scales. However, approaches to developing robust microclimate datasets and understanding of the biophysical processes altering microclimatic regimes are limited. We developed and evaluated an approach for predicting microclimatic temperatures in montane forests that incorporates the influence of complex vegetation structure and landscape physiography. Additionally, we determined spatiotemporal mismatches between free-air and microclimatic temperatures to highlight the location, phenology, and magnitude of differences in predicted temperature. We combined temperature datalogger measurements with LiDAR-derived vegetation and GIS-derived landscape physiographic characteristics to downscale free-air temperatures to microclimatic (3 m2 spatial resolution) temperatures in the Great Smoky Mountains. We assessed the contribution of forest vegetation layers in altering microclimatic temperatures and model accuracy, and compared coarse-grain temperature maps with microclimatic temperature maps. Understory vegetation structure contributes to microclimatic buffering of near-surface, forest temperatures and enhances the accuracy of maximum temperature predictions during the growing season by altering the effects of solar insolation and topographic convergence index on microclimatic temperatures. Elevation and solar insolation covaried with spatiotemporal mismatches between free-air and microclimatic temperatures, suggesting that these landscape physiographic characteristics may contribute to deviations between macro- and micro-scale temperature. Our findings demonstrate the importance of including complex vegetation characteristics and biophysical interactions as climate forcing factors in microclimate modeling. We also demonstrate the plausibility of accurately predicting microclimatic temperatures over broad extents, an important step in predicting potential organismal responses to climate change.
Increased incidence of chalazion associated with face mask wear during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Purpose To determine whether the incidence of chalazion increased significantly in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County following the widespread adoption of face mask wear in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This is a retrospective multicenter study of two ophthalmology institutions: a private Oculoplastics practice in San Francisco and the Oculoplastics division of the Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. All patients seen during the studied time periods with a diagnosis of chalazion or hordeolum were identified through review of electronic medical records and included in the study. Incidence was determined for each month between January and August 2020, and compared to data from prior years via ANOVA to evaluate for changes after the onset of the pandemic. Results In San Francisco, the incidence of chalazion rose significantly in June through August of 2020 when compared to the same interval in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. In Los Angeles, the rise in chalazion incidence in 2020 was also statistically significant when compared to data from the years 2018 and 2019. Conclusion Importance: Widespread mask wear does appear to correspond to an increased incidence of chalazion. This risk may be minimized, while still maintaining the protective benefits of mask wear, by taking the proactive measures discussed to decrease mask induced eye dryness and changes in the eyelid microbiome.
Immunosuppression as a risk factor for developing transcatheter pulmonary valve endocarditis

Abstract Background Although transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) with Melody and Sapien valves has been shown to be safe and effective, infective endocarditis (IE) of the valve remains a significant risk. The goal of this study is to assess how different immunocompromised states influence the likelihood of developing IE in our congenital heart disease population with these valves. Methods A chart review was conducted of all patient who underwent TPVR at UCLA. Various risk factors including age, transcatheter valve type, and type of immunocompromised state were analyzed as possible risk factors for IE. CART analysis was used to create a visual representation of the interplay of various risk factors. Results The incidence of IE at our institution was approximately 8% (26 events in 339 valve implants), over a median follow up of 2.92 (0.07–9.71) years. All but one event occurred in patients with Melody valves. Patients with any immunocompromised condition were more likely to develop IE (P = 0.01). Presentation severity and outcome of IE was similar for immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised patients. Patients with DiGeorge syndrome and those taking oral immunosuppressants for autoimmune conditions or asthma were at highest risk for developing IE. Conclusions The relatively high rate of endocarditis in TPVR patients, particularly in those with Melody valves, is a concerning development. A subset of immunocompromised patients appears to be at higher risk, and it may be beneficial for providers to be especially vigilant with these patients. Further research is needed to assess long-term risk of IE in all TPVR patients.
Emergency department chest x-ray severity in patients with COVID-19 is associated with hypoxemia and clinical outcomes

Background: Severity of radiographic abnormalities on chest X-rays (CXR) obtained in the emergency department (ED) in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 has been shown to be associated with outcomes, but studies are limited by different scoring systems, sample size, patient age and study duration. We sought to evaluate this question using a well-validated scoring system (the Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema [RALE] score) using data over 6 months from a large, multi-hospital healthcare system including all adult (age >= 18) patients. Methods: We collected CXRs, demographic, historic and clinical data from patients with a nasoand/ or oropharyngeal swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 PCR visiting the ED for COVID-19-related complaints between March and September 2020. Two independent reviewers quantified radiographic edema using the RALE scoring system. Fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) was calculated using 1 liter per minute (lpm) supplemental O2 to 3% FiO2 conversion and capped at 15 lpm O2. We examined the association of radiographic edema with hypoxemia, need for hospital admission, ICU admission, need for mechanical ventilation within 7 days of admission and 30-day mortality. Results: 453 patients met criteria for inclusion (median age 54, 51% female). Inter-rate agreement for RALE score was excellent (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.89, 95% CI 0.87-0.92, p < 0.0001). 99 patients had a normal (RALE = 0) CXR on ED visit. Median RALE score was 3. RALE scores negatively correlated with degree of hypoxemia as quantified by SpO2-FiO2 (SF) ratio (r =-0.34, p < 0.001). Patients admitted to the hospital had higher RALE scores than those who were discharged home (median 2 IQR [0, 6] vs 3 [10, 17], p < 0.001). Among 199 patients admitted to the hospital, RALE scores were higher in those requiring admission to the ICU compared to those who did not (7 [14,20], 2 [8,16], p = 0.007). Patients in the 3rd and 4th RALE quartiles were more likely to require mechanical ventilation and had higher 30-day mortality compared to those with RALE scores below the median, even after adjustment for age, SF ratio and history of diabetes (p < 0.02 for all). Conclusions: The RALE score is highly reproducible and easily implementable in adult patients presenting to the ED with COVID-19. Its association with physiologic parameters and outcomes makes it a readily available tool for prognostication and early ICU triage, particularly in patients with severe radiographic edema as quantified by the RALE score.
A Low Rank Tensor Representation of Linear Transport and Nonlinear Vlasov Solutions and Their Associated Flow Maps.

We propose a low-rank tensor approach to approximate linear transport and nonlinear Vlasov solutions and their associated flow maps. The approach takes advantage of the fact that the differential operators in the Vlasov equation is tensor friendly, based on which we propose a novel way to dynamically and adaptively build up low-rank solution basis by adding new basis functions from discretization of the PDE, and removing basis from an SVD-type truncation procedure. For the discretization, we adopt a high order finite difference spatial discretization and a second order strong stability preserving multi-step time discretization. We apply the same procedure to evolve the dynamics of the flow map in a low-rank fashion, which proves to be advantageous when the flow map enjoys the low rank structure, while the solution suffers from high rank or displays filamentation structures. Hierarchical Tucker decomposition is adopted for high dimensional problems. An extensive set of linear and nonlinear Vlasov test examples are performed to show the high order spatial and temporal convergence of the algorithm with mesh refinement up to SVD-type truncation, the significant computational savings of the proposed low-rank approach especially for high dimensional problems, the improved performance of the flow map approach for solutions with filamentations.
Practical implications of SFQ-based two-qubit gates

Scalability of today’s superconducting quantum computers is limited due to the huge costs of generating/routing microwave control pulses per qubit from room temperature. One active research area in both industry and academia is to push the classical controllers to the dilution refrigerator in order to increase the scalability of quantum computers. Superconducting Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) is a classical logic technology with low power consumption and ultra-high speed, and thus is a promising candidate for in-fridge classical controllers with maximized scalability. Prior work has demonstrated high-fidelity SFQ-based single-qubit gates. However, little research has been done on SFQ-based multi-qubit gates, which are necessary to realize SFQ-based universal quantum computing.In this paper, we present the first thorough analysis of SFQ-based two-qubit gates. Our observations show that SFQ-based two-qubit gates tend to have high leakage to qubit non-computational subspace, which presents severe design challenges. We show that despite these challenges, we can realize gates with high fidelity by carefully designing optimal control methods and qubit architectures. We develop optimal control methods that suppress leakage, and also investigate various qubit architectures that reduce the leakage. After carefully engineering our SFQ-friendly quantum system, we show that it can achieve similar gate fidelity and gate time to microwave-based quantum systems. The promising results of this paper show that (1) SFQ-based universal quantum computation is both feasible and effective; and (2) SFQ is a promising approach in designing classical controller for quantum machines because it can increase the scalability while preserving gate fidelity and performance.
Moduli for Eigenmaps

In this introductory section we summarize some basic concepts and facts on spherical harmonics. The general references are Vilenkin [1] and Berger-Gauduchon-Mazet [1].
Multi‐unit management key success factors in the casual dining restaurant industry: A case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the job characteristics or key success factors of current multi‐unit managers (MUMs) in a large casual dining restaurant organization.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a case study methodology which was used to survey a group of 71 MUMs in one organization regarding characteristics of their job. There were a total of 53 respondents for a 74.65 percent response rate. Factor analysis was used to determine whether any of the 24 characteristics could be condensed into “factors”.Findings – The paper finds that the eight factors that emerged as key success factors were: single unit operations, standard operating procedures, multi‐unit strategic planning, interpersonal and social responsibilities, travel and visiting units, human relations, effective leadership, and unit level finances, which explained 75 percent of the variance among the individual items.Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that the current study is limited in its gener...
Pantheon: exascale file system search for scientific computing

Modern scientific computing generates petabytes of data in billions of files that must be managed. These files are often organized, by name, in a hierarchical directory tree common to most file systems. As the scale of data has increased, this has proven to be a poor method of file organization. Recent tools have allowed for users to navigate files based on file metadata attributes to provide more meaningful organization. In order to search this metadata, it is often stored on separate metadata servers. This solution has drawbacks though due to the multi-tiered architecture of many large scale storage solutions. As data is moved between various tiers of storage and/or modified, the overhead incurred for maintaining consistency between these tiers and the metadata server becomes very large. As scientific systems continue to push towards exascale, this problem will become more pronounced. A simpler option is to bypass the overhead of the metadata server and use the metadata storage inherent to the file system. This approach currently has few tools to perform operations at a large scale though. This paper introduces the prototype for Pantheon, a file system search tool designed to use the metadata storage within the file system itself, bypassing the overhead from metadata servers. Pantheon is also designed with the scientific community's push towards exascale computing in mind. Pantheon combines hierarchical partitioning, query optimization, and indexing to perform efficient metadata searches over large scale file systems.
Cutting Edge: Persistent Viral Infection Prevents Tolerance Induction and Escapes Immune Control Following CD28/CD40 Blockade-Based Regimen

A continuing concern with CD28 and/or CD40 blockade-based strategies to induce tolerance and mixed chimerism is their potential to disrupt protective immunity to preexisting infections. In this report, we find that preexisting persistent infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13 prevents the induction of tolerance, mixed chimerism, and donor-reactive T cell deletion. Mice continue to be refractory to tolerance induction even after viremia has been resolved and virus is present only at very low levels in peripheral tissues. Conversely, we find that the full tolerance regimen, or costimulation blockade alone, specifically inhibits already ongoing antiviral immune responses, leading to an inability to control viremia. These findings suggest that ongoing T cell responses continue to depend on costimulatory interactions in the setting of a chronic infection and provide insight into potential risks following costimulation blockade posed by chronic or latent viral infections such as hepatitis C, EBV, and CMV.
Decade in review-stroke: Progress in acute ischaemic stroke treatment and prevention

Recent decades have seen a dramatic reduction in age-adjusted stroke-related mortality, presumably owing to better control of vascular risk factors, use of antithrombotic agents and improvements in acute stroke care. Here, we highlight a few developments in stroke prevention and acute care that have particularly influenced the care of patients.
Isolation of Mycobacterium bolletii from human omentum after laparoscopic gastric banding

Mycobacterium bolletii infection with band erosion complicating laparoscopic gastric banding is reported. A 33-year-old man developed right upper quadrant pain and an epigastric discharging lesion 4 weeks after revision of gastric banding for morbid obesity. Investigation revealed band erosion with infection of the omentum and the abdominal wall. The band was removed and M. bolleti was isolated and identified after DNA sequence analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case in which M. bolletii was isolated from a human omentum after complicated gastric banding surgery.
Implementation of an Interactive Printed Circuit Design System

This paper describes the implementation and performance of SPRINT, an interactive system for printed circuit board design developed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). Topics discussed include the placement subsystem, the routing subsystem consisting of an interactive manual router, an automatic batch router, and a via elimination program, as well as the structure of the design file around which the entire system is centered.