cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytochrome P450 1B1 Contributes to the Development of Angiotensin II-Induced Aortic Aneurysm in Male Apoe(-/-) Mice.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1B1 is implicated in vascular smooth muscle cell migration, proliferation, and hypertension. We assessed the contribution of CYP1B1 to angiotensin (Ang) II–induced abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Male Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 +/+ and Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 −/− mice were infused with Ang II or its vehicle for 4 weeks; another group of Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 +/+ mice was coadministered the CYP1B1 inhibitor 2,3′,4,5′-tetramethoxystilbene (TMS) every third day for 4 weeks. On day 28 of Ang II infusion, AAAs were analyzed by ultrasound and ex vivo by Vernier calipers, mice were euthanized, and tissues were harvested. Ang II produced AAAs in Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 +/+ mice; mice treated with TMS or Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 −/− mice had reduced AAAs. Ang II enhanced infiltration of macrophages, T cells, and platelets and increased platelet-derived growth factor D, Pdgfrb , Itga2 , and matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 expression in aortic lesions; these changes were inhibited in mice treated with TMS and in Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 −/− mice. Oxidative stress resulted in cyclooxygenase-2 expression in aortic lesions. These effects were minimized in Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 +/+ mice treated with TMS and in Apoe −/− / Cyp1b1 −/− mice and by concurrent treatment with the superoxide scavenger 4-hydroxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl. CYP1B1 contributed to the development of Ang II–induced AAA and associated pathogenic events in mice, likely by enhancing oxidative stress and associated signaling events. Thus, CYP1B1 may serve as a target for therapeutic agents for AAA in males.
Radiosynthesis and characterization of a 68Ga-labeled uPAR-targeting peptide

1494 Objectives The increased expression the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in many cancer types is associated with establishment of malignant disease, proliferation and invasiveness. Interest in uPAR has intensified as its role in regulating many cancers has become clear, leading to the development of peptide-based agents that target uPAR for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In this study, we report the radiolabeling of a high-affinity uPAR-targeting peptide with generator-produced 68Ga, optimization of labeling conditions, and stability. Methods A linear uPAR-targeting peptide (AE105) was synthesized and conjugated to DOTA on solid support to yield U1. 68Ga was eluted form a commercially-available generator and the eluate was either fractionated or concentrated by cation exchange. Radiolabeling was performed in sodium acetate buffer at pH 4 and heated at 95oC. Reaction conditions were optimized for heating time, peptide concentration, and buffer concentration (0.1 M or 1.25 M). Stability of the radiolabeled complex was assessed in PBS, DTPA and mouse serum. Results Radiolabeling and purification of 68Ga-U1 resulted in radiochemical purity >99%. Dilute sodium acetate showed lower labeling yields, thus all subsequent reactions were carried out in 1.25 M sodium acetate. Longer heating improved complexation of 68Ga and reached the maximum incorporation yield at 10 mins. The impact of peptide amount was shown by low labeling yields with Conclusions A robust scheme for synthesis and purification of 68Ga-U1 was established and radiolabeling conditions were optimized. The excellent in vitro stability of the agent coupled with the favorable characteristics of 68Ga warrant pharmacological evaluation in uPAR-expressing cells
Pedestrian safety: an overview of physical test surrogates, numerical models and availability of cadaveric data for model validation

Numerous efforts have been made to replicate pedestrian-car crashes experimentally or numerically to study the pedestrian injury biomechanics for developing countermeasures for pedestrian protection. This overview summarises such efforts towards pedestrian safety and available surrogates used in optimisation of pedestrian-friendly vehicle designs. This paper provides not only available physical surrogates (impactors and pedestrian dummies) used by different regulatory agencies, but also a collection of various numerical models used to predict injury responses in car-pedestrian impacts. Additionally, an overview of many reported cadaveric experiments performed as sustained by pedestrians in car crashes is presented. A validation matrix is proposed for correlating existing/future numerical models with available cadaveric test data. This is to ensure development of high predictive quality FE whole body human models to assess injury risk to pedestrians in car crashes, and in turn for continued improvement over design of pedestrian friendly vehicle front-end and effective countermeasures for pedestrian protection.
A Phylogenetic Revision of North American and Adriatic Mosasauroidea

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a phylogenetic revision of North American and Adriatic Mosasauroidea. The most recent hypotheses of mosasauroid relationships were tested using modem phylogenetic methods and an enlarged group of basic taxa and characters. Three types of tests were performed to evaluate the quality of the data or the stability of portions of the tree. Adam's consensus trees were calculated using groups of trees with successively larger numbers of minimum steps. A general evaluation of the results indicates poor support for the positions of any of the conservative aigialosaurs, as well as taxon novum and YPM 40383. Ingroup phylogenetic analysis of 142 characters among 36 terminal taxa produced 99 equally parsimonious trees. It has been found that in Plioplatecarpus and Platecarpus, the lateral oblique sutural ridge from the frontal is greatly protracted posteriorly to cause a large, anteriorly convex embayment in the dorsal frontal-parietal suture.
Spectral Power Analysis of Drivers’ Gas Pedal Control during Steady-state Car-following on Freeways:

This paper investigated the frequency characteristics of drivers’ gas pedal control in steady-state car-following on freeways by using vehicle sensor data from an existing naturalistic driving study. The main objectives were to examine the frequency range and distributions of a driver operating the gas pedal when following a lead vehicle, and whether the higher and lower frequency components of the gas pedal signal would vary when following a lead vehicle with varying distances. A total of 1,461 driving segments each with 90-seconds of steady-state freeway car-following were extracted from the naturalistic driving data. Fourier analysis was performed to convert the time series data of drivers’ gas pedal control to the frequency domain. The results show that during steady-state freeway car-following, the power of the gas pedal control peaks at around 0.033 Hz or 15 s per pedal movement (derived using the median of the peak frequency), and the upper limit of the frequency is around 0.94 Hz or 0.5 s per peda...
Tool-supported mechatronic system design

The design of quadruped trotting robot is considered as an example of a complex mechatronic system. This is used to illustrate some of the challenges in developing mechatronic systems, and how dynamic models can be used to communicate between design groups and with suppliers. The importance of having a common simulation platform for design activities is argued. The platform must also support model refinement, validation and abstraction. This enables engineers to work with models with appropriate levels of fidelity, ranging from system-level for design trade-off studies, to implementation-level for detailed component design.
Closing the Distance: Bringing a Personal Librarian Program to Online Learners

ABSTRACTIn an effort to bridge the gap between the one-on-one attention that students receive when they come into the library and the attention given to online learners, the University of West Florida Libraries added an online learner component to its Personal Librarian Program. Personal librarian programs provide an opportunity for individualized outreach to students and can be particularly beneficial to online learners who may not receive it otherwise. While much of the literature on outreach to online students focuses on embedded librarianship, a personal librarian program emphasizes a direct connection and fosters an independent and strong relationship between the librarian and the student. The implementation of a personal librarian program for online learners by the University of West Florida has had successes and challenges that illuminate lessons for other institutions considering implementations of similar programs.
Gender Differences in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Their Association With Moderate Mental Distress in U.S. Adults With Migraines/Severe Headaches

Objective We examined whether the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use varies by gender, and assessed the interaction of gender and CAM use on moderate mental distress (MMD) in U.S. adults with migraines/severe headaches. Methods We used data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, which represents non-institutionalized U.S. adults with migraines/severe headaches (n = 4645 unweighted). Using a cross-sectional design with survey sampling techniques, we conducted descriptive analyses for prevalence of CAM use by gender. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were run to investigate potential roles of migraines/severe headaches and CAM use on MMD by gender. Results The overall prevalence of past year CAM use was 44.4%. Women consistently used CAM more frequently than men (P = .004). The most commonly used CAM types included herbal supplements (22.2%), massage (14.2%), and chiropractic/osteopathic (13.9%). After controlling for covariates, the odds of MDD were increased by the presence of migraines/severe headaches (P < .001) and the use of any CAM (P < .001). The interaction effect of migraines/severe headaches and CAM use decreased the odds of MMD by 27% in women (P < .05), but not in men. Conclusion Women used CAM more frequently than men among adults with migraines/severe headaches in the United States. In addition, the interaction of gender and CAM use exists; the CAM use was associated with decreased odds of MMD among women only, suggesting that women with migraines/severe headaches may have benefited from CAM for their mental distress. Future research is needed to explore why such patterns vary by gender.
Intrinsic geometry visualization for the interactive analysis of brain connectivity patterns

Understanding how brain regions are interconnected is an important topic within the domain of neuroimaging. Advances in non-invasive technologies enable larger and more detailed images to be collected more quickly than ever before. These data contribute to create what is usually referred to as a connectome, that is, a comprehensive map of neural connections. The availability of connectome data allows for more interesting questions to be asked and more complex analyses to be conducted. In this paper we present a novel web-based 3D visual analytics tool that allows user to interactively explore the intrinsic geometry of the connectome. That is, brain data that has been transformed through a dimensionality reduction step, such as multidimensional scaling (MDS), Isomap, or t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. We evaluate our tool through a series of real-world case studies, demonstrating its effectiveness in aiding domain experts for a range of neuroimaging
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles and Application Guidelines

The HACCP Subcommittee of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) has prepared a revision of the document "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System" that was adopted by the Committee in 1992. The Committee retained the previous seven HACCP principles but made their wording more concise; revised and added definitions such as those for hazard, verification, and validation; included new sections on prerequisite programs, education and training, and implementation and maintenance of the HACCP plan; revised and provided a more detailed explanation of the application of HACCP principles, especially hazard analysis and verification; and added or revised Appendices such as new examples of prerequisite programs and an additional decision tree for identifying critical control points (CCPs).
New a priori and a posteriori probabilistic bounds for robust counterpart optimization: III. Exact and near-exact a posteriori expressions for known probability distributions

Abstract The performance of robust optimization is closely connected with probabilistic bounds that determine the probability of constraint violation due to uncertain parameter realizations. In Part I of this work, new a priori and a posteriori probabilistic bounds were developed for cases when robust optimization is applied to uncertain optimization problems with parameters whose probability distributions were unknown. In Part II, the focus shifted to known probability distributions and a priori bounds. In this paper, new, tight a posteriori expressions are developed for constraints containing parameters with specific known distributions, that is, those attributed normal, uniform, discrete, gamma, chi-squared, Erlang, or exponential distributions. The nature of some of the expressions requires efficient implementations, and new algorithmic methods are discussed which greatly improve applicability. These new expressions are much tighter than existing bounds and greatly reduce the conservatism of robust solutions. The theoretical and algorithmic results of Parts I, II, and III allow for wider usage of robust optimization in process synthesis and operations research applications.
Wafer‐Scale Single‐Crystalline Ferroelectric Perovskite Nanorod Arrays

1D ferroelectric nanostructures are promising for enhanced ferroelectric and piezoelectric performance on the nanoscale, however, their synthesis at the wafer scale using industrially compatible processes is challenging. In order to advance the nanostructure-based electronics, it is imperative to develop a silicon-compatible growth technique yielding high volumetric density and an ordered arrangement. Here, a major breakthrough is provided in addressing this need and ordered and close-packed single crystalline ferroelectric nanorod arrays, of composition PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT), grown on commercial grade 3 in. silicon wafer are demonstrated. PZT nanorods exhibit enhanced piezoelectric and ferroelectric performance compared to thin films of similar dimensions. Sandwich structured architecture utilizing 1D PZT nanorod arrays and 2D reduced graphene oxide thin film electrodes is fabricated to provide electrical connection. Combined, these results offer a clear pathway toward integration of ferroelectric nanodevices with commercial silicon electronics.
Notes on the Fauna of the Chipola Formation-XVI on the Color Pattern of Globularia Fischeri (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

The large inflated naticoid gastropod named Ampullina fischeri by Dall (1892, p. 374) is a moderately common species throughout the Chipola Formation, occurring at almost every Tulane locality on the Chipola River, Ten Mile Creek, and Farley Creek. Such widespread distribution is rare among the Chipola species for more often than not there is a pronounced paleoecological influence apparent in the distribution of a species. This is not the case with Globularia fischeri, which seems equally common in the limy facies of the lower parts of the formation (e.g., localities 546 & 830), the sandy "beach-like" parts (459 & 548), the coral-reef facies (458, 547, & 555) and the silty upper beds of Ten Mile Creek (70 & 655).
College Students' Positive Strategic SNS Involvement and Stress Coping in the United States and China

AbstractBased on a self-administered online survey of undergraduate students, this study aimed to explore college students’ social media involvement in relation to their stress coping in the United States and China. A total of 262 survey responses were received from American participants and 265 survey responses were received from Chinese participants. Results indicated that American student users’ positive strategic social networking sites (SNS) involvement to a certain extent assisted in their adaptive coping with stress. However, the positive effect of positive strategic SNS involvement was not found as an adaptive coping strategy among Chinese student respondents. In addition, perceived support from friends on Facebook was the key mediator of positive strategic SNS involvement and adaptive coping for U.S. students.
The role of preliminary hospitals in the management of a mass burn casualty disaster.

Abstract Purpose The Formosa Fun Coast explosion is an internationally-known event that occurred in Taiwan on June 27th, 2015. The blast involved 495 casualties in total, with 253 patients receiving 2nd degree or deeper burns on greater than 40% of the total body surface area (TBSA). Questions were raised regarding whether these victims were sent to the appropriate hospitals or not. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of the initial admission destination in this study. Material and methods We retrospectively reviewed all of the victims from the explosion who were sent to the emergency department of Linkou and Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals. Patients were divided by direct admission and received via transfer. The basic demographics, the efficacy of the initial resuscitation and the clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results In total, forty-six patients were included. Thirty-five of them were primarily admitted, and eleven of them were received via transfer. Between the two groups, there was no significant difference in the resuscitation outcome. The ratio of delaying intubation was similar (14.3% vs 27.3%, p = 0.322). The rate of delayed-detected ischemic events was significantly increased in the referral group (0% vs 27.3%, p = 0.001). However, there was no amputation event in either group. No difference in mortality was observed between groups (5.7% vs 9.1%, p = 0.692). Conclusion Our preliminary findings suggest that local hospitals are capable of providing high-quality acute care to mass casualty burn victims. Our results suggest that patients with suspected limb ischemia should be rapidly transferred to a regional burn center to ensure optimal care. Systemic pre-planning such as employing telemedicine and personnel collaboration, should be considered by the administration to maximize the function of preliminary hospitals in burn care.
Evolution of ion damage at 773K in Ni- containing concentrated solid-solution alloys

Abstract Quantitative analysis of the impact of the compositional complexity in a series of Ni-containing concentrated solid-solution alloys, Ni, NiCo, NiFe, NiCoCr, NiCoFeCr, NiCoFeCrMn and NiCoFeCrPd, on the evolution of defects produced by 1 MeV Kr ion irradiation at 773 K is reported. The dynamics of the evolution of the damage structure during irradiation to a dose of 2 displacements per atom were observed directly by performing the ion irradiations in electron transparent foils in a transmission electron microscope coupled to an ion accelerator. The defect evolution was assessed through measurement of the defect density, defect size and fraction of perfect and Frank loops. These three parameters were dependent on the alloying element as well as the number of elements. The population of loops was sensitive to the ion dose and alloy composition as faulted Frank loops were observed to unfault to perfect loops with increasing ion dose. These dependences are explained in terms of the influence of each element on the lifetime of the displacement cascade as well as on defect formation and migration energies.
Scalable Gene Sequence Analysis on Spark

Scientific advances in technology have helped in digitizing genetic information, which resulted in the generation of the humongous amount of genetic sequences, and analysis of such large-scale sequencing data is the primary concern. This chapter introduces a scalable genome sequence analysis system, which makes use of parallel computing features of Apache Spark and its relational processing module called Spark Structured Query Language (Spark SQL). The Spark framework provides an efficient data reuse feature by holding the data in memory, increasing performance substantially. The introduced system also provides a web-based interface, by which users can specify the search criteria, and Spark SQL performs search operations on the data stored in memory. Experiments detailed in this chapter make use of publicly available 1000 genome Variant Calling Format (VCF) data (Size 1.2TB) as input. The input data are analyzed using Spark and the end results are evaluated to measure the scalability and performance of the system.
Abstract 20890: Change in B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Level Holds Higher Positive Predictive Value Compared to Gene Expression Profiling Test for Cardiac Allograft Rejection

Introduction: BNP levels have been shown to be associated with cardiac rejection, but the predictive value of changes in BNP has not been well-defined. The Allomap gene-expression profiling (GEP) test, owing to its high negative predictive value of 98.9% but relatively low positive predictive value of 4% at a score of >=34, has been suggested as a method to rule-out rejection. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that changes in BNP may be equivalent to GEP as a diagnostic test to predict cardiac allograft rejection. Methods: BNP and biopsy results were obtained for 205 subjects who underwent 4007 endomyocardial biopsy procedures. Biopsies analyzed were more than 180 days post-transplant (median 506 days, IQR 303 – 924 days), with a previous biopsy of grade =3A (REJ). We used a repeated measures logistic regression model to assess the association of change in BNP (parameterized categories) with REJ. Results: There were 53 episodes of REJ in 1544 biopsies analyzed. Median change in BNP (dBNP) for those with REJ was 13.5 pg/mL (IQR -31 to 121 pg/mL) and among those with grade =250 pg/mL was associated with REJ (OR 11.0, p =250 remained a powerful predictor of REJ (OR 10.3, p =250pg/mL for REJ had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 26% (95% CI 18–34%) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 97% (95% CI 96.6–97.4%). We adjusted our prevalence of REJ (3.4%) to that seen in the CARGO study (1.7%), which changed our PPV to 14% (95% CI 8–21%) and NPV to 98.5% (95% CI 98.2–98.8%). Conclusions: Change in BNP >=250pg/mL is independently associated with a high risk of Grade >=3A rejection. dBNP th the price) compared to the GEP test.
Carnegie Mellon’s Facet / Emerald System

The Facet design methodology, and its implementation as the Emerald system (actually Emerald I and Emerald II), was Tseng’s thesis work at CMU. Facet/Emerald includes scheduling and data path synthesis. See also AT&T’s Bridge System, Tseng’s continuation of this work at AT&T Bell Labs.
Sourcing and framing the 2012 battle for the White House: A student media analysis

Communication research has largely neglected a type of news organization whose editorial output has potentially far-reaching and indelible effects both on its receivers and its creators: student newspapers. In contrast, coverage of the presidential election cycle is widely studied by scholars. Drawing on scholarship on framing, sourcing, and bias in election coverage, this content analysis seeks to study student newspapers by examining them in the context of the 2012 presidential election. The analysis of college newspapers in three swing states found that election stories in these newspapers focus more on human interest and issue coverage than their professional counterparts, are more neutral in tone, and are more richly sourced.
Linear Transformations in Signal and Optical Systems

In this survey article some linear transformations that play a fundamental role in signal processing and optical systems are reviewed. After a brief discussion of the general theory of linear systems, specific linear transformations are introduced. An important class of signals to which most of these linear transformations are applied is the class of bandlimited signals and some of its generalizations. The article begins by an introduction to this class of signals and some of its properties, in particular, the property that a bandlimited signal can be perfectly reconstructed from its samples on a discrete set of points. The main tool for the reconstruction is known as the sampling theorem. Some of the transformations presented, such as the windowed Fourier transform, the continuous wavelet transform, the Wigner distribution function, the radar ambiguity function, and the ambiguity transformation, fall into the category of time–frequency, scale-translation, or phase-space representations. Such transformations make it possible to study physical systems from two different perspectives simultaneously. Another group of transformations presented is closely related to the Fourier transform, such as the fractional Fourier transform. Generalizations of the fractional Fourier transform, including the special affine Fourier transformation, and their applications in optical systems are introduced, together with sampling theorems for signals bandlimited in the domains of the aforementioned transformations.
Is It Unethical to Evade the Capital Gains Tax

The accounting and philosophical literature on tax evasion has been scant, at least until recently. The few articles that have discussed the ethics of tax evasion have usually taken either a generalist approach or have focused their attention on the ethics of evading income taxes. This article is the first to address the issue of whether it is unethical to evade the capital gains tax.
The discarded children: the creation of a class of misfits amongst the poor in brazilian schools. A case study of first grade

Tres aspectos sao destacados quanto ao fenomeno da evasao e repetencia: 1) de que tal fenomeno se constituiria numa das formas de discriminacao social, sendo dessas a mais radical; 2) de que o fracasso e construido dentro da escola, durante o ano letivo, sendo por isso apenas a eclosao de um processo desencadeado desde a entrada do aluno no primeiro dia de aula, e, 3) de que por mais que se tenha conhecimento desse fenomeno, pouco se sabe sobre a maneira como a crianca o enfrenta, ou seja, as reacoes individuais ou grupais a discriminacao.
A Mixture Partial Credit Analysis of Math Anxiety

The purpose of this study was to investigate a new methodology for detection of differences in middle grades students’ math anxiety. A mixture partial credit model analysis was used to detect distinct latent classes based on homogeneities in response patterns. The analysis detected two latent classes. Students in Class 1 had less anxiety about apprehension of math lessons and use of mathematics in daily life , and more self-efficacy for mathematics than students in Class 2. Students in both classes were similar in terms of test and evaluation anxiety . Moreover, students in Class 1 were found to be more successful in mathematics, mostly like mathematics and mathematics teachers, and have better educated mothers than students in Class 2. Manifest variables of gender, attending private or public schools, and education levels of fathers did not differ among the latent classes. Characterizing differences between members of each latent class extends recent advances in measuring math anxiety.
Ibn Taymiyya on the Incoherence of the Theologians’ Universal Law: Reframing the Debate between Reason and Revelation in Medieval Islam

This article analyzes the overarching themes and goals of Ibn Taymiyya’s roughly forty arguments against the philosophers’ and theologians’ “Universal Law” for the figurative interpretation of scripture, to which he dedicates approximately 500 pages of his 10-volume Darʾ taʿāruḍ al-ʿaql wa’l-naql. While Ibn Taymiyya himself presents these arguments in a disjointed and seemingly random fashion, this study demonstrates that by carefully breaking down, regrouping, and reconstructing them, we can discern a coherent attempt on Ibn Taymiyya’s part to reconfigure the very terms of the debate between reason and revelation in medieval Islam in several important ways. Firstly, he deconstructs what it means for reason to “ground” our knowledge of revelation. Next, he redefines the opposition at stake not as one of “reason vs. revelation,” but as a purely epistemological question of certainty vs. conjecture, with both reason and revelation serving as potential sources of both kinds of knowledge. Finally, he builds on this insight to replace the dichotomy “ sharʿī-ʿaqlī ,” in the sense of “revelational vs. rational,” with the dichotomy “ sharʿī-bidʿī ” in the sense of “scripturally validated vs. scripturally non-validated,” arguing that revelation itself both commends and exemplifies the valid use of reason and rational argumentation. By this move, Ibn Taymiyya attempts to introduce a new paradigm in which it is the epistemic quality of a piece of knowledge alone that counts, simultaneously subsuming reason itself into the larger category of “ sharʿī, ” or revelationally validated, sources of knowledge.
Intrinsic Class D β-Lactamases of Clostridium difficile.

ABSTRACT Clostridium difficile is the causative agent of the deadly C. difficile infection. Resistance of the pathogen to β-lactam antibiotics plays a major role in the development of the disease, but the mechanism of resistance is currently unknown. We discovered that C. difficile encodes class D β-lactamases, i.e., CDDs, which are intrinsic to this species. We studied two CDD enzymes, CDD-1 and CDD-2, and showed that they display broad-spectrum, high catalytic efficiency against various β-lactam antibiotics, including penicillins and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. We demonstrated that the cdd genes are poorly expressed under the control of their own promoters and contribute only partially to the observed resistance to β-lactams. However, when the cdd1 gene was expressed under the control of efficient promoters in the antibiotic-sensitive Clostridium cochlearium strain, it produced high-level resistance to β-lactams. Taken together, the results determined in this work demonstrate the existence in C. difficile of intrinsic class D β-lactamases which constitute a reservoir of highly potent enzymes capable of conferring broad-spectrum, clinically relevant levels of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. This discovery is a significant contribution to elucidation of the mechanism(s) of resistance of the clinically important pathogen C. difficile to β-lactam antibiotics. IMPORTANCEC. difficile is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium which causes infection of the large intestine with high mortality rates. The C. difficile infection is difficult to prevent and treat, as the pathogen is resistant to many antimicrobial agents. Prolonged use of β-lactam antibiotics for treatment of various infectious diseases triggers the infection, as these drugs suppress the abundance of protective gut bacteria, allowing the resistant C. difficile bacteria to multiply. While resistance of C. difficile to β-lactam antibiotics plays the major role in the development of the disease, the mechanism of resistance is unknown. The significance of our research is in the discovery in C. difficile of β-lactamases, enzymes that destroy β-lactam antibiotics. These findings ultimately can help to combat deadly C. difficile infections.
Abstract 418: Perm1 is a Novel Regulator of Mitochondrial Energetics in Cardiomyocytes

Mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and energy transduction pathways are critical for cardiac function. The expression of genes important for mitochondrial energetics is under the control of members...
Barium Enema and CT Colonography

As with the upper GI series, the barium enema can be performed in either a single- or double-contrast fashion. In single-contrast studies the colon is filled only with barium. This demonstrates an extrinsic displacement of the colon, such as might be seen in a pelvic mass in a patient with a gynecological malignancy, to the greatest advantage.
Unified coupling and propagation model for spatially multiplexed optical communication systems using Bessel-Gaussian beams

Spatial domain multiplexing (SDM) offers a degree of photon freedom to optical fibers. One variant of SDM utilizes ring-like output profiles, created through specific oblique input angles, and shows high-performance gains. Conventional modeling of this system utilizes Laguerre–Gaussian based models; however, these models are more suitable for free-space environments as opposed to fiber propagation. Therefore, a diffraction-based approach to deriving a Bessel–Gaussian beam solution is presented that adheres well to experimental data while maintaining continuity requirements. The derived model shows an input angle to azimuthal index relationship proportional to the transverse wave number of the carrier optical fiber region of SDM architectures.
Interleukin-6 improves infection identification when added to physician judgment during evaluation of potentially septic patients.

Abstract Background Identifying infection is critical in early sepsis screening. This study assessed whether biomarkers of endothelial activation and/or inflammation could improve identification of infection among Emergency Department (ED) patients with organ dysfunction. Methods We performed a prospective, observational study at two urban, academic EDs, between June 2016 and December 2017. We included admitted adults with 1) two systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria and organ dysfunction, 2) systolic blood pressure Results Of 421 patients enrolled, 306 patients met final study criteria. Of these, 154(50.3%) patients had infectious etiologies. Physicians correctly discriminated infectious from non-infectious etiologies in 239 (78.1%). Physician judgment performed moderately when discriminating infection (AUC 0.78, 95% CI: 0.74–0.82) and outperformed the best biomarker model, interleukin-6 alone, (AUC 0.71, 0.66–0.76). Physician judgment improved when including interleukin-6 (AUC 0.84, 0.79–0.87), with modest AUC improvement: 0.06 (0.03–0.08). Conclusions In ED patients with organ dysfunction, plasma interleukin-6 may improve infection discrimination when added to physician judgment.
Optical coherence refraction tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a cross-sectional, micrometre-scale imaging modality with widespread clinical application. Typical OCT systems sacrifice lateral resolution to achieve long depths of focus for bulk tissue imaging, and therefore tend to have better axial than lateral resolution. Such anisotropic resolution can obscure fine ultrastructural features. Furthermore, conventional OCT suffers from refraction-induced image distortions. Here, we introduce optical coherence refraction tomography (OCRT), which extends the superior axial resolution to the lateral dimension, synthesizing undistorted cross-sectional image reconstructions from multiple conventional images acquired with angular diversity. In correcting refraction-induced distortions to register the OCT images, OCRT also achieves spatially resolved refractive index imaging. We demonstrate greater than threefold improvement in lateral resolution as well as speckle reduction in imaging the tissue ultrastructure, consistent with histology. With further optimization in optical designs to incorporate angular diversity into clinical instruments, OCRT could be widely applied as an enhancement over conventional OCT. By synthesizing undistorted cross-sectional image reconstructions from multiple conventional images acquired with angular diversity, optical coherence refraction tomography offers greater than threefold improvement in lateral resolution and speckle reduction in imaging tissue ultrastructure, and reconstructs the tissue’s internal refractive index distribution.
An investigation of the effect of freezing storage on the biaxial mechanical properties of excised porcine tricuspid valve anterior leaflets.

Abstract The atrioventricular heart valve (AHV) leaflets are critical to the facilitation of proper unidirectional blood flow through the heart. Previously, studies have been conducted to understand the tissue mechanics of healthy AHV leaflets to inform the development of valve-specific computational models and replacement materials for use in diagnosing and treating valvular heart disease. Generally, these studies involved biaxial mechanical testing of the AHV leaflet tissue specimens to extract relevant mechanical properties. Most of those studies considered freezing-based storage systems based on previous findings for other connective tissues such as aortic tissue or skin. However, there remains no study that specifically examines the effects of freezing storage on the characterized mechanical properties of the AHV leaflets. In this study, we aimed to address this gap in knowledge by performing biaxial mechanical characterizations of the tricuspid valve anterior leaflet (TVAL) tissue both before and after a 48-h freezing period. Primary findings of this study include: (i) a statistically insignificant change in the tissue extensibilities, with the frozen tissues being slightly stiffer and more anisotropic than the fresh tissues; and (ii) minimal variations in the stress relaxation behaviors between the fresh and frozen tissues, with the frozen tissues demonstrating slightly lessened relaxation. The findings from this study suggested that freezing-based storage does not significantly impact the observed mechanical properties of one of the five AHV leaflets—the TVAL. The results from this study are useful for reaffirming the experimental methodologies in the previous studies, as well as informing the tissue preservation methods of future investigations of AHV leaflet mechanics.
P594 ‘Two’s company’. Transitioning from one to two on-call registrars in an Irish Paediatric tertiary hospital, the non-consultant hospital doctor’s perspective

Introduction This study was conducted in a 154 bed Tertiary Paediatric Hospital where the medical on-call NCHD (Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor) team of one Registrar and one SHO both a 25 hour shift. NCHDs had expressed their concerns regarding their workload and fatigue levels on-call, coupled with a significant number coming off the on call rota due to stress and fatigue. Aims This study aims to assess the impact of introducing a second registrar to the on-call team had on NCHD experience of on-call work. Methodology NCHDs working the Paediatric medical on-call rota were invited to complete an online survey exploring their experiences of being on-call. These results were discussed with the hospital directorate and a second registrar was introduced into the 25hour on-call team. Three months following the introduction of the second registrar the same survey was repeated. Results 18 NCHDs (8 Registrars, 10 SHOs) took part in the initial survey and 16 NCHDs (10 Registrars, 6 SHOs) took part follow up survey. Prior to the introduction of the second registrar, 66% and 33% of NCHDs reported getting less than 1 hour and between 1–3 hours of uninterrupted rest on call respective. Following the introduction of the second registrar, 6% reported less than one hour, 44% reported 1–3 hrs and 50% reported 3–5 hrs of uninterrupted rest on call. In the initial survey one participant (5%) reported having adequate time to eat on call, this figure rose to 63% (10 participants) following the introduction of the second registrar. In the initial survey all participants reported fatigue levels as unmanageable or overwhelming by the end of their 25 hour shift. Following the introduction of the second registrar 50% of participants reported manageable fatigue levels by the end of their shift, the remaining 50% reported fatigue levels as unmanageable or overwhelming. Discussion The introduction of a second registrar on call resulted in marked improvement in the on-call experience of the participants, there was an improvement in uninterrupted rest and lower levels of reported fatiuge. Despite the presence of a second registrar 50% of participants still reported fatigue levels as unmanageable or overwhelming by the end of their shift. Conclusion Paediatrics is recognised as a satisfying speciality albeit a difficult one with a high workload and a high rate of attrition and burnout. Interventions such as addition staff on-call may protect junior staff from burnout and result in higher staff retention in the speciality.
Haitian and Cuban immigrants in Miami, Florida: are they more similar than they are different?

There has been significant research done on the assimilation patterns of immigrants in the US, particularly immigrants of color. However, since fewer studies have focused on Afro-Caribbean and Cuba...
Message Fatigue to Bystander Intervention Messages: Examining Pathways of Resistance among College Men

Bystander intervention programs are a feature on college campuses; however, the effectiveness of these programs among certain subsets of men has recently been questioned. The current study examines...
El surgimiento de comunidades volátiles : relatos salvajes de Damián Szifrón

espanolEste articulo remite a la produccion cinematografica argentina y chilena que con - tribuyo a marcar los hitos de “los estudios de la memoria” en y del Cono Sur. En este con - texto se estudia el exitoso largometraje de 2014 del argentino Szifron, Relatos salvajes, para probar la hipotesis de que las seis historias individuales que lo integran como representa - ciones de nuevas comunidades volatiles reclaman un concepto mas abarcador y real de la justicia al materializar el debilitamiento de la clase media como tropo amortiguador de las pulsiones humanas y del antagonismo entre los que tienen todo y los que no tienen nada. EnglishThis article refers to the Argentine and Chilean cinematographic production that contributed to mark the milestones of “memory studies” in and of the Southern Cone. In this context, I study Szifron’s 2014 successful feature film, Wild Tales, in order to prove the hypothesis that the six individual stories that made up the film as representations of new volatile communities claim for a more encompassing and real concept of justice upon materialize the weakening of the middle-class as a buffering trope of human drives and antagonism between those who have everything and those who have nothing.
Oocyte cryopreservation in the setting of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-producing paraneoplastic syndrome: a case report and review of literature.

Many reproductive aged women with new oncologic diagnoses choose to undergo emergency oocyte or embryo cryopreservation prior to initiating potentially gonadal toxic oncologic therapies. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a potential complication of these treatments and can be particularly dangerous in these patients due to their underlying medical illness and by delaying lifesaving oncology treatment. This case report details a multipronged approach to OHSS prevention in a patient with a paraneoplastic syndrome defined by overproduction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is also primarily responsible for OHSS. A 29 year old nulligravid woman was diagnosed with a rare multisystem paraneoplastic syndrome (Polyradiculoneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder and skin changes, known as POEMS) and presented for fertility preservation consultation prior to autologous stem cell transplant. She successfully underwent oocyte cryopreservation without complications due to aggressive OHSS prophylaxis with both a dopamine agonist and aromatase inhibitor during and after stimulation and a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-A) for final oocyte maturation, without delay in her subsequent oncology treatment. This is the first report of a patient with POEMS undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Oocyte cryopreservation was successful and without complications due to a combination of prophylactic measures against OHSS (cabergoline, letrozole and GnRH-A trigger) and close collaboration between reproductive endocrinology and oncology. This case demonstrates the use of combined measures in targeting VEGF overproduction and OHSS risk during COH.
Demographic Characteristics Associated With Utilization of Noninvasive Treatments for Chronic Low Back Pain and Related Clinical Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States.

Introduction: This study was conducted to determine if limited access to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted utilization of recommended nonpharmacological treatments, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioids by patients with chronic low back pain and affected clinical outcomes relating to pain intensity and disability. Methods: Participants within the Pain Registry for Epidemiological, Clinical, and Interventional Studies and Innovation were eligible if they provided encounter data in the 3 months immediately before and after the national emergency proclamation date (NEPD). Results: The mean age of the 528 study participants was 53.9 years and 74.1% were women. Utilization of exercise therapy, massage therapy, and spinal manipulation decreased during the pandemic. Increasing age was associated with decreased utilization of all nonpharmacological treatments except exercise therapy, and with increased opioid use during the pandemic. African American participants reported decreased utilization of yoga and spinal manipulation during the pandemic. Overall, mean change scores for pain intensity and disability before and after the NEPD were not significant. However, African American participants consistently reported worse pain intensity and disability outcomes during the pandemic. Marginally worse outcomes were observed less consistently for pain intensity with increasing age and for disability among women. Discussion: Social distancing during the pandemic impacted the uptake of recommended nonpharmacological treatments for chronic low back pain that require visiting community-based facilities or interacting closely with providers. Conclusions: The pandemic threatens to exacerbate the impact of chronic low back pain, particularly among African American patients and the older population, by impeding access to guideline-informed noninvasive treatments.
Dynamic Security Analysis of Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams

Videoconferencing platforms have received a large influx of traffic due to COVID-19 and the global pandemic it has caused. Professionals, students, politicians, and high-risk security individuals utilize these platforms to communicate with their colleagues. They blindly trust these platforms without understanding how secure they are, and their sensitive data may be vulnerable as it is transmitted through these third party platforms. Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams are the most popular among the platforms, and they are examined in this paper. These platforms’ security aspects were to be evaluated by simulating calls within a virtual environment, capturing the network traffic sent to/from the network, and analyzing the captured traffic to determine what information outside listeners had access to. It was discovered that these platforms utilized state-of-the-art encryption methods, but they did not provide end-to-end encryption since vendors as third parties have access to the end-user communication data. It was also discovered that some strange TCP connections were being established as well as unknown DNS communications. It also found TCP communications running in the background. This suggests that the platforms are not being transparent with users, and this could generate potential security concerns with users.