cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Failure of Inositol Trispyrophosphate to Enhance Highly Effective Radiotherapy of GL261 Glioblastoma in Mice.

Background/aim Inositol trispyrophosphate (ITPP), reported to cure hepatomas in a preclinical rat model and to have beneficial effects in several other solid tumor models, is currently in clinical trial for liver cancer. We investigated whether aggressive glioblastomas could be effectively treated with ITPP alone or in combination with radiation therapy (RT). Materials and methods C57Bl/6 mice were intracranially injected with syngeneic GL261 glioblastoma cells and treated with hypofractionated radiation (5 Gy × 3), ITPP, or both. Tumors were followed by imaging, and mice sacrificed due to morbidity or at 90 days, with microscopic examination of brain sections. Results RT alone significantly prolonged survival, whereas ITPP alone did not. Surprisingly, ITPP appeared to reduce the effectiveness of RT when added in combination. Conclusion ITPP was ineffective as monotherapy for glioblastoma and appeared to interfere with the beneficial impact of RT.
Prevalence of Primary Sjögren's Syndrome in a US Population-Based Cohort.

Objective To report the point prevalence of primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) in the first US population-based study. Methods Cases of all potential primary SS patients living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, on January 1, 2015, were retrieved using Rochester Epidemiology Project resources, and ascertained by manual medical records review. Primary SS cases were defined according to physician diagnosis. The use of diagnostic tests was assessed and the performance of classification criteria was evaluated. The number of prevalent cases in 2015 was also projected based on 1976–2005 incidence data from the same source population. Results A total of 106 patients with primary SS were included in the study: 86% were female, with a mean ± SD age of 64.6 ± 15.2 years, and a mean ± SD disease duration of 10.5 ± 8.4 years. A majority were anti-SSA positive (75%) and/or anti-SSB positive (58%), but only 22% met American–European Consensus Group or American College of Rheumatology criteria, because the other tests required for disease classification (ocular dryness objective assessment, salivary gland functional or morphologic tests, or salivary gland biopsy) were rarely performed in clinical practice. According to the physician diagnosis, the age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of primary SS was 10.3 per 10,000 inhabitants, but according to classification criteria, this prevalence was only 2.2 per 10,000. The analysis based on previous incidence data projected a similar 2015 prevalence rate of 11.0 per 10,000. Conclusion The prevalence of primary SS in this geographically well-defined population was estimated to be between 2 and 10 per 10,000 inhabitants. Physicians rarely used tests included in the classification criteria to diagnose the disease in this community setting.
Confronting the fundamental challenges of airway surgery: a paradigm shift is practically upon us.

Video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for tracheal and bronchial pathology remains one of the great technical challenges in thoracic surgery. Dr. Li et al .’s paper and accompanying video succinctly articulates and displays how VATS is feasible in mid-tracheal lesions. Due to the rarity of tracheal pathology, most thoracic surgeons are deprived of the opportunity to master any one technique or modality. The authors’ conclusion supports this view: “ it (tracheal resection) remains a highly challenging procedure for most medical teams. ” (1).
Analysis of Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cell Proliferation During Inflammation

Normally, quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) rapidly enter the cell cycle following exposure to inflammatory stimuli. The analysis of HSC cell cycle activity in murine bone marrow during inflammation is often complicated by the relative rarity of HSCs and shifts in Sca-1, a key cell surface marker used to identify HSCs. Here, we report a method to analyze HSC proliferation and cell cycle distribution under inflammatory conditions. Our approach uses EdU incorporation and Ki67 staining coupled with DNA content quantification by DAPI. We also incorporate the surface marker ESAM to help minimize the potential for contaminating events that may confound analysis in the HSC compartment.
MicroRNA-183/96/182 cluster regulates iNKT cell development and function (IRM7P.706)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding small RNAs. Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells are potent regulators of diverse immune responses. Our previous study indicated that lack of miRNAs following the deletion of Dicer, a miRNAs-processing enzyme, affect iNKT cell development and function (PNAS, 2009). However, the roles of specific miRNA in iNKT cell development and function remain unclear. The miR-183/96/182 cluster, composed of 3 miRNA genes, is significantly upregulated upon T cell activation. In this study, we investigate the role of miR-183/96/182 cluster on development and function of iNKT cells, using miR-183/96/182 knockout (KO) mice. We found that the frequency of immature iNKT cells significantly increased, while mature iNKT cells significantly decreased in thymus of KO mice compared to littermate control (P i NKT cells displayed defective cytokine production, including IL-4 and IFNγ, compared to iNKT cells from littermate control (P
Elastic interaction of a crack with a random array of microcracks

Two issues are addressed in the paper. The first deals with a new characterization of a random array of microcracks in terms of spatial distributions of the sizes, orientations and density of microcracks. The second is a formulation of crack-microcrack array interaction in terms of the distributions. The interaction problem is posed as a system of two coupled singular integral equations with respect to a vector field of an average microcrack opening and the main crack opening displacement. The approach is illustrated by a numerical solution of the interaction problem for two particular configurations of a random array of microcracks. It is shown that the morphology of the microcrack array may strongly alter elastic fields in the vicinity of the main crack. Specifically, it is found that a variation in the microcrack length distribution (for fixed distributions of microcrack orientation and density) has a profound effect on the solution. The main crack opening displacement is evaluated to compare the theory with the experimental observations.
Modulating restriction endonuclease activities and specificities using neutral detergents.

It is well known that type II restriction enzyme activities and specificities can be modulated by altering solution conditions. The addition of co-solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), alcoho...
Novel combinatorial coding results for DNA sequencing and data storage

Due to its incredible density and durability, DNA storage is a promising storage medium with the potential to handle the problems associated with the current exponential growth of data. However, DNA is an exotic storage technology, and as such, it can experience types of errors that typically do not occur in traditional storage devices such as, for example, insertions and deletions. We build upon a previous work by Schoeny et al. to construct an efficient non-binary burst-deletion correcting code. By setting the alphabet size to 4, this code is specifically suited for correcting burst-deletions in DNA storage.
Altered space use and movement distances of Merriam's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys merriami, in post-fire lands

Author(s): Hulton Vantassel, HL; Anderson, KE | Abstract: Habitat fragmentation can alter many ecological processes, including animal movement and habitat-use patterns. Understanding how habitat fragmentation influences movement and habitat use is critical for predicting long-Term consequences of the negative impacts of disturbances. Fires in Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert were historically rare disturbances but have become increasingly common, generating novel patterns of habitat heterogeneity. We examined the effects of post-fire spatial complexity of burned lands on spring and daily movement distances of Merriam's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys merriami, in Joshua Tree National Park. Movement distances did not show a direct relationship with the amount of post-fire remnant vegetation; rather, we found that D. merriami increased spring movement distances within the patchily burned sites, which also showed the lowest small mammal abundances. However, in burned sites, D. merriami maintained larger territories than in the unburned site. The adaptability of D. merriami to fragmentation could be an asset for restoration via seed dispersal within burned sites in the Mojave Desert.
Emergency Department Telepsychiatry Service Model for a Rural Regional Health System: The First Steps.

Abstract Background: Emergency departments (EDs) have recognized an increasing number of patients presenting with mental health (MH) concerns. This trend imposes greater demands upon EDs already op...
Environmental selection during the last ice age on the mother-to-infant transmission of vitamin D and fatty acids through breast milk

Because of the ubiquitous adaptability of our material culture, some human populations have occupied extreme environments that intensified selection on existing genomic variation. By 32,000 years ago, people were living in Arctic Beringia, and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 28,000-18,000 y ago), they likely persisted in the Beringian refugium. Such high latitudes provide only very low levels of UV radiation, and can thereby lead to dangerously low levels of biosynthesized vitamin D. The physiological effects of vitamin D deficiency range from reduced dietary absorption of calcium to a compromised immune system and modified adipose tissue function. The ectodysplasin A receptor (EDAR) gene has a range of pleiotropic effects, including sweat gland density, incisor shoveling, and mammary gland ductal branching. The frequency of the human-specific EDAR V370A allele appears to be uniquely elevated in North and East Asian and New World populations due to a bout of positive selection likely to have occurred circa 20,000 y ago. The dental pleiotropic effects of this allele suggest an even higher occurrence among indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere before European colonization. We hypothesize that selection on EDAR V370A occurred in the Beringian refugium because it increases mammary ductal branching, and thereby may amplify the transfer of critical nutrients in vitamin D-deficient conditions to infants via mothers' milk. This hypothesized selective context for EDAR V370A was likely intertwined with selection on the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster because it is known to modulate lipid profiles transmitted to milk from a vitamin D-rich diet high in omega-3 fatty acids.
On Data Transfers Over Wide-Area Dedicated Connections

Dedicated wide-area network connections are employed in big data and high-performance computing scenarios, since the absence of cross-traffic promises to make it easier to analyze and optimize data transfers over them. However, nonlinear transport dynamics and end-system complexity due to multi-core hosts and distributed filesystems make these tasks surprisingly challenging. We present an overview of methods to analyze memory and disk file transfers using extensive measurements over 10 Gbps physical and emulated connections with 0–366 ms round-trip times (RTTs). For memory transfers, we derive performance profiles of TCP and UDT throughput as a function of RTT, which show concave regions in contrast to entirely convex regions predicted by previous models. These highly desirable concave regions can be expanded by utilizing large buffers and more parallel flows. We also present Poincare maps and Lyapunov exponents of TCP and UDT throughput traces that indicate complex throughput dynamics. For disk file transfers, we show that throughput can be optimized using a combination of parallel I/O and network threads under direct I/O mode. Our initial throughput measurements of Lustre filesystems mounted over long-haul connections using LNet routers show convex profiles indicative of I/O limits.
Buddhist Ethics, Spiritual Practice, and the Three Yanas

It is argued that the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, when put into Western categories, are psychology, not religion or philosophy. From this perspective, ethical principles are guidelines for personal/spiritual growth. The chapter contains a practical discussion of how Buddhist ethics informs spiritual practice across the three main vehicles (yanas) of Buddhism and within the broader context of the three great spiritual awakenings in Asia. Mindfulness is intertwined throughout. Some of the topics covered are the Buddha’s understanding of ethical behavior, the surprising depth and breadth of ethical practices, the contemporary ethical issues, the central role of mindfulness, the nature of wakening, and the universal practices of personal/spiritual growth that strongly affect the body/mind/spirit.
Best Practices in Student Veteran Education: Faculty Professional Development and Student Veteran Success

Since 2002, nearly one million veterans have pursued higher education upon completion of their military service (Chrisinger, 2016); however, the military-to-academic transition has been fraught wit...
Medical Ecstasies: Chemical Synthesis and Self-Experimentation in Romantic Science and Poetry

Contributing to recent scholarly interest in the cognitive and perceptual ideas that informed Romantic interest in transcendence, this paper argues for a common self-experimental method underlying ...
Idiopathic Scoliosis in Children and Adolescents: Emerging Techniques in Surgical Treatment

Background Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal disorder in the pediatric population. The goals of treatment for pediatric idiopathic scoliosis are to correct deformity, prevent curve progression, restore trunk symmetry and balance, and minimize pain and morbidity. Surgical treatment has advanced significantly, from the advent of segmental pedicle screw instrumentation several decades ago to the recent development of robotic-assisted surgery and growth-modulating fusionless surgery. The objective of the present study was to review the reported data on emerging techniques in the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in children and adolescents. Methods The PubMed and Google Scholar electronic databases were used to identify studies that had examined new emerging techniques in the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in children and adolescents. Results Major developments in the surgical techniques for pediatric idiopathic scoliosis have included robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement, vertebral body stapling, vertebral body tethering, magnetically controlled growing rods, ApiFix (not currently approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration), and sublaminar polyester bands. Such growth-modulating fusionless surgical techniques have received increasing attention in recent years, especially for the younger pediatric scoliosis population with significant growth potential remaining. Conclusions Various emerging techniques in the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in children and adolescents have demonstrated promising results in the reported data thus far. However, longer term prospective studies with larger cohorts are necessary to better evaluate their safety and efficacy.
Controlled Transmission Through Highly Scattering Media Using Semi-Definite Programming as a Phase Retrieval Computation Method

An SLM in a simple optical setup is used to generate a random sequence of phase-modulated wavefronts. The resulting speckle patterns are acquired on a camera. The semi-definite algorithm allows computation of the complex transmission matrix of the system. Once the transmission matrix is generated any arbitrary intensity profiles can be produced.
Implementation of a Low-Cost Passive Weather Radar and First Weather Observations

Passive weather radar offers a means of obtaining 3-dimensional wind field measurements by augmenting existing radar installations with spatially distributed receive modules. Previous multistatic weather radar networks have relied on GPS-disciplined oscillators and communications infrastructure between the transmit and receive sites. This paper describes the implementation of a system that instead uses the direct path signal from the transmitting radar in order to achieve synchronization. This approach reduces cost and risk by allowing the receiving systems to be installed with no modification to the transmitter. An illustrative set of weather observations collected by a passive radar prototype using radiation from an operational WSR-88D is presented.
Dynamic-Weighted Simplex Strategy for Learning Enabled Cyber Physical Systems

Abstract Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) have increasingly started using Learning Enabled Components (LECs) for performing perception-based control tasks. The simple design approach, and their capability to continuously learn has led to their widespread use in different autonomous applications. Despite their simplicity and impressive capabilities, these components are difficult to assure, which makes their use challenging. The problem of assuring CPS with untrusted controllers has been achieved using the Simplex Architecture. This architecture integrates the system to be assured with a safe controller and provides a decision logic to switch between the decisions of these controllers. However, the key challenges in using the Simplex Architecture are: (1) designing an effective decision logic, and (2) sudden transitions between controller decisions lead to inconsistent system performance. To address these research challenges, we make three key contributions: (1) dynamic-weighted simplex strategy – we introduce “weighted simplex strategy” as the weighted ensemble extension of the classical Simplex Architecture. We then provide a reinforcement learning based mechanism to find dynamic ensemble weights, (2) middleware framework – we design a framework that allows the use of the dynamic-weighted simplex strategy, and provides a resource manager to monitor the computational resources, and (3) hardware testbed – we design a remote-controlled car testbed called DeepNNCar to test and demonstrate the aforementioned key concepts. Using the hardware, we show that the dynamic-weighted simplex strategy has 60% fewer out-of-track occurrences (soft constraint violations), while demonstrating higher optimized speed (performance) of 0.4 m/s during indoor driving than the original LEC driven system.
Excessive lysosomal ion-trapping of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.

A recent report identified significant reductions or disappearance of viral load in COVID-19 patients given a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. The present communication discusses some common pharmacokinetic properties of these two drugs that may be linked to a potential underlying mechanism of action for these antiviral effects. The physicochemical properties of both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are consistent with particularly high affinity for the intracellular lysosomal space, which has been implicated as a target site for antiviral activity. The properties of both drugs predict dramatic accumulation in lysosomes, with calculated lysosomal drug concentrations that exceed cytosolic and extracellular concentrations by more than 50 000-fold. These predictions are consistent with previously reported experimentally measured cellular and extracellular concentrations of azithromycin. This is also reflected in the very large volumes of distribution of these drugs, which are among the highest of all drugs currently in use. The combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin produces very high local concentrations in lysosomes. The clinical significance of this observation is unclear; however, the magnitude of this mechanism of drug accumulation via ion-trapping in lysosomes could be an important factor for the pharmacodynamic effects of this drug combination.
Comparison of acute recoil after valve deployment and after post-dilation in patients undergoing transfemoral-transcatheter aortic valve replacement with SAPIEN-3 valve

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valves are prone to acute recoil similar to the metal-based coronary stents. However, it is not clear if recoil remains a factor only after the initial valve deployment or also after post-dilation. METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with SAPIEN-3 valve. Acute recoil at the upper, central, and lower levels of the valve was calculated in both anteroposterior right anterior oblique (RAO) and lateral left anterior oblique (LAO) views after initial deployment as well as after post-dilation. The average recoil of the RAO and LAO views was also calculated and described as RAO/LAO. RESULTS The acute recoil in the RAO/LAO views (mean ± SD) was 3.9 ± 1.1% after valve deployment in the whole study population (n = 257). Among the subset of patients who required post-dilation (n = 133), the mean acute recoil in the RAO/LAO views was found to be greater after initial valve deployment as compared with after post-dilation (3.8 ± 1.1% vs. 3.0 ± 0.9%; p < .001). Further, acute recoil was significantly greater in the RAO view than the LAO view and at the central level of the prosthesis as compared with the upper and lower levels. Those findings were consistent after initial deployment as well as after post-dilation. Clinical outcomes were similar between patients who required post-dilation compared to those who did not. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, only smaller valve cover index was found to be an independent predictor of 30-day mild or greater aortic regurgitation (OR 0.007; 95% CI 0.0001-0.707; p = .035). CONCLUSION Acute elastic recoil of the SAPIEN-3 valve was significantly less after post-dilation as compared with after deployment. It was also greater when measured in the RAO view as compared with the LAO view. Furthermore, acute recoil was not homogenous across the height of the valve stent frame.
Linear two-pool models are insufficient to infer soil organic matter decomposition temperature sensitivity from incubations

Terrestrial carbon (C)-climate feedbacks depend strongly on how soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition responds to temperature. This dependency is often represented in land models by the parameter Q10, which quantifies the relative increase of microbial soil respiration per 10 °C temperature increase. Many studies have conducted paired laboratory soil incubations and inferred “active” and “slow” pool Q10 values by fitting linear two-pool models to measured respiration time series. Using a recently published incubation study (Qin et al. in Sci Adv 5(7):eaau1218, 2019) as an example, here we first show that the very high parametric equifinality of the linear two-pool models may render such incubation-based Q10 estimates unreliable. In particular, we show that, accompanied by the uncertain initial active pool size, the slow pool Q10 can span a very wide range, including values as high as 100, although all parameter combinations are producing almost equally good model fit with respect to the observations. This result is robust whether or not interactions between the active and slow pools are considered (typically these interactions are not considered when interpreting incubation data, but are part of the predictive soil carbon models). This very large parametric equifinality in the context of interpreting incubation data is consistent with the poor temporal extrapolation capability of linear multi-pool models identified in recent studies. Next, using a microbe-explicit SOM model (RESOM), we show that the inferred two pools and their associated parameters (e.g., Q10) could be artificial constructs and are therefore unreliable concepts for integration into predictive models. We finally discuss uncertainties in applying linear two-pool (or more generally multiple-pool) models to estimate SOM decomposition parameters such as temperature sensitivities from laboratory incubations. We also propose new observations and model structures that could enable better process understanding and more robust predictive capabilities of soil carbon dynamics.
THU0146 Real-world experience with infliximab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a subgroup analysis of methotrexate receiving and non-receiving patients

Background Infliximab is a chimeric monoclonal anti-TNF antibody developed to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who have had a less than optimal response to previous therapy. It has been recommended that infliximab be given concomitantly with methotrexate (MTX) to prevent the development of autoantibodies. Objectives To identify clinical response and adverse events in RA patients treated with infliximab for a period of 6 months, with a subgroup analysis of MTX-receiving (MTX-R) and non-receiving (MTX-NR) patients. Methods RA patients receiving infliximab at our ambulatory infusion unit completed questionnaires regarding RA history, treatment, and measures of disease activity (HAQ) at baseline, and at 2 weeks, 8 weeks, and every 2 months thereafter. Patients were queried about side effects experienced between infusions. ANOVA statistics were used for comparison. Results 36 patients were started on infliximab between January–July 2000 (F/M: 33/3, mean age: 63 + 12.9 y, mean disease duration: 15.3+10.2 y) and 24 patients completed 6 months of treatment. Patients had failed an average of 3 DMARDs prior to infliximab. HAQ scores for 24/36 patients who completed 6 months of treatment significantly improved from 1.95+0.60 to 1.21+0.67 (p = 0.0002). In subgroup analysis, the baseline characteristics of MTX-R and MTX-NR groups were similar with respect to age and disease duration. Twenty (56%) patients were not receiving MTX due to history of adverse event, allergic reaction or patient refusal. For patients who completed 6 months of infliximab: in MTX-R group, HAQ scores for 14/24 patients improved from 1.99+0.58 to 1.34+0.54 (p = 0.005); and in MTX-NR group HAQ scores for 10/24 patients improved from 1.89+0.65 to 1.05+0.81 (p = 0.02). During 6 months of follow-up, 3/10 (30%) of MTX-NR and 9/14 (64%) of MTX-R patients had a total of 23 adverse events after 198 infusions. There was no difference between the 2 subgroups with respect to the type of adverse events. Ten MTX-NR patients discontinued treatment before 6 months (adverse events: 7, inadequate response to treatment: 2, and non-compliance:1. Only 2 MTX-R patients discontinued treatment prior to 6 months, due to inadequate response. Conclusion Following 6 months of infliximab treatment, RA patients with long-standing disease demonstrate a clinically important and statistically significant improvement in functional disability as measured by HAQ. However, our subgroup analysis suggests that infliximab administered without MTX carries a higher rate of discontinuation. These findings may be due to patient characteristics or our small sample size. Continuing follow-up of patients receiving infliximab in the absence of MTX will provide a better understanding of the true risk/benefit of infliximab used alone.
John Buckley and John O’Flynn (eds), Ceol Phádraig: Music at St Patrick’s College Drumcondra 1875–2016 (2019)

A review of John Buckley and John O’Flynn (eds), Ceol Phadraig: Music at St Patrick’s College Drumcondra 1875–2016 (Dublin: Carysfort Press, & Oxford, UK: Peter Lang, 2019). ISBN 978-1-78997-579-6
Pulse Oximetry Screening for Detection of Critical Congenital Heart Defects at an Altitude of 5400 Feet at a Tertiary Care Center in New Mexico

Purpose: Universal newborn pulse oximetry screening to detect critical congenital heart disease (CHD) has become the standard of care in the United States. Using the newborn pulse oximetry screening protocol recommended by the Secretary';s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Heart Association, we sought to determine the false positive rate at moderate altitude, which we hypothesized would be considerably higher than that recorded at sea level. Methods: Data was collected retrospectively from July 2012 to October 2013. Infants with a gestational age of at least 36 weeks and weighing …
Posidonia Natural Residues as Growing Substrate Component: An Ecofriendly Method to Improve Nutritional Profile of Brassica Microgreens

The aim of this study was to test Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile seagrass residues (leaves and fibers) as growing media component to improve the nutritional quality of two different brassica microgreens (Mizuna and Rapini). We hypothesized that addition of posidonia residues in the substrate would result in higher concentration of certain mineral nutrients in the edible parts of plants. Substrates were obtained by mixing leaves and fibers, each material at the rate of 25, 50 and 75% (v/v), with a peat based commercial substrate, that was also used at 100% rate as a control treatment. Two experiments were carried out (Experiment 1: Mizuna microgreens production in growth chamber conditions; Experiment 2: Mizuna and Rapini microgreens production in greenhouse conditions). Plant growth measurements and chemical analysis on edible parts (mineral tissue composition and main bioactive compounds - polyphenol, chlorophylls and carotenoids contents) were performed in order to evaluate the effects of the different substrates on growth and nutritional composition of brassica microgreens. In order to evaluate the consumer safety, daily intake, percentage of recommended daily allowance for I (RDA-I) and hazard quotient (HQ) for I intake through consumption of 50 and 100 g portions of Rapini microgreens were calculated. Posidonia in the growing media mixtures increased I and B content in edible parts of microgreens. The calculated HQ underlines the safety of these products. Results confirm the possibility to improve nutritional profile of brassica microgreens by using this natural material as a growing media component, resulting in a sustainable approach.
Re-Evaluating Stroke Systems of Care: Association of Transfer Status With Thrombectomy Outcomes at an Urban Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Introduction Given the efficacy of mechanical thrombectomies (MT) for large vessel occlusions (LVO), there is concern that the Hub and Spoke model of stroke care, which prioritizes initial assessment of the acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patient at a primary stroke center, would cause a delay in arterial reperfusion, thus leading to worse outcomes. In this study that occurred at our comprehensive stroke center in New York, we compared the clinical outcomes of patients that were either directly admitted for thrombectomy versus those who were transferred from another institution. Methods Retrospective review of the electronic medical record (EMR) was performed on all adult patients treated with endovascular therapy for ischemic stroke between January 2016 and February 2020. A bivariate analysis was performed to compare patients in the direct admit versus transfer group. A multivariable logistic regression model was developed to determine which factors affect 90-day modified Rankin score (mRS) and to evaluate if transfer status was an independent predictor in this model. Results Three hundred and twenty-five patients were included in this study; 127 patients belonged to the direct admit group while 198 were in the transfer group. Thirteen patients (20%) in the direct admit group had a 90-day mRS score of 0-2 and so did 29 patients (25.2%) in the transfer group; thus, no statistically significant difference found in clinical outcomes between both groups (p-value = 0.427). In a multivariable logistic regression model that accounts for age, gender, smoking status, baseline mRS, presenting National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), procedure duration, thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score, post-NIHSS and decompressive hemicraniectomy, transfer status was not found to be predictive of clinical outcomes (OR 0.727 95% CI 0.349-1.516; p-value = 0.396). Conclusion Transfer status is not significantly associated with 90-day outcome. Since Hub and Spoke is not associated with worse outcomes compared to direct admit, it remains a viable model for providing effective care to stroke patients in an urban setting.
CONSUMERS’USE OF CONSUMER-GENERATED-MEDIA WHILE SHOPPING: A CONCEPTUAL OUTLOOK USING TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL3 AND HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS

Retailers have a lot to gain by utilizing and harnessing the power of social media to enhance their overall marketing strategy. Social media provide retailers an opportunity to learn about their consumers’ needs and then respond proactively; these media offer creative and effective ways for retailers to obtain insights not previously available. Consumers are increasingly turning to computer-mediated communication, i.e., ―consumer-generated-media (CGM) in order to get information on which to base their decisions. Consumers now have the means to communicate their opinions about products and companies to other consumers like themselves and to share information. This conceptual paper puts forth a research model using Technology Acceptance Model3 (TAM3) and Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions to examine the influence of CGM on consumers’ shopping behavior.
Competition and Risk Factors in Mortgage Lending: The Federal Housing Administration’s Evolving Role in the Primary Market

This paper presents an analysis of the distribution of home purchase mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in the primary mortgage market. Utilizing a sample of loan originations aggregated at the zip code level, the distribution of the market served by FHA and conventional lenders is compared across the State of Florida. Results indicate that FHA market shares are concentrated in zip codes with higher economic risk characteristics and obtained by high risk borrowers over the observation with evidence of market share contraction over the observation period. Unexpectedly, the analysis also reveals that FHA loan distribution fails to exhibit a targeted racial bias toward minority neighborhoods. One potential conclusion is that FHA was forced to accept lower quality loans as competition from more nimble private lenders with lower access hurdles and more rapid processing expanded into markets traditionally served by FHA.
Passive and Active Resistive Force Characteristics in Major Human Joints

Effectiveness of the multi-segmented total-human-body models to predict realistically live human response depends heavily on the proper biomechanical description and simulation of the major articulating joints of the body. Short time transient response of the multi-segmented models requires proper characterization of the passive resistive force and moment data in articulating joints. Simulation of biodynamic events lasting more than a fraction of a second will also require the incorporation of active muscles into the multi-segmented models and constitute long-time response of the model.
The Amino Acid Requirements of Man

Publisher Summary The estimation of the individual amino acid requirements of man constitutes a recently opened field of biochemical inquiry. Its advance is hampered by the incomplete understanding of the protein needs of the human at various life periods. The proteins are composed of twenty or more amino acids; some, the dispensable amino acids, are synthesized in the animal body at a rate commensurate with the needs of the organisms; while others, the indispensable amino acids, are not and must, therefore, be adequately supplied by the diet. This classification of the amino acids is due to the work of Rose and his associates, who established (1) that nine of the amino acids are absolutely required for growth of the immature rat, (2) that in the absence of arginine growth occurs at a subnormal rate, and (3) that while cystine is not essential, its presence in the diet reduces the methionine requirement by one sixth. A different type of reserve protein which should be mentioned in this connection is that which is retained together with water and electrolyte, when carbohydrate is isocalorically aubatituted for fat in the diet at any level, the protein intake being unchanged. This phenomenon was first clearly demonstrated by Hellesen and was subsequently studied by Cathcart and his pupils.
Electron-impact ionization of C2

In support of tokamak edge plasma studies, we calculate the electron-impact ionization cross section for the ground state of the diatomic carbon molecule. Bound orbitals for C2 and C+2 are calculated using a single-configuration self-consistent-field method based on a linear combination of Slater-type orbitals. Continuum distorted-wave orbitals are calculated using a two-dimensional lattice (r, θ), which is variable in the radial coordinate and constant in the angular coordinate. Using a perturbative configuration-average distorted-wave method, the first ab initio fully quantal ionization cross sections for C2 at its equilibrium internuclear separation are presented.
Reputation and Distribution in a Gift Giving Game

The folk theorem allows a very unequal division between players. In nonrepeated experimental games with many equilibria, such as ultimatum, observed play involves a relatively equal division between players. In a two-player repeated game setting there is a simple intuition about this: a poor player has little to lose by deviating from his equilibrium strategy. So a rich player ought to be willing to concede a reasonable amount of pie. We investigate whether reputation effects lead to this conclusion in a simple two person gift giving game. When types are known equilibria are socially feasible and pairwise individually rational. In the reputational case the set of equilibria is smaller than the set of socially feasible, average individually rational and incentive compatible payoffs, and larger than the set of socially feasible, pairwise individually rational and incentive compatible points. In general the set of equilibrium payoffs need not be smaller or more equitable in the reputational case. However, in sensible example, we can how the incentive constraints do have the desired effect of reducing the set of equilibrium payoffs and eliminating many inequitable equilibria. 1 The author is grateful for financial support from NSF grant SBR-9409180 and the UCLA Academic Senate. This paper benefited from conversations with Drew Fudenberg, David Kreps and Ed Prescott. 2 Department of Economics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024; e-mail: dlevine@ucla.edu
Resistance in winter wheat lines to deoxynivalenol applied into florets at flowering stage and tolerance to phytotoxic effects on yield

In Europe and North America, deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most prevalent mycotoxin associated with wheat head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum. Because DON is toxic to plants and enhances the ability of the pathogen to spread within a spike, wheat lines with resistance to DON should be more resistant to head blight. Resistance to DON has been associated with resistance gene Fhb1 that confers resistance to spread within a spike. The objectives of this study were to determine if wheat lines resistant to head blight were also resistant to DON, if genes other than Fhb1 confer resistance to DON, and to identify lines able to fill grain in the presence of DON. Susceptible controls and diverse North American and European winter wheat lines with resistance to head blight were screened for molecular markers linked to known head blight resistance genes, and evaluated in a greenhouse for resistance to DON and relative yield after application of DON to spikes at flowering. Fhb1 appeared to have the unique ability to confer resistance to DON, as measured by the number of DON-bleached primary florets. However, this resistance did not protect plants from the phytotoxic effects of DON on kernel formation as measured by the relative yield of treated spikes. Furthermore, measuring the relative yield loss following DON application may be useful for identifying lines with tolerance to head blight.
THE STABILITY OF FOLIATIONS OF ORIENTABLE 3-MANIFOLDS COVERED BY A PRODUCT

We examine the relationship between codimension one foliations that are covered by a trivial product of hyperplanes and the branched surfaces that can be constructed from them. We present a sufficient condition on a branched surface constructed from a foliation to guarantee that all Cl perturbations of the foliation are covered by a trivial product of hyperplanes. We also show that a branched surface admits a strictly positive weight system if and only if it can be constructed from a fibration over S1.
Treatment of mast cells with carbon dioxide suppresses degranulation via a novel mechanism involving repression of increased intracellular calcium levels.

To cite this article: Strider JW, Masterson CG, Durham PL. Treatment of mast cells with carbon dioxide suppresses degranulation via a novel mechanism involving repression of increased intracellular calcium levels. Allergy 2011; 66: 341–350. Abstract Background: Intranasal noninhaled delivery of carbon dioxide (CO2) is efficacious in the symptomatic treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. The goal of this study was to determine whether and how 100% CO2 inhibits mast cell degranulation, thereby possibly contributing to the reduction of symptoms in seasonal allergic rhinitis. Methods: Peritoneal mast cells isolated from rats and labelled with sulforhodamine-B (SFRM-B) were used to determine whether CO2 treatment could block mast cell degranulation and histamine release in response to 48/80. In addition, the effect of CO2 on intracellular calcium levels in unstimulated and stimulated mast cells was determined by fluorescent microscopy. Results: Treatment with 48/80 caused >90% of mast cells containing SFRM-B to degranulate, resulting in a marked decrease in the fluorescent intensity within the mast cells, and simultaneously causing a significant increase in histamine release. Significantly, the stimulatory effect of 48/80 on fluorescent intensity and histamine levels was greatly inhibited (>95%) to near control levels by pretreatment with 100% CO2. Treatment with 48/80 also caused a robust transient increase in intracellular calcium, whereas pretreatment with CO2 repressed the increase in calcium (>70%) in response to 48/80. Conclusions: Results from this study provide the first evidence of a unique regulatory mechanism by which CO2 inhibits mast cell degranulation and histamine release by repressing stimulated increases in intracellular calcium. Thus, our data provide a plausible explanation for the reported therapeutic benefit of noninhaled intranasal delivery of 100% CO2 to treat allergic rhinitis.
A Behaviorally Informed Survey-Powered Market Agent

We introduce a new method for converting individual probability estimates (obtained through surveys) into market orders for use in a Continuous Double Auction prediction market. Our Survey-Powered Market Agent (SPMA) algorithm is based on actual forecaster behavior, and offers notable advantages over existing market agent algorithms such as Zero Intelligence Plus (ZIP) agents: SPMAs only require probability estimates (and not bid direction nor quantity), are more behaviorally realistic, and work well when probabilities change over time. We validate SPMA using prediction market data and probability estimates elicited through surveys from a large set of forecasters on 88 individual forecasting problems over the course of a year. SPMA outperforms simple averages of the same probability forecasts and is competitive with sophisticated opinion poll aggregation methods and prediction markets. We use a rich set of market and poll data to empirically test the assumptions behind SPMA’s operation. In addition to aggregation efficiency, SPMA provides a framework for studying how forecasters convert probability estimates into trading orders, and offers a foundation for building hybrid markets which mix market traders and individuals producing independent probability estimates.
Type II bursts at hectometric and kilometric wavelengths from interplanetary shocks

The first type II radio burst to be observed at frequencies below the ionospheric cutoff was recorded by the Goddard radio astronomy experiment on the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform, IMP-6. It occurred on June 30, 1971; a tracing made from the intensity contour plot of the radio data is shown in Figure 1. On the original, intensity contours were plotted in dB above background as a function of frequency and time. The figure shows 32 discrete frequencies from 4.9 MHz to 30 kHz received by the IMP-6 experiment. The time scale covers a period of almost five hours. During this time, five individual type III bursts and one group of type III’s occurred; they are shown by their outlines to be drifting rapidly from high to low frequencies. The relatively narrow-band, slowly-drifting radiation with clearly defined fundamental and second harmonic is the type II. The average drift rate, represented by the straight lines drawn through the burst, is approximately 2.5 kHz min-1 in this frequency range, and is roughly 100 times slower than that of the type III bursts. The ovals defining the type II emission were traced from the record and show modulation of the signal caused by the spin of the satellite and the resultant sweeping of the antenna pattern of the dipole across the source direction. On the original record, the outlines of the type III’s are also filled with a pattern of modulation ovals that were omitted from the figure for clarity. The shaded portion of the record at the lower frequencies represents magnetospheric noise.
Far-from-equilibrium sheared colloidal liquids: disentangling relaxation, advection, and shear-induced diffusion.

Using high-speed confocal microscopy, we measure the particle positions in a colloidal suspension under large-amplitude oscillatory shear. Using the particle positions, we quantify the in situ anisotropy of the paircorrelation function, a measure of the Brownian stress. From these data we find two distinct types of responses as the system crosses over from equilibrium to far-from-equilibrium states. The first is a nonlinear amplitude saturation that arises from shear-induced advection, while the second is a linear frequency saturation due to competition between suspension relaxation and shear rate. In spite of their different underlying mechanisms, we show that all the data can be scaled onto a master curve that spans the equilibrium and far-from-equilibrium regimes, linking small-amplitude oscillatory to continuous shear. This observation illustrates a colloidal analog of the Cox-Merz rule and its microscopic underpinning. Brownian dynamics simulations show that interparticle interactions are sufficient for generating both experimentally observed saturations.