cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energetic adaptation to chronic disease in the elderly.

Several chronic diseases occur with increased prevalence in the elderly. Body weight loss is a common feature of many chronic diseases. Weight loss increases the risk for morbidity and mortality and contributes to decreased functional independence and poor quality of life. Thus, an understanding of the effect of chronic disease on energy balance has important implications for nutritional supplementation and clinical outcome. This brief review will consider recent studies that have examined the effect of several chronic diseases (i.e., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and congestive heart failure) on daily energy expenditure in elderly individuals. Additionally, we put forth a model to explain the energetic adaptation to chronic disease in the elderly that is based on measurements of daily energy expenditure and its components. Studies suggest that chronic disease decreases daily energy expenditure in elderly individuals due to a marked reduction in physical activity energy expenditure. Moreover, these changes in daily energy expenditure often occur in the presence of increased resting energy expenditure. Thus, the net effect of chronic disease is to decrease daily energy expenditure. These results do not favor the hypothesis that increased energy expenditure contributes to disease-related weight loss. Instead, reduced energy intake appears to be a more likely mediator of the negative energy imbalance and weight loss that frequently accompany chronic disease in the elderly.
The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network

The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network is a national network recently established to focus on developing new interventions and disseminating and translating proven interventions into practice to reduce cancer burden and disparities, especially among minority and medically underserved populations. Jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network consists of sites administered through Prevention Research Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The five sites are located in Kentucky, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Texas, Washington State, and West Virginia. The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network's intervention areas include primary prevention of cancer through healthy eating, physical activity, sun avoidance, tobacco control, and early detection of cancer through screening. The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network uses the methods of community-based participatory research and seeks to build on the cancer-relevant sys- tematic reviews of the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Initial foci for the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network's research work groups include projects to increase screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers; to promote informed decision making for prostate cancer screening; and to validate educational materials developed for low-literacy populations.
Analytic Review: Interleukin-6 in Surgery, Trauma, and Critical Care: Part I: Basic Science

A variety of cytokines play a role in the response to an inflammatory stimulus. The interleukin-6 (IL-6)-type cytokines are released in response to tissue injury or an inflammatory stimulus. They act locally and systemically to generate a variety of physiologic responses, principal among them is the acute phase response. The IL-6 type cytokines demonstrate pleiotropy and redundancy of actions. This is made possible by the distinctive characteristics of the IL-6 receptor complex, which contains an ubiquitous subunit that is shared by most IL-6-type cytokines, as well as a cytokine-specific subunit.
CHANGES IN AMYLOID CARBOHYDRATES DURING PREPARATION OF SWEET POTATO FLAKES

Precooked dehydrated sweet potato flakes were prepared by the enzyme activation technique. After lye peeling and grinding, the puree was held at 75°C for timed intervals, then processed into flakes. Flakes from each time period were analyzed for maltose, dextrin and starch content; for changes in starch and dextrin molecular size; and for changes in rheological properties. It was found that all of these factors changed most rapidly during the first 10 min of conversion and that significant starch hydrolysis occurred during lye peeling. A slow but steady change took place among the macromolecular components for 60 min of conversion time. Our data suggested that the properties of macromolecular components could be used as a guide in the selection of optimum conversion conditions.
Presacral Approach for Discectomy and Interbody Fusion in the Setting of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Deformity Correction

The presacral approach is a relatively recent approach that allows for discectomy and interbody fusion at L5–S1 and more recently at L4–L5 [1, 2]. Because of the unique properties of the AxiaLIF rod, it may obviate the need for pelvic fixation in certain cases. Thus, it is a unique implant and approach in the minimally invasive treatment of spinal deformity. Advantages of this approach include sparing the surrounding musculature, ligaments, and annulus fibrosus and also the relatively short operative time associated with this procedure [3]. From start to finish this procedure typically takes under an hour and is considerably shorter than other posterior interbody approaches or anterior interbody approaches. Additionally, AxiaLIF may be associated with reduced risk when compared to traditional open anterior or even posterior procedures [4].
Dealing with Dimension: Option Pricing on Factor Trees

We present a scheme for pricing derivatives on M assets on K-factor recombining trees with N periods. The computational complexity of these trees is O(NK 1), i.e. polynomial in N, making it possible to price a wide range of derivatives without resorting to Monte Carlo simulation. Numerical implementation examples are provided, along with a discussion of the issues that arise when these models are implemented on multicore processors. A calibration example is provided that shows how individual assets may be embedded on a multi-factor tree.
Impact of New Rainfall Patterns on the Design of Hydraulic Structures

The current SCS dimensionless rainfall distribution patterns (Type I, IA, II, and III) are thought to be over conservative and in need of replacement. This study develops new dimensionless design rainfall patterns for the state of South Carolina for various durations. The rainfall data from various sources dating back to 1971 was collected and analyzed. Different storm separation methods were reviewed and a modification of an existing method was adopted for the study. The rainfall events were combined into 21 different groups ranging from 2 to 51 hours. The top fifty events (by volume) within each group were selected to determine the dimensionless rainfall pattern. Similar dimensionless rainfall patterns for various groups were combined to create representative time-duration patterns for the state of South Carolina. The results showed that two distinct dimensioless rainfall patterns could be established. The new rainfall patterns were compared to the SCS rainfall curves and rainfall patterns developed by other states. The impact of these new dimensionless rainfall patterns on design practice was assessed. The new rainfall patterns were used to evaluate the response of hydraulic structures to rainfall events. In particular, the basin rainfall-runoff volume and detention pond performance were evaluated and compared to the results from the SCS rainfall patterns. For the basin test, the runoff volume, peak discharge, and time to peak were compared. For the pond test, the stage versus time and the ratio of storage volume to runoff volume were compared. The impact of varying the outflow culvert size on pond storage requirement was also investigated. The comparison showed that new rainfall patterns resulted in lower peak flow and different peak time for the runoff hydrograph. The new rainfall patterns resulted in lower peak stage and detention pond storage volume.
Gender and Sexual Motivation: An Exploration of Two Assumptions

The literature on sexual motivation consistently depicts males as primarily motivated by physical and women by emotional factors. Supporting research has been almost exclusively limited to predominantly unmarried teenagers and college aged students, implicitly assuming the absence of age differences in sexual motivation. There has also been a tendency to infer personal values from stated motivations. The present study questions these two assumptions by analyzing two questions included in a survey of 179 adults aged 22 to 57 years, one on respondents' usual motive for engaging in sexual intercourse and anoth6r on their assessment of its most important benefit. An Analysis of Variance reveals significant gender differences in usual motivation but nor in ideal benefits and significant interactions between gender and age in both usual and ideal motivations. Further, we found only a moderate relationship between usual motive for engaging in sexual intercourse and respondent's assessment of its most important b...
High-coercivity magnetism in nanostructures with strong easy-plane anisotropy

We report the fabrication of a rare-earth-free permanent-magnet material Co3Si in the form of nanoparticles and investigate its magnetic properties by experiments and density-functional theory (DFT). The DFT calculations show that bulk Co3Si has an easy-plane anisotropy with a high K1 ≈ −64 Merg/cm3 (−6.4 MJ/m3) and magnetic polarization of 9.2 kG (0.92 T). In spite of having a negative anisotropy that generally leads to negligibly low coercivities in bulk crystals, Co3Si nanoparticles exhibit high coercivities (17.4 kOe at 10 K and 4.3 kOe at 300 K). This result is a consequence of the unique nanostructure made possible by an effective easy-axis alignment in the cluster-deposition method and explained using micromagnetic analysis as a nanoscale phenomenon involving quantum-mechanical exchange interactions.
Influence of Initial Moisture on Thermal Aging Characteristics of Oil-paper Insulation

The mineral oil-paper samples with different initial moisture contents(1%,3%,and 5%) were thermally aged under 90°C in order to study the influence of the mechanism of initial moisture on thermal degradation process of oil-paper insulation.All the samples were periodically sampled and the degree of polymerization(DP) of insulation paper,the moisture content of oil-paper samples,furfural,acid in oil,and so on were measured during the aging process.Moreover,by using a material simulation software,oil molecule with different moisture contents,furfural molecules and hydroniumions were modeled,respectively.Then,diffusion coefficients,interaction energies,and radial distribution function among furfural molecule,hydroniumion and oil molecules with different moisture contents were calculated based on dynamic molecular simulation technology.The obtained results show that moisture in both oil and paper is fluctuant during the aging process.Additionally,furfural and acid in oil,which do not correspond with the decrease of DP,are markedly influenced by the moisture of oil-paper system.Molecular simulation results reveal that the increased moisture can not only reduce the diffusion capability of furfural and hydroniumions,but also result in more stable hydrogen bonds between moisture and furfural hydroniumion.Meanwhile,the interaction energies between moisture and furfural hydroniumion have been changed due to the mutual polar effect of moisture and furfural hydroniumion.The experimental results and molecular simulation results agree with each other,and the relevant results can provide theoretical reference for in-depth study on the aging mechanism and diagnosis of oil-paper insulation.
The Analysis of Transmission Effect on Corn Price among China's Major Provinces

This paper selected corn price monthly data in 2000-2011,and used VAR Model,impulse effects function,and variance decomposition and other methods to study the province's transmission effect on corn prices,the results showed that there would be a two-way Granger causality and a long-term equilibrium relationship among the price of corn in the major provinces;corn price of the main provinces were obviously impacted of this provinces and lasted longer time,impacted the other major provinces weakly,the main selling provinces effected the corn price more than the main producing provinces.According to this analysis,put forward the relevant policy implications were put forward.
The Laboratory in the Diagnosis and Management of Acetaminophen and Salicylate Intoxications

Toxic ingestions of acetaminophen and aspirin are clearly distinct in clinical presentations and in implications for laboratory medicine. In acetaminophen ingestion, the serum drug level is the single most important factor in the decision for or against therapy. In aspirin ingestion, the serum drug level is useful at its extremes--when so low as to indicate no need for therapy, and when so high as to indicate the need for dialysis. In the majority of infants and children with clinically significant salicylism, the serum drug level is in an intermediate range. For the management of these patients, the absolute level of salicylate in blood has much less significance than the laboratory assessment of the effects of salicylate on intermediary metabolism, acid-base status, and electrolyte and water balance.
Regular Implicit Equations over a One-Letter Alphabet with Union, Concatenation, and Star

We continue our coverage of implicit equations by considering the regular analogue of the explicit equations we studied in the first part of Chapter 7. Specifically, the operations involved in the expressions are union, unrestricted concatenation, and star, and the constants are regular languages over a one-letter alphabet. The main result is a constructive approach to finding a regular solution of a given system of implicit equations over {a}. Questions of maximality and uniqueness of solutions are also addressed.
True-time-delay UWB reflectarray with linear to circular polarization transformation

We present a new technique for designing low-profile circularly-polarized reflectarrays with broadband true-time-delay (TTD) responses and linearly-polarized feeds. The proposed reflectarray exploits the unit cells of ground-plane-backed, anisotropic miniaturized-element frequency selective surfaces as its spatial time-delay units (TDUs). Each TDU is composed of a stack of non-resonant rectangular-shaped capacitive patches. Besides providing the necessary time delay to create beam collimation, each TDU creates a broadband 90° phase difference between the two orthogonal components of the incident field. This results in a wideband, TTD reflectarray that converts a linearly polarized spherical incident field to a circularly-polarized collimated beam. A prototype of such a reflectarray operating at X-band is designed, fabricated, and characterized. Measurement results show consistent radiation characteristics, excellent time domain performance, and an axial ratio lower than 1.5 over at least 40% bandwidth. The offset-fed versions of the prototype were also shown to be capable of providing off-axis, TTD UWB beams within the wide field of view of ±45°.
Multimodal pediatric pain management (part 2)

Dr Stefan Friedrichsdorf speaks to Commissioning Editor Jade Parker: Stefan Friedrichsdorf, MD, is medical director of the Department of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, USA, home to one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of its kind in the country. The pain and palliative care program is devoted to control acute, chronic/complex and procedural pain for inpatients and outpatients in close collaboration with all pediatric subspecialties at Children's Minnesota. The team also provides holistic, interdisciplinary care for children and teens with life limiting or terminal diseases and their families. Integrative medicine provides and teaches integrative, nonpharmacological therapies (such as massage, acupuncture/acupressure, biofeedback, aromatherapy and self-hypnosis) to provide care that promotes optimal health and supports the highest level of functioning in all individual children's activities. ...
The Nuclear Form of Heme Oxygenase (HO)-1 Preferentially Promotes Glycolysis in Hyperoxia But Fails to Protect Against Heme Toxicity

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress-inducible enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of heme, generating carbon monoxide and antioxidant bile pigments. Cytoplasmic HO-1 is tethered to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum via a C-terminal trans-membrane segment. Cleavage of this anchor allows for localization of a truncated, catalytically inactive form of HO-1 to the nucleus, as has been observed in fetal lung cells in hyperoxia and in several cancer tissues. While cytoplasmic HO-1 is associated with cytoprotection directly via its antioxidant activities, nuclear HO-1 also plays a role in protection against oxidative injury via its interaction with other nuclear proteins and transcription factors, resulting in altered gene expression of several rate-limiting enzymes in key metabolic pathways including glycolysis. Interestingly, nuclear HO-1 is also associated with a proliferative phenotype. Although HO-1 has been shown to play a role in glucose metabolism and altered mitochondrial dynamics, the mechanism by which this occurs is not known. In an effort to investigate this, wild type and HO-1-/- mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells as well as MEF expressing only the nuclear, truncated HO (HO-TR), were evaluated for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (oxphos) after hyperoxic exposure (95% O2/5% CO2 for 24 hours) and controls were exposed to air/5% CO2 for 24 hours. The HO-TR had increased glycolytic activity compared to HO+/+ or HO-/- cells. In contrast, oxphos, in particular spare respiratory capacity, was no different between any of the groups in hyperoxia. However, the presence of excess heme (0-50 micromolar) inhibited oxphos activity in the MEF lacking HO-1 catalytic activity, namely, HO-TR and HO-/-, in a dose dependent fashion. Our results suggest a role of nuclear HO-1 in enhancing glycolysis during hyperoxic stress thereby protecting against injury and promoting cell proliferation. They also suggest that catalytically active HO-1 is required for homeostasis of mitochondial function. Taken together our results suggest that nuclear HO-1 is cytoprotective under hyperoxic stress via a metabolic shift toward glycolysis and highlight a putative role of HO-1 in mitochondrial dynamics and metabolic regulation.
Transcriptional Regulation of Adipogenesis

Adipocytes are the defining cell type of adipose tissue. Once considered a passive participant in energy storage, adipose tissue is now recognized as a dynamic organ that contributes to several important physiological processes, such as lipid metabolism, systemic energy homeostasis, and whole-body insulin sensitivity. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms involved in its development and function is of great importance. Adipocyte differentiation is a highly orchestrated process which can vary between different fat depots as well as between the sexes. While hormones, miRNAs, cytoskeletal proteins, and many other effectors can modulate adipocyte development, the best understood regulators of adipogenesis are the transcription factors that inhibit or promote this process. Ectopic expression and knockdown approaches in cultured cells have been widely used to understand the contribution of transcription factors to adipocyte development, providing a basis for more sophisticated in vivo strategies to examine adipogenesis. To date, over two dozen transcription factors have been shown to play important roles in adipocyte development. These transcription factors belong to several families with many different DNA-binding domains. While peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is undoubtedly the most important transcriptional modulator of adipocyte development in all types of adipose tissue, members of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein, Kruppel-like transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription, GATA, early B cell factor, and interferon-regulatory factor families also regulate adipogenesis. The importance of PPARγ activity is underscored by several covalent modifications that modulate its activity and its ability to modulate adipocyte development. This review will primarily focus on the transcriptional control of adipogenesis in white fat cells and on the mechanisms involved in this fine-tuned developmental process. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:635-674, 2017.
Empirical evaluation of cross-site reproducibility in radiomic features for characterizing prostate MRI

The recent advent of radiomics has enabled the development of prognostic and predictive tools which use routine imaging, but a key question that still remains is how reproducible these features may be across multiple sites and scanners. This is especially relevant in the context of MRI data, where signal intensity values lack tissue specific, quantitative meaning, as well as being dependent on acquisition parameters (magnetic field strength, image resolution, type of receiver coil). In this paper we present the first empirical study of the reproducibility of 5 different radiomic feature families in a multi-site setting; specifically, for characterizing prostate MRI appearance. Our cohort comprised 147 patient T2w MRI datasets from 4 different sites, all of which were first pre-processed to correct acquisition-related for artifacts such as bias field, differing voxel resolutions, as well as intensity drift (non-standardness). 406 3D voxel wise radiomic features were extracted and evaluated in a cross-site setting to determine how reproducible they were within a relatively homogeneous non-tumor tissue region; using 2 different measures of reproducibility: Multivariate Coefficient of Variation and Instability Score. Our results demonstrated that Haralick features were most reproducible between all 4 sites. By comparison, Laws features were among the least reproducible between sites, as well as performing highly variably across their entire parameter space. Similarly, the Gabor feature family demonstrated good cross-site reproducibility, but for certain parameter combinations alone. These trends indicate that despite extensive pre-processing, only a subset of radiomic features and associated parameters may be reproducible enough for use within radiomics-based machine learning classifier schemes.
Physical, functional, and psychosocial recovery from burn injury are related and their relationship changes over time: A Burn Model System study.

Abstract Objective While burn injuries can have dramatic effect on patients’ physical health, they can also lead to intense psychological distress, loss of important social and role functioning, and alterations in outward appearance. We aimed to identify potential leading indicators of recovery in the post-discharge period following acute burn injury and hospitalization. Method Using data derived from the Burn Model System National Database, we identified five outcomes of interest measured at four time points (Pre-burn/Discharge, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months post-discharge), including mental health, physical functioning, community integration, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with appearance. We applied cross-lagged panel analysis to the sample of 1052 injured patients admitted to burn intensive care units. Results Overall, there was little mean change in the five measures after the 6-month assessment. A time-varying panel model was superior to a time-invariant model, showing that the process of recovery itself may change over the course of two years post-burn. Physical functioning is an important predictor throughout this period, while satisfaction with appearance is quite predictive of other factors at discharge, but somewhat less predictive later. Overall mental health functioning is less predictive at discharge but at later intervals was a meaningful leading predictor of the other outcomes. Conclusions Recovery from burn injury is complex and the most important facets of recovery change over time. Future research should focus on developing treatments to help patients adjust to post-burn appearance in the early post-discharge period, and mental health interventions may be effective as patients progress in recovery.
A PLANNING METHODOLOGY FOR A REGIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM

ABSTRACT Energy conservation has been highlighted as a major segment of national energy policy. Energy conservation programs have been encouraged and the results of these programs have been suggested as a major untapped “source” of future energy supplies. The federal government has initiated a number of programs in furtherance of the energy conservation goal. For the most part, these programs seek to conserve energy in specific types of buildings: i.e., residences, schools, hospitals, industrial and commercial uses. At the same time, other programs have been initiated in other sectors of the economy, i.e., transportation, government and manufacturing processes. While the application of these individual programs may save energy, it is not necessarily true that individually applied plans will produce optimal energy conservation savings for a given geographical area. This paper explores the gap between national energy goals and individually applied energy-conservation programs. The development of a coordinated energy conservation plan on a geographic basis is proposed. A local government or group of local governments should integrate individual and internal governmental energy management efforts to maximize energy conservation within a given area. Two purposes are given for such a plan: first, to provide a filter for information dissemination on energy conservation and second, to develop short and long term strategies to minimize the vulnerability of an area to future energy shortages. Particular attention is given to local government ordinances, intergovernmental cooperation, information dissemination and the development of an educational program to raise the level of awareness of the county's citizens. The interaction of all normally separate elements are considered and a comprehensive proposal for the development of a geographically based energy conservation plan is presented.
Progressivism and Public Personnel Administration

The changing structure of government created personnel problems at the same time that big business was groping for new ways to manage personnel affairs. Ideological developments growing out of the professionalization and scientific management movements produced a strategy for addressing these problems that was supported by public sector unions as well as by many academics and civil service administrators. The eventual outcome of these developments was the implementation of a systematic position classification system for jobs in the federal civil service.
Clinical relevance of mutations in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms with normal karyotype.

7053Background: Clinical outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are heterogeneous. Specific mutations and mutation patt...
Bacteriophage-associated genes responsible for the widely divergent phenotypes of variants of Burkholderia pseudomallei strain MSHR5848.

Purpose. Burkholderia pseudomallei , the tier 1 agent of melioidosis, is a saprophytic microbe that causes endemic infections in tropical regions such as South-East Asia and Northern Australia. It is globally distributed, challenging to diagnose and treat, infectious by several routes including inhalation, and has potential for adversarial use. B. pseudomallei strain MSHR5848 produces two colony variants, smooth (S) and rough (R), which exhibit a divergent range of morphological, biochemical and metabolic phenotypes, and differ in macrophage and animal infectivity. We aimed to characterize two major phenotypic differences, analyse gene expression and study the regulatory basis of the variation. Methodology. Phenotypic expression was characterized by DNA and RNA sequencing, microscopy, and differential bacteriology. Regulatory genes were identified by cloning and bioinformatics. Results/Key findings. Whereas S produced larger quantities of extracellular DNA, R was upregulated in the production of a unique chromosome 1-encoded Siphoviridae-like bacteriophage, φMSHR5848. Exploratory transcriptional analyses revealed significant differences in variant expression of genes encoding siderophores, pili assembly, type VI secretion system cluster 4 (T6SS-4) proteins, several exopolysaccharides and secondary metabolites. A single 3 base duplication in S was the only difference that separated the variants genetically. It occurred upstream of a cluster of bacteriophage-associated genes on chromosome 2 that were upregulated in S. The first two genes were involved in regulating expression of the multiple phenotypes distinguishing S and R. Conclusion. Bacteriophage-associated proteins have a major role in the phenotypic expression of MSHR5848. The goals are to determine the regulatory basis of this phenotypic variation and its role in pathogenesis and environmental persistence of B. pseudomallei .
The impact of corticosteroid use on inpatients with inflammatory bowel disease and positive polymerase chain reaction for Clostridium difficile.

Background/aims Optimal management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with concomitant Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is controversial, especially when CDI diagnosis is made by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which may reflect colonization without infection. Methods We performed a multicenter review of all inpatients with IBD and PCR diagnosed CDI. Outcomes included length of stay, 30- and 90-day readmission, colectomy during admission and within 3 months, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, CDI relapse and death for patients who received corticosteroid (CS) after CDI diagnosis versus those that did not. Propensity-adjusted regression analysis of outcomes based on CS usage was performed. Results We identified 177 IBD patients with CDI, 112 ulcerative colitis and 65 Crohn's disease. For IBD overall, CS after CDI diagnosis was associated with prolonged hospitalization (5.5 days: 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-9.6 days; P=0.008), higher colectomy rate within 3 months (odds ratio [OR], 5.5; 95% CI, 1.1-28.2; P=0.042) and more frequent ICU admissions (OR, 7.8; 95% CI, 1.5-41.6; P=0.017) versus no CS. CS use post-CDI diagnosis in UC patients was associated with prolonged hospitalization (6.2 days: 95% CI, 0.4- 12.0 days; P=0.036) and more frequent ICU admissions (OR, 7.4; 95% CI, 1.1-48.7; P=0.036). Conclusions CS use among IBD inpatients with CDI diagnosed by PCR is associated with poorer outcomes and would seem to reinforce the importance of C. difficile toxin assay to help distinguish colonization from infection. This adverse effect appears more prominent among those with UC.
James M. Harding. Performance, Transparency, and the Cultures of Surveillance

Performance, Transparency, and the Cultures of Surveillance by James M. Harding is a clear introduction to current conversations about theories of surveillance and how they relate to contemporary performance practices. The author provides numerous examples drawn from the disciplines of theatre, performance art, and visual art. These examples help to support Harding’s call for a “performance postdemocracy,” which critically engages with contemporary practices of both surveillance and performance.
Low ambient humidity impairs barrier function and innate resistance against influenza infection

In the temperate regions, seasonal influenza virus outbreaks correlate closely with decreases in humidity. While low ambient humidity is known to enhance viral transmission, its impact on host response to influenza virus infection and disease outcome remains unclear. Here, we showed that housing Mx1 congenic mice in low relative humidity makes mice more susceptible to severe disease following respiratory challenge with influenza A virus. We find that inhalation of dry air impairs mucociliary clearance, innate antiviral defense, and tissue repair. Moreover, disease exacerbated by low relative humidity was ameliorated in caspase-1/11–deficient Mx1 mice, independent of viral burden. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that induction of IFN-stimulated genes in response to viral infection was diminished in multiple cell types in the lung of mice housed in low humidity condition. These results indicate that exposure to dry air impairs host defense against influenza infection, reduces tissue repair, and inflicts caspase-dependent disease pathology.
‘A’ā lava emplacement and the significance of rafted pyroclastic material: Marcath volcano (Nevada, USA)

Lava emplacement at monogenetic volcanoes has been seldom documented when compared to persistently active volcanoes such as Mt. Etna or Kilauea. To expand the scientific understanding of lava emplacement, and to help assess the hazards posed by monogenetic systems and of lava flows in general, we present an investigation of the lava field at Marcath volcano (~ 35 ka; Lunar Crater volcanic field, central Nevada, USA). Key data include lava surface characteristics as well as size and abundance data of rafted pyroclastic material derived from the source cone. Upon exiting the source crater, lava initially ponded in an upland saddle between Marcath and an older cone before breaking out to feed three lava lobes that spread out onto a flat valley floor below. Quantitative estimates based upon morphological parameters suggest time-averaged discharge rates of 40–100 m3 s−1, emplacement duration of 5–20 days, and bulk lava viscosities on the order of 106 to 107 Pa s in the main lobes. Sizes and distributions of 1021 mapped pyroclastic rafts suggest that the early stages of the eruption produced much of the total raft volume. The source of most of the raft material was likely the now-missing western portion of an early Marcath cone. After the initial breaching of the cone, the raft production rate likely kept pace with cone building over the eruption’s duration such that once the cone was breached on one side, it did not heal. Rafts were not always passive passengers on the lava: they had an important impact on lava morphology in specific locations, as they caused bifurcation of entire flow lobes and produced other flow features. The common occurrence of rafts in monogenetic lava fields suggests that incorporation of raft-lava interactions may be important in lava propagation models.
New-onset persistent opioid use following breast cancer treatment in older adult women.

Background Patients with cancer-related pain are underrepresented in the opioid literature despite high opioid exposure and numerous risk factors for adverse opioid outcomes, including unnecessary persistent opioid use. The objective of this study was to determine the extent, historical trends, and predictors of new-onset persistent opioid use among older adult women after active breast cancer treatment. Methods Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data for opioid-naive women diagnosed with stage 0 to III breast cancer at the age of 66 to 90 years between 2008 and 2013, this study estimated overall and quarterly adjusted probabilities of new-onset persistent opioid use, which was defined as receiving ≥90 days' supply of opioids in the year after active breast cancer treatment. Sensitivity analyses were conducted with an alternative definition of persistent opioid use: any opioid fill 90 to 180 days after active cancer treatment. Results Nearly two-thirds of the subjects received prescription opioid therapy during cancer treatment. Quarterly probabilities of new-onset persistent opioid use after active treatment ranged from 2% to 4%; in sensitivity analyses, the alternative outcome definition resulted in predicted probabilities ranging from 11.4% to 14.7%. Subjects with more advanced disease, a higher comorbidity burden, a low-income status, and greater opioid exposure during active cancer treatment were more likely to develop persistent opioid use. Conclusions Persistent opioid use was an infrequent occurrence among older adult patients with breast cancer completing cancer treatment between 2008 and 2013. This finding was encouraging because of the concerning opioid trends seen in noncancer populations. However, opportunities to further mitigate unsafe opioid use as a complication of cancer care, including standardization of persistent opioid use definitions, should be explored.
Downstream changes in river avulsion style are related to channel morphology.

One of the most dramatic events in river environments is the natural diversion, or avulsion, of a channel across its floodplain. Though rarely witnessed, avulsions can cause massive floods, and over geologic time they create most of the fluvial stratigraphic record. Avulsions exhibit behavior ranging from reoccupying abandoned channels to constructing new channels and splay complexes. To quantify avulsion behavior, or style, we measure avulsion-related floodplain disturbance in modern environments. We show that for 63 avulsions from Andean, Himalayan, and New Guinean basins, avulsion style correlates with channel morphology and changes systematically downstream. Avulsions in braided rivers reoccupy abandoned channels, whereas avulsions in meandering rivers often produce flooding and sediment deposition during channel construction. These downstream changes in avulsion style can explain the abrupt transition from channel-dominated to floodplain-dominated facies commonly observed in foreland basin stratigraphy. These dynamics also explain why some avulsions are more hazardous than others. River avulsions are dramatic events that can cause the loss of many human lives. The authors here investigate how river avulsion style changes with river morphology, and how these changes impact flooding and stratigraphy.
Enzyme free energy profiles: Can substrate binding be nonspontaneous? Can ground state interactions enhance catalysis?

Abstract Two influential enzymological theories were proposed in the late 1970s – that catalytic power stems only from transition state stabilization, while ground state interactions are either irrelevant or inhibitory; and enzyme substrate binding is nonspontaneous at low substrate concentrations ([S]0
Linking congenital heart disease and brain functional connectivity in newborns

Abstract Survival rate in newborns with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) requiring corrective surgery has improved dramatically over the past two decades. This has shifted the focus on optimizing neurodevelopmental outcomes in this high-risk population. Impaired brain development in infants with CHD, including abnormalities in brain growth, microstructure, and metabolism, has now been increasingly recognized to have its origins in fetal life. Abnormalities in brain function, revealed using resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fMRI), have been observed in the early neonatal period before corrective surgery. In this review, we will first provide a brief introduction on rs-fMRI, describe functional connectivity in healthy newborns, discuss how functional networks are disrupted in CHD, and relate functional changes to abnormalities in brain growth, microstructure, and metabolism.
Effects of Intranasal (S)-Ketamine on Veterans With Co-Morbid Treatment-Resistant Depression and PTSD

Objective: Ketamine is a glutamatergic drug with potent and rapid acting effects for the treatment of depression. Little is known about the effectiveness of intranasal (S)-ketamine for treating patients with comorbid depression and PTSD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes in 35 patients with both depression and PTSD referred for (S)-ketamine treatments at the VA San Diego Neuromodulation Clinic between Jan 2020 to March 2021. Outcomes were calculated across the first 8 treatments (4 weeks, induction phase) using a repeated measures ANOVA to measure change in symptoms over treatments. In a smaller sub-group (n=19) we analyzed whether (S)-ketamine continued to show effects during the maintenance period (after 4 weeks. Sub-group analyses based on antidepressant response and general linear models were also performed to identify predictors of treatment response. Results: During the induction phase of treatment there was an absolute reduction of 4.6 +/- 0.9 on the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) rating scale for depression, from 19.6 +/- 0.8 at treatment 1 to 14.9 +/- 0.9 at treatment 8 (week 4) (F(7,238)=6, p 50%) at treatment 8. There was an absolute reduction of 12.1 +/- 2.5 on the patient checklist 5 (PCL5) rating scale for PTSD, from 54.4 +/- 2 at treatment 1 down to 42.3 +/- 2.5 at treatment 8 (F(7,238)=10.8, p 30%) for PTSD at this time-point. After transitioning to maintenance treatments, depression and PTSD symptoms remained stable or improved. Conclusions: Our results show that (S)-ketamine can improve both depression and PTSD symptoms in Veterans with dual-diagnoses. The effects of (S)-ketamine on PTSD were temporally and individually distinct from those on depression, suggesting potentially different modes of action on the two disorders. This work warrants further research in studying intranasal (S)-ketamine for PTSD. Funding Information: This work was supported by awards from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (Career Development Award: 7IK2BX003308 to D.S.R.), and funding from the Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH) at the San Diego VA Medical Center, as well as from the National Institute of Mental Health (K23 MH119375-01 to E.E.L.) Declaration of Interests: None of the authors have any competing interests to declare, financial or otherwise. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved as an IRB-exemption by the VA San Diego Medical Center IRB committee.
Polyhalo-organometallic and -organometalloidal compounds : XVIII. Reductive trimethylsilylation of p-dibromo-, p-dichloro- and p-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzenes

Abstract The reductive trimethylsilylation of 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzene to 1,3,4,6-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-cyclohexadiene(III) and of p-dibromo- and p-dichlorobenzenes to (III) and in addition to 1,4,5,6-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-cyclohexadiene(IV) and 3,3,6,6-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-cyclohexadiene(VI) is described. The proposed mechanism involves anion radical intermediates. An attempted preparation of (VI) by metalation of the methine hydrogens of 3,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-cyclohexadiene(I) and derivatization with chlorotrimethylsilane was unsuccessful; only partial dehydrogenation of (I) to 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzene occurred.
Obesity is associated with worse quality of life in women with gynecologic malignancies: An opportunity to improve patient‐centered outcomes

BACKGROUND The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of obesity on pretreatment quality of life (QoL) in gynecologic oncology patients. METHODS The authors analyzed collected data from an institution-wide cohort study of women with gynecologic cancers enrolled from August 2012 to June 2013. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, site-specific symptom scales, and the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) global mental and physical health tools were administered. Survey results were linked to clinical data abstracted from medical records (demographics and comorbid conditions). Bivariate tests and multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with QoL scores. RESULTS A total of 182 women with ovarian, uterine, cervical, and vulvar/vaginal cancers were identified; of these, 152 (84%) were assessed before surgery. Mean body mass index was 33.5 kg/m2 and race included white (120 patients [79%]), black (22 patients [15%]), and other (10 patients [6.5%]). A total of 98 patients (64.5%) were obese (body mass index ≥30). On multivariate analysis, subscales for functional (17 vs 19; P = .04), emotional (16 vs 19; P = .008), and social (22 vs 24; P = .02) well-being as well as overall Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scores (77 vs 86; P = .002) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System global physical health scores (45 vs 49; P = .003) were found to be significantly lower in obese versus nonobese patients. CONCLUSIONS Before cancer treatment, obese patients with gynecologic malignancies appear to have worse baseline QoL than their normal-weight counterparts. Emerging models of QoL-based cancer outcome measures may disproportionately affect populations with a high obesity burden. The potential disparate impact of cancer therapy on longitudinal QoL in the obese versus nonobese patients needs to be evaluated. Cancer 2015;121:395–402. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Effect of Benzo(a)pyrene and Piperonyl Butoxide on Formation of Respiratory System, Phospholipids, and Carotenoids of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus formed an electron transport system when exponentially growing cells were aerated. Formation of the electron transport system occurred concomitantly with increases in the phospholipids and the carotenoids. The addition of piperonyl butoxide or benzo(a)pyrene at the onset of aeration (i) slowed the formation of the electron transport system, (ii) both inhibited cytochrome oxidase o synthesis and decreased its stability, (iii) simultaneously depressed the increase in total phospholipid (especially cardiolipin), and (iv) depressed the synthesis of the carotenoid rubixanthin. Benzo(a)pyrene was the more inhibitory of the two, both on the rate of synthesis of the electron transport system and on rubixanthin formation. Evidence obtained with the inhibitors suggested that inhibition of the lipid synthesis was related to the formation of the electron transport system.
Periodic Orbit Continuation in Multiple Time Scale Systems

Continuation methods utilizing boundary value solvers are an effective tool for computing unstable periodic orbits of dynamical systems. Auto [1] is the standard implementation of these procedures. Unfortunately, the collocation methods used in Auto often require very fine meshes for convergence on problems with multiple time scales. This inconvenience prompts the search for alternative methods for computing such periodic orbits; we introduce here new multiple-shooting algorithms based on geometric singular perturbation theory.
Rail Market Share of Grain and Oilseed Transportation

The share of the grain and oilseed harvest moved by rail has been declining since 1980, when the Federal Motor Carrier Act and the Staggers Rail Act were passed. Large structural changes associated with these acts affected the decline over the following two decades. Yet, even though the large structural changes had already taken place by 2000, the rail market share of grain and oilseed transportation has continued to decline. This paper develops a state-level statistical model for 21 of the top grain-producing states (which produce 86.6% of all grain and oilseeds) to investigate which major factors have been responsible for the decrease in the rail market share of grain and oilseed transportation since 2001. Twenty variables are tested in the model, and 10 are found to have a statistically significant impact on rail market share. Of these, three are most important in the decrease of rail market share: ethanol production, biodiesel production, and the concentration of animal feeding.