cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes and Predictors of Toxicity after Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Using Yttrium-90 Resin Microspheres for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose: We sought to report outcomes and toxicity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received resin Yttrium-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (90Y-SIRT), and to identify factors associated with declining liver function. Methods: Patients treated with 90Y-SIRT were retrospectively evaluated. Radiographic response was assessed using RECIST 1.1. Median liver progression-free survival (LPFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Bivariate analysis was used to examine associations between change in Child-Pugh (CP) score/class and patient characteristics and treatment parameters. Results: Twenty-seven patients with unresectable HCC underwent SIRT, 52% were CP Class A, 48% were Class B; 11% were BCLC stage B, 89% were stage C. Forty-four percent of patients had portal vein thrombus at baseline. One-third of patients received bilobar treatment. Median activity was 32.1 mCi (range 9.18 – 43.25) and median absorbed dose to the liver was 39.6 Gy (range 13.54 – 67.70). Median LPFS and OS were 2.5 and 11.7 months, respectively. Three-month disease control rate was 63% and 52% in the target lesions and whole liver, respectively. New onset or worsened from baseline clinical toxicities were confined to Grade 1-2 events. However, new or worsened Grade 3-4 laboratory toxicities occurred in 38% of patients at 3 months and 43% of patients at 6 months following SIRT (6 had lymphocytopenia, 3 had hypoalbuminemia, 2 had transaminasemia). After 3 months, 6 patients had worsened in CP score and 5 had worsened in class from baseline. After 6 months, 4 patients had worsened in CP score and 1 had worsened in class from baseline. Pretreatment bilirubinemia was associated with a 2+ increase in CP score within 3 months (P = 0.001) and 6 months (P = 0.039) of 90Y-SIRT. Pretreatment transaminasemia and bilirubinemia were associated with increased CP class within 3 months of SIRT (P = 0.021 and 0.009 respectively). Conclusions: 90Y-SIRT was well-tolerated in patients with unresectable HCC, with no Grade 3-4 clinical toxicities. However, Grade 3-4 laboratory toxicities and worsened CP scores were more frequent. HCC patients with pretreatment bilirubinemia or transaminasemia may be at higher risk of experiencing a decline in liver function following 90Y-SIRT.
Contracts for Bioprospecting: the Yellowstone National Park Experience

In 1997, the National Park Service (NPS), Yellowstone National Park (YNP), and Diversa Corporation, a California-based biotechnology company, signed the first benefit-sharing agreement for commercial bioprospecting on federally owned lands in the United States. Globally, bioprospecting has been touted as a way to fulfill the three goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of biological resources, and equitable sharing of the benefits of using those resources. The idea that the CBD's three goals can be fruitfully combined underlies the Yellowstone agreement. The experience of Yellowstone, the world's first national park, with bioprospecting provides an important case study because Yellowstone, by sharp contrast with the earliest targets of bioprospecting, is in the developed world and already enjoys strong legal protection of its natural resources. The Yellowstone-Diversa agreement is couched as a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), a type of agreement specifically authorized by the U.S. Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA). In March 1998 three small nonprofit groups filed a lawsuit challenging the CRADA. The three were Alliance for the Wild Rockies, which describes itself as working to secure the ecological integrity of the northern Rockies bioregion; the Edmonds Institute, primarily interested in the regulation and implications of biotechnology; and the International Center for Technology Assessment, which concentrates on the social, environmental, and other impacts of new technologies, including biotechnology.
Fast-Food Lawsuits and the Cheeseburger Bill: Critiquing Congress's Response to the Obesity Epidemic

Obesity may be the greatest cause of preventable death in the United States. One of the ways that Americans have sought to address the issue - or capitalize off it - is by bringing lawsuits against food companies that allegedly contribute to the problem. In response to these lawsuits, in recent years the Republican Congress has tried to pass legislation that would ban such fast-food lawsuits. This Note examines the arguments put forth in Congress for and against the so-called Cheeseburger Bill, as the proposed lawsuit ban is called. The Note concludes that the legislation is unnecessary, relies on a flawed view of the causes of obesity, and is in fact counterproductive. Congress should instead be taking serious, positive legislative steps to address this epidemic health problem.
Urine uranium concentrations and renal function in residents of the United States--2001 to 2010

Context: Animal model studies have demonstrated that subchronic oral uranium exposure is associated with renal dysfunction. Little is known about the effects of environmental exposure to uranium in...
Thermal Stress as a Narrow-Band Random Load

The stresses in a large diameter concrete cylinder encased in a steel shell and subjected to random surface temperatures are analyzed. A plane strain elastic solution coupled with random process theory is used to determine the mean and variance of thermal stresses as well as the response to a sinusoidal input temperature in the interior of the cylinder. It is shown that stress components may be out of phase at various depths and that significant variable stresses may be produced.
Measuring Semantic Similarity Between Biomedical Concepts Within Multiple Ontologies

Most of the intelligent knowledge-based applications contain components for measuring semantic similarity between terms. Many of the existing semantic similarity measures that use ontology structure as their primary source cannot measure semantic similarity between terms and concepts using multiple ontologies. This research explores a new way to measure semantic similarity between biomedical concepts using multiple ontologies. We propose a new ontology-structure-based technique for measuring semantic similarity in single ontology and across multiple ontologies in the biomedical domain within the framework of unified medical language system (UMLS). The proposed measure is based on three features: 1) cross-modified path length between two concepts; 2) a new feature of common specificity of concepts in the ontology; and 3) local granularity of ontology clusters. The proposed technique was evaluated relative to human similarity scores and compared with other existing measures using two terminologies within UMLS framework: medical subject headings and systemized nomenclature of medicine clinical term. The experimental results validate the efficiency of the proposed technique in single and multiple ontologies, and demonstrate that our proposed measure achieves the best results of correlation with human scores in all experiments.
Speech discrimination in 11‐month‐old bilingual and monolingual infants: a magnetoencephalography study

Language experience shapes infants' abilities to process speech sounds, with universal phonetic discrimination abilities narrowing in the second half of the first year. Brain measures reveal a corresponding change in neural discrimination as the infant brain becomes selectively sensitive to its native language(s). Whether and how bilingual experience alters the transition to native language specific phonetic discrimination is important both theoretically and from a practical standpoint. Using whole head magnetoencephalography (MEG), we examined brain responses to Spanish and English syllables in Spanish-English bilingual and English monolingual 11-month-old infants. Monolingual infants showed sensitivity to English, while bilingual infants were sensitive to both languages. Neural responses indicate that the dual sensitivity of the bilingual brain is achieved by a slower transition from acoustic to phonetic sound analysis, an adaptive and advantageous response to increased variability in language input. Bilingual neural responses extend into the prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex, which may be related to their previously described bilingual advantage in executive function skills. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/TAYhj-gekqw.
Privacy Protection in Human Flesh Search

With the increasing popularity of Internet application,"human flesh search" is common to the public,it awe to the immoral behaviours and meanwhile it violated civilian's privacy right,and facing a positive assess in legal.Increasing "human fresh search" cases show that shortage of the protection of our law to the privacy rights.This paper mainly from improve the management of legislation,network operators,post online to control legal privacy protection in our online "human fresh search".
Support Care for the Pulmonary Hypertension Patient

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients require a multi-disciplinary care strategy that includes education, support and frequent clinical assessment. Central to the care of PAH patients is a specially trained team of allied health care professionals who provide a wide array of support and education for patients and their caregivers. Because the majority of PAH management occurs outside routine clinical visits, it is essential to have an expert pulmonary hypertension clinical care coordinator (PHC) engage in frequent communication with patients. Ongoing surveillance of symptoms, response to medications, oxygen needs, diet, exercise, emotional wellbeing, and financial needs are paramount to optimizing and maintaining clinical status. Educating patients, caregivers and non-pulmonary hypertension (PH) clinicians about routine testing and disease management is one of the primary roles of the PHC. Close monitoring and involvement in the care of hospitalized patients by the PH team is critical to providing safe and high quality care. Thoughtful discharge assessment and planning will provide for a smooth transition to post-hospital care and potentially prevent avoidable hospitalizations. Ensuring access to PAH-specific medications is an essential aspect of supportive care for the PAH patient. Even when successful with prior authorizations, patients’ may face financial hardship in paying for their medications and medical care. Navigating the complex medical insurance system and authorization processes requires significant time and expertise on behalf of the PH coordinator. Frequently, PAH patients will also require assistance with applying for disability, often a long and complicated process. Chronic illness can interfere with virtually every aspect of life. Finding ways to address the emotional and social changes experienced by PAH patients through networking and support groups can be life altering. One such group, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), is a non-profit support, education, advocacy and awareness organization for patients and caregivers dealing with PAH.
Burn regime matters: A review of the effects of prescribed fire on vertebrates in the longleaf pine ecosystem

Abstract A clear understanding of how management influences vertebrate biodiversity is critical for the conservation of rare ecosystems, such as the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem in the southeastern United States. We used scientific literature to assess how vertebrate use of the longleaf pine ecosystem (High or low) differed in response to high (1–3 years), moderate (>3–5 years), and low (>5 years) burn frequencies. For all species combined, we found that the number of high use (HU) species associated with moderately burned forests (n = 140) was 22% and 33% greater than in high (n = 115) and low burn (n = 105) frequency forests, respectively. This pattern was most clear for Aves and Reptilia. Specifically, the number of HU species associated with moderate burn frequencies (Aves – n = 69; Reptilia – n = 36) was 21% and 25% greater for Aves and 56 and 63% greater for Reptilia than high (Aves – n = 57; Reptilia – n = 23) and low burn frequencies (Aves – n = 55; Reptilia – n = 22), respectively. We found no difference in the number of HU species across burn frequencies for Amphibia or Mammalia. For species considered longleaf pine specialists, across all vertebrate taxa the number of HU species was associated with areas of high and moderate burn frequencies. We posit that moderate burn frequencies had the greatest number of HU species because of requirements for multiple habitat types, structural diversity, and habitat components that are reduced in, or not provided by, areas with high burn frequencies. If conservation of specific longleaf pine specialists that rely on habitat created by high fire frequencies (e.g. Red-cockaded woodpeckers) is the objective, we suggest managing with high burn frequencies at the local scale. Conversely, if management objectives include maximizing wildlife diversity, managers should use a more variable fire regime across the landscape, from annual to less frequent 5 year burn intervals, to maintain localized patches of oaks and increase the compositional and structural diversity within the system.
The genetic architecture of local adaptation and reproductive isolation in sympatry within the Mimulus guttatus species complex.

The genetic architecture of local adaptation has been of central interest to evolutionary biologists since the modern synthesis. In addition to classic theory on the effect size of adaptive mutations by Fisher, Kimura and Orr, recent theory addresses the genetic architecture of local adaptation in the face of ongoing gene flow. This theory predicts that with substantial gene flow between populations local adaptation should proceed primarily through mutations of large effect or tightly linked clusters of smaller effect loci. In this study, we investigate the genetic architecture of divergence in flowering time, mating system-related traits, and leaf shape between Mimulus laciniatus and a sympatric population of its close relative M. guttatus. These three traits are probably involved in M. laciniatus' adaptation to a dry, exposed granite outcrop environment. Flowering time and mating system differences are also reproductive isolating barriers making them 'magic traits'. Phenotypic hybrids in this population provide evidence of recent gene flow. Using next-generation sequencing, we generate dense SNP markers across the genome and map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) involved in flowering time, flower size and leaf shape. We find that interspecific divergence in all three traits is due to few QTL of large effect including a highly pleiotropic QTL on chromosome 8. This QTL region contains the pleiotropic candidate gene TCP4 and is involved in ecologically important phenotypes in other Mimulus species. Our results are consistent with theory, indicating that local adaptation and reproductive isolation with gene flow should be due to few loci with large and pleiotropic effects.
Planarity and multiple components promote organic photovoltaic efficiency by improving electronic transport

Establishing how the conformation of organic photovoltaic (OPV) polymers affects their electronic and transport properties is critical in order to determine design rules for new OPV materials and in particular to understand the performance enhancements recently reported for ternary blends. We report coupled classical and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations showing that polymer linkage twisting significantly reduces optical absorption efficiency, as well as hole transport rates in donor polymers. We predict that blends with components favoring planar geometries contribute to the enhancement of the overall efficiency of ternary OPVs. Furthermore, our electronic structure calculations for the PTB7–PID2–PC71BM system show that hole transfer rates are enhanced in ternary blends with respect to their binary counterpart. Finally, our results point at thermal disorder in the blend as a key reason responsible for device voltage losses and at the need to carry out electronic structure calculations at finite temperature to reliably compare with experiments.
Pegvisomant: a growth hormone receptor antagonist used in the treatment of acromegaly

To review published data on pegvisomant and its therapeutic role in acromegaly. Electronic searches of the published literature were conducted using the keywords: acromegaly, growth hormone (GH) receptor (antagonist), pegvisomant, therapy. Relevant articles (n = 141) were retrieved and considered for inclusion in this manuscript. Pegvisomant is a genetically engineered, recombinant growth hormone receptor antagonist, which is effective in normalizing serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in the majority of patients with acromegaly and ameliorating symptoms and signs associated with GH excess. Pegvisomant does not have direct antiproliferative effects on the underlying somatotroph pituitary adenoma, which is the etiology of GH excess in the vast majority of patients with acromegaly. Therefore, patients receiving pegvisomant monotherapy require regular pituitary imaging in order to monitor for possible increase in tumor size. Adverse events in patients on pegvisomant therapy include skin rashes, lipohypertrophy at injection sites, and idiosyncratic liver toxicity (generally asymptomatic transaminitis that is reversible upon drug discontinuation), thus necessitating regular patient monitoring. Pegvisomant is an effective therapeutic agent in patients with acromegaly who are not in remission after undergoing pituitary surgery. It mitigates excess GH action, as demonstrated by IGF-1 normalization, but has no direct effects on pituitary tumors causing acromegaly. Regular surveillance for possible tumor growth and adverse effects (hepatotoxicity, skin manifestations) is warranted.
Sequence Capture and Phylogenetic Utility of Genomic Ultraconserved Elements Obtained from Pinned Insect Specimens.

Obtaining sequence data from historical museum specimens has been a growing research interest, invigorated by next-generation sequencing methods that allow inputs of highly degraded DNA. We applied a target enrichment and next-generation sequencing protocol to generate ultraconserved elements (UCEs) from 51 large carpenter bee specimens (genus Xylocopa), representing 25 species with specimen ages ranging from 2–121 years. We measured the correlation between specimen age and DNA yield (pre- and post-library preparation DNA concentration) and several UCE sequence capture statistics (raw read count, UCE reads on target, UCE mean contig length and UCE locus count) with linear regression models. We performed piecewise regression to test for specific breakpoints in the relationship of specimen age and DNA yield and sequence capture variables. Additionally, we compared UCE data from newer and older specimens of the same species and reconstructed their phylogeny in order to confirm the validity of our data. We recovered 6–972 UCE loci from samples with pre-library DNA concentrations ranging from 0.06–9.8 ng/μL. All investigated DNA yield and sequence capture variables were significantly but only moderately negatively correlated with specimen age. Specimens of age 20 years or less had significantly higher pre- and post-library concentrations, UCE contig lengths, and locus counts compared to specimens older than 20 years. We found breakpoints in our data indicating a decrease of the initial detrimental effect of specimen age on pre- and post-library DNA concentration and UCE contig length starting around 21–39 years after preservation. Our phylogenetic results confirmed the integrity of our data, giving preliminary insights into relationships within Xylocopa. We consider the effect of additional factors not measured in this study on our age-related sequence capture results, such as DNA fragmentation and preservation method, and discuss the promise of the UCE approach for large-scale projects in insect phylogenomics using museum specimens.
Effects of Dairy Manure Management Practices on E. coli Concentration and Diversity

Dairy cattle manure has been implicated as a major source of fecal contamination in non-point source agricultural runoff in watersheds. Four different dairy farms in central Texas, each utilizing a different dairy manure management practice, in the Leon River watershed were sampled for E. coli using EPA Method 1603, with a percentage of isolates genotyped and phylotyped using the Clermont quadruplex PCR method. E. coli concentration was reduced as manure moved through the management process with tiered management systems lowering concentration the most. E. coli genotypes showed no correlation with sampling season or management practice. The highest percentage of unique genotypes was observed in dairy 2, which consisted of a settling basin then lagoon. One genotype was seen across all dairies and composed 15% of all genotypes characterized. E. coli phylotypes showed no seasonal or management practice trend. B1 was the most common phylotype isolated from all dairies and time periods, which was expected. Potentially pathogenic phylotypes were rarely observed, which could indicate isolation from pathogenic E. coli introduction. Dairy manure management practices that separate solid from liquid waste reduced E. coli concentrations the most based on these results.
Viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis B (& D)

The field of viral hepatitis including that of hepatitis B is rapidly evolving. There continues to be an explosion of new information not only on treatment options but also on management of those with acute and/or chronic hepatitis B. In light of this, the focus of this chapter is not on addressing information typically in textbooks of hepatology but rather on a framework of specific patient management questions which may be faced by the provider in the care of the patient affected by hepatitis B infection.
Proximal Row Carpectomy and 4-Corner Arthrodesis in Patients Younger Than Age 45 Years

Purpose To examine the long-term outcome of patients aged less than 45 years who underwent either proximal row carpectomy (PRC) or 4-corner arthrodesis (4CA) for wrist arthritis. Methods We reviewed a retrospective cohort of 89 patients aged less than 45 years who underwent either 4CA (n = 51) or PRC (n = 38) for wrist arthritis. Mean follow-up was 11 years in the 4CA group and 18 years in the PRC group. Results Overall, there were no differences between groups in the need for revision surgery. Complications included 6 nonunions in the 4CA group (12%), 1 infection in each group, and 11 patients who experienced radiocarpal impingement (8 4CA and 3 PRC). There was no difference in the number of patients reporting moderate or severe pain between the PRC and 4CA groups. Mean flexion-extension arc was 54° after 4CA, compared with 73° after PRC. Patients who underwent 4CA had slightly improved grip strength (65% of the opposite side) compared with those who had PRC (54%). Mean postoperative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire scores were 32 versus 19 (PRC vs 4CA) and patient-rated wrist evaluation scores were 27 versus 28 (PRC vs 4CA). Comparing radiographic arthritis, the 10-year outcome, free of moderate/severe arthritis for the PRC and 4CA groups, was 70% and 71%, respectively. Conclusions Both PRC and 4CA represent a good surgical option for young patients with wrist arthritis, with similar complication rates, postoperative pain levels, wrist function, and long-term outcomes free of arthrodesis. Proximal row carpectomy has improved motion and fewer complications. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
On Risk in Access Control Enforcement

While we have long had principles describing how access control enforcement should be implemented, such as the reference monitor concept, imprecision in access control mechanisms and access control policies leads to risks that may enable exploitation. In practice, least privilege access control policies often allow information flows that may enable exploits. In addition, the implementation of access control mechanisms often tries to balance security with ease of use implicitly (e.g., with respect to determining where to place authorization hooks) and approaches to tighten access control, such as accounting for program context, are ad hoc. In this paper, we define four types of risks in access control enforcement and explore possible approaches and challenges in tracking those types of risks. In principle, we advocate runtime tracking to produce risk estimates for each of these types of risk. To better understand the potential of risk estimation for authorization, we propose risk estimate functions for each of the four types of risk, finding that benign program deployments accumulate risks in each of the four areas for ten Android programs examined. As a result, we find that tracking of relative risk may be useful for guiding changes to security choices, such as authorized unsafe operations or placement of authorization checks, when risk differs from that expected.
Gender differences in suicide methods in Turkey

Objective The purpose of the study to investigate whether there is gender difference in suicide methods and whether there is any variation in suicide methods by gender over time Method Secondary data about suicide from to were obtained from Turkish Statistical Institute Gender specific suicide rate was calculated Then a paired samples t test was conducted the ratio of male to female and average of each suicide method rate were calculated and trends about suicide methods by gender between and were graphed Results Except for intoxication all other suicide methods including hanging firearm jumping and cutting burning differ statistically significant between females and males From to males are inclined to use firearms jumping intoxication and cutting burning more frequently whereas females have tendency to use jumping more frequently Conclusions Suicide methods differ between females and males Males use more brutal suicide methods compared to females nbsp
Bulk mineralogy of the NE Syrtis and Jezero crater regions of Mars derived through thermal infrared spectral analyses

Abstract We investigated the area to the northwest of the Isidis impact basin (hereby referred to as “NW Isidis”) using thermal infrared emission datasets to characterize and quantify bulk surface mineralogy throughout this region. This area is home to Jezero crater and the watershed associated with its two deltaic deposits in addition to NE Syrtis and the strong and diverse visible/near-infrared spectral signatures observed in well-exposed stratigraphic sections. The spectral signatures throughout this region show a diversity of primary and secondary surface mineralogies, including olivine, pyroxene, smectite clays, sulfates, and carbonates. While previous thermal infrared investigations have sought to characterize individual mineral groups within this region, none have systematically assessed bulk surface mineralogy and related these observations to visible/near-infrared studies. We utilize an iterative spectral unmixing method to statistically evaluate our linear thermal infrared spectral unmixing models to derive surface mineralogy. All relevant primary and secondary phases identified in visible/near-infrared studies are included in the unmixing models and their modeled spectral contributions are discussed in detail. While the stratigraphy and compositional diversity observed in visible/near-infrared spectra are much better exposed and more diverse than most other regions of Mars, our thermal infrared analyses suggest the dominance of basaltic compositions with less observed variability in the amount and diversity of alteration phases. These results help to constrain the mineralogical context of these previously reported visible/near-infrared spectral identifications. The results are also discussed in the context of future in situ investigations, as the NW Isidis region has long been promoted as a region of paleoenvironmental interest on Mars.
Women Participating in the Reformations and in Congo Today: Some Aspects

Women have always been a very significant part of the Christian church, participating in every community and every century. They have often been overlooked, however, because their roles have almost always been subordinate and usually less valued. What they do has also been much less documented so it is hard to see. This is a brief overview of women’s participation in the Reformations and in central Africa today. It begins with a short note on the late middle ages and Roman Catholic reforms; it is followed by a longer section on women in the Protestant and Anabaptist reformations; it concludes with some limited remarks on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As mulheres sempre foram uma parte muito significativa da igreja crista, participando de todas as comunidades e em cada seculo, mas muitas vezes elas foram negligenciadas, pois seus papeis quase sempre foram subordinados e geralmente menos valorizados. O que elas fazem tambem foi muito menos documentado, sendo entao dificil de percebe-lo. Este artigo apresenta uma visao geral da participacao das mulheres nas Reformas do seculo XVI e na Africa Central de hoje. Ele comeca com uma breve nota sobre o fim da Idade Media e as reformas catolicas romanas e, em seguida, apresenta uma secao mais longa que fala sobre as mulheres nas reformas protestantes e anabaptistas, concluindo com algumas observacoes limitadas sobre as mulheres na Republica Democratica do Congo.
Mortality After Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain in Patients With Cardiovascular Implantable Devices.

Background: Use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain is restricted in patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). We proposed to determine whether mortality difference exists for patients with non–MRI-conditional CIEDs undergoing brain MRI compared with controls. Methods and Results: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed to compare all-cause mortality in patients with CIEDs undergoing brain MRI (CIED-MRI) with 3 control groups matched for age, sex, imaging year, and type of CIED: (1) no CIED, brain MRI (no–CIED-MRI); (2) CIED, brain computerized tomography (CT) scan (CIED-CT); and (3) no CIED, brain CT (no–CIED-CT). The primary outcome was a significant difference ( P P =0.2; no–CIED-CT group: hazard ratio, 1.149; 95% confidence interval, 0.818–1.613; P =0.4). There was a significant increase in mortality between CIED-MRI and no–CIED-MRI groups (hazard ratio, 1.463; 95% confidence interval, 1.019–2.099; P =0.04). Conclusions: Brain MRI in patients with CIEDs does not carry an increased mortality risk compared with brain CT and can be performed with adherence to appropriate procedural protocols.
Are Higher Fasting Blood Concentrations Associated with Higher Risk for Developing Myocardial Infarction in Individuals Without Diabetes

It is well accepted that diabetes is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and related deaths. But what is the exact link and when does it begin? Because diabetes typically begins years before diagnosis, what about the risk of coronary heart disease? There have been conflicting results from studies that have attempted to correlate impaired fasting glucose with risk of coronary heart disease, and most have been based on a single measurement of fasting blood glucose (FBG). Are higher FBG concentrations associated with higher risk for developing myocardial infarction (MI) in individuals without diabetes? A recently published study (1) attempted to answer this question by using a prospective cohort of active and retired employees …
Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine for the Immobilization of Captive Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) in Alaska, USA

Abstract: A combination of butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine was used to immobilize four captive caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) in Palmer, Alaska, US. The average induction time for this combination was 5:17±2:06 min. Inductions were smooth, and recoveries were excellent. This drug combination may provide an alternative to the use of potent opioids for immobilizing caribou.
Response to Economic Shock: The Impact of Recession on Rural-Urban Suicides in the United States.

Objective This study examines the effect of economic recession on the suicide differential between rural and urban counties. Methods A negative binomial regression model and county mortality data are used to estimate the effect of recession and rurality on county-level suicides from 2002-2016. Results After accounting for differences in population, urban counties have more female suicides than rural counties, but urban counties experience smaller increases in female suicide numbers during periods of recession than rural counties. Long-term factors such as high chronic poverty or unemployment have a greater impact on male suicide rates, while short-term economic crises have a larger impact on female suicides. Higher percentages of children in the county have an increasing effect on male suicides, but a decreasing effect on female suicides. Finally, farm-dependent counties have fewer suicides than non-farm-dependent counties. This holds true for both males and females. Conclusions Periods of recession impact suicide numbers; however, this effect is most noticeable for females, with rural counties having larger increases in female suicide numbers than their urban counterparts during recession years.
Taxation on the Issuance of Bonus Securities in India

This paper argues that there is a differential tax treatment on the issuance of bonus shares to the equity shareholders on one hand and bonus shares issued to preference shareholders and bonus debenture issued to debenture holder on the other. The researcher would argue that this distinction is based on the premise that in case of bonus preference shares and bonus debentures income is accrued at the time of issuance and actually paid at the time of redemption. Hence the trigger event is issuance which is when the income accrues. However, in case of bonus equity shares, it seems to fall under section 2(22)(a) of the ITA entailing release of assets yet the shareholder is not taxed since no income is received in his hands.
Gold nanoparticles loaded with cullin-5 DNA increase sensitivity to 17-AAG in cullin-5 deficient breast cancer cells

HSP90 inhibitors have the potential to treat many types of cancer due to the dependence of tumor cells on HSP90 for cell growth and proliferation. The Cullin-5 (Cul5) E3 ubiquitin ligase is required for HSP90 inhibitors to induce client protein degradation and subsequent cell death. Cul5 is expressed at low levels in breast cancer cells compared to patient matched controls. This observed low Cul5 expression may play a role in the reported decreased efficacy of 17-AAG and related HSP90 inhibitors as a monotherapy. We have developed a method for delivery of 17-AAG plus Cul5 DNA to cells via gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Delivery of AuNPs containing Cul5 DNA increases the sensitivity of Cul5 deficient AU565 cells to 17-AAG. Characterization of AuNPs by UV-vis spectrum, TEM, gel electrophoresis assay and 1H NMR indicate attachment of both 17-AAG and DNA payload as well as AuNP stability. Studies in Cul5 deficient AU565 cells reveal that delivery of Cul5 and 17-AAG together increase cytotoxicity. Our results provide evidence that delivery of DNA with drug may serve as a method to sensitize drug resistant tumor cells.
Transition and Relaxations in Polyquinoxalines

Completely aromatic polymers, such as the polyquinoxalines offer a unique opportunity for studying molecular motions, in particular, motions responsible for transitions and relaxation effects. In ordinary linear aliphatic hydrocarbon polymers, for example, paraffinic systems, relaxation processes are believed to originate in rotations, either of whole chains, chain segments, individual moieties or even atoms within a molecular unit (1,2). In fully aromatic polymers internal torsional (and even more so rotational) mobility is greatly restricted due to resonance overlap and steric effects (i.e., high barriers to rotation arising from ortho substituents). Consequently, we expect primary motions such as glass or melt transitions and associated relaxations to be manifested in translational rather than rotational interactions.
TRIANGULAR ARRANGEMENTS OF NUMBERED DISKS

The sum of the digits along each side is 17. The pairs of nonvertex disks along the sides opposite the vertices A, B, C will be designated by a, 6, ?, respectively. The central digit, D, does not enter into the three summations, whereas the vertex digits are counted twice. If the sum of the peripheral digits be and the sum of the digits on each side be S, then (1) = 45 D and (2) A + B+ C+ T= 3S. Eliminating between (1) and (2) gives (3) S = (A + B+ CD + 45)/3, which must be an integer. Furthermore, (4) S = a + + C.
Living the dystopian-utopian tension as praxis: Transformative dreaming with/in/for education and educational research

We could begin this introduction so many ways, at so many moments in time, in so many places, amidst so much wreckage. But we begin in the fall of 2019 in the United States, one of us in the Northe...
Syntheses and Binding Testing of N 1-Alkylamino-Substituted 2-Aminobenzimidazole Analogues Targeting the Hepatitis C Virus Internal Ribosome Entry Site

A series of 2-aminobenzimidazole analogues have been synthesised and tested for binding to a previously established RNA target for viral translation inhibitors in the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Synthesis of new inhibitor compounds followed a highly convergent strategy which allowed for incorporation of diverse tertiary amino substituents in high overall yields (eight-steps, 4–22 %). Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies focussed on the tertiary amine substituent involved in hydrogen bonding with the RNA backbone at the inhibitor binding site. The SAR study was further correlated with in silico docking experiments. Analogous compounds showed promising activities (half maximal effective concentration, EC50: 21–89 µM). Structures of the synthesised analogues and a correlation to their mode of binding, provided the opportunity to explore parameters required for selective targeting of the HCV IRES at the subdomain IIa which acts as an RNA conformational switch in HCV translation.
Exposure–Response Assessment in Pediatric Drug Development Studies Submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration

Exposure-response (E-R) modeling provides a quantitative tool to leverage adult data to support pediatric trial design and drug approval. The pediatric E-R studies submitted to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2007 and 2018 were surveyed in the context of various types of trial designs supporting drug approval in the pediatric population. The applications of E-R evaluation in pediatric drug development programs are mainly focused on three areas: (i) supporting pediatric extrapolation when the E-R relationships are similar between the pediatric and adult populations; (ii) dose selection to balance the risk-benefit profile based on the change in efficacy and safety response with different exposure levels; and (iii) approval of a new formulation, new dosing regimen, or new route of administration, where E-R evaluation helps quantify the change in clinical response between the old and new strategies. E-R modeling will continue to play an expanded role in pediatric drug development in the future.
Infant anaphylaxis: Diagnostic and treatment challenges

Immediate administration of intramuscular epinephrine to a patient experiencing anaphylaxis is the first-line therapy for this life-threatening allergic reaction. Alhough anaphylaxis is generally a rare occurrence, it has dire consequences if left untreated. In infants, anaphylaxis is typically triggered by exposure to egg, cow's milk, or peanuts. The rapid onset of symptoms in multiple organ systems makes an accurate diagnosis in infants difficult because there are numerous ways in which anaphylaxis may present. The symptoms of infant anaphylaxis are often underrecognized or misdiagnosed for less serious illnesses or even normal findings, including drooling, loose stools, and irritability. Because infants are mostly nonverbal-and most pediatric emergency department visits for anaphylaxis cases are the first diagnosis-ascertaining potential exposure to common allergens is difficult; this further complicates diagnosis in these youngest patients for whom the clinical presentation of anaphylaxis varies widely. A key factor in diagnosing anaphylaxis is the temporal profile of symptom development following allergen exposure; however, some children with anaphylaxis develop symptoms that reoccur hours or days after an initial anaphylactic reaction, making diagnosis challenging. Advanced practice nurses are often the first health care provider to encounter a patient who may be experiencing anaphylaxis. Although diagnostic criteria exist for anaphylaxis, specific criteria for the diagnosis of anaphylaxis in infants have not been developed. As such, it is important to understand and recognize the variable presentation of anaphylaxis in infants and to rapidly diagnose and treat with epinephrine.
Synthesis and characterization of colloidal CdSexS1-x/ZnS quantum dots

CdSexS1-x/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) can cover a broader spectral range than the commonly used CdSe/ZnS QDs and are potentially useful as biomarkers for tagging cell lines such as HeLa, A549, and MCF-7 due to their high photoluminescence intensity and stability in solution. So far, there have been few studies of colloidal CdSexS1-x/ZnS QDs that would simultaneously investigate changes in a) the molar composition of QD cores, and b) the shell thickness, as well as the effects of these changes on the photoluminescence and quantum yield properties of the QDs. CdSeyS1-y QDs and CdSexS1-x/ZnS core/shell QDs were synthesized via a previously reported and modified hot-injection procedure and via a telescoping one-pot synthesis based on the modified hot-injection procedure. Size, morphology, composition, and colloidal stability of these QD core/shell systems is reported with data obtained from TEM, XRD, TGA, DSC, DLS, and zeta potential techniques. Optical characterization is described using data collected from UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometry and photoluminescence spectroscopy.
The impact of changing reflexive to clinician-ordered Clostridioides difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for indeterminate cases: Cost savings without associated adverse events.

Objective To evaluate changing Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) testing among inpatients with indeterminate enzyme immunoassay (EIA) results (antigen+/toxin-) from reflexive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to clinician-ordered PCR testing. Design Multicenter, before-and-after, quasi-experimental study. Setting Four large urban tertiary-care hospitals. Methods We evaluated two 6-month periods before and after an intervention. The primary study outcome was the change in the number of CDI diagnoses between periods. Secondary outcomes included the number of PCR tests performed, adverse events, and healthcare cost savings. Results In total, 500 EIA-indeterminate C. difficile test results were evaluated: 281 before the intervention and 219 thereafter. CDI was diagnosed by PCR among EIA-indeterminate cases in 182 in the preintervention period versus 94 patients in the postintervention period (48% reduction; P .99). No patient without a PCR test in the postintervention period and not treated was later diagnosed with CDI. Each reflexive PCR test not performed led to a cost savings of $4,498 per patient. Conclusions Applying diagnostic stewardship to C. difficile PCR testing in the inpatient setting led to significant reductions in both testing and cases. Changing the C. difficile PCR testing algorithm for EIA-indeterminate cases from reflexive to clinician-required ordering resulted in valuable cost savings without associated adverse events.
Body Composition and Metabolic Assessment After Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury: Development of a Clinically Relevant Equation to Estimate Body Fat

Background: Obesity is at epidemic proportions in the population with spinal cord injury (SCI), and adipose tissue (AT) is the mediator of the metabolic syndrome. Obesity, however, has been poorly appreciated in SCI because of the lack of sensitivity that body mass index (BMI) conveys for obesity risk in SCI without measuring AT. Objectives: The specific objectives were to compare measures of body composition assessment for body fat with the criterion standard 4-compartment (4C) model in persons with SCI, to develop a regression equation that can be utilized in the clinical setting to estimate fat mass (FM), and to determine cardiometabolic risk using surrogates of obesity in a current model of metabolic syndrome. Methods: Seventy-two individuals with chronic (>1 year) motor complete (AIS A and B) C5-L2 SCI were recruited over 3 years. Subjects underwent assessment with 4C using hydrostatic (underwater) weighing (UWW), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and total body water (TBW) assessment to determine percent body fat (%BF); fasting glucose and lipid profiles, and resting blood pressure were also obtained. BMI, DXA, bioelectrical impedance analyses (BIA), BodPod, circumferences, diameters, lengths, and nine-site skinfold (SF) were assessed and validated against 4C. A multiple linear regression model was used to fit %BF (dependent variable) using anthropometric and demographic data that had the greatest correlations with variables, followed by a combined forward/backward stepwise regression with Akaike information criterion (AIC) to identify the variables most predictive of the 4C %BF. To allow for a more practical model for use in the clinical setting, we further reduced the AIC model with minimal loss of predictability. Surrogate markers of obesity were employed with metabolic biomarkers of metabolic syndrome to determine prevalence in persons with SCI. Results: Subject characteristics included age 44.4 ± 11.3 years, time since injury (TSI) 14.4 ± 11.0 years, BMI 27.3 ± 5.9 kg/m2; 59 were men and 13 were women. Sitting waist circumference (WCSit ) was 95.5 ± 13.1 cm, supine waist circumference (WCSup) was 93.4 ± 12.7 cm, and abdominal skinfold (ABDSF) was 53.1 ± 19.6 mm. Findings showed 4C %BF 42.4 ± 8.6%, UWW %BF 37.3 ± 9.7%, DXA %BF 39.1 ± 9.4%, BodPod %BF 33.7 ± 11.4%, nine-site SF %BF 37.8 ± 9.3%, and BIA %BF 27.6 ± 8.6%. A regression equation using age, sex, weight, and ABDSF provided R2 correlation of 0.57 with 4C %BF (p < .0001). Metabolic syndrome was identified in 59.4% of the sample. Conclusion: Body composition techniques to determine body fat are labor intensive and expensive for persons with SCI, and the regression equation developed against the criterion standard 4C model may allow clinicians to quickly estimate %BF and more accurately demonstrate obesity-induced cardiometabolic syndrome in this population.