cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guidelines for the treatment of preoperative anaemia with epoetin.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin) has been approved for use in patients undergoing autologous blood donation (ABD) in Japan, the European Union and Canada since 1993, 1994 and 1996 respectively, and for perisurgical adjuvant therapy without ABD in Canada and the US since 1996. Early clinical trials of epoetin therapy in the setting of ABD have provided important information with respect to clinical safety, dose and erythropoietic response. Later trials of perisurgical epoetin therapy without ABD provided data on efficacy (i.e. reduced allogeneic blood exposure) that led to approval of epoetin in this setting.
Oxidative durability of TBCs on Ti2AlC MAX phase substrates

Abstract Air plasma spray (APS) and plasma-spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBC), ~ 80–100 μm thick, were produced on a commercial Ti2AlC MAX phase compound. They were oxidized in interrupted furnace tests for 500 h each, at five successive temperatures from 1100°–1300 °C. The APS coating survived 2400 accumulated hours, failing catastrophically after 500 h at 1300 °C. Porosity, large cracks, sintering, and high monoclinic YSZ phase contents were seen as primary degradation factors. The PS-PVD coating remained completely intact over 2500 total hours (65 cycles) including 500 h at 1300 °C, exhibiting only fine porosity and microcracking, with less monoclinic. These Ti2AlC systems achieved a minimum α-Al2O3 scale thickness of 29 and 35 μm, respectively, as compared to ~ 6 ± 2 μm on average at failure for conventional bond coats on superalloys. Accordingly, times predicted from thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) of oxidation kinetics project an improvement factor of ~ 25–50 × for the time to achieve these scale thicknesses at a given temperature. Extreme oxidative TBC durability is achieved because the thermal expansion coefficient of Ti2AlC is only slightly different than those for α-Al2O3 and YSZ. The strain energy term driving scale and TBC failure is therefore believed to be fundamentally diminished from the large compressive stress produced by higher expansion superalloys.
Sequestration of mRNAs Modulates the Timing of Translation during Meiosis in Budding Yeast

Starvation of diploid cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae induces them to enter meiosis and differentiate into haploid spores. During meiosis, the precise timing of gene expression is controlled at the level of transcription, and also translation. If cells are returned to rich medium after they have committed to meiosis, the transcript levels of most meiotically upregulated genes decrease rapidly. However, for a subset of transcripts whose translation is delayed until the end of meiosis II, termed protected transcripts, the transcript levels remain stable even after nutrients are reintroduced. The Ime2-Rim4 regulatory circuit controls both the delayed translation and the stability of protected transcripts. These protected mRNAs localize in discrete foci, which are not seen for transcripts of genes with different translational timing and are regulated by Ime2. These results suggest that Ime2 and Rim4 broadly regulate translational delay but that additional factors, such as mRNA localization, modulate this delay to tune the timing of gene expression to developmental transitions during sporulation.
Targeting Simulation-Based Assessment for the Pediatric Milestones: A Survey of Simulation Experts and Program Directors.

Abstract Objective To determine which of the 21 general pediatrics milestone subcompetencies are most difficult to assess using traditional methodologies and which are best suited to simulation-based assessment. Methods We surveyed 2 samples: pediatric simulation experts and pediatric program directors. Respondents were asked about current use of simulation for assessment and to select 5 of the 21 pediatric subcompetencies most difficult to assess using traditional methods and the 5 best suited to simulation-based assessment. Spearman rank correlation was used to determine a correlation between how the 2 samples ranked the subcompetencies. Results Forty-eight percent (29 of 60) simulation experts and 20% (115 of 571) program directors completed the survey. Few respondents reported using simulation for summative assessment. There are clear differences across the pediatric subcompetencies in perceived difficulty of assessment and suitability to simulation-based assessment. The 3 most difficult to assess subcompetencies were "recognize ambiguity," "demonstrate emotional insight," and "identify one's own strengths and deficiencies." The subcompetencies most suitable to assessment using simulation were "interprofessional teamwork," "clinical decision making," and "effective communication." Program directors and simulation experts had high agreement for both questions: difficult to assess (rho = 0.76, P P Conclusions Several general pediatrics milestone subcompetencies were identified by pediatric simulation experts and pediatric program directors as difficult to assess using current methodologies and as amenable to simulation-based assessment. The pediatric simulation community should target development of simulation-based assessment tools to these areas.
Marketing Materials Made Easy: A Practical Approach to Design and Distribution

When marketing to student populations, librarians can feel overwhelmed trying to compete for students’ attention. In many cases, students are getting multiple emails per day from campus organizatio...
Synchrotron Photoionization Study of Mesitylene Oxidation Initiated by Reaction with Cl(2P) or O(3P) Radicals

This work studies the oxidation of mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) initiated by O(3P) or Cl(2P) atoms. The O(3P) initiated mesitylene oxidation was investigated at room temperature and 823 K, whereas the Cl-initiated reaction was carried out at room temperature only. Products were probed by a multiplexed chemical kinetics photoionization mass spectrometer using the synchrotron radiation produced at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Reaction products and intermediates are identified on the basis of their time behavior, mass-to-charge ratio, ionization energies, and photoionization spectra. Branching yields are derived for the O-initiated reaction at 823 K and the Cl-initiated reaction at room temperature. Reaction schematics are proposed and presented.
Epidemiological characteristics of bacillary dysentery in Shunyi District,Beijing from 1997 to 2008

Objective To understand epidemiological characteristics of bacillary dysentery in Shunyi District and explore its preventive and control measures.Methods All the data of bacillary dysentery reported during 1997 to 2008 in Shunyi District were described and analyzed.Results Annual incidence of bacillary dysentery was 125.5 per hundred thousand in average. Incidence peak was from June to September each year,accounting for 67.9 percent of the total cases reported each year. Children and students were major population at risk,followed by farm farmers and workers,accounting for 70.4 percent of the total cases. Male patients were more than female.Conclusion Incidence of bacillary dysentery show a steady increasing trend during the recent 12 years. Children,students,farmers and workers were main population at risk and target for prevention and control. It is proposed to strengthen health education for them.
The Beatles in the Classroom: John, Paul, George, and Ringo Go to College

The Beatles have been finding their way into college courses in a number of interesting ways in recent years. The band and their music have proven to be meaningful points of entry for a wide range of academic investigations, ranging from song lyrics as poetry to understanding the complex working of the music business. This chapter looks at some of the ways the Beatles have been utilized in college classrooms, with a particular emphasis on a case study of a course, The Beatles and the 1960s: The Band, The Music and Their Times, designed to use the Fab Four to better understand the social and political upheavals of that turbulent decade.
Meta-Ethics and Meta-Epistemology

Recent epistemology has been heavily concerned with the conceptual and methodological foundations of the subject — in particular with the concepts of knowledge, certainty, basic knowledge, justification, and so on. In other ‘words to a considerable extent it has been taken up with meta-epistemology, in contrast with substantive epistemology, in contrast with questions about what we know, how we know it, and how various parts of our knowledge are interrelated. Just as with ethics, meta-inquiries have been pursued throughout the history of the subject (see, e. g., the discussions of the concept of knowledge in Plato’s Theaetetus and in Book IV of Locke’s Essay ), but also as in ethics, meta concerns have been more prominent in twentieth century Anglo-American philosophy than ever before.
Regulation of yeast ESCRT-III membrane scission activity by the Doa4 ubiquitin hydrolase

ESCRT-III executes membrane scission during the budding of intralumenal vesicles (ILVs) at endosomes. The scission mechanism is unknown but appears to be linked to the cycle of assembly and disassembly of ESCRT-III complexes at membranes. Regulating this cycle is therefore expected to be important for determining the timing of ESCRT-III-mediated membrane scission. We show that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ESCRT-III complexes are stabilized and ILV membrane scission is delayed by Doa4, which is the ubiquitin hydrolase that deubiquitinates transmembrane proteins sorted as cargoes into ILVs. These results suggest a mechanism to delay ILV budding while cargoes undergo deubiquitination. We further show that deubiquitination of ILV cargoes is inhibited via Doa4 binding to Vps20, which is the subunit of ESCRT-III that initiates assembly of the complex. Current models suggest that ESCRT-III complexes surround ubiquitinated cargoes to trap them at the site of ILV budding while the cargoes undergo deubiquitination. Thus our results also propose a mechanism to prevent the onset of ILV cargo deubiquitination at the initiation of ESCRT-III complex assembly.
Improving support and education of low-income baby boomers diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C virus infection through universal screening.

Aims and objectives The objective of this study was to identify support needs of low income baby boomers recently diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Background The United States Preventive Services Task Force has endorsed one-time screening of all baby boomers (born 1945 to 1965) for hepatitis C because 75% of the estimated 2 to 3 million persons with chronic infection are in this age range. We hypothesized that persons diagnosed by routine screening would have significant psycho-emotional, cognitive, and health care challenges that need to be met by collaborative care and services from nurses and other health care personnel. Design Qualitative descriptive study of data from three focus groups with predominantly minority participants (N=16). Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, transcribed data were categorized by 3 domains in a previously developed model and a new domain identified in this study. Frequencies of unique participants’ comments about each theme were calculated. Results Elucidated domains were: 1) psycho-emotional effects due to social stigma, shame, fear, dealing with risky behaviors; 2) social effects due to concerns about infecting others; and 3) cognitive deficits because of poor understanding about HCV infection and its care. A new domain related to health care emerged reflecting the following themes: poor access to care, barriers to costly treatment, and navigating complex care for comorbidities. Despite these challenges, participants strongly endorsed universal baby boomer hepatitis C virus screening. Conclusion This study describes psycho-emotional and social challenges of people dealing with a hepatitis C diagnosis that are compounded by poor knowledge and barriers to supportive care. Relevance to clinical practice Nursing and other allied health personnel require structured support programs to assist older persons diagnosed with hepatitis C with addressing these common challenges with the ultimate goal of achieving a cure. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Professionalism Charter Provides Guidance to Health Care Organizations in These Troubled Times.

The authors discuss The Charter on Professionalism for Health Care Organizations, which outlines tenets of professional behavior and behavior that supports professionalism.
Coding of Class I and II Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases.

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their cognate transfer RNAs translate the universal genetic code. The twenty canonical amino acids are sufficiently diverse to create a selective advantage for dividing amino acid activation between two distinct, apparently unrelated superfamilies of synthetases, Class I amino acids being generally larger and less polar, Class II amino acids smaller and more polar. Biochemical, bioinformatic, and protein engineering experiments support the hypothesis that the two Classes descended from opposite strands of the same ancestral gene. Parallel experimental deconstructions of Class I and II synthetases reveal parallel losses in catalytic proficiency at two novel modular levels—protozymes and Urzymes—associated with the evolution of catalytic activity. Bi-directional coding supports an important unification of the proteome; affords a genetic relatedness metric—middle base-pairing frequencies in sense/antisense alignments—that probes more deeply into the evolutionary history of translation than do single multiple sequence alignments; and has facilitated the analysis of hitherto unknown coding relationships in tRNA sequences. Reconstruction of native synthetases by modular thermodynamic cycles facilitated by domain engineering emphasizes the subtlety associated with achieving high specificity, shedding new light on allosteric relationships in contemporary synthetases. Synthetase Urzyme structural biology suggests that they are catalytically-active molten globules, broadening the potential manifold of polypeptide catalysts accessible to primitive genetic coding and motivating revisions of the origins of catalysis. Finally, bi-directional genetic coding of some of the oldest genes in the proteome places major limitations on the likelihood that any RNA World preceded the origins of coded proteins.
Frequency of Group Sex Participation and Risk for HIV/STI Among Young Adult Nightclub Scene Participants.

Objectives: This study examines frequency of group sex participation and associated characteristics and behaviors among a sample of heterosexual young adult participants in Miami's nightclub scene ...
National trends and outcomes of cardiac arrest in opioid overdose

Abstract Aim To investigate the epidemiology and outcomes of cardiac arrests associated with opioid overdoses. Recent data suggest that drug overdoses are responsible for more deaths than motor vehicle crashes or firearms in the United States each year, with opioids being involved in majority of drug overdose deaths. Despite the potential for opioids to cause cardiac arrest, few studies have examined this association. Patients and methods Using data from National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample database from years 2000–2013, we identified hospitalizations with drug overdoses using ICD-9-CM codes. We further identified those with opioid overdose and those with cardiac arrest. We then assessed the proportion and trends of cardiac arrest and associated mortality in patients with opioid overdose. We also investigated if opioid overdose is an independent risk factor for cardiac arrest and mortality. Results Of 3,835,448 United States drug overdose hospitalizations, 16.4% were associated with prescription opioid overdose and 2.3% with heroin overdose. Cardiac arrest was most common with heroin overdose, followed by prescription opioids and least common in non-opioid overdose (3.8% vs 1.4% vs 0.6%; p Conclusions Cardiac arrest is more common in patients with opioid overdoses in comparison to non-opioid overdoses. The rate of cardiac arrest is increasing disproportionately in patients with opioid overdoses. Opioid overdoses are independent risk factors for both cardiac arrest and mortality in patients with overdoses.
Adopting Telemedicine for the Self-Management of Hypertension: Systematic Review.

Background: Hypertension is a chronic condition that affects adults of all ages. In the United States, 1 in 3 adults has hypertension, and about half of the hypertensive population is adequately controlled. This costs the nation US $46 billion each year in health care services and medications required for treatment and missed workdays. Finding easier ways of managing this condition is key to successful treatment. Objective: A solution to reduce visits to physicians for chronic conditions is to utilize telemedicine. Research is limited on the effects of utilizing telemedicine in health care facilities. There are potential benefits for implementing telemedicine programs with patients dealing with chronic conditions. The purpose of this review was to weigh the facilitators against the barriers for implementing telemedicine. Methods: Searches were methodically conducted in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Complete (CINAHL Complete) via Elton B Stephens Company (EBSCO) and PubMed (which queries MEDLINE) to collect information about self-management of hypertension through the use of telemedicine. Results: Results identify facilitators and barriers corresponding to the implementation of self-management of hypertension using telemedicine. The most common facilitators include increased access, increase in health and quality, patient knowledge and involvement, technology growth with remote monitoring, cost-effectiveness, and increased convenience/ease. The most prevalent barriers include lack of evidence, self-management difficult to maintain, no long-term results/more areas to address, and long-term added workload commitment. Conclusions: This review guides health care professionals in incorporating new practices and identifying the best methods to introduce telemedicine into their practices. Understanding the facilitators and barriers to implementation is important, as is understanding how these factors will impact a successful implementation of telemedicine in the area of self-management of hypertension. [JMIR Med Inform 2017;5(4):e41]
Pearls in Graph Theory, a Comprehensive Introduction. By Nora Hartsfield and Gerhard Ringel

(1991). Pearls in Graph Theory, a Comprehensive Introduction. By Nora Hartsfield and Gerhard Ringel. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 98, No. 9, pp. 873-875.
Radiation transport effects in divertor plasmas generated during a tokamak reactor disruption

Vaporization of material from tokamak divertors during disruptions is a critical issue for tokamak reactors from ITER to commercial power plants. Radiation transport from the vaporized material onto the remaining divertor surface plays an important role in the total mass loss to the divertor. Radiation transport in such a vapor is very difficult to calculate in full detail, and this paper quantifies the sensitivity of the divertor mass loss to uncertainties in the radiation transport. Specifically, the paper presents the results of computer simulations of the vaporization of a graphite coated divertor during a tokamak disruption with ITER CDA parameters. The results show that a factor of 100 change in the radiation conductivity changes the mass loss by more than a factor of two.
The Contributions of Arterial Cross-Sectional Area and Time-Averaged Flow Velocity to Arterial Blood Flow.

Background: Ultrasound has been used for noninvasive assessments of endothelial function in both clinical and athletic settings and to identify changes in muscle blood flow in response to exercise, nutritional supplementation, and occlusion. The purposes of the present study were to examine the reliability and relative contributions of arterial cross-sectional area and time-averaged flow velocity to predict muscle blood flow as a result of fatiguing exercise in men and women. Methods: Eighteen healthy men and 18 healthy women performed 50 consecutive eccentric repetitions of the elbow flexors at 60% of their pretest eccentric peak torque at a velocity of 180° s−1. Test-retest reliability and stepwise linear regression analyses were performed to determine the ability of arterial cross-sectional area and time-averaged flow velocity to predict brachial artery muscle blood flow for the men, women, and combined sample. Results: There was no systematic test versus retest mean differences (P > 0.05) for any of the ultrasound determined variables. The two-variable regression models significantly improved the ability to predict muscle blood flow and were associated with smaller standard error of the estimates (3.7%–10.1% vs. 16.8%–37.0% of the mean baseline muscle blood flow values) compared to the one-variable models. Conclusions: The findings of the present study supported the use of ultrasound for reliable assessments of arterial diameter, arterial cross-sectional area, time-averaged flow velocity, and muscle blood flow from the brachial artery in men and women. Furthermore, time-averaged flow velocity was a more powerful predictor of muscle blood flow than arterial cross-sectional area.
Genetic and physical mapping of human recoverin: a gene expressed in retinal photoreceptors.

PURPOSE Recoverin is a calcium-binding protein that may be involved in phototransduction in mammalian retinal photoreceptors, and is considered to be a candidate gene for retinitis pigmentosa. This study was undertaken to develop the recoverin locus into a polymorphic marker for future linkage studies on retinitis pigmentosa families. METHODS A human genomic cosmid clone was isolated and used to map the recoverin gene to a human chromosome through hybridization to a panel of somatic hybrid cell line DNAs, and to human metaphase chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization. A dinucleotide repeat polymorphism located within the coding region of the recoverin gene was identified, and used to genetically map the recoverin gene relative to index markers. In addition, three restriction fragment length polymorphisms revealed by the cosmid clone were identified and characterized. RESULTS Hybridization to the somatic hybrid cell line DNAs localized the recoverin gene to chromosome 17. Recoverin was further localized to 17p12-p13 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The dinucleotide repeat polymorphism and restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the recoverin locus have a cumulative polymorphic information content = 0.71. CONCLUSIONS These polymorphic markers and additional closely linked markers will be useful for linkage analysis of families with retinitis pigmentosa.
HIV Infection and the PNS

Peripheral nervous system involvement is one of the most common neurological complications of HIV infection. Although type of peripheral nervous system involvement varies depending on the stage of infection, most prevalent type of involvement is HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy. Mechanisms of HIV-associated peripheral neuropathies are unknown. HIV is neuroinvasive and neurovirulent, but not necessarily neurotrophic, suggesting that most of the neurotoxicity of HIV infection is indirect and most likely mediated via chemokines, cytokines, or viral proteins released by the infiltrating macrophages. Furthermore, treatment with antiretroviral drugs contributes to neurotoxicity and development of peripheral neuropathies, sometimes clinically indistinguishable from HIV-induced peripheral neuropathy. Mechanism of antiretroviral toxic neuropathy is likely to be mediated by mitochondrial toxicity leading to distal axonal degeneration. Currently, treatment of HIV-associated peripheral neuropathies is directed at symptom control and strict control of the underlying HIV infection without the use of most toxic antiretroviral drugs.
Portfolio Performance Measures: A Brief Survey and Hypothesis Testing

In this paper, we explore the theoretical aspects of portfolio performance measures. First, we survey the available portfolio performance evaluation techniques, starting with the two-parameter mean-variance based measures. Then, we look at the multi-factor APT-based measures. This leads us into the higher-moments based measures, which incorporate asymmetrical returns and investors’ preference for skewness. We also include some nonparametric techniques, which are popular in the evaluation of mutual funds. Next, we define the reward-to-variability ratio. As others have reported, the reward-to-variability ratio computed on the basis of sample data is not an unbiased estimator. In addition, intervaling may bias the value of the estimator. So, we obtain an exact probability distribution for one of the performance measures. This exact probability distribution should help in obtaining a better estimator of the reward-to-variability statistic and in hypothesis testing pertaining to the portfolio performance measures.
Prioritizing alerts from multiple static analysis tools, using classification models

Static analysis (SA) tools examine code for flaws without executing the code, and produce warnings ("alerts") about possible flaws. A human auditor then evaluates the validity of the purported code flaws. The effort required to manually audit all alerts and repair all confirmed code flaws is often too much for a project's budget and schedule. An alert triaging tool enables strategically prioritizing alerts for examination, and could use classifier confidence. We developed and tested classification models that predict if static analysis alerts are true or false positives, using a novel combination of multiple static analysis tools, features from the alerts, alert fusion, code base metrics, and archived audit determinations. We developed classifiers using a partition of the data, then evaluated the performance of the classifier using standard measurements, including specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. Test results and overall data analysis show accurate classifiers were developed, and specifically using multiple SA tools increased classifier accuracy, but labeled data for many types of flaws were inadequately represented (if at all) in the archive data, resulting in poor predictive accuracy for many of those flaws.
The Changing Landscape of the Critical Care of Pediatric Immunocompromised Hematology and Oncology Patients

Immunocompromised children and adolescent patients who have hematologic or oncologic diseases represent a small percentage of patients treated in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) but have a disproportionately high mortality rate. A single-center study of 1278 patients admitted to a pediatric hematology-oncology service over an 11-year period found an admission rate of 4.2% with an overall PICU mortality rate of 38.9% (Faraci et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 36(7): e403–9, 2014). Risk factors for PICU admission included older age, diagnosis of nonmalignant disease, and treatment with HCT. A more recent retrospective multicenter cohort analysis of almost 250,000 consecutive PICU admissions using the Virtual PICU Systems database identified 10,365 patients diagnosed with a malignancy who were admitted to PICUs for reasons other than perioperative admissions during the study period (Zinter et al. Intensive Care Med 40(10): 1536–44, 2014). Children with any cancer accounted for 11.4% of all PICU deaths and had mortality of 6.8% (43% in those who were mechanically ventilated) compared to 2.4% in patients without malignancy.
Peri-estrus activity and rumination time and its application to estrus prediction: Evidence from dairy herds under organic grazing and low-input conventional production

Abstract The objective of this research was to investigate the peri‑estrus changes in activity and rumination time and their use for estrus prediction using data collected by a collar-mounted accelerometer and rumination system (SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel). Two experimental dairy herds (low-input conventional: CONV and organic: ORG) of the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN were monitored during the period from June, 2014 to August, 2017. The herds were seasonally bred, and the study comprised three summer breeding seasons (SUM: June to August) and four winter breeding seasons (WIN: December to February). In the winter, both herds were kept in an outwintering lot or a compost-bedded pack barn. In the summer the CONV herd was housed in a dry-lot, and the ORG herd on pasture. The breeding records of 1462 estrus events (849 CONV and 613 ORG) were used as estrus dates. When the day of estrus (day 0) was compared to the reference-period (day -3, -2, -1, +1, +2, +3, relative to the reference period), increased daily activity was observed for 96% of the estrus events (97% for CONV-SUM, 97% for CONV-WIN, 91% for ORG-SUM, and 95% for ORG-WIN), and a decreased daily rumination was observed for 82% of the estrus events (81% for CONV-SUM, 88% for CONV-WIN, 73% for ORG-SUM, and 86% for ORG-WIN). A logistic regression model was developed based on the deviation from a 7-day moving average, 7-day moving standard deviation, and the daily absolute maximum of 6-h-window cumulative change of the data. A successful threshold of alerting estrus (predicted probability > 0.70) was possible when sensitivity and specificity (%) of the model were 75 and 96 for CONV-SUM, 91 and 99 for CONV-WIN, 51 and 92 for ORG-SUM, and 80 and 99 for ORG-WIN. At a lower threshold (predicted probability > 0.30), the sensitivity and specificity (%) were 89 and 81 for CONV-SUM, 97 and 90 for CONV-WIN, 79 and 75 for ORG-SUM, and 90 and 90 for ORG-WIN. A range of trade-offs between sensitivity and specificity was characterized by receiver operating characteristic curves. Additionally, incorporating rumination time data to activity data alone did not improve the prediction performance substantially. In sum, this technology can help detect peri‑estrus changes and there is potential for optimizing prediction performance through improving prediction algorithms or refining alert thresholds.
Association study of rs3846662 with Alzheimer's disease in a population-based cohort: the Cache County Study.

Abstract 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase is associated with monitoring cholesterol levels. The presence of the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs3846662 introduces alternative splicing at exon 13; the exclusion of this exon leads to a reduction in total cholesterol levels. Lower cholesterol levels are linked to a reduction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. The major allele of rs3846662, which encourages the splicing of exon 13, has recently been shown to act as a preventative allele for AD, especially in women. The purpose of our research was to replicate and confirm this finding. Using logistic regressions and survival curves, we found a significant association between AD and rs3846662, with a stronger association in individuals who carry the APOE e4 allele, supporting previously published work. The effect of rs3846662 on women is insignificant in our cohort. We confirmed that rs3846662 is associated with reduced risk for AD without gender differences; however, we failed to detect association between rs3846662 and delayed mild cognitive impairment conversion to AD for either of the APOE e4 allelic groups.
Generalized differential equation compartmental models of infectious disease transmission

For decades, mathematical models of disease transmission have provided researchers and public health officials with critical insights into the progression, control, and prevention of disease spread. Of these models, one of most fundamental is the SIR differential equation model. However, this ubiquitous model has one significant and rarely acknowledged shortcoming: it is unable to account for a disease9s true infectious period distribution. As the misspecification of such a biological characteristic is known to significantly affect model behavior, there is a need to develop new modeling approaches that capture such information. Therefore, we illustrate an innovative take on compartmental models, derived from their general formulation as systems of nonlinear Volterra integral equations, to capture a broader range of infectious period distributions, yet maintain the desirable formulation as systems of differential equations. Our work illustrates a compartmental model that captures any Erlang distributed duration of infection with only 3 differential equations, instead of the typical inflated model sizes required by differential equation compartmental models, and a compartmental model that capture any mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis of an infectious period distribution with merely 4 differential equations. The significance of our work is that it opens up a new class of easy-to-use compartmental models to predict disease outbreaks that does not require a complete overhaul of existing theory, and thus provides a starting point for multiple research avenues of investigation under the contexts of mathematics, public health, and evolutionary biology.
Morbidity and Mortality After Burr Hole Craniostomy Versus Craniotomy for Chronic Subdural Hematoma Evacuation: A Single-Center Experience.

Background Chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs) are common neurosurgical pathological entities and typically occur after trauma in elderly patients. The 2 most commonly used strategies for treatment have included burr hole drainage and craniotomy with decompression. However, the choice of these procedures has remained controversial and has been primarily determined by surgeon preference. We designed a matched-cohort analysis to compare these 2 procedures and identify the risk factors associated with the postoperative outcomes. Thus, we compared the rates of reoperation and mortality for patients who had undergone craniotomy versus burr hole evacuation for cSDH. Methods A retrospective review examining the data from 299 consecutive patients with cSHDs from 2002 to 2015 was performed. We compared the following endpoints between the 2 procedures: 30-day mortality, discharge to a skilled nursing facility, and the need for reoperation. We also compared the potential risk factors in the patients with different primary outcomes. Results Patients undergoing craniotomy had a decreased need for reoperation compared with patients treated with burr hole evacuation (7.5% vs. 15.7%; P = 0.044). Older age was associated with both increased disposition to a nursing facility and increased 30-day mortality in both groups. Increased 30-day mortality was associated with aspirin usage in patients who had undergone craniotomy and with warfarin (Coumadin) in patients who had undergone burr hole evacuation. Conclusions Our study identified an increased need for reoperation for patients treated with burr hole evacuation compared with those undergoing craniotomy. Older age and low Glasgow coma scale scores were associated with worse outcomes in both groups. Certain methods of anticoagulation were also associated with worse outcomes, which varied between the 2 groups. We recommend that surgeons individualize the choice of procedure according to the specific patient characteristics with consideration of these findings.
Total recall?: A quasi-experimental study of officer’s recollection in shoot – don’t shoot simulators

Using a quasi-experimental design, the present work seeks to answer whether officer recollection is more precise if they are interviewed moments after a stressful incident (experimental group), com...
Sex, Causation, and Algorithms: Equal Protection in the Age of Machine Learning

U.S. constitutional law prohibits the use of sex as a proxy for other traits in most instances. For example, the Virginia Military Institute [VMI] may not use sex as a proxy for having the “will and capacity” to be a successful student. At the same time, sex-based classifications are constitutionally permissible when they track so-called “real differences” between men and women. Women and men at VMI may be subject to different training requirements, for example. Yet, it is surprisingly unclear when and why some sex-based classifications are permissible and others not. This question is especially important to examine now as the use of predictive algorithms, some of which rely on sex-based classifications, is growing increasingly common. If sex is predictive of some trait of interest, may the state – consistent with equal protection – rely on an algorithm that uses a sex-based classification? This Article presents a new normative principle to guide the analysis. I argue that courts ought to ask why sex is a good proxy for the trait of interest. If prior injustice is likely the reason for the observed correlation, then the use of the sex classification should be presumptively prohibited. This Anti-Compounding Injustice principle both explains and justifies current doctrine better than the hodge-podge of existing rules and concepts and provides a useful lens through which to approach new cases.
The Effect of Narrative on Physical Activity via Immersion During Active Video Game Play in Children: Mediation Analysis

Background: Active video games (AVGs) can increase physical activity (PA) and help produce higher physiological expenditure. Animated narrative videos (NVs) possess unique immersive and motivational properties. When added to AVGs, they have been found to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as opposed to the original no video condition. However, there is no evidence of whether that was due to the NV or the addition of an animated video to an AVG. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the differential effect of adding an NV versus a nonnarrative video (NNV) to an AVG on PA parameters and physiological responses and to explore the mediating role of immersion. Methods: A total of 22 children aged 8 to 12 years were randomly assigned to the NV or NNV condition. They were instructed to play an AVG (on Xbox Kinect) for as long as they wanted. We used accelerometers to estimate the time spent (in minutes) in MVPA. Heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before, during, and after the AVG play session. The participants then reported their experience of narrative immersion via a questionnaire. Results: The NV group had significantly higher narrative immersion (mean 3.50, SD 0.55 vs mean 2.91, SD 0.59; P=.03) and MVPA (mean 19.46, SD 13.31 vs mean 7.85, SD 5.83; P=.02) than the NNV group. Narrative immersion was positively correlated with MVPA (r=0.52; P=.01) and average HR during AVG (r=0.43; P=.05). Mediation analysis indicated that narrative immersion mediated the effect of NV (NV vs NNV) on MVPA (direct effect: beta=7.51; P=.01). The indirect effect was that NV was positively correlated with the mediator variable narrative immersion (beta=.59; P=.03), which was itself marginally associated with MVPA (beta=6.95; P=.09); when narrative immersion was included in the model, the regression coefficient was attenuated. Conclusions: AVG with added narratives elicits more narrative immersion, resulting in more minutes in MVPA. Narrative immersion served as a mediator between NV and MVPA via its elicitation of an elevated HR without increasing RPE. The inclusion of immersive narratives in AVG could be helpful for inducing MVPA, to enhance AVG engagement without additional exertion.
Abstract TP148: A Simplified Novel Stroke Prognostication Scale for Patients Receiving Mechanical Thrombectomy

Introduction: Various stroke scales exist to predict outcomes after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We propose a simplified novel scale based on individual variables previously used in other scales to...
Study of Asphaltene Deposition onto Stainless-Steel Surfaces Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation

Asphaltene deposition is one of the major flow assurance problems in upstream and downstream crude oil recovery operations. In order to prevent potential loss and reduce downtime due to asphaltenes...
Interfacing In-Situ Mechanics with Image Correlation and Simulations

In-situ characterization in conjunction with analytical and computational tools can be useful to extract qualitative and quantitative information pertaining to the deformation of materials. This chapter introduces the analytical and computational investigations into the deformation of materials. Digital image correlation (DIC) is a powerful image analysis technique to quantify deformation experienced by the microstructure subjected to mechanical loading. DIC analysis of real-time videos is useful to compute local as well as overall strains experienced by the sample under mechanical loading. Analysis of high-resolution in-situ videos provides localized microstructural strains. Determination of local, feature-specific strains provides insights into the deformation of multicomponent materials with complex microstructures. DIC analysis enables an understanding of stress transfer characteristics in 3D architectures. Local strains can be computed along different orientations, providing information about the degree of isotropy/anisotropy in microstructure response. DIC mapping is employed to examine crystallographic slip and lattice rotation during mechanical deformation. The chapter introduces and presents case studies on molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to complement real-time imaging. MD simulations provide insights into defect interactions, the role of flaws on deformation, work hardening, cyclic deformation as well as high-temperature mechanics of materials. In-situ imaging along with MD simulations reveal underlying atomic-scale phenomena during deformation. The validation of simulation by in-situ imaging is vital for developing reliable models capable of predicting mechanical phenomena in a wide diversity of materials. Table 6.1 below summarizes the application of analytical and computational tools/techniques along with in-situ experimental characterization to probe mechanical phenomena in different classes of materials.
A time-aligned plane wave compounding method for high frame rate shear wave elastography

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an established ultrasonic imaging technique, that provides quantitative measurements of tissue mechanical properties. This technique relies on the combination of acoustic radiation force push beams to generate propagating shear waves and ultrafast imaging, which allows high two-dimensional imaging frame rates to capture the induced motion. Utilizing coherent plane wave compounding (PWC) can improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of acquired data. While the image quality improves, the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is reduced, reaching limiting bandwidths to perform SWE. To address these challenges, a method for making SWE measurements with high PRF and SNR is presented. The idea follows the Time Aligned Sequential Tracking method, proposed to allow SWE with enhanced SNR in conventional clinical ultrasound scanners. The time alignment process is applied here to the full field-of-view, acquired by using plane waves transmitted at different angles. In this way, the full PRF and SNR gains are obtained. Results are shown from experiments in tissue-mimicking phantoms, where motion and extracted shear wave velocity are compared for the traditional and proposed data processing schemes. Preliminary results on arterial phantoms are also discussed, to emphasize the beneficial effects of the method in dispersive geometries.
Vaccines at Work

Influenza imposes substantial costs worldwide in terms of human lives and productivity losses. Vaccination could be a cost-effective way to reduce these costs for firms and public health institutions, but low take-up rates, particularly of working adults, and vaccination unintendingly causing moral hazard may decrease its benefits. We ran a natural field experiment in cooperation with a major bank in Ecuador where we modified a company-wide vaccination campaign. Experimentally manipulating incentives to participate in this health intervention allows us to study peer effects with organizational data and to determine the personal consequences of being randomly encouraged to take part in the campaign. We find that assigning employees to get vaccinated during the workweek increased take-up by 112% compared to employees assigned to the weekend, which indicates that reducing opportunity costs plays an important role to increase vaccination rates. Peer take-up also increased individual take-up significantly. Contrary to the company's expectations, we find that the effect of vaccination on health outcomes is a precise zero with no measurable health externalities from coworkers. Using a dataset of administrative records on sickness diagnoses and employee surveys, we find evidence consistent with vaccination causing moral hazard, which could decrease the effectiveness of vaccination.
Structural visualization of de novo initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription

Structural studies of the initiation-elongation transition of RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription were previously facilitated by the use of synthetic oligonucleotides. Here we report structures of initiation complexes de novo converted from pre-initiation complex (PIC) through catalytic activities and stalled at different template positions. Contrary to previous models, the closed-to-open promoter transition was accompanied by a large positional change of the general transcription factor TFIIH which became in closer proximity to TFIIE for the active delivery of the downstream DNA to the pol II active center. The initially-transcribing complex (ITC) reeled over 80 base pairs of the downstream DNA by scrunching, while retaining the fixed upstream contact, and underwent the transition to elongation when it encountered promoter-proximal pol II from a preceding round of transcription. TFIIH is therefore conducive to promoter melting, TSS scanning, and promoter escape, extending far beyond synthesis of a short transcript.