cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of sleep characteristics with cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in a population sample: the Chicago Area Sleep Study.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the association of sleep characteristics with prevalent hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in a multiethnic cohort. Design This study used a population-based cross-sectional study design. Setting Participants were recruited between 2009 and 2011 from Chicago, Illinois, and the surrounding suburbs. Participants Participants were 492 adults aged 35 to 64 years who self-reported as white, black, Hispanic, or Asian and who had a low likelihood of sleep apnea based on the apnea screening questionnaires and 1 night of apnea screening using an in-home device (apnea hypopnea index Measurements Participants wore a wrist actigraphy monitor (Actiwatch™) for 7 days. During a clinical examination, participants completed questionnaires about sleep, other health behaviors, and medical history and had their blood pressure, anthropometric measures, and fasting blood glucose measured; metabolic risk factors were determined based on standard clinical guidelines. Results The prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes was 17.1%, 5.5%, and 35.4%, respectively. Sleep duration was not associated with any cardiovascular risk factor. There was a significantly increased odds for hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.08) and obesity (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00-1.05) associated with higher sleep fragmentation (per 1%). There was also a significantly increased odds for hypertension associated with poorer self-reported sleep quality (OR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.05-1.24] per 1-unit higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score). Conclusion Objective and self-reported sleep quality may be more important than duration in relation to prevalent hypertension.
Adaptive sequential learning

A framework for learning a sequence of slowly changing tasks, where the parameters of the learning algorithm are obtained by minimizing a loss function to a desired accuracy using optimization algorithms such as stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is considered. The tasks change slowly in the sense that the optimum values of the learning algorithm parameters change at a bounded rate. An adaptive sequential learning algorithm is developed to solve such a slowly varying sequence of tasks. The adaptive sequential learning algorithm is extended to handle cross validation and a cost based approach to selecting the number of samples used to compute approximate solutions. Experiments with synthetic and real data are used to validate theoretical results.
Collaborative SDOCT segmentation and analysis software

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) is routinely used in the management and diagnosis of a variety of ocular diseases. This imaging modality also finds widespread use in research, where quantitative measurements obtained from the images are used to track disease progression. In recent years, the number of available scanners and imaging protocols grown and there is a distinct absence of a unified tool that is capable of visualizing, segmenting, and analyzing the data. This is especially noteworthy in longitudinal studies, where data from older scanners and/or protocols may need to be analyzed. Here, we present a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to visualize and analyze SDOCT images obtained from two commonly used scanners. The retinal surfaces in the scans can be segmented using a previously described method, and the retinal layer thicknesses can be compared to a normative database. If necessary, the segmented surfaces can also be corrected and the changes applied. The interface also allows users to import and export retinal layer thickness data to an SQL database, thereby allowing for the collation of data from a number of collaborating sites.
National Shortages of Generic Sterile Injectable Drugs: Norepinephrine as a Case Study of Potential Harm.

For decades, US physicians could assume that any approved drug they prescribed would be available. However, since the turn of the 21st century, the United States now regularly experiences national drug shortages, defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as situations in which the “total supply of all clinically interchangeable versions of an FDA-regulated drug is inadequate to meet the current or projected demand at the patient level.”1 The most challenging year so far was 2011, with 251 drug shortages, of which 73% were generic sterile injectable drugs, including many medications required to treat sepsis, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions.2 One of these drugs was norepinephrine, recommended in international guidelines as the primary vasopressor for treatment of septic shock.3 In this issue of JAMA, Vail and colleagues4 report a study examining whether the 2011 norepinephrine shortage was associated with changes in care and outcome.
DRUT: An Efficient Turbo Boost Solution via Load Balancing in Decoupled Look-Ahead Architecture

In spite of the multicore revolution, high single thread performance still plays an important role in ensuring a decentoverall gain. Look-ahead is a proven strategy in uncoveringimplicit parallelism; however, a conventional out-of-ordercore quickly becomes resource-inefficient when looking beyond a short distance. An effective approach is to use an in-dependent look-ahead thread running on a separate contextguided by a program slice known as the skeleton. We observethat fixed heuristics to generate skeletons are often suboptimal. As a consequence, look-ahead agent is not able to targetsufficient bottlenecks to reap all the benefits it should.In this paper, we present DRUT, a holistic hardware-software solution, which achieves good single thread performance by tuning the look-ahead skeleton efficiently. First, we propose a number of dynamic transformations to branchbased code modules (we call them Do-It-Yourself or DIY)that enable a faster look-ahead thread without compromisingthe quality of the look-ahead. Second, we extend our tuningmechanism to any arbitrary code region and use a profile-driven technique to tune the skeleton for the whole program.Assisted by the aforementioned techniques, look-aheadthread improves the performance of a baseline decoupledlook-ahead by up to 1.93× with a geometric mean of 1.15×. Our techniques, combined with the weak dependence removal technique, improve the performance of a baselinelook-ahead by up to 2.12× with a geometric mean of 1.20×. This is an impressive performance gain of 1.61× over thesingle-thread baseline, which is much better compared toconventional Turbo Boost with a comparable energy budget.
Control of G1 Progression by Mammalian D-Type Cyclins

Progression through the first gap phase (Gi) of the mammalian cell cycle is regulated by growth factors, but once cells commit to replicate their cellular DNA, they can undergo mitosis even if deprived of growth factors during ensuing cell cycle inter-vals.1 Recently isolated mammalian cyclins, including cyclins D1, D2, D3, and E, 2–6 appear likely to play central roles in integrating growth factor-induced signals with the cell cycle clock, thereby driving cells into S phase. To date, the hypothesis that D-type cyclins and cyclin E function to govern G1 transitions has rested largely on circumstantial evidence, but recent data now indicate that their activities are rate limiting for G1 progression and required for the entry of cells into the DNA synthetic (S) phase of the cell cycle.
High- beta Disruption in Tokamaks.

Three dimensional MHD simulations of high-{beta} plasmas show that toroidally localized high-n ballooning modes can be driven unstable by the local pressure steepening which arises from the evolution of low-n modes. Nonlinearly, the high-n mode becomes even more localized and produces a strong local pressure bulge which destroys the flux surfaces resulting in a thermal quench. The flux surfaces then recover temporarily but now contain large magnetic islands. This scenario is supported by experimental data.
Within-Subject Designs

The first few chapters provided an overview of different types of studies and the different variables that one needs to understand to design a study were explained. The previous chapter focused on a first design principle, the between-subjects design, where each subject participates only in one experimental condition.
Alcohol Intake and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort Study

To investigate the association of alcohol intake with colorectal cancer risk according to race/ethnicity as well as sex, lifestyle-related factors, alcoholic beverage type, and anatomical subsite, we analyzed data from 190,698 black, Native Hawaiian, Japanese-American, Latino, and white persons in Hawaii and California in the Multiethnic Cohort Study, with 4,923 incident cases during a 16.7-year follow-up period (1993-2013). In multivariate Cox regression models, the hazard ratio was 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.34) for 15.0-29.9 g/day of alcohol and 1.28 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.45) for ≥30.0 g/day among men, and 1.06 (95% CI: 0.85, 1.32) and 1.15 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.43), respectively, among women, compared with nondrinkers (P for heterogeneity according to sex = 0.74). An increased risk was apparent among Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and white persons and among individuals with body mass index <25.0 (calculated as weight (kg)/height (m)2), never-users of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, and those with lower intake of dietary fiber and folate. Beer and wine, but not liquor, consumption was positively related to colorectal cancer risk. The association was stronger for rectum and left-colon tumors than for right-colon tumors. Our findings suggest that the positive association between alcohol and colorectal cancer varies according to race/ethnicity, lifestyle factors, alcoholic beverage type, and anatomical subsite of tumors.
Attenuation of Spontaneous Baroreceptor Sensitivity after Concussion.

INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular autonomic nervous system (CV-ANS) function is negatively impacted after concussion. The arterial baroreflex buffers pressor and depressor challenges through efferent modulation of cardiac chronotropism and inotropism, and peripheral vascular tone. Baroreceptor sensitivity (BRS) reflects the capacity of the CV-ANS to accommodate dynamic metabolic demands in the periphery. The impact of concussion on BRS has yet to be defined. METHODS Cardiovascular autonomic nervous system assessment (e.g., electrocardiogram and beat-to-beat systolic blood pressure [SBP]) was performed the seated upright position at rest within 48 h (V1) of concussion and 1 wk later (V2) in 10 intercollegiate male athletes with concussion and 10 noninjured male athletes. Changes in HR, SBP, high- and low-frequency HR variabilities (HF-HRV and LF-HRV, respectively), LF-SBP variability and BRS for increasing (BRSn-Up) and decreasing (BRSn-Dn) SBP excursions, and overall BRS (BRSn-Avg) were assessed for differences at V1 and V2. RESULTS The concussion (age, 20 ± 1 yr; height, 1.79 ± 0.14 m; weight, 83 ± 10 kg) and control (age, 20 ± 1 yr; height, 1.78 ± 0.10 m; weight, 79 ± 13 kg) groups were matched for demographics. Concussed athletes had a significantly reduced BRSn-Up, BRSn-Dn, and BRSn-Avg compared with controls at V1 or V2; these changes occurred without differences in conventional markers of CV-ANS function (e.g., HF-HRV, LF-HRV, LF-SBP), HR, or SBP at either visit. CONCLUSIONS Reduced BRS is a postconcussive consequence of CV-ANS dysfunction during the first postinjury week. Because SBP was similar between groups, it may be speculated that reduced BRS was not afferent in origin, but represents a postinjury consequence of the central nervous system after injury.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Saline Solution Injection for Lateral Epicondylitis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Saline Injections With Nonsurgical Injection Therapies.

Purpose To quantify the effect of saline solution injections on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and to determine whether this effect is clinically relevant by comparing it with minimal clinically important difference (MCID) criteria. Methods A systematic search identified randomized controlled trials of lateral epicondylitis interventions comparing saline solution injections with nonsurgical injection therapies. Among included studies, saline solution was compared with platelet-rich plasma, autologous conditioned plasma, corticosteroid, and botulinum toxin injections. By use of data from included studies, a random-effects model was used to calculate overall mean differences (MDs) in pre- and post-injection PROMs in a pair-wise fashion. Calculated MDs were then compared with MCID criteria. Results Of 458 identified studies, 10 met the inclusion criteria and encompassed 283 patients. At 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, statistically significant improvements in MDs in visual analog scale (VAS) scores were noted as follows: MD of 16.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.29-23.93) at 1 month; MD of 22.50 (95% CI, 11.45-33.55) at 3 months; MD of 40.40 (95% CI, 27.48-53.32) at 6 months; and MD of 47.04 (95% CI, 39.43-54.66) at 12 months. At 6 months, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores showed a statistically significant improvement (MD, 23.92; 95% CI, 9.47-38.37). Conclusions Improvements in Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores at 6 months (23.92) surpassed MCID criteria for conservatively managed upper-extremity musculoskeletal pathology (10.83)—suggesting that saline solution injections have a clinically relevant effect. VAS MCID criteria are poorly established, but VAS scores at 6 and 12 months surpassed MCID criteria for conservative treatments for common orthopaedic conditions. In all but 1 study, no statistically significant difference in PROMs was found between saline solution and non–saline solution injections. Level of Evidence Level II, meta-analysis of Level I and II randomized controlled trials.
From Opioids to Marijuana: Out of the Tunnel and Into the Fog

After more than two decades of escalating morbidity and mortality stemming from the opioid epidemic in the United States, early signs suggest that specific mitigating interventions are taking hold to lessen deleterious public health impacts. Still, treating pain remains the original genesis for considerable opioid uptake in the U.S. A primary alternative to opioidsis emerging: marijuana. Like opioids, marijuana and its varied derivatives have grown exponentially. Even though federal authorities still disapprove the drug for any purpose, 30 states now allow medical marijuana for a range of conditions, including palliative care despite thin proof of efficacy for treating many conditions. Critical issues of public health law and policy arise from the displacement of opioid drugs in favor of medical marijuana. While these two classes of drugs are similarly intended to manage pain, their legality and public health impacts are highly divergent and subject to public misperceptions of their safety and effective use. Promoting marijuana over opioids is risky given substantial uncertainties over short- and long-term impacts of its widespread use. Even as the nation slowly exits the long tunnel of the opioid crises, it may be heading into a fog of extensive, additional public health repercussions.
Fracture load of two thicknesses of different zirconia types after fatiguing and thermocycling

Abstract Statement of problem A direct relationship has been reported between yttria concentration and translucency in zirconia restorations. However, increased yttria concentration also increases the cubic phase of the zirconia, which reduces its strength. The effect of increased yttria content on the fracture resistance of zirconia as a function of material thickness after fatigue testing requires evaluation. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to use the biaxial flexural test to evaluate the effect of yttria concentration on the mean fracture load (N) before and after fatiguing and thermocycling as a function of zirconia thickness. Material and methods Disk-shaped specimens of 5 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (5Y-PSZ, BruxZir Anterior Solid Zirconia) and 3 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (3Y-PSZ, BruxZir Shaded Zirconia) were prepared to thicknesses of 1.2 and 0.7 mm. For each thickness, the biaxial flexural test was used to measure the fracture load (N) before and after fatigue testing, with 1.2 million cycles at a 110-N load and simultaneous thermocycling at 5 °C to 55 °C (n=20). The data were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA (α=.05). Results Yttria concentration, thickness, and exposure to fatiguing had a statistically significant effect on the mean biaxial flexural load (yttria concentration: P Conclusions Yttria concentration had a significant effect on the strength of zirconia. 5Y-PSZ was considerably less resistant to fracture before and after fatigue testing than 3Y-PSZ. Decreasing the thickness of zirconia reduces its fracture resistance, regardless of the zirconia type.
The X-Bar- and R-Chart and Its Competitors

Readers are reminded of Shewhart's original meaning of the phrase "statistical quality control" and the fact that this is still the appropriate view when control is of concern. The extent to which the cumulative sum chart and other devices are..
Determinants of Landscape Irrigation Water Use in Florida-Friendly Yards

Efforts to mitigate outdoor water use in Florida’s urban landscapes increasingly include promotion of regionally appropriate landscaping based on its documented effectiveness. Targeted initiatives, however, require an understanding of mechanisms underpinning low irrigation use in single-family homes with Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL). This paper reports survey research conducted in southwest Florida to identify factors associated with irrigation practices among FFL clients. Results indicate that approximately half of survey participants irrigated less frequently than once per week year-round. Aesthetic considerations, horticultural knowledge, and membership in a homeowner’s association (HOA) with rules regarding yard care were key variables underlying landscape characteristics and maintenance, while property values, water conservation attitudes, lawn grass, and in-ground irrigation system use significantly predicted irrigation practices. Homes with in-ground irrigation systems were more than six times more likely to water their landscapes at least once per week during the warm season when residential outdoor water use is at its peak. A $100,000 increase in a home’s market value increased the odds of weekly watering by a multiplicative factor of two, whereas a one-point increase in a six-item Likert scale used to measure a homeowner’s water conservation attitude decreased the odds by 76%. Homes with no grass in the landscape were 71% less likely to water on a weekly basis. Providing homeowners, and HOAs, with educational resources that build on existing support for water conservation could augment adoption of low maintenance plants and sustainable practices in Florida’s urban landscapes.
Parallels between wound healing, epimorphic regeneration and solid tumors

ABSTRACT Striking similarities between wound healing, epimorphic regeneration and the progression of solid tumors have been uncovered by recent studies. In this Review, we discuss systemic effects of tumorigenesis that are now being appreciated in epimorphic regeneration, including genetic, cellular and metabolic heterogeneity, changes in circulating factors, and the complex roles of immune cells and immune modulation at systemic and local levels. We suggest that certain mechanisms enabling regeneration may be co-opted by cancer to promote growth at primary and metastatic sites. Finally, we advocate that working with a unified approach could complement research in both fields.
Gold Supported on La2O3: Structure and Reactivity with CO2 and Implications for CO Oxidation Catalysis

A sample consisting of gold dispersed on high-area porous lanthanum oxide was prepared by adsorption of dimethylgold acetylacetonate. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the gold species and their ligands, and CO as a probe molecule was used with IR spectroscopy to follow the changes in the gold species under various reaction conditions, with a focus on oxidation−reduction processes. Gold on the initially prepared sample was present as Au3+ species, but only a small fraction of them were apparently reactive with the CO probe molecule. After evacuation at elevated temperatures, the gold was first reduced to give clusters incorporating positively charged gold species, which in turn were converted to neutral gold species. CO and O2 reacted with the reduced sample in a process that appears to be autocatalytic and related to the existence of oxidized gold species that facilitate oxygen activation and CO oxidation catalysis. Surprisingly, it was also establishe...
Inter-Resident Variability in Urologic Operative Case Volumes Over Time: A Review of the ACGME Case Logs From 2009 to 2016.

Abstract Objectives To assess the effect of the changing landscape of urologic residency education and training on resident operative exposure and inter-resident variability. Methods The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) case logs for graduating urology chief residents were reviewed from Academic Year (AY) 2009-2010 to 2016-2017. Cases were stratified into the 4 ACGME categories – general urology, endourology, oncology, and reconstruction. Linear regression models analyzed the association between training year, volume, and type of cases performed. Inter-resident variability in case exposure was calculated by the difference between the ACGME reported 10th and 90th percentiles. Results During the study period, the mean number of cases performed per resident was 1092 (standard deviation 32.7). Although there was no significant change in total case volume, there were changes within case categories. Endoscopic, retroperitoneal oncology, and male reconstruction case volume all increased significantly (Δ20.1%, Δ 5.1%, Δ 8.2%, respectively, all P Conclusion From AY2009-2010 to 2016-2017, residency case volume has remained constant, but there has been a change in types of cases performed and proliferation of minimally invasive techniques. Significant variability of inter-resident operative experience was noted.
Mid‐Gestational Fetal Placental Blood Flow is Diminished in the Fetus with Congenital Heart Disease

OBJECTIVE Data suggest fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) have placental abnormalities. Their abnormal placental vasculature may affect fetal placental blood flow, which has not previously been explored. METHOD We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study comparing umbilical venous volume flow (UVVF) of single ventricle, D-transposition of the great arteries, and tetralogy of Fallot fetuses with fetuses without CHD. UVVF and combined cardiac output (CCO) were calculated from fetal echocardiography and compared using t tests, χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS Mean gestational age and fetal weight were greater in CHD fetuses (26.5 weeks, 1119.4 g; n = 81, P < .001) compared to controls (23.1 weeks, 675 g; n = 170, P < .001). UVVF/fetal weight was nevertheless decreased among cases (99.8 vs 115.3 mL/min/kg, P < .001). Subgroup analysis of 20- to 25-week fetuses demonstrated no significant differences in case and control baseline characteristics. In CHD fetuses (n = 31) compared to controls (n = 144), absolute UVVF (50.8 vs 62.1 mL/min, P = .006), and UVVF/fetal weight (98.8 vs 118.5 mL/min/kg, P < .001) were decreased. Findings were similar in single ventricle (n = 24) and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (n = 14). CONCLUSION Mid-gestational placental blood flow in CHD fetuses is decreased compared to controls. Further study is needed to explore the relationship between UVVF and placental pathology, and impact on outcomes.
Approach to Secondary Hypertension

An imperfect, but widely-accepted distinction has been drawn between primary and secondary hypertension. As a description, “primary” is no more informative than the term it replaced, “essential.” Moreover, authorities variably describe obesity—common in hypertensive patients—as a primary or secondary factor in hypertension. This inconsistent classification of such an important factor suggests that the dichotomy between primary and secondary forms of hypertension is false, or at least poorly-defined. Nonetheless, classification of hypertension as primary or secondary yields a clinically-useful heuristic, and the focus of this chapter will be putting the concept of secondary hypertension to use in helping patients.
What factors affect consumers’ dining sentiments and their ratings: Evidence from restaurant online review data

Abstract Online review data refers to customer opinions (e.g., text reviews, numerical ratings, and personal information) left on online retailing and review platforms. Here, we provide insight for food-related consumer sentiment study by using online review data. We present a case study using Yelp restaurant review data on what affects restaurant customers’ sentiment responses to dining out. In our case study, a sentiment-analysis method was used to extract and generate sentiment indices from 175,879 text-based Yelp restaurant reviews. We examined the relationships between our sentiment indices and ratings and showed that online review data can provide information about consumer dining sentiments. By using semi-automatic content analysis method, we first counted the most frequent 300 words in all text reviews and manually categorized those most frequent words into five topics: “food,” “service,” “expenditure,” “social,” and “miscellany”. We then computed the fraction of topic words in each category over the total topic words for each review. We found that (1) consumers used more positive sentiment words than negative sentiment words in their Yelp restaurant text reviews. (2) The proportion of positive sentiment words in reviews was positively related to ratings; the proportion of negative sentiment words in reviews was negatively related to ratings. (3) Relative to food, consumers used more sentiment words (both positive and negative) when they were discussing restaurant service. (4) Consumers used the least sentiment words when they were discussing social-related topics compared with the other topics (food, service and expenditure). (5) Consumers rated restaurant service higher than they rated food.
Stereoselective C−C Oxidative Coupling Reactions Photocatalyzed by Zwitterionic Ligand Capped CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have attracted tremendous attention in the field of photocatalysis, owing to their superior optoelectronic properties for photocatalytic reactions, including high absorption coefficients and long photogenerated carrier lifetimes. Herein, by choosing 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanenitrile as a model substrate, we demonstrate that the stereoselective (>99 %) C-C oxidative coupling reaction can be realized with a high product yield (99 %) using zwitterionic ligand capped CsPbBr3 perovskite QDs under visible light illumination. The reaction can be generalized to different starting materials with various substituents on the phenyl ring and varied functional moieties, producing stereoselective dl-isomers. A radical mediated reaction pathway has been proposed. Our study provides a new way of stereoselective C-C oxidative coupling via a photocatalytic means using specially designed perovskite QDs.
Expansion, Fission, and Decline: England and Anglo America

In 2017, our research team produced a technical, statistically driven, monograph entitled The Rhythm of the West: A Biohistory of the Modern Era, AD 1600 to the Present. Therein, general intelligence, life history, and other topics were treated alongside multilevel selection theory. Here, after providing a general overview for the sake of context, we extract findings and discussion points from The Rhythm of the West directly relevant to demonstrating the reality of group selection within the history of the Britannic peoples. In a colloquial and qualitative manner, displaying essential analyses and separated from ancillary topics, we explain group selection among the Britannic peoples as they have transitioned through stages of expansion, fission, and decline. Wealth, cognitive capacity, subjective well-being, poverty, and longevity are among the oblique markers of civilizational pulse. These correlate with, and are corroborated by, demographic decline. Declining evolutionary pressures for group-selected behaviors within mild industrial and postindustrial environments, operating for generations, have had a causal role in population decline, both in absolute and relative terms. To describe and explain the aforementioned decline, we review a variety of changes to Europe’s Early Modern Era selective regime, including climatic changes during the Little Ice Age, niche expansion and modification during the Age of Exploration, nutritional advances gained during the British Agricultural Revolution, and technological advances gained during the Industrial Revolution.
Feasibility of hepatic fine needle aspiration as a minimally invasive sampling method for gene expression quantification of pharmacogenetic targets in dogs.

Background Quantifying hepatic gene expression is important for many pharmacogenetic studies. However, this usually requires biopsy (BX), which is invasive. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine the feasibility of using minimally invasive fine needle aspirate (FNA) to quantify hepatic gene expression and to assess expression variability between different sampling sites. Methods Biopsy and FNA samples were acquired from central and peripheral locations of the right and left lateral liver lobes of a dog. Relative expression of ABCB1, GSTT1 and CYP3A12 were measured via reverse transcriptase, quantitative PCR. The effect of sampling method, lobe and location within the lobe on gene expression was assessed using a three-way ANOVA. Results Relative expression of ABCB1 and GSTT1 were not statistically different between sampling methods but CYP3A12 expression was higher in samples collected by BX (p = .013). Lobe sampled affected ABCB1 expression (p = .001) and site within lobe affected ABCB1 (p = .018) and GSTT1 (p = .025) expression. Conclusions FNA appears to be a feasible technique for minimally invasive evaluation of hepatic gene expression but results should not be directly compared to biopsy samples. Sampling location impacts expression of some targets; combination of FNAs from multiple sites may reduce variation.
What About Hedge Fund Drawdowns

In this paper, I review hedge fund risk using various commonly used measures including market betas, correlations, and porfolio drawdowns. We see a picture emerge that shows hedge funds have historically hedged a fair degree of systematic market risk, especially in the early years, offering meaningful diverisification benefits to traditional stock/bond portfolios. However, the diversification benefits for investors in hedge funds have since seemingly lessened, even if not altogether eliminated. Most recently, modest benefits bore out for hedge fund investors during the 2020 pandemic, although again much less so than in the earlier years.
Men and suicide: Primary care prevention in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on mental health, including a predicted increase in suicidality, making suicide prevention a high priority. The rate of men's suicide in the United States is significantly higher than that of women's suicide. This case study considers the role of primary care advanced practice nurses in addressing the risks of suicide in their practice with male patients. It is argued that a gender-sensitive approach is necessary to be effective in male suicide prevention efforts.
Human shields

In recent decades, we have witnessed the emergence of new forms of warfare, which are characterized by asymmetry, irregularity and the cybernetization of weaponry. Waged from a distance, these wars have created the impression of decorporealization and low risk, at least for one of the contending parties. In contrast, the same asymmetric conflicts have been sites in which the human body has been utilized as a novel and lethal weapon. Although much scholarly attention has been paid to suicide attackers who have become symbolic (if dystopic) figures of this new warfare, this article draws attention to their inverse figure: human shields. The human shield risks life not to destroy and terrorize others but to resist organized violence and protect others. This article explores the figure of the human shield, situating it within the context of global moral spectatorship, international humanitarian law and biopolitical warfare. Arguing that the human shield is both a symptom and the immanent critique of the present, one that exposes its multiple contradictions, this article makes a case for the importance of the figure of the human shield for contemporary politics.
Enhance RN Initiated Family Update in PACU During the Covid Pandemic

Introduction/Background ML PACU is a fast-paced unit. In order to meet both patient and family members’ emotional need and decrease patient/family anxiety, prior the Covid pandemic, our PACU usually offer a brief family visitation without disrupting PACU workflow. Literature shows that the highest need from both patient and family perioperatively is the information and communication from healthcare provider. Identification of the problem During the Covid pandemic, the PACU visitation has become highly restricted. Therefore, the timely PACU family update via texting message or voice/video call has been becoming crucial to reduce patient/family's anxiety. QI question/Purpose of the study Does education on strengthening communication between PACU nurses and patient's family during the Covid pandemic would impact timely PACU family update and patient/family's satisfaction? The purpose of this project is to enhance RN initiated family update during the Covid pandemic. Methods All data were collected monthly from April 2020 to July 2020, which matched to baseline and 3 post data sets. Each month thirty surgical cases were randomly selected from three working days and nurses were recommended to follow a special time frame - texting family within 30 mins PACU arrival and phone/video call within 60 mins PACU arrival. A variety of focused RN education was conducted monthly. The QI data on patient/family satisfaction was retrieved from the hospital data dashboard quarterly. Outcomes/Results/Discussion Through a variety of educational implementations, the PACU family update either via texting or voice call was significantly increased from pre-implementation month 46.7% to 66.7%, 86.7% and 86.7% post-implementation months consecutively and the update within time frame was improved from pre-month 20.0% to post-months 36.7%, 30.0% and 33.3% consecutively. The survey result on patient/family satisfaction was improved from 50% to 62.5%. Conclusion RN initiated in time family update is an important way to enhance communication with patient's family and improve patient care during the Covid pandemic. Implications for perianesthesia nurses and future research With actively update family via texting message and voice/video call, continuing staff education and multidiscipline team coordination, we could strengthen nurse and family communication, decrease patient/family postoperative anxiety, optimize PACU patient care and increase patient/family's satisfaction.
Setting the stage for speaking up: psychological safety and directing care in acute care collaboration.

Summary Managing a safe and efficient anaesthetic induction within a team involves the challenge of when, if, and how to surface, discuss, and implement the best plan on how to proceed. The Lemke and colleagues study in this issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia is a unique view into real-world conversations that naturally occur in anaesthesia teams in moments of high task and cognitive load, such as induction of anaesthesia. The study spotlights important small moments of physician, nurse, and trainee team coordination. It illuminates key patterns of conversation in naturally occurring anaesthesia teams, and raises important questions about what the speaking up standard should be and the psychological safety-shaping role consultants play in setting the norms for speaking up.
The compositional turnover of grapevine-associated plant pathogenic fungal communities are greater among intraindividual microhabitats and terroirs than among healthy and Esca-diseased plants.

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTD) are a major threat to the wine industry, causing yield loss and dieback of grapevines. While the increasing damage caused by GTDs in recent decades have spurred sever...
Divide-and-Conquer Algorithm for Computing Set Containment Joins

A set containment join is a join between set-valued attributes of two relations, whose join condition is specified using the subset (?) operator. Set containment joins are used in a variety of database applications. In this paper, we propose a novel partitioning algorithm called Divide-and-Conquer Set Join (DCJ) for computing set containment joins efficiently. We show that the divide-and-conquer approach outperforms previously suggested algorithms over a wide range of data sets. We present a detailed analysis of DCJ and previously known algorithms and describe their behavior in an implemented testbed.
Monitor of chemotherapy in gestational trophoblastic neoplasm by radioimmunoassay of the β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin

Abstract Radioimmunoassays and bioassays based on the reactions of the native molecule of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) fail to differentiate HCG from pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH). An assay based on the β-subunit of HCG which detects HCG exclusively has been used in our laboratory to monitor patients undergoing chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). We have been able to differentiate minimal, persisting tumor activity from normal levels of pituitary gonadotropins and have based therapy on these findings. Alternatively, treatment has been terminated when HCG is no longer detectable in the serum. Tumor activity has been detected in the β-subunit assay at a time when biologic activity in the urine indicated remission.
Tissue Engineering of the Liver

1. Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 1.1. Liver Disease and Cell-Based Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 1.2. Cell Sources for Liver Cell-Based Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 1.3. Approaches for the In Vitro Stabilization of Primary Hepatocytes . 420 1.4. Regulation of the Hepatocyte Microenvironment Toward the Development of Engineered Liver Tissue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 2. Preparation of Reagents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 2.1. Krebs-Ringer Buffer (KRB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 2.2. KRB with EDTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 2.3. Collagenase, 0.055% (w/v) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 2.4. Coating Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 2.5. OPD Substrate Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 2.6. Complete Hepatocyte Culture Medium (CHCM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 2.7. Blocking Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 2.8. Washing Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 2.9. Piranha Cleaning Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 2.10. Hepatocyte Culture Medium, Serum Free (HCM/SF) . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 2.11. Fibroblast Culture Medium (FCM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
TCC, with History

Modern computer systems are awash in a sea of asynchronous events. There is an increasing need for a declarative language that can permit business users to specify complex event-processing rules. Such rules should be able to correlate different event streams, detect absence of events (negative information), permit aggregations over sliding windows, specify dependent sliding windows etc. For instance it should be possible to precisely state a rule such as “Every seventh trading session that DowJones has risen consecutively, and IBM’s stock is off 3% over its average in this period, evaluate IBM position”, “Declare the sensor as faulty if no reading has been received for 500 ms”, etc. Further, the language should be implementable efficiently in an event-driven fashion.
Muslims In Western Canon Law, 1000-1500

The chapter surveys references to Muslims within the normative literature of the Catholic Church: statements of popes incorporated into legal collections and canons of ecumenical and local councils, along with scholarly commentaries and treatises. Canon law, as Christian religious law is called, was one of several legal systems simultaneously operative within medieval Europe. Civil authorities established and enforced their own legal systems, built on the foundations of Roman law and local custom; the relationship between canonical and civil norms regarding Saracens depends on a variety of local political factors. Jewish and Islamic communities in Europe, moreover, employed their own laws for internal purposes. We should not forget the distinction between Jewish and Islamic law on the one hand and, on the other, 'Jewry' and 'Saracen' law, namely Christian laws related to Jews and Muslims respectively. This chapter assesses the relationship between Saracen law and Jewry law. Keywords: canon law; Catholic Church; Christian religious law; Jewry law; legal system; Muslims; Roman law; Saracen law
Unions, Wages, and Skills

Studies uniformly conclude that union wage effects are largest for workers with low measured skills. Longitudinal analysis using 1989/90-1994/95 CPS matched panels produces union premium estimates equivalent across skill groups, following appropriate sample restrictions and control for worker- specific skills. NLSY evidence on aptitude scores confirms that union workers with high measured skills have relatively low unmeasured skills. Differential selection by skill class and skill homogeneity in union workplaces result from employer and employee sorting in response to wage standardization, union organizing where skills are homogeneous, and unionized employers' reluctance to hire the most as well as least able workers.
Retrotransposon insertion in SILV is responsible for merle patterning of the domestic dog.

Merle is a pattern of coloring observed in the coat of the domestic dog and is characterized by patches of diluted pigment. This trait is inherited in an autosomal, incompletely dominant fashion. Dogs heterozygous or homozygous for the merle locus exhibit a wide range of auditory and ophthalmologic abnormalities, which are similar to those observed for the human auditory–pigmentation disorder Waardenburg syndrome. Mutations in at least five genes have been identified as causative for Waardenburg syndrome; however, the genetic bases for all cases have not been determined. Linkage disequilibrium was identified for a microsatellite marker with the merle phenotype in the Shetland Sheepdog. The marker is located in a region of CFA10 that exhibits conservation of synteny with HSA12q13. This region of the human genome contains SILV, a gene important in mammalian pigmentation. Therefore, this gene was evaluated as a candidate for merle patterning. A short interspersed element insertion at the boundary of intron 10/exon 11 was found, and this insertion segregates with the merle phenotype in multiple breeds. Another finding was deletions within the oligo(dA)-rich tail of the short interspersed element. Such deletions permit normal pigmentation. These data show that SILV is responsible for merle patterning and is associated with impaired function of the auditory and ophthalmologic systems. Although the mutant phenotype of SILV in the human is unknown, these results make it an intriguing candidate gene for human auditory–pigmentation disorders.
Superior efficacy of fesoterodine over tolterodine extended release with rapid onset: a prospective, head-to-head, placebo-controlled trial

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1b What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? A previous trial found greater efficacy with the maximum available dose of fesoterodine 8 mg compared with the maximum available dose of tolterodine ER 4 mg and placebo for improving overactive bladder symptoms, and patient-reported outcomes were demonstrated by a recent placebo-controlled, head-to-head trial. The results of this trial, the largest to date to compare antimuscarinic efficacy, confirms the superior efficacy of fesoterodine 8 mg over tolterodine ER 4 mg for the treatment of OAB symptoms, and further emphasize the clinical advantage of the availability of an additional 8-mg dose over single-dose tolterodine ER 4 mg. OBJECTIVE • To show the superior efficacy of fesoterodine over tolterodine extended release (ER) in a placebo-controlled overactive bladder (OAB) trial with predefined treatment comparisons for both diary measures and patient-reported outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS • In this 12-week, double-blind, double-dummy trial, subjects reporting >1 urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) episode and ≥8 micturitions per 24 h at baseline were randomized to fesoterodine (4 mg for 1 week, 8 mg for 11 weeks), tolterodine ER 4 mg, or placebo. • Subjects completed 3-day bladder diaries, the Patient Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC) and the Urgency Perception Scale (UPS) at baseline and weeks 1, 4 and 12 and the OAB Questionnaire at baseline and week 12. RESULTS • A total of 2417 subjects were randomized. At week 12, fesoterodine 8 mg showed superiority over tolterodine ER 4 mg and placebo on UUI episodes (primary endpoint), micturitions, urgency and most other diary endpoints, and on the PPBC, UPS and all OAB Questionnaire scales and domains (all P < 0.05). • Superiority of fesoterodine 8 mg over tolterodine ER 4 mg was seen as early as week 4 (3 weeks after escalation to fesoterodine 8 mg). At week 1, fesoterodine 4 mg was superior to placebo on most diary variables, the PPBC and the UPS (all P < 0.05). Dry mouth and constipation rates were 28% and 4% with fesoterodine, 13% and 3% with tolterodine ER, and 5% and 2% with placebo. • Discontinuation rates as a result of adverse events were 5%, 3% and 2% for fesoterodine, tolterodine ER and placebo, respectively. CONCLUSIONS • In this randomized study, which is the largest to compare antimuscarinic efficacy performed to date, fesoterodine 8 mg was superior to tolterodine ER 4 mg for UUI episodes, micturitions and urgency episodes, as well as for self-reported patient assessments of bladder-related problems, urgency, symptom bother and health-related quality of life. • The superiority of fesoterodine 8 mg over tolterodine ER 4 mg was observed as early as 3 weeks after escalation from fesoterodine 4 mg for most outcomes. These data may have important implications for the clinical management of OAB patients previously treated with tolterodine ER.
Stretch-induced prostaglandins and protein turnover in cultured skeletal muscle

Intermittent repetitive mechanical stimulation of differentiated avian skeletal muscle cells in vitro for 48 h stimulates skeletal muscle growth [Am. J. Physiol. 256 (Cell Physiol. 25): C674-C682, ...
Understanding HIV and STI prevention for college students

The sexual health of young adults has been identified by leading health organisations as a critical issue all over the world. This edited volume by Wilton and colleagues contains 13 concise chapter...