cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Debates about aid

I must say that I have rarely been involved in an issue, an initiative, where there are so many motivations for becoming involved as is the case here. – Norwegian legislator Moe, 1952 Development assistance can serve a wide range of possible goals. Which goals matter most will depend on the way policy-makers frame the issue. This chapter presents measures of the relative prominence of different frames for aid, illustrating variation across both time and space. Although numerous patterns are shared across all four countries studied, their national aid discourses display enduring differences, dating from the early years of development assistance and lasting until the present day. In Belgium, the frames of obligation and economic self-interest have dominated the aid discourse. Economic self-interest has also been central to Italian discussions of aid policy, but in that country this frame has been accompanied by an interest in the reputational aspects of aid. In turn, reputation has been an important secondary frame in Norway as well. However, in that country it has been coupled with a dominant emphasis on humanitarianism. In the Netherlands, finally, the two most prominent frames in relative terms have been humanitarianism and power.
Photogenerated reactive intermediates from thiophene ylides: thiophenes, oxenes and carbenes, oh my

Photolysis of substituted thiophene-S-oxides in solution results in formation of either the corresponding thiophene or furan, in addition to uncharacterized materials. No good rationalization is available for the choice of which pathway may predominate, but it is demonstrated that the photolysis of 2,5bistrimethylsilylthiopene-S-oxide produces O(P) in the same manner as the well established photolysis dibenzothiophene-S-oxide. 2.
The Evolution and Impact of Total Synthesis on Chemistry, Biology and Medicine

The advent of organic synthesis in the nineteenth century sparked a revolution in chemistry that led from a serendipitous discovery to the art and science that it is today. Its creative nature turned into enabling technologies that set in motion entire new industries such as the dye and pharmaceutical enterprises and helped elucidate and confirm structures of countless natural products. It also served as the locomotive for discovery and invention of new reactions, synthetic strategies and technologies, and delivered myriad valuable compounds, more or less complex, for research and applications in our everyday lives. Today it is a partner of biology in the quest of understanding living nature and applying the gathered intelligence to discover and develop newer and more effective drugs.
Connecting Compton and Gravitational Compton Scattering

The study of Compton scattering—S + γ → S + γ —at MAMI and elsewhere has led to a relatively successful understanding of proton structure via its polarizabilities. The recent observation of gravitational radiation observed by LIGO has raised the need for a parallel understanding of gravitational Compton scattering—S + g → S + g —and we show here how it can be obtained from ordinary Compton scattering by use of the double copy theorem.
Distinguishing Occasional Abstention from Routine Indifference in Models of Vote Choice

Researchers commonly employ multinomial logit (MNL) models to explain individual-level vote choice while treating “abstention” as the baseline category. Though many view abstainers as a homogeneous group, we argue that these respondents emerge from two distinct sources. Some nonvoters are likely to be “occasional voters” who abstained from a given election owing to temporary factors, such as a distaste for all candidates running in a particular election, poor weather conditions, or other temporary circumstances. On the other hand, many nonvoters are unlikely to vote regardless of the current political climate. This latter population of “routine nonvoters” is consistently disengaged from the political process in a way that is distinct from that of occasional voters. Including both sets of nonvoters within an MNL model can lead to faulty inferences. As a solution, we propose a baseline-inflated MNL estimator that models heterogeneous populations of nonvoters probabilistically, thus accounting for the presence of routine nonvoters within models of vote choice. We demonstrate the utility of this model using replications of existing political behavior research.
Anticonvulsant effect of cannabinoid receptor agonists in models of seizures in developing rats

SummaryObjective Although drugs targeting the cannabinoid system (e.g., CB1 receptor agonists) display anticonvulsant efficacy in adult animal models of seizures/epilepsy, they remain unexplored in developing animal models. However, cannabinoid system functions emerge early in development, providing a rationale for targeting this system in neonates. We examined the therapeutic potential of drugs targeting the cannabinoid system in three seizure models in developing rats. Methods Postnatal day (P) 10, Sprague–Dawley rat pups were challenged with the chemoconvulsant methyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM) or pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), after treatment with either CB1/2 mixed agonist (WIN 55,212-2), CB1 agonist (arachidonyl-2′-chloroethylamide [ACEA]), CB2 agonist (HU-308), CB1 antagonist (AM-251), CB2 antagonist (AM-630), fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor (URB-597), or G protein–coupled receptor 55 agonist (O-1602). P20 Sprague–Dawley pups were challenged with DMCM after treatment with WIN, ACEA, or URB. Finally, after pretreatment with WIN, P10 Sprague–Dawley rats were challenged against acute hypoxia-induced seizures. Results The mixed CB1/2 agonist and the CB1-specific agonist, but no other drugs, displayed anticonvulsant effects against clonic seizures in the DMCM model. By contrast, both CB1 and CB2 antagonism increased seizure severity. Similarly, we found that the CB1/2 agonist displayed antiseizure efficacy against acute hypoxia-induced seizures (automatisms, clonic and tonic–clonic seizures) and tonic–clonic seizures evoked by PTZ. Anticonvulsant effects were seen in P10 animals but not P20 animals. Significance Early life seizures represent a significant cause of morbidity, with 30–40% of infants and children with epilepsy failing to achieve seizure remission with current pharmacotherapy. Identification of new therapies for neonatal/infantile epilepsy syndromes is thus of high priority. These data indicate that the anticonvulsant action of the CB system is specific to CB1 receptor activation during early development and provide justification for further examination of CB1 receptor agonists as novel antiepileptic drugs targeting epilepsy in infants and children.
Role of the Civil Engineer in Metropolitan Planning

Responsibilities of the civil engineer in rendering service in metropolitan area general planning may comprise roles as a planner (generalist), a specialist on the planning team, an inventor of new techniques, a public official or practicing engineer in development of the plans, and a citizen in supporting control of land use to conform to the master plan. Coordinated general planning of metropolitan areas and regional areas should indicate the population size, types of desirable developments, and density of specific districts. The suitability of land for different uses such as residential, industrial, commercial, and recreational should be shown. The general plan for the entire metropolitan area should not supersede city planning but should help coordinate the work of city and village planning organizations. Civil engineering students should study courses in urban and regional planning. With this education and with knowledge and experience in planning, designing, and constructing public works, utilities, transportation systems, streets, subdivisions, and industrial developments, the civil engineer will be well equipped to render service in metropolitan area general planning.
Is an additive decomposition of a rate of deformation and objective stress rates passé

Abstract The manuscript critically examines a half a century old idea of decomposing the rate of deformation into elastic and plastic parts. We show that even the most recent additive variant based on the logarithmic rate is inconsistent with the notion of elasticity in so-called unloading stress ratchetting obstacle test while the earlier corotational variants based on the Jaumann and Green–Naghdi rates are well known not to be integrable. We then propose a stress-dependent so-called kinetic logarithmic stress rate that is both integrable and passes the unloading stress ratchetting obstacle test. We also demonstrate that the additive hypo-elasto-plasticity model based on the proposed kinetic logarithmic rate is weakly invariant under isochoric reference change for simple materials in the sense of Noll.
A Treebank Query System Based on an Extracted Tree Grammar

Recent work has proposed the use of an extracted tree grammar as the basis for treebank analysis and search queries, in which queries are stated over the elementary trees, which are small chunks of syntactic structure. However, this work was lacking in two crucial ways. First, it did not allow for including lexical properties of tokens in the search. Second, it did not allow for using the derivation tree in the search, describing how the elementary trees are connected together. In this work we describe an implementation that overcomes these problems.
Simulation for higher education sustainability: a growing institution case study

We propose to reduce the complexity of sustainable development when we apply the simulation paradigm to a higher education institution by using a decomposition of both sustainability and the institution. It opens the possibilities to formalize their partial components and to identify many meaningful relationships among them. We formalized such relationships as a set of specific processes that we used in the created simulation case study. We consider the simulation models created within the case study as a tool to support higher education institution sustainability. In the simulation case study, we analyzed the faculty-students relationship described by the related institution admission processes. The simulation case study is connected with economic-constituent relations sustainability metrics. The simulation case study has been applied at a young fast growing higher education institution in the United States.
The molecular biology of hormone and growth factor receptors in meningiomas.

Expression of a number of steroid hormone and growth factor receptors is characteristic of meningiomas. This paper reviews the analysis of receptors for progesterone, estrogen, androgen and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in human meningioma tissue specimens.
To fix or to heal: patient care, public health, and the limits of biomedicine

This edited volume proposes the framework of fixing and healing to think about the tension between reductionist and holist orientations toward health and illness. In Joseph E. Davis’ introduction, ...
Fundamentals of Thermodynamics and Aerothermodynamics

The performance of a jet, rocket, nuclear, ion or electric propulsion system can always be analyzed by four fundamental parameters, i.e., pressure, temperature, density and velocity inside the system. However, instead of using three physical properties of gases (pressure, temperature, and density), three thermodynamic properties of gases (enthalpy, entropy, and internal energy) are often used for convenience of calculations. Therefore, analysis of propulsion problems can be made by the application of the fundamentals of thermodynamics and aerothermodynamics. In this chapter, these fundamentals of thermodynamics and aerothermodynamics which are particularly applicable to propulsion problems will be given briefly but adequately. Extensive treatment or discussion of these subjects should, of course, be referred to the separate textbooks of thermodynamics and aerothermodynamics.
Chitosan production fromRhizopus oryzae mycelia

Chitosan was successfully produced as a second valuable product fromRhizopus oryzae mycelia which had been previously used to make L(+) lactic acid. The highest yield of extractable chitosan was 700 mg/L.
Ending Reverse-Payment Immunity: A Proposed Framework for Antitrust Scrutiny Under California's Cartwright Act

Reverse-payment agreements are unique settlements that exist in the context of pharmaceutical litigation. Brand name drugs, facing patent challenges from would-be generic competitors, pay out heavy sums of money for the generic producer to drop the challenge. Consumers lose out, paying more for brand name drugs than they if the generic drug had entered the market. Lower courts were split on the proper approach and whether antitrust scrutiny of the agreements was appropriate, with many finding that they were immune from such scrutiny so long as they did not exceed the potential exclusionary scope of the patent. In FTC v. Actavis, the Supreme Court came down decisively in favor of applying antitrust scrutiny, holding that reverse-payment agreements may be subject to Sherman Act challenges under the rule of reason. In California, antitrust challenges brought under the state's Cartwright Act have so far failed. Lower courts have relied on the now-defunct scope of the patent approach employed by the circuit courts. Enabling antitrust scrutiny of reverse-payment is of critical importance; indirect purchasers in California still lack a Sherman Act remedy under the Illinois Brick doctrine. This Comment proposes that Cartwright Act scrutiny under the per se rule is most appropriate, drawing analogies to unlawful practices like territorial market divisions or covenants not to compete.
Spoligotyping for molecular epidemiology of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

Spacer oligonucleotide typing, or spoligotyping, is a rapid, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for genotyping strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB). Spoligotyping data can be represented in absolute terms (digitally), and the results can be readily shared among laboratories, thereby enabling the creation of large international databases. Since the spoligotype assay was standardized more than 10 yr ago, tens of thousands of isolates have been analyzed, giving a global picture of MTB strain diversity. The method is highly reproducible and has been developed into a high-throughput assay for large molecular epidemiology projects. In the United States, spoligotyping is employed on nearly all newly identified culture-positive cases of tuberculosis as part of a national genotyping program. The strengths of this method include its low cost, its digital data results, the good correlation of its results with other genetics markers, its fair level of overall differentiation of strains, its high-throughput capacity, and its ability to provide species information. However, the method's weaknesses include the inability of spoligotyping to differentiate well within large strain families such as the Beijing family, the potential for convergent evolution of patterns, the limited success in improving the assay through expansion, and the difficulty in obtaining the specialized membranes and instrumentation.
The Taxonomy and Distribution of Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri)

Squirrel monkeys of the genus Saimiri are a distinct group of New World primates. They are easily recognized visually or by their vocalizations. Anatomically they have a number of peculiarities, such as an interorbital fenestra, a double brachioradialis muscle in the arm, and a prominent articulation between the calcaneus and navicular bones of the foot. These specializations suggest that squirrel monkeys have a long evolutionary history independent of other primates. This hypothesis is strengthened by the dearth of derived features shared with other New World primates. The search for the closest living relative of Saimiri (its sister group) has not led to convincing conclusions. Saimiri is commonly placed in the same subfamily with Cebus, as in the classifications of Pocock (1925), Simpson (1945), von Pusch (1942), and Rosenberger (1981). But Hershkovitz strongly dissents, and this classification is not in agreement with Ford’s analysis of the postcranial skeleton. Ford (1980) would link Saimiri more closely with Callicebus and Aotus. Hershkovitz (1977) separates it from all other cebids at the subfamily level. I presently adopt the same classification of Saimiri, as the sole member of the subfamily Saimirinae, but mine is a position of agnosticism. I am not convinced by any of the arguments to the contrary.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Addiction

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the frequently applied evidence-based psychotherapies for addiction and other psychiatric disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy consists of a theoretical approach to conceptualizing disorders that can be described systematically, applied consistently, and validated empirically. In this chapter, we review: (1) the theory and conceptualization of cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction; (2) the application of cognitive behavioral therapy strategies for treating various addictions, focusing on alcohol and cocaine, as well as the challenges and solutions involved in the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, and (3) the research support for cognitive behavioral therapy in treating specific addictions and the limitations of these findings identified in the research literature thus far, and, finally, (4) we present future directions for research, including the application of cognitive behavioral therapy for co-occurring disorders.
Microscopic investigation into the irradiation behavior of U3O8-Al dispersion fuel

The recent emphasis on profileration-resistant fuels for research and test reactors has resulted in additional investigations of well-established fuels, such as U/sub 3/O/sub 8/-Al dispersions, to determine their behavior at the higher fuel densities required for the lower uranium enrichment. Microstructural investigation of these irradiated fuels with modern techniques has provided insight into the fission gas behavior and its relationship to the U/sub 3/O/sub 8/-Al interaction during irradiation. These observations explain the observed limitations on fuel loading and safe levels of fission density achievable with these fuels.
Clinical Characteristics, Procedural Factors, and Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Mechanical and Bioprosthetic Heart Valves.

There is scarcity of evidence regarding antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in patients with prosthetic valves undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Our goal was to compare clinical outcomes between patients with mechanical or bioprosthetic valves undergoing PCI. The study population comprised patients with either a bioprosthetic or mechanical heart valve in the aortic and/or mitral position undergoing PCI between January 2003 and July 2017. Demographics, admission, and discharge medications as well as procedural details were documented. Outcomes were postprocedural bleeding, length of stay, and in-hospital deaths. Of 211 patients, we identified 119 and 92 patients with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve, respectively. Mean age was 75 ± 9 years and 66 ± 12 years in bioprosthetic and mechanical valve patients, respectively. Bare-metal stents were used in 18.2% and 30.1% of bioprosthetic and mechanical valve patients, respectively. Major bleeding was documented in 0.8% and 6.5% of bioprosthetic and mechanical valve patients, respectively (p = 0.04). Use of triple therapy (aspirin AND clopidogrel AND oral vitamin K antagonist) was significantly lower in bioprosthetic valve patients compared with mechanical valve patients (12% vs 68%, p
MGMT immunohistochemistry (IHC) and exclusion of pancreatic NET (PanNET) patients from treatment with temozolomide-based therapy.

e15169 Background: Predictive markers are needed for improved selection of patients for Capecitabine/Temozolomide (C/T) therapy in metastatic PanNETs. Treatment efficacy has been reported to correl...
Study impact of sample treatment and insitu fluids on shale wettability measurement using NMR

Abstract Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a good alternative to conventional Amott-Harvey imbibition test or US Bureau of Mines (USBM) test, to measure wettability in shales. The conventional methods do not work primarily because of the long time it takes to flow through the nano pores in the shales. Contact angle measurements typically used in shales do not account for pore connectivity. Hence, NMR is becoming a standard reliable method to measure wettability in shales. This study focuses on two aspects of wettability measurement in shales. First, Looyestijn and Hofman (2006) proposed an equation to calculate wettability using NMR data based on their experiments on carbonate rocks. Sulucarnain et al. (2012) applied this method to shales. In their method, the residual fluids in the plugs are neglected because it is difficult to ascertain what proportion of residual fluids is hydrocarbon and what proportion is water. However, in liquid-rich shales like Eagle Ford, there could be significant amount of residual fluids which must be accounted in the wettability calculation. This study integrates Source Rock Analysis (SRA), NMR and helium porosity data to determine the nature of the residual fluids and account for them while doing wettability calculations. Thus, an improved equation for wettability is proposed by modifying the original equation. Second, in this study, wettability measurements on preserved, dried and cleaned sample states were carried out. The comparison of the three states suggest that drying and cleaning the samples, changes the original wettability of the system and make the rocks appear more oil wet. The effects of drying are more pronounced than cleaning. The above argument is supported both by SRA data and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. The SRA data shows an increase in S1 and a corresponding decrease in S2 peak which suggests that heating the sample at 100 °C may crack the heavy hydrocarbons in the sample. The SEM image analysis also show the possible movement and resolidification of bitumen and other heavy hydrocarbons. These mobile fractions are believed to flow into the water-wet pores and turn them oil-wet.
Understanding site variability in a multisite clinical trial of a technology-delivered psychosocial intervention for substance use disorders.

Abstract Background Significant fixed effects of site (main effects of site and/or site by treatment interactions) on primary outcome have been identified in the majority of studies performed by NIDA's National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. While rarely explored, identifying patient- and site-level variables that are associated with site effects can provide information about the context in which outcome is optimized. Methods In a 10-site clinical trial that evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based psychosocial intervention compared to usual treatment of patients (N = 507) with substance use disorders, the primary outcome analysis revealed significant main effect of site, modeled as a fixed effect, on the outcome of abstinence (Campbell et al., 2014). In the current analysis, we use a two-level, hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) to identify patient- and site-level variables associated with abstinence outcome, while modeling site as a random factor. Results The site-specific percentage of patients abstinent in the last 4 weeks of the study varied from 6.1% to 40%. However, only 6.7% (p = 0.08) of variability in end-of-study abstinence was accounted for by site, indicating a small-moderate effect. Among patient-level predictors, older age (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.15, 1.71; p = 0.0009), abstinence at baseline (OR = 2.77; 95% CI = 1.73, 4.45; p Conclusions The findings suggest that only some amount of variability in abstinence outcomes among sites can be explained by a combination of patient- and site-level variables. Our findings support the case that variability between sites is a natural phenomenon, and our methodological recommendation is that site be modeled as a random factor when analyzing multi-site clinical trials.
Magnetically Actuated Dynamic Iridescence Inspired by the Neon Tetra.

Inspired by the tropical fish neon tetra, we report a mechanism to achieve dynamic iridescence that can be magnetically tuned. This approach is based on the tilting of periodic photonic nanostructures, as opposed to the more common strain-induced color tuning. In this method, a periodic array of magnetic nanopillars serves as a template to guide the assembly of iron oxide nanoparticles when magnetized in a liquid environment. The periodic local fields induced by the magnetic template anchor the assembled particle columns, allowing the structure to tilt about the base when the angle of the applied field is changed. This effect emulates a microscopic “Venetian blind” and results in dynamic optical properties through structural coloration that is tunable in real time. The fabricated prototype demonstrates tunable reflectance spectra with peak wavelength shift from 528 to 720 nm. The magnetic actuation mechanism is reversible and has a fast response time around 0.3 s. This structure can be implemented on an a...
EZN-2208, a novel poly ethylene glycol-SN38 conjugate, improves pharmacological properties of SN38 in mice and rats.

1496 Background: SN38 (10-hydroxy-7-ethyl-camptothecin) is the active moiety of CPT-11. Due to its poor solubility, SN38 has not been used clinically without extensive formulation effort. We have synthesized a novel polyethylene glycol (PEG)-SN38 conjugate (EZN-2208) by linking SN38 with a 40k 4-arm-PEG, via a glycine linker. EZN-2208 is a water soluble molecule that is highly efficacious in multiple xenograft models when given intravenously and has significantly better therapeutic efficacy compared with CPT-11. Here, we report the pharmacokinetics of EZN-2208 in mice and rats. Methods: Naive (tumor free) ICR mice were administered EZN-2208 via lateral tail vein at dose level of 20 mg/kg (SN38 equivalent). In the rat study, dose levels of 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg (SN38 equivalent) were used. Plasma samples were collected at varied time points from the animals and analyzed for EZN-2208 and released SN38. Results: In both mice and rats, EZN-2208 had a biphasic clearance from the circulation with an elimination half life of 18-22 h in mice and 12-18 h in rats, SN38 released from EZN-2208 had an apparent elimination half life of 18-26 h in mice and 21-22 h in rats. In rats, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) increased in a dose proportional manner. The apparent half life of released SN38 from EZN-2208 in mice or rats is significantly longer than the reported apparent half life of released SN38 from CPT-11 and the exposure of released SN38 from EZN-2208 is significantly higher than the reported exposure of released SN38 from CPT-11. The clearance of the parent compound was 5.29 mL/hr/kg and 0.35 mL/hr/kg for the mice and rats, respectively. The estimated volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) of the parent compound was 132 mL/kg and 5.49 mL/kg for the mice and rats, respectively. The clearance of the released SN38 was 202 mL/hr/kg for the mice and 131 mL/hr/kg for the rats. The estimated Vss of released SN38 was 3094 mL/kg for the mice and 2384 mL/kg for the rats. Both in mice and rats, enterohepatic circulation of released SN38 was observed. Conclusions: EZN-2208 is a novel water soluble prodrug of SN38 and provides a longer circulation half life and exposure to the parent drug, SN38 in mice and rats. The excellent efficacy of EZN-2208 observed in the xenograft models may be due to its longer circulation half life and exposure. A study designed to investigate if EZN-2208 or SN38 accumulates in the tumors is underway.
RhI‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Carbonylative C—H/C—I Coupling of 2‐Iodobiphenyls Using Furfural as a Carbonyl Source.

Fluorenones (III) are synthesized through intramolecular carbonylative C—H/C—I coupling of 2-iodobiphenyls (I) using furfural (II) as a carbonyl source and the combination of [RhCl(cod)]2 and DPPP as catalyst.
Central nervous system emergencies in haematological malignancies

Neurological emergencies are frequently catastrophic events in the course of haematological malignancies (HM) that, if not promptly recognized and treated, may lead to lethal outcomes or chronic sequelae. They may occur at any time during the disease course, but are more frequently observed following relapse. Practice guidelines are lacking in the management of most central nervous system (CNS) complications in HM. Herein we review the pathophysiology, presentation and treatment of elevated intracranial pressure, spinal cord compression, status epilepticus, neurovascular complications, CNS infection, leucostasis and hyperviscosity. Further, we discuss the expanding spectrum of neurological complications of old and novel treatments in HM.
The Walter Benjamin Experience: Inquiry for Changing Reality:

This article introduces a way of inquiry explored by Walter Benjamin in an effort to renew civilization by first investigating it and then re-writing it toward a better future. Recovering from the ...
The Millipede-Predation Behavior of Promecognathus and Exceptional Cyanide Tolerance in Promecognathus and Metrius (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Promecognathus (Carabidae) includes beetles that are specialist predators whose prey are polydesmidan millipedes that produce highly toxic hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde as a defense, and it is unknown how Promecognathus overcomes these chemicals. We observed Promecognathus laevissimus (Dejean, 1829) and P. crassus (LeConte, 1868) in the laboratory and found that they did not use behaviors to avoid the chemical defenses of their prey, Xystocheir dissecta (Wood, 1867) (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae). We tested benzaldehyde as a feeding deterrent and found noticeable deterrence in all carabid beetles tested except Promecognathus species and Metrius contractus (Eschscholtz, 1829). A total of 18 carabid species were exposed to cyanide vapors in an enclosed chamber for 10 min to determine their relative tolerances. Promecognathus and M. contractus were unaffected by HCN exposures 7–15 times greater than quantities that knocked down all other species. Promecognathus laevissimus and M. contractus were then exposed to high levels of HCN for 2 h, and while individuals of M. contractus succumbed, all P. laevissimus were still moving after 2 h. It is possible that Promecognathus evolved a high tolerance to cyanide as part of a suite of adaptations related to millipede predation. However, we have no plausible explanation for the high tolerance in Metrius, for which there is no evidence of millipede feeding. This is the first documented case of predatory insects that exhibit high tolerance and potential resistance to cyanide. Possibly, these beetles have a detoxification mechanism that is not cyanide specific, as their tolerance level far exceeds any dose they would encounter in their natural habitat.
Smartphone Pathology, Agency and Reward Processing

Smartphones have become ubiquitous in society; for instance, 81% of Americans report they own at least one device. Along with an increase in smartphone use, there is growing concern surrounding the pathological use of these devices. Pathological smartphone use is associated with elevated anxiety, sleep disturbance, and increased impulsivity. Given these concerns, the current study examined the relationship between pathological smartphone use and the neural correlates of reward processing in a college-aged sample. The amplitude of neural activity elicited by gains and losses was negatively correlated with pathological smartphone use when individuals were the choice agent, but not when a computer was the choice agent. These data reveal that overlapping neural systems may contribute to pathological technology use and other forms of addictive behavior and substance abuse.
Real-life utilization of BioFire® Filmarray® pneumonia panel as an antibiotic stewardship tool.

Dear Editor, BioFire® Filmarray® Pneumonia Panel (BFPP) (BioFire Diagnostics, LLC, Salt Lake City, UT) is a multiplex PCR system that rapidly identifies 33 different pathogens and resistance genes ...
Monetary Surprises, Debt Structure and Credit Misallocation

How does firm dynamically adjust its capital and debt structure in response to interest rate risk? Using micro-data, I find that bond spread increases more than loan spread and firms rebalance towards bank loans and away from corporate bonds in response to unexpected monetary tightening. I explain this pattern in a heterogeneous agents New Keynesian model by making bank loans safer (collateralized) than market debt but issued at a greater intermediation cost. Large firms with ample debt capacity are relatively better at bearing this cost and the substitution takes place following an unanticipated rate hikes, while small constrained firms tend to issue more equity. This causes credit to be reallocated from constrained productive to unconstrained firms, exacerbating the economy’s capital misallocation. Additionally, debt structure affects firm's investment sensitivity to interest rate risk: firms with higher loan share reduce investment more aggressively when interest rate rises.
Comparison of Side Effects and Tolerability Between Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, Reduced-Dose BCG, and Gemcitabine for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.

ABSTRACT Objectives To compare patient-reported side effects and tolerability of full-dose Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), reduced-dose BCG, and gemcitabine one week after administration. Methods All patients from July 2019 to November 2020 receiving intravesical therapy (IVT) for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) at our institution were surveyed before repeat instillation. Survey questions recorded IVT retention times and the duration and severity of the following side effects: bladder symptoms, fatigue, body aches, hematuria, fever, chills, and other. All responses were collected and quantified in a de-identified, password-protected database. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS JMP 13. Results Of 592 surveys completed, symptoms of any kind were reported on 463 surveys (78%) with the most common symptoms including bladder symptoms (59%), fatigue (52%), body aches (26%), and hematuria (18%). Patients were able to hold full-dose BCG, reduced-dose BCG, and gemcitabine for the protocol-specified duration 87%, 95%, and 71% of the time (P Conclusion Significant differences in the side effects and tolerability of full-dose BCG, reduced-dose BCG, and gemcitabine were demonstrated using this novel survey, and these differences are of value for informing IVT selection. Evaluation of IVTs other than gemcitabine and BCG will further inform selection of therapies for NMIBC.
Channel Reciprocity in FDD Multiuser MIMO Systems by Super-resolution

To fully utilize the degree of freedom of multiuser MIMO channels of wireless communication systems, channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is desired. From reverse link training, time division duplex (TDD) systems are able to obtain forward link CSIT because of channel reciprocity. We aim to do the same for frequency division duplex (FDD) multiuser MIMO systems, where the conventional method is to obtain CSIT from the feedback from the receiver. Unfortunately, the delay and the amount of feedback consume too much resource, especially in massive MIMO systems. However, if we could accurately estimate the channel parameters from the pilot signals in one frequency band, then the channel state in another frequency band can be calculated from these parameters. Because of the accuracy requirement, we cannot put the parameters on grids, have to treat them as continuous variables, and shall employ the super-resolution estimation algorithms. In this work, we formulate the FDD reciprocity problem as a super-resolution problem, show how to apply super-resolution algorithms to the problem in different ways, and compare the performances.
David Oliver: Were Nightingale units and fever hospitals ever workable responses to covid-19?

Research has found that around one in nine inpatients with covid-19 acquired it while in hospital.1 Much of the commentary on our national pandemic response included calls for patients with covid-19 to be moved out of hospital wards and away from other patients. Some commentators urged a modern revival of “fever hospitals,” solely for isolation and care of people with infectious diseases.2 Others questioned what they saw as an excessive focus on covid at the expense of other conditions.3 But was the idea of setting up fever hospitals ever workable? The covid data are telling. During the first pandemic wave in March to June 2020, the number of people with covid in English hospitals peaked at 21 000. It reached 17 000 again by November, rose to 38 000 in January 2021, and didn’t fall back below 20 000 until …
Real-Time Mobile Acceleration of DNNs: From Computer Vision to Medical Applications

With the growth of mobile vision applications, there is a growing need to break through the current performance limitation of mobile platforms, especially for computationally intensive applications, such as object detection, action recognition, and medical diagnosis. To achieve this goal, we present our unified real-time mobile DNN inference acceleration framework, seamlessly integrating hardware-friendly, structured model compression with mobile-targeted compiler optimizations. We aim at an unprecedented, real-time performance of such large-scale neural network inference on mobile devices. A fine-grained block-based pruning scheme is proposed to be universally applicable to all types of DNN layers, such as convolutional layers with different kernel sizes and fully connected layers. Moreover, it is also successfully extended to 3D convolutions. With the assist of our compiler optimizations, the fine-grained block-based sparsity is fully utilized to achieve high model accuracy and high hardware acceleration simultaneously. To validate our framework, three representative fields of applications are implemented and demonstrated, object detection, activity detection, and medical diagnosis. All applications achieve real-time inference using an off-the-shelf smartphone, outperforming the representative mobile DNN inference acceleration frameworks by up to 6.7× in speed. The demonstrations of these applications can be found in the following link: https://bit.ly/39lWpYu.
Discharge prescribing of enteral opioids in opioid naïve patients following non-surgical intensive care: A retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Purpose To estimate the incidence of new prescription of enteral opioids on hospital discharge in opioid naive, non-surgical, critically ill patients and evaluate the risk factors associated with such occurrence. Methods Using hospital-wide and ICU databases, we retrospectively identified all patients (≥ 18 years old) who were admitted to the 20-bed adult ICU of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) between July 1, 2015 and April 20, 2020. Patients' electronic medical records (EMR) were retrieved and patient demographics, peri-ICU admission data were captured and analyzed. Results During the study period, a total of 3755 opioid naive patients were admitted to the ICU and 848 patients met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 346 (40.8%) patients were discharged with a new opioid prescription. Age at ICU admission, preadmission use of benzodiazepine, and antidepressants, a diagnosis of sepsis, and use of mechanical ventilation, antidepressants or, opioid infusion for greater than 4 h during the ICU stay, hospital length of stay (LOS), and days between ICU discharge and hospital discharge were independently associated with increased odds of a new opioid prescription. Conclusions A significant proportion of opioid naive non-surgical ICU survivors receive a new opioid prescription on hospital discharge.
Using Branch-Grafted R-trees for Spatial Data Mining

Spatial data mining is a process of extraction of implicit information, such as weather patterns around latitudes, spatial features in a region, etc., with a goal of knowledge discovery. The work reported here is based on our earlier work on branch-grafted R trees. We have taken a bottom-up approach in our research: from efficient spatial data structure (i.e., branch-grafted R tree implementation), to efficient data access methods, and finally, to effective spatial data mining. Since previous experiments have shown that there are significant advantages of using branch-grafted implementation, this bottom-up approach exploits the performance advantages of the branch-grafted R-trees.
Cassini/huygens: heavily instrumented flight systems approaching saturn and titan

Abstract?? Cassini and Huygens flight systems are described including capabilities, launch, flight path, mission science objectives, and instruments. Interplanetary cruise, Saturn arrival, and science-tour operations are also discussed, including use of JPL's worldwide Deep Space Network for two-way communications. Launched 15 October 1997, Cassini/Huygens will arrive at the Saturnian system on 1 July 2004. The Cassini Orbiter begins a four-year tour of the ringed gas giant, and the Huygens Probe descends through Titan's dense atmosphere on 14 January 2005.
Li 7 NMR study of heavy-fermion Li V 2 O 4 containing magnetic defects

We present a systematic study of the variations of the $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ NMR properties versus magnetic defect concentration ${n}_{\text{defect}}$ within the spinel structure of polycrystalline powder samples (${n}_{\text{defect}}=0.21$, 0.49, and $0.83\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mol}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}%$) and a collection of small single crystals $({n}_{\text{defect}}=0.38\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mol}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}%)$ of $\mathrm{Li}{\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ in the temperature range from $0.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}4.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. We also report static magnetization measurements and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements at $14\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MHz}$ on the samples at low temperatures. Both the $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ NMR spectrum and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate are inhomogeneous in the presence of the magnetic defects. The $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ NMR data for the powders are well explained by assuming that (i) there is a random distribution of magnetic point defects, (ii) the same heavy Fermi liquid is present in the samples containing the magnetic defects as in magnetically pure $\mathrm{Li}{\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$, and (iii) the influences of the magnetic defects and of the Fermi liquid on the magnetization and NMR properties are separable. In the single crystals, somewhat different behaviors are observed, which are possibly due to a modification of the heavy Fermi liquid, to a lack of separability of the relaxation effects due to the Fermi liquid and the magnetic defects, to non-Fermi liquid behavior of the conduction electrons, and/or to quantum fluctuations of finite-size magnetic defects (magnetic droplets). Remarkably, the magnetic defects in the powder samples show evidence of spin freezing below $T\ensuremath{\approx}1.0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, whereas in the single crystals with similar magnetic defect concentration, no spin freezing was found down to $T=0.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. Thus, different types of magnetic defects and/or interactions between them appear to arise in the powders versus the crystals, which are possibly due to the substantially different synthesis conditions of the powders and crystals.
Stereotactic radiosurgery and fracture fixation in 6 dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical outcome of dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and subsequent internal fixation of a pathologic fracture. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: Dogs with spontaneous-occurring appendicular OSA (n = 6). METHODS: Medical records (May 2002-January 2008) of dogs that had SRS for appendicular OSA were reviewed. Dogs were included if they had a pathologic fracture either before or after SRS and were treated with internal fixation. Signalment, history, physical examination findings, clinicopathologic data, diagnostic imaging findings, biopsy results, surgical complications, number of surgeries, adjuvant therapy, development of metastatic disease and cause of death were recorded. RESULTS: Six dogs met the inclusion criteria. Two dogs had a pathologic fracture at admission and 4 dogs developed a fracture after SRS with a mean ± SD time to fracture development of 6.25 ± 1.65 months. The first 3 fractures were repaired using an open approach and the latter three using minimally invasive percutaneous osteosynthesis (MIPO). Infection occurred in 5 dogs and implant failure in 3. Limb function was subjectively assessed as good in all dogs when the implants were stable and infections were subclinical. Survival times ranged from 364-897 days; 1 dog was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Fracture repair using internal fixation should be considered a viable limb-sparing alternative for pathologic fractures that have been treated with SRS.
Evolution: a genomic guide to bird population history.

Summary How species responded to the climatic oscillations during the past few million years is debated. A new study analyzing the genomes of 38 bird species finds variable patterns of population growth and declines that broadly correlate with global environmental change.
Telesis: The Uses of Indicators to Set Goals and Develop Programs to Change Conditions

TELESIS – the application ofintelligence to attain desired goals – employssocial indicators to set goals and monitorprogress toward achieving goals. The modellinks culture values to desirable goals whichare identified by a change in social indicatorsstatistic. Understanding appropriate steps totake, based upon experience and experimentalknowledge, is vital in developing programs. Human and fiscal resources also are critical.Healthy People, a U.S. program to extendlife, is presented as an example of theprocess, with the program to stop cigarettesmoking reviewed in detail. Another example isthe U.S. Goals for Education programwith its 50 objectives to improve learning. The Kids Count, a program supported by aprivate foundation, is designed to improve thewell-being of children and youth. It is anexample of the telic process that engages localinitiatives. From these examples, a summary oflessons learned provides suggestions for theapplication of the telic process.