cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
More older patients are stuck in hospitals.

The UK National Audit Office (NAO) has just published the report Discharging Older Patients from Hospital .1 It focuses on the growing number of older people who are technically fit enough to leave acute hospitals in England but remain stranded. Why? Because the community services they need to support them out of hospital lack the funding, capacity, or quick response times to match their need. Such cases are officially reported as “delayed transfers of care” (DTOC). These delays are rapidly worsening and have reached record levels.2 The NAO found that bed days due to DTOC rose by 31% from …
Decolonizing Empowerment: Implications for Sustainable Well-Being

Dutt, Grabe, and Castro's (2015) research on implications of market participation for Maasai women's empowerment provides an important basis for rethinking liberatory standards of psychological science and international gender development. Drawing upon their research, we apply a decolonial feminist psychology analysis to the topic of empowerment. This perspective suggests that neoliberal interventions to promote empowerment and well-being in Majority-World spaces (i) may cause harm by depriving people of environmentally afforded connection and (ii) reproduce historical and ongoing forms of (neo)colonial domination in ways that are inconsistent with the broader empowerment of humanity in general.
Application of Block-oriented System Identification to Modelling Paralysed Muscle Under Electrical Stimulation

Most biomedical and biological systems have nonlinear dynamics [25, 27], which bring difficulties in modelling and identification. These systems are usually represented as a series of blocks, and each block stands for a linear or nonlinear subsystem. Among those block-oriented models, Wiener model, Hammerstein model and Wiener–Hammerstein model are very popular. The Wiener model is represented as a linear dynamics followed by a nonlinear static system, while the Hammerstein model is composed in the reversed order, and the Wiener–Hammerstein model is constructed as a nonlinear static system surrounded by two linear dynamics (see Figure 24.1). All those three type of models have been extensively researched, and many identification methods have been proposed (e.g. [2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 23, 31, 39, 40]). In this chapter, we use Wiener–Hammerstein system to model the paralysed muscle under electrical stimulation, and propose an effective identification method specifically for the proposed model.
Quantification of the intrusion process at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i

Abstract The characteristic size of two types of intrusions identified beneath Kīlauea's East Rift zone are uniquely estimated by combining time constraints from fractional crystallization and the rates of magma solidification during cooling. Some intrusions were rapidly emplaced as dikes, but stalled before reaching the surface, and cooled and crystallized to feed later fractionated eruptions. More specifically, using the observed time interval between initial emplacement and eruption of fractionated lava, whose degree of fractionation is estimated from petrologic mixing calculations, the extent of solidification or cooling needed to produce this amount of fractionation can be directly inferred. And from the known erupted volumes the spatial extent or size of this fractionated volume can be analytically related to the full size of the source body itself. Two examples yield dike widths of 82 and 68 m. Other intrusions remain close to the east rift magma transport path and are observed to last for decades or longer as viable magma bodies that may participate in feeding later eruptions. The thickness of semi-permanent reservoirs near the East Rift Zone magma transport path can be estimated by assuming a resupply rate that is sufficiently frequent to restrict cooling to These calculations show that long-term heating of the wallrock of the magma transport paths serves to slow conduit cooling, which may be partly responsible for sustaining long East Rift Zone eruptions. Adjacent to the vertical transport path beneath Kīlauea's summit, the combined effects of heating and ever-increasing magma supply rate may have forced a commensurate enlarging of the conduit, perhaps explaining the occurrence of a temporary burst of deep (5–15 km) long-period earthquake swarms between 1987 and 1992.
A Technical Guide for Passive Scattering Proton Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

Most patients treated with proton therapy have had eye tumors, sarcomas, or, more recently, pediatric, or prostate cancers. As more proton centers have developed globally, increased capacity will permit exploration of other potential indications for proton therapy, including for the treatment of breast cancer. The rationale for proton therapy in the treatment of breast cancer is reduced inadvertent radiation dose to the heart and lung, as well as improved target coverage. As with any new technology, multiple technical parameters require optimization to deliver safe and effective radiation therapy and to maximize the benefits of the new technology. The purpose of this report is to provide a technical guide for the treatment of breast cancer with passive-scattering proton therapy and an algorithm for selecting patients with breast cancer who would benefit from proton therapy.
Model Based do Control for Product Quality Improvement in Aerobic Fermentations

Abstract The DO is an important variable in aerobic fermentations. Precise control of DO at optimal levels for product formation is crucial to improve the process reproducibility and achieve the best productivity. An adaptive pole placement control that maintains a constant sheer environment is applied to Bacillus subtilis and Alcaligenes eutrophus fermentations, for the production of β-lactamase and PHB respectively. ARX models are used for the control and supervision and coordination techniques are applied to improve the control performance. The effect of DO level on the productivity of β-lactamase and PHB is assessed.
JQ1 Induces DNA Damage and Apoptosis, and Inhibits Tumor Growth in a Patient-Derived Xenograft Model of Cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a fatal disease with a five-year survival of <30%. For a majority of patients chemotherapy is the only therapeutic option, and virtually all patients relapse. Gemcitabine is the frontline agent for treatment of CCA. Patients treated with gemcitabine monotherapy survive ~8 months. Combining this agent with cisplatin increases survival by ~3 months, but neither regimen produces durable remissions. The molecular etiology of this disease is poorly understood. To facilitate molecular characterization and development of effective therapies for CCA, we established a panel of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of CCA. We used two of these models to investigate the anti-tumor efficacy and mechanism of action of the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1, an agent that has not been evaluated for the treatment of CCA. The data show that JQ1 suppressed the growth of the CCA PDX model CCA2, and demonstrate that growth suppression was concomitant with inhibition of c-Myc protein expression. A second model (CCA1) was JQ1-insensitive, with tumor progression and c-Myc expression unaffected by exposure to this agent. Also selective to CCA2 tumors, JQ1 induced DNA damage and apoptosis, and downregulated multiple c-Myc transcriptional targets that regulate cell cycle progression and DNA repair. These findings suggest that c-Myc inhibition and several of its transcriptional targets may contribute to the mechanism of action of JQ1 in this tumor type. We conclude that BET inhibitors such as JQ1 warrant further investigation for the treatment of CCA.
Modeling the Pseudomonas Sulfur Regulome by Quantifying the Storage and Communication of Information.

ABSTRACT Bacteria are not simply passive consumers of nutrients or merely steady-state systems. Rather, bacteria are active participants in their environments, collecting information from their surroundings and processing and using that information to adapt their behavior and optimize survival. The bacterial regulome is the set of physical interactions that link environmental information to the expression of genes by way of networks of sensors, transporters, signal cascades, and transcription factors. As bacteria cannot have one dedicated sensor and regulatory response system for every possible condition that they may encounter, the sensor systems must respond to a variety of overlapping stimuli and collate multiple forms of information to make “decisions” about the most appropriate response to a specific set of environmental conditions. Here, we analyze Pseudomonas fluorescens transcriptional responses to multiple sulfur nutrient sources to generate a predictive, computational model of the sulfur regulome. To model the regulome, we utilize a transmitter-channel-receiver scheme of information transfer and utilize principles from information theory to portray P. fluorescens as an informatics system. This approach enables us to exploit the well-established metrics associated with information theory to model the sulfur regulome. Our computational modeling analysis results in the accurate prediction of gene expression patterns in response to the specific sulfur nutrient environments and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of Pseudomonas sensory capabilities and gene regulatory networks. In addition, modeling the bacterial regulome using the tools of information theory is a powerful and generalizable approach that will have multiple future applications to other bacterial regulomes. IMPORTANCE Bacteria sense and respond to their environments using a sophisticated array of sensors and regulatory networks to optimize their fitness and survival in a constantly changing environment. Understanding how these regulatory and sensory networks work will provide the capacity to predict bacterial behaviors and, potentially, to manipulate their interactions with an environment or host. Leveraging the information theory provides useful quantitative metrics for modeling the information processing capacity of bacterial regulatory networks. As our model accurately predicted gene expression profiles in a bacterial model system, we posit that the information theory-based approaches will be important to enhance our understanding of a wide variety of bacterial regulomes and our ability to engineer bacterial sensory and regulatory networks.
Test-retest reliability of short-interval intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation in patients with schizophrenia.

Abstract Impaired short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) elicited by paired-pulse TMS (ppTMS) has emerged as one of the most consistent TMS findings in patients with schizophrenia. Reduction of SICI has been reproducibly found, suggesting that SICI may be a new biomarker indexing the inhibitory dysfunction in schizophrenia. This study evaluated whether SICI has the test-retest reliability suitable for clinical trial and research applications. SICIs, intracortical facilitation (ICF), and other ppTMS effects were obtained using inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) from 1 to 500 ms, on 2 occasions about 3–4 weeks apart in patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals. Acceptable test-retest reliabilities were found for SICI (at 1 and 3 ms ISIs) in both patients and controls (all intraclass correlation coefficients r > 0.6). However, test-retest reliability in longer ISIs and in ICF were modest or poor. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrated the acceptable reliability of SICI measure in patients with schizophrenia. The data support SICI as a reliable biomarker for schizophrenia.
Turfgrass rooting characteristics of ‘Palmetto’, ‘FX-10’, and ‘Floratam’ St. Augustinegrasses and ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass

St. Augustinegrass [(Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntz] and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) are the two dominant lawn grasses maintained in Florida. Knowledge of relative drought resistance among species and cultivars is important for selecting turfgrass that will persist during drought stress. This study was designed to monitor the rooting characteristics of three St. Augustinegrass cultivars and one bahiagrass cultivar during the year following establishment. In spring 1995, sods washed free of soil were established in clear, sand-filled lysimeters. Rooting characteristics were monitored each month. After 90 days of growth, grasses were evaluated for drought tolerance by initiating a series of soil dry-down cycles. Roots of ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass and ‘Floratam’ St. Augustinegrass reached a 60-cm depth in 90 and 180 days following sodding, respectively. ‘Palmetto’ and ‘FX-10’ St. Augustinegrass roots did not grow below 40 cm during the first 180 days following sodding. Roots of ‘FX-10’ St. Augustinegrass extended deeper than 40 cm after 240 days of growth; whereas roots of ‘Palmetto’ St. Augustinegrass never extended below 40 cm during this study. All grasses showed a general increase in root number at 20 cm within the first 180 days of growth, but at the 30-cm depth, root numbers remained relatively constant after 90 days of growth. The greatest changes in root length density (RLD) occurred during the first 150 days following sodding. ‘Floratam’ St. Augustinegrass and ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass consistently had greater RLD in the 20- to 40-cm range compared to ‘Palmetto’ and ‘FX-IO’ St. Augustinegrasses. The number of days before wilt for ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass, ‘FX-lO’, ‘Floratam’, and ‘Palmetto’ St. Augustinegrasses were 9.0, 6.7, 6.0 and 4.7, days respectively. The number of days to wilt was positively correlated (P=0.05; r=0.53) with root COWlt at the 30-cm depth, but it was not correlated with root count at the 20-cm depth.
Forbidding sets and normal forms for language forbidding-enforcing systems

This paper investigates ways to reduce redundancy in forbidding sets for language forbidding-enforcing systems. A language forbidding set disallows combinations of subwords in a word, while permitting the presence of some parts of these combinations. Since a forbidding set is a potentially infinite set of finite sets of words, finding normal forms for forbidding sets is interesting from a combinatorics on words perspective and important for the theoretical investigation of language fe-systems, the connection between variants of fe-systems, and their applications to molecular computation. This paper shows that the minimal normal forms for forbidding sets defining classes of languages (fe-families) are also normal forms for forbidding sets defining single languages (fe-languages), but not necessarily minimal. Thus, an investigation of minimality and sufficient conditions for fe-languages are presented and it is shown that in special cases they coincide with a minimal normal form for fe-families.
Getting an Edge in Online Education: Developing an Online Learning Web Portal

To effectively compete in the market of online education, institutions need to get potential students' attention and interest in their high quality online programs. This goal can be reached by developing an online Web portal presenting the institution's online learning environment and the specific class, certificate, or degree program offerings in a way that answers self-directed students' questions. For online institutions, this paper offers a list of questions, organized in different categories (e.g., is online learning for me, technical requirements, online learning environment), that potential students might ask to determine whether online education at a certain institution fits their needs. This tool can be used as a guide to develop an online learning Web portal. Getting an Edge in Online Education Developing an Online Learning Web Portal Students in the 21 st century demand life-long learning on a mouse-click (Kahn, 2000). Adult students who have family or job responsibilities increasingly enroll in online programs ( Oakley, 2004) . This enables them to get additional qualification from a university without having to move to a new location, and it helps them fit the educational work into their busy lives . The educational market certainly has recognized—and dominantly accepted—the widespread trend towards gaining additional qualifications through online education (Wojciechowski, 2005). At this point, educational research focuses partly on comparing distance education to traditional education (for example, see the meta-analysis by Bernard et al., 2004), looking at students' satisfaction with distance education (e.g., Allen, Bourhis, Burrell, & Mabry, 2002), and exploring elements that improve the quality of online classes, for example by preparing instructors for their new role (Yang & Cornelious, 2005) and by making the online learning environment more interactive (Northrup, 2002). But, to stand out in the online education market and to attract students, educational institutions benefit from giving a good first impression of their online environment and programs (Carnevale, 2005). This first contact between potential students and the online institution usually is moderated by the interface, namely the Website with information on the educational institution including specifics about the online programs and the online learning environment. The attention and interest of students searching for online programs are best addressed by a well-developed and user-friendly Website that easily answers student's questions concerning the online learning environment and the specific online program. This is important in three ways.
Astronautical Investigations of the Sun

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the problems related to astronautical investigations of the Sun that may be approached in alternative ways. It highlights the problems that may be attacked by experiments utilizing space vehicles. The chapter reviews the particular problems that seem most profitably solved through recourse to observations acquired beyond the confines of the earth's gaseous atmosphere and magnetic field. There are three basic reasons to observe the Sun from outside the atmosphere rather than from ground-based observatories: (1) to observe solar radiations that do not penetrate to the ground, (2) to eliminate the bright sky caused by scattering of sunlight in our relatively dense atmosphere, and (3) to escape seeing effects caused by dense atmospheric air currents of different index of refraction. The first two of these are the most important for the majority of problems.
The Role of Androgens in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer presents a major health issue as it is the most common non-skin cancer in American males and the second most common cause of cancer- related death in men. The etiology of the disease appears to be multi-factorial and remains poorly understood. However, it is well established that androgens play an important role in prostate carcinogenesis. The beneficial effects of androgen deprivation on prostate cancer were first realized over 70 years ago. Today, it remains the only successful treatment option for advanced prostate cancer. In contrast, the role of androgens in prostate cancer development and progression remains controversial. Evidence from epidemiologic studies of associations with serum androgens and the risk of prostate cancer is conflicting and inconclusive. Upon closer review, the available evidence does not support the traditional assertion that high testosterone level increase the risk of developing prostate cancer or cause it to progress. This chapter reviews the mechanisms of androgen production and action on the prostate and considers the historical and recent evidence regarding the role of androgens in prostate cancer.
Estimated Costs of Pivotal Trials for Novel Therapeutic Agents Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 2015-2016

Importance A critical question in health care is the extent of scientific evidence that should be required to establish that a new therapeutic agent has benefits that outweigh its risks. Estimating the costs of this evidence of efficacy provides an important perspective. Objective To estimate costs and assess scientific characteristics of pivotal efficacy trials that supported the approval of new therapeutic agents by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2015 to 2016. Design and Setting This study identified 59 novel therapeutic drugs using the annual summary reports from the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. ClinicalTrials.gov, FDA reviews, and peer-reviewed publications that were publicly available in 2017 were used to identify 52 characteristics of each efficacy trial. Costs were calculated with a global clinical trial cost assessment tool available to contract research organizations and pharmaceutical sponsors. Main Outcomes and Measures Estimated mean cost and 95% CIs based on industry benchmark data from 60 countries. Measures of trials’ scientific characteristics included trial design (no control group, placebo, and active drug), end point (surrogate outcome, clinical scale, and clinical outcome), patient enrollment, and treatment duration. Results A total of 138 pivotal clinical trials provided the basis for approval of 59 new therapeutic agents by the FDA from 2015 to 2016, with a median estimated cost of $19.0 million (interquartile range, $12.2 million-$33.1 million). Estimated costs ranged from less than $5 million for trials without a control group for 3 orphan drugs with fewer than 15 patients each to $346.8 million (95% CI, $252.0 million-$441.5 million) for a noninferiority trial with end points assessing clinical benefit. Twenty-six of 138 trials (18.8%) were uncontrolled, with a mean estimated cost of $13.5 million (95% CI, $10.1 million-$16.9 million). Trials designed with placebo or active drug comparators had an estimated mean cost of $35.1 million (95% CI, $25.4 million-$44.8 million). Costs also varied by trial end point, treatment duration, patient enrollment, and therapeutic area. Conclusions and Relevance The highest-cost trials were those in which the new agent had to be proved to be noninferior with clinical benefit end points compared with an agent already available or those that required larger patient populations to achieve statistical power to document smaller treatment effects or accrue infrequently occurring end points.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening Is Associated With Increased Survival of Patients With Cirrhosis.

Background & Aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening of patients with cirrhosis is recommended by professional societies to increase detection of early stage tumors and survival, but is underused in clinical practice. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 13,714 patients diagnosed with HCC from 2003 through 2013 included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program–Medicare database. We characterized receipt of HCC screening in the 3 years before HCC diagnosis using mutually exclusive categories (consistent vs inconsistent vs no screening) and the proportion of time covered with screening. Correlates for screening receipt were assessed using a multivariable 2-part regression model. We examined the association between screening receipt and early detection of tumors using multivariable logistic regression. We evaluated associations between screening receipt and overall survival using a Cox proportional hazards model, after adjustments for effects of lead-time bias and length-time bias on survival rate estimators. Results Most patients with cirrhosis (51.1%) did not receive any screening in the 3 years before a diagnosis of HCC, and only 6.8% of patients underwent consistent annual screening. The proportion with consistent screening increased from 5.4% in 2003 to 2006 to 8.8% in 2011 to 2013 (P Conclusions In an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program–Medicare database, we found HCC screening to be underused for patients with cirrhosis. This contributes to detection of liver tumors at later stages and shorter times of survival. However, the proportion of patients screened for HCC has increased over time.
Incidence of Nephrotoxicity Among Pediatric Patients Receiving Vancomycin With Either Piperacillin-Tazobactam or Cefepime: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Recent studies in adults have found an incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients treated with a combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) that is greater than that expected with either medication alone. The purpose of this study was to determine whether combination therapy with vancomycin and TZP is associated with an incidence of AKI in pediatric patients higher than that in those on combination therapy with vancomycin and cefepime. METHODS We performed a retrospective single-center matched-cohort study of pediatric patients who received vancomycin in combination with TZP or cefepime between January 2015 and June 2016. The patients were matched according to chronic disease, age, sex, and number of concomitant nephrotoxic medications at the time of combination antibiotic therapy. The primary outcome was incidence of AKI. Secondary outcomes included differences between groups in time to AKI, resolution of AKI, and effect of vancomycin trough levels on the incidence of nephrotoxicity. Conditional logistic regression was used to compare categorical and continuous variables between treatment groups. Conditional Poisson regression was used to assess the association between AKI and treatment groups. Stratified log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models with shared frailty were used to compare the times to AKI according to treatment group. RESULTS Two hundred twenty-eight matched patients were included. AKI developed in 9 (7.9%) of 114 and 33 (28.9%) of 114 patients in the cefepime and TZP groups, respectively (P < .001). Type of combination therapy remained a significant predictor for AKI in multivariate conditional Poisson analysis in which adjustments were made for age, sex, use of concomitant nephrotoxins, and vancomycin dose (relative risk, 2.5 [95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.8]; P = .03). AKI developed almost 3 times sooner in the TZP group than in the cefepime group (hazard ratio, 2.9 [95% confidence interval, 1.3-6.1]; P = .006). Sensitivity analyses in which adjustment was made for antibiotic indication in addition to the aforementioned variables and excluding those with gastrointestinal infection revealed similar results. CONCLUSION Among hospitalized children at our institution, combination therapy with vancomycin and TZP was associated with an incidence of AKI higher than that associated with vancomycin and cefepime.
Escherichia coli σ38 promoters use two UP elements instead of a −35 element: resolution of a paradox and discovery that σ38 transcribes ribosomal promoters

1In E. coli, one RNA polymerase (RNAP) transcribes all RNA species, and different regulons are transcribed by employing different sigma ({sigma}) factors. RNAP containing{sigma} 38 ({sigma}S) activates genes responding to stress conditions such as stationary phase. The structure of{sigma} 38 promoters has been controversial for more than two decades. To construct a model of{sigma} 38 promoters using information theory, we aligned proven transcriptional start sites to maximize the sequence information, in bits, and identified a -10 element similar to{sigma} 70 promoters. We could not align any -35 sequence logo; instead we found two patterns upstream of the -35 region. These patterns have dyad symmetry sequences and correspond to the location of UP elements in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) promoters. Additionally the UP element dyad symmetry suggests that the two polymerase subunits, which bind to the UPs, should have two-fold dyad axis of symmetry on the polymerase and this is indeed observed in an X-ray crystal structure. Curiously the CTDs should compete for overlapping UP elements. In vitro experiments confirm that{sigma} 38 recognizes the rrnB P1 promoter, requires a -10, UP elements and no -35. This clarifies the long-standing paradox of how{sigma} 38 promoters differ from those of{sigma} 70.
Risk Factors for Readmission after Ileostomy Creation: an NSQIP Database Study

Ileostomy creation is associated with excess readmissions following colorectal surgery. This study identifies risk factors for readmission in patients undergoing ileostomy creation and identifies areas of clinical intervention to reduce readmission. We used the NSQIP dataset including colectomy specific data to include 39,380 patients who underwent ileostomy creation between 2012 and 2017. We conducted univariate and multivariable analysis to identify predictors of surgery-related 30-day readmissions. Our multivariate model included surgery type (total abdominal colectomy, partial colectomy, enterectomy, or pelvic dissection), gender, age, race, ethnicity, preoperative renal failure, dialysis, transfusion, ascites, ventilator dependence, diabetes, ASA class, functional status, emergency case, SSI, wound disruption, postoperative renal insufficiency, postoperative sepsis, discharge destination, and wound class. A total of 5718 (14.52%) patients were readmitted within 30 days. After multivariate analysis, factors associated with readmission were gender, age, Hispanic ethnicity, dialysis, transfusion, ventilator dependence, diabetes, emergency case, SSI, postoperative renal insufficiency, postoperative sepsis, and discharge to a skilled facility. Patients who had enterectomy and partial colectomies were less likely to be readmitted than patients who had a pelvic procedure. Patients with postoperative renal insufficiency or renal failure were much more likely to be readmitted. Factors associated with readmission included the type of procedure and postoperative complications such as SSI, sepsis, and renal failure. Efforts to reduce readmission should focus on patients undergoing concomitant pelvic procedures as well as avoidance and management of common complications in this group of patients.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Rapid Screening of Cinnamon Essential Oils

Cinnamon essential oil is used in food flavoring, food preservation, and for complementary medicine. The most common types of cinnamon used in essential oils are true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) an...
Glaucoma Treatment as an Adjunct to Cataract Surgery

Glaucoma? Cataracts? How did we segue to glaucoma surgery from cataract surgery? Well, a funny thing happened on the way to refining microsurgery of the eye where a patient has both a cataract and a need for surgery and has experienced ongoing medical treatment for glaucoma.
Calcium chloride substitution in sodium borohydride

Abstract Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) has been a material of interest for many years in developing metal boride complexes and shows a great deal of potential as a hydrogen storage material. Though many have used various additives as catalysts to weaken the bonds within NaBH4 to create a more energetically favorable material, very little is understood about how the borohydride interacts with and changes the additives being incorporated. This work uses ball milling to incorporate calcium chloride (CaCl2) into NaBH4. Using several x-ray techniques, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy, this study shows not only that the salt diffuses into NaBH4 but describes how the borohydride changes the additive itself. In gaining a stronger understanding of what happens to the additives needed to weaken the borohydride bonds, future researchers may have an easier time selecting the appropriate additive to create a borohydride complex that will meet their needs.
Nursing students' resilience, depression, well-being, and academic distress: Testing a moderated mediation model.

Aim Academic distress is a leading cause of attrition among nursing students. The present study tested a positive psychology-oriented model detailing the potential links between nursing students': (a) psychological resilience; (b) depressive symptoms; (c) intrapersonal well-being; (d) interpersonal well-being; and (e) academic distress. Additionally, we tested whether the academic benefits of resilience were conditional upon nursing students' perceptions of their campus climate as supportive of mental health and well-being. Design A correlational, cross-sectional design was employed. Method Nursing students (N = 933) were selected from the national 2017-2018 Healthy Minds Study (HMS). Students completed measures of resilience, depressive symptoms, intrapersonal well-being (flourishing), interpersonal well-being (belonging), and academic distress. Results Conditional process modelling tested depression, belonging, and flourishing as mediators of the associations between resilience and academic distress variables. Furthermore, perceptions of campus climate were included as potential moderators of these mediation effects. Results indicated that the protective academic benefits of resilience were primarily explained by decreases in depression but that this effect was strongest for nursing students with negative perceptions of their campus climate. Conclusion Findings highlight the psychological and academic benefits of greater resilience and the moderated mediation results suggest that such benefits were conditional on the broader campus climate. Impact Nurse educators and policymakers should consider addressing contextual factors, such as campus climate, in addition to resilience training in their efforts to reduce the negative academic impacts of mental health problems and stress in nursing school.
Suspected Nonfatal Drug-Related Overdoses Among Youth in the US: 2016-2019.

Background and objectives During the current drug overdose crisis, the United States is experiencing a significant number of overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. Given the vulnerability of young persons to substance use, it is important to assess how this crisis affects the nation's youth. In this study, we investigate trends in suspected nonfatal drug-related overdoses (all-drugs, opioids, heroin, and stimulants) among youth using syndromic surveillance data from 2016 to 2019. Methods A retrospective analysis of emergency department syndromic surveillance data were used to detect quarterly trends in suspected drug overdoses from April 2016 through September 2019 among youth aged 0 to 10, 11 to 14, and 15 to 24 years. Syndrome definitions were developed using chief complaint free-text and discharge diagnosis codes to identify overdoses involving all-drugs, opioids, heroin, and stimulants. Pearson χ2 tests detected quarter-to-quarter changes, and joinpoint regression analysis assessed trends over time. Results On average, there was a 2.0 increase for youth aged 0 to 10 years and a 2.3 increase for youth aged 11 to 14 years for suspected all-drug overdoses. Suspected heroin overdoses decreased by an average of 3.3 per quarter for youth aged 15 to 24 years. Among all age groups, suspected stimulant overdoses increased across the study period, 3.3 for 0 to 10-year-olds, 4.0 for 11- to 14-year-olds, and 2.3 for 15- to 24-year-olds. Conclusions Suspected stimulant-involved drug overdoses appear to be rising among youth. These findings could inform targeted interventions, such as stimulant-focused prevention, and comprehensive approaches, including school-based prevention and other strategies to lower morbidity and mortality.
A Fast Dense Feature Tracking Routine with its Application in Cryosphere Remote Sensing Using Sentinel-1 and Landsat-8 Data

In this paper, we present a fast and intelligent routine for dense feature tracking with almost two orders of magnitude runtime improvement over conventional dense cross-correlation techniques. This routine consists of two novel modules: 1) “autoRIFT”, an efficient and intelligent dense cross-correlater with nested grid design, sparse/dense combinative searching strategy and disparity filtering technique; 2) “Geogrid”, the precise geocoding component that supports pointwise mapping between imaging coordinates (pixel location and displacement) and geographic Cartesian coordinates (geolocation and displacement velocity). autoRIFT can run on a grid in the native imaging coordinates (such as radar or map) and, when used in conjunction with the Geogrid module, on a user-defined grid in a geographic Cartesian coordinate system such as Universal Transverse Mercator or Polar Stereographic. Here we demonstrated its application in tracking ice displacement and validated with ESA's Sentinel-1A/B radar and NASA's Landsat-8 optical data.
Flow Cytometric Findings in Clonal Cytopenia of Undetermined Significance.

OBJECTIVES To examine flow cytometric (FCM) findings in clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) in relation to variant allele fraction (VAF) and mutation risk. METHODS Nine FCM parameters, including 5 FCM metrics (Meyerson-Alayed scoring scheme [MASS] parameters) we previously used to identify myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), were compared among 96 CCUS samples, 100 low-grade MDS samples and 100 samples from patients without somatic alterations (controls). RESULTS FCM findings did not differ between CCUS samples with less than 20% VAF and controls. CCUS samples with more than 20% VAF (CCUS >20% VAF) demonstrated more than 1 abnormal FCM parameter at a frequency between MDS and controls. Abnormalities in CCUS with high-risk alterations (CCUS(hi)) were similar to MDS, with no statistical difference in the percentage of cases with more than 1 FCM abnormality or a positive MASS score. The positive predictive value (PPV) for clinically significant myeloid processes; MDS, CCUS(hi), and CCUS >20% VAF compared with other CCUS samples and controls was 94.8%, with 96.5% specificity and 61% sensitivity using a modified MASS score. A subset of MDS (43%) was distinguished from CCUS(hi) and CCUS >20% VAF using 3 parameters, with a 93.5% PPV and 83.3% specificity. CONCLUSIONS FCM abnormalities can distinguish high-risk CCUS based on VAF or alteration type from low-risk CCUS and MDS in many cases. The findings are of potential utility in the evaluation of patients with cytopenias.
From an Initiative to a Program : Making the Case for Information Literacy

SUMMARY The UCLA Library has had a long-standing commitment to the attributes espoused by the teaching library model outlined in the seminal essay by Stoffle, Guskin and Boisse, “Teaching, Research, and Service: The Academic Library's Role” (1984). Information literacy was identified as a goal in the Library's strategic plan in late 2001. This served as the catalyst for the library's two-year Information Literacy Initiative (ILI). The ILI provided a mechanism for systematic library-wide and campus-wide planning and collaboration to promote information literacy among the campus community. This case study outlines the multi-faceted approach of the ILI program to further information literacy at a large, research-based university, addresses problems and barriers, and offers some solutions for collaborating with campus and library constituents. Program assessment, impact, and future directions are discussed.
Swallowing and gastrointestinal activity in the fetal monkey

Abstract 1. 1. Swallowing and gastrointestinal activity have been demonstrated in the fetal monkey by means of serial roentgenograms following the injection of radiopaque substances into the amniotic sac at various stages of gestation between 99 and 155 days. 2. 2. The rate of swallowing of amniotic fluid increases and the emptying time of the fetal stomach decreases as pregnancy progresses. 3. 3. No evidence was obtained for the normal occurrence of defecation in utero. 4. 4. Water is absorbed by the fetal intestine, thereby producing a concentration of the intestinal contents. 5. 5. Rebreathing by the maternal animal had no demonstrable effect on the rate of propagation of the intestinal contents of the fetus.
Hydrodynamic Focusing and Electronic Cell-Sizing Techniques

The technique of hydrodynamic focusing, used to improve the resolution of the Coulter counter for the sizing of bacteria, was examined. Latex particles of 0.26 μm3 to 6.7 μm3 volume were used to examine the characteristics of the system with and without hydrodynamic focusing. The system then was evaluated for sizing mixed bacterial populations as well as single populations. Possible applications are also discussed.
Subsonic plasma aerodynamics using paraelectric and peristaltic electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects

Summary form only given. The recent development of the one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUGDP) has made it possible to cover large areas, including the wings and fuselage of aircraft, with a thin layer of plasma at low energy cost. This plasma layer provides a purely electrohydrodynamic (EHD) coupling between the electric field and the neutral gas in the boundary layer. This coupling is strong enough to accelerate and manipulate the boundary layer and free stream flow, and does not require real currents to flow in a magnetic field, as do magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) approaches. The OAUGDP operates at the Stoletow point, at which the energy cost of an ion-electron pair is the minimum theoretically possible, 81 eV/ion electron pair in air. Other atmospheric plasmas, such as the arcs used for some MHD approaches, require 10,000-50,000 eV/ion electron pair to maintain the plasma. One EHD flow acceleration method is based on paraelectric EHD effects, the electrostatic analog of paramagnetism, in which a plasma is accelerated toward increasing electric field gradients, while dragging the neutral gas with it. In a second approach to flow acceleration, we are conducting experiments in the UT Plasma Sciences Laboratory designed to simultaneously generate a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUGDP) while effecting peristaltic flow acceleration of atmospheric air.
Regulating the Regulators: Recent Revelations in the Control of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases.

Since its discovery as a post-translational signal for protein degradation, our understanding of ubiquitin (Ub) has vastly evolved. Today, we recognize that the role of Ub signaling is expansive and encompasses diverse processes including cell division, the DNA damage response, cellular immune signaling, and even organismal development. With such a wide range of functions comes a wide range of regulatory mechanisms that control the activity of the ubiquitylation machinery. Ub attachment to substrates occurs through the sequential action of three classes of enzymes, E1s, E2s, and E3s. In humans, there are 2 E1s, ∼35 E2s, and hundreds of E3s that work to attach Ub to thousands of cellular substrates. Regulation of ubiquitylation can occur at each stage of the stepwise Ub transfer process, and substrates can also impact their own modification. Recent studies have revealed elegant mechanisms that have evolved to control the activity of the enzymes involved. In this minireview, we highlight recent discoveries that define some of the various mechanisms by which the activities of E3-Ub ligases are regulated.
Accurate vs. approximate likelihood methods in population analysis of sparse data sets

Objective Compare the bias, statistical consistency, and statistical efficiency of conventional NONMEM and similar parametric population pharmacokinetic methods using F.O. and F.O.C.E. likelihood approximations to a novel parametric method PEM and to the nonparametric NPAG method, which both use accurate likelihoods, in analyzing sparse data sets often encountered in population modeling. Methods Controlled simulations with a one-compartment, two-parameter (volume of distribution and elimination rate constant) model with Gaussian parameter population distributions were performed with two data points (sparse data) and with one data point (very sparse data) per subject with sample populations ranging from 25 to 1000 subjects. Bias, statistical consistency, and statistical efficiency were evaluated for each method. Results NONMEM and similar methods using F.O. and F.O.C.E approximations showed poor statistical efficiencies (0.9% and 29.0%, respectively) relative to PEM (75.4%) and NPAG (61.4%) for sparse data sets. The approximate methods were significantly biased and the F.O. method was clearly statistically inconsistent, whereas PEM and NPAG were both consistent and unbiased. For very sparse data sets, the approximate methods failed to produce acceptable results, while PEM and NPAG remained viable. Conclusion PEM and NPAG avoid the severe statistical performance degradation observed for NONMEM and similar approximate likelihood methods applied to sparse data sets. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P30–P30; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.113
Germ cell studies in mice after prolonged exposure to nitrous oxide.

Abstract Male and female Swiss Webster (SW) mice, age 13 to 14 weeks, were exposed by inhalation for 4 hr per day, 5 days per week, for 14 weeks, to either room air, 0.5% nitrous oxide, 5.0% nitrous oxide, or 50% nitrous oxide. Murine germ cells were examined for evidence of injury after this exposure. A group of male mice were treated with methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) as a positive control for sperm abnormalities while a group of female mice were treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) as a positive control for oocyte destruction. There were no significant differences among the four inhalation exposure groups in testes weight, percentage of abnormally shaped sperm, sperm count, or histologic appearance of the testes; the mean percentage (±SE) of abnormal sperm ranged from 8.9 ± 2.4 (5.0% nitrous oxide) to 13.5 ± 0.5 (50% nitrous oxide) with a concurrent control value of 10.4 ± 2.3%. In the positive control experiment, 25.2 ± 4.1% of sperm from mice treated with MMS were abnormal compared with 2.5 ± 0.3% of sperm from mice treated with saline ( p p
Differential association of concurrent, baseline, and average depressive symptoms with cognitive decline in older adults.

Objectives The impact of depressive symptoms on cognitive decline in older adults remains unclear due to inconsistent findings in the literature. It is also unclear whether effects of depressive symptoms on cognitive decline vary with age. This study investigated the effect of concurrent, baseline, and average depressive symptoms on cognitive functioning and decline, and examined the interactive effect of age and depressive symptoms on cognition. Design Prospective observational design with examination of cognitive performance and depressive symptoms at 1- to 2-year intervals for up to 26 years. Setting Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, National Institute on Aging. Participants One thousand five hundred eighty-six dementia-free adults 50 years of age and older. Measurements Scores over time on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and measures of learning and memory, attention and executive functions, verbal and language abilities, visuospatial functioning, and general cognitive status. Results Increased depressive symptoms were associated with poor cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in multiple domains. Concurrent, baseline, and average depressive symptoms had differential associations with cognition. Average depressive symptoms, a measure of chronic symptoms, seemed to show the most widespread effects on cognitive abilities. Effects of depressive symptoms on some frontal functions were greater with advancing age. Conclusion Depressive symptoms are associated with poor cognitive functioning and cognitive decline, particularly with advancing age. The widespread impact of average depressive symptoms on cognition suggests that clinicians should consider the chronicity of depressive symptoms when evaluating cognitive functioning in older adults.
Efficient distributed routing algorithms for a synchronous circuit-switched hypercube

The authors discuss the development and performance of a series of distributed routing algorithms for a synchronous circuit-switched hypercube and enhanced hypercube. Several centralized routing algorithms were developed. All the routing algorithms developed were derived from a single high-level concept of how routing can be accomplished in a circuit-switched hypercube. The routing algorithms were derived from the corresponding packet switching routing algorithm. The routing algorithms have different strengths and weaknesses when compared with one another, and these are considered. It is shown that the highest performing algorithm has an extremely low probability of blocking for the enhanced hypercube and the standard hypercube. >