cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes: From Care Processes to Quality.

Abstract Background/Objective: Nursing homes (NHs) are an important setting for the provision of palliative and end-of-life (EOL) care. Excessive reliance on hospitalizations at EOL and infrequent enrollment in hospice are key quality concerns in this setting. We examined the association between communication—among NH providers and between providers and residents/family members—and two EOL quality measures (QMs): in-hospital deaths and hospice use. Design and Methods: We developed two measures of communication by using a survey tool implemented in a random sample of U.S. NHs in 2011–12. Using secondary data (Minimum Data Set, Medicare, and hospice claims), we developed two risk-adjusted quality metrics for in-hospital death and hospice use. In the 1201 NHs, which completed the survey, we identified 54,526 residents, age 65+, who died in 2011. Psychometric assessment of the two communication measures included principal factor and internal consistency reliability analyses. Random-effect logistic and weighte...
Reversing the Amyloid Trend: Mechanism of Fibril Assembly and Dissolution of the Repeat Domain from a Human Functional Amyloid

Amyloids are traditionally observed in the context of disease. However, there is growing momentum that these structures can serve a beneficial role where the amyloid carries out a specific function. These so called 'functional amyloids' have all the structural hallmarks of disease-associated amyloids, raising the question as to what differentiates a well-behaved benign amyloid from a lethally destructive one. Here, we review our work on the repeat domain (RPT) from Pmel17, an important functional amyloid involved in melanin biosynthesis. Particularly, we focused our attention on the unique reversible aggregation-disaggregation process of RPT that is controlled strictly by solution pH. This pH dependence of RPT amyloid formation functions as a switch to control fibril assembly and maintains the benign nature that is associated with functional amyloids.
Treatments for opioid use disorder among pregnant and reproductive-aged women

The increased prevalence of opioid use disorder and access to medical insurance is subsequently increasing the likelihood that medical professionals will encounter individuals with opioid use disorder. Sharp increases in opioid use disorder among women mean that obstetricians, gynecologists, and other reproductive medicine providers may be especially likely to encounter such patients. Medical professionals' understanding of treatment for opioid use disorder and their roles in their patients' treatment may increase referrals to treatment, reduce stigma, and improve the quality of medical care. Treatment for opioid use disorder falls into four overlapping domains: medication management, medical care, behavioral/mental health care, and psychosocial support. In this review, we discuss these domains with an emphasis on pregnant women and women of reproductive age. Treatment for opioid use disorder is most effective when all providers coordinate care in an informed, nonjudgmental, patient-centered approach.
Victims of femicide in Latin America: Legal and criminal justice responses

Despite the progress that women have made in the fight against gender-based violence, it is still prevalent in various countries in the world. For many women in Latin American countries femicide is a constant reality. This paper critically analyzes femicide in Latin American countries and the legal and criminal responses to this crime. The paper defines femicide and discusses the nature and extent of femicide in Latin America. The analysis of this phenomenon in Latin American countries indicates that although some of these countries have made important strides in addressing the problem, they still face challenges in adequately preventing this crime.
Transitioning from methadone to buprenorphine maintenance in management of opioid use disorder during pregnancy.

ABSTRACTBackground: Opioid use disorder during pregnancy is a growing health concern. Methadone maintenance is the treatment of choice but emerging data indicate buprenorphine is a viable alternative. Due to costs and limited accessibility of methadone, pregnant women may require transition from methadone to buprenorphine for maintenance treatment. Objectives: To assess safety and effectiveness of transitioning from methadone to buprenorphine when necessary during pregnancy. Methods: A standardized protocol using low buprenorphine doses to minimize emergent withdrawal symptoms under careful obstetric and psychiatric monitoring was implemented in 20 pregnant women. Outpatient maternal and neonatal outcomes were assessed. Results: Women maintained on an average methadone dose of 44 ± 4.77 (20–100) mg/day (mean±standard error mean (SEM); range) were successfully transitioned to 12.60 ± 0.8 (8–16) mg/day (mean±SEM; range) of buprenorphine. Within 4 weeks of transition, 15% had illicit drugs detected in urine ...
The Role of Pulmonary Scintigraphy in the Evaluation of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Adults with congenital heart disease represent a growing population with challenging and complex medical management. Pulmonary scintigraphy can play a valuable role in the evaluation and care of this patient population. We present a review of the variety of clinical scenarios where pulmonary scintigraphy can be helpful in the evaluation of adults with congenital heart disease, along with technical considerations associated with these studies.
Application and validation of the API analytical fire method in pressure-relieving and depressuring systems

Abstract Accounting for fire scenarios is critical when analyzing pressure-relieving and depressuring systems. This is particularly true in systems such as oil refineries, petrochemical facilities, gas plants, and oil and gas production facilities where the flowing fluids are highly flammable. Because operating safely is of paramount importance in these industries, standards and recommended practices have been developed by trade associations such as the American Petroleum Institute Standard 521 (API 521) to aid in the analysis of the system. In the case of fire scenarios, the traditional recommendation of API 521 has been an empirical model based on the wetted area of the vessel. However, in the most recent 6th edition released in 2014, the standard added an analytical equation based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law that can be used for modeling the dynamic response of pressurized vessels in fire scenarios. Using BLOWDOWN™ Technology in Aspen HYSYS, this analytical fire equation was validated with available experimental data and compared with the traditional wetted area model. This also included evaluating the effects of the parameters in the analytical equation such as surface emissivity of the equipment wall and external heat transfer coefficient, which have significant uncertainties. As plant fires can impact a wide area, this study further investigated using the analytical equation to model fire on a detailed geometry of a pressurized vessel with associated piping.
Design and Implementation of an Internet of Things Communications System for Legacy Device Control and Management

Applying the capabilities of the Internet of Things holds particular promise for advancing certain of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For instance, citizens in many developing countries lack access to energy, and suffer from a lack of energy independence, scarcity, and high energy costs. Efforts are underway to make energy generation, transmission, and consumption more efficient via the application of modern communications and control. In this paper we focus on a communications and demand-side control application for legacy appliances. Instead of replacing existing devices with new “smart” devices with better communications capability, we integrate legacy devices into a centralized control system. We designed and implemented a communications system that allows control of infrared-enabled appliances over a network using wired or wireless communications. We designed a web application and user interface that can function remotely over the Internet, and use microcontrollers and infrared transmitters to communicate with infrared-enabled devices. We demonstrate a prototype of the system to control air conditioning units in a commercial building for energy management. The system uses open source hardware, software, and protocols. While we use energy management as an example, we focus on the general communications and control architecture, which is easily scalable and applicable to other devices and applications beyond those demonstrated here.
Inducing drought tolerance in wheat by applying natural and synthetic plant growth promoters

Crop productivity in future may be limited due to water scarcity. However, foliar spray of plant growth promoters may boost crop production even in adverse environments. In the present study, foliar application of one natural (moringa leaf extract, 3% MLE) and four synthetic (Polydol, Multisol, Classic, and Asahi Star) were applied at tillering, jointing, booting, and heading growth stages of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during severe, moderate, and light drought and well-watered condition. No spray and water spray were taken as controls. Results showed significant reduction in growth parameters such as total dry matter production, mean crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, and duration due to drought employed at various phenophases of wheat. However, improvement in these parameters was observed after foliar application of growth promoters, whereas interactive effects between factors were found non-significant. The activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) were more accelerated under drought treatments from exogenously supplied growth promoters. Foliar application of promoters significantly alleviated drought-induced reduction of yield and related traits. Grain weight (15%) and grain yield (27%) were improved due to exogenously applied MLE under moderate drought stress treatments relative to controls. Furthermore, 16% higher grain yield and 17% saving of irrigation water over fully irrigated and without promoter treatment (farmers' practice) was recorded from foliar-applied MLE under skipped irrigation at jointing. In conclusion, foliar-applied MLE may ameliorate drought-induced deleterious effects by enhancing antioxidant activities under drought stress.
Homogeneity of Aerosol Deposition and Mucociliary Clearance are Improved Following Ivacaftor Treatment in Cystic Fibrosis.

Abstract Background: Using planar gamma scintigraphy of inhaled radioaerosols, we have developed new analytical methods for assessing homogeneity of aerosol deposition and time-dependent particle c...
The Job Guarantee: An Institutional Adjustment Toward an Inclusive Provisioning Process

This inquiry seeks to establish that a job guarantee would animate the non-invidious re-creation of community, challenge the hierarchy which permeates social and economic relations, and facilitate an institutional adjustment toward a more inclusive provisioning process. In so doing, the analysis commences by revealing how the current institutional structure fails to provide a non-invidious provision of the material means of life.
Data Mining Methods for Assessing Self-Regulated Learning

This chapter discusses the recent advancements and potential for advancement in leveraging data mining methods to study SRL behaviors and processes. It reviews how educational data mining (EDM), conducted on fine-grained data from learner interactions, can produce an understanding of SRL and the phenomena which compose it. Within the broad range of data mining methods used in educational domains, five stand out in their use to detect and study SRL: feature engineering, prediction modeling, sequence mining, cluster analysis, and correlation mining. The chapter defines each of these and their use in research projects. To capture the SRL behaviors, researchers require techniques for detecting key aspects of cognition, metacognition, affect, and motivation in the context of the learning task and the environment. Such analyses often rely upon identifying and assessing learners' cognitive skill proficiency, interpreting their action sequences in terms of learning strategies, detecting relevant aspects of their affect and engagement, and evaluating the students' success in accomplishing their current tasks.
Study on characteristics of wind power generation in plateau mountainous area

As a new type of clean energy, wind energy has been developing rapidly in recent years. In plateau mountains, the characteristics of the wind decide that it is different from that in plains and offshore wind power generation. The research shows that the actual output power of the wind turbine is different from the theoretical under the same wind speed and blade area because of the low air density in plateau mountainous. The winter is prone to freezing disaster such as blade icing which will impact power generation and even damage the unit; The lightning disaster may damage the control system of wind turbines or blade or cause other accidents. All of these must be considered in the power prediction of wind farms, unit design, selection and opearation.
Peer Social Structure and Risk-Taking Behaviors Among African American Early Adolescents

This study investigated associations between peer status, peer group social influences, and risk-taking behaviors in an urban sample of 647 African American seventh-grade students. The highest rates of problem behaviors were seen in the controversial peer status group, or those youth who were both highly liked and highly disliked by other youth. Findings also revealed contrasting patterns of peer group leadership. The more conventional, positive leadership style predicted lower rates, and the less mainstream, unconventional style predicted higher rates of involvement in problem behaviors. Conventional leaders were most likely to be popular status youth, while unconventional leaders were mostly to be both controversial and popular status youth. Controversial status youth were also more likely to be involved in deviant peer groups. Results highlight the importance of controversial status students as key influence agents during early adolescence. We discuss the implications of these results for preventive interventions to reduce adolescent problem behaviors.
Clemency in California Capital Cases

This article is a survey of procedures and reasoning involved in California clemency in the context of the death penalty. Though the article is principally descriptive in nature, our analysis includes some prescriptive recommendations. This article grew from a report that we prepared at the request of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. We undertook a study of clemency in capital cases throughout the years of California’s use of the death penalty. Our goal was to provide the Commission with as much information as possible about the procedures and reasons for granting or denying clemency in capital cases. In addition to researching documentary materials, we also interviewed many individuals who have been involved in capital clemency proceedings and policy.
Optimal Resources for Children's Surgical Care: Executive Summary.

Surgical care has an incontrovertible, crosscutting role in achieving child health. Children develop different surgical diseases compared to adults, present unique anesthetic challenges, and have special perioperative needs. The Optimal Resources for Children’s Surgery document provides a strategy for integrating surgical care for children into National Surgical, Obstetric and Anesthesia Plans. There is an important opportunity to prevent death and reduce disability in children by scaling up surgical care in low- and middle-income countries.
Performance and Memory Trade-offs of Deep Learning Object Detection in Fast Streaming High-Definition Images

Deep learning models are associated with various deployment challenges. Inference of such models is typically very compute-intensive and memory-intensive. In this paper, we investigate the performance of deep learning models for a computer vision application used in the automotive manufacturing industry. This application has demanding requirements that are characteristic of Big Data systems, including high volume and high velocity. The application has to process a very large set of high-definition images in real-time with appropriate accuracy requirements using a deep learning-based object detection model. Meeting the run time, accuracy, and resource requirements require a careful consideration of the choice of model, model parameters, hardware, and environmental support. In this paper, we investigate the trade-offs of the most popular deep neural network-based object detection models on four hardware platforms. We report the trade-offs of resource consumption, run time, and accuracy for a realistic real-time application environment.
Population Genetics of Dermacentor variabilis Say 1821 (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in the United States Inferred From ddRAD-seq SNP Markers

Dermacentor variabilis Say is a tick species widely distributed in North America, where it is a common pest, and acts as vector for many tick-borne pathogens that affect both humans and livestock. In the United States, D. variabilis has a discontinuous geographic distribution. It is present eastwards of a line drawn from Montana to southernTexas, and a few disjoint populations western of the Rockies and in the intermountain region. It has been hypothesized that both groups may correspond to different species.The aim of this study was to investigate the population genetic structure of, and potential speciation within, D. variabilis.To do this, we generated a new data set based on nuclear markers (SNPs) discovered through next-generation sequencing.The results showed moderate population structure and supported the occurrence of gene flow between some genetic clusters. Maximum parsimony phylogenetic reconstruction showed a divergent monophyletic western clade and a generally eastern clade. Overall, the nuclear data set analyzed herein is congruent with previous findings based on mitochondrial markers, although it led to a higher level of resolution within the eastern clade. Additional lines of evidence are needed to determine whether eastern and western populations correspond to different species.
Balanced Metrics and Chow Stability of Projective Bundles over Kähler Manifolds II

In the previous article (Seyyedali, Duke Math. J. 153(3):573–605, 2010), we proved that slope stability of a holomorphic vector bundle E over a polarized manifold (X,L) implies Chow stability of \((\mathbb{P}E^{*},\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}E^{*}}(1)\otimes\pi^{*} L^{k})\) for k≫0 if the base manifold has no nontrivial holomorphic vector field and admits a constant scalar curvature metric in the class of 2πc1(L). In this article, using asymptotic expansions of the Bergman kernel on SymdE, we generalize the main theorem of Seyyedali (Duke Math. J. 153(3):573–605, 2010) to polarizations \((\mathbb{P}E^{*},\mathcal {O}_{\mathbb{P}E^{*}}(d)\otimes\pi^{*} L^{k})\) for k≫0, where d is a positive integer.
Post-Newtonian dynamics and black hole thermodynamics in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

We study the post-Newtonian dynamics of black hole binaries in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity theories. To this aim we build static, spherically symmetric black hole solutions at fourth order in the Gauss-Bonnet coupling $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. We then ``skeletonize'' these solutions by reducing them to point particles with scalar field-dependent masses, showing that this procedure amounts to fixing the Wald entropy of the black holes during their slow inspiral. The cosmological value of the scalar field plays a crucial role in the dynamics of the binary. We compute the two-body Lagrangian at first post-Newtonian order and show that no regularization procedure is needed to obtain the Gauss-Bonnet contributions to the fields, which are finite. We illustrate the power of our approach by Pad\'e-resumming the so-called ``sensitivities,'' which measure the coupling of the skeletonized body to the scalar field, for some specific theories of interest.
Catholic Social Teaching and Civic Engagement: Grounding Civic Praxis in Catholic Theory.

In the United States, there are approximately 244 Catholic colleges and universities that together form an “incomparable centre of creativity and dissemination of knowledge for the good of humanity.” 1 These societies of scholars and learners are not cloisters removed from civic life; they are apostolic in nature, called to “an institutional commitment to the service of the people of God and of the human family.” 2 They are active in civic engagement because of the set of values and meanings that defi ne them as essentially Catholic and that are explicitly expressed in the long tradition of Catholic Social Teaching. Thus, Catholic colleges and universities can animate their service and teaching missions by developing initiatives that ground the service commitment to their communities in the teaching of their shared values.
Bringing Known Drugs to Pediatric Research: Safety, Efficacy, and the Ambiguous Minor Increase in Minimal Risk.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with significant morbidity and early mortality in affected individuals and new treatments are urgently needed. Until recently hydroxyurea, an oral medication...
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis YopH targets SKAP2-dependent and independent signaling pathways to block neutrophil antimicrobial mechanisms during infection

Yersinia suppress neutrophil responses by using a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) to inject 6-7 Yersinia effector proteins (Yops) effectors into their cytoplasm. YopH is a tyrosine phosphatase that causes dephosphorylation of the adaptor protein SKAP2, among other targets in neutrophils. SKAP2 functions in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, phagocytosis, and integrin-mediated migration by neutrophils. Here we identify essential neutrophil functions targeted by YopH, and investigate how the interaction between YopH and SKAP2 influence Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yptb) survival in tissues. The growth defect of a ΔyopH mutant was restored in mice defective in the NADPH oxidase complex, demonstrating that YopH is critical for protecting Yptb from ROS during infection. The growth of a ΔyopH mutant was partially restored in Skap2-deficient (Skap2KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice, while induction of neutropenia further enhanced the growth of the ΔyopH mutant in both WT and Skap2KO mice. YopH inhibited both ROS production and degranulation triggered via integrin receptor, G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), and Fcγ receptor (FcγR) stimulation. SKAP2 was required for integrin receptor and GPCR-mediated ROS production, but dispensable for degranulation under all conditions tested. YopH blocked SKAP2-independent FcγR-stimulated phosphorylation of the proximal signaling proteins Syk, SLP-76, and PLCγ2, and the more distal signaling protein ERK1/2, while only ERK1/2 phosphorylation was dependent on SKAP2 following integrin receptor activation. These findings reveal that YopH prevents activation of both SKAP2-dependent and -independent neutrophilic defenses, uncouple integrin- and GPCR-dependent ROS production from FcγR responses based on their SKAP2 dependency, and show that SKAP2 is not required for degranulation.
Quantifying impact of real-world barriers to sleep: The Brief Index of Sleep Control (BRISC)

Abstract Objective Lack of control over sleep may contribute to population-level sleep disturbances, yet relatively little work has explored the degree to which an individual’s sense of control over their sleep may represent an important factor. Methods Data from the Sleep and Healthy Activity Diet Environment and Socialization (SHADES) study, conducted in the Philadelphia area on a population comprising 1,007 individuals aged 22-60 years, was used. The BRief Index of Sleep Control (BRISC) was developed to quantify the degree to which an individual has control over their sleep. Reliability of the BRISC was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Convergent validity was assessed by examining age-adjusted items and total score relationships to insomnia (ISI), sleepiness (ESS), sleep quality (PSQI), and total sleep time (NHANES). Results After adjustment for covariates, greater control over sleep was associated with a lower PSQI score (B = -2.2, 95% CI [-2.4,-2.0], P Conclusions Control over sleep may represent an important factor in sleep health. Control over time to bed, time awake, sleep duration, and sleep quality are all related to sleep outcomes and assessment of these constructs may be useful for future sleep interventions.
Epidemiological changes in invasive fungal infection in a neonatal intensive care unit

Objective To identify the epidemiological changes in invasive fungal infection (IFI) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to provide information for prevention and treatment of IFI. Methods A total of 102 cases who were diagnosed with IFI among 42 187 neonates hospitalized in the NICU of Affiliated BaYi Children's Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2014 were enrolled in this study. Since January 1, 2012, the divisions of our NICU were more specific and intravenous fluconazole was administered as a routine preventive measure for high-risk infants. Clinical information of the IFI cases including general features, incidence, distribution of pathogens and drug (Amphotericin B, Fluconazole, Flucytosin, Itraconazole and Voriconazole) sensitivity were analyzed between former period (January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011) and latter period (January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014) by Chi-square test. Results The total incidence of IFI was 2.42‰ (102/42 187), and among the 102 IFI cases, 73.5% (75/102) were preterm infants and 75.5% (77/102) were low birth weight infants. The incidence of IFI in the latter period was lower than that in the former period [1.8‰ (48/26 046) vs 3.3‰ (54/16 141), χ2=9.329, P<0.01]. The incidences of IFI in neonates with gestation age <28, ≥28-<32 and ≥32-<37 weeks in latter period were decreased as compared with those in former period [10.6‰ (3/284) vs 76.9‰ (9/117), χ2=12.569; 6.1‰ (13/2 134) vs 21.9‰ (28/1 277), χ2=16.868; 1.4‰ (12/8 706) vs 1.9‰ (10/5 256), χ2=7.165] (all P<0.01). Altogether 103 pathogen strains were identified from 102 IFI cases as one Candida parapsilosis strain and one Laurent cryptococcus strain were both isolated from one patient. The most prevalent three pathogens were Candida albicans [51.5% (53/103)], Candida parapsilosis [24.3% (25/103)] and Candida glabrata [8.7% (9/103)]. The isolated rates of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata strains in the latter period were higher than those in the former period [63.3% (31/49) vs 40.7% (22/54), χ2=5.218; 18.4% (9/49) vs 0.0% (0/54), χ2=10.868], while the isolated rate of Candida parapsilosis strain was lower in the latter period than that in the former period [12.2% (6/49) vs 35.2%(19/54), χ2=7.355] (all P<0.05). All pathogen strains were sensitive strains except one Candida krusei strain which was isolated in the former period and was resistant to Fluconazole. Conclusions Premature infants born at lower gestational ages or with low birth weights are still at high-risk of IFI, but the incidence of IFI has declined in recent years. Routine administration of fluconazole in high-risk infants in NICU could prevente IFI without increasing drug resistance. Candida albicans is the predominant pathogen of IFI. Key words: Mycoses; Intensive care units, neonatal; Incidence; Infant, low birth weight; Candida
Psychosocial Support, Sexual Health, and HIV Risk among Older Men Who Have Sex with Younger Men.

This study examines the extent to which older males are willing to offer psychosocial and sexual health promoting support to their younger male partners, as well as the individual and relationship-...
Evaluating the Properties of Millimeter- and THz Wave Scattering from Common Rough Surfaces

A simple numerical approach is presented to estimate rough surface scattering. We measure the roughness parameters of rough surfaces and then import them into a 2D model to compute the scattered fields under various surface illuminations. The validity of this approach is demonstrated by comparing the simulation results with measurements. Besides, we use the 2D model to simulate rough surfaces of a wide range of roughness parameters and perform a qualitative analysis on the scattering patterns. We show that, for most common building materials of moderate roughness, increasing the root-mean-square height of the rough surface reduces the maximum reflection and increases diffuse scattering. On the other hand, increasing the correlation length of the rough surface will lead to lower maximum reflection and diffuse scattering.
Outcomes of COVID-19 patients with underlying asthma and COPD: Analysis from a rural setting in the unites states

Rationale: While COVID-19 can result in multi-organ failure, the primary site of involvement is the lungs. There have been concerns throughout the pandemic about patients with underlying chronic lung diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma. However, there is paucity of data in these patients, especially from a rural setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 301 patient 18 years and older, admitted with symptomatic COVID-19 infection to 8 Vidant health system hospitals in Eastern North Carolina (ENC) from March 1,2020 to July 15,2020. Primary objective was to assess prevalence of asthma and COPD in patients hospitalized with symptomatic COVID-19. Secondary objectives were to compare need for ICU admission, mechanical ventilation (MV), MV duration, ICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, and mortality between patients with and without COPD and asthma, and between obese and non-obese asthmatics. Nonparametric tests and binary regression analyses were performed as appropriate to analyze differences between clinical covariates of interest. Results: Average age of the sample was 63.5 years (±17.1 years). N= 158 (52.5%) of the patients were females. Majority of the patients were African Americans (n=196, 65%). Most common comorbidities included hypertension (n=230, 76%), diabetes (n=155, 51%) and obesity (n=158, 52%). Prevalence of asthma and COPD was 16% (n=47) and 12% (n=36), respectively. More patients with COPD were admitted to the ICU(n=20, 56%) compared to asthma(n=22, 47%) and those with neither condition(n=85, 38%). Compared to patients with neither condition, COPD was significantly associated with increased risk of ICU admission(OR=2.4,p=0.03,CI=1.1-4.99) whereas asthma was not(OR=1.5,p=0.24,CI=0.77-2.9). There were no significant differences in rates of intubation, MV duration, ICU or hospital LOS, or in-hospital survival(Table 1). Based on a limited sample size, obesity in asthma was not significantly associated with increased risk of ICU admission, intubation, prolonged MV, prolonged hospital or ICU LOS, or mortality (n=33 obese asthmatics, n=14 non-obese asthmatics). Increased risk of mortality was significantly associated with older age (OR=1.04, p=0.003). Kaplan-Meier analyses of survival did not reveal a decrease in in-hospital survival in patients with COPD and asthma. Conclusion: Our study shows that asthma and COPD are among the less common comorbidities of COVID-19. Compared to some other studies, our study does not show worse outcomes for COPD or asthma. Larger cohorts are required to establish predictors of outcomes in these patient populations.
Review of Michael N. Mitchell’s Data Management Using Stata: A Practical Handbook, Second Edition:

In this article, I review Data Management Using Stata: A Practical Handbook, Second Edition, by Michael N. Mitchell (2020, Stata Press).
TIS10, a phorbol ester tumor promoter-inducible mRNA from Swiss 3T3 cells, encodes a novel prostaglandin synthase/cyclooxygenase homologue

TIS10 is a primary response gene whose cDNA was cloned as a result of its rapid, superinducible expression in Swiss 3T3 cells in response to 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. The 5'-untranslated region of the 3.9-kilobase TIS10 message contains only 124 nucleotides, whereas the 3'-untranslated region is almost 2 kilobases in length. Within this long 3' region, there are multiple repeats of the sequence ATTTA, a sequence often present in rapidly degraded mRNA species. Primer extension revealed that the TIS10 cDNA begins 16 base pairs downstream of the transcription start site for the TIS10 gene. The TIS10 cDNA encodes a predicted protein of 604 amino acids. A computer search identified striking similarities between the predicted TIS10 protein product and the murine, sheep, and human prostaglandin synthase/cyclooxygenase proteins. The TIS10 protein has many of the same conserved amino acids that are thought to be important for cyclooxygenase function. TIS10 mRNA is undetectable by Northern analysis in quiescent 3T3 cells. The TIS10 gene is rapidly and transiently induced by forskolin and serum, as well as by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, in Swiss 3T3 cells. These agents elicit far more dramatic changes in TIS10 mRNA levels than in cyclooxygenase mRNA levels. The expression of the TIS10 gene appears to be highly cell type-restricted in cultured cell lines; of 12 cell lines tested under superinducing conditions, only the rodent embryonic Swiss 3T3 and Rat1 cell lines expressed TIS10 gene.
Adding Apples and Oranges

We define a unit system for end-user spreadsheets that is based on the concrete notion of units instead of the abstract concept of types. Units are derived from header information given by spreadsheets. The unit system contains concepts, such as dependent units, multiple units, and unit generalization, that allow the classification of spreadsheet contents on a more fine-grained level than types do. Also, because communication with the end user happens only in terms of objects that are contained in the spreadsheet, our system does not require end users to learn new abstract concepts of type systems.
A Neural Pattern Analyzer for Adaptive Process Control

This work details an adaptation strategy based on an analysis of patterns exhibited in the recent history of the controller error and manipulated process input variable. The focus of the strategy is on adaptation requirements due to load disturbances. A quantizing network is studied in the role of a pattern analysis tool for implementing the method. The strategy is limited to a single parameter adaptation where the gain of the controller's internal model is the adjustable parameter. Details and a demonstration of the method are presented using a simulated process constructed to challenge the strategy. A model based PI algorithm is the controller employed in this work.
Evaluation of Cultivated Summer Pastures for Meat Goats in Tennessee

Abstract Lema, M., Kebe, S., Opio, R. and Fenderson, C. 2006. Evaluation of cultivated summer pastures for meat goats in Tennessee. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 30: 57–62. A grazing trial was conducted to evaluate Puna forage chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), hybrid Penleaf pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and Sahara bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) as summer pasture for meat goats. Puna chicory was 28.3 and 67.7% higher (P<0.05) in crude protein (CP), 28.1 and 35.4% lower (P<0.05) in acid detergent fiber (ADF) and 40.0 and 46.0% lower (P<s0.05) in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) than Penleaf pearl millet and Sahara bermudagrass, respectively. Relative feed value (RFV), Ca, P, Mg and K contents were significantly higher (P<0.01) for Puna chicory than for Penleaf pearl millet and Sahara bermudagrass. Penleaf pearl millet was higher (P<0.01) than Sahara bermudagrass in P, K and Mg content. Puna chicory and Pearl millet produced 73 and 70% higher (P<0.05) forage CP per ha, respectively than Sahara bermudagrass. Average ...
Interferon-regulatory factor-1 (IRF1) regulates bevacizumab induced autophagy

// Ji Liang 1,* , Yuji Piao 1,* , Verlene Henry 1 , Ningyi Tiao 1 and John F. de Groot 1 1 Brain Tumor Center, Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: John F. de Groot, email: // Keywords : bevacizumab, autophagy, IRF1, antiangiogenesis Received : January 21, 2015 Accepted : August 08, 2015 Published : September 05, 2015 Abstract Purpose: Antiangiogenic therapy is commonly being used for the treatment of glioblastoma. However, the benefits of angiogenesis inhibitors are typically transient and resistance often develops. Determining the mechanism of treatment failure of the VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab for malignant glioma would provide insight into approaches to overcome therapeutic resistance. Experimental Design: In this study, we evaluated the effects of bevacizumab on the autophagy of glioma cells and determined target genes involving in the regulation of bevacizumab-induced autophagy. Results: We demonstrated that bevacizumab treatment increased expression of autophagy markers and autophagosome formation in cell culture experiments as well as in in vivo studies. Gene expression profile analysis performed on murine xenograft models of glioblastoma showed increased transcriptional levels of STAT1/IRF1 signaling in bevacizumab resistant tumors compared to control tumors. In vitro experiments showed that bevacizumab treatment increased IRF1 expression in a dose and time dependent manner, which was coincident with bevacizumab-mediated autophagy. Down regulation of IRF1 by shRNA blocked autophagy and increased AIF-dependent apoptosis in bevacizumab-treated glioma cells. Consistently, IRF1 depletion increased the efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy in a glioma xenograft model, which was due to less bevacizumab-promoted autophagy and increased apoptosis in tumors with down-regulated IRF1. Conclusions: These data suggest that IRF1 may regulate bevacizumab-induced autophagy, and may be one important mediator of glioblastoma resistant to bevacizumab.
Is self-reported physical functioning associated with incident cardiometabolic abnormalities or the metabolic syndrome?

BACKGROUND Physical functioning may be an important pre-clinical marker of chronic disease, used as a tool to identify patients at risk for future cardiometabolic abnormalities. This study evaluated if self-reported physical functioning was associated with the development of cardiometabolic abnormalities or their clustering (metabolic syndrome) over time. METHODS Participants (n = 2,254) from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation who reported physical functioning on the Short Form health survey and had a metabolic syndrome assessment (elevated fasting glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides and waist circumference; reduced HDL cholesterol) in 2000 were included. Discrete survival analysis was used to assess the 10-year risk of developing metabolic syndrome or a syndrome component through 2010. RESULTS At baseline, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 22.0%. Women with substantial limitations (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.29) in physical functioning were significantly more likely to develop the metabolic syndrome compared with women reporting no limitations. Self-reported physical functioning was significantly associated with incident hypertension and increased waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS Simple screening tools for cardiometabolic risk in clinical settings are needed. Self-reported physical functioning assessments are simple tools that may allow healthcare providers to more accurately predict the course of chronic conditions.
Isolation and properties of a fluorescent compound, factor 420 , from Methanobacterium strain M.o.H.

A new fluorescent compound, factor420 (F420), which is involved in the hydrogen metabolism of hydrogen-grown Methanobacterium strain M.o.H. has been isolated and purified. Acid hydrolysis of this compound with 6 m HCl for 24 hr releases a ninhydrin-positive compound (glutamic acid), an acid-stable chromophore, phosphate, and an ether-soluble phenolic component. Factor420 may be reduced by either sodium dithionite or sodium borohydride at pH 7.3 with concomitant loss of its fluorescence and its major absorption peak at 420 nm. Crude cell-free extracts of strain M.o.H. reduce F420 only under a hydrogen atmosphere. F420 is photolabile aerobically in neutral and basic solutions, whereas the acid-stable chromophore is not photolabile under these conditions. An approximate molecular weight of 630 ± 8% for F420 was determined by Sephadex G-25 chromatography. At the present time, F420 is proposed as a trivial name for the unknown fluorescent compound because of its strong absorption maximum of 420 nm at pH 7.
Phase I study of topoisomerase I inhibitor exatecan mesylate (DX-8951f) given as weekly 24-hour infusions three of every four weeks.

Exatecan mesylate (DX-8951f) is a topoisomerase I inhibitor that has increased solubility and antitumor activity compared with other topoisomerase I inhibitors. The purpose of this study was to establish a safe dose of DX-8951f given as a weekly 24-h infusion 3 of every 4 weeks. DX-8951f was administered as a 24-h continuous infusion in escalating doses. Twenty-seven patients were treated with 81 courses of the drug. Dose-limiting toxicities included neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and inability to administer all three doses in the first cycle. In minimally pretreated patients, a dose of 0.8 mg/m 2 was tolerable. In patients who were heavily pretreated, a slightly lower dose, 0.53 mg/m 2 , was tolerated without any severe toxicities. Nonhematological toxicities were mild and consisted of mild diarrhea, asthenia, mild nausea, and constipation. Pharmacokinetic parameters could be well described with a one-compartment model in most patients, although the application of the one-compartment model probably resulted in an underestimated elimination half-life. In conclusion, the recommended Phase II dose for DX-8951f administered as a weekly 24-h infusion on a 3-of-4 week schedule is 0.8 mg/m 2 in minimally pretreated patients and 0.53 mg/m 2 in patients who are heavily pretreated.
A reference based analysis framework for understanding anomaly detection techniques for symbolic sequences

Anomaly detection for symbolic sequence data is a highly important area of research and is relevant in many application domains. While several techniques have been proposed within different domains, understanding of their relative strengths and weaknesses is limited. The key factor for this is that the nature of sequence data varies significantly across domains, and hence while a technique might perform well in its original domain, its performance is not guaranteed in a different domain. In this paper, we aim at establishing this understanding for a wide variety of anomaly detection techniques for symbolic sequences. We present a comparative evaluation of a large number of anomaly detection techniques on a variety of publicly available as well as artificially generated data sets. Many of these are existing techniques while some are slight variants and/or adaptations of traditional anomaly detection techniques to sequence data. The analysis presented in this paper allows relative comparison of the different anomaly detection techniques and highlights their strengths and weaknesses. We extend the reference based analysis (RBA) framework, which was originally proposed to analyze multivariate categorical data, to analyze symbolic sequence data sets. We visualize the symbolic sequences using the characteristics provided by the RBA framework and use the visualization to understand various aspects of the sequence data. We then use the characterization done by RBA to understand the performance of the different techniques. Using the RBA framework, we propose two anomaly detection techniques for symbolic sequences, which show consistently superior performance over the existing techniques across the different data sets.
Geologic significance of coiling direction in the planktonic foraminifera Pulleniatina

Systematic changes with time in the coiling direction of the planktonic fora-miniferal genus Pulleniatina provide useful datum levels for interregional correlation of Pliocene-Quaternary marine sediments. The pattern of coiling-direction changes was concordant throughout the world oceans from about 6 to 3.5 m.y. B.P. From about 3.5 to 2.3 m.y. B.P., this genus disappeared from the Atlantic and its adjacent seas. After the re-establishment of Pulleniatina in the greater Atlantic about 2.3 m.y. ago, the Atlantic coiling patterns were no longer correlative with the Indo-Pacific patterns. I consider the primary cause of the discordant coiling-direction patterns between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans to be the severance of the tropical marine connection across Central America about 3.5 m.y. ago and the subsequent development of two independent faunal provinces.
Effects of low-protein diets on protein metabolism in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients with early nephropathy.

The dietary protein requirements of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are unknown. We studied the metabolic adaptation of IDDM patients with early nephropathy to therapeutic, low-protein diets. Six patients were studied at baseline and following 1 and 12 weeks of consuming 0.6 g/kg-1 ideal body weight.day-1 protein. Outcome variables included quadriceps muscle strength, body composition, nitrogen balance, and estimates of whole body protein turnover using an infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine. All subjects experienced decreased muscle strength (6.6% decline in maximal torque, P = 0.05) and increased body fatness (11% increase in fat mass, P = 0.03) with no change in total body weight. This was accompanied by an initial 40% decrease in the rate of whole-body leucine oxidation after 1 week of dietary restriction which returned almost to baseline rates by 12 weeks (P less than 0.001, 1 week vs. 12 weeks). Nitrogen balance remained negative throughout the period of protein restriction. We conclude that IDDM subjects with early nephropathy experience protein undernutrition during the first 3 months of the dietary protein restriction currently recommended for the treatment of nephropathy. This may result, in part, from an inability to conserve essential amino acids from oxidative loss over the time period of the study.
A Screening-Level Mass Balance Analysis of Mirex Transport and Fate in the Oswego River

Abstract A mass balance approach was used to evaluate the fate of mirex in the Oswego River. The objectives of this research were 1) to assess the magnitude and extent of mirex contamination in the Oswego River, 2) to quantify the transport, fate, and distribution of mirex in the river, and 3) to estimate mirex export to Lake Ontario via the Oswego River. Field data collected as part of a 1990 Oswego River Mirex Study, in addition to other existing data, were used to develop a water quality model describing the transport and fate of chlorides, total suspended solids, and mirex in the Oswego River from Fulton to Lake Ontario. Long-term and short-term loading scenarios were evaluated to assess the possible magnitude of the initial mirex discharge to the Oswego River in 1965 as well as the subsequent export resulting from a given loading. Field data and model results suggest that a short-term mirex discharge occurring in the mid-1960s cannot account for the water column concentrations observed in 1990 or the mirex mass in Lake Ontario sediments attributable to the Oswego River. Similarly, field data and model results suggest that resuspension of the 1990 in-place mirex mass cannot account for the water column mirex concentrations observed in 1990. This suggests that there may be a continuing mirex source to the Oswego River. Based on the 1990 field data, the estimated Oswego River mirex inventory was 10 kg and export to Lake Ontario averaged 42 g/day.