cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steered Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal Important Mechanisms in Reversible Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibition

The monotopic membrane protein monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) is an important drug target for Parkinson's disease. In order to design more specific, and thereby more effective, inhibitors for this enzyme, it is necessary to determine what factors govern inhibitor specificity and the inhibitor binding process, including the roles of the lipid bilayer, the active site loop, and several key residues within the binding pocket. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of MAO B either embedded in a lipid bilayer or free in solution have been performed. The simulations suggest that the bilayer controls the availability of the active site cavity by regulating the degree of fluctuation in two key loops that form the greater part of the active site entrance (residues 85-110 and 155-165). In turn, the enzyme itself causes local thinning and a decrease in area per lipid of the surrounding bilayer environment. Additional MD simulations of MAO B in complex with seven different reversible inhibitors followed by nonequilibrium steered MD simulations of the inhibitor unbinding have also been performed. The simulations demonstrate that the average energy of interaction between inhibitor and MAO B residues during inhibitor egress is an effective indicator of inhibitor strength and is also useful for identifying key residues that govern inhibitor specificity. These data provide researchers with valuable tools for designing effective MAO B inhibitors as well as outline a method that can be translated to the study of other enzyme-inhibitor complexes.
Inboard Stall and Separation Mitigation Techniques on Wind Turbine Rotors

The aerodynamic characteristics of the NREL 5-MW rotor have been examined using a fully viscous, 3-D, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes method, OVERFLOW2. The baseline NREL 5-MW rotor demonstrates significant radial flow and inboard separation up to 30% of span. Using overset grids, various passive geometric modifications have been made to the inboard blade region of the rotor. The approach attempts to limit the radial flow component and minimize flow separation in order to increase rotor power capture below rated speed. Compared to baseline NREL 5-MW rotor, a full airfoil section fenced configuration is shown to increase rotor power capture by 0.9% and 0.6% at U∞ = 8 and 11 m/s respectively. Suction side only fences perform similarly in terms of power capture but reduce the increase in rotor thrust by 0.2% at U∞ = 11 m/s. Fence heights from 0.5 to 17.5% of the maximum chord all demonstrate some level of effectiveness, with boundary layer scale fences (12.5%cmax) showing similar performance gains to taller fences with smaller penalties in thrust. Performance in terms of power capture is not very sensitive to spanwise location, with the fence located well within the region of separation. While increasing inboard blade twist does not increase power capture, it does appear to create a favorable benefit in terms of reducing thrust at a higher rate than power.
Force deficit of vascularized skeletal muscle grafts in rabbits

Through autografting experiments on 9-g rectus femoris (RFM) muscles in rabbits, we substantiated a previous observation that the maximum isometric tetanic force (Po) and specific Po (N/cm2) of neurovascular-intact grafts are not different from grafts made with neurovascular repair. We then tested the hypotheses that the specific Po of vascularized grafts is significantly less than that of control RFM muscles and the deficit in the specific Po is associated with increases in connective tissue and interstitial space. The specific Po of the grafts was 65% of the value for control RFM muscles. Connective tissue protein concentration of grafts was 3.8 times greater than the control value of 16.6 +/- 3 micrograms/mg wet mass, but this only accounted for a 5% correction in specific Po. The volume of interstitial space did not differ between grafts and control muscles. We conclude that the deficit of 35% in specific Po of vascularized grafts compared with control values is partially explained by an increase in connective tissue, but a 30% unresolved deficit remains.
Integrating Social Science Concepts and Findings into Psychodynamic Inquiry

The reader will note that I have been urging that psychodynamically informed studies of world events that seek to take unconscious processes into account, need to use the methodology of the social sciences. For example, presenting a protocol of what to look for, as described in Chapter 3, makes the research procedure more understandable to the researcher and to the reader. A Popperian criterion for predicted consequences of assertions, described in Chapter 4, makes validation or invalidation possible. We will see in Chapter 8 that survey and content analysis methods, and thick description, can help in choosing and interpreting data. Chapter 9 will explore a collegial interactive procedure that would permit the creation of deeper meaning through a symbolic interactive process.
Draft Genome Sequence of Tombunodavirus UC1

We report here the draft genome sequence of tombunodavirus UC1 assembled from metagenomic sequencing of organisms in San Francisco wastewater. This virus shares hallmarks of members of the Tombusviridae and the nodavirus-like Plasmopara halstedii and Sclerophthora macrospora viruses.
Changes in the Practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology

A projected shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) is a result of both the increasing US population and the relatively static number of residency graduates. In addition, generational changes have contributed to increasing subspecialization, more desiring part-time employment, and earlier retirement. This article reviews data regarding changes in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. Residency education is focusing more on a core curriculum in general obstetrics and gynecology, while subspecialty fellowship training has grown in popularity. There are no recent data to describe whether OB-GYNs are working fewer hours, yet more are employed in larger practices at mostly metropolitan locations. A team-based care model that incorporates nonphysician clinicians and digital conversion of clinical data has been encouraged to increase accessibility, improve comprehensiveness, commit to more continuity of care, and reduce redundancy. Compared with other medical specialists, OB-GYNs retire slightly earlier, especially females who will represent the field more. The specialty is moving toward a more comprehensive women's health care practice model that is more patient-centered, efficient, cost controlling, team-based, and adaptable to the needs of a diverse population. Implications from these changes for our practices and improving patient care are currently unclear and await more reported experience.
How generalizable are the SEER registries to the cancer populations of the USA

Background We determined whether the current SEER registries are representative of the nation’s cancer cases or the socio-demographic characteristics.
Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis of Developing and Regenerating Spiral Ganglion Neurons

The spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) of the cochlea are essential for our ability to hear. SGN loss after exposure to ototoxic drugs or loud noise results in hearing loss. Pluripotent stem cell-derived and endogenous progenitor cell types have the potential to become SGNs and are cellular foundations for replacement therapies. Repurposing transcriptional regulatory networks to promote SGN differentiation from progenitor cells is a strategy for regeneration. Advances in the Fludigm C1 workflow or Drop-seq allow sequencing of single cell transcriptomes to reveal variability between cells. During differentiation, the individual transcriptomes obtained from single-cell RNA-seq can be exploited to identify different cellular states. Pseudotemporal ordering of transcriptomes describes the differentiation trajectory, allows monitoring of transcriptional changes and determines molecular barriers that prevent the progression of progenitors into SGNs. Analysis of single cell transcriptomes will help develop novel strategies for guiding efficient SGN regeneration.
The Derived Representation on the Lie Algebra

In this chapter for the first time we begin to deal with the C ∞ or (real) analytic structure of G, rather than with just measure theory. We shall see how a representation of G gives rise to an algebraic representation of the Lie algebra on a dense subspace, for an arbitrary Lie group G. In the case of SL 2(R), this representation has an especially simple form, as shown in §2.
Comparative effectiveness and safety of thalidomide and lenalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma in the United States of America: A population-based cohort study

Abstract Background The comparative effectiveness of thalidomide and lenalidomide in the treatment of multiple myeloma has not been established. We conducted an observational cohort study of multiple myeloma patients receiving either thalidomide or lenalidomide in routine care in the United States of America to assess their comparative survival and rates of peripheral neuropathy. Methods Myeloma patients were identified and followed using administrative claims data from a large national health insurance provider (UnitedHealth). Patients were eligible if they initiated treatment with either lenalidomide or thalidomide between 2004 and 2013. Propensity score stratified Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for death and new-onset peripheral neuropathy (defined by International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision codes or a new prescription intended to treat neuropathic pain). Findings Our cohort included 1264 myeloma patients who initiated either thalidomide or lenalidomide. Among 406 new users of thalidomide, 142 (35%) developed peripheral neuropathy during a mean 499 person-days of follow-up. Among 858 new users of lenalidomide, 244 (29%) developed neuropathy during 587 person-days. Compared with thalidomide initiators, lenalidomide initiators had a reduced risk of peripheral neuropathy (HR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56–0.92). We found no difference in rates of death (HR 1.00, 95% CI: 0.71–1.41). Interpretation Our results agree with the findings of recently published trials suggesting that thalidomide and lenalidomide are equivalent with respect to survival outcomes but different with respect to neurotoxicity in clinical practice settings.
Abstract 4863: Streamlining NGS workflows using cancer samples by the application of the DNA Integrity Number (DIN) from the Genomic DNA ScreenTape assay

The results of numerous molecular screening and assay methods often rely on the overall quality of the genomic DNA (gDNA) input material. However extraction of genetic material can be challenging and often results in low amounts or variable quality of gDNA samples, which are further subjected to time and cost intensive downstream applications. For example, array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) can require intact, high quality gDNA to ensure high quality, unambiguous results. It is therefore widely recommended to perform an initial quality control (QC) of the input material. Especially as only the final step of these workflows reveals if meaningful results have been achieved. In order to provide an objective and automated measure to standardize the gDNA integrity assessment, a software algorithm has been developed. This functionality of the 2200 TapeStation system provides a numerical determination of the gDNA integrity and is referred to as the DNA Integrity Number (DIN). This study demonstrates how DIN obtained by the upfront QC of gDNA on the Agilent Genomic DNA ScreenTape assay has allowed for significant saving of sequencing and sample preparation overhead using cancer samples in NGS workflows. Citation Format: Eva Schmidt, Isabell Pechtl, Barry McHoull, Melissa Liu. Streamlining NGS workflows using cancer samples by the application of the DNA Integrity Number (DIN) from the Genomic DNA ScreenTape assay. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4863. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4863
Building a lineage from single cells: genetic techniques for cell lineage tracking.

Lineage analyses of multicellular organisms provide key insights into developmental mechanisms and how these developmental trajectories go awry in diverse diseases. This Review discusses the features, technical challenges and latest opportunities of an evolving range of sophisticated genetic techniques for tracking cell lineages in organisms. These strategies include methods for prospective tracking using engineered genetic constructs, as well as retrospective tracking based on naturally occurring somatic mutations.
Urothelial cell carcinoma after BK polyomavirus infection in kidney transplant recipients: A cohort study of veterans

Background BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) reactivation is a common clinical occurrence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Several other polyomaviruses have been implicated as pathogens with a direct role in the development of malignancies, raising the question of whether BKPyV might also be oncogenic. Methods This study is the first retrospective, multicenter cohort study evaluating the relative risk for urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) associated with BKPyV infection among KTR, and was conducted among veterans who underwent transplantation between 2000 and 2009. BKPyV cases were defined as those veterans with any clinical evidence of BKPyV infection, including positive polymerase chain reaction testing of urine and/or serum for BKPyV or kidney biopsy showing BKPyV-associated nephropathy. Results Among the 646 veterans who met inclusion criteria for the study, 103 had clinical evidence of BKPyV infection (16%). The overall relative risk for developing any malignancy after BKPyV infection was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.89-1.44). The adjusted relative risk for malignancy after BKPyV infection was greatest with UCC (8.21, 95% CI 0.75-89.7) and with metastatic disease of unknown etiology (8.21, 95% CI 0.75-89.7). The screening prevalence for BKPyV infection increased from 18% for those veterans who underwent transplantation in 2000 to 86% for those veterans who underwent transplantation in 2009, during which time the measured prevalence of BKPyV infection increased from 7% to 24%. Conclusion In this cohort of KTR veterans, no overall increased or decreased relative risk for malignancy was associated with evidence of prior BKPyV infection. A >8-fold increased risk of developing UCC after BKPyV infection was seen, although this risk was not found to be statistically significant.
Alzheimer's Disease and Families

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming an increasing concern for older adults and their families. While there is evidence that a genetic cause exists for AD, the majority of AD diagnoses occur without a family history of the disease. Patients with AD must work with healthcare practitioners, family members, and other community resources (e.g., religious and home therapy agents) to develop a care plan that the patient feels is best for him/her. Reduced stigma and patient empowerment are major factors in long-term outcomes for families dealing with AD, keeping the patient at home and in their his/her community for as long as possible. Limited government resources may be best served in strengthening relationships between patient, family, community, and multidisciplinary healthcare team, which is the best way of limiting hospital visits and thus reducing the overall healthcare costs associated with AD. Keywords: aging; community; coping; decision-making; disability; disease; family; health care
Gastroesophageal Reflux in the Intensive Care Unit Patient

The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the critically ill patient in the intensive care unit is unknown. Interventions used in critically ill patients, such as sedation, tracheal tubes, mechanical ventilation, enteral feedings, positioning, and medications, along with specific patient characteristics and comorbid conditions contribute to an increased risk for gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in this population. Critical care nurses have an integral role in helping identify critically ill patients at risk for GER or with known GERD, in preventing complications associated with these conditions.
Sensory and cross-network contributions to response inhibition in patients with schizophrenia.

Abstract Patients with schizophrenia show response inhibition deficits equal to or greater than those seen in impulse-control disorders, and these deficits contribute to poor outcome. However, little is known about the circuit abnormalities underlying this impairment. To address this, we examined stop signal task performance in 21 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls using event related potential (ERP) and resting state functional connectivity. Patients showed prolonged stop signal reaction time (SSRT) and reduced N1, N2, and P3 amplitudes compared to controls. Across groups, P3 amplitudes were maximal after SSRT (i.e., after the time associated with the decision to stop occurred), suggesting that this component indexed response monitoring. Multiple regression analyses showed that longer SSRTs were independently related to 1) patient status, 2) reduced N1 amplitude on successful stop trials and 3) reduced anticorrelated resting state functional connectivity between visual and frontoparietal cortical networks. This study used a combined multimodal imaging approach to better understand the network abnormalities that underlie response inhibition in schizophrenia. It is the first of its kind to specifically assess the brain's resting state functional architecture in combination with behavioral and ERP methods to investigate response inhibition in schizophrenia.
Data Analysis of Cloud Security Alliance's Security, Trust & Assurance Registry

The security of clients' applications on the cloud platforms has been of great interest. Security concerns associated with cloud computing are improving in both the domains; security issues faced by cloud providers and security issues faced by clients. However, security concerns still remain in domains like cloud auditing and migrating application components to cloud to make the process more secure and cost-efficient. To an extent, this can be attributed to a lack of detailed information being publicly present about the cloud platforms and their security policies. A resolution in this regard can be found in Cloud Security Alliance's Security, Trust, and Assurance Registry (STAR) which documents the security controls provided by popular cloud computing offerings. In this paper, we perform some descriptive analysis on STAR data in an attempt to comprehend the information publicly presented by different cloud providers. It is to help clients in more effectively searching and analyzing the required security information they need for the decision making process for hosting their applications on cloud. Based on the analysis, we outline some augmentations that can be made to STAR as well as certain specific design improvements for a cloud migration risk assessment framework.
Dark Matter Identification using Gamma Rays from Dwarf Galaxies

If the positron fraction and combined electron-positron flu x excesses recently observed by PAMELA, Fermi and HESS have a dark matter origin, final state r adiation (FSR) photons from dark matter annihilation into lepton-rich final states may b e detected with observations of satellite dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way by ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (ACTs). We find that current and near-future ACTs have excellent pote ntial for such detection, although a discovery cannot be guaranteed due to large uncertainties in the distribution of dark matter within the dwarfs. We find that models predicting dark matter annihi lation into two-lepton final states and those favoring four-lepton final states (as in, for examp le, “axion portal" models) can be reliably distinguished using the FSR photon spectrum once measured, and the dark matter particle mass can also be accurately determined.
Human Genetics of Addiction: New Insights and Future Directions

With the advent of the genome-wide association study (GWAS), our understanding of the genetics of addiction has made significant strides forward. Here, we summarize genetic loci containing variants identified at genome-wide statistical significance (P < 5 × 10−8) and independently replicated, review evidence of functional or regulatory effects for GWAS-identified variants, and outline multi-omics approaches to enhance discovery and characterize addiction loci. Replicable GWAS findings span 11 genetic loci for smoking, eight loci for alcohol, and two loci for illicit drugs combined and include missense functional variants and noncoding variants with regulatory effects in human brain tissues traditionally viewed as addiction-relevant (e.g., prefrontal cortex [PFC]) and, more recently, tissues often overlooked (e.g., cerebellum). GWAS analyses have discovered several novel, replicable variants contributing to addiction. Using larger sample sizes from harmonized datasets and new approaches to integrate GWAS with multiple ‘omics data across human brain tissues holds great promise to significantly advance our understanding of the biology underlying addiction.
Weight Recidivism After Bariatric Surgery: Evaluation and Implications

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. A minority of patients will suffer from inadequate weight loss or weight regain. The reasons for this are multifactorial, including anatomic, physiologic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. A thorough assessment begins with a history and physical examination in order to identify any contributors to poor weight loss outcomes. Common reasons for weight recidivism include maladaptive eating habits, psychosocial stressors, and decreased energy expenditure and physical activity. Anatomic and surgical factors, such as infrequent band adjustments or large pouch size, play a role as well. Management includes in-depth counseling regarding nutrition and behavior modification and, depending on the patient, may include revision or conversion surgery.
A Distributed Biconnectivity Check

For many distributed autonomous robotic systems, it is important to maintain communication connectivity among the robots. That is, each robot must be able to communicate with each other robot, perhaps through a series of other robots. Ideally, this property should be robust to the removal of any single robot from the system. In this work, we define a property of a team’s communication graph that ensures this property, called biconnectivity. We present a distributed algorithm to check if a team of robots is biconnected, prove its correctness, and analyze it theoretically.
Nephrectomy in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Clinical and Biologic Effects

Up to one third of patients with renal cell carcinoma present with metastatic disease, and 20% to 40% of those with clinically localized disease eventually are found to have metastatic involvement. Prognosis continues to be poor for this population with a 2-year survival of only 10% to 30%; however, progress is being made. The role of surgery in those patients with advanced disease is currently being defined. There is a growing body of literature documenting the clinical effects of cytoreductive nephrectomy on patient outcomes. In addition, recent phase III trials have shown that nephrectomy prior to initiation of immunotherapy significantly improves survival in certain well-selected patients with metastatic renal call carcinoma (MRCC). Advances in our understanding of tumor-induced immune dysfunction have allowed greater insight into the biologic effects of nephrectomy on these patients, as well. Fortunately, there are new treatments for MRCC on the horizon, and nephrectomy will likely continue to play a role in these therapies as well.
Gesture Recognition Using Commodity RGB-D Sensor for Imitation Learning Platform for Children with Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is characterized by profound impairments in social interaction and communication. Children with ASD have deficits in core areas of social interactions such as gesture imitation. Gesture imitation is one of the early developed social communication skills and is thought to be linked with concurrent as well as later complex social skills such as language development, play and joint attention skills. Thus early identification of such a deficit and providing appropriate intervention regarding gestural imitation skills are quite important. This work, which is a part of a larger study that aims at building a gesture imitation intervention platform for children with ASD, leverages the intrinsic interest of the children with ASD in robotic technology. In this paper, we discuss the part of the robot-mediated intervention system that deals with gesture recognition and present preliminary recognition results.
Far Infrared Absorption in Ordered Magnetic Systems

The most elementary and familiar model for ordered magnetic systems is the so-called molecular field model, in which each spin is supposed to be acted on by a “molecular field” proportional to the magnetization or mean polarization of the other spins. This model leads to a second-order phase transition at a Curie temperature Tc above which there is no mean polarization. It gives qualitatively correct results, but is not quantitatively correct. The physical basis for the model is the exchange interaction, which introduces a coupling energy which depends on the relative spin orientations of nearby atoms. One expects the exchange coupling to fall off roughly exponentially with distance in insulating crystals, since it depends on the overlap of wavefunctions. Thus it is common to consider only nearest-neighbor coupling. Since the molecular field model essentially couples a given spin equally to all spins that participate in the average, it will give particularly bad results when each spin has only a few near neighbors.
Organizational Capacity to Absorb External Knowledge: An Exploratory Study of Public and Nonprofit Decision Makers' Perceptions of Impediments and Facilitators

ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO ABSORB EXTERNAL KNOWLEDGE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT DECISION MAKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF IMPEDIMENTS AND FACILITATORS By Linda S. Birtley, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Chair: Kevin W. Allison, Ph.D., Professor, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Science Research indicates that many youth-serving agencies do not adopt evidence-based innovations in the field of youth violence prevention. This qualitative study was designed to explore a sample of community-based decision makers’ perceptions of why innovative, evidence-based programs and practices for the prevention of violence by youth are, or are not, adopted at the local level. The rationale for this study was that knowledge of evidence-based innovations in youth violence prevention originates primarily from research scientists who are external to the organizations that are the intended recipients of the innovations. Prior research has not viewed the failure to adopt evidence-based innovations from the perspective of the impediments and facilitators of recipient organizations’ capabilities of understanding the value of and acquiring the new external knowledge. This research study used interviews from a purposefully selected sample of 28 decision makers in public and nonprofit organizations with youth-serving missions located in three urban cities. These interviews constituted a secondary data set for this study and were drawn from a larger set of 38 interviews after a review for suitability. The learning process model of absorptive capacity was used as an a priori framework for the analysis of the interviews. This model recognizes the influences of environmental conditions, knowledge characteristics, learning relationships, mental models, structures and processes, and strategies on the organizational capability to absorb new external knowledge. This study revealed that environmental conditions were a key impediment to the acquisition of new evidence-based knowledge for use in the adoption of YVP programs. Key findings were a lack of issue leadership and strategy at the local level and unstable funding for agencies’ core and non-core programs, such as YVP efforts. A second set of key findings demonstrated that mental models were facilitators and impediments. A high value was placed on YVP as an issue area, but the expectation was that YVP programs require external funding. Decision makers also defined program success differently than prevention scientists. Recommendations are offered for prevention science researchers to increase the likelihood that innovations in YVP will be discovered and utilized by practitioners.
Endobronchial Ultrasound: Clinical Applications

Ultrasound is an imaging modality that utilizes the mechanical properties of high-frequency sound waves when passing through tissues of different densities to produce images of the interrogated tissue. Ultrasound has long been used to image thoracic structures, and the use of an ultrasound endoscope allowing visualization of structures surrounding the esophagus was first described in 1980 [1]. In the early 1990s, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) was introduced, dramatically changing the practice of bronchoscopy [2, 3]. Before the advent of EBUS, the bronchoscopist’s view was limited to those structures visualized within the airways or with fluoroscopy. The bronchoscopist can now visualize the structures surrounding the airway wall using EBUS. This chapter will review the clinical applications of EBUS. A more detailed discussion of the technical aspects of EBUS will be undertaken elsewhere in this text.
Nuclear gene defects in mitochondrial disorders.

Abstract Most mitochondrial cytopathies in infants are caused by mutations in nuclear genes encoding proteins targeted to the mitochondria rather than by primary mutations in the mitochondrial DNA. Over the past few years, the awareness of the number of disease-causing mutations in different nuclear genes has grown exponentially. These genes encode the various subunits of each respiratory chain complex, the ancillary proteins involved in the assembly of these subunits, proteins involved in mitochondrial DNA replication and maintenance, proteins involved in mitochondrial protein synthesis, and proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics. This increased awareness has added a challenging dimension to the current diagnostic workup of mitochondrial cytopathies. The advent of new technologies such as next-generation sequencing should facilitate the resolution of this dilemma.
Medial habenula maturational deficits associate with low motivation for voluntary physical activity

The habenula is a small, diencephalic structure comprised of distinct subnuclei which receives inputs from the limbic forebrain and sends projections to various regions in the midbrain, making this region well positioned to influence reward and motivation. Genetic ablation of the dorsal medial habenula is known to decrease voluntary wheel-running in mice. However, the extent to which the medial habenula (MHb) mediates wheel-running motivation in the context of high or low motivation for voluntary physical activity remains to be determined. In so, we utilized 5-week-old female rats selectively bred to voluntarily run high (HVR) or low (LVR) distances in order to determine if inherent differences in medial habenula maturation accompany inherent differences in wheel-running motivation. We report a significantly higher expression of genes associated with MHb development (Brn3a, Nurr1, Tac1, and Kcnip) in HVR versus LVR rats. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between Brn3a and Nurr1 expression and run distance in HVR, but not LVR rats. Similarly, NeuN and Synapsin 1, markers of neuronal maturation, were higher in HVR compared to LVR rats. Lastly, dendritic density was determined to be higher in the MHb of HVR versus LVR rats, while LVR rats showed a higher percentage of thin spines, suggesting a higher prevalence of immature dendrites in LVR rats. Taken together, the above findings highlight the involvement of MHb in driving the motivation to be physically active. Given pandemic levels of global physical inactivity, the role of the MHb offers a novel potential to improve our global health.
The Challenges of the Modern Workplace: A Brave New Connected World

Despite positive changes, the workplace has become ever more challenging to our mental equilibrium, in part because we are constantly bombarded with information from our professional, personal, and media worlds. This chapter discusses the new world of intense connectivity and how technology has changed our world and blurred the lines between work and home, sometimes contributing to mental unwellness. We feel more connected and stimulated but also more lonely and lost as a time when economic and technological changes constantly alter the way we work and threaten many job categories. This chapter then introduces and describes three types of employment disengagement and invites the reader to reflect on the personal impact of these trends.
Assessing UNGC pharmaceutical signatories stakeholders using big data

This article aims to focus on how signatories versus nonsignatories in the U.S. pharmaceutical sector compare with respect to the internal and external stakeholders and principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). We seek to answer the question: Do signatories to the UNGC walk the talk better than nonsignatories as determined by a variety of published rankings and data? This research presents an innovative approach to the evaluation of UNGC signatories. It uses several objective and independent data sources to assess a matched group of signatories versus nonsignatories in the U.S. pharmaceutical sector. Signatory organizations in the same sector as determined by SIC codes were matched with nonsignatories on variables such as size and number of employees in U.S. pharmaceutical companies. Then both types of organizations were compared on the following data sources: Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies ratings, ratings by external stakeholders, ratings by employees, unionization data, financial measures, and annual reports to shareholders. Using nonparametric testing the research found there are differences between signatories and nonsignatories in the U.S. pharmaceutical sector for some of the external stakeholder measures and no differences were found for the internal stakeholder measures.
Anesthesia for Ophthalmic Surgery

Children may need general anesthesia for many eye procedures that would be performed awake in adults, such as an eye examination. Access to the airway may be limited during eye procedures, and the choice between a supraglottic airway and an endotracheal tube depends on the child’s age, size and other factors. Anesthesia affects the intraocular pressure and eye position, both of which may affect surgical outcome. The emesis rate is higher after strabismus surgery than after any other type of surgery, and there are a variety of methods to prevent it. Children with penetrating eye injury may require general anesthesia without adequate preoperative fasting, and various debated approaches to anesthesia are acceptable in this scenario. This chapter discusses anesthesia management for the more common eye procedures in children.
A Solution-Focused Comparative Risk Assessment of Conventional and Emerging Synthetic Biology Technologies for Fuel Ethanol

Global energy demand is increasing due to global development initiatives and steady population growth. The US Energy Information Administration’s International Energy Outlook 2017 (IEO 2017) projects that the world energy consumption will raise from approximately 575 quadrillion Btu in 2015 to 736 Btu by 2040—an increase of 28% (IEO 2017). Fossil fuels, such as petroleum and natural gas, serve as the leading energy sources for various sectors, such as transportation. However, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that biofuel production will increase by 15% over the next 5 years to reach approximately 42.6 billion gallons (IEA 2018). Various types of renewable fuels or fossil fuel additives are being researched and developed as complements or supplements to fossil fuels. Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is one such additive, particularly for motor fuel in the United States and Brazil. Fuel ethanol has been proprosed to offset dependence on petroleum, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 43% relative to gasoline (Flugge et al. 2017). Additionally, as advanced ethanol production processes are less sensitive to the vagaries of geography, as will be discussed later in this chapter, countries can produce it domestically rather than having to rely on the geopolitics associated with the world petroleum market.
Psychoactive pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems: A comparative assessment of environmental monitoring approaches for water and fish.

Abstract Environmental monitoring and surveillance studies of pharmaceuticals routinely examine occurrence of substances without current information on human consumption patterns. We selected 10 streams with diverse annual flows and differentially influenced by population densities to examine surface water occurrence and fish accumulation of select psychoactive medicines, for which consumption is increasing in the Czech Republic. We then tested whether passive sampling can provide a useful surrogate for exposure to these substances through grab sampling, body burdens of young of year fish, and tissue specific accumulation of these psychoactive contaminants. We identified a statistically significant (p
A Functional Approach to Nutrition Screening Among Ambulatory Older Persons

Abstract Nutrition screening is an essential component when providing health care for the older person. With the paradigm shift of geriatric care from a medical to a functional model, functionality should become a hallmark in the validation of nutrition screening tools. This report compares and contrasts nutritional and functional indices, and provides direction for the development of future nutrition screening tools.
Visual stroke symptom triage tool to reduce delays due to limited English proficiency in Emergency department stroke activations

Background Limited English proficiency (LEP) may contribute to delays in care and worse outcomes in patients hospitalized with stroke. Limited access to interpreter services leads to delays in triage, code activation, imaging evaluations, and treatment. At our Comprehensive Stroke Center, 20% of patients with stroke have a Chinese dialect as a primary language and LEP. We sought to assess differences in stroke activation process times and IV alteplase treatment (IVT) rates between English and LEP (Chinese dialect) patients before and after implementation of a visual stroke symptom (VSS) triage tool. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients presenting to the ED with stroke activation at a tertiary care center in Boston, MA from 1/1/2019-8/31/2019. Data was collected from 1/1/2019-3/31/2019 and from 6/1/2019-8/30/2019. Patients were excluded if they had a language other than English or Chinese as a primary language, prehospital notification, or pre-hospital IVT. All LEP patients were triaged with assistance of the VSS triage tool starting with a training phase from 4/1/2019-5/30/2019. Outcomes included door-to-triage (DTT) time, door-to-stroke activation (DSA) time, door-to-CT (DCT) time, door-to-needle (DTN) time, and proportion treated with IVT. Comparisons were made between the pre-intervention and post-intervention phases with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. A sensitivity analysis included only LEP patients. Results 131 patients were included (language: 104 English, 27 Chinese). There were no differences in overall preintervention versus post-intervention median times for DTT (6 vs 5 min, p=0.41), DSA (22 vs 21 min, p=0.81), DCT (37.5 vs 34 min, p=0.55), or DTN (69 vs 57 min, p=0.84). There were no differences in the LEP-only sensitivity analysis for DSA (21 vs 23 min, p=0.96) or DCT (44 vs 39 min, p=0.55), but there were trends towards reduced times for DTT (6 vs 3.5 min, p=0.19) and DTN (99 vs 62 min, p=0.15). In the preintervention phase, 1/11 (9%) of LEP patients were treated with IV alteplase, whereas 4/16 (25%) were treated in the post-intervention phase. Conclusion A larger proportion of LEP patients were treated with IVT with the use of a VSS triage tool, and there were trends towards lower DTT and DTN times.
Navigating pedagogical translanguaging: Commentary on the special issue

Abstract The special issue provides an outstanding opportunity for observing the situated nature of translanguaging theorizing itself and its attendant practices in diverse multilingual settings around the world. It does so by focusing on the construct of pedagogical translanguaging, particularly what we can learn from tension points that teachers might experience as they engage in acquiring knowledge and gain awareness about translanguaging, undertake complex decision-making that honors the particulars of their educational settings, initiate translanguaging practices, and refine these through repeated cycles of reflection and action in line with deeply held professional values and beliefs. I highlight larger lessons learned from the research presented in the collection’s articles and the hopeful glimpses they offer for how we can arrive at and enact successful, because carefully situated, translingual practices.
Leveraging PhD Students to Support EdD Dissertation Writing

Doctoral faculty have long advocated for writing support for doctoral candidates during the dissertation stage. However, schools of education often fail to provide organizational supports to assist struggling dissertators. EdD students in CPED institutions may need additional supports due to shorter time-to-degree programs and full-time work commitments. This paper reports how one PhD student in a CPED institution acted as a dissertation consultant for 35 EdD dissertators and successfully guided them through their dissertations. The author examines how her background in composition, experiences in education research, and willingness to address socio-emotional needs contributed to this success and argues that PhD students with similar backgrounds can take up dissertation consulting work in schools of education as an organizational support for EdD dissertators. The mutual benefits of engaging in this work are discussed as is the potential for school-university partnerships stemming from PhD-EdD student collaboration during doctoral study.
FMRI based on transition-band balanced SSFP in comparison with EPI on a high-performance 0.55 T scanner.

PURPOSE Low-field (<1 tesla) MRI scanners allow more widespread diagnostic use for a range of cardiac, musculoskeletal, and neurological applications. However, the feasibility of performing robust fMRI at low field has yet to be fully demonstrated. To address this gap, we investigated task-based fMRI using a highly sensitive transition-band balanced steady-state free precession approach and standard EPI on a 0.55 tesla scanner equipped with modern high-performance gradient coils and a receive array. METHODS TR and flip-angle of transition-band steady-state free precession were optimized for 0.55 tesla by simulations. Static shimming was employed to compensate for concomitant field effects. Visual task-based fMRI data were acquired from 8 healthy volunteers. For comparison, standard EPI data were also acquired with TE = T2∗ . Retrospective image-based correction for physiological effects (RETROICOR) was used to quantify physiological noise effects. RESULTS Activation was robustly detected using both methods in a 4-min scan time. Transition-band steady-state free precession was found to be sensitive to interference from subtle spatial and temporal (field drift, respiration) variations in the magnetic field, counteracting potential advantages of the reduced magnetic susceptibility effects compared to its utilization at high field. These adverse effects could be partially remedied with static shimming and postprocessing approaches. Standard EPI proved more robust against the sources of interference. CONCLUSION BOLD contrast is sufficiently large at 0.55 tesla for robust detection of brain activation and may be employed to broaden the spectrum of applications of low-field MRI. Standard EPI outperforms transition-band steady-state free precession in terms of signal stability.
Assessment of Annual Cost of Substance Use Disorder in US Hospitals.

Importance A persistently high US drug overdose death toll and increasing health care use associated with substance use disorder (SUD) create urgency for comprehensive estimates of attributable direct costs, which can assist in identifying cost-effective ways to prevent SUD and help people to receive effective treatment. Objective To estimate the annual attributable medical cost of SUD in US hospitals from the health care payer perspective. Design, Setting, and Participants This economic evaluation of observational data used multivariable regression analysis and mathematical modeling of hospital encounter costs, controlling for patient demographic, clinical, and insurance characteristics, and compared encounters with and without secondary SUD diagnosis to statistically identify the total attributable cost of SUD. Nationally representative hospital emergency department (ED) and inpatient encounters from the 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and National Inpatient Sample were studied. Statistical analysis was performed from March to June 2020. Exposures International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM)principal or secondary SUD diagnosis on the hospital discharge record according to the Clinical Classifications Software categories (disorders related to alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, stimulants, and other substances). Main Outcomes and Measures Annual attributable SUD medical cost in hospitals overall and by substance type (eg, alcohol). The number of encounters (ED and inpatient) with SUD diagnosis (principal or secondary) and the mean cost attributable to SUD per encounter by substance type are also reported. Results This study examined a total of 124 573 175 hospital ED encounters and 33 648 910 hospital inpatient encounters from the 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and National Inpatient Sample. Total annual estimated attributable SUD medical cost in hospitals was $13.2 billion. By substance type, the cost ranged from $4 million for inhalant-related disorders to $7.6 billion for alcohol-related disorders. Conclusions and Relevance This study’s results suggest that the cost of effective prevention and treatment may be substantially offset by a reduction in the high direct medical cost of SUD hospital care. The findings of this study may inform the treatment of patients with SUD during hospitalization, which presents a critical opportunity to engage patients who are at high risk for overdose. Aligning incentives such that prevention cost savings accrue to payers and practitioners that are otherwise responsible for SUD-related medical costs in hospitals and other health care settings may encourage prevention investment.