cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capacity of a class of overlay cognitive MAC radios

This paper considers a class of overlay cognitive radios with three messages, referred to as overlay cognitive MAC radios. The system consists of two transmitters and receivers but three independent messages, two of which are to be decoded at one receiver while the third is destined for the other receiver. An achievable region and an outer bound for the “weak” and “strong” interference cases are presented for this channel, which are ultimately shown to match for the special class of “weak” Gaussian overlay cognitive MAC radios.
A feature model of immediate memory

A feature model of immediate memory is presented, and simulations are described. List items are characterized as multiattribute vectors that can be selectively overwritten by subsequent external events and by the ongoing stream of internal activity. Degraded primary memory vectors are compared with intact secondary memory vectors, and retrieval likelihood is computed as the ratio of similarities. The model is shown to account for the major modality-based phenomena of the immediate serial recall literature, including modality-based temporal grouping effects and the negative effects of phonological similarity.
Media Violence and Children: Applying Research to Advocacy

Research and advocacy concerning children and media violence has a long and conflicted history. In recent times, the focus of discussion has been on video games. However, the history of concern began in the early 1900s with questions about the effects of comics and comic books, and their stories of crime and violence. The same concern continued with questions about the effects of radio programs of crime and mystery and the influence of violence in films. By the late 1940s, however, a new medium bursts on the scene in America: television!
Latent class profiles of depressive symptoms from early to middle childhood: predictors, outcomes, and gender effects

Background There has been little available data to inform the predictors and outcomes of latent class trajectories of depressive symptoms beginning during preschool and continuing throughout school age. Further, the extant literature in this domain has been limited by the use of parent report checklists of nonspecific ‘internalizing’ psychopathology rather than diagnostic interviews for depression. Methods To address these gaps in the literature, this study applied growth mixture modeling to depressive symptom severity endorsed by children and/or their caregivers (N = 348) during a structured clinical interview in a 10-year longitudinal dataset spanning from preschool into late school age. Results Three distinct trajectories of depressive symptom severity were found in boys and girls. For boys, but not girls, the high depression severity latent class increased in depressive symptoms from preschool through school age, followed by a decline in depressive symptom severity during later school age. For girls, the high depression severity latent class remained stable across time. Early childhood social adversity, familial history of affective disorder, preschool-onset ODD/CD, and school age functional impairment differentiated high-risk trajectory classes among both boys and girls. Conclusions Extending the literature on trajectories of depressive symptoms to the preschool period, these findings incorporate structured clinical interviews of depressive symptom severity and indicate gender differences as well as psychosocial predictors and functional outcomes among children in high severity latent classes. The findings from this study suggest that increased attention to screening for depressive symptoms in early childhood is of significant public health importance.
Integrative analysis of LC-MS based glycomic and proteomic data

Studies associating changes in the levels of glycans and proteins with the onset of cancer have been widely investigated to identify clinically relevant diagnostic biomarkers. Advances in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) have enabled high-throughput identification and quantitative analysis of these biomolecules. While results from separate analyses of glycans and proteins have been reported widely, the mutual information obtained by combining the two has been relatively unexplored. In this study, we investigate integrative analysis of glycans and proteins to take advantage complementary information to improve the ability to distinguish cancer cases from controls. Specifically, SVM-RFE algorithm is utilized to select a panel of N-glycans and proteins from LC-MS data previously acquired by analysis of sera from two cohorts in a liver cancer study. Improved performances are observed by integrative analysis compared to separate glycomic and proteomic studies in distinguishing liver cancer cases from patients with liver cirrhosis.
Sinus Bradycardia Detection Method Based on Photoplethysmography for Wearable Computing

The growing interest in wearable computing during daily life has lead to many studies on unconstrained biological signal measurements.The photoplethysmography(PPG),as an extremely useful wearable sensing medical diagnostic tool,adequately creates a health care monitoring device since it can be easily measured in our bodies.In this paper,the SVM classification algorithm was used to design a sinus bradycardia detection method.The pulse wave data collection,storage and feature vectors extraction were controlled by software platform.The SVM classification algorithm was applied and a classifier was established to determine whether the current status of user's heart is in sinus bradycardia.The optimum setting parameters were evaluated through the experimental tests.The classifier optimal parameters were identified as C=38and g=7,whose classification accuracy rate is 94.44%.The corrected judgment rate verified by the test set is 94.18%.The proposed method provides a new application field for the wearable computing products based on photoplethysmography signal.
Biological proprtie of ovine beta-lipotropic hormone.

Ovine β-lipotropic hormone LPH) was assayed for hormonal activities associated with anterior and intermediate lobe pituitary hormones and was found to have melanocyte-stimulating, lipolytic and adrenal-stimulating activities. As a lipolytic agent, β-LPH is most active in rabbit adipose tissue; it is only weakly active in rat and appears to be inactive in mouse adipose tissue. Studies with fragments of the β-LPH molecule produced during the reaction of β-LPH with cyanogen bromide have shown that the center for lipolytic and melanocyte-stimulating activities resides in region 41–58, which contains the sequence of β-MSH. Some conclusions about the effect of structure on activity have been drawn. Results of a study revealing the presence of β-LPH in lamb serum are also presented. (Endocrinology 82: 898, 1968)
Ancient Binding Spells, Amulets and Matt 16.18–19: Revisiting August Dell's Proposal a Century Later*

The goal of this essay is to reopen the unfortunately unrefined but still illuminating proposal of August Dell a century ago – a proposal to read the motif of ‘bind and unbind’ in Matt 16.19 against the backdrop of ancient magical conventions – and to corroborate this hypothesis with philological precision and contextualisation. The present study seeks to demonstrate how central the motif of ‘bind and unbind’ was to most binding spells and amulets, and how the verbs λύeιν and δέeιν and their cognates might have evoked the conventions of binding magic when heard in religious and ritual contexts. We see Matt 16.19 as a literary reappropriation of a typical binding spell, crafted to highlight Peter's authority to ‘bind’ and ‘break’ whatever entities he should choose. Jesus' guarantee that he/God will ‘unbind’ whatever target Peter ‘unties' is to be understood as a clear indication that Peter is endowed with an invincible potency over every other spiritual entity, symbolised by the power to break any ‘binding’ spell. The security of the church against malevolent and harmful spiritual entities is further guaranteed by Christ's promise, if read in ancient binding magical conventions: Christ will give Peter the key of the kingdom of heaven so that Peter as the key-bearer may become a figure who can channel the full potency of the keyed object.
Pigmentary abnormalities in genetic disorders

This article focuses on a few of the most common genetically inherited disorders of pigmentation: multiple lentigines syndromes, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, dyskeratosis congenita, incontinentia pigmenti, tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, and Albright's polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.
Are Long-Run Effects from Oil and Gas Disturbances Different? Insights for Trinidad and Tobago

This paper answers two primary questions on Trinidad and Tobago’s economy: (1) How long are the effects from oil and gas disturbances on the economy? (2) How do the long-run effects from oil and gas disturbances differ within the economy? Trinidad and Tobago was ideal for this investigation due to its well-developed gas and oil exploration infrastructure. To achieve this task an estimation of a VECM model, with cointegration restrictions based on a long-run macroeconomic model were conducted. Benchmark analysis was performed that compared VECM against traditional time series models showing the benefits of utilizing cointegration relationships that were embedded within the data. In addition to teasing out the long-run effects of oil and gas disturbances, a SVEC model was estimated. It was found that there was a clear distinction between oil and gas disturbances with oil shocks being larger in magnitude and duration. Also, disturbances had opposing dynamics on CPI, interest rate, inflation and narrow money velocity, but were positively correlated with the effective real exchange rate in the long- run. These findings are important; because, without them it is probable that a wrong policy mix or inappropriate portfolio allocation would be performed, resulting in a sub-optimal result.
Spread or stacked? Vertical versus horizontal food presentation, portion size perceptions, and consumption

Abstract This research investigates the unexplored consequences of food presentation on consumers' portion size perceptions and consumption. The findings show that consumers perceive portions as smaller and eat more when foods are presented vertically (i.e., stacked on the plate) versus horizontally (i.e., spread across the plate). The effect of presentation on portion size perceptions occurs because consumers use the surface area of the portion as a heuristic for overall portion size and, for equal volumes of food, portions presented vertically have a smaller surface area. Surface area is used as a heuristic for overall portion size presumably because (1) when looking down at a plate of food on a dining table, the surface area of the portion is more salient than the height and (2) through experience consumers learn that the surface area of the portion is often positively correlated with overall portion size. The results of this research underscore the importance of food presentation and identify viewing angle as a factor to consider when evaluating portion size.
Immunologic Changes During Pregnancy

Attempts to understand why the fetus is not rejected by the mother have led us to an ongoing and fascinating understanding of both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms of maternal recognition during pregnancy. As gestation evolves, the developing embryo becomes isolated within a semi-permeable environment. The anatomic organization of the maternal–fetal interface, absence of classical MHC molecules on the trophoblast surface, uterine NK cells, the cytokine milieu, macrophages, T and B cell populations, antibody production, indoleamine 2,3-deoxygenase, complement regulatory proteins, and sex hormones allow for the integrity of the maternal–fetal interface and provide an example of cellular recognition. As immunologic changes develop, the balance required for host defense and control of autoimmunity is transformed and the pregnant female becomes susceptible to infections and changes in disease activity. This chapter provides an overview of the fundamental immunologic principles that determine the immunobiology of pregnancy by focusing on some of the cellular and molecular interactions known to be involved in immune function during gestation. How such changes influence the clinical manifestations of autoimmune diseases in the pregnant female and affect susceptibility to infection is discussed briefly.
Progression-free survival of children with localized ependymoma treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy or proton-beam radiation therapy

BACKGROUND The treatment for childhood intracranial ependymoma includes maximal surgical resection followed by involved-field radiotherapy, commonly in the form of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Proton-beam radiation therapy (PRT) is used at some centers in an effort to decrease long-term toxicity. Although protons have the theoretical advantage of a minimal exit dose to the surrounding uninvolved brain tissue, it is unknown whether they have the same efficacy as photons in preventing local recurrence. METHODS A retrospective review of medical records from September 2000 to April 2013 was performed. Seventy-nine children with newly diagnosed localized intracranial ependymomas treated with either IMRT (n = 38) or PRT (n = 41) were identified, and progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariate analyses. RESULTS The median age at diagnosis was 3.7 years for all patients (range, 0.4-18.7 years). There were 54 patients with infratentorial tumors (68% of the total population). Patients treated with PRT were younger (median age, 2.5 vs 5.7 years; P = .001) and had a shorter median follow-up (2.6 vs 4.9 years; P < .0001). Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 67 patients (85%) and was more frequent in the PRT group versus the IMRT group (93% vs 76%; P = .043). The 3-year PFS rates were 60% and 82% with IMRT and PRT, respectively (P = .031). CONCLUSIONS Children with localized ependymomas treated with PRT have a 3-year PFS rate comparable to that of children treated with IMRT. This analysis suggests that local control is not compromised by the use of PRT. The data also support GTR as the only prognostic factor for PFS. Cancer 2017;123:2570–78. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Evaluation of Selected Soybean Genotypes for Resistance to Two Whitefly Species (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in the Greenhouse

Fourteen soybean cultivars and breeding lines in Maturity Groups VII and VIII were monitored for silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring, and greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes...
Challenges and opportunities for pediatric severe TBI—review of the evidence and exploring a way forward

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading killer of children in the developed and developing world. Despite evidence-based guidelines and several recent clinical trials, the progress in developing best practices for children with severe TBI has been slow. This article describes (i) the burden of the disease, (ii) the inadequacies of the evidence-based guidelines, (iii) the failure of the largest clinical trials to prove their primary hypotheses, and (iv) possible advances from an observational cohort study called the Approaches and Decisions for Acute Pediatric TBI (ADAPT) Trial that has recently completed enrollment.
Parental Divorce and Children From Diverse Backgrounds: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Mental Health, Parent–Child Relationships, and Educational Experiences

This article utilizes multidisciplinary perspectives to examine the developmental outcomes of divorce for children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The authors present a literature revie...
Upon further analysis, neither cytochrome c554 from Nitrosomonas europaea nor its F156A variant display NO reductase activity, though both proteins bind nitric oxide reversibly.

A re-investigation of the interaction with NO of the small tetraheme protein cytochrome c554 (C554) from Nitrosomonas europaea has shown that the 5-coordinate heme II of the two- or four-electron-reduced protein will nitrosylate reversibly. The process is first order in C554, first order in NO, and second-order overall. The rate constant for NO binding to the heme is 3000 ± 140 M-1s-1, while that for dissociation is 0.034 ± 0.009 s-1; the degree of protein reduction does not appear to significantly influence the nitrosylation rate. In contrast to a previous report (Upadhyay AK, et al. J Am Chem Soc 128:4330, 2006), this study found no evidence of C554-catalyzed NO reduction, either with [Formula: see text] or with [Formula: see text] Some sub-stoichiometric oxidation of the lowest potential heme IV was detected when [Formula: see text] was exposed to an excess of NO, but this is believed to arise from partial intramolecular electron transfer that generates {Fe(NO)}8 at heme II. The vacant heme II coordination site of C554 is crowded by three non-bonding hydrophobic amino acids. After replacing one of these (Phe156) with the smaller alanine, the nitrosylation rate for F156A2- and F156A4- was about 400× faster than for the wild type, though the rate of the reverse denitrosylation process was almost unchanged. Unlike in the wild-type C554, the 6-coordinate low-spin hemes of F156A4- oxidized over the course of several minutes after exposure to NO. Concomitant formation of N2O could explain this heme oxidation, though alternative explanations are equally plausible given the available data.
Perioperative Management of Antiphospholipid Antibody Positive Patients During Noncardiac Surgeries

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined as vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity in patients with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) (Table 8.1) [1]. Catastrophic APS is a rare but rapidly progressive life-threatening form of APS that causes multiple organ thromboses, generally associated with small vessel involvement [2]. The most commonly used tests to detect aPL are lupus anticoagulant (LA) test (a functional coagulation assay), anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and anti-β2-glycoprotein-I antibody (aβ2GPI) ELISA. Antiphospholipid syndrome can occur in otherwise healthy individuals without underlying autoimmune disease (primary APS) or in patients with other systemic autoimmune diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Stroke is the most common arterial manifestation, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the most common venous manifestation of APS. The presence of aPL without characteristic clinical complications does not indicate APS, and asymptomatic (no history of vascular or pregnancy events) aPL-positive patients exist.
Phase 1 multicenter trial of CUDC-907 in children and young adults with relapsed or refractory solid tumors, CNS tumors, and lymphoma.

10542Background: CUDC-907 is a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of histone deacetylases and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases. Data from pediatric preclinical models, and adult clinical studies...
Contrasting consequences of historical climate change for marmots at northern and temperate latitudes

Many species that occupy high latitudes of North America were historically restricted to relatively small refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The geographic ranges of many of these species then expanded widely across the continent after glacial ice receded. In contrast, species whose LGM distributions spanned lower (relatively ice-free) latitudes may have been less likely to experience demographic and geographic retraction during glacial periods, or expansion during interglacial periods. For example, species in North America's Intermountain West occupied a topographically complex landscape across which widespread patches of suitable habitat could have helped maintain a relatively stable range-wide effective population size even if local populations fluctuated in response to shifting climates. We test for these alternative demographic signals in southern versus northern species by comparing patterns of genetic diversity of the more southern yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) with those of the more northern hoary marmot (M. caligata). Our data reveal high diversity but no deep structure across the distribution of yellow-bellied marmots. In contrast, hoary marmots have previously been shown to exhibit a deep divergence between regional mitochondrial clades of relatively low diversity. We suggest that these differences reflect differences in habitat availability through time, with hoary marmots persistently isolated in small glacial refugia and yellow-bellied marmots more broadly distributed across the Intermountain West through both glacial and interglacial periods. Our results highlight the importance of historical patterns of habitat availability as key drivers of current genetic structure.
CROI 2019: Advances in basic science understanding of HIV

The annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections remains the preeminent venue for the sharing and dissemination of research advances in the field of HIV and AIDS research. The 26th conference in Seattle featured highlights including news of additional individuals who experienced long-term virologic remission following a bone marrow transplant. The factors driving reservoir persistence gathered a lot of interest, as well as data presented on new factors involved in regulating HIV-1 latency. The effectiveness of the conference in disseminating new findings is further enhanced through themed discussions that focus the attention of participants on abstracts with a common theme. In addition, the Program Committee workshops provide an outstanding venue, directed to new investigators, fellows, and students, to receive updates on different aspects of HIV and AIDS research. These sessions add to the information-sharing environment provided by the conference.
Student Choice and Social Mobility through Institutional Policy: An examination of Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

The cost of higher education continues to rise, forcing many students to seek financial support to pursue their education. Many countries have utilized national systems of student aid to help mitigate the increasing costs. However, these financial aid systems often lead to significant student debt. Guided by restrained choice theory, this study analyzes innovative institution-level policies in the United States called Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs), and provides insight into how these policies affect traditionally disadvantaged students’ choice to enroll in a university. Findings suggest that disadvantaged students, specifically first-generation students, are more cognizant and have a better understanding of innovative financial policies (e.g., LRAPs), and the use of such programs could increase student choice and retention, based on their subsequent enrollment satisfaction.
Linear relation between Heisenberg exchange and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction in metal films

The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya exchange induces a range of chiral phenomena in spintronic systems. Experiments now confirm that this interaction is proportional to the Heisenberg exchange, reflecting their common origins despite their opposite symmetries.
Type II endoleak with an enlarging aortic sac after endovascular aneurysm repair predisposes to the development of a type IA endoleak.

OBJECTIVE The most common endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair is type II. Although type II endoleaks (TIIEL) are generally considered benign, there are reports that they can lead to aortic rupture. In this study, we reviewed the effect of TIIEL on sac size change to determine if sac expansion owing to a TIIEL could result in the development of a type IA endoleak (TIAEL). METHODS After internal review board approval, all aortoiliac endovascular aneurysm repairs performed at a single institution between June 2006 and June 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, aneurysm diameter, graft type, need for reintervention, and complications were collected. Patients with TIIEL diagnosed on follow-up imaging were categorized as those who underwent intervention for their TIIEL and those who did not. Outcomes were tabulated with attention to sac size change, development of TIAEL, rupture, and survival. RESULTS Six hundred twenty-seven patients underwent aortoiliac stent graft placement at our institution during this time period. Patients with an operative indication other than nonruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm and those without preoperative computed tomography angiography or follow-up data available for review were excluded. The total number of patients included was 389 with an average follow-up of 58.8 months (range, 0-194 months). Follow-up imaging diagnosed 124 patients with TIIEL (32%). Patients with TIIEL were significantly older (P < .0001) and more likely to be hypertensive (P < .05) but less likely to be smokers (P = .01). They had a significantly larger sac size increase than patients without TIIEL (9.50 vs -0.78 mm; P < .0001). Those with TIIEL were significantly more likely to develop a TIAEL than patients who did not have TIIEL (14% vs 5%; P = .004), but the rate of rupture was not significantly different (4% vs 2%; P = .33). In those with a TIIEL, the average sac size increase at which TIAEL developed was 13 mm. Patients in the TIIEL group who underwent intervention for their TIIEL survived significantly longer than patients who did not undergo intervention (140 months vs 100 months; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that there is an increased incidence of late TIAEL in patients with TIIEL compared with those without a TIIEL. Our study also demonstrates an increased overall survival in TIIEL patients who underwent intervention. Future studies are necessary to better define the association between TIIEL with enlarging sac and the development of TIAEL. However, it is reasonable to conclude that intervention for TIIEL should be undertaken at or before a cumulative sac size increase of 13 mm.
Isolation, identification, and characterization of the human airway ligand for the eosinophil and mast cell immunoinhibitory receptor Siglec-8.

Background The immunoinhibitory receptor Siglec-8 on the surface of human eosinophils and mast cells binds to sialic acid–containing ligands in the local milieu, resulting in eosinophil apoptosis, inhibition of mast cell degranulation, and suppression of inflammation. Siglec-8 ligands were found on postmortem human trachea and bronchi and on upper airways in 2 compartments, cartilage and submucosal glands, but they were surprisingly absent from the epithelium. We hypothesized that Siglec-8 ligands in submucosal glands and ducts are normally transported to the airway mucus layer, which is lost during tissue preparation. Objective Our aim was to identify the major Siglec-8 sialoglycan ligand on the mucus layer of human airways. Methods Human upper airway mucus layer proteins were recovered during presurgical nasal lavage of patients at a sinus clinic. Proteins were resolved by gel electrophoresis and blotted, and Siglec-8 ligands detected. Ligands were purified by size exclusion and affinity chromatography, identified by proteomic mass spectrometry, and validated by electrophoretic and histochemical colocalization. The affinity of Siglec-8 binding to purified human airway ligand was determined by inhibition of glycan binding. Results A Siglec-8-ligand with a molecular weight of approximately 1000 kDa was found in all patient nasal lavage samples. Purification and identification revealed deleted in malignant brain tumors 1 (DMBT1) (also known by the aliases GP340 and SALSA), a large glycoprotein with multiple O-glycosylation repeats. Immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme treatments confirmed that Siglec-8 ligand on the human airway mucus layer is an isoform of DMBT1 carrying O-linked sialylated keratan sulfate chains (DMBT1S8). Quantitative inhibition revealed that DMBT1S8 has picomolar affinity for Siglec-8. Conclusion A distinct DMBT1 isoform, DMBT1S8, is the major high-avidity ligand for Siglec-8 on human airways.
TRIPODD: a Novel Fluorescence Imaging Platform for In Situ Quantification of Drug Distribution and Therapeutic Response

Personalized medicine has largely failed to produce curative therapies in advanced cancer patients. Evaluation of in situ drug target availability (DTA) concomitant with local protein expression is critical to an accurate assessment of therapeutic efficacy, but tools capable of both are currently lacking. We developed and optimized a fluorescence imaging platform termed TRIPODD (Therapeutic Response Imaging through Proteomic and Optical Drug Distribution), resulting in the only methodology capable of simultaneous quantification of single-cell DTA and protein expression with preserved spatial context within a tumor. Using TRIPODD, we demonstrate the feasibility of combining two complementary fluorescence imaging techniques, intracellular paired agent imaging (iPAI) and cyclic immunofluorescence (cyCIF), conducted with oligonucleotide-conjugated antibodies (Ab-oligos) on tissue samples. We successfully performed sequential imaging on a single tissue section of iPAI to capture single-cell DTA and local protein expression heterogeneity using Ab-oligo cyCIF. Fluorescence imaging data acquisition was followed by spatial registration resulting in high dimensional data correlating DTA to protein expression at the single-cell level where uptake of a targeted probe alone was not well correlated to protein expression. Herein, we demonstrated the utility of TRIPODD as a powerful imaging platform capable of interpreting tumor heterogeneity for a mechanistic understanding of therapeutic response and resistance through quantification of drug target availability and proteomic response with preserved spatial context at single-cell resolution.
Pregnancy outcomes among women with class III obesity with normal early glucola.

Background Because obese women are at increased risk for insulin resistance and development gestational diabetes (GDM), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends early GDM screening in this population. For obese women with a normal early 1-hour 50 g oral glucose challenge test (eGCT), the risk of developing GDM later in the pregnancy is unknown. Thus, we aimed to assess the risk of developing gestational diabetes based on the value of a normal eGCT. Study design Retrospective cohort of non-anomalous singleton pregnancies with maternal body mass index (BMI) ≥40 at the time of entry to prenatal care at a single institution from 2013 to 2017. Pregnancies with abnormal early 1-hour 50 g glucose challenge test (eGCT), multiple gestation, late entry to care, type 1 or 2 diabetes, and missing diabetes-screening information are excluded. Primary outcome was development of GDM. Secondary outcomes include fetal growth restriction, macrosomia, gestational age at delivery, large for gestational age, delivery BMI, total weight gain in pregnancy, induction of labor, shoulder dystocia, and cesarean delivery. Bivariate statistics compare demographics, pregnancy complications and delivery characteristics of women who had an eGCT≤ 100 mg/dL (low-normal eGCT) and women who had an eGCT of 101-134 mg/dL (high-normal eGCT). Regression models used to estimate odds of primary outcome. Results Of 169 women, 66(39%) had a low-normal eGCT, and 103(61%) had a high-normal eGCT. Women in the low-normal eGCT group were more likely to use recreational drugs (p = 0.03), other baseline demographics did not differ. The rate of GDM was low in this population (5.3%), with no difference in the rate of GDM between with a low-normal eGCT (1.5%) and high-normal eGCT (7.7%) (p = 0.09). The median neonatal birthweight was higher in the high-normal GCT group (3405 g) as compared to the low-no GCT (3285 g) (p = 0.03). Conclusions Among women with class 3 obesity, the specific value of an early normal GCT was not associated with developing gestational diabetes mellitus later in the pregnancy. Larger studies are needed confirm these findings.
Active Breaks Initiative During Hospital Rounds in the Surgical ICU to Improve Wellness of Healthcare Providers: An Observational Descriptive Study

Healthcare professionals in the intensive care unit (ICU) confront stressful working conditions. Morning rounds involve several hours of prolonged standing and uninterrupted concentration each day and require both mental and physical endurance from the entire care team. There is concern that work-related fatigue among ICU practitioners will compromise their ability to safely and effectively care for their patients. To address this concern, the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) at Long Island Jewish Medical Center implemented an initiative to promote provider wellness through “active breaks” during rounds. Between October and December 2019, 30 physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and students collectively engaged in active breaks during SICU rounds and then completed a 7-question, post-test survey to assess their experience. The survey consisted of both closed-end and open-ended questions. The data were then analyzed using simple statistics. In response to closed-ended questioning, the majority of participants agreed that active breaks relieved stress (27/30; 90%), promoted wellness (29/30; 96.7%), and improved team morale (29/30; 93.1%). When given the options of tricep dips, squats or push-ups, squats were the favored activity during breaks (17/30; 56.7%). Most of the participants (27/30; 90%) considered the active breaks to be appropriate for the working environment; two participants had no opinion on this matter. Approximately 90% of the respondents were interested in maintaining active breaks as part of the routine of morning rounds. Our assessment suggests active breaks during rounds are a healthy outlet to address the inherent stress associated with critical care. This initiative also potentially protects healthcare providers from burnout and, consequentially, improves the quality of patient care.
The Privatization of the Civil Commitment Process and the State Action Doctrine: Have the Mentally Ill Been Systematically Stripped of Their Fourteenth Amendment Rights?

Civil commitment constitutes a significant deprivation of liberty that requires due process protection. The Supreme Court has recognized that a mentally ill person's interest in avoiding wrongful deprivation of liberty is “almost uniquely compelling.” The degree of interference with personal liberty that an individual suffers when he is involuntarily hospitalized is essentially the same as the deprivation of liberty that one suffers after conviction in a criminal trial. Hence, civil commitments “present an extraordinary possibility of abuse to individual liberty.”This article will first briefly examine the impact of the privatization movement on the process of psychiatric hospitalization. The article will then address state action jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, followed by an examination and comparison of district court and courts of appeals cases that have addressed the issue of whether civil commitment constitutes state action. Next, this article will analyze the issue at hand under Supreme Court state action jurisprudence in general. The article will detail why, based upon well-established Supreme Court state action jurisprudence, it almost borders on the absurd to conclude that civil commitment does not constitute state action. In so arguing, this article will not, as some authorities have done, assert that the present state action doctrine needs to be reformulated. Rather, this article accepts, as a given, the present state of Supreme Court jurisprudence. To correct the present state of the law, it is incumbent on the Supreme Court to address this issue, or the circuit courts to reevaluate this issue, and hold that private physicians who act under the authority of the state to involuntarily hospitalize a mentally ill individual engage in state action.
Dissecting Bidder Security Returns on Payment Methods

The choice of payment methods in M&A deals can affect bidder stock and bond value through two channels simultaneously: signaling and wealth transfer. We propose a method to disentangle these two effects by combining observed bidder stock and bond abnormal returns around deal announcements. Our findings indicate that the negative average bidder stock return in stock deals is mostly caused by signaling, and the negative average bidder bond return in cash deals is mostly due to wealth transfer. We also hypothesize that signaling is related to bidder information uncertainty, while wealth transfer is related to deal significance and bidder default risk. Cross-sectional analysis supports our conjecture.
Use of oral contraceptives in women with congenital long QT syndrome.

Background Use of oral contraceptives (OCs) may modulate the clinical course of women with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). The safety of OC use by sex hormone content has not been assessed in women with LQTS. Objective We aimed to evaluate the association of OCs with the risk of cardiac events (CEs) in women with LQTS. Methods Beginning in 2010, information on menarche onset, OC use, pregnancy, and menopause were obtained from women enrolled in the Rochester LQTS Registry. Type of OC was categorized as progestin-only, estrogen-only, or combined (estrogen/progestin). Andersen-Gill multivariate modeling was used to evaluate the association of time-dependent OC use with the burden of CE (total number of syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, and LQTS-related sudden cardiac death) from menarche onset through 40 years. Findings were adjusted for genotype, corrected QT duration, and time-dependent β-blocker therapy. Results A total of 1659 women with LQTS followed through March 2021, of whom 370 (22%) were treated with an OC. During a cumulative follow-up of 35,797 years, there were a total of 2027 CE. Multivariate analysis showed that progestin-only OC was associated with a pronounced 2.8-fold (P = .01) increased risk of CEs in women who did not receive β-blocker therapy, while β-blockers were highly protective during progestin-only OC treatment (hazard ratio 0.22; P = .01; P = .006 for β-blocker-by-OC interaction). The risk associated with OC use without concomitant β-blocker treatment was pronounced in women with LQTS type 2. Conclusion Our findings suggest that progestin-only OC should not be administered in women with LQTS without concomitant β-blocker therapy. OCs should be used with caution in women with LQTS type 2.
Patient Safety Programs for Child Maltreatment: Does One Size Fit All?

* Abbreviation: PAR — : patient at risk In this issue of Pediatrics , Hansen et al1 present a hospital-based patient safety program to identify children for whom there is a concern for or suspicion of child maltreatment. Rationale for such a safety program is supported by the high prevalence of child maltreatment,2 likelihood of recurrence without recognition and reporting,3 subtlety of clinical presentations, and physician reluctance and lack of confidence in assessing and diagnosing child maltreatment.4 Although recognition of clinical presentations that may indicate maltreatment can be facilitated through hospital policies and various trainings, clinician uptake may be variable and inconsistent. In addition, managing suspected abuse or neglect involves a report to Child Protective Services and the possibility of separating the child from the family. This is the antithesis of pediatric practice for many clinicians, so this decision to report is understandably difficult. Yet the stakes are significant and include not … Address correspondence to Nancy D. Kellogg, MD, Center for Miracles, 315 N San Saba, Suite 201, San Antonio, TX 78207. E-mail: kelloggn{at}uthscsa.edu
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion on Patients Admitted for Burns: An Analysis of National Data

Abstract Introduction The first states began implementing the Medicaid expansion provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014. Studies have yet to address its impact on burn patients. Methods Burn patients in geographic regions that expanded Medicaid coverage were compared to patients in regions that did not expand Medicaid before and after implementation of the ACA using bivariate statistics and a difference-in-differences model. A multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with having Medicaid insurance. The primary outcome of this study was the rate of Medicaid insurance. Results Of 25,331 discharges, there were greater increases in Medicaid coverage after the ACA in the Medicaid expander regions (23.4% to 40.2%) compared to the non-expander regions (18.5% to 20.1%). The difference-in-differences estimate between the expander and non-expander regions was 0.15 (95% CI: 0.11-0.18, p Conclusions The Medicaid expansion provision of the ACA led to increased Medicaid coverage among burn patients which was significantly higher in areas with widespread implementation of the expansion.
Studies on the Structure of Yeast Mannan II. MODE OF ACTION OF THE ARTHROBACTER α-MANNOSIDASE ON YEAST MANNAN

The mode of action of the extracellular α-mannosidase from Arthrobacter GJM-1 has been studied with several yeast mannans as substrates. In vitro, the enzyme cleaves most of the α-(1 → 2)- and α-(1 → 3)-linked side chains from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannan, producing free mannose and leaving a resistant polymer containing mainly α-(1 → 6)-linkages. This material cannot be further degraded by the enzyme. The extent to which mannans from several Candida species are digested by the enzyme is inversely proportional to their phosphorus content. Kloeckera brevis mannan, although highly phosphorylated, is extensively digested by the enzyme. The reason for this discrepancy is unclear, but it may be related to the positions of the phosphate residues in the respective mannans. Growth of Arthrobacter GJM-1 on S. cerevisiae mannan results in the accumulation of an undigested residue in the cultural filtrate. This residue remains in the supernatant after ammonium sulfate precipitation of the α-mannosidase. It has been purified by gel filtration and precipitation with Fehling's solution. The structure of this residue has been studied by acetolysis, proton magnetic resonance spectrometry, and methylation. These studies indicate that the product is exclusively α-(1 → 6)-linked and represents the mannan backbone. The data suggest that the α-mannosidase from Arthrobacter GJM-1 is an exoglycosidase which acts by splitting off single mannose residues from the nonreducing ends of the side chains of the mannan molecule. Sodium borotritide reduction of the mannan residue from the cultural filtrate (RCF) of the Arthrobacter results in the incorporation of tritium into the polymer. Hydrolysis of the labeled RCF yields radioactive mannitol. A comparison of the amount of label incorporated into RCF with that incorporated into mannotetraose under the same conditions allows a calculation of the molecular weight of RCF, the value being 7100. The methylation end group data suggest a value of 6500, while a figure of 8100 was obtained by high speed sedimentation equilibrium.
Violence Against Women in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: Changes in Women's Status and Risk, 1980–2004

This article examines the impact of women's status on rates of violence against women using longitudinal data from the National Crime Survey and National Crime Victimization Survey for 40 U.S. metropolitan areas for the period 1980 to 2004. Drawing on feminist and routine activities perspectives, we specify hypotheses about the association between women's status and violent victimization, some of which predict different effects depending on whether the offender is a stranger, intimate, or known (nonintimate) other. Consistent with feminist and other perspectives, we find that absolute increases in women's labor force participation, income, and education are associated with decreases in intimate partner violence. Our findings also provide limited support for the backlash hypothesis by showing that increases in female labor participation relative to men are associated with increases in intimate partner violence but not with increases in violence by others. Consistent with routine activities theory, the data also indicate that absolute increases in female labor force participation are associated with increases in victimization by strangers and by known others. Furthermore, we find that absolute increases in female voter participation are associated with decreases in violence for all victim-offender relationship categories. The findings thus show that changes in the status of women have both positive and negative associations with violence victimization, and that comparative analyses of different types of violence are necessary for clarifying the sources of violence against women. Language: en
Realizations of uncertain systems and formal power series

Rational functions of several noncommuting indeterminates arise naturally in robust control when studying systems with structured uncertainty. Linear fractional transformations (LFTs) provide a convenient way of obtaining realizations of such systems and a complete realization theory of LFTs is emerging. This paper establishes connections between a minimal LFT realization and minimal realizations of a formal power series, which have been studied extensively in a variety of disciplines. The result is a fairly complete generalization of standard minimal realization theory for linear systems to the formal power series and LFT setting.
Letting Go is Never Easy: Abscission and Receptor‐Like Protein Kinases

Abscission is the process by which plants discard organs in response to environmental cues/stressors, or as part of their normal development. Abscission has been studied throughout the history of the plant sciences and in numerous species. Although long studied at the anatomical and physiological levels, abscission has only been elucidated at the molecular and genetic levels within the last two decades, primarily with the use of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This has led to the discovery of numerous genes involved at all steps of abscission, including key pathways involving receptor-like protein kinases (RLKs). This review covers the current knowledge of abscission research, highlighting the role of RLKs. [Figure: see text] John C. Walker (Corresponding author).
Detection of prostaglandin EP(1), EP(2), and FP receptor subtypes in human sclera.

Purpose To examine the expression of five prostaglandin (PG) receptors, EP(1), EP(2), EP(3), EP(4), and FP and their corresponding mRNA transcripts in human sclera and cultured human scleral fibroblasts (HSFs). Methods Primary cultures of HSFs were established from donor eyes. Also, sclera from human donor eyes was snap frozen and sectioned. Immunocytochemistry was performed on HSFs and tissue sections with subtype-specific antibodies to the EP(1), EP(2), EP(3), EP(4), and FP receptors. The presence of mRNA for the receptor subtypes was examined from total RNA obtained from human sclera and confirmed with restriction digest analysis. Results Positive EP(1) and FP receptor immunoreactivity was observed in fibroblasts within the sections from human sclera. In primary cultures of HSFs, EP(1) and FP labeling was observed over the entire cell surface. EP(2) immunoreactivity within HSFs was mostly present in the juxtanuclear region. RT-PCR analysis of total RNA isolated from human sclera and HSFs confirmed the presence of EP(1), EP(2), and FP receptor subtypes. The identity of the polymerase chain reaction products was confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis. No mRNA or immunoreactivity above basal levels was detected for the EP(3) and EP(4) prostanoid receptor subtypes in tissue sections or primary cultures. Conclusions The EP(1), EP(2), and FP receptor subtypes are present in HSFs, suggesting that these cells may respond to endogenous PGs and their structural analogues through interaction with these receptor subtypes.