cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contemporary Toxicity Profile of Breast Brachytherapy Versus External Beam Radiation After Lumpectomy for Breast Cancer

Purpose We compared toxicities after brachytherapy versus external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in contemporary breast cancer patients. Methods and Materials Using MarketScan healthcare claims, we identified 64,112 women treated from 2003 to 2012 with lumpectomy followed by radiation (brachytherapy vs EBRT). Brachytherapy was further classified by multichannel versus single-channel applicator approach. We identified the risks and predictors of 1-year infectious and noninfectious postoperative adverse events using logistic regression and temporal trends using Cochran-Armitage tests. We estimated the 5-year Kaplan-Meier cumulative incidence of radiation-associated adverse events. Results A total of 4522 (7.1%) patients received brachytherapy (50.2% multichannel vs 48.7% single-channel applicator). The overall risk of infectious adverse events was higher after brachytherapy than after EBRT (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.34, P P =.97). The overall risk of noninfectious adverse events was higher after brachytherapy than after EBRT (OR=2.27; 95% CI 2.09-2.47, P P trend = .64); single-channel brachytherapy, from 12.8% to 29.8% ( P trend P trend P =.03). Of noninfectious adverse events, 70.9% were seroma. Seroma significantly increased breast pain risk ( P Conclusion Toxicities after breast brachytherapy were distinct from those after EBRT. Temporal toxicity trends may reflect changing technology and evolving practitioner experience with brachytherapy.
Carbon Isotopic Composition of Forest Soil Respiration in the Decade Following Bark Beetle and Stem Girdling Disturbances in the Rocky Mountains

Bark beetle outbreaks are widespread in western North American forests, reducing primary productivity and transpiration, leading to forest mortality across large areas and altering ecosystem carbon cycling. Here the carbon isotope composition (δ(13) C) of soil respiration (δJ ) was monitored in the decade after disturbance for forests affected naturally by mountain pine beetle infestation and artificially by stem girdling. The seasonal mean δJ changed along both chronosequences. We found (a) enrichment of δJ relative to controls (<1 ‰) in near-surface soils in the first 2 years after disturbance; (b) depletion (1‰ or no change) during years 3-7; and (c) a second period of enrichment (1-2‰) in years 8-10. Results were consistent with isotopic patterns associated with the gradual death and decomposition of rhizosphere organisms, fine roots, conifer needles and woody roots and debris over the course of a decade after mortality. Finally, δJ was progressively more (13) C-depleted deeper in the soil than near the surface, while the bulk soil followed the well-established pattern of (13) C-enrichment at depth. Overall, differences in δJ between mortality classes (<1‰) and soil depths (<3‰) were smaller than variability within a class or depth over a season (up to 6‰).
Reasons for Considering and Redefining the External Auditor’s Role

One reason for considering the role of the external auditor lies in the fact that financial regulators were virtually powerless to control the effects of such a devastating collapse as Enron. In considering the external auditor’s role as a means of facilitating a process whereby the leadership of companies and firms (not only those outside the scope of financial regulators) could be held more accountable, the question as to why so many were misled to invest in Enron even when it was running at a loss was also addressed. In relation to the external auditor’s role in promoting accountability with regards to the leadership of companies or firms, the issue of corporate governance comes into play. This paper considers, as well as addresses means of ensuring that an appropriate relationship exists between the auditor and the management whose financial statements are being audited.
Nighttime aqueous-phase secondary organic aerosols in Los Angeles and its implication for fine particulate matter composition and oxidative potential

Abstract Recent investigations suggest that aqueous phase oxidation of hydrophilic organic compounds can be a significant source of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the atmosphere. Here we investigate the possibility of nighttime aqueous phase formation of SOA in Los Angeles during winter, through examination of trends in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) carbonaceous content during two contrasting seasons. Distinctive winter and summer trends were observed for the diurnal variation of organic carbon (OC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC), with elevated levels during the nighttime in winter, suggesting an enhanced formation of SOA during that period. The nighttime ratio of SOC to OC was positively associated with the relative humidity (RH) at high RH levels (above 70%), which is when the liquid water content of the ambient aerosol would be high and could facilitate dissolution of hydrophilic primary organic compounds into the aqueous phase. Time-integrated collection and analysis of wintertime particles at three time periods of the day (morning, 6:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.; afternoon, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; night, 8:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m.) revealed higher levels of water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and organic acids during the night and afternoon periods compared to the morning period, indicating that the SOA formation in winter continues throughout the nighttime. Furthermore, diurnal trends in concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from primary emissions showed that partitioning of SVOCs from the gas to the particle phase due to the decreased nighttime temperatures cannot explain the substantial OC and SOC increase at night. The oxidative potential of the collected particles (quantified using a biological macrophage-based reactive oxygen species assay, in addition to the dithiothreitol assay) was comparable during afternoon and nighttime periods, but higher (by at least ∼30%) compared to the morning period, suggesting that SOA formation processes possibly enhance the toxicity of the ambient particles compared to mobile-source dominated primary emissions in the Los Angeles area.
How to Generate Cloze Questions from Definitions: A Syntactic Approach

This paper discusses the implementation and evaluation of automatically generated cloze questions in the style of the definitions found in Collins COBUILD English language learner’s dictionary. The definitions and the cloze questions are used in an automated reading tutor to help second and third grade students learn new vocabulary. A parser provides syntactic phrase structure trees for the definitions. With these parse trees as input, a pattern matching program uses a set of syntactic patterns to extract the phrases that make up the cloze question answers and distracters.
Community, Urban Citizenship and Housing in Bombay, ca. 1919–1980

From the late 1910s onward, co-operative housing societies in cities like Bombay offered affordable housing by using the agency of community to protect against the vicissitudes of the market. At the same time, ideas of urban citizenship premised on the liberal individual received greater attention with a broadened franchise and became increasingly linked to social rights such as affordable housing. While the community and the individual are seen as opposed to one another in the discourse of citizenship, this paper suggests that they mutually informed and constituted one another between 1919 and 1980 in ways that have enduring significance for understandings of urban citizenship.
Enterogastric reflux in normal subjects and patients with Bilroth II gastroenterostomy. Measurement of enterogastric reflux.

Initially, scintigraphy was established as a valid method for detecting and quantitating enterogastric reflux. A new, tubeless technique for the measurement of enterogastric re flux was developed. 99mTc bound to [(2,6 dimethylphenylcarbamoylmethyl) iminodiacetic acid] (5 mCi) was administered intravenously to visualize the liver and biliary tract. One hour later, a standard liquid meal labeled with 111 In bound to diethylene-triamine penta-acetic acid (250 μCi) was given. The 99mTc and 111In activities were recorded simultaneously for 1-min periods at 15-min intervals for 2 hr over liver, gallbladder, and gastric areas of interest. Enterogastric re flux indices were determined. Ten normal subjects and 13 patients with vagotomy, hemigastrectomy, and Bilroth II gastrojejunostomy were evaluated. The enterogastric reftux index in asymptomatic postsurgical patients was increased significantly to 24.6 ± 4.7 compared with 8.2 ± 6.0 (P
Long-Term Growth of Moss in Microfluidic Devices Enables Subcellular Studies in Development

Key developmental processes that occur on the subcellular and cellular level or occur in occluded tissues are difficult to access, let alone image and analyze. Recently, culturing living samples within polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices has facilitated the study of hard-to-reach developmental events. Here, we show that an early diverging land plant, Physcomitrella patens, can be continuously cultured within PDMS microfluidic chambers. Because the PDMS chambers are bonded to a coverslip, it is possible to image P. patens development at high resolution over long time periods. Using PDMS chambers, we report that wild-type protonemal tissue grows at the same rate as previously reported for growth on solid medium. Using long-term imaging, we highlight key developmental events, demonstrate compatibility with high-resolution confocal microscopy, and obtain growth rates for a slow-growing mutant. By coupling the powerful genetic tools available to P. patens with long-term growth and imaging provided by PDMS microfluidic chambers, we demonstrate the capability to study cellular and subcellular developmental events in plants directly and in real time.
Stretching of Tethered DNA in Nanoslits

External forces and confinement are two fundamental and complementary approaches for biopolymer stretching. By employing micro- and nanofluidics, we study the force–extension dynamics by simultaneously applying external forces and confinement to single-DNA molecules. In particular, we apply external electric fields to stretch single DNA molecules that are attached to microspheres anchored at a nanoslit entrance. Using this method, we measure the force–extension relation of tethered DNA and describe this relation with modified wormlike chain models. This allowed experimental validations of several theoretical predictions, including the increase in the global persistence length of confined DNA with increasing degree of confinement and the “confined Pincus” regime in slit confinement.
Reforming higher education from within: Lessons learned from other mature sectors of the economy

Abstract Transformative organizations are innovative, adaptable, contextually aware, and cross the divide between leaders and their employees to provide products and services at prices that appeal to their customers. Such enterprises continuously adapt, maintain competitive advantages, hire the right people, strategically prioritize goals, and effectively manage performance to achieve outcomes. Effective leadership is characterized by dedication to operational soundness, product innovation and reliability, embracing leading edge technologies to improve performance and service delivery, and after sale service quality to inspire customer confidence and loyalty. Community colleges, colleges and universities who apply these lessons will be better positioned to meet the expectations of their students and other stakeholders. Institutional business models must align with institutional priorities in delivery of the basic educational mission in higher education. The original research for this paper draws upon broad professional experiences in the private sector, a 29-year career as an executive in the banking industry, 4-years as system president of a large urban community college, and 10 years as Clinical Professor of Administrative and Policy Studies.
An Integrated Review of Psychological Stress in Parkinson's Disease: Biological Mechanisms and Symptom and Health Outcomes.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by complex symptoms and medication-induced motor complications that fluctuate in onset, severity, responsiveness to treatment, and disability. The unpredictable and debilitating nature of PD and the inability to halt or slow disease progression may result in psychological stress. Psychological stress may exacerbate biological mechanisms believed to contribute to neuronal loss in PD and lead to poorer symptom and health outcomes. The purpose of this integrated review is to summarize and appraise animal and human research studies focused on biological mechanisms, symptom, and health outcomes of psychological stress in PD. A search of the electronic databases PubMed/Medline and CINAHL from 1980 to the present using the key words Parkinson’s disease and stress, psychological stress, mental stress, and chronic stress resulted in 11 articles that met inclusion criteria. The results revealed significant associations between psychological stress and increased motor symptom severity and loss of dopamine-producing neurons in animal models of PD and between psychological stress and increased symptom severity and poorer health outcomes in human subjects with PD. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms responsible for these relationships, for the ultimate purpose of designing targeted interventions that may modify the disease trajectory.
Transport and abatement of fluorescent silica nanoparticle (SiO2 NP) in granular filtration: effect of porous media and ionic strength

The extensive production and application of engineered silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) will inevitably lead to their release into the environment. Granular media filtration, a widely used process in water and wastewater treatment plants, has the potential for NP abatement. In this work, laboratory-scale column experiments were performed to study the transport and retention of SiO2 NPs on three widely used porous materials, i.e., sand, anthracite, and granular activated carbon (GAC). Synthetic fluorescent core-shell SiO2 NPs (83 nm) were used to facilitate NP detection. Sand showed very low capacity for SiO2 filtration as this material had a surface with limited surface area and a high concentration of negative charge. Also, we found that the stability and transport of SiO2 NP were strongly dependent on the ionic strength of the solution. Increasing ionic strength led to NP agglomeration and facilitated SiO2 NP retention, while low ionic strength resulted in release of captured NPs from the sand bed. Compared to sand, anthracite and GAC showed higher affinity for SiO2 NP capture. The superior capacity of GAC was primarily due to its porous structure and high surface area. A process model was developed to simulate NP capture in the packed bed columns and determine fundamental filtration parameters. This model provided an excellent fit to the experimental data. Taken together, the results obtained indicate that GAC is an interesting material for SiO2 NP filtration.
Inability to suppress the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis during the peripartum period engenders deficits in postpartum behaviors in mice

The stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is normally suppressed during pregnancy. Dysregulation of the HPA axis has been proposed to play a role in postpartum depression. However, direct investigation into the relationship between the HPA axis and postpartum depression has been hindered by the lack of useful animal models. Building on our discovery of a role for the K+/Cl-co-transporter, KCC2, in the GABAergic regulation of CRH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), critical for mounting the body's physiological response to stress, we assessed the role of KCC2 in the regulation of the HPA axis during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Here we demonstrate that the normal suppression of the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis during the peripartum period involves maintenance of KCC2 in the PVN. Mice lacking KCC2 specifically in corticosterone-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons, which govern the activity of the HPA axis (KCC2/Crh mice), exhibit dysregulation of the HPA axis and abnormal postpartum behaviors. Loss of KCC2 specifically in CRH neurons in the PVN is sufficient to reproduce the depression-like phenotype and deficits in maternal behaviors during the postpartum period. Similarly, chemogenetic activation of CRH neurons in the PVN is sufficient to induce abnormal postpartum behaviors and chemogenetic silencing of CRH neurons in the PVN can ameliorate abnormal postpartum behaviors observed in KCC2/Crh mice. This study demonstrates that dysregulation of the HPA axis is sufficient to induce abnormal postpartum behaviors and deficits in maternal behaviors in mice, providing empirical support for a role of HPA axis dysfunction in the pathophysiology of postpartum depression.
Advancing Social Science through Agent-Based Modeling

We discuss three issues in this chapter. First, we argue that agent-based models are necessary in social science. This also entails the contention that the more common ways of doing social science—the established methods of statistical analysis and the newer technique of data mining—are insufficient. Second, we advocate building into ABMs in social science the capability of choosing and combining theories or models. We argue that this will improve and accelerate theory advancement. Last, we discuss how to model the individual in ABMs in order to facilitate incorporation of theories choice and their combination.
Preserving Privacy – More Than Reading a Message

Social media has become a mainstream activity where people share all kinds of personal and intimate details about their lives. These social networking sites (SNS) allow users to conveniently authenticate to the third-party website by using their SNS credentials, thus eliminating the need of creating and remembering another username and password but at the same time agreeing to share their personal information with the SNS site. Often this is accomplished by presenting the user with a dialog box informing them that they will be sharing information. We were interested in determining if SNS users authenticating to a third-party website with their SNS credentials, were reading the informational message and if changing the message format would impact the choice to continue or cancel. Format type did not alter the participant’s choice to continue. Eye-tracking data suggests that the participants who chose to continue read some of the words in the message.
Children’s Media Influences

Numerous researchers have demonstrated that exposure to the media and internalization of media messages regarding the ideal body are linked to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy weight control behaviors in adolescent and adult populations. Studies involving various media outlets demonstrate significantly high levels of appearance-related messages in television programming, advertisements, and magazines. Little, however, is known regarding internalization of media messages in children. Additionally, relatively few studies have examined the prevalence of appearance-related messages in media directly targeting children. This article reviews research concerning media exposure and children, the internalization of appearance-related messages in children, the influence of media messages on children’s beliefs about the ideal body, appearance-related messages in children’s media, and possible prevention efforts to combat media messages regarding appearance.
Impact of surgery type on physical fitness following a 16-week exercise intervention in breast cancer survivors

Introduction/Background Breast cancer survivors (BCS) undergo different types of surgery (e.g. lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, bilateral mastectomy) that may impair physical fitness. Regular participation in exercise is an effective strategy to improve physical fitness after surgery in BCS. The purpose of this study is to examine whether surgery type influences the effects of a 16-week exercise intervention on physical fitness in BCS. Material and method Sedentary, overweight/obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2) BCS (Stages I–III) were enrolled as part of a larger ongoing RCT. BCS underwent supervised, progressive moderate-to-vigorous aerobic and resistance exercise sessions 3 times/week for 16 weeks. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular strength (MS) were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. CRF was measured by calculating estimated VO2max using the 4-minute walk test. MS was assessed from 10-RM (repetition maximum) tests of the leg extension (LE), leg flexion (LF), chest press (CP), and lat pulldown (LP) to estimate 1-RM values. Surgery type was abstracted from medical records. Paired t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to examine the effects of exercise training and surgery variables on physical fitness. Results Forty-six (52.7 ± 10.4 y), primarily postmenopausal (56.1%), Hispanic (63.1%) BCS completed the intervention. CRF (mean % change 20.1 ± 7.2%) and MS (LE: 42.6 ± 28.1%; LF: 43.9 ± 21.4%; CP: 58.5 ± 55.0%; LP: 35.4 ± 14.1%) significantly increased following the intervention (P Conclusion Surgery type may impact improvements in physical fitness following a structured exercise intervention in BCS. Further research is required to understand whether surgical history impacts the effect of exercise on physical fitness in BCS.
Clustering methods to find representative periods for the optimization of energy systems: An initial framework and comparison

Abstract Modeling time-varying operations in complex energy systems optimization problems is often computationally intractable, and time-series input data are thus often aggregated to representative periods. In this work, we introduce a framework for using clustering methods for this purpose, and we compare both conventionally-used methods (k-means, k-medoids, and hierarchical clustering), and shape-based clustering methods (dynamic time warping barycenter averaging and k-shape). We compare these methods in the domain of the objective function of two example operational optimization problems: battery charge/discharge optimization and gas turbine scheduling, which exhibit characteristics of complex optimization problems. We show that centroid-based clustering methods represent the operational part of the optimization problem more predictably than medoid-based approaches but are biased in objective function estimate. On certain problems that exploit intra-daily variability, such as battery scheduling, we show that k-shape improves performance significantly over conventionally-used clustering methods. Comparing all locally-converged solutions of the clustering methods, we show that a better representation in terms of clustering measure is not necessarily better in terms of objective function value of the optimization problem.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC OVERESTIMATES LEFT VENTRICULAR WALL THICKNESS VERSUS CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY IN HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY PATIENTS

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides live guidance during surgical myectomy (SM) in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Little is known about the preciseness of interventricular septal (IVS) measurements on three-dimensional TEE (3D-TEE). We sought to compare IVS thickness
Standardized approach of albumin, midodrine and octreotide on hepatorenal syndrome treatment response rate.

Background Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) remains a serious complication of cirrhosis with a high mortality rate. There is little information on the effect of standardizing albumin, midodrine and octreotide combination on treatment response in patients with HRS. Objective The aim of the study was to determine the impact of a standardized HRS treatment regimen on renal function recovery. The primary outcome was full response rate. Secondary outcomes included partial and no response rates, 30-day all-cause mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, liver transplantation and total dose of albumin. Methods This retrospective study evaluated the impact of using a standardized approach with albumin, midodrine and octreotide on treatment response rates compared to a historical group. Results Of the patients with HRS, 28 received a standardized approach with albumin, midodrine and octreotide while 60 received a nonstandardized approach. Ten percent of patients achieved full response in the prestandardization group compared with 25% in the poststandardization group (P = 0.07). Renal replacement therapy was significantly more prevalent in the prestandardization group vs. poststandardization group (45% vs. 21.4%, P = 0.03). Liver transplantation was performed significantly more often in the prestandardization group compared the poststandardization group (23% vs. 3.6%, P = 0.02). Amount of albumin used was statistically lower in the poststandardization group (425 vs. 332 g, P = 0.05). No significant differences in days of HRS treatment, mortality rate, hospital and ICU LOS were observed. Conclusion A trend towards improved treatment response rate was observed after standardizing the HRS treatment regimen. Standardized therapy led to significantly lower rates of renal replacement therapy and liver transplantation, suggesting patients in poststandardization were effectively managed medically without requiring further intervention.
Introduction to Multidisciplinary Techniques

The diagnosis of pulmonary diseases historically has depended upon a predominantly clinical approach that uses the patient’s signs and symptoms to develop a differential diagnosis. This is then influenced, to a varying extent, by data from such fields as radiology and pathology. These disciplines employ a variety of techniques to obtain data that help formulate the single best diagnosis. As the amount of information from clinical, radiologic, and pathologic assessments of the patient has increased, this multidisciplinary approach has grown in importance and now has become more formalized and, in many diagnoses of the lung, is the standard of care. This book approaches the field of pulmonary pathology through this multidisciplinary lens and this chapter introduces a brief description of the techniques pulmonology, radiology, and pathology use in this process.
Impact of an on-site perinatal mood disorders clinic in the diagnosis and management of perinatal mood disorders.

Objectives To assess change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores in women treated at the Perinatal Mood Disorders Clinic (PMDC) as a measure of improvement in perinatal mood disorders (primary outcome), and treatment disposition at final visit. Methods Chart review was performed for all PMDC patients between March 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018 (n=120), as a self-controlled case series design. Two-tailed t-tests compared initial and final EPDS scores for all patients with >1 visit (n=64), where EPDS score of ≥13 indicated a positive screen for depression. A multivariable linear regression model with robust standard errors estimated the relationship between patient characteristics and final EPDS scores. Results Of 120 patients, n=56 had one visit and n=64 had >1 visit. Of these 64, mean final score (11.04) was lower than mean initial score (16.54; p<0.001). Additionally, certain patient characteristics were associated with higher final EPDS score, including history of mood disorder and treatment with both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Conclusions Women treated at the PMDC showed improved EPDS scores when receiving at least two separate care visits. Therefore, the clinic may be filling a gap in access to timely care for women with perinatal mood disorders.
Toward Defining Healthcare Simulation Escape Rooms

Background.Escape rooms have been adapted from a range of educational purposes across disciplines, including healthcare simulation. The use of this technique has become increasingly popular among i...
Dysautonomia and Sleep Dysfunction in Pediatric Practice

Genetically determined or acquired sleep–wake disorders that have a significant autonomic component occur over a background of constantly maturing neurorespiratory and cardiovascular function. The pathophysiology of sudden infant death syndrome is now been better elucidated. The entity of brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE) now has helpful management guidelines for generally isolated episodes of apnea and cyanosis during infancy. There is now a better understanding of the molecular basis for congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and its comorbidities. Autonomic dysfunction accompanying primary hypersomnia disorders needs further study of its pathophysiology. This chapter is an overview of autonomic dysfunction in sleep–wake disorders of infancy and childhood.
How Cohorts Changed Crime Rates, 1980–2016

Identify the effect of differences in criminal activity among birth cohorts on crime rates over time. Determine the extent to which cohort effects are responsible for nationwide crime reductions of the last thirty years. Use a panel of state age-arrest data and frequently used economic, social, and criminal justice system covariates to estimate a proxy or characteristic function for current period effects. Combine these results with national age-arrest data to estimate nationwide age, current period, and birth cohort effects on crime rates for 1980–2016. Criminal activity steadily declined between the 1916 and 1945 birth cohorts. It increased among Baby Boomers and Generation X, then dropped rapidly among Millennials, born after 1985. The pattern was similar for all index crimes. Period effects were mostly responsible for the late 1980s crack boom and the 1990s crime drop, but age and cohort effects were primarily responsible for crime rate reductions after 2000. In general, birth cohort and current period effects are about equally important in determining crime rates. Policies aimed at reducing delinquency among young children may be more effective in the long run than current policies aimed at incapacitation, deterrence, and opportunity reduction.
Medial Prefrontal Cortex Glutamate Is Reduced in Schizophrenia and Moderated by Measurement Quality: A Meta-analysis of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies.

Author(s): Smucny, Jason; Carter, Cameron S; Maddock, Richard J | Abstract: BackgroundMagnetic resonance spectroscopy studies measuring brain glutamate separately from glutamine are helping elucidate schizophrenia pathophysiology. An expanded literature and improved methodologies motivate an updated meta-analysis examining effects of measurement quality and other moderating factors in characterizing abnormal glutamate levels in schizophrenia.MethodsSearching previous meta-analyses and the MEDLINE database identified 83 proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy datasets published through March 25, 2020. Three quality metrics were extracted-Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB), line width, and coefficient of variation. Pooled effect sizes (Hedges' g) were calculated with random-effects, inverse variance-weighted models. Moderator analyses were conducted using quality metrics, field strength, echo time, medication, age, and stage of illness.ResultsAcross 36 datasets (2086 participants), medial prefrontal cortex glutamate was significantly reduced in patients (gn=n-0.19, confidence interval [CI]n=n-0.07 ton-0.32). CRLB and coefficient of variation quality subgroups significantly moderated this effect. Glutamate was significantly more reduced in studies with lower CRLB or coefficient of variation (gn=n-0.44, CIn=n-0.29 ton-0.60, and gn=n-0.43, CIn=n-0.29 ton-0.57, respectively). Studies using echo time ≤20 ms also showed significantly greater reduction in glutamate (gn=n-0.41, CIn=n-0.26 ton-0.55). Across 11 hippocampal datasets, group differences and moderator effects were nonsignificant. Group effects in thalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were also nonsignificant.ConclusionsHigh-quality measurements reveal consistently reduced medial prefrontal cortex glutamate in schizophrenia. Stricter CRLB criteria and reduced nuisance variance may increase the sensitivity of future studies examining additional regions and the pathophysiological significance of abnormal glutamate levels in schizophrenia.
The grain boundary stiffness and its impact on equilibrium shapes and boundary migration: Analysis of the Σ5, 7, 9, and 11 boundaries in Ni

Abstract Grain boundaries (GBs) play a critical role in the formation of microstructure during materials processing and its subsequent evolution under service conditions. While GB misorientation is commonly used to describe the boundary’s properties, a more complete description should also account for the GB plane normal, in which the GB stiffness is the relevant property controlling many GB dynamical processes. Herein, we leverage published atomistic simulation data to construct the full GB energy–plane normal diagrams for Σ 5, 7, 9, and 11 GBs in Ni. The functional fits are used to obtain a complete mapping of the GB stiffness as a function of the plane normal, construct the equilibrium shapes, and determine the driving force for GB migration. It is shown that the GB stiffness can be larger in magnitude and more anisotropic than the energy itself. Further, many boundary inclinations are found to exhibit negative stiffness, indicating propensity for faceting. Results from our GB stiffness analysis are shown to be in qualitative agreement with experimental GB plane normal distributions in polycrystalline Ni. In broad terms, our results provide future avenues to account for the plane normal dependency of GB properties in mesoscale treatments of GB migration and microstructural evolution.
Latency Minimization for Mobile Edge Computing Networks

The proliferation of data-intensive mobile applications is causing latency to become an issue in mobile edge computing (MEC) systems. In this work, we propose a novel methodology that optimizes communication, computation, and caching configurations in MEC to minimize the mean latency experienced by mobile devices. Transmission and computation processes are modeled using M/G/1 queues to account for service rates and warm-up times. Our caching scheme includes time variables for each file at each edge server in determining when to discard files from storage. We theoretically analyze the latency experienced by mobile devices due to communication, computation, and caching, showing how MEC system latency depends on the offloading decisions of mobile devices, bandwidth and CPU resources, and expiration times of files in the storage of edge servers. Our method for solving the latency minimization problem consists of two main components: iNner cOnVex Approximation (NOVA) to deal with non-convexity in the optimization, and an online algorithm for preventing cache storage violations as new tasks arrive and are serviced by the MEC system. Simulation results show that our algorithm outperforms several baselines in minimizing latency, and verify the benefit of including different resource allocation variables in our optimization.
Deliberation, Democracy, and Civic Forums: Improving Equality and Publicity

1. Democratic deliberation in civic forums Part I. Equality: 2. Enclave deliberation of the disempowered Christopher F. Karpowitz and Chad Raphael with Allen S. Hammond, IV 3. Enclave deliberation about the digital divide Part II. Publicity: 4. Deliberative publicity 5. Argumentation 6. Transparency 7. Strengthening deliberative civic forums.
Fibroblast Activation in the Infarcted Myocardium

The adult mammalian heart contains abundant fibroblasts. Cardiac fibroblasts are versatile and dynamic cells that not only produce extracellular matrix proteins, but may also serve important functions in myocardial inflammation, angiogenesis and repair. Following injury, cardiac fibroblasts may maintain the integrity of the extracellular matrix network preserving cardiac geometry and function. Myocardial infarction induces dynamic alterations in fibroblast phenotype. During the early stages of infarct healing, cardiac fibroblasts may serve as sentinel cells that sense signals released by dying cardiomyocytes and activate the inflammasome, secreting cytokines and chemokines. During the inflammatory phase, fibroblasts exhibit a matrix-degrading phenotype; myofibroblast conversion may be delayed by activation of Interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling. Suppression of pro-inflammatory signals and termination of IL-1-driven cascades during the proliferative phase of infarct healing may allow unopposed actions of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β on cardiac fibroblasts, mediating myofibroblast transdifferentiation, matrix synthesis and scar contraction. Angiotensin II, the mast cell proteases chymase and tryptase, growth factors and specialized matrix proteins may co-operate to promote a synthetic and proliferative myofibroblast phenotype. The maturation phase follows, as infarct myofibroblasts cross-link the surrounding matrix, become quiescent and may undergo apoptosis. However, in the non-infarcted remodeling myocardium, fibroblasts may remain activated in response to volume and pressure overload promoting interstitial fibrosis. This chapter discusses the role of cardiac fibroblasts in infarct healing and the mechanisms of their activation, suggesting potential therapeutic targets aimed at attenuating adverse post-infarction remodeling.
Fetal Hemoglobin in Neonatal Anemia

To the Editor.— A recent paper in Pediatrics by Bard and Prosmanne 1 described an elevation of fetal hemoglobin (Hb-F) production in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and oxygen dependency. The authors described a novel approach to the evaluation of occult hypoxemia in infants, with potential application in a wide range of disorders. However, in their paper the etiology of the elevation of Hb-F production in BPD patients may have been due to factors other than pulmonary disease.
The use of impregnated filters to collect traces of gases in the atmosphere

Abstract HA and AA Millipore filters impregnated with 5% potassium bicarbonate and dried were found to be suitable for sampling concentrations of sulfur dioxide in air. The impregnation technique and filter loadings are described; flow rates are relatively unaffected by impregnation. The apparatus and procedures used for preparation and sampling known concentrations of sulfur dioxide in air are described. Comparisons of actual and theoretical concentrations in the 0.1 to 10 p.p.m. range showed that the concentrations prepared must be assayed. The collection efficiency of impregnated filters was evaluated for sodium tetrachloromercurate-(II) (less than 10% which is in contrast with the 100% efficiency found with TCM as a scrubbing solution) and potassium bicarbonate (greater than 95%). The capacity of the filters was such that sampling a 10 p.p.m. sample for at least 1 h is possible.
Automatic Abstraction of Memories in the Formal Verification of Superscalar Microprocessors

A system of conservative transformation rules is presented for abstracting memories whose forwarding logic interacts with stalling conditions for preserving the memory semantics in microprocessors with in-order execution. Microprocessor correctness is expressed in the logic of Equality with Uninterpreted Functions and Memories (EUFM) [6]. Memory reads and writes are abstracted as arbitrary uninterpreted functions in such a way that the forwarding property of the memory semantics-- that a read returns the data most recently written to an equal write address--is satisfied completely only when exactly the same pair of one read and one write address is compared for equality in the stalling logic. These transformations are applied entirely automatically by a tool for formal verification of microprocessors, based on EUFM, the Burch and Dill flushing technique [6], and the properties of Positive Equality [3]. An order of magnitude reduction is achieved in the number of eij Boolean variables [9] that encode the equality comparisons of register identifiers in the correctness formulas for single-issue pipelined and dual-issue superscalar microprocessors with multicycle functional units, exceptions, and branch prediction. That results in up to 40× reduction in the CPU time for the formal verification of the dual-issue superscalar microprocessors.
Economic Forecasts: Hard to Rely on?

Forecasts of economic growth can help policymakers and the private sector plan ahead and make decisions. But how accurate are these forecasts? The answer is that forecasters often fall short in predicting a country's growth path, particularly around turning points in economic activity. And now that emerging markets are playing a larger role in driving global growth, forecasting growth has become even more difficult.
Dioscorides of Anazarbus

cad40–cad90 resident in the Eastern Roman Empire, Dioscorides was a Greek-speaking physician who wrote the long-influential Materia Medica (in Greek) in five books. Keywords: pharmacology and medicine, Roman; drugs, Greco-Roman; herbals, Roman
Success and Gender: Determining the Rate of Advancement for Intercollegiate Athletic Directors

Since the demise of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), female sport administrators have continued their struggle to reestablish their place as athletic directors. The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of advancement (success ratio) of intercollegiate athletic directors, with a primary focus on gender. Athletic directors from 157 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) member institutions participated in the study. The preliminary results confirmed the expected findings that hegemonic masculinity was entrenched within intercollegiate athletics. The success ratio of male athletic directors differed from that of female athletic directors, and the difference was significant (p ≤ .05). The success ratio for men was higher than the ratio for women. Further analyses, however, showed that female athletic directors had higher success ratios than their male peers at lower level institutions. Although parity in numbers has not yet been achieved across the NCAA, the glass ceiling at Division I institutions may begin to crack as more women achieve success at the lower level institutions.
Reconfigurable filter design using resonators as coupling structures

A highly-reconfigurable resonant-coupling bandpass filter design approach is presented in this paper. With this novel inter-resonator coupling technique, the coupling bandwidth is controlled through the odd-mode resonant frequency. The employed first-order coupling resonator also acts as an intrinsic switch when its resonant frequency coincides with the center frequency of the bandpass filter. Furthermore, each coupling resonator implements an extra transmission zero, which increases the filters selectivity and can block jammers. The presented analysis is experimentally validated by an eight-resonator array that is capable of realizing a reconfigurable filter design with a) an octave frequency tuning range of 119.04 MHz to 239.05 MHz, b) tunable bandwidth from 23 MHz to 40 MHz achievable at all states and 20 to 42 MHz for most states, and c) tunable filter order from second to fourth order.
Protein Conformation of a Lattice Model Using Tabu Search

We apply tabu search techniques to the problem of determining the optimal configuration of a chain of protein sequences on a cubic lattice. The problem under study is difficult to solve because of the large number of possible conformations and enormous amount of computations required. Tabu search is an iterative heuristic procedure which has been shown to be a remarkably effective method for solving combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, an algorithm is designed for the cubic lattice model using tabu search. The algorithm has been tested on a chain of 27 monomers. Computational results show that our method outperforms previously reported approaches for the same model.
Comparison of the fibronectin-binding ability and antitumor efficacy of various mycobacteria.

Although the mechanism by which Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) exerts an antitumor effect on superficial bladder tumors is not fully understood, recent evidence has implicated binding of BCG organisms to fibronectin (FN) as requisite for this antitumor efficacy. Various substrains of BCG and other mycobacteria were tested in vitro for their relative capacities to bind both matrix and soluble FN. A substrain of Mycobacterium kansasii , designated the “high-binding strain,” was found to bind FN more readily ( P < 0.05) in in vitro studies, when compared to commercially available substrains of BCG (Tice, Connaught, and Armand Frappier). The binding by the three commercial strains of BCG to FN in vitro appeared to be equivalent. The high-binding strain was further demonstrated to attach more readily in vivo to the acutely injured murine bladder ( P < 0.005) than the Armand Frappier substrain. Finally, using the MB49 murine bladder tumor model, an enhanced antitumor effect ( P < 0.05) was noted in mice treated with intravesical high-binding strain, in comparison to the Armand Frappier substrain, during five weekly treatments. It appears not only that the commercial substrains of BCG bind FN in an equivalent manner but also that the relative binding capacities of the substrains correlate directly with antitumor activity. A substrain of M. kansasii appears to have been identified which may prove more clinically effective than the currently available strains of BCG.
Elevated Activation of ERK1 and ERK2 Accompany Enhanced Liver Injury Following Alcohol Binge in Chronically Ethanol‐Fed Rats

Background: Binge drinking after chronic ethanol consumption is one of the important factors contributing to the progression of steatosis to steatohepatitis. The molecular mechanisms of this effect remain poorly understood. We have therefore examined in rats the effect of single and repeat ethanol binge superimposed on chronic ethanol intake on liver injury, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and gene expression. Methods: Rats were chronically treated with ethanol in liquid diet for 4 weeks followed by single ethanol binge (5 gm/kg body weight) or 3 similar repeated doses of ethanol. Serum alcohol and alanine amino transferase (ALT) levels were determined by enzymatic methods. Steatosis was assessed by histology and hepatic triglycerides. Activation of MAPK, 90S ribosomal kinase (RSK), and caspase 3 were evaluated by Western blot. Levels of mRNA for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), early growth response-1 (egr-1), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured by real-time qRT-PCR. Results: Chronic ethanol treatment resulted in mild steatosis and necrosis, whereas chronic ethanol followed by binge group exhibited marked steatosis and significant increase in necrosis. Chronic binge group also showed significant increase (compared with chronic ethanol alone) in the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), ERK2, and RSK. Phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK did not increase by the binge. Ethanol binge, after chronic ethanol intake, caused increase in mRNA for egr-1 and PAI-1, but not TNFα. Conclusions: Chronic ethanol exposure increases the susceptibility of rat liver to increased injury by 1 or 3 repeat binge. Among other alterations, the activated levels of ERK1, and more so ERK2, were remarkably amplified by binge suggesting a role of these isotypes in the binge amplification of the injury. In contrast, p38 MAPK and JNK1/2 activities were not amplified. These binge-induced changes were also reflected in the increases in the RNA levels for egr-1 and PAI-1. This study offers chronic followed by repeat binge as a model for the study of progression of liver injury by ethanol and highlights the involvement of ERK1 and ERK2 isotypes in the amplification of liver injury by binge ethanol.