cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autacoids as Modulators of the Immune Process: A Possible Therapeutic Strategy

ABSTRACT Histamine, prostaglandins of the E and A series and beta-adrenergic catecholamines are among endogenous substances that have long been known to mediate inflammatory pathological events. Recently, we have recognized their potential to initiate, modulate, and help to terminate the response to inflammatory of immune stimuli. The mediators fall into the category of “autacoids”, a word derived from the Greek word autos (“self”) and akos (“medicinal agents”, or “remedy”). The importance of in vitro studies that have helped to define some potential moderating roles for the autacoids in inflammatory and immune processes has been emphasized by confirmatory data obtained in vivo in mice and man. The latter indicate that concentrations of these hormones are frequently sufficient to produce distinctive effects on a number of normal cell types. These cells have nonrandomly distributed receptors for the autacoids on their cell surfaces. The particular involvement of histamine in limiting the inflammatory process and modulating the immune process and its cyclic AMP related mechanism of action are discussed below. We propose that correlations be made between the presence of receptors for histamine and glycoprotein markers on subsets of immunocytes. Then monoclonal antibodies to those cell surface glycoprotein markers be used as carriers in conjugates with autacoids. Recent data indicate that the carrier could perform the function of identification of the cell of interest and preferentially distribute active autacoid to specific cell populations whose functions could be predictably altered. The feasibility of this approach is enhanced by recent developments which indicate that: a) Subsets of immune lymphocytes have distinctive antigenic markers on their surface that predict their immune functions and to which monoclonal antibodies can be formed (Herzenberg and others, 1980; Reinherz and Schlossman, 1980; Engleman and others, 1978); b) Amines linked by a variety of techniques to monodisperse oligopeptides may maintain the pharmacologic effect of the pharmacophore (Melmon and others, 1976a, 1979). The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the conjugate vary when compared to the free ligand; c) Antibodies directed to tumor-specific membrane components of lymphoma cells have been used for conjugation with anti-tumor drugs and in in vitro models have selectively attached pharmacologically active drugs to those cells (Levy and others, 1975a,b; Hurwitz and others, 1975).
Ferumoxytol MRA for transcatheter aortic valve replacement planning with renal insufficiency

Abstract Background Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the test of choice for pre-procedure imaging of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) candidates. The iodinated contrast required, however, increases the risk of renal dysfunction in patients with pre-existing renal failure. Ferumoxytol is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that can be used with renal failure. Its long vascular resonance time allows gated MRA sequences that approach CTA in image quality. We present respiratory and cardiac gated MRA enabled by ferumoxytol that can be post-processed in an analogous fashion to CTA. Methods Seven patients with renal failure presenting for TAVR were imaged with respiratory and cardiac gated MRA at 3T using ferumoxtyol for contrast. Aortic annulus, root and peripheral access dimensions were calculated in a fashion identical to that used for CTA. Of these, 6 patients underwent a TAVR procedure and 5 had intraoperative valve assessment with transesophageal echocardiograph (TEE) using standard clinical protocols that employed both two- and three-dimensional techniques. Results Good correlation between MRA aortic annulus measurements and those from TEE were shown in 5 patients with mean annulus area of 392.4mm 2 (290–470 range) versus 374.1mm 2 (285–440 range), with a pairwise correlation coefficient of 0.92, p=0.029. All patients received Sapien valve implants (one 20mm, three 23mm, and two 26mm valves). Access decisions were guided by MRA with no complications. Annulus sizing resulted in no greater than trace/mild aortic regurgitation in all patients. Conclusions Ferumoxytol MRA is a safe alternative to CTA in patients with renal failure for pre-TAVR analysis of the aortic root and peripheral access.
Strategic sourcing and corporate social responsibility: Aligning a healthcare organization's strategic objectives

Abstract Strategic sourcing has long been utilized by organizations to maximize budget efficiency. The process includes a spend analysis, which historically has been performed by identifying the commodities and services purchased that resulted in the greatest spend, and establishing contracts with suppliers for these items in an effort to decrease the overall price through quantity discounts. This process restricts the data used in the spend analysis process to basic transactional information, and has not considered corporate social responsibility objectives as part of the strategic sourcing process. This paper modifies an existing spend analysis process framework, and applies the framework in a case study that uses additional data points to identify opportunities that allow an organization to simultaneously achieve both strategic purchasing and social responsibility objectives. The case study uses healthcare purchasing data from eight Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. The goal of the model generated using regression analysis in the case study is to determine the buy characteristics that are most likely to generate mandated savings within the medical centers, in conjunction with achieving sustainability goals. The extensions of the regression model were examined to determine how collaborative buyer/supplier relationships can achieve organizational strategic objectives.
Identifying experts in the crowd for evaluation of engineering designs

ABSTRACTCrowdsourcing offers the opportunity to gather evaluations on concept designs from evaluators that otherwise may not have been considered, thus leveraging additional expertise to improve decision making during early stages of the design process. Previous research has shown that crowdsourcing may fail to evaluate correctly even ‘simple’ engineering design concepts, because non-expert evaluations overwhelm the entire crowd evaluation. This article proposes using expertise prediction heuristics to automatically identify experts and filter non-experts prior to a crowdsourced evaluation. We conducted an experiment to test four common expertise prediction heuristics: (1) evaluator demographics, (2) evaluation reaction time, (3) mechanical reasoning aptitude, and (4) ‘easy and known’ versions of the actual ‘difficult and unknown’ design evaluation task. The results show statistical significance between variables for all four heuristics; however, most predictive power is garnered going from easy to diffic...
A calibration-free 2.3 mW 73.2 dB SNDR 15b 100 MS/s four-stage fully differential ring amplifier based SAR-assisted pipeline ADC

A four-stage fully differential ring amplifier in 40 nm CMOS improves gain to over 90 dB without compromising speed. It is applied in a 15b, 100 MS/s calibration-free SAR-assisted pipeline ADC. In addition, a new auto-zero noise filtering method reduces noise without consuming additional power. The ADC achieves 73.2 dB SNDR (11.9b) and 90.4 dB SFDR with a 1.1 V supply. It consumes 2.3 mW resulting in a SNDR based Schreier FoM of 176.6 dB.
Catalytic Reaction Based on Diffusion of Carbon Atoms Through A Palladium Membrane

Abstract The phenomenon of formation of interstitial solid solutions of carbon in palladium (the limiting composition PdC Q.15 ) by diffusion of carbon atoms into Pd lattice was applied to drive a continuous catalytic reaction in a membrane reactor. In this reaction carbon is continuously supplied on one side of the PdC membrane, and is consumed on the other side of the same membrane in a water – gas reaction with selectivity to CO > 8 0% and TON ca. 2 at 600°K.
Non-plastidial expression of a synthetic insect geranyl pyrophosphate synthase effectively increases tobacco plant biomass.

Abstract Designing effective synthetic genes of interest is a fundamental step in plant synthetic biology for biomass. Geranyl pyrophosphate (diphosphate) synthase (GPPS) catalyzes a bottleneck step toward terpenoid metabolism. We previously designed and synthesized a plant (Arabidopsis thaliana)-insect (Myzus persicae, Mp) GPPS- human influenza hemagglutinin (HA) cDNA, namely PTP-MpGPPS-HA (or PTP-sMpGPPS-HA, s: synthetic), to localize the protein in plastids and improve plant biomass. To better understand the effects of different subcellular localizations on plant performance, herein we report PTP-sMpGPPS-HA re-design to synthesize a new MpGPPS-HA cDNA, namely sMpGPPS-HA, to express a non-plastidial sMpGPPS-HA protein. The sMpGPPS-HA cDNA driven by a 2 × S 35S promoter was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum Xanthi. PTP-MpGPPS-HA and PMDC84 vector transgenic plants were also generated as positive and negative controls, respectively. Eighteen to twenty transgenic T0 lines were generated for each sMpGPPS-HA, PTP-sMpGPPS-HA, and PMDC84. Transcriptional genotyping analysis demonstrated the expression of sMpGPPS-HA in transgenic plants. Confocal microscopy analysis of transgenic progeny demonstrated the non-plastidial localization of sMpGPPS-HA. Growth of T1 transgenic and wild-type control plants showed that the expression of sMpGPPS-HA effectively increased plant height by 50–80%, leaf numbers and sizes, and dry biomass by 60–80%. Calculation of the vegetative growth rates showed that the expression of sMpGPPS-HA increased plant height each week. Moreover, sMpGPPS-HA expression promoted early flowering and reduced leaf carotenoid levels. In conclusion, non-plastidial expression of the novel sMpGPPS-HA was effective for improving tobacco growth and biomass. Our data indicate that research examining different subcellular localizations facilitates a better understanding of in planta functions of proteins encoded by synthetic cDNAs.
Management of Osteoporosis in CKD

CKD mineral and bone disease is a common complication of kidney disease, and it affects the majority of patients with moderate to severe CKD. Recently, prospective studies have shown that measurement of bone mineral density by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry predicts incident fracture, providing nephrologists the ability to risk classify patients for skeletal fragility and targeted antifracture strategies for the first time. Furthermore, an expanding body of literature and anecdotal evidence suggest that pharmacologic agents used to treat osteoporosis in the general population can be safely used in patients with CKD. This review highlights the effects of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes updates on the management of CKD-associated osteoporosis, discusses recent investigations on the effects of antiosteoporotic agents in patients with CKD, and provides an overview of novel antiosteoporosis agents and the potential challenges related to their use in CKD.
Effect of LysM+ macrophage depletion on lung pathology in mice with chronic bronchitis.

Macrophages (MΦ) are key sentinels of respiratory exposure to inhaled environmental stimuli. In normal "healthy" tissues, MΦ are believed to be a dormant cell type that, upon exposure to stress-causing stimuli, may get activated to exhibit pro- or anti-inflammatory roles. To test whether stress present in chronic bronchitic (CB) airways triggers MΦ to manifest protective or detrimental responses, the DTA+ (LysM-regulated Diphtheria Toxin A expressing) strain with partial MΦ-deficiency was crossed with the Scnn1b-Tg mouse model of CB and the progenies were studied at 4-5 weeks of age. Compared with DTA- littermates, the DTA+ mice had ~50% reduction in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) MΦ, and the recovered MΦ were immature, phenotypically distinct, and functionally defective. DTA+/Scnn1b-Tg mice exhibited a similar depletion of LysM+ MΦ offset by a significant increase in LysM- MΦ in the BAL. In DTA+/Scnn1b-Tg mice, lung disease was more severe than in DTA-/Scnn1b-Tg littermates, as indicated by an increased incidence of mucus plugging, mucous cells, airway inflammation, higher levels of cytokines/chemokines (KC, TNF-α, MIP-2, M-CSF, IL-5, and IL-17), and worsened alveolar airspace enlargement. DTA+/Scnn1b-Tg mice exhibited increased occurrence of lymphoid nodules, which was concomitant with elevated levels of immunoglobulins in BAL. Collectively, these data indicate that numerical deficiency of MΦ in stressed airspaces is responded via compensatory increase in the recruitment of immature MΦ and altered non-MΦ effector cell-centered responses, for example, mucus production and adaptive immune defense. Overall, these data identify dynamic roles of MΦ in moderating, rather than exacerbating, the severity of lung disease in a model of CB.
Modulation of Human Mobile Elements and Genetic Instability by Environmental Factors

Maintenance of genomic integrity is vital to cellular and organismal survival. Thus, it is not surprising that highly sophisticated survey and repair systems exist to guard against exogenous and endogenous mutagens. A cross talk between these deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-damaging factors can in some instances exacerbate the effects of environmental stimuli because of their ability to activate otherwise ‘dormant’ endogenous mutagens such as mobile elements. This article focuses on the human transposable elements (TEs), also unjustly nicknamed as ‘junk’ DNA, and the alterations in TE activity in response to various environmental stresses, with the emphasis on the currently active human retroelements. Understanding TE modulation by the environment requires some basic appreciation of the steps involved in TE amplification and regulation. Therefore, general introduction of TEs, their impact on the genome, their regulation by cellular factors, and finally an overview of the current understanding of the effect of environmental factors on TE activity are provided. It is important to keep in mind that despite considerable progress made in deciphering the biology of human mobile elements, specific mechanistic details of their relations with the host and their regulation by the environment are just beginning to emerge.
The Significance of Morphine Concentrations in the Cerebrospinal Fluid in Morphine Caused Deaths

Morphine analysis was performed using a variety of immunoassay methods in blood, urine and the cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 23 patients dying opiate-related deaths. Of these, 16 were a result of intravenous morphine or heroin use. The blood and CSF morphine concentrations were determined using both fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA), while urine was analyzed by enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT). Urine morphine concentrations were greater than 0.300 µg/mL in all but one case. Blood and CSF morphine concentrations were found to be poorly correlated, and it was concluded that one should not be used to predict the other. Following intravenous administration. CSF morphine concentrations of greater than 0.02 µg/mL were however found to be consistent with death from morphine related respiratory depression. As intrathecal or epidural administration of morphine can greatly influence the CSF concentration without inducing respiratory depression, the site of collection of the CSF must be known, as must the route of administration in order to properly interpret CSF morphine concentrations.
Transformer winding inter turn short circuit fault analysis and corrective measures

It is introduced that the fault of inter turn short circuit of low voltage winding of 2# main transformer in a 220kV substation. According to visual inspection, diagnostic test and disassembly inspection depot, the fault reason is found out: the bad quality of wrapping paper of the transposition wire and outermost wire, the transposition "S" curve in cake defects and short wedge block length, resulting in main transformer failed to withstand short-circuit current. On this basis, the repair scheme of transformer is put forward, and relevant technical improvement measures are given to prevent similar equipment from short circuit capability failure.
Interventional Pain Treatments in the Management of Oncologic Patients With Thoracic Spinal Tumor-Related Pain: A Case Series.

Background Advanced tumors of the thoracic spine are difficult to treat and can lead to complex pain syndromes. Following conventional oncologic treatments, pharmacologic therapy may be insufficient to manage pain. Minimally invasive interventional procedures offer alternatives to treat malignant thoracic spinal pain. Methods Thirteen patients with metastatic disease and poorly controlled thoracic axial and/or radicular pain were identified via a retrospective chart review. Patients were either treated with radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. Then, the patients were organized into groups based on their diagnoses, anatomical disease locations, symptoms, prior treatments, and interventional pain procedures offered. Results All cases of intercostal nerve, costotransverse junction, erector spinae plane, and paravertebral blocks resulted in pain relief without any reported complications. A patient who received a thoracic epidural injection had a complete resolution of pain when combined with radiation therapy 2 weeks after the injection. One patient who underwent repeat thoracic epidural injections eventually had an intrathecal pump placement, resulting in reduced opioid usage. Finally, 1 patient who received a thoracic medial branch block with a relief of thoracic axial pain reported greater pain relief with a medial branch nerve cryoablation. Conclusion We propose a treatment algorithm to manage patients with thoracic spinal tumor-related pain. Interventional thoracic axial procedures may be safe and efficacious pain treatments for patients with cancer.
Thermally Induced Healing of Electrically Insulating Ethylene–Octene Copolymers

We report on electrical insulating materials that not only have sufficient mechanical toughness to survive use conditions but also possess the ability to undergo thermally induced self-repair when damaged. By controlling the cross-link density, a modified ethylene–octene copolymer (EOC) is able to retain its self-healing abilities while also being used at temperatures greater than the original, unmodified polymer. Specifically, an EOC cross-linked with 0.25 wt % dicumyl peroxide affords a material ability to recover 61% of its critical fracture energy—a value similar to thermoplastic EOC. Furthermore, as shown by dielectric spectroscopy, the cross-linked EOC retains good electrically insulating properties.
Cysteinyl cathepsins in cardiovascular diseases

Cysteinyl cathepsins are lysosomal/endosomal proteases that mediate bulk protein degradation in these intracellular acidic compartments. Yet, studies indicate that these proteases also appear in the nucleus, nuclear membrane, cytosol, plasma membrane, and extracellular space. Patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) show increased levels of cathepsins in the heart, aorta, and plasma. Plasma cathepsins often serve as biomarkers or risk factors of CVD. In aortic diseases, such as atherosclerosis and abdominal aneurysms, cathepsins play pathogenic roles, but many of the same cathepsins are cardioprotective in hypertensive, hypertrophic, and infarcted hearts. During the development of CVD, cathepsins are regulated by inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, hypertensive stimuli, oxidative stress, and many others. Cathepsin activities in inflammatory molecule activation, immunity, cell migration, cholesterol metabolism, neovascularization, cell death, cell signaling, and tissue fibrosis all contribute to CVD and are reviewed in this article in memory of Dr. Nobuhiko Katunuma for his contribution to the field.
Entanglement, partial set of measurements, and diagonality of the density matrix in the parton model

We define the ``entropy of ignorance'' which quantifies the entropy associated with ability to perform only a partial set of measurement on a quantum system. For the parton model the entropy of ignorance is equal to the Boltzmann entropy of a classical system of partons. We analyze a calculable model used for describing low x gluons in Color Glass Condensate approach, which has similarities with the parton model of QCD. In this model we calculate the entropy of ignorance in the particle number basis as well as the entanglement entropy of the observable degrees of freedom. We find that the two are similar at high momenta, but differ by a factor of order unity at low momenta. This holds for the Renyi as well as von Neumann entropies. We conclude that the entanglement does not seem to play an important role in the context of the parton model.
Nurses' Perspectives on the Dismissal of Vaccine-Refusing Families From Pediatric and Family Care Practices.

Purpose:Dismissal of families who refuse mandated childhood vaccines from pediatric practices has become more common among US pediatricians over the past 2 decades. While nurses (registered nurses ...
Chapter 1 – Introduction: Defining the Role of Statistics in Business

We begin this chapter with an overview of the competitive advantage provided by a knowledge of statistical methods, followed by some basic facts about statistics and probability and their role in business. Statistical activities can be grouped into five main activities (designing, exploring, modeling, estimating, and hypothesis testing), and one way to clarify statistical thinking is to be able to match the business task at hand with the correct collection of statistical methods. This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, which follows up with many important detailed procedures for accomplishing business goals that involve these activities. Next follows an overview of data mining of Big Data (which involves these main activities) and its importance in business. Then we distinguish the field of probability (where, based on assumptions, we reach conclusions about what is likely to happen—a useful exercise in business where nobody knows for sure what will happen) from the field of statistics (where we know from the data what happened, from which we infer conclusions about the system that produced these data) while recognizing that probability and statistics will work well together in future chapters. The chapter concludes with some words of advice on how to integrate statistical thinking with other business viewpoints and activities.
Abstract C043: Meat and fish intake and the risk of breast cancer in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS)

Introduction: Cooking meat at high temperatures and charring of meat increases the production of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are implicated in breast carcinogenesis. Several epidemiologic studies have reported increased risk of breast cancer with higher intake of HCAs or red meat intake. However, few studies have examined these associations in racially diverse populations. The goal of the study was to examine the associations between various meat and fish preparation methods and breast cancer using the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS) Phase 2. Methods: African American (AA) and European American (EA) women aged 20-74 years with a first diagnosis of invasive or in situ breast cancers were enrolled. Controls were identified through the DMV and Medicare lists and were frequency matched to cases by race and age group (AA: 548 cases and 452 controls; EA: 858 cases and 748 controls). Preparation methods and intake frequencies were obtained through self-report questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% CIs of breast cancer by frequency of intake of meat and fish cooked by various preparation methods. Results: Using no reported meat intake as the referent, positive associations with breast cancer were observed for intakes of grilled/barbecued hamburger (one or more times per week, OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.66), and for pan-fried/oven-broiled beef steak (one or more times per week, OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.74). Inverse associations with breast cancer were observed for pan-fried fish (one or more times per week, OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.99) and for grilled/barbecued pork chops (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69, 0.98). Overall, the associations appeared to be stronger among EA women but showed inconsistency within meat categories (fish, pork, beef) depending upon method of cooking. Conclusion: Among AA and EA women, more frequently consuming beef prepared with high-temperature methods (such as grilling or oven-broiling) was associated with higher odds of breast cancer, and the associations were stronger among EA women compared to AA women. In contrast, consuming pan-fried fish or grilled/barbecued pork chops weekly was associated with lower odds of breast cancer compared to less frequent consumption. Citation Format: Omonefe Omofuma, Susan Steck, Melissa Troester, Andrew Olshan. Meat and fish intake and the risk of breast cancer in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr C043.
Culture of Negativity? Evidence of Down-Ballot Diffusion of Negative Campaign Techniques in the U.S. States

Though much ink has been spilled examining negative ad techniques, little is still understood about how elites at different branches of government may have an effect in encouraging this negativity. This paper examines whether certain campaign techniques, particularly the decision to “go negative,” are diffused from top-ballot campaigns to judicial campaigns within particular states. Specifically, I focus on comparing campaigns for state judicial seats, for which candidates have only recently begun to go negative, with U.S. Senate and gubernatorial election tones, which have a far longer history of negative campaign tactics. If the tone of the campaign goes negative at the top level of the ballot, does it trickle down to other - specifically judicial - campaigns? I explore this question by examining negative ad frequency in contested U.S. Senate/gubernatorial and state supreme court elections in the American states, merging data from 2000, 2002, and 2004, which are available from Justice At Stake and the Wisconsin Advertising Project. I find that several states exhibit copycat behavior, but that this effect is not consistent. Despite serious data limitations, analysis reveals that interest groups are more likely to run negative ads in judicial ads, and that judicial races are quickly going negative, much like their upper ballot counterparts. In addition, negative ads are most likely when the election is a low-salience retention election. This suggests negative ads are being carefully employed, especially by interest groups, in order to increase the salience of the lower ballot race in voters’ minds. I describe the data’s patterns as well as identify avenues for future research when further data will be available.
Return to Play and Performance in the Women’s National Basketball Association After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction:

Background:The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) athletes continues to increase. There is a paucity of data regarding return-t...
Forced expiratory time: a composite of airway narrowing and airway closure

Forced expiratory time (FET) has long been felt to reflect important physiological information about lung function but exactly how has never been clear. Here, we use a model analysis to assess the ...
Predictors of Adverse outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus transitioning to adult care.

Abstract Background : The transition from pediatric to adult care is a vulnerable period for individuals with chronic diseases. We sought to identify risk factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) who have transitioned to adult care. Methods : A retrospective analysis of cSLE patients was performed. Outcomes of interest were development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or death and time to first hospitalization following final pediatric rheumatology visit. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were used. Results : Of 190 patients with cSLE, 21 (11%) developed ESRD and 9 (5%) died following the final pediatric rheumatology visit. In logistic regression, public insurance, history of Child Protective Services involvement, and an unscheduled hospitalization during the final year in pediatric care were predictive of ESRD or death (odds ratio (95% confidence intervals (CI)) 6.7 (1.5–30.7), 6.6 (2.3–19.1), and 3.2 (1.3–8.3), respectively). Among 114 patients with healthcare utilization data, 53% had a hospitalization in adult care. In Cox regression analysis, a pediatric outpatient opioid prescription was associated with shorter time to adult hospitalization and White or Asian race was associated with longer time to adult hospitalization (hazard ratio (CI) 3.5 (1.7–7.0) and 0.1 (0.03–0.4), respectively). Conclusions : Risks factors associated with poor outcomes in adult care amongst patients with cSLE include public insurance, history of Child Protective Services involvement, unscheduled care utilization in pediatric care, pediatric outpatient opioid prescription, Black race and Hispanic ethnicity. Efforts to improve long-term outcomes among patients with cSLE should focus on these populations.
Retirement, Relocation, and Residential Choices

In today’s aging societies, a good deal of the older population is faced with the decision of when to exit the labor force. The decision is often made jointly with a locational choice and a choice about housing consumption (Banks et al. 2012). Prior to retirement, the workplace location strongly influences where people live. Upon retirement, however, other factors such as closeness to children and grandchildren, climate, and amenities take on a pivotal role (Whisler et al. 2008; Wiseman and Roseman 1979; Serow 2001). Moreover—upon retirement—households typically receive less income and change their consumption patterns, spending relatively more on housing, food, and healthcare than on clothing, transportation, and household furnishing (Lee et al. 2014). As a result, many households downsize their home (Bian 2016) and move to places that are more affordable and easily accessible in anticipation that health and strength may become compromised (Abramsson and Andersson 2016).
Risk Taking Behaviors Using Public Wi-Fi™

Dramatic increases in public Wi-Fi™ (hereafter referred to as Wi-Fi) availability have occurred over the last decade. Although Wi-Fi provides convenient network connectivity, it has significant security vulnerabilities. Despite widespread knowledge of potential vulnerabilities of public Wi-Fi, most people simply connect to it in public places. We investigated the individual calculus behind risk-taking behavior based on the theoretical foundations of risk taking behavior, technology threat avoidance theory, prospect theory, and self-determination theory. Using survey data collected from 1313 respondents in the United States, this study found that avoidance motivation, risk averting propensity, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affect intention to use public Wi-Fi. In addition, our results indicate that avoidance motivation is related to safeguard effectiveness, safeguard cost, and perceived threat, while risk averting propensity is associated with positive outcome history, age, gender, and education attainment.
Abstract 17400: Using Electronic Health Records for Predicting Hospitalization of COVID-19 Patients in Massachusetts

Introduction: The electronic health record (EHR) provides a platform to design models for predicting the severity of illness in COVID-19 patients. We used the Mass General Brigham (MGB) EHR that co...
WE-AB-303-06: Combining DAO with MV + KV Optimization to Improve Skin Dose Sparing with Real-Time Fluoroscopy

Purpose: Real-time fluoroscopy may allow for improved patient positioning and tumor tracking, particularly in the treatment of lung tumors. In order to mitigate the effects of the imaging dose, previous studies have demonstrated the effect of including both imaging dose and imaging constraints into the inverse treatment planning object function. That method of combined MV+kV optimization may Result in plans with treatment beams chosen to allow for more gentle imaging beam-on times. Direct-aperture optimization (DAO) is also known to produce treatment plans with fluence maps more conducive to lower beam-on times. Therefore, in this work we demonstrate the feasibility of a combination of DAO and MV+kV optimization for further optimized real-time kV imaging. Methods: Therapeutic and imaging beams were modeled in the EGSnrc Monte Carlo environment, and applied to a patient model for a previously treated lung patient to provide dose influence matrices from DOSXYZnrc. An MV + kV IMRT DAO treatment planning system was developed to compare DAO treatment plans with and without MV+kV optimization. The objective function was optimized using simulated annealing. In order to allow for comparisons between different cases of the stochastically optimized plans, the optimization was repeated twenty times. Results: Across twenty optimizations, combined MV+kV IMRT resulted in an average of 12.8% reduction in peak skin dose. Both non-optimized and MV+kV optimized imaging beams delivered, on average, mean dose of approximately 1 cGy per fraction to the target, with peak doses to target of approximately 6 cGy per fraction. Conclusion: When using DAO, MV+kV optimization is shown to Result in improvements to plan quality in terms of skin dose, when compared to the case of MV optimization with non-optimized kV imaging. The combination of DAO and MV+kV optimization may allow for real-time imaging without excessive imaging dose. Financial support for the work has been provided in part by NIH Grant T32 EB002103, ACS RSG-13-313-01-CCE, and NIH S10 RR021039 and P30 CA14599 grants. The contents of this submission do not necessarily represent the official views of any of the supporting organizations.
Contrasting Views of Physicians and Nurses about an Inpatient Computer-based Provider Order-entry System

Objective: Many hospitals are investing in computer-based provider order-entry (POE) systems, and providers' evaluations have proved important for the success of the systems. The authors assessed how physicians and nurses viewed the effects of one modified commercial POE system on time spent patients, resource utilization, errors with orders, and overall quality of care. Design: Survey. Measurements: Opinions of 271 POE users on medicine wards of an urban teaching hospital: 96 medical house officers, 49 attending physicians, 19 clinical fellows with heavy inpatient loads, and 107 nurses. Results: Responses were received from 85 percent of the sample. Most physicians and nurses agreed that orders were executed faster under POE. About 30 percent of house officers and attendings or fellows, compared with 56 percent of nurses, reported improvement in overall quality of care with POE. Forty-four percent of house officers and 34 percent of attendings/fellows reported that their time with patients decreased, whereas 56 percent of nurses indicated that their time with patients increased ( P < 0.001). Sixty percent of house officers and 41 percent of attendings/fellows indicated that order errors increased, whereas 69 percent of nurses indicated a decrease or no change in errors. Although most nurses reported no change in the frequency of ordering tests and medications with POE, 61 percent of house officers reported an increased frequency. Conclusion: Physicians and nurses had markedly different views about effects of a POE system on patient care, highlighting the need to consider both perspectives when assessing the impact of POE. With this POE system, most nurses saw beneficial effects, whereas many physicians saw negative effects.
Biological effects of anti-idiotypic antibodies on lymphocyte function. I. Analysis of the effects on B lymphocytes of combining site and framework-directed anti-T-15 idiotypic antibodies.

Abstract Anti-idiotypic antibodies against TEPC-15 myeloma protein (BALB/c origin) were raised in allogeneic animals by immunization of A/J mice with the myeloma protein. The antibody activities were fractionated into two specificities by TEPC-15 immunoadsorbent affinity columns by elution with free hapten (phosphorylcholine, PC), followed by elution with acidic buffer (glycine- HCl, pH 2.3). Idiotype binding analysis indicated that the fraction eluted with hapten could be inhibited in its binding to TEPC-15 by free hapten (i.e., binding site-directed anti-idiotypic antibody), whereas the acid-eluted fraction could not (i.e., framework-directed anti-idiotypic antibody). When analyzed for their biological activities on PC-specific B lymphocytes producing T-15 idiotype-bearing antibodies, both anti-idiotypic antibody fractions had similar suppressive effects on the in vitro production of antiphosphorylcholine antibody in culture.
Patterns of care before and after the adult sinusitis clinical practice guideline.

Objectives/Hypothesis Determine if patterns of care for acute sinusitis have changed after the publication of the adult sinusitis clinical practice guideline. Study Design Cross-sectional study with historical controls. Methods Cases of adult acute sinusitis occurring in 2005–2006 (before guideline publication) and 2009–2010 (>1 year after guideline publication) were extracted from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey. Changes in the rates of analgesic recommendations, oral antibiotic prescriptions, and choice of antibiotic therapy were determined and compared before and after guideline publication and relative to guideline recommendations. Results An estimated 18.1±1.8 million cases of adult acute sinusitis were studied before (7.9±0.9 million visits for 2005–2006) and after (10.2±1.5 million visits for 2009–2010) guideline publication. Recommendation rates for analgesics did not change significantly (18.9% before vs. 23.0% after, P=.470). The proportion of patients receiving oral antibiotics increased after guideline publication (75.5% before vs. 85.7% after, P=.021). In keeping with guideline recommendations, the proportion of patients treated with amoxicillin as the agent of choice when antibiotics are prescribed increased from 8.1% to 29.4% after guideline publication (P=.001). Conclusions Care patterns for the medical treatment of acute adult sinusitis have changed after guideline publication, with an increase in oral antibiotic prescription rates in cases of acute sinusitis and increase in the use of amoxicillin as the first-line antimicrobial agent. The latter is strongly in keeping with guideline recommendation. Clinicians' espousal of the analgesic recommendations likely needs improvement to better comply with guideline recommendations. Level of Evidence 2b. Laryngoscope, 2013
Lifetime Earnings and Heterogeneity in Retirement Wealth: the Role of Bequests, Minimum Consumption, and Social Security ⁄

The data show large dispersion in households’ wealth holdings at retirement. In addition, the empirical correlation between household lifetime earnings and retirement wealth is much lower in the data than in many quantitative models. This paper quantifles and analyzes the implications of a life cycle model with intergenerational links (in the form of voluntary bequest motives and intergenerational transmission of ability) that also explicitly allows for deflned beneflt pensions, historydependent social security, and a government-provided minimum consumption ∞oor. The key flnding is that this model goes a long way toward matching the observed wealth difierences at retirement and their correlation with lifetime incomes.
Transition Issues Facing Youth with Severe Disabilities: Parents' Perspective

At a time when the transition from school to work and community life for students with handicaps has become a major national concern, the need for information to help guide transition planning is a...
Osteogenesis of MC3T3 Preosteoblasts on 3D Bioactive Peptide Modified Nano-Macroporous Bioactive Glass Scaffolds

Biointerface design that targets osteogenesis is a growing area of research with significant implications in biomedicine. Materials known to either support or stimulate osteogenesis are composed of a biomimetic ceramic material, such as bioactive glass. Bioactive glass is osteoproductive, and the potential for osteoproductivity can be enhanced by the addition of proteins or other additives designed to alter functionality. In addition, soluble growth factors are often added to osteogenic culture on bioactive glasses, further intensifying the effects of the material. In this paper, synthetic peptide combinations, covalently bound to a three-dimensional bioactive glass network, are used to mimic the effects of the whole fibronectin and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) 2 and 9. Peptide-silanes possessing critical binding sequences from each of these proteins are synthesized and used to decorate the surface of three-dimensional (3D) nano-macroporous bioactive glass. MC3T3 preosteoblast cells are then assessed for differentiation on the materials in the absence of soluble differentiation cues. MC3T3 preosteoblasts undergo enhanced differentiation on the peptide-silane samples over the standard nano-macroporous bioactive glass, and the differentiation capacity of the cells exposes only to peptide-silane surfaces approaches that of cells grown in chemical differentiation induction media.
Connecting Teens to Caring Adults in a School-Based Health Center: A Case Study

The traditional medical care system is generally unable to provide the broad health and wellness services needed by many adolescents, especially those from low-income and racial/ethnic minority communities. Using a theoretical framework adapted from Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of multiple influencers, this case study examined how a school-based health center was able to provide a network of connections for adolescents to caring adults within the school and the local community. Contributors to this network were the creation of a student-centered community with access to adolescent-friendly services, providers acting as connectors, and care of the whole adolescent.
Influence of environmental stress on age- and size-at-maturity: genetic and plastic responses of coastal marsh fishes to changing salinities

As sea levels rise, salt water will intrude into freshwater coastal habitats with greater frequency and stress resident organisms inducing physiological trade-offs that influence life history tactics. Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and least killifish (Heterandria formosa), collected along a salinity gradient and maintained in a common freshwater environment for two years (≥4 generations), were used to examine historical (genetic effects) and contemporary environmental effects of salinity on age- and size-at-maturity. There was phenotypic plasticity for sexual maturation and genetic variance among source populations for size-at-maturity, but no genetic variance for plasticity itself as indicated by the lack of genetic-by-environment interactions. Gambusia affinis males and H. formosa females exhibited stress by maturing at smaller sizes and older ages in response to being reared in 0 and 12 ppt, respectively. Our results suggest that habitats in which these fishes are most abundant do not corresp...
Perceived Competence and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Attributional Style

This longitudinal study examined the interactive effects of depressive attributional style and multiple domains of perceived competence on depressive symptoms among 431 adolescents. Our structural equation modeling with latent factor interactions indicated that (1) for girls with a higher depressive attributional style, lower perceived competence in physical appearance was predictive of depressive symptoms over a 2.5 year period, and (2) regardless of gender, among adolescents with a higher depressive attributional style, lower athletic competence was predictive of higher depressive symptoms 6 months later, which in turn were related to higher depressive symptoms 2 years later. Significant main effects suggested that lower levels of perceived social acceptance were associated with higher subsequent levels of depressive symptoms but only for boys. These findings have implications for understanding the roles of perceived competence and attributional style in predicting depressive symptoms among adolescent girls and boys.
Polynomial operators and local smoothness classes on the unit interval

We obtain a characterization of local Besov spaces of functions on [-1,1] in terms of algebraic polynomial operators. These operators are constructed using the coefficients in the orthogonal polynomial expansions of the functions involved. The example of Jacobi polynomials is studied in further detail. A by-product of our proofs is an apparently simple proof of the fact that the Cesaro means of a sufficiently high integer order of the Jacobi expansion of a continuous function are uniformly bounded.
Sensitivity of Human Foetal Intestine to Interferon

ACUTE infectious non-bacterial gastroenteritis is a common disease in which recovery usually occurs within 24–48 h of the onset of diarrhoea and vomiting1,2. This short duration suggests that a mechanism of rapid onset, such as interferon, may play a significant role in recovery. The role of interferon in recovery from acute enteric viral infections of man is, however, unknown. Indeed, little is known about the ability of the human intestine to either produce or respond to interferon. We have therefore investigated the role of interferon in viral infections of the human gut. We found that human foetal intestine is quite responsive to the antiviral properties of exogenous interferon, and when so treated exhibits a marked inhibition of the replication of an enteric virus, echovirus type 11.
Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism with small-bowel x-ray features of sprue, without steatorrhea.

A patient with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is described with an abnormal radiographic appearance of the small-bowel suggesting sprue although there was no evidence of malabsorption. The relationship of an absorptive defect to hypoparathyroidism is discussed, and it is suggested that at least in some of these patients the malabsorption is secondary to the parathyroid insufficiency and not the reverse.
A Uniform Space–Time Gridding Algorithm for Comparison of Satellite Data Products: Characterization and Sensitivity Study

AbstractTo overcome the complexities associated with combining or comparing multisensor data, a statistical gridding algorithm is introduced for projecting data from their unique instrument domain to a uniform space–time domain. The algorithm has two components: 1) a spatial gridding phase in which geophysical properties are filtered on the basis of a set of criteria (e.g., time of day or viewing angle) and then aggregated into nearest-neighbor clusters as defined by equal-angle grid cells and 2) a temporal gridding phase in which daily statistics are calculated per grid cell from which longer time-aggregate statistics are derived. The sensitivity of the gridding algorithm is demonstrated using a month (1–31 August 2009) of level 2 Aqua/Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud-top pressure (CTP) retrievals as an example. Algorithm sensitivity is tested for grid size, number of days in the definition of a time average, viewing angle, and minimum number of observations per grid cell per d...