cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myocardial depressant factor and circulatory shock.

MDF is a small peptide, having a molecular weight of 500–1000 that is produced in the ischemic pancreas during a variety of types of circulatory shock. It is probably produced by the proteolytic degradation of intracellular pancreatic protein by the combined action of lysosomal and zymogenic proteases. MDF is transported to the circulation by lymphatics and by systemic microcirculatory vessels. MDF depresses contractility of the heart under a variety of hemodynamic conditions. It also constricts splanchnic resistance vessels thereby favoring its production. Moreover, this toxic peptide contributes to reticuloendothelial phagocytic depression thus hampering its clearance from the circulation. Glucocorticoids and certain protease inhibitors are very effective pharmacological agents in preventing the formation of MDF. Conventional inotropic agents are not ideal agents in shock since they usually exert undesirable side effects which cancel much of their useful inotropic action. Surgical interventions such as pancreatic duct ligation, pancreatectomy, pancreatic vascular perfusion, thoracic lymph duct diversion or hemodialysis can prevent the formation, transport, or biological actions of MDF in animals, but they are impractical and difficult to perform in patients during shock. MDF is a toxic factor that contributes to the lethality of the shock state by virtue of its positive feedback actions. Moreover, lysosomal hydrolases which are released into the circulation during shock are directly deleterious to the organism, and also sensitize the circulatory system to the deleterious effects of MDF. Further work is needed to determine the complete chemical identity of MDF and to evaluate its detailed mechanism of action in shock states. Therapeutic measures specific for the antagonism of MDF would be a desirable and useful tool in the overall therapeutics of many types of circulatory shock.
26.4 A 0.4-to-1V 1MHz-to-2GHz switched-capacitor adiabatic clock driver achieving 55.6% clock power reduction

Clock distribution in modern SoCs consumes a significant fraction of total chip power. To reduce clock distribution power, resonant clocking schemes, where an inductive reactance is used to cancel the capacitive reactance of global clock networks at a given resonance frequency, f o , have been proposed. Conventionally, such schemes are only suitable at high multi-GHz frequencies in order to be able to place the employed inductors on chip [1, 2]. Since many modern energy-efficient SoC designs optimize for clock frequencies DD to the MHz and near-threshold regimes, respectively, there is a need to develop low-power clock distribution schemes that can work across increasingly wider operating ranges. Recent work in quasi-continuous resonant clocking has proposed intermittent cancelation of global clock-tree capacitance during edge transitions, however, such techniques require large off-chip inductors and are limited to 0.98MHz [3] and 150MHz [4], respectively, owing to the need to operate well below resonance (i.e., o /10). Thus, while prior-art has shown power reduction for targeted applications, they all require large on- or off-chip magnetics, and do not meet the MHz-to-GHz frequency-range needs of modern DVFS-enabled SoCs. To address these problems, this paper introduces a fully integrated adiabatic clocking scheme that efficiently synthesizes n-step clock waveforms from 1MHz to 2GHz via a switched-capacitor DC-AC multi-level inverter topology, theoretically reducing power by 1/n without using any magnetic component.
And Yet It Moves.

E pur si muove (and yet it moves) is a comment attributed to Galileo after the Catholic Church forced him to recant his theory that the earth moved around the sun.
Hairpin vortex exact coherent states in channel flow

Hairpin vortices are widely studied as an important structural aspect of wall turbulence. The present work describes, for the first time, nonlinear traveling wave solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations in the channel flow geometry -- exact coherent states (ECS) -- that display hairpin vortex structure. This solution family comes into existence at a saddle-node bifurcation at Reynolds number Re=666. At the bifurcation, the solution has a highly symmetric quasistreamwise vortex structure similar to that reported for previously studied ECS. With increasing distance from the bifurcation, however, both the upper and lower branch solutions develop a vortical structure characteristic of hairpins: a spanwise oriented "head" near the channel centerplane where the mean shear vanishes connected to counter-rotating quasistreamwise "legs" that extend toward the channel wall. At Re=1800, the upper branch solution has mean and Reynolds shear-stress profiles that closely resemble those of turbulent mean profiles in the same domain.
Flux Characterization in Heterogeneous Transport Problems by the Boundary Integral Method

Potential flow problems with spatially varying transport coefficients are commonplace. While numerical methods are often implemented for such problems, coupled analytic solutions to heterogeneous, anisotropic problems enable below-grid, nonlinear flow effects to be accurately captured, even for systems with complex source functions. Coupling occurs through construction of boundary integrals to capture material transport between homogeneous domains. Various nonparametric methods are examined to compute the unknown flux distribution, including Gauss node distribution schemes with point source functions and patch-wise, semi-analytic integration. The merits of a posed parametric method that asserts a hybrid boundary condition and avoids numerical integration altogether within an overall analytic structure are further examined here. Reduction of heterogeneous problems to equivalent homogeneous transport property problems yields an additional term with linkage to uniform flux and uniform pressure contributions at increasingly distance interfaces in prolonged systems.
The Motions of the Earth

Anyone who thinks that Copernican theory is “simpler” than Ptolemaic theory has never looked at Book III of De revolutionibus. In a geocentric system the earth is at rest—as indeed it appears to be—and any apparent motions in the heavens that we know to result from its motions are distributed among a number of objects, i.e. the sun, the individual planets, the sphere of the fixed stars, everything in its proper place as it actually appears. But when Copernicus worked through the consequences of his own theory, he had to attribute to the earth no less than three fundamental motions and a number of secondary motions. That all these compounded motions forced upon a single and, to all appearances, quiescent body seemed implausible to his contemporaries is not to be wondered at, especially because the end result was nothing other than reproducing the same apparent motions in the heavens that had been accounted for all along (and without making asumptions that contradicted contemporary natural philosophy, common sense, and the most casual or most meticulous observations then possible of the behavior of the earth and of objects on or near its surface).
Troponin Elevation in Heart Failure: Prevalence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications

Circulating biomarkers have become increasingly important in diagnosing and risk stratifying patients with heart failure (HF). While the natriuretic peptides have received much focus, there is increasing interest in the role of circulating cardiac troponin (cTn) in detecting myocardial injury (often subclinical) in those with HF. Accumulating evidence suggests that patients with chronic and acute HF may have measurable levels of circulating cTn, whose detection and magnitude may have prognostic implications. Furthermore, as new, more sensitive cTn assays are being developed, larger numbers of HF patients are found to have detectable cTn with a persistent relationship between magnitude and outcome. This knowledge improves our ability to understand the mechanism of worsening HF, improve risk stratification, and detect potential injury related to new therapeutics in HF. As investigators begin to understand the relationship of detectable cTn to HF outcomes, as well as temporal changes in its magnitude, and its relationship to other circulating biomarkers, more insight may be gained into the progressive nature of cardiac dysfunction and the transition from chronic compensated to acute decompensated HF. Ultimately, this information might allow physicians to guide therapy, choose appropriate therapeutics, and improve HF outcomes.
A High-Rate Software-Defined Underwater Acoustic Modem With Real-Time Adaptation Capabilities

There is an emerging need for high-rate underwater acoustic (UW-A) communication platforms to enable a new generation of underwater monitoring applications including video streaming. At the same time, modern UW-A communication architectures need to be flexible to adapt and optimize their communication parameters in real time based on the environmental conditions. Existing UW-A modems are limited in terms of achievable data rates and ability to adapt the protocol stack in real time. To overcome this limitation, we present the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a new high-rate software-defined acoustic modem (SDAM) with real-time adaptation capabilities for UW-A communications. We introduce new physical-layer adaptation mechanisms that enable either joint adaptation of communication parameters such as modulation constellation and channel coding rate or seamless switching between different communication technologies such as orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing and direct-sequence-spread-spectrum. The performance of the proposed SDAM has been evaluated in both indoor (water tank) and outdoor (lake) environments. We demonstrated that the SDAM achieves 104 kbit/s with bit-error-rate (BER) of $2 \times 10^{-5}$ , 208 kbit/s with BER of 10−3, and 260 kbit/s with BER of 10−2 in real time over a 200 m horizontal link at a very-shallow lake environment.
Two Xanthomonad Pathogens, One from Acer glabrum and One from Sambucus nigra

At the time of publication of the ISPP List of Pathovar Names and Pathotypes (2) some of the previously described bacterial pathogens were excluded for not conforming to one or more of the international standards for naming pathovars of phytopathogenic bacteria (2). Among them were two xanthomonad pathogens, viz., Xanthomonas acernea originally described from Acer trifidum (3) and X. sambuci originally described from Sambucus ebulus (6). In recent years, however, a bacterial disease affecting S. nigra and another affecting A. glabrum were observed to occur in central Idaho (U.S.A.), and both these diseases have been found to be caused by species/pathovars of Xanthomonas. This report describes the observations on these two bacterial diseases and their symptomatology, isolation, characterization and identification of the respective pathogens, and proposes reinstatement of the two pathovars that were previously invalidated.
Family resources and successful adaptation to autistic children

The negative effects of autistic children on families have been poignantly documented by parents and, more recently, by clinicians and researchers (DeMyer and Goldberg, 1983; Holroyd and McArthur, 1976). Much less is known, however, about the characteristics of autistic children and the resources in their families and communities that enable some families to cope successfully in the face of such chronic stress. Mary Akerley (1975) spoke of “invulnerable” parents of autistic children, those parents who are able to persevere and even to grow in the presence of their autistic children. The purpose of this chapter is to focus on research on family resources and their role in facilitating such successful family adaptation to autistic and autistic-like children.
The Universal Protocol: Pitfalls and Pearls

As we are now in the 10th year of the Universal Protocol’s implementation in the United States, it is time for critical assessment of the protocol’s impact on patient safety related to the incidence of preventable “never events”. The current book chapter discusses potential shortcomings and pitfalls of the Universal Protocol, and provides recommendations on how to circumvent specific inherent vulnerabilities, in order to improve the effectiveness and quality of this widely established patient safety protocol.
T-lymphocyte subpopulations and HLA-DR antigens in patients with Bell's palsy, hearing loss, neuronitis vestibularis, and Ménière's disease.

Numerous and various immunological tests have been made in the last few years for researching and diagnosing immunological diseases of the labyrinth. In spite of the different possibilities for immunological testing, Veldmann [8] is right in talking of the diagnostic dilemma of recognizing supposed immuno-otological diseases. This is also true to the same degree for the facial nerve.
Treatment of complex proximal femoral fractures with the proximal femur locking compression plate

The PF-LCP represents a feasible alternative for the treatment of unstable inter- and subtrochanteric fractures.
Sea Spray Production and Influence on Air-sea Heat And Moisture Fluxes over the Open Ocean

The question as to whether sea spray affects the air—sea fluxes of heat and moisture has been around a long time, but the answer has remained elusive. Over 50 years ago, Montgomery (1940) concluded that humidity profiles he collected over the ocean in winds less than 10 m/s showed evidence of spray effects. Over 40 year ago, to explain the radial increase in air temperature and specific humidity toward the center of tropical storms, Riehl (1954, p. 287) confidently stated that “A source for the heat and moisture increase is obvious. The ocean is greatly agitated, and large amounts of water are thrown into the air in the form of spray.”
Do changes in DNA methylation mediate or interact with SNP variation? A pharmacoepigenetic analysis.

In studies with multi-omics data available, there is an opportunity to investigate interdependent mechanisms of biological causality. The GAW20 data set includes both DNA genotype and methylation measures before and after fenofibrate treatment. Using change in triglyceride (TG) levels pre- to posttreatment as outcome, we present a mediation analysis that incorporates methylation. This approach allows us to simultaneously consider a mediation hypothesis that genotype affects change in TG level by means of its effect on methylation, and an interaction hypothesis that the effect of change in methylation on change in TG levels differs by genotype. We select 322 single-nucleotide polymorphism–cytosine-phosphate-guanine (SNP-CpG) site pairs for mediation analysis on the basis of proximity and marginal genome-wide association study (GWAS) and epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) significance, and present results from the real-data sample of 407 individuals with complete genotype, methylation, TG levels, and covariate data. We identified 3 SNP-CpG site pairs with significant interaction effects at a Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold of 1.55E-4. None of the analyzed sites showed significant evidence of mediation. Power analysis by simulation showed that a sample size of at least 19,500 is needed to detect nominally significant indirect effects with true effect sizes equal to the point estimates at the locus with strongest evidence of mediation. These results suggest that there is stronger evidence for interaction between genotype and methylation on change in triglycerides than for methylation mediating the effect of genotype.
Acceleration of Groundwater Remediation by Rapidly Pulsed Pumping: Laboratory Column Tests

AbstractGroundwater contamination is expensive to remediate, primarily because of the treatment time required. Increased treatment time can be caused by several contributing factors, such as seques...
"My Hope Is . . . ": A Hope-Based Typology of Homeless Youth.

Many youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) are surprisingly hopeful. We propose a typology of the hopes for the future (HFTF) of YEH, based on a qualitative study employing grounded theory. YEH fel...
Hearing evaluation of head and neck cancer patients (HNCP): Comparison of adverse event (AE) criteria.

5525 Background: The incidence and severity of baseline hearing abnormality in HNCP is poorly characterized, as is the subsequent CDDP associated hearing loss. While formal behavioral audiograms ca...
A novel reversible fluorescent probe for the highly sensitive detection of nitro and peroxide organic explosives using electrospun BaWO4 nanofibers

Fabrication of highly stable, reversible, and efficient portable sensors for the detection of explosives for safety and security is challenging due to the robustness of the currently available detection tools, limiting their mass deployment to the explosion prone areas. This paper reports a new direction towards the sensing of nitro- and peroxide-based explosives using highly stable rare-earth-doped BaWO4 nanofibers with remarkable sensitivity and reversibility. BaWO4 nanofibers doped with Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions are fabricated through a sol–gel electrospinning process, and their emission characteristics and application as a fluorescent probe for the sensing of 2-nitrotoluene and H2O2, explosive taggants representing a broad class of explosives, are studied in detail. Scheelite structured BaWO4 nanofibers exhibit excellent luminescence characteristics, and the rare-earth ion doping in the polycrystalline BaWO4 nanofibers is tailored to achieve blue, green, red, and white light emissions. These nanofibers are extremely sensitive to 2-nitrotoluene and H2O2 with rapid response time, and sensitivity is observed within the range of 1–400 ppb and 1–10 ppm, towards 2-nitrotoluene and H2O2, respectively. The fluorescence quenching of BaWO4 nanofibers in the presence of 2-nitrotoluene and H2O2 is exponential with the quenching constants up to 1.73 × 106 and 2.73 × 104 L mol−1, respectively, which are significantly higher than those of most of the fluorescent probes based on metal–organic frameworks and conjugated organic materials. After exposing to 2-nitrotoluene, the luminescence of the nanofibers is retained completely upon heating at 120 °C for 10 min and the sensory response is retained as fresh nanofibers, and currently available fluorescent explosive sensors could not achieve such a recovery. The high sensitivity and selectivity of scalable rare-earth-doped BaWO4 nanofibers provide a new platform for the simultaneous detection of two classes of explosives.
Development of Calibration-Free Autonomous Chemical Sensors for Ocean Biogeochemical Measurements

Abstract : The long term goal of the project is to develop autonomous chemical sensors for oceanographic applications. The autonomous sensors will be used on moorings, drifters and other unmanned platforms to study ocean biogeochemical processes. The results obtained from the autonomous sensors will help quantify ocean biogeochemical fluxes and will be used to further develop coupled physical-biogeochemical models of the surface ocean. Improvements in current models will allow more accurate predictions of the effects of climate change and other anthropogenic impacts on ocean biogeochemical cycles. The primary objective is to determine if other chemical sensors can be developed based on the calibration-free design discovered by the PI during the development of a pCO2 sensor (DeGrandpre et al. 1995, 1999). If the design proves applicable to other analytes, it will be possible to develop autonomous sensors for these analytes that have an identical sensor-to-sensor response with excellent long-term stability, potentially eliminating the need for periodic calibrations.
Artificially selecting microbial communities using propagule strategies

Artificial selection is a promising approach to manipulate the function of microbial communities. Here, we report the outcome of two artificial selection experiments at the microbial community level. Both experiments used "propagule" strategies, in which a set of the best-performing communities are used as the inocula to form a new generation of communities. In both cases, the selected communities are compared to a control treatment where communities are randomly selected. The first experiment used a defined set of strains as the starting inoculum, and the function under selection was the amylolytic activity of the consortia. The second experiment used a diverse set of natural communities as the inoculum, and the function under selection was the cross-feeding potential of the resulting communities towards a reference bacterial strain. In both experiments, the selected communities reached a higher mean and a higher maximum function than the control. In the first experiment this is caused by a decline in function of the control, rather than an improvement of the selected line. In the second experiment, the strong response of the mean is caused by the large initial variance in function across communities, and is the immediate consequence of the spread of the top-performing community in the starting group, whose function does not increase. Our results are in agreement with basic expectations of artificial selection theory, pointing out some of the limitations of community-level selection experiments which can inform the design of future studies.
Manager Characteristics and Hedge Fund Returns, Liquidity, and Survival

Existing empirical studies assert that there is significant cross-sectional variation in the risk-adjusted returns of hedge funds, and that their performance is affected by manager characteristics such as education. However, when analyzing the impact of manager characteristics, prior research does not control for the difference in liquidity. In this study we find that manager education affects the liquidity of hedge fund shares and assets; on average, managers educated in elite institutions impose stronger share restrictions and thus can better manage illiquid assets to generate a liquidity premium. We also find that manager education affects the survival of hedge funds, but that the CFA designation has a stronger impact. From 1994 to 2015, the hazard rate of CFA funds was 13.6% lower, and the difference was significant after controlling for risk, return, and investment style effects. Our findings are important because the search and due diligence process is costly for investors such as pension funds—and survival rates reduce costs. TOPICS:Performance measurement, manager selection, style investing Key Findings • Manager characteristics such as education affect the liquidity of hedge fund shares and assets. On average, hedge funds whose managers were educated in elite institutions imposed stronger share restrictions and invested in more illiquid assets than other funds did. • Share restrictions enable funds to better manage illiquid assets, and the skills and alumni networks of managers contribute to this advantage. This article shows that the major driving force is trust inspired by the reputation and network of elite institutions. • The educational backgrounds and certification of hedge fund managers are related not only to the liquidity premium that long-horizon investors can earn, but also to the lower search costs due to the higher survival rates.
Stage-specific gene expression by Sertoli cells

Sertoli cells are surrounded by spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids at specific phases of development. Together, these spermatogenic cells progress through the stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. This synchronous and coordinated development has led to the hypothesis that Sertoli cells recognize the state of development of these germ cells and, in response, alter their function to support the efficient production of male gametes. It is further hypothesized that these changes in function result from stage-specific changes in gene expression by Sertoli cells. Such stage-specific gene expression is the topic of this chapter. We discuss the pioneering studies that proved that this phenomenon existed. We then review the identification, function, and transcriptional regulation of a model gene, cathepsin L. Finally, we discuss a bioinformatics analysis of a genome-wide study of stage-specific gene expression by Sertoli cells. That analysis supports the conclusion that stage-specific gene expression is a fundamental and important characteristic of Sertoli cells.
Unexpected arteriovenous malformation of the thyroid resulting in significant intraoperative blood loss.

A 49-year-old morbidly obese woman with metastatic endometrial carcinoma was referred for evaluation of an incidentally identified large right thyroid nodule found on computed tomography performed for cancer evaluation. Ultrasound revealed a 9.7 cm solid isoechoic homogeneous right thyroid nodule. Fine needle aspiration was benign. Given size, resection was recommended following completion of chemotherapy and radiation. At the time of right thyroid lobectomy, extremely large vessels were encountered, and the procedure was complicated by estimated blood loss of 2 L. Final pathology revealed a large, benign adenomatous nodule and vascular features consistent with arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Unlike previously reported cases, the diagnosis of a thyroid AVM was not known preoperatively.
Acute exercise, memory, and neural activation in young adults.

Abstract Acute exercise benefits memory, and the temporal placement of exercise relative to exposure can affect the magnitude of benefits observed. Although the temporal placement appears to be important, there is a limited understanding as to how cognitive benefits in response to acute exercise are achieved. Hence, we conducted a two-part study including a behavioral study and a follow-up functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to advance our understanding of the potential role of the effects of exercise on memory and neural activation. For Study One, we assessed the effect of acute exercise on memory in young adults. Participants were randomized to exercise before exposure for 20 min (before only, BO), after exposure for 20 min (After Only, AO), before and after exposure for 10 min at each time (before and after, BA), or to receive no exercise (No-exercise Control, NC). Similar to previous findings, any exercise prior to exposure (BO, BA) benefited some aspects of memory performance. Interestingly, the more consistent and larger benefits were seen with a shorter duration of exercise both before and after exposure (BA). Study Two replicated the methods of Study One comparing the BA condition (which had the most robust benefits) to the NC condition while collecting fMRI data during the memory task. Analyses assessed condition differences of activation during encoding and recall. There were no condition differences during memory encoding, however there was a condition effect on activation in occipito-temporal regions during the memory recall trials. Consistent with previous research, exercise appears to benefit memory with some exercise prior to exposure being important for the benefits achieved. Further, exercise affects neural activation and the results appear complementary to the behavior findings. Future research should use a within-subjects design to control for heterogeneity in behavior and neural activation.
Immigration and Crime in the United States

Immigration has recently taken its place front and center of American politics again, with efforts to achieve comprehensive immigration reform and establish a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the country. The media discussion generated has focused on how to treat illegal immigrants in the country. Missing from public debate on the topic is an examination of what effect immigration has had on American society. To date, scholars have been in agreement that communities within which immigrants have settled are both safer and economically stronger. In large gateway areas, for example, immigration has been associated with lower crime rates, economic revitalization, and reductions in concentrated poverty. While the increase in Hispanic populations cannot be unequivocally tied to these positive trends, immigration has fundamentally changed the character of urban America. This article will briefly examine the theoretical connections between immigration and crime, before discussing evidence searching for a relationship between these elements, the importance of contexts and potential areas of growth for the immigration-crime literature.
CO Diffusion and Desorption Kinetics in CO 2 Ices

The diffusion of species in icy dust grain mantles is a fundamental process that shapes the chemistry of interstellar regions; yet, measurements of diffusion in interstellar ice analogs are scarce. Here we present measurements of CO diffusion into CO2 ice at low temperatures (T = 11–23 K) using CO2 longitudinal optical phonon modes to monitor the level of mixing of initially layered ices. We model the diffusion kinetics using Fick's second law and find that the temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients are well fit by an Arrhenius equation, giving a diffusion barrier of 300 ± 40 K. The low barrier along with the diffusion kinetics through isotopically labeled layers suggest that CO diffuses through CO2 along pore surfaces rather than through bulk diffusion. In complementary experiments, we measure the desorption energy of CO from CO2 ices deposited at 11–50 K by temperature programmed desorption and find that the desorption barrier ranges from 1240 ± 90 K to 1410 ± 70 K depending on the CO2 deposition temperature and resultant ice porosity. The measured CO–CO2 desorption barriers demonstrate that CO binds equally well to CO2 and H2O ices when both are compact. The CO–CO2 diffusion–desorption barrier ratio ranges from 0.21 to 0.24 dependent on the binding environment during diffusion. The diffusion–desorption ratio is consistent with the above hypothesis that the observed diffusion is a surface process and adds to previous experimental evidence on diffusion in water ice that suggests surface diffusion is important to the mobility of molecules within interstellar ices.
Order of discontinuation of glucose-lowering medications following bariatric surgery.

Abstract Aims To assess the order of glucose-lowering medication (GLM) discontinuation following bariatric surgery among patients taking ≥2 GLMs. Methods Patients with diabetes mellitus taking ≥2 GLM classes who underwent bariatric surgery were identified using health claims data from the United States. The order of discontinuation was assessed in patients taking ≥2 GLM classes by comparing each GLM class to the other classes in aggregate. Descriptive statistics and Poisson regression were used to assess the order of discontinuation and changes in trends in the order of discontinuation. Results Overall, 12,244 of 26,651 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent bariatric surgery were taking ≥2 GLM classes. When each GLM class was assessed separately, fewer than 50% of patients had metformin, sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione, DPP-4 inhibitor, SGLT2 inhibitor, glucosidase inhibitor, or insulin discontinued first when compared to the other classes in aggregate. Between 2008 and 2014, thiazolidinediones were increasingly more likely to be the first GLM discontinued (p = 0.0432). Slightly more than 50% of patients whose GLM regimen included a sulfonylurea discontinued the sulfonylurea first despite clinical recommendations. Conclusions From a population level, there was no consistent approach in the order of discontinuation of GLM classes in patients following bariatric surgery.
A Machine Learning Prediction Model of Respiratory Failure Within 48 Hours of Patient Admission for COVID-19: Model Development and Validation.

Background: Predicting early respiratory failure due to COVID-19 can help triage patients to higher levels of care, allocate scarce resources, and reduce morbidity and mortality by appropriately monitoring and treating the patients at greatest risk for deterioration. Given the complexity of COVID-19, machine learning approaches may support clinical decision making for patients with this disease. Objective: Our objective is to derive a machine learning model that predicts respiratory failure within 48 hours of admission based on data from the emergency department. Methods: Data were collected from patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to Northwell Health acute care hospitals and were discharged, died, or spent a minimum of 48 hours in the hospital between March 1 and May 11, 2020. Of 11,525 patients, 933 (8.1%) were placed on invasive mechanical ventilation within 48 hours of admission. Variables used by the models included clinical and laboratory data commonly collected in the emergency department. We trained and validated three predictive models (two based on XGBoost and one that used logistic regression) using cross-hospital validation. We compared model performance among all three models as well as an established early warning score (Modified Early Warning Score) using receiver operating characteristic curves, precision-recall curves, and other metrics. Results: The XGBoost model had the highest mean accuracy (0.919; area under the curve=0.77), outperforming the other two models as well as the Modified Early Warning Score. Important predictor variables included the type of oxygen delivery used in the emergency department, patient age, Emergency Severity Index level, respiratory rate, serum lactate, and demographic characteristics. Conclusions: The XGBoost model had high predictive accuracy, outperforming other early warning scores. The clinical plausibility and predictive ability of XGBoost suggest that the model could be used to predict 48-hour respiratory failure in admitted patients with COVID-19.
The evolution of supportive conversations: Tracking within-discussion changes in support seeking and provision messages

Despite widespread agreement about the benefits of social support, much remains to be learned about the dynamic nature of supportive communication. We examined the evolution of supportive conversat...
Ash-pretreatment and hydrothermal liquefaction of filamentous algae grown on dairy wastewater

Abstract Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of wastewater microalgae is constrained by the high ash content in the biomass. High ash content causes slagging, fouling, and catalyst deactivation. In this study, batch experiments for hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of filamentous algae were carried out in a 1.8-L autoclave reactor to measure the effects of reaction conditions and demineralization on the yields and quality of the products. Nitric acid was the most efficient demineralization acid, halving ash content (27.1 to 13.5 wt%). HTL of untreated algae showed that, as temperature increased from 310 to 350 °C, total bio-crude oil (light + heavy) yield slightly increased (25.4 to 28.0 wt%, dry ash-free). HTL of demineralized algae gave higher total bio-crude oil yields (27.2 to 43.4 wt%, dry ash-free), greater energy recovery (29.5 to 50.9%), higher char yields (22.1 to 32.5 wt%, dry ash-free), and decreased energy consumption ratios (from 1.0 to 0.6) compared to HTL of untreated algae. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the feedstocks revealed slightly higher carbohydrate content in the acid-treated biomass compared to the untreated biomass. Both FT-IR and FT ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy of the bio-crude oils showed no significant difference in the functional groups and heteroatoms in the hexane-soluble bio-crude oil derived from untreated and acid-treated biomass. These results demonstrate that demineralization of wastewater algae is relevant for improving the feasibility of algal wastewater-treatment-to-biofuel systems.
Differences in child and adult biopsychosocial characteristics associated with regular cannabis use in individuals with and without cannabis use disorder.

Abstract Background Regular cannabis use, even without cannabis use disorder (CUD), is associated with numerous biopsychosocial problems. Biopsychosocial risk factors that precede regular use and CUD might reflect broader pre-existing risk factors rather than the consequence of cannabis use. We aimed to (1) replicate prior work differentiating psychosocial problems associated with regular cannabis use with or without CUD relative to no-use in adulthood, and (2) test if these use groups differed in biopsychosocial functioning in early and middle childhood. Methods Biopsychosocial characteristics of individuals at-risk for substance use problems (n = 402) reporting no-use, regular use without CUD, and regular use with CUD by young adulthood were prospectively compared during early childhood (ages 3–5), middle childhood (ages 9–11) and young adulthood (ages 18–25). Results Regular use (vs. no-use) was associated with more health problems (mean d = |0.57|), psychopathology (mean d = |0.72|), social and family environment risk (mean d = |0.88|) in childhood and adulthood and comorbid substance use in adulthood (mean d = |1.25|). Regular use with and without CUD was linked to similar, developmentally-persistent patterns of problems across domains. Conclusions We found that childhood risk factors present many years prior to cannabis initiation (as early as age 3) differentiated patterns of adult cannabis use and CUD status in adulthood. Therefore, biopsychosocial impairments associated with regular cannabis use in adulthood is not solely attributable to cannabis exposure but can be traced back to early and persistent biopsychosocial risk that may benefit from early behavioral intervention, irrespective of CUD diagnosis.
Measurement of sub-zero temperatures in MRI using T1 temperature sensitive soft silicone materials: Applications for MRI-guided cryosurgery

PURPOSE One standard method, proton resonance frequency shift, for measuring temperature using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in MRI-guided surgeries, fails completely below the freezing point of water. Because of this, we have developed a new methodology for monitoring temperature with MRI below freezing. The purpose of this paper is to show that a strong temperature dependence of the nuclear relaxation time T1 in soft silicone polymers can lead to temperature-dependent changes of MRI intensity acquired with T1 weighting. We propose the use of silicone filaments inserted in tissue for measuring temperature during MRI-guided cryoablations. METHODS The temperature dependence of T1 in bio-compatible soft silicone polymers was measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and MRI. Phantoms, made of bulk silicone materials and put in an MRI-compatible thermal container with dry ice, allowed temperature measurements ranging from -60°C to + 20°C. T1 -weighted gradient echo images of the phantoms were acquired at spatially uniform temperatures and with a gradient in temperature to determine the efficacy of using these materials as temperature indicators in MRI. Ex vivo experiments on silicone rods, 4 mm in diameter, inserted in animal tissue were conducted to assess the practical feasibility of the method. RESULTS Measurements of nuclear relaxation times of protons in soft silicone polymers show a monotonic, nearly linear, change with temperature (R2 > 0.98) and have a significant correlation with temperature (Pearson's r > 0.99, p < 0.01). Similarly, the intensity of the MR images in these materials, taken with a gradient echo sequence, are also temperature dependent. There is again a monotonic change in MRI intensity that correlates well with the measured temperature (Pearson's r < -0.98 and p < 0.01). The MRI experiments show that a temperature change of 3°C can be resolved in a distance of about 2.5 mm. Based on MRI images and external sensor calibrations for a sample with a gradient in temperature, temperature maps with 3°C isotherms are created for a bulk phantom. Experiments demonstrate that these changes in MRI intensity with temperature can also be seen in 4 mm silicone rods embedded in ex vivo animal tissue. CONCLUSIONS We have developed a new method for measuring temperature in MRI that potentially could be used during MRI-guided cryoablation operations, reducing both procedure time and cost, and making these surgeries safer.
DNA sequence and units of transcription of the conjugative transfer gene complex (trs) of Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pGO1.

Abstract The conjugative transfer genes of 52-kb staphylococcal R plasmid pGO1 were localized to a single BglII restriction fragment and cloned in Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis of the 13,612-base transfer region, designated trs, identified 14 intact open reading frames (ORFs), 13 of which were transcribed in the same direction. Each ORF identified was preceded by a typical staphylococcal ribosomal binding sequence, and 10 of the 14 proteins predicted to be encoded by these ORFs were seen when an E. coli in vitro transcription-translation system was used. Functional transcription units were identified in a Staphylococcus aureus host by complementation of Tn917 inserts that abolished transfer and by Northern (RNA) blot analysis of pGO1 mRNA transcripts. These studies identified three complementation groups (trsA through trsC, trsD through trsK, and trsL-trsM) and four mRNA transcripts (trsA through trsC [1.8 kb], trsA-trsB [1.3 kb], trsL-trsM [1.5 kb], and trsN [400 bases]). No definite mRNA transcript was seen for the largest complementation group, trsD through trsK (10 kb). Comparison of predicted trs-encoded amino acid sequences to those in the data base showed 20% identity of trsK to three related genes necessary for conjugative transfer of plasmids in gram-negative species and 32% identity of trsC to a gene required for conjugative mobilization of plasmid pC221 from staphylococci.
MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF AN ENHANCIN GENE IN THE LYMANTRIA DISPAR NUCLEAR POLYHEDROSIS VIRUS

A Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdMNPV) gene has been identified that encodes a homolog to the granulovirus (GV) enhancin proteins that are capable of enhancing the infection of other baculoviruses. Enhancin genes have been identified and sequenced for three species of GVs but have not been found in any other nuclear polyhedrosis virus to date. The LdMNPV enhancin gene is located between 67.6 and 70.1 kbp on the viral genome. Northern and primer extension analyses of viral RNAs indicate that the enhancin gene transcripts are expressed at late times postinfection from a consensus baculovirus late promoter. The LdMNPV enhancin exhibits 29% amino acid identity to the enhancin proteins of the Trichoplusia ni, Pseudaletia unipuncta, and Helicoverpa armigera GVs. All four proteins contain a conserved zinc-binding domain characteristic of metalloproteases. A recombinant virus (enhancin::cat) was constructed in which the LdMNPV enhancin gene was inactivated by insertion mutagenesis in order to ascertain the effect of the enhancin protein on viral potency. The bioassay results indicate that disruption of the enhancin gene in the LdMNPV results in a reduction in viral potency.
Abstract 17341: A 19-Year-Old Female with Recurrent Chylopericardium

A 19-year-old female initially presented to an outside hospital with worsening shortness of breath over the course of hours. Echocardiogram revealed a large pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. An urgent pericardiocentesis followed by a pericardial window yielded 600cc of cloudy fluid, and work-up for infectious, auto-immune, and malignant etiologies was unrevealing. She was discharged home, but over the next four weeks developed a repeat pericardial effusion requiring another pericardiocentesis yielding 750cc of cloudy fluid. She then presented to our hospital two weeks later with progressive shortness of breath. Echocardiogram revealed a large pericardial effusion with evidence of early tamponade physiology. Our differential diagnosis for her recurrent pericardial effusions remained broad, with infectious and malignant etiologies at the top of consideration. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated the pericardial effusion and mild mediastinal adenopathy. She underwent another pericardia...
Multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium striatum pneumonia in a heart transplant recipient.

:Corynebacterium striatum is a rare, but likely underreported, cause of serious infections in immunocompromised hosts and generally is susceptible to multiple classes of antimicrobial agents. Here we report the first case of C. striatum infection in a solid organ transplant recipient. Three years after heart transplantation, a 58-year-old man developed bilateral pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. He did not improve with levofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and heparin treatment. A homogeneous population of abundant gram-positive rods was repeatedly demonstrated in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and C. striatum was grown in pure culture. The isolate was unusual for its multidrug-resistant (MDR) antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. The pneumonia resolved with 4 weeks of vancomycin therapy, in combination with rifampin given only during the first 2 weeks of treatment. The isolation of coryneforms (“diphtheroids”) is often attributed to contamination. Their abundant presence on direct examination of specimens and/or their growth in pure culture suggest a pathogenic role, however, and indicate the need for accurate microbiological identification, particularly in immunocompromised hosts who have been hospitalized and previously treated with antibiotics. Combination therapy that includes vancomycin may be the most prudent treatment for MDR C. striatum infections.
Reconsidering the Stigma of Physical Disability: Wheelchair Use and Public Kindness

This article reexamines the stigma of physical disability using the empirical example of wheelchair users' treatment in public places. It draws upon conversational interviews with wheelchair users,...
Translating genome sequences into biological understanding

A report on the Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics Thematic Meeting during the 2003 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA, 11-15 April 2003.
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Video Project 2010: A Report from the GRAPPA Annual Meeting

Investigators use several physical examination measures to assess clinical features and severity of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in clinical trials, clinical registries, and clinical practice; however, no relevant training modules are widely available to teach and standardize the performance of these measures. At a GRAPPA (Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis) meeting adjacent to the 2009 International Federation of Psoriasis Associations in Stockholm, members were updated on the development status of online training videos of psoriasis and PsA examination measures. Dermatology assessment modules include the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, the Static Physician Global Assessment, body surface area, the original and modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index, the Palmar-Plantar Pustular Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, and the Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index. Rheumatology modules include assessment of tender and swollen joint counts used in the American College of Rheumatology criteria, Disease Activity Score, and other composite arthritis scores; enthesitis assessment used in various enthesitis scoring systems; dactylitis; and spine disease. Each module will include background information for each measure, diagrams and photographs to emphasize teaching points, demonstration video of examination where applicable, and an optional examination at the end. Future plans include evaluating the modules for their influence on interrater and intrarater reliability and development of additional modules.