cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of adult toxicity in developmental versus prechronic toxicology studies.

There is no general agreement at the present time regarding the role of maternal toxicity in the manifestation of teratogenic effects or developmental toxicity in animal studies designed to identify the teratogenic potential of chemicals. A survey of 90 teratology studies published in the recent literature revealed wide differences in the amount and nature of maternal toxicity data collected in teratology studies. In addition, the use of the maternal toxicity data in the process of interpreting developmental toxicity varied widely between authors. In comparison with teratology studies, there is more uniformity in the collection of toxicity data in prechronic toxicity studies. The guidance provided by various government agencies on the parameters to be observed in prechronic toxicity studies is much more explicit than that provided regarding the collection of maternal toxicity data in teratology studies. Because of the likely importance of maternal toxicity in the conduct and interpretation of teratology studies, it is recommended that more maternal toxicity data be collected in teratology studies and the parameters be standardized between laboratories so that data are comparable. Guidelines should be established for the use of maternal toxicity data in the interpretation of the results of teratology studies.
Suicidal ideation in early to middle adolescence: sex-specific trajectories and predictors.

BACKGROUND: The present study examined developmental trajectories of suicidal ideation (SI) and predictors of the course of SI across early to middle adolescence in a sample of 521 children utilizing a prospective longitudinal design. METHOD: A baseline assessment including structured interviews and parent- and adolescent-reported measures was conducted at age 11-12 years, with follow-up assessments occurring 6, 12, 18, and 36 months later. RESULTS: Group-based trajectory analyses revealed three groups of individuals, one group that remained at low ideation scores throughout the time period examined, another group with moderate ideation scores and a minority of children who had fluctuating SI. Sex differences in SI trajectories were revealed with the highest SI scores at age 12 for boys. For boys in this group, high ideation followed by a steady decline in the slope over time. SI in girls demonstrated a quadratic function increasing from age 12 to 13, and decreasing from age 14 to 15. Factors that predicted SI group membership were identified. Depression, externalizing problems, family and friend support discriminated SI trajectories for both boys and girls. History of a suicide attempt was associated with moderate- and high-declining ideation groups for boys, and moderate and high ideation group for girls. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of SI in adolescents should occur in early adolescents, particularly around the time of school transitions. Language: en
Depletion of H2S during obesity enhances store-operated Ca2+ entry in adipose tissue macrophages to increase cytokine production

The increased production of proinflammatory cytokines by adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) contributes to chronic, low-level inflammation during obesity. We found that obesity in mice reduced the bioavailability of the gaseous signaling molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Steady-state, intracellular concentrations of H2S were lower in ATMs isolated from mice with diet-induced obesity than in ATMs from lean mice. In addition, the intracellular concentration of H2S in the macrophage cell line RAW264.7 was reduced during an acute inflammatory response evoked by the microbial product lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Reduced intracellular concentrations of H2S led to increased Ca(2+) influx through the store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) pathway, which was prevented by the exogenous H2S donor GYY4137. Furthermore, GYY4137 inhibited the Orai3 channel, a key component of the SOCE machinery. The enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokines by RAW264.7 cells and ATMs from obese mice was reduced by exogenous H2S or by inhibition of SOCE. Together, these data suggest that the depletion of macrophage H2S that occurs during acute (LPS-induced) or chronic (obesity) inflammation increases SOCE through disinhibition of Orai3 and promotes the production of proinflammatory cytokines.
Inhibition of utilization of aspartic acid for growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides P-60.

Summaryβ-DL-Aspartylhydrazide and a-DL-methylaspartic acid were found to be good inhibitors of the utilization of L-aspartic acid for the growth of L. mesenteroides P-60. The specificity of the inhibition was shown by the finding that the corresponding analogues of glutamic acid were much less active.
Factors Contributing to the Biotic Potential of the Codling Moth, Laspeyresia pomonella (L.), in Washington

Mortality factors and other life table data are presented for Laspeyresia pomonella (L.). Fecundity for the summer broods is ca. 50 eggs per female, with the spring brood females producing 25–30 each. Egg mortality ranges from 25% under caged conditions up to 50% under natural conditions. First-instar mortality is ca. 65%; and larval stages in apples suffer 35% mortality. The rate of mortality to 5th instars depends on the predators and parasites present, but a conservative estimate of 5th-instar mortality is ca. 30% in an unsprayed orchard. Pupal mortality is insignificant. Mortality to the overwintering larvae ranges from 50–75%, depending on what predators and parasites are present. These data should provide information necessary to develop an accurate simulation model of codling moth population dynamics.
Impaired fasting glucose is associated with increased regional cerebral amyloid.

The Alzheimer's disease risk gene apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE e4) is associated with increased cerebral amyloid. Although impaired glucose metabolism is linked to Alzheimer's disease risk, the relationship between impaired glycemia and cerebral amyloid is unclear. To investigate the independent effects of APOE e4 and impaired glycemia on cerebral amyloid, we stratified nondemented subjects (n = 73) into 4 groups: normal glucose, APOE e4 noncarrier (control [CNT]; n = 31), normal glucose, APOE e4 carrier (E4 only; n = 14) impaired glycemia, APOE e4 noncarrier (IG only; n = 18), and impaired glycemia, APOE e4 carrier (IG+E4; n = 10). Cerebral amyloid differed both globally (p = 0.023) and regionally; precuneus (p = 0.007), posterior cingulate (PCC; p = 0.020), superior parietal cortex (SPC; p = 0.029), anterior cingulate (p = 0.027), and frontal cortex (p = 0.018). Post hoc analyses revealed that E4 only subjects had increased cerebral amyloid versus CNT globally and regionally in the precuneus, PCC, SPC, anterior cingulate, and frontal cortex. In IG only subjects, increased cerebral amyloid compared with CNT was restricted to precuneus, PCC, and SPC. IG+E4 subjects exhibited higher cerebral amyloid only in the precuneus relative to CNT. These results indicate that impaired glycemia and APOE e4 genotype are independent risk factors for regional cerebral amyloid deposition. However, APOE e4 and impaired glycemia did not have an additive effect on cerebral amyloid.
Analysis of the Causes and Countermeasures of Pharmaceutical Tangles in the Hospital

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the causes and countermeasures of the increasing pharmaceutical tangles between patients and hospital pharmacyMETHODS:To analyze the causes and solutions of 21 relevant complains in the period 1999～2000RESULTS CONCLUSION:Through serious investigation and scientific analysis,the results showed that these complains were mainly caused by misunderstanding,drug quality and pharmacy errorsAmong them,wrong complains accounted for 24%(5),drug quality 62%(13),pharmacy error 14%(3)In general,the above complains can be resolved by the following basic principles:warm and sincere attitude to address the issue,completely convinced explanation to persuade the complainers,truthful conclusion without covering up the shortcoming,proper solutions to be given without delayAdditionally,the strength of the sense of working responsibility in medical professionals,the increase in the transparency in the medicine fee and the enhancement of quality control during the sales and marketing phase of the pharmaceutical products are the effective measurements to prevent and clear up the occurrence of pharmaceutical tangles
Enhanced heat-induced cellular leakage and death of Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium by 2,3 Butanedione.

Influence of diacetyl on cellular leakage and/or death of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus; FRI-100) and Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) in the presence and absence of 30% sucrose and NZ-amine broth at 37, 45 and 55 degrees C was studied using Microbiological and Spectrophotmetric techniques. Diacetyl exists naturally in starter distillate and is usually added to enhance the flavor at the end of the fermentation process. Our objective was to examine its use before the onset of fermentation towards the safety of fermented products. Results showed significant difference (p 5 log colony forming units per ml (CFU/ml) within 1 hour (h). Interesting trends were also observed when differences with respect to absorbance ratios when data was normalized. Results also showed that diacetyl (0.1%) caused more cellular leakage and death of S. aureus at 45 degrees C as compared to 37 degrees C, and that cellular leakage per se was not directly related to death. Diacetyl, however, caused rapid death of S. aureus and S. typhimurium in the presence of 30% sucrose and NZ-amine broth at 55 degrees C; > 7 log CFU/ml death within 1 and 2 h respectively. We also conducted a study with commercial starter distillate (7%) and proved its ability to control both organisms under the same test conditions within 1 h at 55 degrees C. It is concluded that diacetyl is a potential candidate for the control of foodborne pathogens especially under low water activity conditions such as those encountered during meat fermentation.
Techniques of Electric Shock Motivation

Publisher Summary This chapter describes some of the basic techniques for generating, measuring, and administering electric shock stimuli to animals. Since its introduction as a motivating stimulus, electric shock has remained the only simple method of producing a controlled amount of discomfort in animals. Other aversive stimuli are considerably more difficult to administer in controled amounts and often habituate after repeated exposures. Thus, with the exception of an occasional slap or burst of loud noise, the students of animal behavior have utilized electric shock to study aversive motivation. The chapter presents the shock through some ubiquitous aspect of the subject's environment—for example, shocking rats through a grid bar floor or shocking fish through the surrounding water. It describes methods that use electrodes that are fixed to the animal's skin and some examples of the use of subcutaneous electrodes. The aversiveness of electric shock ranges from mild discomfort to traumatic pain. The lower limit of motivating shock is determined by the aversion threshold: The intensity of shock is just strong enough to motivate a simple escape reaction. Using the spatial preference procedure, the animal is given a forced choice between low intensities of shock presented when the subject occupies one side of the apparatus versus no shock when the subject occupies the other side.
When the silenced speak: The textualization and complications of Latina/o identity

Communication scholars have begun to explore the ways in which the local discourses of marginalized groups reflect these groups’ experiences, identities, and perceptions of their environment. Building upon these vernacular or subaltern voices, this essay examines Latina/o expressions and ethnic identities in reader letters to Low Rider Magazine. The essay uses the array of identity terms employed by these letter writers to argue that articulations of Latina/o identity are complexly expressed as a means of establishing viable subject positions for these subaltern subjects. The multiple and complex usage of identity labels demonstrates how identity and personhood complicate categorizations of ethnicity, identity, and subjectivity. The author concludes that communication scholarship should be cautious and careful in its explorations of the content, meanings, and uses of ethnic identifiers.
Artery/vein classification of retinal blood vessels using feature selection

Automated classification of retinal vessels in fundus images is the first step towards measurement of retinal characteristics that can be used to screen and diagnose vessel abnormalities for cardiovascular and retinal disorders. This paper presents a novel approach to vessel classification to compute the artery/vein ratio (AVR) for all blood vessel segments in the fundus image. The features extracted are then subjected to a selection procedure using Random Forests (RF) where the features that contribute most to classification accuracy are chosen as input to a polynomial kernel Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The most dominant feature was found to be the vessel information obtained from the Light plane of the LAB color space. The SVM is then subjected to one time training using 10-fold cross validation on images randomly selected from the VICAVR dataset before testing on an independent test dataset, derived from the same database. An Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 97.2% was obtained on an average of 100 runs of the algorithm. The proposed algorithm is robust due to the feature selection procedure, and it is possible to get similar accuracies across many datasets.
Tracks in the Snow: Irony and Betrayal in Camus’s “The Guest”

SummaryThe carefully placed references to the sudden snow and its persistence in Camus’s “The Guest” indicate its importance in the story’s ironic conclusion. The tracks made by Balducci’s horse and his Arab prisoner, and later by the Arab and Daru, will lead the Arab’s comrades to Daru’s schoolhouse and convince them that Daru has delivered him to the French authorities. Thus both Daru and the prisoner’s comrades will be betrayed: Daru will be punished for a crime he did not commit, and the comrades will betray their cause by punishing an innocent man.
The Impact of Health Literacy Status on the Comparative Validity and Sensitivity of an Interactive Multimedia Beverage Intake Questionnaire

Self-reported dietary assessment methods can be challenging to validate, and reporting errors for those with lower health literacy (HL) may be augmented. Interactive multimedia (IMM) based questionnaires could help overcome these limitations. The objectives of this investigation are to assess the comparative validity and sensitivity to change of an IMM beverage intake questionnaire (IMM-BEVQ) as compared to dietary recalls and determine the impact of HL. Adults completed three 24-h dietary recalls and the IMM-BEVQ at baseline and after a six-month intervention targeting either sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) or physical activity. Correlations and paired-samples t-tests are presented. For validity (n = 273), intake of SSB (mean difference = 10.6 fl oz) and total beverage consumption (mean difference = 16.0 fl oz) were significantly different (p ≤ 0.001) at baseline between the IMM-BEVQ and dietary recalls for all participants. However, the differences in intake were generally greater in low HL participants than in adequate HL participants. For sensitivity (n = 162), change in SSB intake (mean difference = 7.2 fl oz) was significantly different (p ≤ 0.01) between pre-/post-IMM-BEVQ and pre-/post-dietary recalls, but not total beverage intake (mean difference = 7.6 fl oz) for all participants. Changes in SSB and total beverage intake were not significantly different for those with adequate HL. The IMM-BEVQ is a valid dietary assessment tool that is as responsive to detecting changes in beverage intake as dietary recalls. However, adults with lower HL may need additional guidance when completing the IMM-BEVQ.
Role of stress in evolution: From individual adaptability to evolutionary adaptation

Publisher Summary Lack of a developmental perspective in evolutionary studies of stress has left researchers with several unresolved questions. First, how can organisms prepare for novel and extreme environmental change? The organismal ability to mount an appropriate reaction to a stressor requires recognition and evaluation of the extreme environment. How can this ability evolve in relation to stressors that are short and rare in relation to a species generation time? Stress occurs when changes in the external or internal environment are interpreted by an organism as a threat to its homeostasis. The ability of an organism to mount an appropriate response to potentially stressful environmental changes requires correct recognition of environmental change and the activation of a stress response. The costs and benefits of stress detection and stress response implementation and the costs and benefits of maintaining stress resistance strategies vary among environments and individuals, favoring multiple solutions of dealing with stress. Numerous studies have documented an increase in phenotypic and genotypic variance under stress, and it is suggested that this variance is a source of novel adaptations under changed environments. The Chapter outlines this perspective, with specific focus on the effect of stress during development in animals and suggests that these questions are resolved by considering the organization of developmental systems that enable accommodation and channeling of stress-induced variation without compromising organismal functionality; the significance of phenotypic and genetic assimilation of neurological, physiological, morphological, and behavioral responses to stressors; as well as multiple inheritance systems that transfer the wide array or developmental resources and conditions between the generations enabling long-term persistence and evolution of stress-induced adaptations.
Benchmarking a computational design method for the incorporation of metal ion‐binding sites at symmetric protein interfaces

The design of novel metal-ion binding sites along symmetric axes in protein oligomers could provide new avenues for metalloenzyme design, construction of protein-based nanomaterials and novel ion transport systems. Here, we describe a computational design method, symmetric protein recursive ion-cofactor sampling (SyPRIS), for locating constellations of backbone positions within oligomeric protein structures that are capable of supporting desired symmetrically coordinated metal ion(s) chelated by sidechains (chelant model). Using SyPRIS on a curated benchmark set of protein structures with symmetric metal binding sites, we found high recovery of native metal coordinating rotamers: in 65 of the 67 (97.0%) cases, native rotamers featured in the best scoring model while in the remaining cases native rotamers were found within the top three scoring models. In a second test, chelant models were crossmatched against protein structures with identical cyclic symmetry. In addition to recovering all native placements, 10.4% (8939/86013) of the non-native placements, had acceptable geometric compatibility scores. Discrimination between native and non-native metal site placements was further enhanced upon constrained energy minimization using the Rosetta energy function. Upon sequence design of the surrounding first-shell residues, we found further stabilization of native placements and a small but significant (1.7%) number of non-native placement-based sites with favorable Rosetta energies, indicating their designability in existing protein interfaces. The generality of the SyPRIS approach allows design of novel symmetric metal sites including with non-natural amino acid sidechains, and should enable the predictive incorporation of a variety of metal-containing cofactors at symmetric protein interfaces.
The Effect of Alternative E-Mail Contact Timing Strategies on Response Rates in a Self-Administered Web Survey.

The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey is an annual survey of over 800,000 permanently employed civilian personnel from 87 agencies. First administered in 2002, the web-based survey measures a broad...
Heart and Lung Complications: Assessment and Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Multiple Myeloma .

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) and cardiovascular (CV) disease can occur in patients with multiple myeloma. Although VTE and CV disease are separate medical conditions, they can be serious and even life-threatening. . Objectives The objectives of this article are to describe risk factors for cancer-associated VTE, describe the influence of CV disease on patients with multiple myeloma, and review the approaches to VTE and CV disease identification and treatment. . Methods PubMed and CINAHL® databases were used to identify literature to describe VTE and CV in patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma. . Findings When present in patients with multiple myeloma, VTE and CV disease can limit patient tolerance for myeloma treatment and, therefore, decrease therapeutic options.
Wednesday's Meeting Really Is on Friday: A Meta-Analysis and Evaluation of Ambiguous Spatiotemporal Language

Experimental work has shown that spatial experiences influence spatiotemporal metaphor use. In these studies, participants are asked a question that yields different responses depending on the metaphor participants use. It has been claimed that English speakers are equally likely to respond with either variant in the absence of priming. Related studies testing non-spatial experiences demonstrate varied results with a wide range of primes. Here, the effects of eye movement and stimuli presentation modality on comprehension of this question are investigated in different formats. In addition, the results of prior reported controls are re-analyzed in a meta-analysis to verify reliable ambiguity of the test question. Results suggest that English speakers have a baseline preference for the Moving Ego metaphor variant, with a stronger preference in verbal rather than written presentation. The findings have implications both for (re)interpretation of prior studies' results and future study designs.
Solubility of CO2 in triglycerides using Monte Carlo simulations

Abstract The knowledge of solubility of different gases in triglycerides is required to design efficient cell disruption processes for biodiesel production from wet biomass. In this combined experimental and simulation study, we determine carbon dioxide solubility in long (C18) and short (C4) chain triglycerides, and provide microscopic picture of CO2–triglyceride interaction. The solubility of CO2 in tributyrin (a small chain triglyceride) was determined using a pressure drop gas apparatus at P = 800–1700 kPa and T = 283.2–303.2 K. Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations with configurational biased Monte Carlo algorithm were used to compute the solubility of CO2 in both a long chain triglyceride (to mimic canola oil) and tributyrin at different pressures and temperatures. The transferable potentials for phase equilibria force field was used for modeling triglycerides and CO2. Predicted densities and viscosities of both canola oil and tributyrin were in good agreement with the experimental data. We find that the computed solubilities are in excellent agreement with the experimental results for both CO2–canola oil and CO2–tributyrin where the mean deviation were 2.85% and 9.51%, respectively. The structural analysis of liquid phase indicates that CO2 has slightly higher preference to bind with carbonyl group than the nonpolar segments.
Early initiation of inhaled corticosteroids does not decrease acute chest syndrome morbidity in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease.

Abstract Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Systemic corticosteroids decrease ACS severity, but the risk of readmission for vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) has limited their use. The efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as a safer alternative is currently unknown. An observational, historic cohort study compared patients with SCD with ACS who received ICS at admission (ICS) to those who did not (non-ICS). Outcome measures included rates of transfusion, oxygen requirement, BiPAP initiation, PICU transfer, intubation, readmission, hospital cost, and length of stay. One hundred twenty patients with SCD (55 non-ICS, 65 ICS) were included. A significantly higher proportion of the non-ICS group had bilateral infiltrates, but fewer had asthma. More children in the ICS group had BiPAP initiated, however transfer to the PICU, intubation, transfusion rates, oxygen requirement, hospital cost, length of stay, and readmission rates did not differ between groups. Regression analysis did not reveal any differences in outcomes, nor were outcomes changed when patients were separated based on the presence or absence of asthma. In this observational cohort study, ICS did not demonstrate a significant reduction in ACS morbidity, though ICS use should be studied in a prospective manner.
Is There a Role for Thiopurines in IBD

Immunosuppressive therapy (IM) is inexpensive and nearly one-third of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience a benefit from treatment. IM may be ideal for IBD patients at low risk for a disabling disease course or colectomy and/or those patients with inadequate access to biologic therapy. A majority of IBD patients benefit from early biologic therapy with improved short and likely long-term outcomes. Improved methods are needed to identify patients at the greatest risk for a severe disease course and that are likely to respond to the various forms of small molecule and biologic treatments. Health systems need to identify innovative methods to contain costs of biologic therapy.
Kinetics of the branching step in the hydrogen-oxygen reaction

Abstract Lower explosion limits in hydrogen-oxygen and deuterium-oxygen mixtures have been measured in the diffusion regime. From the data, rate constants are calculated for the reactions H+O2 →OH+O and D+O 2 →OD+O between 800° and 1 000°K. Activation energies are found to differ by the difference in zero-point energies of OH and OD. Temperature-independent pre-exponential factors differ by a factor of two. Transition states of fixed geometry are not reconcilable with the observed kinetics; nor is the classical collision theory. With a transition state of very loose structure, the observed rate constants can be explained and successfully extrapolated down to 300°K and up to 1 650°K.
Graft Copolymers Attained by ATRP and ADMET

The history of olefin metathesis dates back to over 50 years ago with the advent of Ziegler-Natta transition metal catalysts for olefin polymerization.1 In turn, it has developed into a useful modern synthetic tool of specialty polymers, fine chemicals, natural products which continues to be developed for several other applications. As shown in Figure 1, olefin metathesis is an equilibrium process in which there is the exchange of carbon moieties between a pair of double bonds in two alkene molecules (Figure 1).
Growth dynamics of young apple trees as influenced by scion and rootstock vigour.

Growth of young potted apple trees composed of ‘Classic Delicious’ (nonspur) or ‘Red- chief Delicious’ (spur-type) scions grafted onto O.P. Malus domestica L. (seedling) or Mailing 26 (M.26) rootstocks was observed during three growing seasons. Across rootstocks, spur-type ‘Delicious’ characteristics include lower whole-tree and shoot-wood dry weights, resulting in higher root/shoot ratios. Across scions, rootstock had little effect on dry weight of tree parts above the graft union, whole-tree dry weight or spur density. Trees on M.26 dwarfing rootstock had higher root shank and lower fibrous-root dry weights on all three sampling dates. Although few scion by rootstock interactions were detected, the spur-type scion on M.26 had the most spurs and flowers per metre of scion by the third growing season.
KRAS and P53 mutations and FDG-PET as a measure of glycolytic activity in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients.

9086KRAS and P53 Mutations and FDG-PET as a Measure of Glycolytic Activity in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Background: Early data suggests metabolic reprograming as a mechanism d...
The pronunciation teaching practices of university‐level graduate teaching assistants of French and Spanish introductory language courses

This study combined evidence from survey, interview, and classroom observation data to better understand the amount and type of pronunciation instruction and corrective feedback practices in French and Spanish introductory language courses (i.e., the first four semesters) at the university level in the United States. Data consisted of responses (n = 142) to a national survey and audiorecorded interviews (6 hours) and classroom observations (22 hours) of seven graduate teaching assistants (TAs) of French or Spanish from two different large (i.e., more than 15,000 students) public universities. Survey results indicated that TAs believed that when they correct pronunciation, they should prioritize mistakes that impede comprehension or change meaning. Classroom observations demonstrated that on average, 2% of instructor talk was pronunciation focused, with a majority of pronunciation episodes categorized as corrective feedback in the form of recasts. In addition, only one instance of preplanned pronunciation teaching occurred in the data. The findings suggest that current pronunciation teaching practices in this context are rare and largely reactive.
Association between perioperative stroke and 30-day mortality in carotid endarterectomy: A meta-analysis.

Abstract Objectives Perioperative stroke is a known complication of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial (CREST) has shown that stroke following CEA is associated with nearly a 3-fold increase in the 4-year mortality compared to patients without such an event. However, no studies to date can establish whether the stroke was the cause of the short term mortality. Thus, our objective is to evaluate if perioperative stroke after CEA increases the risk of 30-day mortality. Patients and Methods We performed a meta-analysis of the literature from PubMed and the World Science Database on studies reporting perioperative strokes and 30-day mortality in symptomatic and asymptomatic CEA patients. 3400 articles were retrieved, and abstracts were further screened using the inclusion criteria to obtain a final set of 83 randomized controlled trials and retrospective/prospective studies. Results A total of 123,507 CEA procedures were included among the 83 studies. The 30-day perioperative stroke rate for all included studies was 2.15%. The 30-day all-cause mortality rate was 0.93%. In patients with perioperative strokes, the 30-day mortality rate was found to be 17.01%. Among patients without perioperative strokes, the 30-day mortality rate was much lower at 0.57%. The summary odds ratio of perioperative stroke and 30-day mortality was 39.86 (95% CI, 29.30–54.23, p Conclusion Patients with perioperative stroke have an almost 40 times increased risk of 30-day stroke-related mortality. This study highlights the importance of developing a preoperative risk assessment and neuroprotective treatment trial for perioperative stroke.
Repurposing Clinically Approved Drugs for the Treatment of Bacillus cereus, a Surrogate for Bacillus anthracis.

Of the numerous infectious diseases afflicting humans, anthrax disease, caused by Bacillus anthracis, poses a major threat in its virulence and lack of effective treatment. The currently lacking st...
Comparing attitudes of first-grade dual language immersion versus mainstream English students

Students’ attitudes in first-grade dual language immersion (DLI) classes were compared with those of similar students in mainstream English classes. Results for the sample of 81 Latinx students ind...
GRAIN BOUNDARIES AND THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF MAGNESIUM OXIDE

A comparison of the mechanical behavior of magnesium oxide single crystals and polycrystals at different temperatures is presented. Single crystals show increasing interpenetrability and multiplicity of slip systems at elevated temperatures. Above 1700°C, slip is very flexible, i.e., slip systems with different Burgers vectors completely interpenetrate each other and slip occurs over a variety of slip planes. Furthermore, above 1600°C, rearrangement of dislocations by polygonization is observed, and, in certain cases, recrystallization can be obtained. Polycrystals prepared by the recrystallization of single crystals show a brittle-to-ductile transition with increasing temperatures. At low temperatures, any structural discontinuity capable of blocking slip dislocations, including subgrain and grain boundaries, induces cleavage crack nucleation and brittle fracture. At intermediate temperatures (i.e., 1400 – 1700°C), more slip occurs, but it is not flexible enough for grains to conform to each other’s change in shape, and constraints develop which can be relaxed only by intergranular sliding. This leads to intergranular crack nucleation and brittle fracture. At elevated temperatures (i.e., above 1700°C), slip is very flexible, and the polycrystalline matrix deforms plastically and necks down to a ductile fracture. Polygonization and recrystallization of the deforming grains also contribute to relaxation of internal stresses. These high-temperature deformation processes are remarkably similar to face-centered cubic metals undergoing creep. Slight porosity causes an increase in the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature. While high-density, hot-pressed magnesia shows plasticity above 2000°C, it is limited by intergranular failure.
United We Stand, Divided We Kneel: Examining Perceptions of the NFL Anthem Protest on Organizational Reputation:

During a 2016 National Football League (NFL) preseason game, former San Francisco 49er quarterback, Colin Kaepernick sat during the playing of the national anthem in protest of police brutality. Hi...
“Sticking It to Them”—Reducing Migration of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters

Highlights TA for stabilization and securement of PICCs reduced catheter migration. This solution to catheter migration was safe, inexpensive, and highly effective. TA reduced migration rates from ...
ODE-based Deep Network for MRI Reconstruction.

Fast data acquisition in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is vastly in demand and scan time directly depends on the number of acquired k-space samples. The data-driven methods based on deep neural networks have resulted in promising improvements, compared to the conventional methods, in image reconstruction algorithms. The connection between deep neural network and Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) has been observed and studied recently. The studies show that different residual networks can be interpreted as Euler discretization of an ODE. In this paper, we propose an ODE-based deep network for MRI reconstruction to enable the rapid acquisition of MR images with improved image quality. Our results with undersampled data demonstrate that our method can deliver higher quality images in comparison to the reconstruction methods based on the standard UNet network and Residual network.
Discovery of a Chiral DNA‐Targeted Platinum–Acridine Agent with Potent Enantioselective Anticancer Activity

A structure-activity relationship study was performed for a set of rigidified platinum-acridine anticancer agents containing linkers derived from chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine scaffolds. Screening a library of microscale reactions and selected resynthesized compounds in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells showed that cytotoxicities varied by more than three orders of magnitude. A potent hit compound was discovered containing a (R)-N-(piperidin-3-yl) linker (P2-6R), which killed NCI-H460 and A549 lung cancer cells 100 times more effectively than the S enantiomer (P2-6S). P2-6R accumulated in A549 cells significantly faster and produced 50-fold higher DNA adduct levels than P2-6S. Ligand similarity analysis suggests that only module 6R may be compatible with strainless monofunctional intercalative binding. NCI-60 screening and COMPARE analysis highlights the spectrum of activity and potential utility of P2-6R for treating NSCLC and other solid tumors.
Academics in the Pandemic: Early Impact of COVID-19 on Plastic Surgery Training Programs.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted plastic surgery training in the United States, requiring unprecedented measures to prepare for potential surges in critically ill patients. This study investigates how plastic surgery programs responded to this crisis, as well as how successful these changes were, through a survey of program directors and of residents at academic training programs in the United States. Methods Two separate anonymous online surveys were conducted via REDCap between April 16 and June 4, 2020. The first survey was distributed to program directors, and the second was distributed to plastic surgery residents. Resident responses were then subdivided for an analysis between geographic regions. Results Of the 59 program director responses (43.7%), the majority of programs implemented a platoon approach for resident coverage. A minority did the same for attending coverage. In total, 92% transitioned to virtual didactics only. Plastic surgery residents covered alternative services at 25% of responding institutions, and an additional 68% had a plan in place for responding to personnel shortages. Overall, residents were satisfied with their program's response in a variety of categories. When subdivided based on geographic region, respondents in the Northeast and Northwest were less satisfied with resident wellness, personal and loved ones' safety, and program communication. Conclusions With the possibility of a "second wave," successful methods of academic programs adapting to the pandemic should be communicated to reduce the future impact. Increased frequency of communications between program directors and residents can improve mental health and wellness of the resident population.
Logistic Normal Multinomial Factor Analyzers for Clustering Microbiome Data

The human microbiome plays an important role in human health and disease status. Next generating sequencing technologies allow for quantifying the composition of the human microbiome. Clustering these microbiome data can provide valuable information by identifying underlying patterns across samples. Recently, Fang and Subedi (2020) proposed a logistic normal multinomial mixture model (LNM-MM) for clustering microbiome data. As microbiome data tends to be high dimensional, here, we develop a family of logistic normal multinomial factor analyzers (LNM-FA) by incorporating a factor analyzer structure in the LNM-MM. This family of models is more suitable for high-dimensional data as the number of parameters in LNM-FA can be greatly reduced by assuming that the number of latent factors is small. Parameter estimation is done using a computationally efficient variant of the alternating expectation conditional maximization algorithm that utilizes variational Gaussian approximations. The proposed method is illustrated using simulated and real datasets.
Neuroactive steroids and depression in early pregnancy.

Abstract Progesterone (P4) can be metabolized to two general classes of neuroactive steroids (NAS) -those like allopregnanolone (ALLO) and pregnanolone (PA) which are positive allosteric modulators of the Gamma Aminobutyric Acid type A (GABAA) receptor and those like isoallopregnanolone (ISOALLO) and epipregnanolone (EPI) which are negative allosteric modulators of the GABAA receptor. While exogenous administration of ALLO is effective in treating postpartum depression, knowledge gaps remain in the dynamic interplay of NAS across the perinatal period. In particular little is known about ALLO and PA in relation to depression earlier in pregnancy, and the role of ISOALLO and EPI in relation to depression at any point in the perinatal period. In a prospective, nested case/control study in low-income women of color, we compared the metabolism of P4 to four NAS (i.e., ratios ALLO:P4, PA:P4, ISOALLO:P4, EPI:P4) in pregnant women with depression at either or both of the first and second trimesters (cases) and women without depression at either time point (controls). Fifty women (36% depressed, 56% Black, 28% Latina) completed depression screening using a computerized adaptive test of mental health (CAT-MH™) and provided blood serum samples in both trimesters. In longitudinal mixed effects models of both trimesters, PND cases showed higher ratios of ALLO:P4 (p = .002) and PA:P4 (p = .03) compared to controls. In regression models of only first trimester data, there was no significant difference in NAS ratios between cases and controls (p > .05). Conversely, in models of the second trimester, ratios of PA:P4 (p = .002) and ISOALLO:P4 (p = .01) were significantly higher in cases compared to controls, and ratios of ALLO:P4 (p = .08) and EPI:P4 (p = .1) also trended higher in cases. The most severe cases, those with depression at both trimesters, showed an increase in ALLO:P4 (p = .06) and EPI:P4 (p
Nitrous Oxide: An Old Compound with Emerging Psychotropic Properties

Nitrous oxide has been utilized in medicine for over 150 years, with current applications in emergency medicine, dentistry, and obstetrics. It is a commonly utilized anesthetic and analgesic that is well-tolerated among adult users. Outside of medicine, nitrous oxide is a frequently inhaled recreational drug, typically used among teenagers and young adults. Within the last decade, nitrous oxide has been found to have antidepressant effects similar to ketamine, thought to be related to its effect on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Though there is limited evidence about its therapeutic effects in mood disorders, recent studies support that nitrous oxide has the potential to treat resistant unipolar depression. In this chapter, we discuss nitrous oxide’s putative mechanism of action, administration, current use in psychiatry, and possible future psychotropic applications.
17. Measurement of in situ Stress

Publisher Summary The state of stress in situ is the result of the superposition of a number of stress fields. This chapter describes the major methods of in situ stress measurement. They have been arranged in three groups: surface, near-surface, and deep methods. Surface measurements of in situ stress are those conducted directly on the free surface of the rock or within a depth of less than 1m. The free surface can be a relatively flat rock outcrop or a quarry floor at a point well removed from any topographic effects. Surface measurements, although based mainly on two established methods, have only recently been used for regional in situ stress determination. Near-surface measurements of in situ stress are those conducted in boreholes at depths of 0–50 m. The primary technique used is “overcoring,” which encompasses drilling a test hole, instrumenting it, and then coring over the instrument to relieve the stresses. Deep measurements of in situ stress are those conducted in boreholes deeper than 100m. The primary technique used is the hydraulic fracturing method, which in the past decade has become the most common means of estimating crustal stresses. A summary of the present knowledge of crustal stresses is also presented in the chapter.
The effects of in vitro cocaine exposure on human sperm motility, intracellular calcium, and oocyte penetration

Objective To determine if cocaine exposure affects human sperm motility, intracellular calcium level, and fertilizing capability. Design and Methods Human semen samples were treated with 1 to 1,000 µ M cocaine hydrochloride for up to 2hours in vitro. Sperm motion kinematics were measured by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). Spermatozoan intracellular calcium was determined by laser cytometry. The sperm fertilizing capability was assessed using the zona-free hamster oocyte penetration test. Results After a short exposure (15minutes) to cocaine, the sperm motion kinematic parameters, straight line velocity and linearity, were decreased in the high concentration groups. However, after a longer exposure (2hours) to cocaine, the differences were no longer significant. Cocaine treatment did not alter spermatozoa intracellular calcium levels. Most importantly, human sperm treated with cocaine at a high concentration were fully capable of penetrating zona-free hamster oocytes. Conclusion Human spermatozoa acutely exposed to high concentrations of cocaine initially demonstrate a decrease in two motion kinematics, straight line velocity and linearity. However, overall, cocaine exposure had no significant effects on sperm motility and fertilizing capability.
Bott Periodicity in the Complex Case

Using elementary methods in analysis and vector bundle theory, we present the Atiyah-Bott proof of the complex periodicity theorem. In this setting we see the role of the Hopf bundle in defining the periodicity isomorphism.
Modeling Student Perception of Web 2.0 Technologies Adoption in Kuwait

The primary focus of this dissertation was to explore students' perceptions of adopting Web 2.0 applications at the School of Basic Education (SBE) in Kuwait. Although Web 2.0 applications are becoming more popular among the digital generation, there is still no evidence of students' perceptions of adopting the innovation of Web 2.0 technologies in Kuwait. The problem this study addresses is that the current status of Web 2.0 technologies usage by academic students has remained educationally unknown in Kuwait. Therefore, there was a need to investigate the extent to which academic students in SBE are aware of and their usage of Web 2.0 technologies, as well as the factors and obstacles that affect using these technologies. Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory (DoI) is employed in this study to specify the factors that influence student perceptions of adopting Web 2.0 applications as learning tools. Data used in this dissertation was gathered via a survey instrument from 350 students at the SBE and was statistically analyzed to find out the answers of the research questions. This study identified the low rate of Web 2.0 awareness and adoption by the students. Descriptive statistical analysis, such as mean scores and standard deviation, were used to analyze and conclude the findings. In the rates of awareness and adoption of Web 2.0, this study also identified no statistically significant differences between the groups of all the demographic variables except the academic field. The statistically significant differences were identified between the academic variables before and after recoding the academic fields into 5 groups. A t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the statistical significance. Several factors were examined in the study to identify their influence on the rate of adoption. The factors included the rate of awareness, Rogers' attributes of innovations, and the obstacles to adopt Web 2.0. The multiple linear regression technique was used to find out the percentage of variance that was explained by three groups of predictors. The overall research model explained 49% of the variance on the rate of adoption. The implications of the findings, in addition to adding empirical evidence to the body of knowledge, highlight areas for professional development, educational and institutional changes and possibility for future research.