cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Issues and Models of Security Oriented Systems

Summary form only given. Virus infestation is rampant in today's internet based IT activities. The viruses (including worms, and Trojan Horses) are constantly and rapidly created to damage e=commerce and web based application. Importantly, they corrupt communications, valuable databases and disrupt service oriented functions. In the future, they can severely hurt the new applications spanning from health care to home appliance control. We shall present a broad discussion on a few mostly software engineering topics, pointing out their relevance and relationship to IT security issues.
A linear-time approximation scheme for planar weighted TSP

In view of the fact that an /spl epsi/-optimal tour can be found in the Euclidean case in time that it is polynomial with a fixed degree, independent of /spl epsi/, it seems natural to ask whether the same holds true for the planar case. We give an algorithm requiring O(c/sup 1/c2/ n) time to find an /spl epsi/-optimal traveling salesman tour in the metric defined by a planar graph with nonnegative edge-lengths.
Incidence and predictors of cetuximab hypersensitivity reactions in a North Carolina academic medical center

Objectives. Previous research has indicated a high incidence of cetuximab hypersensitivity reactions in the southern US. This study documents the incidence of hypersensitivity reactions in North Carolina, and explores whether factors such as patient demographics, allergy history, premedications, and cancer type are potential predictors for cetuximab reactions.Methods. This retrospective chart review consisted of 72 consecutively treated patients from Duke University’s Morris Oncology treatment center between September 2005 and August 2007. Data regarding stage of malignancy, premedications, and hypersensitivity reactions were collected from electronic databases. The number and type of reactions were characterized. Patients with and without hypersensitivity reactions were compared using bivariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression.Results. Of the 72 patients, 21 (29%) experienced hypersensitivity reactions. The majority of reactions (62%) were grades III or IV. Of the 21 patients having a reac...
On network characterization of and optimal broadcasting in the Manhattan Street Network

The authors introduce the tilted-tree concept to obtain a closed-form solution for the average distance and diameter. A simple distributed algorithm for optimal broadcasting in Manhattan Street Networks (MSNs) is also presented. Simulation results are compared with the analytical results to substantiate the optimality of the proposed algorithm. >
Update on tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections associated with drugs blocking tumour necrosis factor α

The World Health Organization estimates that a third of the world’s population is infected with tuberculosis (TB). In approximately 90% of people, the infection remains latent. In others, TB disease develops, often in the first two years after infection. Individuals whose immune systems are compromised by disease or drugs are at increased risk for developing TB disease. The pathogenesis of TB is complex. In pulmonary TB, inhaled TB bacilli are first engulfed by alveolar macrophages. Next, they replicate and briefly disseminate haematogenously throughout the body. The host attempts to limit bacilli spread with granuloma formation, a process mediated by tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α.1,2 This proinflammatory cytokine is released by activated immune cells. It mediates systemic inflammatory responses and tissue destruction, and is important in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease. Recently, TNFα blocking drugs (infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab) have been shown to be highly successful in the treatment of the above mentioned autoimmune diseases and other conditions. However, infectious complications have been reported with all three drugs including the reactivation of latent TB infection, which …
Involvement and (Potential) Influence of Care Providers in the Enlistment Phase of the Informed Consent Process: the case of aids clinical trials

This article draws on ethnographic field data collected during an investigation of the informed consent process and AIDS clinical trials. It describes the involvement of care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) during the enlistment, or recruitment, phase of the informed consent process. It shows that sometimes care providers are involved in the receipt, evaluation and distribution of information on clinical trials through their interactions with research professionals and patients. It suggests that the involvement of care providers has the potential to influence the informed consent process. Some of the ethical and practice considerations of this are discussed.
Measuring self-help home improvements in Texas colonias: A ten year ‘snapshot’ study

This paper builds on earlier data presented in an Urban Studies paper for a major household survey in 2002 that evaluated the impact of title regularization intervention among low-income homeowners in ten colonias in Starr County, Texas. In 2011 the research team returned to those low-income households, oversampling more than half of them in order to compare and analyse the extent and nature of housing improvement, levels of overcrowding and access to home amenities, and the methods of financing for home improvement and extension. Significant improvements and investments were observed totalling an average of almost US$9000 over ten years, mostly financed out of income and savings, although an increasing trend to seek loans from the formal market was observed. Correlation analysis explores how self-help and self-managed dwelling environments are adapted to family and household dynamics over the life course. Awareness of ‘green’ housing applications and sustainability is discussed.
Randomized Denoising Autoencoders for Smaller and Efficient Imaging Based AD Clinical Trials

There is growing body of research devoted to designing imaging-based biomarkers that identify Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in its prodromal stage using statistical machine learning methods. Recently several authors investigated how clinical trials for AD can be made more efficient (i.e., smaller sample size) using predictive measures from such classification methods. In this paper, we explain why predictive measures given by such SVM type objectives may be less than ideal for use in the setting described above. We give a solution based on a novel deep learning model, randomized denoising autoencoders (rDA), which regresses on training labels y while also accounting for the variance, a property which is very useful for clinical trial design. Our results give strong improvements in sample size estimates over strategies based on multi-kernel learning. Also, rDA predictions appear to more accurately correlate to stages of disease. Separately, our formulation empirically shows how deep architectures can be applied in the large d, small n regime — the default situation in medical imaging. This result is of independent interest.
Recognition and Isomorphism of Two Dimensional Partial Orders

This paper presents an algorithm for recognizing two dimensional partial orders. The algorithm accepts as input an arbitrary partial order G and responds “yes” if the dimension of G is less than or equal to two and responds “no” otherwise. As part of the recognition process, the algorithm decomposes the partial order in a canonical way which can be used to determine whether two partial orders of dimension two are isomorphic. Both the recognition and the isomorphism algorithms can be implemented to run in time O(n2) when the input is a partial order on n elements. The best previously known algorithms for these two tasks had a worst case behavior of O(n3).
Performance of the amniotic fluid foam stability—50 percent test: A bedside precedure for the prenatal detection of hyaline membrane disease

Abstract A study was conducted on 394 patients in order to evaluate a modified foam stability (FS) test for the prenatal evaluation of fetal oulmonary maturity. We termed the assay the “FS-50 test” because of its dependence upon the maintenance of a 50% ethanol concentration in the final assay mixture. The FS-50 test was regarded as “positive” when an uninterrupted ring of stable bubbles formed around the meniscus of the tube at the air-fluid interface, following vigorous shaking. Anything less was regarded as a “negative” result. Neonatal hyaline membrane disease (HMD) did not occur in association with a “positive” FS-50 test result. However, when the FS-50 test was “negative,” 35.8% of the neonates developed HMD. In 164 of the 394 patients studied, sufficient amniotic fluid was available so as to enable us to perform the FS-50 and the lecithin/sphingomyelin (LS) ratio assay concurrently. LS ratio values of greater than 2.0 correctly predicted a sufficient degree of fetal pulmonary maturity so as to protect against the subsequent development of HMD in 97.8% of the cases. LS ratio values of less than 2.0 were predictive of HMD in 28.4% of the cases studied, while a “negative” FS-50 test correctly predicted that HMD would subsequently occur in 46.9% of the cases. The FS-50 test promises to provide a reliable screening method for the prenatal detection of HMD. The practicability and sensitivity of this simple assay makes it a potentially valuable addition to our diagnostic armamentarium.
Vesicoureteral Reflux — Surgical Treatment

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) affects approximately 1% of children. VUR predisposes an individual to upper urinary tract infection (UTI) (that is, pyelonephritis). Repeated episodes of pyelonephritis can result in renal scarring (reflux nephropathy), hypertension, impaired somatic growth, renal insufficiency, end-stage renal disease, and complications during pregnancy. VUR can be managed medically or surgically.
Characteristics of RSV Hospitalizations in Infants and Children without BPD or CHD. an Analysis of a Subset of the PHIS Database 2011-2014

The objective of this analysis is to provide recent data on the characteristics of RSV hospitalization in premature infants and children born ≤35 weeks gestational age and who do not have either BPD or CHD, and to compare them with those born ≥36 weeks gestational age. Additionally we compared the hospitalization characteristics for those infants and children born between 29 and 35 weeks GA with those born ≤ 28 weeks GA We reviewed the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS) database on RSV related hospitalizations …
The Toxicity of Pneumonic Lungs

In lobar pneumonia the toxemia is ascribed largely to toxic substances from virulent pneumococci. Numerous investigations have shown that pneumococci do not produce appreciable amounts of soluble toxin in cultures, although the work of Neufeld and Dold,1 Rosenow2 and Cole3 indicate that a toxic substance is produced from the cocci or contained within them which, when liberated, is capable of producing death in animals with symptoms and lesions suggestive of anaphylaxis. Cole regards this pneumotoxin as preformed in the bacterial cell; the studies of Cohen, Weiss and Kolmer4 generally confirm these observations, although they experienced considerable difficulty in the preparation of the pneumotoxin. While this toxic substance may be elaborated during lobar pneumonia in sufficient amounts to account in large part for the toxic symptoms in addition to probably influencing enzymic processes, our experiments show that its production in vitro is quite irregular, that large numbers of virulent pneumococci are required for its production, and that relatively large amounts of it are required to produce intoxication of animals. When it is remembered that sections of pneumonic lungs frequently show few pneumococci, it is questionable whether there is a sufficient amount of pneumotoxin produced in lobar pneumonia to account in whole for the toxemia of this disease. With these considerations in mind we have studied the exudate in lobar pneumonia as a further source of toxic substances. While the investigations of Schenck,5 Dold,6 Roger,7 Wright,8 and Riesman
The Courage of Conviction: Andreia as Precondition for Philosophic Examination in Plato's Protagoras and Republic

There are at least two apparently conflicting views of courage found in Plato's dialogues: the intellectualist view exemplified by Socrates’s identification of courage with wisdom as found in the Protagoras; and the dispositional view of courage as a natural temperament to overcome fear in situations of danger, the necessary qualification for the auxiliary class in the Republic. In this paper I argue that these views are complementary, dispositional courage being a necessary precondition for the pursuit of the proper human excellence of wisdom. I demonstrate this by considering the role opinion plays in each understanding of courage, showing both that dispositional courage is necessary to ensure that proper opinions be retained in the pursuit of wisdom and that wisdom is necessary to guarantee these opinions are the proper ones. Finally, I argue that not only is this relationship of the two understandings of courage present in the Republic, but even in the Protagoras Socrates’s method of conducting the el...
Competitive Strategies and Exit Decisions in Oligopolies

We examine corporate exit resolutions, including the decisions to merge, to be acquired, and to file for bankruptcy, as a result of long-term deployment of generic competitive strategies among rival firms. We construct a theory that forecasts diverse exit outcomes and demonstrate its predictions within the U.S. automotive industry. We find that unless competitors split the market into separate niches, a clash between firms that utilize a single competitive strategy causes the less efficient ones to go bankrupt, and firms that utilize different competitive strategies throughout their going-concern stages are generally more sustainable than those deploying only a single strategy.
Juries, Judges, and the Politics of Tort Reform

The civil justice system has many repeat players with a deep interest in the civil justice system because they are often the target of personal injury lawsuits, most prominently product manufacturers and physicians, and the companies that insure them. Following a blueprint drafted by leading corporate lawyer Lewis Powell, prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States, these deep pocket interests have spent four decades and tens of millions of dollars maligning the civil jury and trying, with notable success, to influence legislators, administrators, and judges, both state and federal, under the catchy, but misleading banner of “tort reform.” These campaigns have been amplified by media coverage of the civil justice system that has been unsophisticated, and at times misleading.This article argues that separation of powers concerns counsel that we should be cautious about constricting the role of the jury, one of our most democratic institutions. Juries provide checks and balances on government; juries are independent; juries bring community values into the judicial system; juries are fair; juries legitimatize the civil justice system; and, juries generally “get it right.”Instead of draconian reforms like damage caps, the article argues for the primacy of judges when adjustments to the civil justice system are called for. Judges bring legal experience and knowledge not shared by most legislators and administrators; the nature of the judicial process makes judges predictable and their work transparent; judges are far less likely to be “captured” by special interests than legislators and administrators; and state judges have the best perspective of how the civil justice system works and are thus in the best position to implement reforms when necessary. The article concludes with a survey of various tools, some time-tested and others novel, by which judges can oversee the work of juries, and the civil justice system more generally.
The Management of Advanced Bladder Carcinoma

Since October 1978, 25 patients with metastatic carcinoma of the bladder have been treated with cis-platinum, doxorubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide. Patient selection for this protocol was relatively strict and included only patients who had measurable parameters. All 3 drugs (60 mg./m.2 cis-platinum, 40 mg./m.2 doxorubicin hydrochloride and 400 mg./m.2 cyclophosphamide) were given as a single dose every 4 weeks. Over-all, 19 of the 23 evaluable patients (82 per cent) responded to therapy. There were 5 complete drug-induced remissions and 14 partial remissions. Generally, the treatment was tolerated well and common toxic effects were myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting and alopecia. One patient died of septicemia as a result of agranulocytosis. These promising results seem to indicate the high degree of effectiveness of this combination chemotherapy against transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia is an acquired syndrome secondary to many causes with a continuous progressive deterioration of intellectual functions and personality changes, associated with a marked decline in activities of daily living. Memory loss, a common early sign, is followed by impairment in other domains like language, judgment, mood changes, psychiatric disorders, like hallucinations, psychosis, and sleep disorders. These symptoms are also associated with gait deterioration, swallowing disorders, loss of activities of daily living and in some cases epileptic seizures. The clinical presentation is variable depending on the cause and the individual affected. This chapter is limited to the presentation of dementia in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and because of the high prevalence, special consideration will be given to the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in persons with Down Syndrome (DS).
Inflammation mediates the association between visceral adiposity and obstructive sleep apnea in adolescents.

Only a handful of studies, primarily in clinical samples, have reported an association between obesity, inflammation, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children and adolescents. No studies, howe...
Training in Coping with the Environment: Territorial/Affiliation Skills

Living in harmony, at peace with oneself and one’s fellow creatures is a central theme in most treatises on human existence. From earliest times, integrity, courage and moral conduct have been the stuff of which myth, epic, religious belief, philosophy and psychology are made. No one, to my knowledge, has succeeded in building a large constituency of devotees by insisting that the goal of existence is unhappiness, to be attained by living at odds with the world, searching for alienation, hatred, grief and anxiety. Dissonance and dissipation have never been the hallmarks of a life well spent.
Sacred Serpent Symbols: The Bearded Snakes of Etruria

The symbolic attributes of snakes, which have appeared in art for thousands of years in all corners of the world, make them a popular icon. In Etruria, bearded snakes become symbols of fear, protection, and perhaps even the afterlife (due to the shedding of their skin), i.e., as the chthonic dwellers of the Underworld. They are usually held as funerary symbols by so-called demons or guardians as they traverse the Underworld with the newly deceased. The following review traces the depictions of the bearded snake in Etruscan art at the end of the Archaic period and looks at how it transitioned into an important funerary symbol lasting into the Hellenistic period. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v10i1_pieraccini
Evaluating NARCCAP model performance for frequencies of severe-storm environments

Abstract. An important topic for climate change investigation is the behavior of severe weather under future scenarios. Given the fine-scale nature of the phenomena, such changes can only be analyzed indirectly, for example, through large-scale indicators of environments conducive to severe weather. Climate models can account for changing physics over time, but if they cannot capture the relevant distributional properties of the current climate, then their use for inferring future regimes is limited. In this study, high-resolution climate models from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) are evaluated for the present climate state using cutting-edge spatial verification techniques recently popularized in the meteorology literature. While climate models are not intended to predict variables on a day-by-day basis, like weather models, they should be expected to mimic distributional properties of these processes, which is how they are increasingly used and therefore this study assesses the degree to which the models are actually suitable for this purpose. Of particular value for social applications would be to better simulate extremes, rather than inferring means of variables, which may only change by small increments thereby making it difficult to interpret in terms of the impact on society. In this study, it is found that the relatively high-resolution NARCCAP climate model runs capture areas, spatial patterns, and placement of the most common severe-storm environments reasonably well, but all of them underpredict the spatial extent of these high-frequency zones. Some of the models generally perform better than others, but some models capture spatial patterns of the highest frequency severe-storm environment areas better than they do more moderate frequency regions.
Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations Provide Potential Mechanisms for the Loss of Ligand Binding to αIIbβ3 Mutants Affecting the Ligand-Induced Metal Binding Site (LIMBS).

Although the role of the β3 MIDAS metal ion in ligand binding to αIIbβ3 is well established, serving as the site of interaction of the ligand Asp residue, the role of the nearby LIMBS metal ion is less well defined. Previous studies suggested a role for the LIMBS in ligand binding. We confirmed this by showing that HEK293 cells expressing normal αIIbβ3 adhered to both immobilized fibrinogen and the RGD-containing venom echistatin in the presence of either Mg++/Ca++ or Mn++, whereas two different αIIbβ3 LIMBS mutants (β3 N215A and D217A) failed to adhere to either protein. In addition, we found that both mutations also increased the binding of mAb AP5, which recognizes a ligand-induced binding site (LIBS) in the β3 PSI domain (normal 7±4% vs N215A 46±12% and D217A 41±20% of mAb anti-αIIb (HIP8) binding; mean±SD, n=6, p
Mountain Waves, Downslope Winds, and Low-Level Blocking Forced by a Midlatitude Cyclone Encountering an Isolated Ridge

AbstractThe interaction of a midlatitude cyclone with an isolated north–south mountain barrier is examined using numerical simulation. A prototypical cyclone develops from an isolated disturbance in a baroclinically unstable shear flow upstream of the ridge, producing a cold front that interacts strongly with the topography. The structure and evolution of the lee waves launched by the topography are analyzed, including their temporal and their north–south variation along the ridge. Typical mountain wave patterns are generated by a 500-m-high mountain, but these waves often exhibit significant differences from the waves produced in 2D or 3D simulations with steady large-scale-flow structures corresponding to the instantaneous conditions over the mountain in the evolving flow. When the mountain height is 2 km, substantial wave breaking occurs, both at low levels in the lee and in the lower stratosphere. Despite the north–south uniformity of the terrain profile, large north–south variations are apparent in w...
Molecular electronics on the cheap

This is an exciting time for scientists and engineers working in the field of organic semiconductors. After some 30 years of research and development, manufacturers are now bringing the first organic display products to market. Pioneer Electronics has launched production of a car-stereo system that has an organic multicolour graphics display, while Philips is currently setting up a production line for polymer displays and expects to be selling these within a few months. Organic displays dazzle with their brightness, full-colour capability, video speed and excellent readability under diverse lighting conditions.
The Closed System

Galenus’ beloved theory rejected and replaced by a closed loop with a single central pump, the heart. The two ventricles pump directly into two arterial high pressure reservoirs, which are assigned responsibility for perfusion of their peripheries. Starling’s observations that cardiac output is exquisitely sensitive to venous return to the heart. The validity of this conclusion becomes a battle ground. This issue resolved by the introduction of the family of cardiac function curves leading to the concepts of homeometric and heterometric autoregulation, in turn supplemented with pressure autoregulation. Effects of physical exercise, gravity, and acceleration.
Choosing Health Equity: Investing in Optimal and Equitable Health for All.

An editorial is presented in which the author reflects on health equity as a choice and an effort to eliminate health disparities in places such as the U.S. as of 2017. According to the World Health Organization, there has been a more than 50 percent reduction in under-five child mortality around the globe since the year 2000. Sustainable Development Goals and preventable deaths of infants and children are examined, along with strategic investments in public health in places such as America.
Electric energy meter condition assessment based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

The operation error of the electric energy metering device directly affects the accuracy of the electricity trade calculation, so it's very important to ensure the device working accurately. In this paper, three levels of indexes of electric energy meter were selected from the life cycle management, which cover basic information, operational monitoring and site inspection. Then the state evaluation system of electric energy meter was established. By variable weights, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP), we have established a state energy meter integrated assessment models. Using this model, the electric energy meter's condition assessment result can be obtained by every index's condition, which can provide the basis for adjusting the period of test and replacement for electric energy meter.
Are Television Deaths Good Deaths? A Narrative Analysis of Hospital Death and Dying in Popular Medical Dramas.

This study explores death narratives in the popular international medical dramas Grey’s Anatomy (USA), Casualty (UK), All Saints (Australia), and E.R. (USA). Using narrative analysis, we characteri...
Current Trends in the Empirical Study of Cognitive Remediation for Schizophrenia

Cognitive remediation (CR) for schizophrenia is a learning-based behavioural skills training intervention designed to enhance neuro and (or) social cognitive skills, with the ultimate goal of generalization to improve psychosocial outcomes. This review summarizes conceptual approaches to CR for schizophrenia and the evidence for efficacy in clinical research settings. Four issues are at the forefront of ongoing research: the identification of techniques that produce the largest cognitive change, delineation of techniques that enhance transfer of cognitive skills to functional skills, the identification of CR methods that can be personalized to meet the specific cognitive and functional needs of each individual, and, all the while, ensuring that when CR methods are developed in a research setting, they remain scalable for delivery in the larger clinical community. In response to these issues, 3 prominent research trends have emerged: the rise of a new generation of computerized restorative cognitive training, the integration of CR with skills training to promote generalization, and the application of techniques to enhance motivation and learning during CR. As data on the neural basis of learning in people with schizophrenia become available, new technologies that harness the ability of the brain to make sustainable, functional changes may be integrated within a therapeutic context that promotes a personalized approach to learning. The development of transportable and scalable methods of CR that maximize the ability of people with schizophrenia to improve cognition will help them achieve personal goals for recovery.
Oral sodium phosphate bowel purgatives and acute phosphate nephropathy

Phosphorus is a naturally-occurring element with an atomic number of 15 and an atomic mass of 31 g/mol. Within the human body, the majority of phosphorus is bound to 4 oxygen atoms, forming the phosphate anion (PO4). As a result, the terms phosphorus and phosphate are at times used interchangeably. Standard blood chemistries report the serum phosphorus with a normal range of approximately 2.5 – 4.5 mg/dl. This represents a measurement of serum phosphate that has been corrected to reflect the molecular weight of phosphorus alone. A normal adult has a total body phosphorus content of 700-800 g [1]. The majority of phosphate is present in bone, although approximately 15% is distributed outside of the skeleton where it is present in the form of inorganic phosphate in extra-cellular fluid and organic phosphates within cells, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), nucleic acids, and membrane phospholipids. As such, phosphorus plays a vital role in numerous cell processes including cell energetics, cell membrane formation, and DNA & RNA synthesis, to name a few. Within blood, phosphate exists mainly in two forms, HPO4 and H2PO4. These two anions are important serum buffers and their relative concentrations are determined by the serum pH. Oral sodium phosphate bowel purgatives and acute phosphate nephropathy
Telomerase and Cancer

A troubling attribute of malignant cells is the ability to divide indefinitely. Notorious experimental examples can be found in the many patient-derived laboratory cell lines which have been proliferating in culture for decades [for example, (1)]. Clinically, immortality provides malignant cells with unlimited growth potential, a property that underlies the fatal nature of cancer. This capacity, specific to tumor cells, likely results from a number of changes in cellular pathways controlling proliferation checkpoints, response to accumulation of genetic damage and maintenance of large-scale chromosomal structures. This chapter will focus on the last pathway, specifically, the maintenance of the chromosome ends or telomeres. During the last few years, remarkable progress has been made toward understanding the molecular aspects of telomere maintenance. Much of this work was pioneered by the powerful genetic and biochemical tractability of lower organisms such as yeast and ciliates. Here we will focus on the biology of the mammalian system and its relevance to cancer. This information may provide an opportunity to disrupt telomere maintenance in tumor cells and potentially compromise their immortality.
Contribution of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices to Thrombus Formation in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to identify the prevalence of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and to describe the associated disease burden. Background CTEPH is a debilitating disease, now potentially curable with pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). The contribution of CIEDs to thrombosis in this patient population has not been previously studied. Methods The charts of 982 CTEPH patients, who underwent PTE between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2015 at University of California-San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center, were reviewed for pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) implanted before surgery. Results Among 982 CTEPH patients who underwent PTE, 14 had pacemakers and 3 had ICDs, giving 17 CIEDs and a prevalence of 1.7%. Of these 17 CIEDs, 6 devices were extracted intraoperatively, and 5 of 6 devices were replaced with epicardial leads. Furthermore, of the 950 patients classified by intraoperative UCSD level, 12 of 17 (70.6%) patients with CIEDs had distal disease versus 241 of 933 (25.8%) patients without CIEDs (p = 0.0002). The prevalence of known venous thromboembolism (VTE) was 50% in CIED patients compared with 78.6% in patients without CIEDs (p = 0.018). Conclusions At 1.7%, the prevalence of CIEDs in the PTE population was higher than previously reported values, which estimated CIED prevalence between 0.16% and 0.47% in the general population. Moreover, CTEPH patients with CIEDs were more strongly associated with distal disease burden and less likely to have had previous VTE, which suggested that CIEDs may be a nidus for small clots that embolize distally in the pulmonary vasculature.
Towards Photonic Sensor based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)

In any Internet of Things (IoT) application, the importance of a good and accurate sensor cannot be over emphasized. It is even more so in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems wherein the most complex organ in the body is a component part. In this paper, we performed a study on photonic sensing and present a model of a specific photonic sensor for BCI applications as a preliminary effort in creating a better alternative to the conventional electroencephalography (EEG) and achieving smarter BCI systems. Photonic sensors are light-weight, consume less energy and provide low latency. These qualities and more endorse photonic sensing as a suitable candidate for achieving the desired smartness in BCI systems development. The modeled photonic sensor makes use of a dome-shaped microscale laser as a sensing element and its operation relies on the principle of morphology-dependent resonance (MDR) in which the wavelength at resonance is shifted based on the morphology of the micro-scale laser, as affected by its physical environment. The modeling is done using Simulink® and the modeled sensor produced the same results as the actual photonic sensor.
Participatory Culture and Collaborative Democracy: The Awesome Libraries Chapter

A brief overview of the Awesome Libraries Chapter of the Awesome Foundation and the process of crowdsourcing and funding transformative ideas in public libraries.
Stereoisomer specific reaction of hexabromocyclododecane with reduced sulfur species in aqueous solutions.

Abstract The individual degradation rates of the three dominant stereoisomers (α, β, γ) of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) with bisulfide and polysulfides were investigated at pH 9 in methanol/water solutions at two different temperatures (25 °C and 40 °C). Under all conditions investigated, α-HBCDD reacts 10 to 20 times slower with bisulfide than β-HBCDD and γ-HBCDD. The difference in reactivity of HBCDD isomers can be explained by the different populations of stable conformers with large dihedral angle between the vicinal bromine atoms. It was also observed that the reaction of HBCDD with polysulfides is about six times faster than with bisulfide. The experiments performed in solvent mixtures with increased water content at 40 °C indicated that the reaction of HBCDD with bisulfide is faster with higher percentage of water. The much slower abiotic reaction of α-HBCDD compared to β-HBCDD and γ-HBCDD could potentially contribute to the fact that α-HBCDD is more persistent in the environment than γ-HBCDD. Only one isomer of tetrabromocyclododecene (TBCDe-5) was identified as a degradation product of the reaction of HBCDD with reduced sulfur species. TBCDe-5 itself reacts about ten times slower with bisulfide and twenty times slower with polysulfide than HBCDD. The study demonstrates that polysulfides and bisulfides can reduce HBCDD sufficiently in natural anoxic environments and the dominant pathway for the degradation of HBCDD by reduced sulfur species is very likely to be the reductive debromination of vicinal dibromides via concerted anti-elimination.
Biomechanical Differences in Knee Valgus Angles in Collegiate Female Athletes Participating in Different Sports

Background: Dynamic knee valgum is a major risk factor in ligamentous injuries of the knee. Different sports have higher rates of knee ligament injury than others and females experience knee non-contact ligament injuries at higher rates than their male counterparts. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the lower extremity biomechanics of genu valgum in female collegiate athletes of various sports while performing a drop jump test. This information may provide those designing individualized prevention programs assistance in reducing risk of knee ligamentous injury during jumping tasks. Methods: Current members of Idaho State University’s women’s basketball, soccer, and softball teams were evaluated for this study. Thirty-seven athletes participated. Motion capture reflective markers were placed bilaterally on the lower extremities to allow for analysis of knee biomechanics during a double-leg drop jump test. The angles of knee valgum in the frontal plane were calculated and analyzed between sport groups. Results: Female athletes of different sports displayed statistically significant differences in knee angles for both right, and left knees. Post hoc analysis with a Bonferroni adjustment revealed that basketball players utilized a more valgus right knee angle compared to both soccer and softball players and a more varus left knee angle compared with softball players. Conclusions: Our study suggests that collegiate-level female basketball players have an increased risk of right leg non-contact knee ligament injury during jump landing maneuvers when compared to collegiate level softball and soccer players due to increased knee valgus movements during the drop jump test. Collegiate-level female basketball players may benefit from biomechanical exercise interventions designed to decrease right knee valgus moments in jumping and landing to decrease their risk of injury.
A Dynamical Model for a Hydrostatic Wind Turbine Transmission Coupled to the Grid with a Synchronous Generator

This paper presents a model to capture the electromechanical dynamics of a wind turbine with hydrostatic transmission (HST) coupled to the electrical grid through a synchronous generator. The HST is a continuously variable transmission that decouples the generator from the wind-turbine rotor shaft, which allows it to rotate at its synchronous speed. The topology does not include any power-electronics interfaces for energy conversion. The dynamic model of the HST and synchronous generator are used to examine the performance of the system under various disturbances in incident wind through detailed time-domain simulations. We find that with the proposed topology, the terminal voltage and frequency of the generator can be well regulated under a variety of large-signal disturbances.
Maternal Bacterial Infection During Pregnancy and Offspring Risk of Psychotic Disorders: Variation by Severity of Infection and Offspring Sex.

Objective:Previous studies suggest that prenatal immune challenges may elevate the risk of schizophrenia and related psychoses in offspring, yet there has been limited research focused on maternal ...
Facing the Challenge: A Rational Strategy for Fluid and Volume Management

Perioperative fluid and volume therapy is an important aspect relevant to outcome in the treatment of patients undergoing surgery and on the intensive care unit (ICU). New findings concerning the endothelial surface layer, its physiological functions and its role under pathological conditions, have led not only to a new understanding of the vascular barrier function, but also to challenges to traditional strategies for volume replacement in the operating room (OR) and in the ICU. The various studies comparing restrictive versus liberal fluid management are not directly comparable and are in most instances neither related to the phys?iological basis of perioperative fluid loss, nor do they differ between colloid and crystalloid administration for volume resuscitation.
High-Throughput Synthesis and Screening of Rapidly Degrading Polyanhydride Nanoparticles

Combinatorial techniques can accelerate the discovery and development of polymeric nanodelivery devices by pairing high-throughput synthesis with rapid materials characterization. Biodegradable pol...
Microbiota and colorectal cancer: colibactin makes its mark.

Colibactin-producing bacteria are abundant in the gut microbiota of colorectal cancer tumours and promote colon tumorigenesis in mouse models. Now, a new study demonstrates a direct link between exposure of human intestinal epithelial cells to colibactin and two unique mutational fingerprints found in human colorectal tumours.
Threshold concentration and random collision determine the growth of the phase-separated huntingtin inclusion from a stable core

The processes underlying formation and growth of unfolded protein inclusions are relevant to neurodegenerative diseases. In S. cerevisiae, inclusion bodies formed by mutant huntingtin have characteristics of phase-separated compartments: they are mobile, ovoid, and the contents are diffusible. We have used molecular genetics and quantitative confocal microscopy to probe the relationship between concentration and inclusion growth in vivo. Our analysis and modeling of the growth of mutant huntingtin inclusion bodies (mHtt IBs) suggests that there is a cytoplasmic threshold concentration that triggers the formation of an IB, regardless of proteasome capacity, and that reduction in cytoplasmic mHtt causes IBs to shrink. These findings confirm that the IB is a phase-separated compartment that continuously exchanges material with the cytoplasm. The growth rate of the IB is most consistent with a model in which material is incorporated through collision with the IB. A small remnant of the IB is relatively long-lasting, suggesting that the IB contains a core that is structurally distinct, and which may serve to nucleate it.
After PCI and short-term DAPT, P2Y12 inhibitors alone vs. ongoing DAPT reduce major bleeding; CV events do not differ.

SOURCE CITATION Malik AH, Yandrapalli S, Shetty SS, et al. Meta-analysis of dual antiplatelet therapy versus monotherapy with P2Y12 inhibitors in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. Am J Cardiol. 2020;127:25-9. 32389351.
Novel Technique for Reduction of Ankle Valgus Malunion and Chronic Talus Subluxation during Hindfoot Nailing

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the incidence and severity of ankle fractures in the elderly. We present a case of an elderly patient with significant medical comorbidities and social issues who sustained an unstable ankle fracture that led to a severe malunion secondary to refusal for surgery and noncompliance with weight-bearing precautions. By choosing an intramedullary fixation method that can be inserted through a biologically advantageous surgical exposure, we can permit early mobilization, create a stable plantigrade foot for ambulation, and alleviate the expected noncompliance with weight-bearing precautions in this patient. Despite debridement of callus, fibular osteotomy, and plate-assisted reduction, a displaced valgus angulation of the ankle joint remained. The nail was removed then reinserted backwards with the bend directed medially instead of its normal lateral position in order to use the bend in the nail as a reduction aid to finalize the reduction. We feel this technique may be of assistance to future surgeons encountering a similar situation.
Relationship of Energy, Cow Size and Sire to Calving Difficulty

Methods for decreasing calf birth weight or calf size at calving time, increasing or predicting size of the pelvic opening of the cow at calving time could be useful in decreasing calving difficulty and consequently losses at or near calving. This paper will explore several methods for predicting or altering calf size, the relationship between pelvic size and calving difficulty and methods of predicting pelvic size.
Magnetic fields in umbral atmospheres under 'similarity' configuration /Research note/.

Depth variations in the sunspot magnetic field are studied, and their influence is investigated on the magnetically active line profiles and the resulting magnetographic measurements. An attempt is made to derive a crude, though theoretically sensible magnetic model of a spot, using a simple field configuration conditioned by the 'similarity' law of Schluter and Temesvary (1958). The umbral magnetic field is computed, and the results are presented in tabular form.
Strategien zur Speicherverwaltung

Das oberste Ziel der Verwaltung eines zweistufigen Speichers ist, jeweils diejenigen Informationen im Arbeitsspeicher bereitzuhalten, auf die voraussichtlich in nachster Zukunft zugegriffen wird. Daran orientieren sich alle in Kapitel 7 behandelten Verfahren — Prozesumlagerung, Segmentierung, Seitenverfahren sowie die Kombination der beiden letzteren. Je naher man diesem Ziel kommen will, desto mehr Verwaltungsaufwand mus man betreiben. Es ist somit angebracht, uber den Aufwand der verschiedenen Verfahren und ihrer moglichen Varianten nachzudenken.
Chemical burns of the vagina with severe hemorrhage: Report of four cases

Abstract Four cases of chemical vaginitis secondary to the use of potassium permanganate are presented. Severe bleeding was present in all of the patients. The use of potassium permanganate vaginally is discouraged.
Cell surface coat of human and rat bladder urothelium. I. Ruthenium-red studies in non-neoplastic and neoplastic cells.

We have studied the ultrastructure of glycocalyx at the luminal surface of normal and diseased urothelium from humans and rats with ruthenium red staining. A correlation between the thickness and staining intensity of the glycocalyx and the surface topography of the luminal surface was observed. An intensely stained thick glycocalyx was associated with prominent surface microvilli seen in the following conditions in humans : some control urothelium, inverted papilloma, well and moderately differentiated transitional cell carcinomas and mucin producing adenocarcinomas. These changes were also present in rats with FANFT-induced preneoplastic and neoplastic changes. A thin glycocalyx was associated with a scalloped luminal surface containing asymmetric unit membrane plaques and was found in some control human urothelium and in normal rat urothelium. A thin glycocalyx was also associated with the relatively smooth surface seen in poorly differentiated transitional cell carcinomas as well as in some mucin producing adenocarcinomas. We suggest that urothelial glycocalyx, as demonstrated by ruthenium red staining, correlates with the luminal surface topography rather than specific pathological condition of the bladder.
Nucleotide excision repair in nuclear extracts from Xenopus oocytes.

Limited nucleotide excision repair (NER) requires at least {approx}40 proteins in extracts from purified proteins, although perhaps hundreds of proteins may influence DNA repair in cells. For efficient DNA repair in extracts, it is important to utilize a system containing large quantities of active DNA repair proteins uncontaminated with nonspecific nucleases. Unlike extracts from mammalian cells that repair {approx}2% of the input DNA, both injected Xenopus oocytes and oocyte nuclear extracts can repair {approx}100% of the input damaged DNA by NER with little or no synthesis on undamaged control substrate. Repair activity in extracts can be inactivated with antibodies and/or inhibitors, and then repair can be restored by addition of exogenous proteins. A further advantage of the Xenopus system is that results obtained from injection experiments in living cells can be compared to results obtained in nuclear extracts.