cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Accident Prevention

Accidents remain a major health problem for children of all ages, in spite of attempts at prevention by industry, health workers, educators, and legislation. In order of decreasing frequency, serious pediatric accidents include moving-vehicle accidents, water-related accidents, burns, poisonings, and falls. Their cause, severity, and prevention will be considered, with future challenges emphasized.
Storage Layer Effect on Writability of Perpendicular Recording Head

Micromagnetic and 3D FEM modeling were used to study the storage layer effect on writability of perpendicular magnetic recording head. The magnetic hysteresis loops of the perpendicular storage layer were obtained. The effect of intragranular exchange on storage layer permeability and the latter's effect on the perpendicular component of the write field were also investigated.
Asynchronous stochastic convex optimization: the noise is in the noise and SGD don't care

We show that asymptotically, completely asynchronous stochastic gradient procedures achieve optimal (even to constant factors) convergence rates for the solution of convex optimization problems under nearly the same conditions required for asymptotic optimality of standard stochastic gradient procedures. Roughly, the noise inherent to the stochastic approximation scheme dominates any noise from asynchrony. We also give empirical evidence demonstrating the strong performance of asynchronous, parallel stochastic optimization schemes, demonstrating that the robustness inherent to stochastic approximation problems allows substantially faster parallel and asynchronous solution methods. In short, we show that for many stochastic approximation problems, as Freddie Mercury sings in Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, "Nothing really matters."
Traumatic Brain Injury Causes Endothelial Dysfunction in the Systemic Microcirculation Through Arginase-1-Dependent Uncoupling of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

Abstract Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of many chronic diseases, including diabetes and long-term hypertension. We show that acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to endothelial dysfunction in rat mesenteric arteries. Endothelial-dependent dilation was greatly diminished 24 h after TBI because of impaired nitric oxide (NO) production. The activity of arginase, which competes with endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) for the common substrate l-arginine, were also significantly increased in arteries, suggesting that arginase-mediated depletion of l-arginine underlies diminished NO production. Consistent with this, substrate restoration by exogenous application of l-arginine or inhibition of arginase recovered endothelial function. Moreover, evidence for increased reactive oxygen species production, a consequence of l-arginine starvation-dependent eNOS uncoupling, was detected in endothelium and plasma. Collectively, our findings demonstrate endothelial dysfunction in a remote vascular bed after TBI, ma...
Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Complicated With Mastoiditis: An Unusual Presentation of Tuberculosis☆

CASE PRESENTATION A 28-year-old African male presented with a 6-month history of severe right ear pain after a root canal procedure of a right mandibular tooth. He was diagnosed with otitis media of the right ear and, despite extended treatment with wide-spectrum antibiotics, his symptoms did not improve. The patient's symptoms progressed to complete hearing loss of the right ear, right-sided facial paralysis and continuous ear discharge following tympanic membrane perforation. Computed tomography of the temporal bones showed opacification of the right middle ear and mastoid air cells, consistent with otomastoiditis (Figure A, arrow). Subsequently, the patient underwent right tympanomastoidectomy and tympanostomy. Initial biopsies revealed nonspecific inflammatory changes and blood cultures were negative. Repeated bone biopsy a few weeks later revealed caseating granulomas (Figure B, white arrow) and multinucleated giant cells (Figure B, black arrow). The differential diagnosis of granulomatous mastoiditis includes autoimmune diseases such as sarcoidosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) and mycobacterial infections. Laboratory tests were negative for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. The serum angiotensin-converting enzyme was within normal limits and the quantiFERON-tuberculosis test was positive. Chest radiograph showed a right lower lobe calcified granuloma without evidence of hilar adenopathy. Repeated cultures from the mastoid lesion were consistent with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Treatment with rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, isoniazid and pyridoxine was initiated, with no adverse events. Facial weakness, ear pain and ear discharge improved, but hearing loss was deemed permanent and the patient required a hearing aid device. Tuberculous otomastoiditis is a rare manifestation of mycobacterial infection. Patients typically present with otorrhea, tympanic membrane perforation, hearing impairment and facial paralysis due to granulomatous inflammation of the middle ear and mastoid air cells. This case report highlights the importance of considering M tuberculosis as a possible etiologic agent of otitis media complicated with chronic mastoiditis in a patient who is not responding to conventional antibiotic therapy. Bone biopsy with cultures for acidfast bacilli is an important diagnostic step in patients with persistent chronic suppurative otitis media or mastoiditis.
An Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of an Anti-Inflammatory, Pulmonary Enteral Formula in the Treatment of Pediatric Burn Patients With Respiratory Failure

Respiratory failure is associated with a high mortality rate in burned children. Recently, a specialized pulmonary enteral formula (SPEF) was commercially introduced as an adjunct intervention in acute lung injury management. SPEF contains condition-specific nutrients to modulate the inflammatory response. The study examined SPEF impact in critically ill, pediatric burn patients with respiratory failure. Medical records of acute burn patients admitted December 1997 to October 2006 were reviewed for SPEF treatment. Respiratory and renal indices were compared on the first and final days of SPEF use. Nineteen patients with respiratory failure received SPEF for a mean of 10.8 ± 0.9 days during their acute burn course. Mean age was 5.3 ± 1.5 years. Mean total body surface area burn was 44.3 ± 5.4% with 32.5 ± 6.4% full thickness. Patients were admitted 2.3 ± 0.9 days postburn. Significant improvements in peak pressure, PEEP, FiO 2 , P:F ratio, PCO 2 , PO 2 , and ETCO 2 were noted. Seventeen of the 19 patients survived despite the fact that 9 of the 19 patients developed severe barotrauma requiring multiple tube thoracotomies, and all 19 had extremely poor prognoses at SPEF initiation. Adult SPEF formula for critically ill, pediatric burn patients with respiratory failure is safe and well tolerated. SPEF seems to facilitate recovery from acute lung injury as evidenced by improvements in oxygenation and pulmonary compliance.
Immuno-stimultory/regulatory gene expression patterns in advanced ovarian cancer

It has been established that a high degree of tumor-infiltrating T cells is associated with ovarian cancer prognosis. We hypothesized that tumors display an immune-related program of transcription that can act in a stimulatory or a regulatory manner. We analyzed transcriptome-wide gene expression data from 503 ovarian tumors from the Cancer Genome Atlas to identify genes that show differential prognoses when stratified by CD3 expression. Genes with immunological functions and tumor antigen genes were selected for analysis. We repeated our analysis in an independent validation study. Five genes showed stimulatory/regulatory patterns at a high level of confidence (Bonferroni p < 0.05). Three of these (MAGEA8, MPL, AMHR2) were validated and one (WT1) could not be evaluated. These patterns show specific prognostic effect only in conjunction with CD3 expression. When patients express multiple transcripts in poor prognosis directions, there is a dose response: increasingly regulatory type tumors are associated with higher stage, lower treatment response and shorter overall survival and progression free survival. The high-confidence set of transcripts (MAGEA8, MPL, AMHR2, WT1) and selected low-confidence hits (EPOR, TLR7) alone or in combination represent candidate prognosis markers for further investigation.
The prediction of human clearance from hepatic microsomal metabolism data.

Human liver microsomal intrinsic clearance has become a commonly measured parameter during drug discovery, and such data are used to design compounds predicted to possess optimal drug disposition characteristics. Liver microsomal intrinsic clearance values can be scaled and used to predict hepatic clearance in humans. Clearance, when combined with the volume of distribution, determines the half-life of a drug. Hepatic clearance, when combined with absorption, determines the oral bioavailability of a drug. Half-life and oral bioavailability are key determinants of the dosing regimen, i.e., size of dose and frequency of administration. Thus, the accurate prediction of human clearance is important in the selection of new compounds for progression into development, as new drugs on the market must not only be efficacious and safe, but must also be convenient to use for patients and physicians. Over the past decade, exploring methods whereby human clearance can be predicted from in vitro data has been an area of active research in drug metabolism science. Human liver microsomes have been a key tool in this research. This in vitro system possesses many of the major drug metabolizing enzymes and is thus applicable to a wide variety of compounds. This review describes the theoretical and practical aspects of predicting clearance from human liver microsomal intrinsic clearance data, a summary of advantages and shortcomings of this in vitro system, a synopsis of recent applications of human liver microsomal intrinsic clearance data in clearance predictions, and a discussion of potential future directions for this field.
Epstein-Barr Virus Transformation of B Lymphocytes: Molecular Pathogenesis

Primary Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection begins in the oropharynx where the virus establishes persistent infection of epithelial cells through continued cycles of infection, virus replication, cell death, virus release and infection of new cells. Early in primary infection, virus spreads from epithelial cells to subepithelial B lymphocytes. Infected B lymphocytes are largely non-permissive for virus replication. EBV establishes latent infection in B lymphocytes and transforms these cells so that they can secrete immunoglobulin and proliferate indefinitely in vitro. In immune deficient humans, EBV infected lymphocytes can also proliferate into malignant tumors. In latently infected B lymphocytes, EBV characteristically expresses a restricted set of virus genes which are presumed to i) maintain latent virus genome persistence, ii) cause the B lymphocyte growth transformation associated with latent viral infection and iii) represent targets for the immune response which is responsible for the prevention of outgrowth of latently infected B lymphocytes in humans.
A phase-field model to study the effects of temperature change on shape evolution of γ-hydrides in zirconium

A temperature-dependent phase-field model is developed to study the effects of temperature change on shape evolution of γ-hydrides in an α-zirconium matrix. To construct the temperature-dependent free energy functional of the phase-field model, Gibbs free energies of formation from previous experiments are employed, and one conserved and three non-conserved phase-field variables are used for hydrogen concentration and hydride orientations, respectively. The mixed order evolution equations of phase-field variables coupled with mechanical equilibrium equations are solved in a finite element framework. Results from isothermal simulations of seeded and random nucleation in single crystal α-zirconium matrix show that the thickness of non-equilibrium hydrides varies with temperature during evolution, and the hydrides are more rod-like (thinner) at higher temperatures and thicker at lower temperatures. Quench simulations with random nucleation indicate that the majority of precipitation occurs at early stages of quenching, but the size and shape of hydrides change as the temperature decreases. Simulations from random nucleation of hydrides in a polycrystalline α-zirconium matrix show a higher concentration of precipitates along high angle grain boundaries.
Valproate, Brain Atrophy and Reversible Dementia

Two children who developed severe cognitive and behavioral deterioration while being treated with sodium valproate for idiopathic epilepsy are reported from the Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL.
Second-order perturbation analysis of low-amplitude traveling waves in a periodic chain with quadratic and cubic nonlinearity

Abstract Traveling waves in one-dimensional nonlinear periodic structures are investigated for low-amplitude oscillations using perturbation analysis. We use second-order multiple scales analysis to capture the effects of the quadratic nonlinearity. Comparisons with the linear and cubical nonlinear cases are presented in the propagation and attenuation of the wave as well as the dispersion relationships, group and phase velocities and their dependence on wave number and amplitude of oscillation. Quadratic nonlinearity is shown to have a significant effect on the wave propagation behavior in the chain. Given the wavenumber, the quadratic nonlinearity (with nonzero linear and zero cubic terms) has shown to produce higher frequencies than linear system. At lower wave numbers, the quadratic system has higher phase and group velocities than the linear case. At higher wave numbers, however, the group velocities for the quadratic system are lower as compared to the linear case.
A Compiling Analytic Software Program for the ACGME Milestones Is an Efficient, Flexible and Timely Monitor of Resident Performance and Progress (P1.346)

Objective: We sought to determine the efficacy of a compiling analytic software technology that assesses clinical progress through the Milestones on a rapid cycle, and to determine faculty and resident satisfaction with this software Methods: An analytic compiling software which codes daily observations of learners by instructors was modified to assess Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities residents’ performance on the Milestones. Supervising faculty were asked to post observations on performance they had seen on a given day, and assess for competency based upon the milestones’ criteria. The software then compiled a running set of metrics of a resident’s progress, both as an average score on individual milestones as well as groups of milestones. . Results: The software readily showed resident’s performance in an easily interpreted set of graphics, and plotted progress over time well. It readily identified how a resident functioned compared to program peers in any given domain, and quickly identified areas where data or progress were lacking. Residents were very enthusiastic about the way they could monitor their performance, compared to the previous system used (100[percnt] felt the feedback was “much better” or “substantially better”). They also expressed enthusiasm over the timeliness of observation and feedback that the software permitted. (100[percnt] felt feedback was “much better” or “substantially better”). Faculty were also enthusiastic adopters. 95[percnt] of the clinical attending faculty utilized the software over the course of the year it was introduced, and required little prompting from program leadership. The richness of the data set (each resident had on average 80 observations per half-year cycle) led both faculty and residents to feel the observations and feedback were reliable. Conclusions: An analytic compiled software technology produces ongoing information of resident progress, which is viewed as efficient, flexible, and timely. Disclosure: Dr. Urion has nothing to disclose.
Sézary syndrome without erythroderma: A review of 16 cases at Mayo Clinic.

Background Sezary syndrome (SS) is characterized by erythroderma with leukemic involvement. In atypical SS, leukemic involvement is present without erythroderma. Little is known about the presentation, prognosis, and outcome in these patients. Objective We sought to describe our experience with patients with SS without erythroderma. Methods We retrospectively identified patients with SS, but without erythroderma, at Mayo Clinic from 1976 to 2010. Patients all met criteria for high blood tumor burden. Their clinical characteristics, disease course, and prognosis were reviewed and compared with a previously described cohort of 176 patients with SS from this institution. Results Among 16 patients identified, all had cutaneous findings consistent with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, most commonly erythematous patches (n = 6) and plaques (n = 12). All 16 patients were deceased at the time of the study. Median time from diagnosis of SS without erythroderma to the date of death was 3.6 years (range, 0.5-8.7 years). Survival was not different between patients with SS with and without erythroderma (hazard ratio 1.58; 95% confidence interval 0.94-2.66; P = .08). Limitations This was a single-institution retrospective study. Conclusion Leukemic involvement may confer shortened survival in patients with SS, because the presence of erythroderma did not affect survival. These atypical cases could potentially be more accurately described using the TNMB classification.
Mapping of the Binding Site within Glycoprotein Ibα for the Leukocyte Integrin Mac-1 (αMβ2).

Abstract 472 To maintain hemostasis, the human body uses more that 7,000 platelets/μl of blood a day; 3.5 billion platelets a day in a 70 kg adult male. Lack of fully functional platelets results in bleeding disorders such as Bernard-Soulier syndrome, Glanzmann thrombasthenia and platelet-type von Willebrand disease. It is becoming increasingly well appreciated that in addition to their hemostatic role, platelets play important roles in inflammation and wound healing. The initial step of platelet adhesion is mediated by the glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX-V complex on the platelet surface, which binds von Willebrand factor (VWF). This interaction leads to activation of the integrin αIIbβ3, platelet arrest, and spreading and aggregation. The GPIb-IX-V complex also has a key role in inflammation, mediating a key interaction of platelets with leukocytes by binding the integrin Mac-1 (αMβ2, CD11b/CD18). This interaction mediates the firm adhesion of leukocytes on platelet thrombi, enabling their migration through the thrombus into the vessel wall. Interestingly, the insert domain (I-domain) of the αM subunit of Mac-1 has a similar 3-dimensional structure to the A1 domain of VWF. Our previous studies showed that the I-domain of Mac-1 binds the C-terminal flanking sequence of GPIbα (Phe201-Gly268), demonstrated by the ability of the anti-GPIbα monoclonal antibody AP1 to inhibit the interaction. The epitope of AP1 has been mapped to a 10-amino acid sequence spanning Arg218 to Tyr228. In the current investigation, we constructed a series of cell lines expressing mutants of human GPIbα, either by replacement of the human sequence with the corresponding dog sequence (dog GPIbα does not bind human Mac-1) or by targeted mutagenesis, and tested their ability to bind the recombinant αM I domain. TheGPIbα region Phe201–Asn223 was crucial for Mac-1 binding, with residues Arg218, Asp222 and Asn223 playing vital roles. In addition, a peptide containing the AP1 epitope (Leu214–Val229) bound αM I-domain specifically and saturably. Peptide binding was blocked by LPM19c, a monoclonal anti-αM I-domain antibody, and soluble GPIbα, and by the M2 peptide, which corresponds to the GPIbα–binding site in the αM I domain (Phe201–Lys217). Peptide binding was also blocked by an antibody against the M2 sequence. The AP1 peptide inhibited the attachment of GPIb-IX complex–expressing CHO cells to immobilized αM I domain, and the adhesion of THP-1 cells—a monocytic cell line expressing Mac-1—to immobilized GPIbα. In summary, we have defined the GPIbα sequence Arg218 to Ala224 as a critical binding site for Mac-1. Because a peptide corresponding to this region inhibits GPIbα binding to Mac-1 but blocks neither platelet adhesion to immobilized VWF nor thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, it has potential to guide the development of agents that will specifically inhibit leukocyte-platelet complexes that promote vascular inflammation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Likelihood of cesarean delivery after applying leading active labor diagnostic guidelines.

Background Friedman, the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (ACOG/SMFM) support different active labor diagnostic guidelines. Our aims were to compare likelihoods for cesarean delivery among women admitted before vs in active labor by diagnostic guideline (within-guideline comparisons) and between women admitted in active labor per one or more of the guidelines (between-guideline comparisons). Design Active labor diagnostic guidelines were retrospectively applied to cervical examination data from nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset (n = 2573). Generalized linear models were used to determine outcome likelihoods within- and between-guideline groups. Results At admission, 15.7%, 48.3%, and 10.1% of nulliparous women were in active labor per Friedman, NICE, and ACOG/SMFM diagnostic guidelines, respectively. Cesarean delivery was more likely among women admitted before vs in active labor per the Friedman (AOR 1.75 [95% CI 1.08-2.82] or NICE guideline (AOR 2.55 [95% CI 1.84-3.53]). Between guidelines, cesarean delivery was less likely among women admitted in active labor per the NICE guideline, as compared with the ACOG/SMFM guideline (AOR 0.55 [95% CI 0.35-0.88]). Conclusion Many nulliparous women are admitted to the hospital before active labor onset. These women are significantly more likely to have a cesarean delivery. Diagnosing active labor before admission or before intervention to speed labor may be one component of a multi-faceted approach to decreasing the primary cesarean rate in the United States. The NICE diagnostic guideline is more inclusive than Friedman or ACOG/SMFM guidelines and its use may be the most clinically useful for safely lowering cesarean rates.
A student perspective on the future of nuclear medicine oncology.

2803 Objectives According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. In response to the health care reform, better prevention awareness, and the influx of several promising new PET tracers and radiotherapeutic pharmaceuticals currently in clinical trials we predict oncology studies in nuclear medicine will increase in the next 5 years. We researched the trend of oncology studies, both type and volume, performed in local nuclear medicine departments for the last 5 years to see if our hypothesis is on track. Methods Statistical data was obtained from nine medical facilities across the northern region of California. Facilities ranged from outpatient clinics to large inpatient and outpatient hospitals. The total number of whole body bone, Lymphoscintigraphy, 111In-Octreoscan, and oncology PET/CT studies were retrieved from each participating facility from 2011-2015. Results All nine facilities performed whole body bone studies. There was a slight decrease in the number of studies performed in 2015, compared to 2011, at each facility. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed at eight of the nine facilities and reported steady results with no drastic increase or decrease. 111In-OctreoScan studies were performed at only seven of the nine facilities and reported steady results over the five year span as well. PET/CT studies increased in number. Conclusions Nuclear Medicine is a dynamic and ever changing field. Although current established oncology studies in nuclear medicine still provide diagnostic value, new SPECT/CT and PET/CT imaging protocols, have evolved greatly and may prove to hold the future on oncology studies. Many factors influence the types and volumes of studies performed in nuclear medicine. With the introduction of several new promising PET tracers we are optimistic in the future for oncology studies performed in nuclear medicine.
Numerical Vector Green’s Function for S-Parameter Measurement With Waveport Excitation

We present a numerical vector Green’s function that directly links the object material property within the electric field volume integral equation (VIE) to the scattered S-parameters. This Green’s function is particularly useful for microwave inverse scattering applications in which S-parameter measurements are used to reconstruct the dielectric properties of unknown objects in an inhomogeneous background where the Green’s function does not have an analytic form. Unlike the dyadic Green’s function in a standard VIE, which relates the fields in the object domain (vector) to the scattered fields (vector), this vector Green’s function kernel relates the object domain fields (vector) to the measured S-parameters (scalar). Also this new vector Green’s function uses a waveport source method, which accurately accounts for the measured scattered S-parameters between antenna feeds of arbitrary impedance and modes. A detailed derivation is presented, and simulated and experimental examples are provided to validate this vector Green’s function for the prediction of scattered S-parameters.
Measuring optical properties of individual SnO2 nanowires via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy

For the first time, valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy (VEELS) was applied to individual single-crystalline SnO2 nanowires to investigate the dielectric function, band gap, and optical absorption coefficient. The results are compared with data from optical techniques such as spectroscopic ellipsometry and UV-Vis, and theoretical calculations from variations of density functional theory. The data obtained agree well with the standard optical and theoretical techniques. The dielectric function and optical absorption coefficient are given up to 20 eV, which otherwise requires a synchrotron source and large single crystals via optical methods. The energy loss function is given up to 40 eV, which gives a useful comparison to previous theoretical studies in an energy range that cannot be achieved via optical measurements. The comparison gives confidence in the accuracy of this method for exploring spatially-resolved measurements in individual nanoparticles or more complex nanostructures that are otherwise difficult to measure accurately using optical techniques.
Examining the scope and patterns of deliberate self‐injurious cutting content in popular social media

Background Social networking services (SNS) have rapidly become a central platform for adolescents’ social interactions and media consumption patterns. The present study examined a representative sample of publicly accessible content related to deliberate self-injurious cutting across three SNS platforms: Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Methods Data collection simulated searches for publicly available deliberate self-injury content on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Over a six-month period at randomly generated time points, data were obtained by searching “#cutting” on each SNS platform and collecting the first 10 posts generated. Independent evaluators coded posts for presence of the following: (a) graphic content, (b) negative self-evaluations, (c) references to mental health terms, (d) discouragement of deliberate self-injury, and (e) recovery-oriented resources. Differences across platforms were examined. Results Data collection yielded a sample of 1,155 public posts (770 of which were related to mental health). Roughly 60% of sampled posts depicted graphic content, almost half included negative self-evaluations, only 9.5% discouraged self-injury, and <1% included formal recovery resources. Instagram posts displayed the greatest proportion of graphic content and negative self-evaluations, whereas Twitter exhibited the smallest proportion of each. Conclusions Findings characterize the graphic nature of online SNS deliberate self-injury content and the relative absence of SNS-posted resources for populations seeking out deliberate self-injurious cutting content. Mental health professionals must recognize the rapidly changing landscape of adolescent media consumption, influences, and social interaction as they may pertain to self-harm patterns.
Path planning of mobile robot based on improved A∗ algorithm

Aiming at the problem of path planning algorithm of autonomous parade robot in the indoor environment, this paper, based on Dijkstra algorithm and A∗ algorithm, introduces the influence of the current node's parent node to the heuristic function in A∗ algorithm, and seeks the optimal weight of the heuristic function to optimize the path planning algorithm. In the MATLAB environment, different scenarios were simulated, and compared with the non-improved situation in terms of path searching consumption time, path cost and traversed grid number and other indexes. After using the more reasonable heuristic function and changing the weight appropriately, the poor real-time capacity of the A∗ algorithm was improved at the expense of a small path cost.
Pheromone biosynthesis in bark beetles

Pine bark beetles rely on aggregation pheromones to coordinate mass attacks and thus reproduce in host trees. The structural similarity between many pheromone components and those of defensive tree resin led to early suggestions that pheromone components are metabolic derivatives of ingested precursors. This model has given way to our current understanding that most pheromone components are synthesized de novo. Their synthesis involves enzymes that modify products from endogenous metabolic pathways; some of these enzymes have been identified and characterized. Pheromone production is regulated in a complex way involving multiple signals, including JH III. This brief review summarizes progress in our understanding of this highly specialized metabolic process.
Damage Accumulation in Graphite-Epoxy Composites During Compressive Fatigue

There has recently been considerable interest in the behavior of thick section (one inch and greater) polymer composites under compressive loads [1]. Strength, fatigue life and damage modes are characteristics which design and inspection engineers seek to understand to properly utilize these materials in applications where compressive loads are encountered. This paper presents a brief summary of some of the progress in a research effort to characterize the compression-compression fatigue behavior of thick section fiber reinforced polymer composites. Primary objectives of this research are to determine fatigue life and strength, and to use nondestructive techniques to predict material failure with particular interest in identifying the early stages of damage. Destructive techniques are implemented to correlate actual damage mechanisms to any “fingerprint” found by NDE methods. Specifically, one inch thick, double edge notched, graphite epoxy coupons were fatigued to failure while structural stiffness and acoustic emissions were monitored. Unfailed specimens were examined using ultrasonic C-scan and X-ray radiography after which they were cut and polished for damage identification via microscopy.
Gene characteristics predicting missense, nonsense and frameshift mutations in tumor samples.

Because driver mutations provide selective advantage to the mutant clone, they tend to occur at a higher frequency in tumor samples compared to selectively neutral (passenger) mutations. However, mutation frequency alone is insufficient to identify cancer genes because mutability is influenced by many gene characteristics, such as size, nucleotide composition, etc. The goal of this study was to identify gene characteristics associated with the frequency of somatic mutations in the gene in tumor samples. We used data on somatic mutations detected by genome wide screens from the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC). Gene size, nucleotide composition, expression level of the gene, relative replication time in the cell cycle, level of evolutionary conservation and other gene characteristics (totaling 11) were used as predictors of the number of somatic mutations. We applied stepwise multiple linear regression to predict the number of mutations per gene. Because missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutations are associated with different sets of gene characteristics, they were modeled separately. Gene characteristics explain 88% of the variation in the number of missense, 40% of nonsense, and 23% of frameshift mutations. Comparisons of the observed and expected numbers of mutations identified genes with a higher than expected number of mutations– positive outliers. Many of these are known driver genes. A number of novel candidate driver genes was also identified. By comparing the observed and predicted number of mutations in a gene, we have identified known cancer-associated genes as well as 111 novel cancer associated genes. We also showed that adding the number of silent mutations per gene reported by genome/exome wide screens across all cancer type (COSMIC data) as a predictor substantially exceeds predicting accuracy of the most popular cancer gene predicting tool - MutsigCV.
Intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of 5-azido-5-deoxyaldopentose ketene dithioacetal bis(sulfones) in the synthesis of imino sugar analogs

Abstract Oxidation of the dithioacetal groups in the O -acetylated 5-azido-5-deoxy dibenzyl dithioacetal 3 of D-xylose and that ( 7 ) of D-ribose leads to triazoline derivatives 4 and 8 , the products of sequential oxidation to the bis(sulfones), loss of AcOH between C-1 and C-2 and, spontaneous intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of an azido ketene intermediate. A possible explanation of the observed diastereoselectivity is discussed.
LGBTQ+ students of colour and their experiences and needs in sexual health education: ‘You belong here just as everybody else’

There is growing consensus that sexual health education should be inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students, and students of various identities on the spectrums of s...
ONECUT2 is a novel target for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Inhibition of androgen receptor (AR) signaling is initially effective in treating metastatic prostate cancers (mCRPC). However, these treatments are not curative, and the emergence of castration-re...
Pharmacokinetics of Single-dose Subcutaneous Meloxicam Injections in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus)

This study evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile of a single dose of meloxicam (1.0 mg/kg) administered subcutaneously (n = 6) or intravenously (n = 2) to black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Blood was collected immediately before (time 0) and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after drug administration. Plasma meloxicam concentrations were quantified with HPLC-mass spectrometry, and noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed. The peak plasma concentrations, time to peak plasma concentration, and terminal half-life of meloxicam after subcutaneous administration (median [minimum-maximum]) were 4.30 (3.00-4.89) μg/mL, 2.00 (0.62-4.00) h, and 11.88 (7.35-18.64) h, respectively. Plasma concentrations of meloxicam for prairie dogs in the present study showed high absorption and slow elimination after drug administration. The results of this study suggest that a 1.0-mg/kg SC dose of meloxicam administered every 24 h might be excessive for prairie dogs, although the ideal therapeutic dose in terms of safety and efficacy is unknown in this species.
The methods and baseline characteristics of a VA randomized controlled study evaluating supported employment provided in primary care patient aligned care teams

This article describes the design and baseline sample of a single-site trial comparing Individual Placement and Support (IPS) supported employment delivered within a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) primary care Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) to treatment-as-usual vocational rehabilitation (TAU-VR) that includes transitional work. Unemployed U.S. military veterans receiving care in a VHA PACT who were seeking competitive work, otherwise eligible for vocational rehabilitation, and diagnosed with a mental health condition other than a psychotic or bipolar I disorder were prospectively randomized to receive either IPS or TAU-VR. Employment outcomes and measures of quality of life, self-esteem, and community reintegration are being collected for 12 months. The participant sample (n = 119) is comprised of 17.6% female, 73.1% African-Americans, and 1.7% Hispanic. Average age is 38.2 (SD ± 8.41) years; 80.7% served in the military since 2001; 78% are receiving or applying for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) service-connected disability; 26.9% have not held a competitive job in the past 3 years; and the average length of pre-randomization unemployment is 1.4 (SD ± 2.3) years. Unique design features include evaluating the efficacy of evidenced-based IPS within the primary care setting, having broad diagnostic eligibility, and defining the primary outcome criterion as “steady employment”, i.e. holding a competitive job for ≥26 weeks of the 12-month follow-up period. The findings illustrate the characteristics of a primary care veteran sample in need of employment services. www.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02400736.
Neutrality in public libraries: How are we defining one of our core values?:

In recent years, library professionals have been struggling with the idea of neutrality, debating whether it is even possible to achieve and, if so, whether it is desirable. This study examined pub...
Determination of 226Ra in Urine Using Triple Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

Measuring 226Ra in urine at low levels is critical for both biomonitoring and radiological emergency response. Here we report a new analytical method to quantify 226Ra, as developed and validated by a simple dilute-and-shoot procedure, followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry detection using 'No Gas MS-MS' mode. The method provides rapid and accurate results for 226Ra with a limit of detection (LOD) down to 0.007 ng/l (0.26 Bq/l). This LOD is well below the recommended action levels for 226Ra detection in children and pregnant women (C/P) set by the Clinical Decision Guide (NCRP Report #161). Results for 226Ra obtained by this method are within ±7.0% of the target values of standard reference materials spiked in the urine.
Incidence of thromboembolism in patients with melanoma on immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and its adverse association with survival

Background Thromboembolism (TE) in cancer significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality. Little is known about the incidence of arterial TE (ATE) and venous TE (VTE) in patients with melanoma on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with melanoma receiving ICI from July 2015 through December 2017 at the Cleveland Clinic. TE, including VTE events of deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, visceral vein thrombosis, and ATE events of myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial embolism, or transient ischemic attack after ICI initiation were identified. Overall survival (OS) from ICI initiation was estimated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox hazard models; associations between TE, ICI regimen, and clinical risk factors were evaluated using log-rank test. Results The study population comprised 228 patients with median age of 65 years (23–91 years), 67% male, and median follow-up of 27.3 months. Pembrolizumab was most commonly used (38.7%), followed by combination of ipilimumab plus nivolumab (29.4%), ipilimumab (20%), and nivolumab (12.3%). Most had stage IV disease (81.1%) and 11% had brain metastases (BM) at treatment initiation. Fifty-one TE events occurred in 47 patients (20.6%), including 37 (16.2%) VTE and 14 (6.1%) ATE. Cumulative incidence of TE after ICI initiation was 9.3% (95% CI: 6.0% to 13.6%) at 6 months, and 16.0% (95% CI: 11.6% to 21.2%) at 12 months. The 6-month and 12-month VTE cumulative incidence rates were higher with combination ICI than single agent (16.7% vs 5.0% and 21.3% vs 9.5%, respectively; p=0.02). Risk factors significantly associated with VTE in multivariate analysis included combination ICI (HR 2.70; 95% CI: 1.28 to 5.70; p=0.009), Khorana Score ≥1 (HR 2.24; 95% CI: 1.06 to 4.74; p=0.03), history of coronary artery disease (HR 2.71; 95% CI: 1.16 to 6.29); p=0.02), and anticoagulation at treatment start (HR 4.14; 95% CI: 1.60 to 10.7; p=0.003). Of patients without BM, OS was worse in patients with TE compared with those without (2-year OS 50.8% vs 71.3%; HR 2.27; 95% CI: 1.36 to 3.79; p=0.002), when adjusted for age and stage. Conclusions ICI is associated with a high incidence of TE in patients with melanoma, with higher rates with combination therapy; TE is associated with substantial worsening of survival. Further studies are needed to identify pathophysiology, biomarkers, and preventive approaches.
A Descriptive Study of Late Intensive Care Unit Admissions After Adult Solitary Kidney Transplantation.

Abstract Objective Kidney transplant recipients are at lifetime risk of requiring high acuity care. In the current study, we aimed to assess the reasons for delayed (> 30 days) intensive care unit (ICU) admissions post-transplant and causes of ICU-related mortality. Methods This is a retrospective study of a cohort of adult kidney transplant patients from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2016, who required ICU admission after 30 days of transplantation. The admissions were divided into 3 groups based on their timeline between transplantation and ICU admission: 1. group 1 from 30 days to 6 months, 2. group 2 between 6-24 months, and 3. group 3 after 2 years. All admissions were categorized according to the primary organ system involved. Results A total of 285 (group 1: 50, group 2: 89, group 3: 146) patients required 404 ICU admissions (group 1: 57, group 2: 108, group 3: 239). Overall, cardiovascular system-related admissions (29.9%, 18.5%, 15.9%), infections (19.3%, 25.9%, 27.2%), and respiratory-related admissions (12.3%, 8.3%, 8.8%) were main causes in all 3 groups. A total of 24 (8.4%) patients died in the ICU. Most of the deaths occurred in men (79.2%), infection-related admissions (45.8%), and individuals with a functioning allograft (66.7%). Infections (45.8%) were the main causes of ICU-related mortality. Median time from transplantation to death was 2.3 years (interquartile range: 1.2-4.6). Conclusion Kidney transplant patients continue to be at risk of requiring high acuity care long after transplantation. Most of these admissions are related to cardiopulmonary system involvement or infections. Overall, infections were the leading cause of ICU-related mortality.
Agreement in Medications Reported in Medical and Dental Electronic Health Records.

Introduction:The historical separation between medicine and dentistry has resulted in the creation of separate health records, which have the potential to negatively impact patient care and safety....
Improvement in Central Sleep Apnea Following Adenotonsillectomy in Children.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies examining changes in central sleep apnea (CSA) following adenotonsillectomy (TA or 2) if preoperative CAI <5, a postoperative CAI <1. RESULTS One hundred twenty-three patients were included. Median age was 5.5 years (interquartile range, 2.9-8.4). Most patients were overweight/obese (58.5%). Nineteen (15.4%) had a syndromic condition. Preoperative CAI was ≥5 in 21 (17.1%) patients. CAI significantly decreased following TA P < .001). Thirty-two (26.0%) patients had CSA postoperatively. Improvement in the microarousal index and older age were significantly associated with improvement in CSA. CONCLUSIONS T&A led to resolution of CSA in most children with OSA. Improvement in the microarousal index was associated with improvement in CAI, suggesting that preoperative central apneas may be postarousal and thus resolve following T&A. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 2021.
Convolutional Autoencoders for Reduced-Order Modeling.

In the construction of reduced-order models for dynamical systems, linear projection methods, such as proper orthogonal decompositions, are commonly employed. However, for many dynamical systems, the lower dimensional representation of the state space can most accurately be described by a \textit{nonlinear} manifold. Previous research has shown that deep learning can provide an efficient method for performing nonlinear dimension reduction, though they are dependent on the availability of training data and are often problem-specific \citep[see][]{carlberg_ca}. Here, we utilize randomized training data to create and train convolutional autoencoders that perform nonlinear dimension reduction for the wave and Kuramoto-Shivasinsky equations. Moreover, we present training methods that are independent of full-order model samples and use the manifold least-squares Petrov-Galerkin projection method to define a reduced-order model for the heat, wave, and Kuramoto-Shivasinsky equations using the same autoencoder.
Autonomous Vehicle Regulation, Does Tesla's Full Self-Driving Beta Release Comply with Law?

This essay argues that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta Release qualifies for classification as a Level 3 or 4 capable technology in the Society of Automotive Engineer’s (SAE) classification scheme for levels of vehicle autonomy. Classification as an SAE Level 3 or 4 technology conflicts with Tesla’s own self-characterization of this technology as merely Level 2. Under California laws and regulations governing testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles, classification as an SAE Level 3, 4 or 5 technology would subject Tesla vehicles to stricter regulatory oversight. Tesla’s self-classification avoids this supervision. Significantly, if classified as Level 3 or 4, Tesla’s practice of using a select group of its customers as “beta testers” on public highways for its FSD feature would not comply with law. Given the reality of the FSD Beta Release’s capabilities, state departments of transportation around the United States ought to classify it as an SAE Level 3 or 4 technology, with applicable regulatory and operational guidance applied accordingly. Tesla and the California DMV should work together to qualify the Tesla beta testers in accordance with California law and regulations.
Internet Red Light Districts: A Domain Name Proposal for Regulatory Zoning of Obscene Content

The Internet has a relatively short, yet rich history of free speech and independence from governance. While this independence is an important part of the Internet's past, it has become increasingly clear that the Internet must somehow be regulated in order to ensure stability to the Internet community and viability as a communications medium. Without regulation the Internet will eventually nullify its own legitimacy as an effective and reputable mode of communication. It is this negative effect which serves as the impetus for Internet governance that is proposed in this article.
Chiral perturbation theory for τ→ρπντ, τ→K*πντ, and τ→ωπντ

We use heavy vector meson SU(2)L×SU(2)R chiral perturbation theory to predict differential decay distributions for τ→ρπντ and τ→K*πντ in the kinematic region where pV·pπ/mV (here V=ρ or K*) is much smaller than the chiral symmetry-breaking scale. We also predict the rate for τ→ωπντ in this region (now V=ω). Comparing our prediction with experimental data, we determine one of the coupling constants in the heavy vector meson chiral Lagrangian.