cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Lipid Membrane Interaction of Amyloid-Forming Proteins by Means of Colorimetric Biosensing Vesicles

Protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and prion-related encephalopathies (PRE) are frequently identified by proteinaceous fibrillar aggregate deposits known as amyloids. Here we describe the utilization of a colorimetric, biomimetic, vesicle-binding assay to investigate the interactions of amyloid-forming proteins with lipid membranes. The assay is based on the assembly of vesicles in solution by incorporating a lipid within a polydiacetylene (PDA) matrix. When polymerized by UV irradiation, the lipid/PDA vesicle turns a blue color. The varied protein interaction with the lipid/PDA vesicles give rise to blue-to-red conversions of the PDA polymer when exposed to changes in the environment. Quantitatively, the value for this color transition is given by the colorimetric response. Time-resolved absorbance measurements of the “blue” (630 nm) and “red” (490 nm) wavelengths were obtained from several different types of lipid vesicles (total brain lipid extract (TBLE), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylglycerol (DMPG) exposed to various amyloid-forming proteins such as prion peptide fragments and beta-amyloid. The measured colorimetric response of the lipid/PDA vesicles with amyloid-forming proteins correlates to the presence of protein-lipid interactions and varies with each protein and lipid. This may be due to protein or lipid structure, as well as the extent of protein aggregation and association with the lipid membrane. These studies provide valuable insight into the role of cellular surfaces in the mechanism of disease. We demonstrate the potential for this colorimetric assay as a biosensor and useful technique in studying biological systems.
GENETICS OF DNA REPAIR IN THE CELLULAR SLIME MOLD, DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM

ABSTRACT Parasexual genetic analyses of radiation-sensitive mutations of Dictyostelium discoideum indicate that they fall into at least nine complementation groups located on several of the seven genetic linkage groups. Further studies using double mutant haploids show that these mutations affect at least two repair pathways one of which appears to be excision repair.
Habitat use and subspecific status of Merlins, Falco columbarius , wintering in central Utah

Most ornithological literature for Utah reports the status of the Merlin ( Falco columbarius ) as rare or scarce. Only the most recently published checklists (Behle and Perry 1975, Behle et al. 1985) record it as uncommon. Likewise, a 1998 printed checklist (Utah Ornithological Society 1998) list it as uncommon. Also misrepresented in the literature are the status and distribution of the 3 rather distinct subspecies, each of which occupies dissimilar habitats during the breeding season. We made random observations of Merlins in northern Utah beginning in the 1950s and then studied them continuously between 1992 and 1997 in Utah County, Utah. During the 1992-1997 period, we were able to clearly allocate 95 males and 76 females to subspecies, including within our count 58 falcons trapped (some fitted with radio telemetry). The winter habitat in which they occurred was categorized as either urban (mainly dense residential area) or rural (agricultural lands, dairy farms, or scattered homes). There was a statistically significant ( X 2 F. c. columbarius frequenting urban areas 68% of the time, and prairie parkland-breeding F. c. richardsonii frequenting rural habitats 78% of the time.
Semisupervised Deep Reinforcement Learning in Support of IoT and Smart City Services

Smart services are an important element of the smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems where the intelligence behind the services is obtained and improved through the sensory data. Providing a large amount of training data is not always feasible; therefore, we need to consider alternative ways that incorporate unlabeled data as well. In recent years, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has gained great success in several application domains. It is an applicable method for IoT and smart city scenarios where auto-generated data can be partially labeled by users’ feedback for training purposes. In this paper, we propose a semisupervised DRL model that fits smart city applications as it consumes both labeled and unlabeled data to improve the performance and accuracy of the learning agent. The model utilizes variational autoencoders as the inference engine for generalizing optimal policies. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed model is the first investigation that extends DRL to the semisupervised paradigm. As a case study of smart city applications, we focus on smart buildings and apply the proposed model to the problem of indoor localization based on Bluetooth low energy signal strength. Indoor localization is the main component of smart city services since people spend significant time in indoor environments. Our model learns the best action policies that lead to a close estimation of the target locations with an improvement of 23% in terms of distance to the target and at least 67% more received rewards compared to the supervised DRL model.
Effectiveness analysis of improving cooking stove to reduce fluoride in burning coal fluorosis areas in Ankang city of Shaanxi province in 2009

Objective To find out the effect of improving cooking stove to reduce fluoride in burning coal fluorosis areas in Ankang city Shaanxi province,and to provide a basis for continuing the consolidation of control measures and the elimination of the hazards of burning coal fluorosis.Methods According to the results of a census of 2001 in Ankang city on burning coal fluorosis,cluster sampling method was used in 2009,and 10％ of the diseased villages were included in the study according to the state of the disease(mild,moderate and severe) in seven counties.In each selected village 10 households were selected,and the quality of improved stoves was checked door to door,maintenance and satisfaction of the stoves were asked on the spot,and health education questionnaire was carried out among housewives.Thirty village primary schools were investigated,dental fluorosis of children aged 8 to 12 was checked by Dean method,urinary fluoride was tested by ion selective electrode,health education and knowledge questionnaire survey was curried out.Results A total of 1000 households were investigated in the seven diseased counties,and the completion rate of improved stoves was 90.00％ (900/1000);the rate of improved stoves in good condition was 87.14％ (630/723); overall use of improved stoves was 80.33％(723/900); proper use of improved stoves was 79.39％ (574/723),satisfaction rate of improved stoves was 86.89％(782/900),and self-maintenance of improved stoves was 8.00％(72/900).Total detection rate of dental fluorosis of children aged 8 to 12 was 23.74％(509/2144),dental fluorosis index was 0.50.Awareness of prevention knowledge among housewives and students was 65.20％ (2608/4000) and 83.36％(4518/5420),respectively.A total of 358 urine samples of children aged 8 to 12 were tested,urine fluoride ranged 0.16 - 6.35 mg/L,and geometric mean 0.79 mg/L.Conclusions The implementation of defluoridation project by improving cooking stove has achieved the goal of prevention and treatment of fluoride poisoning in burning coal fluorosis areas of Ankang city.Local residents are satisfied with the improved stoves,and most of the improved stoves are used constantly.The detection rate of dental fluorosis is less than 30％ of the control line.Some furnace are damaged,correct usage rate is not high.There is a need to further strengthen the management of the project and strengthen health education interventions to improve stove maintenance outlets,and make sustained control of the disease. Key words: Coal; Fluoride poisoning; Health education
Integrating Accounting Curricula on Academic and Professional Skills Dimensions

One of the measures of the success of the educational process is its ability to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of professional life. Educational institutions must consider and integrate the expectations of its professional as well as academic stakeholders when developing curricula. This paper presents a model that considers academic and professional dimensions in course design. The model incorporates levels of learning (Bloom's Taxonomy), the complexity of the learning environment, and the sophistication of professional skills development. The model can also be used to integrate the courses in the accounting curriculum along the three dimensions noted above.
Estrogen Mitigates the Negative Effects of Arsenic Contamination in an In Vitro Wound Model

Arsenic, a naturally occurring environmental contaminant, is harmful to humans at elevated concentrations. Increased levels of arsenic in the environment occur as a result of human activities and from natural geologically sourced leaching into ground and surface water. These sources pose an exposure risk above the USEPA standard to individuals whose food and water sources become contaminated. Arsenic exposure negatively impacts organ function and increases the risk for developing pathologies, including cancer. Some of the effects of arsenic on cancer translate to normal cell function in wound healing. To evaluate whether arsenic influences wound healing, an in vitro scratch assay was employed to study the effects of arsenic on cellular migration, which is a key component in the normal wound-healing process. In this study, skin cells were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of arsenic, and wound closure was evaluated. Results indicated that arsenic significantly decreased the rate of cellular migration in the scratch assay when compared with controls. In addition, estradiol, which has been shown to positively influence cellular and tissue processes involved in wound healing, reversed the slowing effects of arsenic on wound closure. These results suggest that arsenic contamination may inhibit, and estrogen may provide a therapeutic benefit for individuals with arsenic-contaminated wounds.
Safety and Efficacy of Panitumumab Plus Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Primary HER2-Negative Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Importance Combining conventional chemotherapy with targeted therapy has been proposed to improve the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression is an independent predictor of low overall survival in patients with IBC. Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the anti-EGFR antibody panitumumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with primary human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative IBC. Design, Setting, and Participants Women with primary HER2-negative IBC were enrolled from 2010 to 2015 and received panitumumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Median follow-up time was 19.3 months. Tumor tissues collected before and after the first dose of panitumumab were subjected to immunohistochemical staining and RNA sequencing analysis to identify biomarkers predictive of pCR. Intervention Patients received 1 dose of panitumumab (2.5 mg/kg) followed by 4 cycles of panitumumab (2.5 mg/kg), nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m 2 ), and carboplatin weekly and then 4 cycles of fluorouracil (500 mg/m 2 ), epirubicin (100 mg/m 2 ), and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m 2 ) every 3 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point was pCR rate; the secondary end point was safety. The exploratory objective was to identify biomarkers predictive of pCR. Results Forty-seven patients were accrued; 7 were ineligible. The 40 enrolled women had a median age of 57 (range, 23-68) years; 29 (72%) were postmenopausal. Three patients did not complete therapy because of toxic effects (n = 2) or distant metastasis (n = 1). Nineteen patients had triple-negative and 21 had hormone receptor–positive IBC. The pCR and pCR rates were overall, 11 of 40 (28%; 95% CI, 15%-44%); triple-negative IBC, 8 of 19 (42%; 95% CI, 20%-66%); and hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative IBC, 3 of 21 (14%; 95% CI, 3%-36%). During treatment with panitumumab, nab-paclitaxel, and carboplatin, 10 patients were hospitalized for treatment-related toxic effects, including 5 with neutropenia-related events. There were no treatment-related deaths. The most frequent nonhematologic adverse event was skin rash. Several potential predictors of pCR were identified, including pEGFR expression and COX-2 expression. Conclusions and Relevance This combination of panitumumab and chemotherapy showed the highest pCR rate ever reported in triple-negative IBC. A randomized phase 2 study is ongoing to determine the role of panitumumab in patients with triple-negative IBC and to further validate predictive biomarkers. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT01036087
State Requirements for Prenatal Syphilis Screening in the United States, 2016.

Objectives This study assesses U.S. state laws related to prenatal syphilis screening, including whether these laws align with CDC screening recommendations and include legal penalties for failing to screen. Methods Statutes and regulations regarding syphilis screening during pregnancy and at delivery effective in 2016 were examined for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (DC). Targeted search terms were used to identify laws in legal research databases. The timing of the screening mandates for each state law was coded for: (1) first visit, (2) third trimester, and (3) delivery. Descriptive statistics were calculated to examine the number of states with each type of requirement and whether requirements adhered to the CDC STD treatment guidelines. Results Only six states (11.8%) do not require prenatal syphilis screening. Of states with screening requirements (n = 45), the majority (84.3%) require testing at first prenatal visit or soon after. 17 states (33.3%) require screening during the third trimester with five requiring screening only if the patient is considered at high risk. 8 (15.7%) states require screening at delivery with five requiring testing only if the woman is at high risk. 14 (27.5%) states include punishments for failing to screen (civil penalties, criminal penalties and license revocation). Conclusions for Practice Most states had prenatal syphilis screening requirements; a minority corresponded to or extended CDC recommendations. States vary in when they require testing, who must be tested, and whether a failure to screen could result in a punishment for the provider.
Intraoperative 3-Dimensional Echocardiography-Derived Right Ventricular Volumetric Analysis in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Patients Before and After Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy.

Objectives To assess the change in 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography–derived right ventricular volumes before and after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) and to evaluate the correlation of these variables with right heart catheterization–calculated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Setting Single university hospitals. Participants Patients undergoing elective PTE surgery between November 2016 and February 2018. Methods All patients received a pulmonary artery catheter and arterial line, and transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring was performed. Transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring before surgery (pre-PTE) and postsurgery (post-PTE) included comprehensive 2D examinations and 3D right ventricular data set acquisition for offline volumetric analysis. Right ventricular fractional area of change (RVFAC) was measured from a right ventricular–focused midesophageal 4-chamber view. TomTec-Arena 4D RV-Function 2.0 offline software (TomTec Imaging Systems GmbH, Unterschlessheim, Germany) was used to measure right ventricular end diastolic volume (RVEDV), right ventricular end systolic volume (RVESV), and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Paired t tests were used to evaluate for differences before and after surgery, and echocardiographic variables versus PVR were analyzed with linear regression. Results Forty patients were scheduled for elective PTE surgery; 35 patients had complete hemodynamic profiles and echocardiographic data sets and were included in the evaluation. Mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 40 ± 11 to 28 ± 7 mmHg, and PVR decreased from 708 ± 432 to 285 ± 136 dynes*s/cm5 after PTE. RVEDV decreased from 106 ± 43 to 79 ± 35 cm3 (p Conclusion Even though RVEDV and RVESV displayed a statistically significant change after PTE, this study did not identify a correlation between those variables and PVR. In addition, markers of right ventricular systolic function (eg, RVFAC and RVEF) did not correlate with PVR. Therefore, the authors conclude that even though these echocardiographic measurements quantified a statistically significant change after PVR reduction, they cannot be reliably used as a surrogate marker of success immediately after PTE.
Energetics and kinetics of metal impurities in the low-temperature ordered phase of V2C from first-principles calculations

Abstract The site preference of Fe, Ni, Ce, Nd and U impurities and their migration behaviors in the low-temperature ordered orthorhombic phase of V 2 C are calculated using density functional theory. It is found that all impurities prefer the substitutional vanadium site over the octahedral interstitial site. The energy required to incorporate an impurity into the lattice increases with increasing impurity size. Binding between an impurity at the substitutional vanadium site and a neighboring vanadium vacancy is shown to be much stronger for large impurities, U, Ce and Nd, than for small impurities, Fe and Ni. The strong binding can be attributed to the openness of the V 2 C structure, which allows large impurity atoms to relax by shifting towards neighboring empty octahedral sites. The proximity of each impurity-vacancy pair to nearby carbon interstitial atoms leads to a high degree of anisotropy in binding strength with binding energies differing by > 2 eV for the same impurity type. Small impurities, Fe and Ni, have negative impurity volumes at the substitutional vanadium site, so binding with neighboring vanadium vacancies is much weaker. Migration barriers for direct exchange of an impurity with a vanadium vacancy are calculated for Fe and Ni. On average migration barriers for Ni are smaller than those for Fe.
Sonographic Detection of an Oncocytic Neoplasm of the Thyroid Gland

Oncocytic neoplasms of the head and neck arise from a dysfunction of the mitochondria. These cells are often called Hurthle cells and recognized as one of the rarest forms of thyroid cancer. Diagno...
The Development of Nonsymbolic Probability Judgments in Children.

Two experiments were designed to investigate the developmental trajectory of children's probability approximation abilities. In Experiment 1, results revealed 6- and 7-year-old children's (N = 48) probability judgments improve with age and become more accurate as the distance between two ratios increases. Experiment 2 replicated these findings with 7- to 12-year-old children (N = 130) while also accounting for the effect of the size and the perceived numerosity of target objects. Older children's performance suggested the correct use of proportions for estimating probability; but in some cases, children relied on heuristic shortcuts. These results suggest that children's nonsymbolic probability judgments show a clear distance effect and that the acuity of probability estimations increases with age.
Investigation into Possible Association of Oxandrolone and Heterotopic Ossification Following Burn Injury

Oxandrolone, a testosterone analog, is used to counteract the catabolic effects of burn injury. Recent animal studies suggest a possible hormonal association with heterotopic ossification (HO) development postburn. This work examines oxandrolone administration and HO development by exploring historical clinical data bridging the introduction of oxandrolone into clinical practice. Additionally, we examine associations between oxandrolone administration and HO in a standardized mouse model of burn/trauma-related HO. Acutely burned adults admitted between 2000 and 2014, survived through discharge, and had a HO risk factor of 7 or higher were selected for analysis from a single burn center. Oxandrolone administration, clinical and demographic data, and elbow HO were recorded and were analyzed with logistic regression. Associations of oxandrolone with HO were examined in a mouse model. Mice were administered oxandrolone or vehicle control following burn/tenotomy to examine any potential effect of oxandrolone on HO and were analyzed by Student's t test. Subjects who received oxandrolone had a higher incidence of elbow HO than those that did not receive oxandrolone. However, when controlling for oxandrolone administration, oxandrolone duration, postburn day oxandrolone initiation, HO risk score category, age, sex, race, burn size, and year of injury, there was no significant difference between rates of elbow HO between the two populations. In agreement with the review, in the mouse model, while there was a trend toward the oxandrolone group developing a greater volume of HO, this did not reach statistical significance.
The Genetic Basis of Human Cerebral Cortical Malformations

Malformations of cortical development occur when the normal process of brain development is disrupted. With the widespread use of high-resolution neuroimaging, brain malformations are increasingly being recognized as a relatively common cause orefractory epilepsy, mental retardation, and other neurological disorders. The molecular and genetic bases of many cortical malformations have been elucidated in recent years, both expanding our understanding of the underlying biological processes in brain development and informing our approach to these disorders in clinical practice. This chapter highlights some of these malformations, including disorders of microcephaly, gray matter hetero-topia, lissencephaly syndromes, and polymicrogyria.
Epistemic Therapy for Bias in Automated Decision-Making

Despite recent interest in both the critical and machine learning literature on "bias" in artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the nature of specific biases stemming from the interaction of machines, humans, and data remains ambiguous. Influenced by Gendler's work on human cognitive biases, we introduce the concept of alief-discordant belief, the tension between the intuitive moral dispositions of designers and the explicit representations generated by algorithms. Our discussion of alief-discordant belief diagnoses the ethical concerns that arise when designing AI systems atop human biases. We furthermore codify the relationship between data, algorithms, and engineers as components of this cognitive discordance, comprising a novel epistemic framework for ethics in AI.
Ex Vivo Analysis of Tryptophan Metabolism Using 19 F NMR

Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, is metabolized into a variety of small molecules capable of impacting human physiology, and aberrant tryptophan metabolism has been linked to a number of diseases. There are three principal routes by which tryptophan is degraded, and thus methods for measuring metabolic flux through these pathways can be used to understand the factors that perturb tryptophan metabolism and potentially to measure disease biomarkers. Here, we describe a method utilizing 6-fluorotryptophan as a probe for detecting tryptophan metabolites in ex vivo tissue samples via 19F nuclear magnetic resonance. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that 6-fluorotryptophan can be used to measure changes in tryptophan metabolism resulting from antibiotic-induced changes in gut microbiota composition. Taken together, we describe a general strategy for monitoring amino acid metabolism using 19F nuclear magnetic resonance that is operationally simple and does not require chromatographic separation of metabolites.
Liminality and difficult heritage in tourism

AbstractDifficult heritage, rooted in difficult knowledge, is not simply difficult because of traumatic content but also because of the responses it can provoke. These responses can include confusi...
Early Cardioversion No Better Than Delayed Cardioversion for Recent-Onset Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation.

For patients presenting to the emergency department with recent-onset symptomatic atrial fibrillation, early cardioversion is no better than delayed cardioversion in achieving sinus rhythm within four weeks.
Financial difficulty in community-dwelling persons with lower limb loss is associated with reduced self-perceived health and wellbeing.

Background:Socioeconomic status has been shown to be an important factor in the disparate prevalence and selected treatment of limb loss, but how personal financial difficulty affects patients’ hea...
Improving Teamwork and Communication in Schools of Nursing: A Quality Improvement Approach Using TeamSTEPPS.

Background Teamwork training has been identified as an intervention to promote collaboration, improve communication, and reduce conflict. While teamwork training has been implemented in the clinical setting, most schools of nursing are lacking in standardized teamwork training programs. Local problem A lack of teamwork, poor communication, and deficient conflict resolution skills among faculty and staff was impacting the ability to form supportive relationships in the interest of working collaboratively. Methods This quality improvement (QI) project examined perceptions of teamwork at 3 points over 18 months. Intervention Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) was adapted for the academic setting and used for the intervention. Results Results indicated significant improvement in Team Structure, Leadership, and Communication. Situation Monitoring and Mutual Support were identified for continued development. Conclusion Results suggest that a QI intervention using TeamSTEPPS improved teamwork, communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution in one academic setting.
Fluctuations of the 2-spin SSK model with magnetic field

We analyze the fluctuations of the free energy, replica overlaps, and overlap with the magnetic fields in the quadratic spherial SK model with a vanishing magnetic field. We identify several different behaviors for these quantities depending on the size of the magnetic field, confirming predictions by Fyodorov-Le Doussal and recent work of Baik, Collins-Wildman, Le Doussal and Wu.
A Creep Model For Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Under Shear Load

Nowadays, pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are widely used in consumer electronics applications due to their small form factor, easy assembly, ability to accommodate misalignment and flatness variation. It's important to understand the creep behavior of PSAs, because the PSA assembly is expected to survive sustained environmental as well as operational loads without failures. Also, prior knowledge of creep behavior will aid in the selection of appropriate PSA, depending upon the application requirements. However, the literature regarding the creep behavior and models of the PSA assembly under consideration was limited.Therefore, in this work, shear mode creep behavior of a commercially available thin foam tape with pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) on both sides was investigated. In order to understand the creep behavior of a specific thin foam tape with double-sided PSA, constant load creep tests were conducted at different load levels, temperature and humidity conditions. Creep deformation of the PSA layer was recorded at different intervals during the test. The accelerated test data was used to develop a novel time-stress-temperature-humidity dependent empirical creep deformation model for the PSA, which is the main contribution of this paper. The lumped model is able to predict primary and steady state creep behavior of the PSA. The insights from this work regarding the creep behavior of similar PSA systems and the creep prediction model will be of value to engineers for virtual testing and selection of PSAs for future consumer electronics products.
Progress, pluralism and science: moving from alienated to engaged pluralism

The encompassing scale and scope of International Political Economy (IPE) is rare in the social sciences. Our subject matter affects the way our field organizes and produces knowledge: we study com...
The effects of Hurricane Dorian on spatial reactions and mobility

This study sheds new light on how a hurricane affects spatial reactions and mobility across the US states based on Twitter data, whereas prior studies have only focused on the damaged region. First, this study finds that spatial reactions are differentiated by periods. For example, New York shows the second-highest reactions in the pre-hurricane weeks, North Carolina reveals the second-highest reactions in the hurricane weeks, and Texas exhibits the second-highest reactions in the post-hurricane weeks. This study also highlights that a hurricane plays a significant role in spatial displacements of the case study regions (Florida, North Carolina, and New York). To be specific, displacements in the hurricane weeks are 24 times higher than those in the pre-hurricane weeks. Lastly, this study finds that displacements within 5 km significantly increase, whereas those over 50 km significantly decrease in the hurricane weeks.
Reply to Feinstein and Galupo and to Zivony: Sexual arousal pattern is an objective although imperfect window on sexual orientation

Both Feinstein and Galupo (1) and Zivony (2) argue that skepticism about male bisexual orientation has long been beyond the scientific pale. As researchers who have studied this issue for two decades, we disagree. Regardless, scientific questions are settled by evidence rather than by votes among scientific experts (much less assertions about what such votes would reveal). We believe that Jabbour et al. (3) provide compelling evidence that men whose self-reported Kinsey scores indicate attraction to both sexes tend to have genital arousal patterns consistent with those reports. Both Zivony and … [↵][1]1Email: jm-bailey{at}northwestern.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
A retrospective evaluation of eastern coral snake envenomation and antivenom administration in cats: 30 cases (2012-2019).

Abstract Thirty cats were identified to be have been suspected to have a potential coral snake envenomation after searching medical records from 2012 to 2019 at a university teaching hospital. The records were reviewed and evaluated for signalment, date and time of the snake encounter, elapsed time between encounter and hospital examination, presenting complaint, initial physical examination findings, initial laboratory findings, antivenom dose and duration of administration, adverse reactions to antivenom, additional treatments administered, progression of clinical signs, length of hospitalization, and outcome. Thirteen cats presented with clinical signs consistent with envenomation while 17 cats were treated for possible asymptomatic envenomation, as defined by the owner discovering a live or dead coral snake in their home or on their property. Initial physical examination findings included tachypnea with short shallow breaths and use of accessory muscles; tetraparesis with normal or decreased to absent spinal reflexes; cranial nerve deficits including decreased to absent gag, slow pupillary light reflexes, and absent physiologic nystagmus; and normal or altered mentation. Laboratory findings included hypercapnia, hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, increased aspartate aminotransferase activity, increased alanine aminotransferase activity, echinocytosis, leukocytosis, azotemia, and hyperlactatemia. Twenty-eight cats received antivenom; two cats received two vials while twenty-six cats received one vial. Antivenom reaction was suspected in one cat that developed facial swelling during administration of the drug. Average length of hospitalization was 1 day for cats without clinical signs and 3 days for cats with clinical signs. Twenty-nine cats survived to discharge. Due to the inclusion criteria of the study, cats euthanized on presentation or discharged without receiving antivenom may have been unintentionally excluded from the study. Diagnosis of eastern coral snake envenomation should be suspected in the cat that has acute onset of lower motor neuron neuropathy. Prognosis with treatment is considered good with 97% of cats surviving to discharge. Antivenom reaction occurred in 3.5% of administrations with none being fatal. Monitoring of hypercapnia was critical in making the decision to mechanically ventilate patients. Supportive care that includes antivenom administration, recumbency care, and mechanical ventilation if needed are the mainstays of therapy.
Examining current patterns of opioid prescribing and use after bariatric surgery

Evidence-based guidelines on the appropriate amount of opioid medications to prescribe following bariatric surgery are lacking. We sought to determine our current opioid-prescribing practices, patient utilization, and satisfaction with pain control following elective bariatric surgery. A retrospective chart review and phone survey were conducted on patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) from April 2018 to March 2019 at a single academic medical center. Opioid medications were converted to morphine milligram equivalents provided (MMEs). In total, 192 patients met inclusion criteria. The median amount of opioid medication prescribed on discharge was 300 oral MMEs, although there was a significant difference between the MMEs prescribed to patients with and without chronic opioid therapy (median 300 MMEs opioid naive vs. 375 MMEs chronic opioid therapy, p = 0.01). Significantly fewer SG patients required a refill of their opioid medication compared to RYGB (8.3% vs. 23.9%, p = 0.003). Of the 192 patients, 87 (45.3%) completed the phone survey. Fifty-six patients (64%) reported that they took half or less of the initially prescribed opioids. Of the patients with leftover medication, 36% reported that they did not dispose of the medication. Overall understanding of pain control options after surgery was significantly lower in patients who felt they were prescribed “too little” opioids (p = 0.01), patients requiring refills (p = 0.02), and patients who were not satisfied with their pain control (p = 0.02). There is a gap between the amount of opioid medication prescribed and taken by patients following bariatric surgery in our practice. Patients who were least satisfied with their pain control reported knowledge gaps about pain control options that were more significant than patients who were more satisfied. Future initiatives should focus on the reduction of opioids prescribed to bariatric surgery patients post-operatively and on opioid education for patients.
A Temporal Analysis of Intraday Volatility of Nifty Futures on the National Stock Exchange

This paper aims to establish trends in intraday volatility in context of the Indian stock market and analyze the impact of development in the Indian economy on its stock market volatility. One minute tick data of Nifty 50 futures from Jan 1, 2011 to Aug 31, 2018 was used for the purpose of this research. Volatility was computed for each day of week and various time intervals. Our analysis shows evidence of the expected U-shaped pattern of intraday volatility (higher at the beginning and end of the day). We also observed a decline in the hourly volatility over the time period studied. However, sufficient evidence to determine the impact of development in the Indian economy on volatility in the stock market was not found.
Analytical Similarity Assessment of ABP 959 in Comparison with Eculizumab Reference Product

ABP 959 is one of the first proposed biosimilars to eculizumab reference product (RP), a recombinant IgG2/4Ƙ monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds human C5 complement protein and inhibits C5 cleavage to C5a and C5b, preventing the generation of the terminal complement complex C5b-9. Eculizumab RP is approved for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, myasthenia gravis in patients who are anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody positive, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in patients who are anti-aquaporin-4 antibody positive. The objective of this work was to comparatively assess analytical (structural and functional) similarity between ABP 959 and eculizumab RP using sensitive, state-of-the art analytical methods capable of detecting minor differences in product quality attributes. Comprehensive analytical (structural and functional) characterization utilizing orthogonal techniques was performed using multiple lots of ABP 959 and eculizumab RP over several years applying > 40 state-of-the-art assays. Comparisons were performed to investigate the primary structure and post-translational modifications including glycans, higher-order structure, particles and aggregates, product-related structures and impurities, thermal stability and forced degradation, general properties, and biological properties mediated by target binding. Results confirmed that ABP 959 had the same amino acid sequence, similar primary structure, higher-order structure, post-translational profiles, and the same protein content and concentration (e.g., ABP 959: 9.4–10.0; eculizumab EU: 9.4–10.0; eculizumab US: 9.3–10.3 mg/mL) as well as biological activity as eculizumab RP. Based on these results, it can be concluded that ABP 959 is analytically similar to eculizumab RP.
The paradox of victory: social movement fields, adverse outcomes, and social movement success

Recent work on social movement fields has expanded our view of the dynamics of social movements; it should also expand our thinking about social movement success. Such a broader view reveals a paradox: social movements often snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by narrowly targeting authorities with their actions instead of targeting the broader social movement field. Negative impacts from the wider social movement field can then reverse or overshadow initial victories. We distinguish between a social movement’s victory over the immediate target, and more lasting success that arises from shifting alignments in the broader social movement field. To test the predictive value of the distinction, we compare two very similar student-led social movements, both of which targeted university policies regarding sensitivity to race issues and changes in university personnel. One built a broad coalition of support that extended across its social movement field and was thereby able to institute durable change. The other did not, and despite its clear initial success, this protest movement produced consequences mainly adverse to its preferred outcomes. We demonstrate how pervasive this paradox is with examples from other U.S. protest outcomes and studies of revolutions. The paradox is resolved by focusing on changes in the entire social movement field. We thus argue that achieving, and understanding, lasting social movement success requires attention to the entire social movement field.
Analog and Mixed-Signal Test Architectures

Publisher Summary Although analog integrated circuits (ICs) and the analog portion of mixed-signal ICs consist of fewer components compared to their digital counterparts, testing analog and mixed-signal devices is more complex regardless of whether the testing approach is specification oriented or defect oriented. This chapter presents some of the important distinctions between these two approaches and some of the fundamental tests that are applied to analog circuits. In addition, it focuses on some representative built-in self-test (BIST) techniques that have been developed for both functional and structural testing that can be incorporated in mixed-signal IC and SOC implementations to test analog modules. Because the incorporation of BIST circuitry incurs area and associated cost penalties, there are many applications, such as low-cost consumer electronics, in which it may not be worthwhile to consider BIST. On the other hand, high-reliability applications, such as space and medical electronics, are excellent candidates for the incorporation of BIST techniques. The implementation and operation of the BIST approaches presented in this chapter provide insight into many of the issues that must also be considered for more traditional, non-BIST approaches to analog testing. DSP and FFT-based approaches provide a wealth of test and measurement capabilities and form the core of spectrum analyzers, which, in turn, are a key component of external testing. For SOC implementations, incorporation of an FFT can be costly in terms of area, particularly for high-resolution frequency discrimination. However, when incorporated in an SOC for DSP system applications, not only can the FFT be used for output response analysis, but it can also be extended to test pattern generation during functional testing.
BAC-FISH refutes report of an 8p22–8p23.1 inversion or duplication in 8 patients with Kabuki syndrome

Kabuki syndrome is a multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by varying degrees of mental retardation, postnatal growth retardation, distinct facial characteristics resembling the Kabuki actor's make-up, cleft or high-arched palate, brachydactyly, scoliosis, and persistence of finger pads. The multiple organ involvement suggests that this is a contiguous gene syndrome but no chromosomal anomalies have been isolated as an etiology. Recent studies have focused on possible duplications in the 8p22–8p23.1 region but no consensus has been reached. We used bacterial artificial chromosome-fluorescent in-situ hybridization (BAC-FISH) and G-band analysis to study eight patients with Kabuki syndrome. Metaphase analysis revealed no deletions or duplications with any of the BAC probes. Interphase studies of the Kabuki patients yielded no evidence of inversions when using three-color FISH across the region. These results agree with other research groups' findings but disagree with the findings of Milunsky and Huang. It seems likely that Kabuki syndrome is not a contiguous gene syndrome of the 8p region studied.
AC characterization of top-gated carbon nanotube field effect transistors

This paper presents the first demonstration of CNFET operation at frequencies as high as 100 MHz. The AC characterization of CNFETs at significantly higher frequencies is possible using a spectrum analyzer, if the cross-talk between the gate and the drain is sufficiently small. The measured cross-talk power, P/sub CT/ on quartz is consistent with theoretical predictions and sufficiently small to measured the CNFET response up to several hundred MHz.
The γ-hydroxybutyrate model of absence seizures : correlation of regional brain levels of γ-hydroxybutyric acid and γ-butyrolactone with spike wave discharges

Abstract γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) produces a constellation of EEG and behavioral changes when given to animals, which represent an experimental model of generalized absence seizures. γ-Butyrolactone (GBL), the prodrug of GHB, produces these changes more rapidly and consistently than GHB, such that the rat treated with GBL is a more reproducible and predictable model of absence seizures. The hypothesis that the epileptogenic effects of GBL are due solely to its conversion to GHB was tested. The regional concentration of both compounds in brain was determined in time-course and dose-response studies, as well as at the onset of EEG changes, induced by both GHB and GBL. Also, the EEG and behavioral effects of both drugs were ascertained after intrathalamic injection in the rat. γ-Butyrolactone produced a rapid onset of bilaterally synchronous spike and wave discharges in the rat, which correlated with a rapid appearance of GHB in brain in the GBL-treated animals. In the GHB-treated animals, EEG changes occurred 20 min after administration of GHB when levels of GHB in the brain were peaking. The threshold concentration of GHB in brain for EEG changes, in both GHB-and GBL-treated animals was 240 × 10−6M. The concentration of GBL in brain peaked 1 min after administration of GBL and fell rapidly to undetectable levels within 5 min. Bilateral injection of GHB into thalamus resulted in a brief burst of spike and wave discharges, while GBL, administered into the thalamus, had no effect. The use of GBL as a prodrug for GHB in this model of generalized absence seizures is valid, since GBL itself was inactive.
Simulating the operations of the reusable shuttle space vehicle.

A stochastic simulation model has been developed using the General Purpose Simulation System (GPSS) II language to analyze the operations of a fleet of Shuttle space vehicles. This paper presents the approach used in developing the model, results obtained from some of the analyses performed to date, and an interpretation of the results as they were presented to management personnel.
U.S. Policies Pertaining to Weather and Climate Extremes

Climate and weather extremes--floods, drought, storms, severe weather--now have an impact on all levels of government and on the insurance industry. U.S. national policy has moved from structural approaches (building dams, levees, and irrigation ditches) to societal approaches: moving people out of hazardous areas, seeking improvements in building codes, and encouraging the use of crop and flood insurance. Federal relief assistance policies have been called into question, and renewed emphasis on personal responsibility is part of future policy.
Consumer-Involved Participatory Research to Address General Medical Health and Wellness in a Community Mental Health Setting

Barriers to sustainably implementing general medical interventions in community mental health (CMH) settings include role uncertainty, consumer engagement, workforce limitations, and sustainable reimbursement. To address these barriers, this project used a community-partnered participatory research framework to create a stakeholder-based general medical and wellness intervention in a large CMH organization, with consumers involved in all decision-making processes. Consumers faced practical barriers to participating in organizational decision making, but their narratives were critical in establishing priorities and ensuring sustainability. Addressing baseline knowledge and readiness of stakeholders and functional challenges to consumer involvement can aid stakeholder-based approaches to implementing general medical interventions in CMH settings.