cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Letter Regarding Article by Brueckmann et al, “Prognostic Value of Plasma N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Patients With Severe Sepsis”

To the Editor: We read with interest the work by Brueckmann et al1 regarding the association between elevated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and mortality in patients with bacterial sepsis. We previously published a similar relationship between BNP and mortality in subjects with shock of various types2 and found results of BNP testing to be strongly related to mortality in shock independently of measures of disease severity (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II scoring) or cardiac hemodynamics and filling pressures. In the study by Brueckmann and colleagues, other than serum creatinine measurement, it appears that measures of disease severity such as APACHE II scoring were not included in the development of their Cox regression model. Was NT-proBNP a …
Physical examination instruction in US pharmacy curricula

Objective: Compare physical examination instruction and competency expectations between US pharmacy schools. Methods: Pharmacy Practice Department Chairs or their equivalents at all US pharmacy schools were surveyed regarding physical exam instruction and evaluation within their respective curricula. Opinions were also gathered regarding physical exam competency expectations and the need to formally evaluate this skill prior to graduation and for purposes of US licensure and federal healthcare provider recognition. The survey instrument was pretested prior to dissemination. Results: The survey response rate was 56%. Instructional and assessment methods used in teaching and evaluating physical exam skills were similar among responding US pharmacy programs. However, there is variability in the extent of physical exam instruction and evaluation as well as opinions related to physical exam competency expectations prior to graduation and for purposes of US pharmacy licensure and federal healthcare provider credentialing. Overall, 83% of programs require students to demonstrate correct exam techniques via a competency exam; however, only 52% of schools require students to apply physical findings to therapeutic decision-making. Respondents from new schools were more likely to support formal competency evaluation of physical exam skills via objective structured clinical exam for purposes of US licensure and healthcare provider credentialing compared to established schools (p o 0.05). Conclusion: Differences in competency expectations and the extent of physical exam instruction and evaluation in US pharmacy schools illustrate the need for a minimum national standard for this pharmacy practice skill.
Leavenworthia (Brassicaceae) Revisited: Testing Classic Systematic and Mating System Hypotheses

The genus Leavenworthia (Brassicaceae) has long been a focus of research on mating system evolution, due to the presence of both self-incompatible and self-compatible species within the genus. A phylogenetic hypothesis invoking multiple transitions between mating systems has been proposed for Leavenworthia, but this hypothesis has not been subject to molecular phylogenetic analysis. DNA sequence variation from four non-coding chloroplast regions (the trnL intron; and the trnT-trnL, trnL-trnF, and psbA-trnH intergenic spacers) was used to reconstruct the generic phylogeny, to test the validity of several proposed species, and to assess the number of mating system transitions within the genus. The strict consensus tree largely reflected the long-standing phylogenetic hypothesis for Leavenworthia, although additional data are needed to fully validate the recognition of L. crassa and L. alabamica. Unexpected results included the placement of L. uniflora as sister to the rest of the genus, and the apparent hybridization between L. exigua and L. torulosa. Finally, our data strongly supported a minimum of three mating system transitions within Leavenworthia.
Characterization of kerogen using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: A review

Abstract Heterogeneity, complexity, and insolubility of kerogen have presented a big challenge in its characterization. Among the various analytical methods applied to kerogen characterization, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy becomes increasingly the method of choice due to its capacity to provide comprehensive structural information nondestructively. This review first summarized the structural studies of oil shale and kerogen using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, including the applications in the comparative studies of kerogen and its source rocks (oil shale), evaluation of oil shale resource, determination of kerogen types, and assessment of thermal maturity. Then conventional solid-state NMR techniques used in the literature and limitations of 13C cross polarization/magic angle spinning (13C CP/MAS) technique were critically reviewed. Finally, advanced 13C NMR techniques were presented and their applications discussed. The conventional technique used for kerogen study was primarily 13C CP/MAS, which was sometimes combined with dipolar dephasing. The drawbacks of 13C CP/MAS technique include sidebands, baseline distortions, and poor quantification. The problems with deconvolution as an attempt to resolve overlapping peaks were also discussed. Possible solutions to these problems were provided. Recently, significant advances have been made in solid state NMR toward more structural details, as well as more reliable quantification. These advanced NMR techniques include spectral editing techniques, two dimensional 1H–13C heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy, 1H spin diffusion, etc. Their applications allow for identification and quantification of specific functional groups, detection of connectivities and proximities of specific functional groups, examinations of domains and heterogeneities as well as estimation of aromatic cluster size for systematic characterization of kerogen.
Joint basal and pulsatile hypersecretory mechanisms drive the monotropic follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) elevation in healthy older men: concurrent preservation of the orderliness of the FSH release process: a general clinical research center study.

To appraise the neuroendocrine mechanisms that underlie a selective (monotropic) elevation of serum FSH concentrations in healthy older men, we sampled blood in 11 young (ages 21-34) and 8 older men (ages 62-72) men every 2.5 min overnight. Serum FSH concentrations were quantitated in an automated, high-sensitivity, chemiluminescence-based assay. Rates of basal and pulsatile FSH secretion were estimated by deconvolution analysis, and the orderliness of the FSH release process via quantitated the approximate entropy statistic. Statistical analysis revealed that healthy older men manifest dual neuroendocrine hypersecretory mechanisims; specifically, a 2-fold increase in the basal (nonpulsatile) FSH secretion rate, and a concurrent 50% amplification of FSH secretory burst mass (and amplitude). The regularity or orderliness of ad seriatim FSH release is preserved in older individuals. We postulate that higher basal FSH secretion in older men is a consequence of reduced testosterone negative feedback, whereas amplified FSH secretory burst mass reflects net enhanced stimulation of gonadotrope cells by endogenous FSH secretagogues (e.g. GnRH and/or activin). The foregoing specific mechanisms driving heightened FSH secretion in older men contrast with the lower-amplitude pulsatility and more disorderly patterns of LH release in the same individuals. Thus, the present data illuminate an age-dependent disparity in the disruption of FSH neuroregulation in the aging male.
Nutritional and exercise aspects of cognitive impairment.

Abstract According to recent evidence, our aging society is in the early phases of an epidemic of cognitive decline. Accordingly, efforts directed at reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia will be an important goal of health care efforts. While there are a paucity of successful treatment options currently available, diet and other lifestyle changes can play an important role in such an approach. Epidemiologic data have been conflicting in relation to the benefit of vitamins C and E, and some individual foods. This review will examine the role of the Mediterranean diet, as well as individual dietary components, including fruits, vegetables, antioxidants, fish, docosahexaenoic acid, and fat intake. The role of exercise in maintaining normal weight and reducing risk factors may provide additional protection. There is a need for well-designed prospective, randomized controlled trials in the future to improve the currently available database and to document the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of specific interventions, providing for development of preventive guidelines in this area.
Sex Domination of Occupations and the Tendencies to Approach and Avoid Success and Failure

To test a theory that approach and avoidance imagery would be associated with both success and failure, female and male college students wrote stories to sentence cues. The sentence cues described a female or male stimulus person as succeeding or failing in one of six occupations. Two of the occupations were dominated by females, two by males, and two were approximately equal in sex domination. The imagery content of the stories yielded independent evidence of success-approach, success-avoidance, failure-approach, and failure-avoidance imagery. Success-approach and failure-avoidance imagery increased as the current male domination of the occupation increased; failure-approach imagery increased as the current female domination of the occupation increased. Success-approach imagery appeared more often in stories written by female respondents; success-avoidance imagery appeared more often in stories written by male respondents. The results were consistent with an achievement model that provides for approach and avoidance tendencies to success and failure. Differential results for the respondents of the two sexes are theoretically attributable to different weightings of the four motives mediated by the anticipated consequences of success and failure.
A phenome-guided drug repositioning through a latent variable model

The phenome represents a distinct set of information in the human population. It has been explored particularly in its relationship with the genome to identify correlations for diseases. The phenome has been also explored for drug repositioning with efforts focusing on the search space for the most similar candidate drugs. For a comprehensive analysis of the phenome, we assumed that all phenotypes (indications and side effects) were inter-connected with a probabilistic distribution and this characteristic may offer an opportunity to identify new therapeutic indications for a given drug. Correspondingly, we employed Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), which introduces latent variables (topics) to govern the phenome distribution. We developed our model on the phenome information in Side Effect Resource (SIDER). We first developed a LDA model optimized based on its recovery potential through perturbing the drug-phenotype matrix for each of the drug-indication pairs where each drug-indication relationship was switched to “unknown” one at the time and then recovered based on the remaining drug-phenotype pairs. Of the probabilistically significant pairs, 70% was successfully recovered. Next, we applied the model on the whole phenome to narrow down repositioning candidates and suggest alternative indications. We were able to retrieve approved indications of 6 drugs whose indications were not listed in SIDER. For 908 drugs that were present with their indication information, our model suggested alternative treatment options for further investigations. Several of the suggested new uses can be supported with information from the scientific literature. The results demonstrated that the phenome can be further analyzed by a generative model, which can discover probabilistic associations between drugs and therapeutic uses. In this regard, LDA serves as an enrichment tool to explore new uses of existing drugs by narrowing down the search space.
Privacy: the tension between technological capabilities and society's expectations

Society has certain expectations: People, institutions, and government must behave in accordance with the law and in conformity with that society's ethics. Increasingly, technology provides extensive capabilities which clash with a society's laws and ethics. In particular, modern societies have certain expectations of privacy; these expectations may be contradicted by the capabilities new technology provides. We examine a wide-ranging spectrum of computer-based technologies that may well be at variance with society's general privacy expectations. We look at statistical databases where queries should not be permit access to individual entries; at technologies that permit the continual or intermittent monitoring of an individual's location; at monitoring communications, including problems created by the use of encryption; the use of watermarking to trace web content; and the sequencing of an individual's complete genome. In some cases, the technology intrudes on an individual's privacy, in some cases, its use may be viewed as neutral, and in some cases technology may be thought to go too far in protecting privacy. We then outline how modules currently under development may assist instructors in addressing some of these themes in courses that are directed at students with little background in the technological aspects of the threats against privacy, in particular privacy in social networks, on the internet in general, and related to electronic voting and law enforcement. Ernst L. Leiss has worked in data and web security since the late 70ies. His current security interests center on privacy concerns and security and integrity on the web. He will present the overarching theme of the workshop and set the stage for a more detailed presentation of the modules that are made available to instructors of courses involving limited technological background that address the ever more pervasive privacy concerns of today's technology-dependent society.
Hospital Readmission Following Surgery for Gastric Cancer: Frequency, Timing, Etiologies, and Survival

Readmission rates after cancer surgery are infrequently reported, and better understanding of the etiologies for readmission is necessary. We sought to investigate the frequency, timing, and etiologies for hospital readmission after surgery for gastric cancer and whether readmission correlates with clinical outcomes. Hospital readmission was examined through linkage of the California Cancer Registry with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database. Patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who had undergone curative intent surgery between 2000 and 2011 were identified. First readmission within 90 days of initial surgery was analyzed with respect to timing (0–30, 31–60, and 61–90 days) and etiology for readmission. Variables associated with readmission and impact on 5-year overall survival (OS) were examined. A total of 8887 (male, n = 5326; female, n = 3561) patients underwent curative intent surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma. Within 90 days of initial surgery, 2559 (28.8 %) patients had inpatient hospital readmission. The majority of readmissions occurred in the first 30 days [0–30, n = 1371 (53.6 %); 31–60, n = 773 (30.2 %); and 61–90, n = 415 (16.2 %)]. Readmission vs. no readmission within 90 days correlated with worse 5-year OS in patients with local (51.2 vs. 70.9 %, p < 0.0001) and regional (23.3 vs. 32.9 %, p < 0.0001) disease. On multivariate analysis, readmission within 90 days was associated with worse OS (HR 1.40, 95 % CI 1.32–1.49, p < 0.001). Hospital readmissions are high after surgery for gastric cancer and correlate with poor patient survival. A better understanding of these issues may allow health care providers to potentially lower readmission rates and improve gastric cancer outcomes.
Avian cerebrospinal fluid: repeated collection and testing for a possible role in food intake regulation.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if a factor(s) involved in the regulation of food intake exists in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the domestic fowl. A technique was developed that allows blood-free CSF samples to be collected repeatedly from the cisterma magna for up to 6 weeks. Using this technique, CSF was collected from free-feeding and 24-hour fasted broiler cockerels and injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle of 8-week old Leghorn cockerels and 4-week old broiler cockerels. The free-feeding birds received 10 μl intracerebroventricular injections of CSF either at normal concentration (1 ×-CSF) (Experiments 1 and 3) or at four times normal concentration (4 ×-CSF) (Experiments 2 and 4). Artificial CSF served as the control. Food and water consumption were monitored following injection. The 1 ×- and 4 ×-CSF collected from both the free-feeding and 24-hour fasted donors did not affect the food intake of either the Leghorn or the broiler recipients. Water intake, however, was significantly increased in the Leghorns and broilers receiving the 4 ×-CSF collected from 24-hour fasted birds. Thus, there does not appear to be a factor(s) present in the CSF collected from the cisterna magna that alters food intake when injected into the lateral ventricle, but a factor may exist in the CSF collected from fasted donors that stimulates water intake.
A Control Architecture for Human-Machine Interaction in the Presence of Unreliable Automation and Operator Cognitive Limitations ∗

In this paper we present a control architecture for human-in-the-loop wide area search munitions to reduce operator errors in the presence of unreliable automation and operator cognitive limitations. An optimal input tracking controller with adaptive automation uncertainty compensation and real-time workload assessment is developed to improve the system performance. Specifically, a novel adaptive update law based on the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) is proposed to identify the automation uncertainty and a receding horizon-based switching controller is developed to improve the human-machine interaction (HMI) performance. Extensive simulations based on the experimental data involving 12 subjects demonstrate effectiveness of the presented controller.
Operator Loading Effects in a Simulated Tactical Decision-Making Problem:

The objective of this effort was to explore the nature of the degradation in performance, in a military command and control environment, when human capacity limits are exceeded. In dual-task situat...
Selective disruption of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5-homer interactions mimics phenotypes of fragile X syndrome in mice

Altered function of the Gq-coupled, Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors, specifically mGlu5, is implicated in multiple mouse models of autism and intellectual disability. mGlu5 dysfunction has been most well characterized in the fragile X syndrome mouse model, the Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mouse, where pharmacological and genetic reduction of mGlu5 reverses many phenotypes. mGlu5 is less associated with its scaffolding protein Homer in Fmr1 KO mice, and restoration of mGlu5-Homer interactions by genetic deletion of a short, dominant negative of Homer, H1a, rescues many phenotypes of Fmr1 KO mice. These results suggested that disruption of mGlu5-Homer leads to phenotypes of FXS. To test this idea, we examined mice with a knockin mutation of mGlu5 (F1128R; mGlu5(R/R)) that abrogates binding to Homer. Although FMRP levels were normal, mGlu5(R/R) mice mimicked multiple phenotypes of Fmr1 KO mice, including reduced mGlu5 association with the postsynaptic density, enhanced constitutive mGlu5 signaling to protein synthesis, deficits in agonist-induced translational control, protein synthesis-independent LTD, neocortical hyperexcitability, audiogenic seizures, and altered behaviors, including anxiety and sensorimotor gating. These results reveal new roles for the Homer scaffolds in regulation of mGlu5 function and implicate a specific molecular mechanism in a complex brain disease.Abnormal function of the metabotropic, or Gq-coupled, glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, including a genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism called fragile X syndrome. In brains of a mouse model of fragile X, mGlu5 is less associated with its binding partner Homer, a scaffolding protein that regulates mGlu5 localization to synapses and its ability to activate biochemical signaling pathways. Here we show that a mouse expressing a mutant mGlu5 that cannot bind to Homer is sufficient to mimic many of the biochemical, neurophysiological, and behavioral symptoms observed in the fragile X mouse. This work provides strong evidence that Homer-mGlu5 binding contributes to symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Object matching using deformable templates

We propose a general object localization and retrieval scheme based on object shape using deformable templates. Prior knowledge of an object shape is described by a prototype template which consists of the representative contour/edges, and a set of probabilistic deformation transformations on the template. A Bayesian scheme, which is based on this prior knowledge and the edge information in the input image, is employed to find a match between the deformed template and objects in the image. Computational efficiency is achieved via a coarse-to-fine implementation of the matching algorithm. Our method has been applied to retrieve objects with a variety of shapes from images with complex background. The proposed scheme is invariant to location, rotation, and moderate scale changes of the template.
Reform and Practice of Teaching Content Curriculum System in College Physics and Experiment

The teaching reform of university physics and physics experiment is important part of the excellent course construction.The modernizing of course's content is an important aspect of teaching reform.We write and publish suited books and add the modern physics experiment,interdisciplinary experiment,innovation experiment
Renal control of fluid homeostasis in the newborn infant.

The authors review the present knowledge of the development of glomerular and tubular water transport and the capacity of the kidney of preterm and term infants to excrete a water load.
Physiological strategies during animal diapause: lessons from brine shrimp and annual killifish

Diapause is a programmed state of developmental arrest that typically occurs as part of the natural developmental progression of organisms that inhabit seasonal environments. The brine shrimp Artemia franciscana and annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus share strikingly similar life histories that include embryonic diapause as a means to synchronize the growth and reproduction phases of their life history to favorable environmental conditions. In both species, respiration rate is severely depressed during diapause and thus alterations in mitochondrial physiology are a key component of the suite of characters associated with cessation of development. Here, we use these two species to illustrate the basic principles of metabolic depression at the physiological and biochemical levels. It is clear that these two species use divergent molecular mechanisms to achieve the same physiological and ecological outcomes. This pattern of convergent physiological strategies supports the importance of biochemical and physiological adaptations to cope with extreme environmental stress and suggests that inferring mechanism from transcriptomics or proteomics or metabolomics alone, without rigorous follow-up at the biochemical and physiological levels, could lead to erroneous conclusions.
Contact-induced spread of the rare Type 5 clitic

Peterson 2001 shows that the Ingush (Nakh-Daghestanian; Caucasus) chaining particle is a Type 5 clitic: positioned relative to the final word in its domain, preceding that word, enclitic to the word before that. The host is the absolutive argument if there is one; otherwise the preverb; otherwise a dedicated reduplicate of the verb root. So far this remains the only firm example of a Type 5 clitic. We show that an identical construction, with a functionally identical clitic and reduplication, occurs in several nearby lanuages of the Avar-Andic branch. Diffusion, though unexpected, is the only explanation.
Femtosecond Photophysics of DNA and RNA Nucleosides in Aqueous Solution

Excited state absorption of the DNA nucleosides in aqueous solution is reported for the first time. Femtosecond transient absorption measurements show that the S1 states of the bases undergo internal conversion to the ground electronic state in 300-700 fs.
Narration in Storm's Der Schimmelreiter

(1969). Narration in Storm's Der Schimmelreiter. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 21-30.
TICS architecture: a European perspective

The author develops the concept of the different aspects of TICS Architecture, and shows needs and developments within Europe. Architecture is defined, and concepts are discussed. A glossary of standard terminologies for reference models, architectures and taxonomy is given. >
Routing and scheduling with time windows: models and algorithms for tramp sea cargos and rail car-blocks

This thesis introduces a new model formulation to solve routing and scheduling problems, with the main applications in answering routing and scheduling problems faced by a sea-cargo shipping company and a railroad company. For the work in sea-cargo routing and scheduling, we focus our methodology on the tramp shipping operation. Tramp shipping is a demand-driven type of shipping operation, which does not have fixed schedules. The schedules are based on the pickup and download locations of profitable service requests. The problem is that given a set of products distributed among a set of ports, with each product having pickup and download time windows and a destination port, find the schedule for a fleet of ships that maximizes profit for a specified time horizon. The problem is modeled as a Mixed Integer Non-Linear Program and reformulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Program. Three heuristic methods, along with computational results, are presented. We also exploit the special structure enjoyed by our model and introduce an upper-bounding problem to the model. With a little modification, the model is readily extendable to reflect soft time windows and inter-ship cargo-transfers. The other part of our work is the work in train routing and scheduling. A typical train shipment consists of a set of cars having the common origin and destination. To reduce the handling of individual shipments as they travel, shipments are grouped into blocks. The problem is that given a set of blocks to be carried from origins to destinations, construct the most cost effective train routes and schedules and determine block-to-train assignments, such that the number of block transfers (block swaps) between trains, the number of trains used, and some other cost measures are minimized. The same modeling technique, with extra precedence requirements, is used. Computational results are presented.
Trauma in pregnancy: A review of the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation database:

ObjectiveThe goal of this study is to determine if injury severity score (ISS) of ≥9 and systolic blood pressure (SBP) predict poor maternal/pregnancy outcomes in blunt and penetrating trauma, respectively.MethodsThe Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation database was used to identify pregnant trauma patients. Blunt trauma patients were analyzed with regard to ISS, while penetrating trauma patients were analyzed to determine whether SBP < 90 mmHg was predictive of poor maternal outcome.ResultsPatients with severe blunt injury (ISS ≥ 9) due to motor vehicle accident were less likely to wear seatbelts (51% vs. 63%, p = 0.005), and delivery was required in 17% of these patients as compared to 6% of the less severely injured, and only 6% of those were vaginal deliveries. Severely injured patients were discharged home 68% of the time and 6% died compared to less severely injured patients of which 83% were discharged home and <1% died; all other patients required discharge to a rehabilitation facility. Patients...
Trajectories of Binge Drinking Behavior across Adolescence among Juvenile Offenders and the Role of ADHD for Predicting Development

Binge drinking has been linked to numerous health issues. Juvenile offenders may be at increased risk for binge drinking. ADHD has been demonstrated to be a predictor of substance use. The developm...
La investigaciÓn sobre identidad y ciudadanía en Estados Unidos: de la nueva historia social a la nueva historia cultural

espanolEste articulo analiza las nuevas tendencias en la historiografia norteamericana sobre ciudadania e identidad. La autora argumenta que el cambio de la nueva historia social a la nueva historia cultural tambien significa una transicion del estudio de grupos marginalizados u oprimidos (mujeres, americanos africanos, gays) al estudio de posiciones de subjetividad y relacionales (genero, raza, queerness) que son mucho mas radicales en sus implicaciones. Afirma que la nueva historia cultural surgio de tendencias culturalistas en la historia social, pero el cambio permite repensar sustancialmente ciertas cuestiones. La nueva historia cultural no solo amplia el espacio para la discusion de asuntos como genero, raza y sexualidad, transfiriendo estos temas de la periferia al centro del analisis historico, sino tambien permite empezar a desconstruir las categorias liberales clasicas que han conformado las discusiones sobre ciudadania. EnglishThis article deals with the new tendencies in North American historiography about citizenship and identity. It argues that the move from new social to new cultural history has also meant a shift from the study of marginal or oppressed groups (women, African-Americans, gays) to the study of subject positions and relations (gender, race, "queerness") that are much more radical in their implications. It contends that the new cultural history grew out of culturalist tendencies in social history, but also allows for substantial rethinking of certain questions. Not only does the new cultural history broaden the terrain for the discussion of issues such as gender, race and sexuality, moving such themes from the periphery to the center of historical analysis, but allowing us to begin to deconstruct the classic liberal categories that have informed discussions of citizenship.
Embryogenesis and Genetics of Epidermal Ridges

Dermal ridge differentiation takes place early in fetal development. The resulting ridge configurations are genetically determined and influenced (or modified) by environmental forces. There is a paucity of knowledge concerning the developmental mechanism that determines ultimate epidermal ridge patterns but a relationship to the fetal volar pads clearly exists because ridge patterns form at the sites of these pads.
Exploring Spatial Relationship between Roadway Safety and Wet Condition Risk Factors Based on Systemic Safety Analysis Approach

AbstractThis study applies spatial analysis to investigate the relationship between crashes, wet road conditions, and physical roadway variables. Wet roadway and flood risk factors are not included...
Feed and Swaddle: An Alternative to Infant Sedation for Craniofacial Imaging.

Objective:The gold standard for diagnosis of craniosynostosis is a clinical examination and motionless head computed tomography (CT). Computed tomography sedation is associated with increased cost,...
Diverse Use of the WEB Device: A Technical Note on WEB Stenting and WEB Coiling of Complex Aneurysms

The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device, an intrasaccular flow-diverter that does not require long-term antiplatelet use, has recently emerged as an alternative to embolize complex intracranial aneurysms; however, there are limitations to the WEB device. First, it does not immediately secure the aneurysm in most subarachnoid hemorrhage cases. Second, it may not be suitable for embolization of wide-neck aneurysms with an unfavorable aspect ratio. To overcome these limitations, we have used the WEB device in conjunction with stenting and/or coiling. Here, we present a technical note with an illustrated case series and provide a detailed step-by-step description on how the WEB device can be used in adjunct to coiling and/or stenting to achieve successful angiographic results. Accurate sizing of the WEB device before deployment is critical. Larger case series are required to further assess the safety and success of these combined techniques.
Has There Been a Shift in Use of Subacute Rehabilitation Instead of Hospice Referral Since Immunotherapy Has Become Available

PURPOSE:Immunotherapy has rapidly become the mainstream treatment of multiple cancer types. Since the first drug approval in 2011, we have noted a decline in referrals from inpatient oncology to ho...
Multi-institutional retrospective analysis of FOLFIRI in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers.

Multi-institutional retrospective analysis of FOLFIRI in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers
The General as Statesman: The Virtues of Measuredness and Daring in Thucydides’ Account of Brasidas

This article explores the virtues of daring and measuredness in the character of Brasidas in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War. These two virtues prove to be necessary for Brasidas to fu...
Correlation between saw blade width and kerf width.

Most studies of saw marks have focused on morphological characteristics and their utility in identifying saws suspected to have been utilized in cases of criminal dismemberment. The present study examined the extent to which metric analysis may be used to correlate saw blade measurements with minimum kerf widths (MKWs). A sample of 56 partially defleshed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) long bones was utilized as proxy for human remains. The long bones were cut using a variety of commercially available saws, including 11 manual-powered and 5 mechanical-powered saws. A total of 496 false start kerfs (FSKs) were created. Two experiments were performed, with the first test examining the MKWs of FSKs produced on specimens that were restrained using a bench vise, while the second test analyzed the MKWs of FSKs produced on minimally restrained specimens. Statistical analysis using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) indicated a positive relationship between saw blade width (mm) and MKW, with blade width (p < 0.001) and the overall difference between the mechanical- and manual-powered saws (p = 0.029) tested, reaching statistical significance. A comparison of MKWs produced using manual-powered saws on restrained and minimally restrained bones suggests that restraint condition (p = 0.009) has a statistically significant effect. In comparisons of MKWs to blade widths, the average ratio for mechanical-powered saws is 18.7% greater than the average ratio for manual-powered saws. While the mode of the ratios was 1.42, thus supporting the general rule that MKW does not exceed 1.5 times blade width, multiple individual ratios did surpass 1.5.
FLT3 Inhibition in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Mutations in the FLT3 receptor tyrosine kinase are the most frequently found mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations have poor prognoses. The approved FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) midostaurin and gilteritinib improve survival in AML with FLT3 mutations. Multiple other FLT3 inhibitors are in clinical development. Patients frequently relapse after response to FLT3 inhibitors and the optimal use of FLT3 inhibitors in the upfront, relapse, and maintenance settings remain to be established. We will discuss the biology of FLT3, approved and investigational FLT3 inhibitors, resistance mechanisms, and emerging FLT3 TKI combination clinical trials.
Venous thromboembolism incidence among patients recommended for pharmacologic thromboembolism prophylaxis after cesarean delivery in selected guidelines

Background Multiple guidelines regarding risk stratification for venous thromboembolism (VTE) incidence following cesarean delivery have been promulgated. Objective To estimate the percentage of cesarean delivery patients for which pharmacologic VTE would be recommended and subsequent incidence of VTE, based on several guidelines. Patients/methods This retrospective cohort study used data from the Nationwide Readmissions Database from October 2015 through December 2017. Diagnosis and procedure codes were used to identify patients undergoing cesarean delivery, incidence of VTE, and risk factors used to stratify risk in the existing guidelines. Time-to-event analysis was used to analyze data, stratified by risk categorization in 2011 American College of Gynecology and Obstetrics (ACOG), 2012 American College of Chest Physician (ACCP), 2015 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and 2018 American Society for Hematology (ASH) guidelines. Results/conclusions In a cohort of 1,235,149 cesarean deliveries, VTE incidence was 2.1 per 1,000 deliveries at 330 days following delivery (95% confidence interval: 2.0 - 2.2). Proportions of patients that would be recommended for pharmacologic prophylaxis ranged from 0.2% in 2018 ASH guidelines to 73.4% in 2015 RCOG criteria. Among groups considered at elevated risk for VTE for which pharmacologic prophylaxis would be recommended, VTE incidence varied from 35.2 per 1,000 deliveries based on 2018 ASH criteria to 2.5 per 1,000 in 2015 RCOG criteria. In a large cohort of cesarean deliveries in the United States, application of different risk stratification guidelines identified widely different proportions at risk of VTE following delivery, with implications for being categorized as having elevated risk.
ULK1 inhibition overcomes compromised antigen presentation and restores antitumor immunity in LKB1 mutant lung cancer

Inactivating mutations in LKB1/STK11 are present in roughly 20% of nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and portend poor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Unexpectedly, we found that LKB1 deficiency correlated with elevated tumor mutational burden (TMB) in NSCLCs from nonsmokers and genetically engineered mouse models, despite the frequent association between high-TMB and anti-PD-1 treatment efficacy. However, LKB1 deficiency also suppressed antigen processing and presentation, which are associated with compromised immunoproteasome activity and increased autophagic flux. Immunoproteasome activity and antigen presentation were restored by inhibiting autophagy through targeting the ATG1/ULK1 pathway. Accordingly, ULK1 inhibition synergized with PD-1 antibody blockade, provoking effector T-cell expansion and tumor regression in Lkb1-mutant tumor models. This study reveals an interplay between the immunoproteasome and autophagic catabolism in antigen processing and immune recognition, and proposes the therapeutic potential of dual ULK1 and PD-1 inhibition in LKB1-mutant NSCLC as a strategy to enhance antigen presentation and to promote antitumor immunity. Wong and colleagues show that LKB1-deficient lung tumors are sensitive to autophagy inhibition, which can restore impaired antigen presentation and antitumor immune responses, and propose dual targeting of ULK1 and PD-1 for these tumors.
Lessons learned developing and testing family-based interoceptive exposure for adolescents with low-weight eating disorders.

BACKGROUND Anorexia nervosa (AN) usually develops in early adolescence and is characterized by high rates of morbidity and mortality. Family-based therapy (FBT) is the leading evidence-based treatment for adolescents with AN, but not all patients experience sufficient improvement. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the development and subsequent experience with a Family-Based Interoceptive Exposure (FBT-IE) for adolescents with a broader form of low-weight eating disorders. METHODS The novel IE-based behavioral intervention is a six-session family-based treatment module designed to directly target and modify disgust by altering the prefrontal regulation of the insula response to aversive stimuli by decreasing visceral sensitivity (e.g., bloating). Each session teaches a new skill regarding tolerating distress to visceral sensations associated with disgust and an in-vivo "IE exercise," in which the family is provided with a meal replacement shake of unknown content and caloric density. RESULTS In this novel treatment, the patient learns to tolerate disgust in the context of a challenging food stimulus as a way to increase consumption of restricted foods outside of session. CONCLUSION We discuss successes and challenges executing this treatment with patients with low-weight eating disorders and propose future directions for the intervention.
Wall Street Values: Business Ethics and the Global Financial Crisis

This timely book answers complex and perplexing questions raised by Wall Street's role in the financial crisis. What are the economic and moral connections between Wall Street and the overall economy? How did we arrive at this point in history where our most powerful financial institutions thwart rather than promote free markets, prosperity and even social cohesion? Can the fractured relationship between Wall Street and Main Street be repaired? Wall Street Values chronicles the transformation of Wall Street's business model from serving clients to proprietary trading and explains how this shift undermined the ethical foundations of the modern financial industry. Michael A. Santoro and Ronald J. Strauss argue that post-millennial Wall Street is not only 'too big to fail' but also a threat to the economy even when it succeeds.
Atmospheric water distribution in cyclones as seen with Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometers (SMMR)

Passive microwave measurements are used to study the distribution of atmospheric water in midlatitude cyclones. The integrated water vapor, integrated liquid water, and rainfall rate are deduced from the brightness temperatures at microwave frequencies measured by the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMRR) flown on both the Seasat and Nimbus 7 satellites. The practical application of locating fronts by the cyclone moisture pattern over oceans is shown, and the relationship between the quantity of coastal rainfall and atmospheric water content is explored.
Nationality or religion?: views of Central Asian Islam (1901-1991)

Como el propio panorama historico ya ha demostrado, nacionalidad no es necesariamente igual a religion, y viceversa. Ambas facetas constituyen parte de una identidad con una funcion definida, ya sea visto desde el sistema de gobierno o la persona individual. Esto, naturalmente, tambien es aplicable para los centroasiaticos, que han sufrido innumerables olas de agresiones, politicas o religiosas, en sus identidades a traves del tiempo durante milenios. A todo esto se suman otros elementos, como el conocimiento de sus origenes, tal como fueron definidos por ciertos textos influyentes o la propia afinidad linguistica. Este texto analiza los fundamentos de la mezcla que conforman los factores anteriores.
Nicotine Alters the Proteome of Two Human Pancreatic Duct Cell Lines

Context Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor of pancreatic disease. Nicotine - a major cigarette tobacco component - can traffic through the circulatory system and may induce fibrosis and metastasis, hallmarks of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, respectively. However, at the biomolecular level, particularly in pancreatic research, the effects of nicotine remain unresolved. Methods The effects of nicotine on the proteomes of two pancreatic duct cell lines–an immortalized normal cell line (HPNE) and a cancer cell line (PanC1)- were investigated using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. For each cell line, the global proteomesof cells exposed to nicotine for 24 hrswere compared with untreated cells in triplicate using 6-plex tandem mass tag-based isobaric labeling techniques. Results Over 5,000 proteins were detectedper cell line. Of these, over 900 proteins were differentially abundant with statistical significance (corrected P-value <0.01) upon nicotine treatment, 57 of which were so in both cell lines. Amyloid precursor protein, previously observed to increase expression in pancreatic stellate cells when exposed to nicotine, was also up-regulated in both cell lines.In general, the two cell lines varied in the classes of proteins altered by nicotine treatment, supporting published evidence that nicotine may play different roles in the initiation and progression of pancreatic disease. Conclusions Understanding the underlying mechanisms associating nicotine with pancreatic function is paramount to intervention aiming to retard, arrest, or ameliorate pancreatic disease. Image: Heat map of 315 proteins that were statistically significant in the HPNE cell line.
In-line chromatic dispersion monitoring using optically-added phase modulate in-band for 10 Gb/s system

We demonstrate a novel in-line dispersion monitoring technique using phase modulated in-band subcarrier tones. Our technique has no subcarrier-subcarrier tones. Our technique has no subcarrier to-data crosstalk, high sensitivity, and large monitoring range. A >3400 ps/nm monitoring range and <9 (ps/nm)/dB sensitivity are shown for a 10-Gb/systm.
Design of a transparent spiral antenna for energy harvesting

This paper describes the implementation of an efficient transparent log spiral antenna for energy harvesting. The proposed antenna is a wide band antenna with circular polarization which is integrated with solar panels. The goal is to implement an efficient technique to collect RF energy without degrading the performance of the solar cell.
Associations Among the MCMI-II Clinical Syndrome Scales and the MMPI-2 Clinical Scales

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory—II (MCMI-II), a frequently used self-report measure of psychopathology, contains nine scales designed to assess Axis I psychopathology (the clinical syndrome and severe syndrome scales). This study explored the relationships among these nine MCMI-II clinical syndrome scales and the clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2). A sample of 108 psychiatric inpatients was administered both the MCMI-II and the MMPI-2 within 7 days of admission. Pearson correlation coefficients and principal component factors were obtained for the MCMI-II and MMPI-2 scales. The results provided support for the convergent validity of all the MCMI-II Axis I scales. However, the majority of the MCMI-II scales failed to demonstrate adequate discriminant validity in relation to the MMPI-2 scales. The principal component analysis revealed that method variance was the principal influence in determining factor loadings for the majority of test scales. This findi...
Isotopic Studies, Structure and Modeling of the Nitrous Oxide-Acetylene Complex

The microwave spectra of six isotopomers of HCCH·N2O have been measured. The structure of the complex has been fully determined. The monomers have a planar, nearly parallel orientation. They deviate from parallel by 13.6°, and the tilt moves the oxygen end of the N2O closer to the acetylene. The centers of mass of the two monomers are separated by 3.2961(8) A. The dipole moment of the HCCH·15N2O isotope has been measured, giving μa = 0.0915(7) D, μb = 0.1503(19) D, and μtot = 0.1759(16) D. The conclusions of this work refine previous experimental and semiempirical studies. New semiempirical calculations using a different model agree well with the current results.
Biological inorganic chemistry at the beginning of the 21st century

Advances in bioinorganic chemistry since the 1970s have been driven by three factors: rapid determination of high-resolution structures of proteins and other biomolecules, utilization of powerful spectroscopic tools for studies of both structures and dynamics, and the widespread use of macromolecular engineering to create new biologically relevant structures. Today, very large molecules can be manipulated at will, with the result that certain proteins and nucleic acids themselves have become versatile model systems for elucidating biological function.