cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A neurologist's guide to safe use of immunomodulatory therapies.

Increased understanding of the pathogenesis of immune-mediated neurologic conditions with concomitant development of new therapeutic agents modulating various aspects of the immune system has resulted in the use of innovative therapies in the treatment of these diseases. These novel immunomodulatory therapeutic regimens also augment the potential for complications, including severe adverse effects. In this review, the authors address practical issues regarding management of patients with neuroimmunological conditions treated with immunomodulatory therapies, including glucocorticoids, methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, rituximab, tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors, and intravenous immunoglobulins. Particular focus is placed on their infectious and noninfectious adverse effects, contraindications, safety monitoring, risk surveillance, and preventive strategies in clinical practice.
Rice breeding strategy and practices by using CMS line

CMS line is seldom used in rice breeding for its fair agronomic traits, but CMS line has such available characteristics as being attainable and being easy to get hybrid, reasonable breeding strategy can make CMS line used in many rice breeding programs, including developing maintainer line by the way of development of near-isogenic line of CMS line, developing restorer line and inbred variety as a bridge to introduce japonica rice into indicia rice. The concerned breeding progress was introduced and the prospect was viewed.
Measuring the Effect of Blended Learning: Evidence from a Selective Liberal Arts College†

Abstract We compare introductory microeconomics courses that employ a blended learning approach to more traditional control courses at a selective liberal arts college. The blended learning courses...
The Application of Information Technology in Modern Nursing Management

The paper introduces the application status of nursing management informatization as well as the characteristics of hospital nursing information,combined with current requirements of hospital nursing management,it analyzes the application of network information technology in nursing management,including integrating related data,evaluating nursing quality comprehensively,continuing education information management,etc.The effects are also evaluated in the paper.
A thirteen-year review of the Magovern-Cromie aortic valve

A review of 375 cases of aortic valve replacement with the Magovern-Cromie sutureless prosthesis demonstrated a 43 per cent survival rate 10 to 13 years following the operation. Of the 308 patients surviving zero to 30 days, 238 patients are alive after one to 14 years. A total of 70 patients (22 per cent) died during the 14 year follow-up period. The actuarial survival rate of all patients at risk was 64 per cent at the fifth year and 51 per cent at the tenth year. For those patients who lived at least one year after surgery, the probability of survival was 84 per cent and 70 per cent at 5 and 10 years, respectively. These results compare favorably with reports of up to only 8 years with the Smeloff-Cutter and Starr-Edwards prostheses. There was only a 1.5 per cent incidence of perivalvular leak with this method of fixation, and no valve has migrated. Ball variance has not occurred with any valve inserted since 1964, and the incidence of thromboembolism with the Model A4 prosthesis is 2.4 per cent. Improvement in results depend on reduction of thromboembolism, lessening of late and operative mortality rates, and by earlier operative intervention to reduce the late deaths from cardiogenic factors.
The Growth of a Conference, a Community, and an Industry

It's interesting to look back on the early years of the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy and reflect on the changes in the community and the industry, and how they have affected the conference.
Emigration and the sending state

An emerging research area within migration studies is the relationship between the state and its emigrants, comprising a broad array of connections between the country of origin, the emigrant, and the country of reception. This research area can trace its origins to the 1960s with the concern over the impact of brain drain in developing nations. Now, this field incorporates the construction of citizenship, the extraterritoriality of the nation-state, definitions of home, and the growing influences that diasporas might have in the place of origin. Following a historical overview of the right to emigrate, in this chapter we describe and analyze the conceptualization of development from the perspective of the sending country, new constructions of brain drain and brain circulation, the political influence of emigrants in the home country, and the notion of extraterritorial citizenship. We conclude this chapter restating the relevance of analyzing emigration as a central component of the migration process.
Sensory Regeneration in the Vertebrate Ear

The inner ears of birds and mammals contain a fixed number of sensory hair cells. These cells are produced during embryonic development and can be lost later in life as a result of acoustic trauma, treatment with ototoxic drugs, inner ear inflammations, or as part of the aging process. The mature mammalian ear has a very limited ability to replace these receptors, and their loss is a leading cause of hearing and balance disorders. In contrast, the ears of nonmammalian vertebrates possess a remarkable ability to regenerate sensory hair cells. The cellular basis of this regenerative process is poorly understood, but identification of the molecular signals that permit regeneration in the nonmammalian ear may lead to the development of similar strategies to promote hair cell regeneration in humans. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge of the cellular mechanisms of regeneration in the nonmammalian ear and examines the limitations on regeneration in the mammalian ear.
Direct glycerol fuel cell with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin film separator

Abstract Anion-exchange membrane-based direct glycerol fuel cells (AEM-DGFCs) can yield high power density, however challenges exist in developing chemically stable AEMs. Here, we demonstrate a porous PTFE thin film, a well-known chemical, electro-chemical, and thermal robust material that can serve as a separator between anode and cathode, thus achieving high DGFC’s performance. A simple aqueous-phase reduction method was used to prepare carbon nanotube supported PdAg nanoparticles (PdAg/CNT) with an average particle size of 2.9 nm. A DGFC using a PTFE thin film without any further modification with PdAg/CNT anode catalyst exhibits a peak power density of 214.7 mW cm−2 at 80 °C, about 22.6% lower than a DGFC using a state-of-the-art AEM. We report a 5.8% decrease and 11.1% decrease in cell voltage for a PTFE thin film and AEM; similarly, the cell voltage degradation rate decreases from 1.2 to 0.8 mV h−1 for PTFE thin film, while for AEM, it decreases from 9.6 to 3.0 mV h−1 over an 80 h durability test period. Transmission electron microscopy results indicate that the average particle size of PdAg/CNT increases from 2.9 to 3.7 nm after 80 h discharge; this suggests that PdAg particle growth may be the main reason for the performance drop.
Drug-eluting stent placement versus coronary artery bypass surgery for unprotected left main coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard of care for treating left main coronary lesions. However, recently published randomized controlled trials (RCT) have shown conflicting results. We sought to compare clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent placement to CABG using a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. METHODS A systemic search of Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane library, and Clinicaltrials.gov was performed for randomized controlled trials comparing PCI with CABG in patients with left main stenosis. Data were analyzed using random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel methods. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE). The secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac, and all-cause mortality. A subgroup analysis based on SYNTAX score was also performed. RESULTS A total of 4595 patients (2297 in the PCI group and 2298 in the CABG group) from five RCTs were included in the analysis. There were significant differences in MACCE (odds ratio [OR] 1.36, confidence interval [CI] 95%, 1.18-1.58, p-value: < 0.0001) and repeat revascularization (OR 1.85, CI 95%, 1.53-2.23, p-value: < 0.00001) favoring CABG. There were no significant differences in the incidence of myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiac and all-cause mortality. Based on SYNTAX score, CABG was superior in terms of MACCE only in the subgroup with SYNTAX score of 33 or more. CONCLUSIONS CABG results in fewer MACCE and need for repeat revascularization than PCI in patients with unprotected left main disease.
Combination of High-Dose Methylprednisolone and Defibrotide for Veno-Occlusive Disease in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

Abstract Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), with high mortality in severe cases and until recently very limited therapeutic options consisting largely of supportive care. Defibrotide was recently approved in the United States for the treatment of severe VOD in patients with renal or pulmonary dysfunction after HSCT. Our group previously published on the use of high-dose methylprednisolone (500 mg/m2 per dose every 12 hours for 6 doses) in patients with VOD, showing good success. A small subset of these individuals were also treated with defibrotide, but additional studies using the combination of high-dose methylprednisolone and defibrotide for the treatment of VOD are lacking. We present a single-institution retrospective chart review of 15 HSCT patients with VOD treated with the combination of high-dose methylprednisolone and defibrotide. VOD developed at a median of 17 days post-HSCT, and combination therapy was initiated within 1 day of VOD diagnosis. Twelve of 15 patients (80%) had multiorgan failure. Our single-center experience using both high-dose methylprednisolone and defibrotide showed a day +100 survival rate of 73% and an overall VOD complete resolution rate of 66.7%, higher than the rates reported in the recent literature using defibrotide alone (40% to 50% day +100 overall survival). These data suggest that the combination of high-dose steroids and defibrotide may be superior to defibrotide alone and warrant further investigation.
Teacher Perceptions of Their Curricular and Pedagogical Shifts: Outcomes of a Project-Based Model of Teacher Professional Development in the Next Generation Science Standards.

In this study, we conducted a model of teacher professional development (PD) on the alignment of middle and high school curricula and instruction to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and evaluated the impact of the PD on teacher participants’ development. The PD model included a 4-day summer academy emphasizing project-based learning (PBL) in the designing of NGSS-aligned curricula and instruction, as well as monthly follow-up Professional Learning Community meetings (PLCs) throughout the year providing numerous opportunities for teachers to develop and implement lesson plans, share results of lesson writing and implementation (successes and challenges), provide mutual feedback, and refine curricula and assessments. Following the summer academy, six female teachers were interviewed about their current conceptualizations of NGSS, the extent of curricular shifts made that are required by NGSS, their self-perceptions regarding their level of accomplishment in curriculum writing, and the benefits of the PD in reaching their goals related to NGSS. Interviews were supplemented with an analysis of lesson plans written while participating in the PD program. The interviewed teachers suggested that they had made important conceptual and pedagogical shifts required by NGSS as they participated in the PD, and also noted a variety of challenges as they made this shift. While all teachers were relative novices at NGSS curriculum writing before the PD, most of the teachers interviewed felt that they had achieved the status of an “accomplished novice” following the summer academy. An analysis of their written lesson suggested a great range in the extent to which teachers effectively applied their understanding of NGSS to write lessons aligned to NGSS. Interviewed teachers believed that the PD model was helpful to their development as science teachers, and all reported that there were no aspects of the PD that were not helpful. Even though most teachers obtained a basic understanding and conceptualization of NGSS and PBL, their application of this understanding in their curriculum writing varied. The present study may help to inform future efforts to support teachers to align curricula and instruction to NGSS through teacher professional development.
Total Hip Arthroplasty and the Treatment of Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip osteoarthritis is a common cause of pain and disability. Patients typically present with hip and groin pain, stiffness, and difficulty with mobility that can significantly impact their quality of life. Total hip arthroplasty remains the most common surgical intervention for hip osteoarthritis. The new articulation allows for painless motion and weight bearing and significant improvements in quality of life. Over 300,000 hip replacement procedures are performed in the United States every year. As the baby boomer generation ages and as people continue to be more active later in life, the demand for hip replacement surgery is expected to increase over the coming decades.
Repurposing Waste Streams: Lessons on Integrating Hospital Food Waste into a Community Garden

There have been increasing efforts in recent decades to divert institutional food waste into composting programs. As major producers of food waste who must increasingly demonstrate community benefit, hospitals have an incentive to develop such programs. In this article, we explain the emerging opportunity to link hospitals' food services to local community gardens in order to implement robust composting programs. We describe a partnership model at our hospital in central Pennsylvania, share preliminary outcomes establishing feasibility, and offer guidance for future efforts. We also demonstrate that the integration of medical students in such efforts can foster systems thinking in the development of programs to manage hospital waste streams in more ecologically-friendly ways.
Copper-mediated nucleophilic radiobromination of aryl boron precursors: Convenient preparation of a radiobrominated PARP-1 inhibitor

The copper-mediated nucleophilic radiobromination of aryl boron precursors with a radiobromide ion is a novel radiolabeling method that is efficient and robust. High radiochemical conversion (RCC) was observed using a variety of solvents, temperatures and catalysts. The reaction is also clean and is feasible for purification to obtain high chemical and radiochemical purity. This method provides a very useful route for the preparation of radiobrominated pharmaceuticals, including a radiobromine labeled PARP-1 inhibitor, and it is a valuable addition to the family of copper-mediated radiolabeling processes.
Antibiotic lock technique for prevention of cuffed tunnel catheter associated bacteremia.

BackgroundCentral venous cuffed tunnel catheters are commonly used for short term or long term hemodialysis access. However, catheter-associated bacteremia is a common complication. It has been sug...
The Effects of Food and Gender on Interpersonal Perceptions

Male and female subjects provided ratings of personal traits, femininity and masculinity, and total caloric consumption for a female or a male target based on the type of diet she or he had allegedly consumed. The gender associated with the foods presented for each dietary profile was manipulated. Results showed that Target Gender and Dietary Profile significantly affected impression ratings and calorie estimates. Both male and female subjects perceived male eaters and those who ate a feminine diet more favorably. Results are discussed in terms of the different underlying expectations held for males and females when food consumption is involved during the impression formation process.
Effects of Phragmites Management on the Ecology of a Wetland

Effective management of wetlands often involves the suppression of invasive species, and understanding the ecological consequences of management efforts is an important goal. A non-native strain of Phragmites australis (Common Reed; hereafter Phragmites) is aggressively invading North American wetlands, and the species has been shown to alter hydrology and impact aquatic organisms. Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area, in Kentucky, is heavily impacted by Phragmites invasion. Portions of the Wildlife Management Area with Phragmites were treated with herbicide to restore wetland flora, and in this study, we evaluated the effects of both the presence and management of Phragmites on wildlife populations and ecosystem function. We selected 3 locations (treated Phragmites, untreated Phragmites, and Phragmites-free) and surveyed each for water chemistry, wildlife populations, and stable-isotope signatures over a 2-y period. Water chemistry varied with the presence or absence of Phragmites, suggesting differences in nutrient cycling. Fish diversity did not differ among sites, but individual species varied in distribution and abundance between the Phragmites sites and the Phragmites-free site. Turtles showed significant differences in both diversity and body size based on the presence or absence of Phragmites, but not herbicide treatment. We detected no significant differences in frog diversity across treatments. We recorded 8 Kentucky Species of Greatest Conservation Need, but there were few differences in the distribution of these species across sites. Stable-isotope analysis revealed variation in food-web structure based on the presence of Phragmites. These results indicate that herbicides had little effect on fish and herpetofaunal communities in the short term, but potentially significant ecological changes may occur if Phragmites were eradicated. Our conclusions highlight the importance of monitoring habitat restoration to guide future management. A holistic, ecosystem-level approach is necessary to understand the impacts of both invasive species and their management.
Azimuthally polarized hollow beams in free space: Exact vector solutions to Maxwell's equations

We derive a set of azimuthally polarized hollow beam solutions in free space. These solutions are exact vector solutions to Maxwell's and Poynting's equations with the electric- and magnetic-field components expressed as linear combinations of the partial derivatives of a sinc function. They depict beams the intensity of which vanishes everywhere on the beam axis, forming dark hollow channels. There is one adjustable dimensionless parameter $Q$ in the formulation which governs the degree of focusing of a beam. In the weak focusing limit $(Q\ensuremath{\gg}1)$, a beam shows a doughnut-shaped intensity profile while a multiple-ring intensity distribution is found for the strong focusing case with $Q\ensuremath{\le}1$.
A technology-forcing approach to reduce nitrogen pollution

Nitrogen pollution has exceeded safe levels outlined in the planetary boundaries literature. As agricultural production continues to intensify, pollution abatement will require acute increases in nitrogen-use efficiency. Policies that rely on the voluntary adoption of farm-level management practices have rarely led to significant reductions in nitrogen pollution and are unlikely to achieve the required efficiency improvements. Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers offer a promising opportunity, but have modest adoption rates and receive limited research support. Here we propose a policy to increase farmer adoption modelled on the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards used to increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles in the United States. This programme would require the fertilizer industry to increase the proportion of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers in traditional fertilizer over time, providing incentives for companies to improve both their products and their understanding of where their products are most effective. Using the US corn sector as a case study, we estimate that such a policy could generate net economic benefits of US$5–8 billion by 2030. Nitrogen pollution is an intensifying, globally important problem driven by industrial agriculture. The authors propose applying the Corporate Average Fuel Economy logic to promote adoption of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers by farmers.
Abstract 98: Midlife Vascular Risk Factors and Incident Dementia in the ARIC Cohort

Background: Vascular risk factors have been associated with risk of cognitive decline, with increasing evidence that midlife exposure to these risk factors may be most important in conferring late-...
Naturalness and Emergence

I develop an account of naturalness (that is, approximately: lack of extreme fine-tuning) in physics which demonstrates that naturalness assumptions are not restricted to narrow cases in high-energy physics but are a ubiquitous part of inter-level relations are derived in physics. After exploring how and to what extent we might justify such assumptions on methodological grounds or through appeal to speculative future physics, I consider the apparent failure of naturalness in cosmology and in the Standard Model. I argue that any such naturalness failure threatens to undermine the entire structure of our understanding of inter-theoretic reduction, and so risks a much larger crisis in physics than is sometimes suggested; I briefly review some currently-popular strategies that might avoid that crisis.
Impact of Mycophenolate Dosing on CMV Rates in Heart Transplant Recipients

Purpose The relationship between rejection and infection in heart transplant (HT) recipients is a delicate balance. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains a serious complication in this patient population with a reported incidence of 20-30%. The manufacturer-recommending dose of mycophenolate (MMF) in HT patients is 3000mg/day; although many patients require dose reductions due to side effects or intolerance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of MMF dosing on the incidence of CMV within the first year post transplant. Methods This study retrospectively reviewed adult patients who underwent cardiac transplantation between September 2005 and September 2017. CMV viremia, defined as a positive serum quantitative PCR, was recorded up to one year post transplant. MMF dose was documented at time of index discharge and classified based on cumulative daily dose (3000mg/day, 2000mg/day, or Results 157 patients were included in the study - 68 pts (43.3%) received MMF 3000mg/day, 65 pts (41.4%) received 2000mg/day and 24 pts (15.3%) received Conclusion This study illustrates a trend towards higher incidence of CMV with larger daily mycophenolate doses. Rejection was not found to be correlative to mycophenolate dosing, indicating doses of 2000mg/day may be a safe option for patients at moderate/high risk for CMV.
Solid Polymer Interphases for Lithium Metal Batteries

Metal-based batteries that comprise of a reactive metal anode like lithium, sodium, or potassium are the future of energy storage devices because of their high volumetric and gravimetric energy density. However, these batteries fail by three distinct modes – chemical instability due to internal reactions, morphological instability due to uneven electrodeposition, and hydrodynamic instability due to convective flows at the vicinity of electrode-electrolyte interface. Both liquid-based and solid-state electrolytes have their individual advantages and disadvantages in mitigating these issues. Here, we show that solid polymer interphases based on cross-linked polymer networks can essentially possess qualities from both of these worlds. We find that by tuning the thermodynamic interactions between the polymer network and oligomer diluents, one can control the bulk properties like ion transport and mass transfer rate. Thus, it is possible to design solid-like electrolyte phases where the electroconvective flows can be inhibited while maintaining high ionic conductivity. We further show that these polymer networks act as excellent interfacial layer for lithium metal electrode to inhibit dendrite growth and side reactions. On pairing with high voltage cathodes, the lithium metal battery at ambient conditions exhibit over 250 cycles of stable operation even at a high rate of 1 mA/cm2.
Hydrodynamic Model of Ureteral Function

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hydrodynamic modeling of the transport of urine by the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder. Peristaltic waves, generated by neuromuscular action, are the main mechanism of urine transport in the ureter. The first attempt to describe the fluid mechanics of the urinary tract seems to have been made by Lykoudis. There is no flow in the inactive sections of the ureter ahead of or behind the peristaltic wave. The pressure in the ureter rises with time wherever the lumen radius exceeds the resting radius and decreases with time wherever it is below the resting radius. The entrance of a wave into the ureter and its exit seem to have no effect on the pressure recordings. The volume carried by the wave is nearly equal to the volume of the bolus and independent of the structure of the contraction. If the pressure measured is the actual pressure in the ureter and not an artifact resulting from obstruction by the catheter, the transverse dimensions of the contracted and inactive lumen must be extremely small.
Stress and Physical Activity in Rural Cancer Survivors: The Moderating Role of Social Support.

PURPOSE Social support (SS) has been shown to moderate the relationship between psychological distress and physical activity (PA) in adults, including those with no history of cancer and cancer survivors (CS). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between stress and leisure-time PA and test if SS is a moderator of this relationship in rural CS. METHODS CS were recruited to Partnering to Prevent and Control Cancer (PPCC) and completed questionnaires assessing sociodemographics, leisure-time PA, perceived stress, and SS. Hierarchical multivariable linear regression was used to assess the moderating role of SS on the association between stress and PA. FINDINGS Cancer survivors (N = 219) were in their mid-60s (M age = 64.3 ± 12.5 years) and overweight/obese (M BMI = 29.5 ± 6.8 kg/m2 ); over half were women (60.7%) and insufficiently active (59.4%); and 42.1% reported moderate-to-high perceived stress. Perceived stress was negatively correlated with PA (r = -.183, P = .044) and SS (r = -.470, P < .001), and SS was positively correlated with PA (r = .205, P = .025). However, SS did not moderate the association between stress and PA. CONCLUSIONS Rural CS reported higher stress and less PA than previously reported by urban CS, potentially contributing to rural cancer health disparities. Although previous studies have shown success in building SS to reduce stress and promote PA in CS, our results do not support the stress-buffering hypothesis in rural cancer survivors. Further research is needed to understand factors related to PA in rural CS and determine strategies to reduce psychological distress and promote healthy behaviors in an effort to improve cancer survivorship.
Does prenatal cocaine exposure predict adolescent substance use

Abstract Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has rarely been examined as a predictor of substance use during late adolescence, and few studies have examined both the initiation of substance use and current substance use as outcomes. The present longitudinal study examined PCE, other prenatal exposures, and psychosocial risk factors for their association with substance use in mid to late adolescence. Adolescents (n = 150) followed since birth reported on their use of alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis every 6 months from age 15.0 to 17.5 using a computer-assisted self-administration version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. PCE did not predict substance use in a series of growth curve analyses. Several psychosocial risk factors were associated with adolescents' substance use. Having friends who use substances predicted past month cigarette and cannabis use as well as initiation of alcohol and cannabis use, while depressive symptoms predicted initiation of alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis use. The current findings suggest that more proximal psychosocial factors may play a greater role in adolescent substance use than prenatal substance exposure.
Optimal Management of Transactive Distribution Electricity Markets With Co-Optimized Bidirectional Energy and Ancillary Service Exchanges

This paper develops a novel co-optimized distribution system management algorithm for the distribution system operator to optimally manage the ever-increasing penetration of networked microgrids that are participating in the transactive distribution market as prosumers. For the first time, we evaluate how the incorporation of joint bidirectional energy and ancillary service exchanges could quantitatively increase the operation economy, flexibility, and reliability for both the microgrids and the distribution grid. We formulate the joint distribution system management problem using a bilevel programming approach, in which the upper level is a distribution system optimal management problem for the distribution system operator and the lower level is a microgrid optimal scheduling problem for each participating microgrid operator. Uncertainties from renewable energy generation and responsive loads within the distribution system are also incorporated in the problem formulation. The bilevel stochastic programming model is then reformulated as a single mixed-integer model to solve. The simulation-based case study supports that the proposed management scheme is capable of enhancing energy independency, system-wide efficiency, operational reliability, and economy of the distribution system in comparison with conventional transactive market management schemes.
Leveraging Active Learning Pedagogy in a Scaffolded Approach: Reconceptualizing Instructional Leadership Learning:

This article investigates how the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) redesigned its three-course instructional leadership strand to operate as a continuous three-semester learning experience t...
Association of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Noncardiac Surgery With Subsequent Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack.

Importance Outcomes of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) after noncardiac surgery are not well defined. Objective To determine the association of new-onset postoperative AF vs no AF after noncardiac surgery with risk of nonfatal and fatal outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, involving 550 patients who had their first-ever documented AF within 30 days after undergoing a noncardiac surgery (postoperative AF) between 2000 and 2013. Of these patients, 452 were matched 1:1 on age, sex, year of surgery, and type of surgery to patients with noncardiac surgery who were not diagnosed with AF within 30 days following the surgery (no AF). The last date of follow-up was December 31, 2018. Exposures Postoperative AF vs no AF after noncardiac surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Secondary outcomes included subsequent documented AF, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular mortality. Results The median age of the 452 matched patients was 75 years (IQR, 67-82 years) and 51.8% of patients were men. Patients with postoperative AF had significantly higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores than those in the no AF group (median, 4 [IQR, 2-5] vs 3 [IQR, 2-5];P Conclusions and Relevance Among patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, new-onset postoperative AF compared with no AF was associated with a significant increased risk of stroke or TIA. However, the implications of these findings for the management of postoperative AF, such as the need for anticoagulation therapy, require investigation in randomized trials.
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Community-Based Modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program for the Under- and Unemployed

BackgroundMindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) often improves health outcomes, though literature primarily focuses on middle-class, employed individuals. With an estimated average of six milli...
Impact of COVID-19 on Future Ischemic Stroke Incidence.

With the ever-expanding population of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2, we are learning more about the immediate and long-term clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Ischemic stroke (IS) is now one of the well-documented additional clinical manifestation of COVID-19. Most COVID-19 related IS cases have been categorized as cryptogenic or embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS), which are most often suspected to have an undiagnosed cardioembolic source. COVID-19 is known to also cause cardiac dysfunction, heart failure, and atrial arrhythmias (AA), but the long-term impact of this cardiac dysfunction on stroke incidence is unknown. With millions afflicted with COVID-19 and the ever-rising infection rate, it is important to consider the potential long-term impact of COVID-19 on possible future IS incidence. Accomplishing these goals will require novel strategies that allow for diagnosis, data capture, and prediction of future IS risk using tools that are adaptable to the evolving clinical challenges such that patient care delivery and research.
Health Inequity and Racism Affects Patients and Health Care Workers Alike

NEJM Catalyst Insights Council members say health disparities have worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ultra-broadband Nanophotonics via Adaptive Inverse Design

We present an inverse design method for achieving unprecedented performance and ultra wide bandwidth based on direct adaptive refinement of the device geometry. We experimentally demonstrate a 90/10 splitter with more than 200 nm bandwidth.
Hydrothermal liquefaction of municipal sewage sludge: Effect of red mud catalyst in ethylene and inert ambiences

Abstract In this study, ethylene and nitrogen(inert) reaction environments were applied into the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process of municipal sewage sludge with red mud catalyst to evaluate the effects on biocrude and other byproducts. Red mud in three oxidation states was used: red mud calcined at 575 °C (CRM), reduced at 500 °C (RRM500), and 700 °C (RRM700). The RRM500 lowered the acidity by 14%; whereas, the RRM700 minimized the viscosity by 47% comparing to non-catalytic-inert biocrude samples. The ethylene ambience successfully maximized the biocrude yield by 41.6 wt% without any catalyst. The viscosity of the biocrudes produced under ethylene environment showed lower differences compared to nitrogen environment. The RRM500-ethylene reaction efficiently reduced the nitrogen content in the biocrude by 14%. These results suggested that the ethylene atmosphere has the potential for improved biocrude production during catalytic HTL treatment.
Playing High School Football Is Not Associated With an Increased Risk for Suicidality in Early Adulthood.

OBJECTIVE To determine if playing high school football is associated with suicide ideation between the ages of 24 and 32 years. DESIGN Data were analyzed from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. This prospective cohort study sampled nationally representative US participants at 4 time points from 1994 to 2008. SETTING In-home assessment. PARTICIPANTS There were 3147 boys (age: median = 14.9, SD = 1.8) who participated during adolescence in 1994 to 1995 (wave I), of whom 2353 were reinterviewed in 2008 (wave IV, age: median = 29.1, SD = 1.8). ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS Football participation, history of psychological counseling, suicide ideation, and a suicide attempt in the past year during high school. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Lifetime history of depression, suicide ideation within the past year, and feeling depressed in the past 7 days at wave IV. RESULTS Men who played high school football, compared with those who did not, reported similar rates of lifetime diagnosis of depression, suicide ideation in the past year, and feeling depressed in the past 7 days. Those who played football reported similar rates of suicide ideation in the past year when they were in their early 20s. Individuals who underwent psychological counseling during adolescence were more likely to report a lifetime history of depression and suicide ideation in the past year. CONCLUSIONS Young men who played high school football are not at an increased risk for suicide ideation during both their early 20s and late 20s. By contrast, those who experienced mental health problems in high school were much more likely to experience suicide ideation during their 20s.
Unexpected Insights into Terrorism and National Security Law Through Children’s Literature: Reading The Butter Battle Book as Monstrosity

In this Essay, I explain the ways in which Dr. Seuss’s The Butter Battle Book may be read in order to give legal scholars and practitioners insights on terrorism and related ideas of international law and national security law. Indeed, I understand children’s literature as being instructive not only for acculturation, but also for the ways in which we understand law, politics, and people. My argument is not so much that Dr. Seuss radically reconfigures the ways in which lawyers and law scholars “come to the law,” but that children’s literature is often an unexplored avenue for understanding the complexities of law. Dr. Seuss’s The Butter Battle Book is exemplary of the power of children’s literature to comment on and critique law and politics. Specifically, The Butter Battle Book provides interesting and informative pathways into the critical study of terrorism and national security law.
The challenging interface of technology and policy: a case study of communications interoperability

Three hurdles are identified that have to be overcome to make interoperability a reality: technology, common frequency and standard, and funding. Of these funding and the collective action problems associated with it poses the most significant obstacle. Based on collective action theory and case studies two strategies are examined that have been utilized to overcome the funding obstacle. Success it is suggested depends largely on the ability of policy makers to align technological capabilities with other policies and overall goals.
The Enzymatic Degradation of Heparin and Heparitin Sulfate III. PURIFICATION OF A HEPARITINASE AND A HEPARINASE FROM FLAVOBACTERIA

Crude enzyme obtained from heparin-induced flavobacteria has been fractionated into a heparitinase acting on heparitin sulfates and related compounds and a heparinase acting mainly on heparin. Purification achieved for each was from 50 to 100 times that of earlier preparations containing a mixture of the two enzymes. In agreement with previous data both enzymes act as eliminases rather than hydrolases yielding products containing Δ4,5-unsaturated uronic acid. Specificity of the heparitinase appears to require the absence of O-sulfate and the presence of N-acetyl or sulfamido groups. Specificity of the heparinase requires the presence of O-sulfate and sulfamido groups while derivatives containing free amino or N-acetyl are not substrates. The heparinase degrades heparitin sulfate to some extent acting apparently on the heparin-like portion.
Formation of a stable inactive complex of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase with magnesium, beryllium, and fluoride.

Incubation of leaky or nonionic detergent-solubilized sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles in solutions containing magnesium, beryllium, and fluoride caused a time-dependent complete inhibition of calcium ATPase activity. The inhibited state persisted through dialysis for 2 days versus EGTA and was reversed within minutes by the presence of 0.5 mM calcium. Calcium-independent ATPase activity was unaffected. Omission of magnesium or fluoride resulted in retention of activity, while omission of beryllium produced slower inactivation, as described previously (Murphy, A. J., and Coll, R. J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 5229-5235). Incubation of nonleaky vesicles had a similar effect, although it occurred more than 10-fold more slowly, suggesting that a component, probably beryllium, must enter the vesicles for inhibition to occur. By contrast, inhibition of nonleaky vesicles by magnesium and fluoride developed less than 2-fold more slowly. Including calcium in the incubation mixtures resulted in partial protection, so that the time course of CaATPase activity leveled off at nonzero values (for example, at 0.1 mM calcium, the activity leveled off at 43% of control). This result is most simply accounted for by a model involving simultaneous binding of calcium and a form of fluoroberyllium to the CaATPase (e.g. Ca2EMgBeFn).
Coupled 2D/3D transport: Analysis of graphene-SiC devices

Macroscopic equations are discussed that describe carrier transport in situations in which an ordinary 3D semiconductor is coupled to a 2D material like graphene or molybdenum disulfide. The transport equations are familiar ones from either diffusion-drift or density-gradient theory, with the main focus being on the critical boundary conditions that couple the two systems together. To illustrate the hybrid description we apply it to situations involving graphene on p-type SiC.
Herbarium records are reliable sources of phenological change driven by climate and provide novel insights into species’ phenological cueing mechanisms

6 PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Climate change has resulted in major changes in the phenology of some species but not others. Long-term fi eld observational records provide the best assessment of these changes, but geographic and taxonomic biases limit their utility. Plant specimens in herbaria have been hypothesized to provide a wealth of additional data for studying phenological responses to climatic change. However, no study to our knowledge has comprehensively addressed whether herbarium data are accurate measures of phenological response and thus applicable to addressing such questions. METHODS: We compared fl owering phenology determined from fi eld observations (years 1852-1858, 1875, 1878-1908, 2003-2006, 2011-2013) and her- barium records (1852-2013) of 20 species from New England, United States. KEY RESULTS: Earliest fl owering date estimated from herbarium records faithfully refl ected fi eld observations of fi rst fl owering date and substantially in- creased the sampling range across climatic conditions. Additionally, although most species demonstrated a response to interannual temperature varia- tion, long-term temporal changes in phenological response were not detectable. CONCLUSIONS: Our fi ndings support the use of herbarium records for understanding plant phenological responses to changes in temperature, and also importantly establish a new use of herbarium collections: inferring primary phenological cueing mechanisms of individual species (e.g., temperature, winter chilling, photoperiod). These latter data are lacking from most investigations of phenological change, but are vital for understanding diff erential responses of individual species to ongoing climate change.
Regulation and adaptation of glucose metabolism of the parasitic protist Leishmania donovani at the enzyme and mRNA levels.

Adaptation of the glucose metabolism of Leishmania donovani promastigotes (insect stage) was investigated by simultaneously measuring metabolic rates, enzyme activities, message levels, and cellular parameters under various conditions. Chemostats were used to adapt cells to different growth rates with growth rate-limiting or excess glucose concentrations. L. donovani catabolized glucose to CO2, succinate, acetate, and pyruvate in ratios that depended on growth rate and glucose availability. Rates of glucose consumption were a linear function of growth rate and were twice as high in excess glucose-grown cells as in glucose-limited organisms. The major end product was CO2, but organic end products were also formed in ratios that varied strongly with growth conditions. The specific activities of the 14 metabolic enzymes measured varied by factors of 3 to 17. Two groups of enzymes adapted specific activities in parallel, but there was no correlation between the groups. The activities of only one group correlated with specific rates of glucose metabolism. Total RNA content per cellular protein varied by a factor of 6 and showed a linear relationship with the rate of glucose consumption. There was no correlation between steady-state message levels and activities of the corresponding enzymes, suggesting regulation at the posttranscriptional level. A comparison of the adaptation of energy metabolism in L. donovani and other species suggests that the energy metabolism of L. donovani is inefficient but is well suited to the environmental challenges that it encounters during residence in the sandfly, its insect vector.
Recent advances in brain injury research: a new human head model development and validation

Many finite element models have been developed by several research groups in order to achieve a better understanding of brain injury. Due to the lack of experimental data, validation of these models has generally been limited. Consequently, applying these models to investigate brain responses has also been limited. Over the last several years, several versions of the Wayne State University brain injury model (WSUBIM) were developed. However, none of these models is capable of simulating indirect impacts with an angular acceleration higher than 8,000 rad/s(2). Additionally, the density and quality of the mesh in the regions of interest are not detailed and sensitive enough to accurately predict the stress/strain level associated with a wide range of impact severities. In this study, WSUBIM version 2001, capable of simulating direct and indirect impacts with a combined translational and rotational acceleration of the head up to 200 g and 12,000 rad/s(2) has been developed. This new finely meshed model, consisting of more than 314,500 elements and 281,800 nodes, also simulates an anatomically detailed facial bone model. An additional new feature of the model is the damageable material property representation of the facial bone and the skull, allowing it to simulate bony fractures. The model was subjected to extensive validation using published cadaveric test data. These data include the intracranial and ventricular pressure data reported by Nahum et al. (1977) and Trosseille et al. (1992), the relative displacement data between the brain and the skull reported by King et al. (1999) and Hardy et al. (2001), and the facial impact data reported by Nyquist et al. (1986) and Allsop et al. (1988). With the enhanced accuracy of model predictions offered by this new model, along with new experimental data, it is hoped that it will become a powerful tool to further our understanding of the mechanisms of injury and the tolerance of the brain to blunt impact.