cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How do early career health sciences information professionals gain competencies

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe early career health sciences information professionals’ self-reported attainment of the Medical Library Association (MLA) Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success and to investigate the various methods by which participants developed these competencies. Methods: A SurveyMonkey survey was designed to ascertain participants’demographic information and their competency attainment. ‘‘Early career’’ health information professionals were defined as those with less than five years of professional experience. Participants were asked to rate each of the seven competencies on a five-point Likert scale regarding their level of agreement with the statement, ‘‘I have demonstrated this competency.’’ Participants who responded positively were then asked to indicate how they acquired the competency on a multiple-choice, multiple-answer list. Free-text fields were provided for general comments and for participants to elaborate on their answers. The survey was distributed through the MLA email discussion list and other related email discussion lists. Participation was anonymous. Results: One hundred eighty-seven responses were received. Out of those 187 respondents, 95 completed the entire survey. The majority of early career health sciences information professionals agreed that they had attained all 7 competencies. Of the various methods used to develop competencies, the most selected method was formal library and information studies education. Participants were least likely to report attaining competencies via mentoring, volunteering, or internships. Participants reported the highest level of confidence in having attained the ‘‘Health Sciences Information Services’’ competency, and the lowest level of confidence in having attained the ‘‘Research, Analysis, and Interpretation’’ competency. Conclusions: These results contribute to the ongoing discussions regarding proposed changes to the MLA competencies. The results may also inform the development of educational and professional development opportunities for prospective or early career health information professionals.
Linear Nevus Sebaceum Syndrome and Infantile Spasms

Two infants with linear nevus sebaceum syndrome and infantile spasms are reported from Safra Childrens Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; and Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Asians wear clothes on the internet: race, gender, and the work of personal style blogging; Craft and the creative economy

Minh-Ha T. Pham’s first book-length project, Asians Wear Clothes on the Internet (2015), is a welcome addition to the growing body of work described as “blog studies.” Pham’s monograph is a richly ...
Differences in TRA-8 anti-DR5 antibody response with Adriamycin by modulation of Akt, cell cycle and apoptotic pathways.

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA LB-228 Introduction: TRA-8 anti-DR5 antibody induces apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell lines both in vitro and in vivo . Breast cancer cell lines have varying sensitivities to TRA-8-mediated apoptosis, but Adriamycin can enhance sensitivity and in some cell lines reverse resistance to TRA-8. We previously reported that TRA-8 induced caspase-3, 8 and 9 cleavage in sensitive 2LMP and LCC6 breast cancer cells, but not in resistant BT474 cells. TRA-8 combined with Adriamycin or Velcade generated caspase cleavage, PARP cleavage and reduced Bid in each cell line. We explored the mechanistic differences among breast cancer cell lines after TRA-8, Adriamycin or combination treatment via modulation of Akt, cell cycle and additional apoptotic pathways. Methods: Cytotoxicity against 2LMP, a TRA-8 sensitive subclone of the MDA-MB-231 cell line, and BT474 resistant breast cancer cells, was detected using an ATPLite assay. Protein expression was detected by Western blot. JC-1 assays measured changes in mitochondria membrane potential. FACS detection of PI staining determined cell cycle phase. Results: Comparisons of phospho-Akt levels between breast cancer cells revealed p-Akt in BT474 with no detection in 2LMP and LCC6 cells. In BT474 cells, p-Akt was reduced with combination TRA-8 and Adriamycin treatment. However, treatment with two Akt inhibitors, including LY294002, did not sensitize BT474 cells to TRA-8 cytotoxicity. Adriamycin induced an accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in 2LMP and LCC6 cells. TRA-8 resistant BT474 cells showed S and G2/M arrest in response to Adriamycin. A higher Sub-G1 or apoptotic fraction was detected in the combination Adriamycin and TRA-8 treated cells. Adriamycin increased expression of S and G2 phase cyclins, A and B1 in 2LMP and BT474 cells. However, a cdk/cyclin activating phosphatase, cdc25C was phosphorylated and decreased by Adriamycin in BT474 cells, as well as c-myc. BT474 cells treated with TRA-8 or Adriamycin alone failed to activate apoptotic pathways, but combination treatment did activated apoptosis. Deregulation of the cell cycle by Adriamycin may have allowed for intrinsic apoptotic activation by TRA-8 to proceed with combination treatment. Reduced mitochondrial membrane potential was detected in 2LMP and LCC6 cells treated with TRA-8 alone, with a greater reduction in combination with Adriamycin and only with combination treatment in BT474 cells. Adriamycin reduced expression of Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 in BT474 cells alone and in combination with TRA-8, which removes inhibition of intrinsic apoptosis. Conclusions: Adriamycin reduced constitutive p-Akt in BT474 TRA-8 resistant cells, but inhibition of Akt was not sufficient to sensitize cells. In BT474 breast cancer cells, Adriamycin caused cell cycle arrest, decreased anti-apoptotic proteins and mitochondrial membrane potential, and sensitized cells to TRA-8 induced apoptosis.
Synovial Sarcoma of the Head and Neck: A Single Institution Review.

Background. The prognosis and clinical characteristics of head and neck synovial sarcomas (HNSS) are unclear. Herein, we present an update using a cohort of patients treated at our institution. Methods. We performed a retrospective chart review of 44 patients diagnosed with primary HNSS between March 1990 and June 2012. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) curves were estimated and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated. Results. The entire cohort’s median PFS was 4.6 years, and 20 of the 44 (45%) patients developed either local or distant recurrence. Tumor size ≥ 5 cm ( , HR = 4.69; 95% CI = 1.34–16.38) and a primary presentation in the soft tissues of the neck ( , HR = 2.41; 95% CI = 1.003–5.82) were associated with significantly worse PFS. The OS and PFS of patients who received definitive local therapy versus those who received additional adjuvant systemic therapy did not differ significantly. Conclusion. Despite the treatment challenges associated with HNSS, our cohort of patients had a better prognosis than one might expect in this unfavorable anatomical location. Our findings suggest that tumor size and site are predictive of PFS and that wide surgical excision is of vital importance, since traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy has limited efficacy at this site.
Adaptive fault tolerant tracking control for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems with output constraint and actuator faults

Abstract In this work, we present a novel control algorithm for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems with constraint requirement on the system output tracking error. The gain functions are not totally known, and the systems are subject to actuator faults. A novel structure of barrier Lyapunov function is proposed to deal with the constraint requirement in stochastic systems. We show that under the proposed control scheme, convergence of the system output tracking error into a small set around zero is guaranteed in the sense of mean quartic value. The constraint requirement on the system output tracking error will not be violated during operation in the sense of probability. The proposed scheme is also a unified approach, which can handle both deterministic and stochastic nonlinear systems of a particular structure, and can also handle nonlinear systems with or without system output constraint requirements. An illustrative example with both deterministic and stochastic nonlinear systems is presented to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Positive Impact of a Pilot Pharmacist-Run Diabetes Pharmacotherapy Clinic in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients

Purpose. Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) can lead to significant morbidity and cardiovascular death with a functioning graft. A paucity of literature exists regarding glycemic control in solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients, including pharmacist management of PTDM. This study aimed to assess the impact of pharmacist interventions on diabetes management in a pharmacist-run PTDM clinic. Methods. This was a single-center, prospective, observational study of 24 adult SOT recipients enrolled in a pilot pharmacist-managed PTDM clinic from 1 January to 30 June 2015. Results. Improvements were realized in markers of glycemic control, including changes in A1C, average daily self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) results, fasting SMBG results, and pre-lunch SMBG results from enrollment through at least 3 months of follow-up. Median A1C decreased significantly from 8.05% (interquartile range [IQR] 6.33–11.75) at baseline to 6.45% (IQR 6.05–7.3) at the last follow-up encounter ( P = 0.0010). Average daily SMBG results decreased significantly from a median of 191 mg/dL (IQR 138–232 mg/dL) at baseline to 125 mg/dL (IQR 111–167 mg/dL) at the final encounter ( P = 0.0023). Median fasting and pre-lunch SMBG results decreased significantly from 153 mg/dL (IQR 117–208 mg/dL) at baseline to 120 mg/dL (IQR 102–134 mg/dL) ( P = 0.0064) and from 212 mg/dL (IQR 159–258 mg/dL) to 122 mg/dL (IQR 110–169 mg/dL) ( P = 0.0161), respectively. Changes from baseline in other SMBG values, lipid levels, and BMI were not statistically significant. Conclusion. The results of our study demonstrate that a pharmacist-managed PTDM clinic can significantly affect glycemic control in SOT recipients.
Case 5: A Very Tall 7-year-old Boy with Medulloblastoma.

1. Zachary M. Rossfeld, MD 1. Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH A 7-year-old boy diagnosed 3 months earlier as having medulloblastoma and actively receiving chemotherapy is admitted to the oncology service for Aspergillus surgical site infection after tumor resection. He undergoes surgical debridement and is started on appropriate intravenous antifungal treatment, with a favorable clinical response. Although afebrile and clinically convalescing, lower extremity blood pressures (BPs) measured via automated electronic sphygmomanometer are persistently elevated (125–150/65–90 mm Hg), prompting a nephrology consultation. Physical examination is notable for an irritable boy who is large for his age (height, 59.8 in \[152 cm\] \[100th percentile\]; and weight, 125.2 lb \[56.8 kg\] \[100th percentile\]), a manual upper extremity BP of 120/84 mm Hg, alopecia, and normal cardiopulmonary examination without peripheral edema. Results of initial evaluation for causes of secondary hypertension, including urinalysis, serum chemistry/electrolytes/glucose, complete blood cell count, plasma renin activity, renal ultrasound, and echocardiogram, are normal. Additional history and evaluation reveal the diagnosis. Attempting to reconcile BP readings by age, sex, and height, (1) it was realized that the patient’s height exceeded the 95th percentile for age by 8.3 in (21 cm). His parents denied any growth spurt and reported that he had “always been heavy and tall.” They had, however, noticed axillary and pubic hair as well as body odor for the preceding 5 months. His pediatrician was contacted, and a 1-year …
Parallel GF(2 n ) multipliers

Operations over polynomial Galois fields GF(2n) are employed in a variety of cryptographic systems. These operations include multiplication and reduction with respect to an irreducible polynomial modulus. Fast parallel multipliers can be designed but require substantial die area. Building on prior work, two fully parallel polynomial n× n multipliers are presented with O(log 2 n) latency, which use lookup tables to store modular reduction terms.
Performance and carcass quality of steers fed whole raw soybeans at increasing inclusion levels

Two experiments were conducted to determine the efficacy of whole raw soybeans as a partial or whole replacement for soybean meal in a corn/soybean meal-based feedlot diet. In Exp. 1, 80 crossbred steers (average BW = 441.3 kg) and, in Exp. 2, 96 Angus-sired steers (average BW = 413.7 kg) were blocked by weight and assigned randomly to one of four dietary treatments. Treatments were 0, 8, 16, and 24% dietary inclusions of whole raw soybeans. Diets within experiments were isonitrogenous. Across experiments, diets were similar, differing only in amount of corn silage (8 vs. 15% DM) at the expense of whole, shelled corn for Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, respectively. No treatment differences were observed for ADG or final BW. Dry matter intake from d 0 to d 58 decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with increased inclusion of whole raw soybeans in Exp. 1, with no effect on feed efficiency. In Exp.2 from d 0 to 72, whole raw soybean inclusion had no effect on DMI or feed efficiency. There tended (P < 0.10) to be a linear reduction in hot carcass weight when whole raw soybeans were included in Exp. 1. Unexpectedly, longissimus muscle area tended (P < 0.10) to respond quadratically (P < 0.10) to the increased inclusion of whole raw soybeans in Exp.1. No differences were detected in marbling score, 10th-rib backfat, or yield grade for Exp. 1 and 2 steers. In Exp. 2, inclusion of whole raw soybeans had no effect on hot carcass weight or longissimus muscle area. Incrementally increasing the inclusion of whole raw soybeans in the diet of feedlot steers had little overall effect on weight gain, feed efficiency, or carcass quality in Exp. 1 and 2. There were subtle differences in the treatment responses observed for hot carcass weight and longissimus muscle area between Exp. 1 and Exp. 2 for the 24% inclusion level. These noted differences may indicate that inclusion levels above 24% might not be beneficial.
Algorithmic Differentiation of Implicit Functions and Optimal Values

In applied optimization, an understanding of the sensitivity of the optimal value to changes in structural parameters is often essential. Applications include parametric optimization, saddle point problems, Benders decompositions, and multilevel optimization. In this paper we adapt a known automatic differentiation (AD) technique for obtaining derivatives of implicitly defined functions for application to optimal value functions. The formulation we develop is well suited to the evaluation of first and second derivatives of optimal values. The result is a method that yields large savings in time and memory. The savings are demonstrated by a Benders decomposition example using both the ADOL-C and CppAD packages. Some of the source code for these comparisons is included to aid testing with other hardware and compilers, other AD packages, as well as future versions of ADOL-C and CppAD. The source code also serves as an aid in the implementation of the method for actual applications. In addition, it demonstrates how multiple C++ operator overloading AD packages can be used with the same source code. This provides motivation for the coding numerical routines where the floating point type is a C++ template parameter.
Data Modeling for Non-Standard Data

This paper discusses the role of the semantic data models in addressing the concerns of non-standard data such as text, music, design information and pictures. It begins with a review of three prominent models and then discusses the general features used to compare semantic data models. Next, the evolution of database systems is considered. Descriptions of modern systems that are not transaction-oriented are provided. Finally, semantic data model features are linked to specific database environments. General research directions for the 1990â€™s are discussed.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients with Ileocolic Neobladders

AbstractThe terminal ileum is widely used for reconstruction of the lower urinary tract. Since the terminal ileum exclusively absorbs vitamin B12, removal of ileum from the gastrointestinal tract for use in lower urinary tract reconstruction may predispose patients to vitamin B12 deficiency. In a prospective study serial vitamin B12 levels were obtained postoperatively in 24 patients who underwent cystectomy for malignancy and ileocolic neobladder urinary diversion with a mean followup of 25 months (range 6 to 53). Any patient who had a low vitamin B12 serum level (less than 200pg./ml.) underwent a Schilling test to confirm malabsorptive vitamin B12 deficiency. Six patients (25%) had low serum vitamin B12 levels, of whom 3 (13%) had an abnormal Schilling test. No patient had megaloblastic anemia. One patient with malabsorptive vitamin B12 deficiency had neurological symptoms 53 months postoperatively. We conclude that vitamin B12 deficiency can occur following ileocolic neobladder reconstruction. Patients...
Early life adversity and health-risk behaviors: proposed psychological and neural mechanisms

Early life adversity (ELA) is associated with poorer health in adulthood, an association explained, at least in part, by increased engagement in health-risk behaviors (HRBs). In this review, we make the case that ELA influences brain development in ways that increase the likelihood of engaging in HRBs. We argue that ELA alters neural circuitry underpinning cognitive control as well as emotional processing, including networks involved in processing threat and reward. These neural changes are associated psychologically and behaviorally with heightened emotional reactivity, blunted reward responsivity, poorer emotion regulation, and greater delay discounting. We then demonstrate that these adaptations to ELA are associated with an increased risk of smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and eating high-fat, high-sugar foods. Furthermore, we explore how HRBs affect the brain in ways that reinforce addiction and further explain clustering of HRBs.
An Experimental Study of the Transmit Power for a USRP Software-Defined Radio

The Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) from Ettus Research is a software defined radio (SDR) that has emerged as an affordable and capable radio used in both teaching and research applications. Despite its widespread use, precise specification of the transmit power of USRP SDR boards is not readily available in the manufacturer data sheets, and in this paper we present an experimental study of the transmit power for the B-series USRP SDR board from Ettus Research. Specifically, a USRP B200 SDR is used to setup extensive measurements of the output transmit power over its covered frequency range and the power variation with frequency along with its dependence on the transmit gain parameter in the USRP hardware driver (UHD) is evaluated. A discussion of the possible causes that lead to variations in the transmit power is also presented.
Approximating Isotope Distributions of Biomolecule Fragments

In mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, protein and peptide sequences are determined by the isolation and subsequent fragmentation of precursor ions. When an isolation window captures only part of a precursor's isotopic distribution, the isotope distributions of the fragments depend on the subset of isolated precursor isotopes. Approximation of the expected isotope distributions of these fragments prior to sequence determination enables MS2 deisotoping, monoisotopic mass calculation, charge assignment of fragment peaks, and deconvolution of chimeric spectra. However, currently such methods do not exist, and precursor isotope distributions are often used as a proxy. Here, we present methods that approximate the isotope distribution of a biomolecule's fragment given its monoisotopic mass, the monoisotopic mass of its precursor, the set of isolated precursor isotopes, and optionally sulfur atom content. Our methods use either the Averagine model or splines, the latter of which have similar accuracy to the Averagine approach, but are 20 times faster to compute. Theoretical and approximated isotope distributions are consistent for fragments of in silico digested peptides. Furthermore, mass spectrometry experiments with the angiotensin I peptide and HeLa cell lysate demonstrate that the fragment methods match isotope peaks in MS2 spectra more accurately than the precursor Averagine approach. The algorithms for the approximation of fragment isotope distributions have been added to the OpenMS software library. By providing the means for analyzing fragment isotopic distributions, these methods will improve MS2 spectra interpretation.
DWI of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Pilot Study to Estimate the Correlation With Metastatic Disease Potential and Overall Survival.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the presence or development of me...
An online quality management framework for approximate communication in network-on-chips

Approximate communication is being seriously considered as an effective technique for reducing power consumption and improving the communication efficiency of network-on-chips (NoCs). A major problem faced by these techniques is quality control: how do we ensure that the network will transmit data with sufficient accuracy for applications to produce acceptable results? Previous methods that addressed this issue require each application to calculate the approximation level for every piece of approximable data, which takes hundreds of cycles. So the approximation information is often not available when a request packet is transmitted. Therefore, the reply packet with the approximable data is transmitted with unnecessarily absolute accuracy, reducing the effectiveness of approximate communication. In this paper, we propose a hardware-based quality management framework for approximate communication to minimize the time needed for the approximation level calculation. The proposed framework employs a configuration algorithm to continuously adjust the quality of every piece of data based on the difference between the output quality and the application's quality requirement. When the proposed framework is implemented in a network, every request packet can be transmitted with the updated approximation level. This framework results in fewer flits in each data packet and reduces traffic in NoCs while meeting the quality requirements of applications. Our cycle-accurate simulation using the AxBench benchmark suite shows that the proposed online quality management framework can reduce network latency by up to 52% and dynamic power consumption by 59% compared to previous approximate communication techniques while ensuring 95% output quality. This hardware-software codesign incurs 1% area overhead over previous techniques.
Cardiac Surgery in Patients With Opioid Use Disorder: An Analysis of 1.7 Million Surgeries

Background Adverse repercussions associated with the current opioid epidemic have been documented in many surgical specialties. This study evaluated the impact of opioid use disorder (OUD) on in-hospital cardiac surgery outcomes by using a large national database. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample, this study isolated patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, valve repair, or valve replacement from 2009 to 2014. Patients were stratified by OUD status. Multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate the association between opioid use and postoperative outcomes. Patients were further stratified by surgery type. Results Overall, 1,743,161 patients underwent cardiac surgery, and 6960 patients had OUD (0.4%). Mean age was 47.2 and 65.8 years among those with and without OUD, respectively. Although in-hospital mortality did not differ among these groups, patients with OUD had a significantly higher incidence of stroke (8.3% vs 2.8%) and acute kidney injury (21.4% vs 16.2%), longer hospital stays (18 days vs 10 days), and higher hospitalization costs ($81,238 vs $58,654; all P Conclusions OUD among cardiac surgery patients is associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased risk of postoperative morbidity, mainly driven by the patient's preoperative risk factors. Strategies to minimize these risk factors at the prehospitalization level is warranted to curb the opioid epidemic and improve overall outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Type V Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Supplied by the Artery of Wollschlaeger and Wollschlaeger Causing Cervical Myelopathy and Quadriparesis.

Background The artery of Wollschlaeger and Wollschlaeger is a tentorial branch of the superior cerebellar artery that is usually not visualized on conventional cerebral angiography, unless it is pathologically enlarged. It can be recruited as part of the blood supply to tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), although this occurs infrequently. Case Description Here we report the clinico-radiologic evaluation and treatment of a 48-year-old man referred to our institution for hitherto workup negative progressive, relapsing quadriparesis. This represents the first reported case of cervical myelopathy caused by venous congestion from a type V dural AVF supplied by the artery of Wollschlaeger and Wollschlaeger. Conclusions The anatomic discrepancy between the symptomatic spinal cord lesion and the etiologic intracranial fistula frequently results in delayed care in cases of myelopathy due to intracranial dural AVFs. Familiarity with these disorders and of their pathophysiologic mechanisms is important to avoid unnecessary diagnostic delays.
Reliability and Accuracy of Remote Fiberoptic Nasopharyngolaryngoscopy in the Pediatric Population.

Introduction:Telemedicine is an increasingly prevalent component of medical practice. In otolaryngology, there is the potential for telemedicine services to be performed in conjunction with device ...
4 – Typical Values

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a number of useful typical values of random variables and studies their properties. The discrete and absolutely continuous random variables are treated separately. In the mathematical expectation of a random variable, the behavior of a random variable is characterized completely by its distribution function. A few important properties of expectations are: a random variable X is said to be bounded if its distribution function has no point of increase outside a finite interval. If X is a discrete and bounded random variable with possible values {xj}, then there exists a constant M such that | xj| ≤ M for all j. If X is absolutely continuous and bounded, there exists a constant M such that PX (x) = 0 for | x| > M. The constant M is called an upper bound of the random variable X. The chapter also discusses regression. The regression curves of the bivariate normal distribution are straight lines. The coefficients are called the regression coefficients. The theory of regression can be generalized to the case where the regression curve is not a straight line but a parabola of degree s.
The Opioid Epidemic Within the COVID-19 Pandemic: Drug Testing in 2020.

The convergence of the opioid epidemic and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created new health care challenges. The authors analyzed changes in clinical drug testing patterns and results at a national clinical laboratory, comparing data obtained before and during the pandemic. Testing for prescription and illicit drugs declined rapidly during the pandemic, with weekly test volumes falling by approximately 70% from the baseline period to the trough (the week beginning March 29) before rising in subsequent weeks. Among individuals tested, positivity increased by 35% for non-prescribed fentanyl and 44% for heroin during the pandemic. Positivity for non-prescribed fentanyl increased significantly among patients positive for other drugs: by 89% for specimens positive for amphetamines; 48% for benzodiazepines; 34% for cocaine; and 39% for opiates (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). These findings suggest significant increases in dangerous drug combinations. Positivity for non-prescribed use of many other drugs remained consistent or declined for some drugs, relative to pre-pandemic patterns. Models adjusting for potential confounding variables, including medication-assisted treatment and treatment at a substance use disorder facility indicated that the risk for non-prescribed fentanyl positivity rose by more than 50% during the pandemic. In summary, these findings demonstrate decreased drug testing overall, with increased positivity for high-risk drugs and dangerous drug combinations. The convergence of the drug abuse epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased need for health care and public health resources dedicated to supporting vulnerable patients and addressing the underlying causes of these disturbing trends.
Do Heart-Kidney Transplant Candidates on Mechanical Circulatory Support Have Acceptable Outcomes Post-Transplant?

Purpose Heart-kidney transplant (HKTx) patients have acceptable outcomes post-transplant. Patients on mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices who undergo heart transplantation have the potential of several complications such as longer cold ischemic time due the time relegated to explant these devices due to extensive scar tissue and bleeding. In addition, many of these patients receive a significant number of blood products for bleeding episodes which can cause right ventricular dysfunction of the donor heart. Time in the intensive care unit (ICU) is also potentially increased due to the various complications that may occur. This would also include takebacks to the operating room (OR) for extensive bleeding. We reviewed our database to illuminate differences in patients with and without MCS undergoing HKTx. Methods Between 2017 and 2019, we assessed 43 patients undergoing HKTx and divided them into MCS (n=7) versus non-MCS patients (n=36). Endpoints included cold ischemic time, time in the ICU, number of blood products administered, takebacks to the OR for bleeding, 30-day survival, 1-year survival, 1-year freedom from non-fatal major adverse cardiac events (NF-MACE: myocardial infarction, new congestive heart failure, percutaneous coronary intervention, implantable cardioverter defibrillator/pacemaker implant, stroke), 1-year freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV, stenosis ≥30% by angiography), and the development of severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD). Results Heart-kidney transplant patients with MCS versus those without MCS had significantly greater packed red blood cells needed and prolonged ICU length of stay. There were no differences between the 2 groups in 1-year survival, freedom from CAV, NF-MACE, and PGD. Conclusion Heart-kidney transplant candidates on MCS do not appear to have worse 1-year outcomes. Excess bleeding and prolonged ICU stay are the only adverse complications noted. These patients on MCS should be considered for HKTx.
Agreement between neuroimages and reports for natural language processing-based detection of silent brain infarcts and white matter disease.

There are numerous barriers to identifying patients with silent brain infarcts (SBIs) and white matter disease (WMD) in routine clinical care. A natural language processing (NLP) algorithm may identify patients from neuroimaging reports, but it is unclear if these reports contain reliable information on these findings. Four radiology residents reviewed 1000 neuroimaging reports (RI) of patients age > 50 years without clinical histories of stroke, TIA, or dementia for the presence, acuity, and location of SBIs, and the presence and severity of WMD. Four neuroradiologists directly reviewed a subsample of 182 images (DR). An NLP algorithm was developed to identify findings in reports. We assessed interrater reliability for DR and RI, and agreement between these two and with NLP. For DR, interrater reliability was moderate for the presence of SBIs (k = 0.58, 95 % CI 0.46–0.69) and WMD (k = 0.49, 95 % CI 0.35–0.63), and moderate to substantial for characteristics of SBI and WMD. Agreement between DR and RI was substantial for the presence of SBIs and WMD, and fair to substantial for characteristics of SBIs and WMD. Agreement between NLP and DR was substantial for the presence of SBIs (k = 0.64, 95 % CI 0.53–0.76) and moderate (k = 0.52, 95 % CI 0.39–0.65) for the presence of WMD. Neuroimaging reports in routine care capture the presence of SBIs and WMD. An NLP can identify these findings (comparable to direct imaging review) and can likely be used for cohort identification.
The Comparative Fate of Chemically Dispersed and Untreated Oils in an Arctic Nearshore Environment

The distribution and environmental fate of petroleum hydrocarbons introduced into the nearshore environment of Cape Hatt, Baffin Island, Canada, during two controlled experimental discharges of a Venezuelan (Lagomedio) crude oil have been studied. An analytical program based on a combination of ultraviolet/fluorescence studies, high resolution gas chromatography, and computer-assisted gas chromatographic mass spectrometry has been used to examine several hundred oil, seawater, sediment, sediment trap, surface floc, and benthic animal (seven species) samples to determine the distribution, transport, and weathering of oil spilled in two scenarios: as untreated oil on the surface and as chemically dispersed oil discharged below the surface. Conclusions are drawn about the weathering of oil in the two scenarios, transport of low and high molecular weight hydrocarbons into the water column and their persistence, the sedimentation of oil, the incorporation of oil into the sediment via sedimentation onto the surface floc and direct penetration of the sediment/ water interface, and the uptake and depuration of untreated and chemically dispersed oils by seven species of filter feeders and deposit feeders in the subtidal benthos.
Coupling Coefficient: A Determinant of Eddy Current Probe Performance

The accuracy of an eddy current inspection depends in large part on the performance of the eddy current probe. Consistent performance requires identification of the eddy current probe parameters which characterize performance. These parameters could then serve as a basis for probe procurement specification. Their measurement would also provide a basis for the evaluation of probes which are currently used at inspection facilities and which may have deteriorated[1].
Teaching World Literatures in English: Inside the US Academy, Outside the Whale

Global migration has resulted in a changing student body and a changing cohort of English professors. This new demographic often teaches in a manner that ‘talks back’ to cultural hegemony. How do students in the US academy respond when canonical texts are taught by someone perceived as outside the lineage and not pedigreed to teach the canon? Or when professors teach both canonical and postcolonial texts in their historical and political contexts, not shying away from the dialectic between literature and history or literature and politics? Literature classes provide, or should provide, students with the skills to read the world as text, to read it critically and in context. But whose text, what context, which literature and, indeed, whose world? An intersectional academic approach to literary texts that interrogates the positions of power from which writing and cultural expression originate can be seen as contaminative. But as Gayatri Spivak notes, the historian and the teacher of literature “must critically ‘interrupt’ each other, bring each other to crisis.” This article explores how the clash of cultural, structural and subject positions can produce a new power/knowledge differential. It discusses the constitution of positionality and the problematics of ownership of the story and interrogates the consequences of a pedagogical approach that foregrounds more historicist/political readings of literary texts as one methodology.
Is Trash a Library's Treasure? A Study of Gifts-in-Kind Practices and Policies Among New York State Libraries

The author of this article sent out surveys to libraries throughout New York State to study gifts-in-kind practices and policies among, primarily, public and academic institutions. The study found that most libraries have a selective or limited gifts-in-kind policy but there were few libraries that never accept gifts-in-kind. In addition, he found that public libraries tended to view gifts-in-kind as potential revenue sources while academic libraries saw it is a form of outreach. In addition, discarding criteria for gifts-in-kind are discussed as well as the lack of hard data being collected by various institutions. Respondents answers were weighed in tables to give an accurate picture of selection and deselection criteria.
Regeneration of Activity by Mixture of Ribonuclease Enzymically Degraded from the COOH Terminus and a Synthetic COOH-terminal Tetradecapeptide

Abstract A peptide corresponding to the 14 amino acid residues at the COOH terminus of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease has been synthesized by the solid phase method. When this peptide was mixed with ribonuclease that had been inactivated by proteolytic removal of the 6 residues (-His-Phe-Asp-Ala-Ser-Val) at the COOH terminus, 90% of the activity of native RNase was regenerated toward cyclic 2',3'-cytidylic acid as substrate and 70% toward RNA at a peptide to protein ratio of 3. High activity was also regenerated when only 5 residues had been removed from RNase and moderate activity was obtained when 4 residues had been removed. No activity could be recovered when the full complement of residues was present but the molecule had been inactivated by carboxymethylation of histidine-119. It was further found that peptides representing both ends of the RNase molecule, the NH2-terminal S-peptide (1–20) and the COOH-terminal peptide (111–124), containing both of the catalytically essential histidine residues, could be bound noncovalently to an inactive core (21–118) to regenerate activity.
Gold Plating of Printed Circuit Boards and Wire

In this paper, reproduced by permission of “Metal Finishing” (New Jersey), the author enumerates the required properties of electroplated gold coatings on printed circuit boards and wire to ensure satisfactory bonding by ultrasonic means. The gold plating procedures and process control methods which are necessary to produce coatings yielding consistently high bond strengths are described.
Effects of text illustrations: A review of research

Can illustrations aid learning of text material? These authors review the results of 55 experiments comparing learning from illustrated text with learning from text alone. They go on to look at research in closely related fields (involving, for example, nonrepresentational pictures, graphic organizers, learner-produced drawings) and conclude by offering guidelines for practice.
Characterizing the binding of nucleotide ATP on serum albumin by 31P NMR diffusion

The pulsed-field-gradient (PFG) 31P NMR diffusion spectra were measured under varied sample conditions to characterize the low-affinity binding of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) on human serum alb...
Mass fractionation during transonic escape and implications for loss of water from Mars and Venus

Hydrodynamic escape of hydrogen from a planetary atmosphere can remove heavier gases as well as hydrogen, provided that the escape rate is sufficiently large. Analytic approximations for the degree of mass fractionation of a trace species during hydrodynamic escape are compared with accurate numerical solutions for the case of transonic outflow. The analytic approximations are most accurate when the ratio of molecular weights of the heavier and lighter constituents is large so that nonlinear terms in the momentum equation for the heavy constituent become small. The simplest analytic formula is readily generalized to the case where a heavy constituent is also a major species. Application of the generalized formula to hypothetical episodes of hydrodynamic escape from Venus and Mars suggests that both hydrogen and oxygen could have escaped; thus, substantial quantities of water may have been lost without the need to oxidize large amounts of the crust.
X-ray spectroscopy of the valence band in simple and complex cyanides

Abstract The carbon X-ray K emission band of NaCN, KCN, K 4 Fe(CN) 6 , K 3 Fe(CN) 6 , K 3 Mn(CN) 6 and K 3 Cr(CN) 6 is analysed and compared with photoelectron data if available. The correlation with photoelectron data is good. An estimate is given of the charge distribution in these ions.
Observation of apparent inelastic tunneling between Landau levels in superlattices

Evidence of the elastic and inelastic components of sequential resonant tunneling in AlAs/GaAs superlattices is presented. Magnetic field data (B parallel to current flow) show that as the energy spacing between the Landau levels in the quantum wells is changed, the corresponding density of states available for tunneling via inelastic scattering paths is changed and thus the magnetic field influences the inelastic portion of the current.
A survey of monitoring technology for subseabed disposal of radioactive waste

Abstract The subseabed is currently being considered as a disposal site for nuclear waste, and if it does become an option, monitoring to detect escape of the disposed material will be essential. In this paper, we define types of nuclear waste and present the dimensions of the monitoring problems that would be encountered in ocean disposal. We then summarize the characteristics of a number of physical, chemical, biological, and ecological monitoring methods. We also describe the advances and developments that will be necessary before the monitoring functions and support systems can be employed.
Electronic structure of the rocksalt-structure semiconductors ZnO and CdO.

ZnO, which normally occurs in the hexagonal wurtzite structure, can be transformed to the cubic rocksalt (NaCl) structure by the application of high pressure; this cubic phase has been reported to be metastable at atmospheric pressure. The band structure of this phase is calculated by the ab initio correlated Hartree-Fock method. Not surprisingly, the band structure of rocksalt ZnO is very similar to that of CdO, which has the same crystal structure; we present a band-structure calculation for CdO, which we believe is more accurate than any in the literature. A hallmark of these band structures is that the valence-band maximum is not at the center of the Brillouin zone, in contrast to the situation in tetrahedrally coordinated II-VI semiconductors. We confirm by direct calculation that this peculiarity of the band structure is a consequence of the hybridization of oxygen 2p-derived orbitals with Zn 3d or Cd 4d states, combined with octahedral point symmetry.
Effect of PPAR activators on cytokine-stimulated cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human colorectal carcinoma cells.

Abstract Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is up-regulated in colorectal cancer tissue. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are expressed in human colorectal tissue and activation of PPARs can alter COX-2 expression. In macrophages, activation of PPARs down-regulates COX-2 expression. We examined the effect of PPARα and PPARγ ligands on untreated and TNF-α-induced COX-2 expression in the human colorectal epithelial cell line HT-29. The expression of PPARα and PPARγ was confirmed in these cells. TNF-α, an inflammatory cytokine, increased COX-2 expression via the NFκB pathway. In the absence of TNF-α, WY14643 (PPARα activator) caused an increase, while BRL49653 (PPARγ activator) did not alter COX-2 expression. When HT-29 cells were incubated with TNF-α and WY14643, a further increase in COX-2 expression was detected. Incubation with TNF-α and BRL49653 caused an additional twofold increase in COX-2 expression. Our results suggest that both PPARα signaling and TNF-α signaling increase COX-2 expression by independent pathways, while PPARγ stimulates COX-2 expression by up-regulation of the TNF-α pathway.
Thermal diffusivity of isotopically enriched 12C diamond

Type-IIA diamond single crystals containing approximately 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ were synthesized and their thermal diffusivities were measured at room temperature by the thermal-wave-mirage technique. The measured value (18.5 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/s) of the 0.1% $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ crystal was 50% higher than the 1% $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ (natural isotope abundance). This is the highest room-temperature thermal diffusivity of any solid naturally occurring or previously synthesized. The laser damage threshold at 193 nm for the isotopically enriched crystal is more than an order of magnitude higher than that of natural diamond.
ACTA scanning in the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract The presently available diagnostic methods for abdominal aortic aneurysms are reviewed. The application of ACTA scanning for this diagnosis in 35 patients is described. In all cases the presence of an aortic aneurysm was confirmed, even when calcification of its wall was absent. Contrast enhancement demonstrated the aortic lumen not otherwise visualized. In some instances the iliac arteries were clearly seen and more readily so when calcified. Estimates of aneurysm size were compared with measurements taken at surgery with a relatively close correlation. This technique seems to be useful in the differential diagnosis with tortuous abdominal aorta or as a screening procedure. Patients with minimal ectasia of the aorta can be followed by scanning. The planned addition of shorter scanning times and sagital scans will allow the fast evaluation of the longitudinal dimension of the abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is difficult to obtain with the present technique.
Should TIA patients be hospitalized or referred to a same-day clinic?: A decision analysis

Objective: For patients presenting with TIA, a previous study concluded that hospitalization is cost-effective compared to discharge without treatment from the emergency department. We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of hospitalization vs urgent clinic evaluation following TIA. Methods: Among a cohort of TIA patients, we created a decision tree model to compare the decision to hospitalize or refer to urgent-access specialty clinic. We estimated probabilities, utilities, and direct costs from the available literature and calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). We assumed equal access to standard medical treatments between the 2 approaches; however, we estimated higher tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) utilization among hospitalized patients. We performed sensitivity analyses to assess all assumptions in our model. Results: In patients with TIA aged 65–74 years, hospitalization yielded additional 0.00026 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) at 1 year, but at an additional cost of $5,573 per patient compared to urgent clinic evaluation (ICER = $21,434,615/QALY). Over 30 years, the ICER was $3,473,125/QALY. These results were not sensitive to varying 48-hour stroke risk, length of stay, tPA utilization rate, QALYs saved per tPA treatment, and hospitalization and clinic costs, and cost saved per tPA treatment. Conclusion: Despite increased access to tPA in the hospital, we found that hospitalization is not cost-effective compared to same-day clinic evaluation following TIA. A very small fraction of patients benefits from hospitalization if urgent-access TIA clinics are available. The widespread development of urgent-access TIA clinics is warranted.