cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Watching proteins in motion.

This year, the annual symposium of the Protein Society highlighted the dynamic motions that enable almost all protein function. The ability of polypeptide protein chains to adopt intricate and highly-defined shapes, as elucidated in crystal structures, has long been appreciated for enabling the multitude of functions that proteins carry out. More recently, as the field of protein science has progressed, it has become clear that all proteins are in constant motion and that protein motions have a tremendous influence on function. The meeting covered a broad array of protein functions, experimental approaches, and scales from single molecules to signaling networks and complex cellular organizations. In this report, we describe a small fraction of these presentations that are representative of both influential contributions and new directions of the field.
Patient safety: research methods for a new field

Patient safety has emerged as a significant public health issue at the beginning of the 21st century. In the few years since the release of the Institute of Medicine’s report “ To Err is Human ”1 in the United States and “ An Organization with a Memory ”2 in the UK, major research activities have been launched to address issues of patient safety, medical error, and patient injury or harm. This fury of interest in patient safety has raised the question of just what are the appropriate …
Structure of pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase, an archaeal enzyme for genetic code innovation.

Pyrrolysine (Pyl), the 22nd natural amino acid and genetically encoded by UAG, becomes attached to its cognate tRNA by pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS). We have determined three crystal structures of the Methanosarcina mazei PylRS complexed with either AMP–PNP, Pyl–AMP plus pyrophosphate, or the Pyl analogue N-e-[(cylopentyloxy)carbonyl]-l-lysine plus ATP. The structures reveal that PylRS utilizes a deep hydrophobic pocket for recognition of the Pyl side chain. A comparison of these structures with previously determined class II tRNA synthetase complexes illustrates that different substrate specificities derive from changes in a small number of residues that form the substrate side-chain-binding pocket. The knowledge of these structures allowed the placement of PylRS in the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) tree as the last known synthetase that evolved for genetic code expansion, as well as the finding that Pyl arose before the last universal common ancestral state. The PylRS structure provides an excellent framework for designing new aaRSs with altered amino acid specificity.
Non-natural Peptide Triazole Antagonists of HIV-1 Envelope gp120

We investigated the derivation of non-natural peptide triazole dual receptor site antagonists of HIV-1 Env gp120 to establish a pathway for developing peptidomimetic antiviral agents. Previously we found that the peptide triazole HNG-156 [R-I-N-N-I-X-W-S-E-A-M-M-CONH(2), in which X=ferrocenyltriazole-Pro (FtP)] has nanomolar binding affinity to gp120, inhibits gp120 binding to CD4 and the co-receptor surrogate mAb 17b, and has potent antiviral activity in cell infection assays. Furthermore, truncated variants of HNG-156, typified by UM-24 (Cit-N-N-I-X-W-S-CONH(2)) and containing the critical central stereospecific (L)X-(L)W cluster, retain the functional characteristics of the parent peptide triazole. In the current work, we examined the possibility of replacing natural with unnatural residue components in UM-24 to the greatest extent possible. The analogue with the critical "hot spot" residue Trp 6 replaced with L-3-benzothienylalanine (Bta) (KR-41), as well as a completely non-natural analogue containing D-amino acid substitutions outside the central cluster (KR-42, (D)Cit-(D)N-(D)N-(D)I-X-Bta-(D)S-CONH(2)), retained the dual receptor site antagonism/antiviral activity signature. The results define differential functional roles of subdomains within the peptide triazole and provide a structural basis for the design of metabolically stable peptidomimetic inhibitors of HIV-1 Env gp120.
Duration of Bordetella Pertussis Polymerase Chain Reaction Positivity in Confirmed Pertussis Illness

Pertussis cases have been increasing in the United States for the past 40 years. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is now the preferred method of diagnosis, but little is known about duration of PCR positivity. We conducted a pilot study using serial B pertussis PCR testing to determine duration of PCR positivity. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested a median duration of 58 days (interquartile range, 40-110 days).
Digital Measurements of 120 Mandibular Angles to Determine the Ideal Fibula Wedge Osteotomy to Re-Create the Mandibular Angle for Microvascular Reconstruction

Purpose Mandibular reconstruction continues to be a challenge, even for the seasoned reconstructive surgeon. The present study sought to determine the normal anatomic mandibular angle and to establish a predictable angle of resection for the fibula bone cut to re-create the neomandibular body–ascending ramus angle. Materials and Methods A total of 30 random male and female panoramic radiographs were selected from our database. The selection criteria included age older than 21 years and a full or near total complement of teeth. The exclusion criteria were an edentulous mandible or maxilla, a history of trauma or maxillary or mandibular pathologic features, and age younger than 21 years. A total of 120 total measurements were performed. The angle measured was determined from a line coinciding with the posterior border of the ramus and the lower mandibular border. The measurements were taken from each side and from each gender group. The institutional review board of our institution approved the present study. Results The mean female mandibular right angle was 122.62°, and the left was 124.59° (average, 123.61°). The mean male mandibular right angle was 122.66°, and the left was 124.2° (average, 123.43°). The mean and median values were very similar. A statistically significant difference was identified between the left and right sides but not between the genders. Given this information, one can calculate a wedge cut in the fibula of about 56° to re-create the mean mandibular angle. Conclusions This information can be used to make predictable fibula wedge closing osteotomies to re-create the normal mandibular ascending ramus body angle in a low-cost manner with the aid of an autoclavable metal wedge of 56°. This method would obviate the need for costly prefabricated guides.
A Stochastic Representation for the Principal Eigenvalue of a Second-Order Differential Equation.

Abstract : Using ideas from stochastic control a stochastic representation for the smallest eigenvalue of a second-order differential equation has been devised. As a side-result an associated stationary control problem in a very general setting has been solved.
Graduate Program of Instruction in Marketing Research: A Need Assessment:

This article examines the nature of the marketing research industry's need and demand for professional marketing researchers. The empirical investigation is under-taken to analyze the current hirin...
Assessment of Estrogen Status as a Marker of Prognosis in Women With Symptoms of Suspected Coronary Artery Disease Presenting for Stress Testing

Estrogen status (ES) has previously been shown to be a marker of angiographic outcome in women. In light of this finding, a reevaluation of ES as a marker of prognosis was undertaken. Two thousand one hundred forty-three women who underwent stress testing for symptoms of suspected coronary disease were studied. ES was defined according to menopausal, ovarian, and hormone replacement therapy status. The end points of interest were all-cause mortality, cardiac death, and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis with censoring at revascularization. Compared with 1,362 ES-positive women, the 781 ES-negative women had a higher frequency of unfavorable end points (all-cause death: ES positive 31 [2.3%] vs ES negative 94 [12%], p
Birds' Eye View: A Decade of Perspectives

ONE of Jan Drake's happy innovations as editor of Genetics was to initiate the publication of an essay, entitled Perspectives , at the beginning of each issue. His idea was embodied in the subtitle “Anecdotal, Historical and Critical Commentaries on Genetics.” In the summer of 1986, he tracked
Trimethobenzamide HCl (Tigan)-induced extrapyramidal dysfunction in a neonate

EXTRAPYRAMIDAL REACTIoNs to phenothiazines and antiemetics have been described in children and adults? -3 Reports of such reactions in neonates, however, have been rare. ~ Inasmuch as the signs and symptoms may be more insidious in their presentation in the neonate than in the older child, we report the following case. CASE REPORT
Molecular Pathways: Reactive Oxygen Species Homeostasis in Cancer Cells and Implications for Cancer Therapy

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important in regulating normal cellular processes, but deregulated ROS contribute to the development of various human diseases, including cancers. Cancer cells have increased ROS levels compared with normal cells, because of their accelerated metabolism. The high ROS levels in cancer cells, which distinguish them from normal cells, could be protumorigenic, but are also their Achilles' heel. The high ROS content in cancer cells renders them more susceptible to oxidative stress-induced cell death, and can be exploited for selective cancer therapy. In this review, we describe several potential therapeutic strategies that take advantage of ROS imbalance in cancer cells by further increasing oxidative stress, either alone or in combination with drugs that modulate certain signaling pathways.
Are We Meeting the American Diabetes Association Goals for HIV-Infected Patients with Diabetes Mellitus?

We determined rates of achieving the American Diabetes Association goals among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected diabetic patients. American Diabetes Association goals (for hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and lipid levels) were defined by 2008 American Diabetes Association guidelines. HIV-infected diabetic patients achieved American Diabetes Association goals at rates similar to those in general medicine clinic patients. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to improve diabetes management in HIV clinics.
Execution leases: a hardware-supported mechanism for enforcing strong non-interference

High assurance systems such as those found in aircraft controls and the financial industry are often required to handle a mix of tasks where some are niceties (such as the control of media for entertainment, or supporting a remote monitoring interface) while others are absolutely critical (such as the control of safety mechanisms, or maintaining the secrecy of a root key). While special purpose languages, careful code reviews, and automated theorem proving can be used to help mitigate the risk of combining these operations onto a single machine, it is difficult to say if any of these techniques are truly complete because they all assume a simplified model of computation far different from an actual processor implementation both in functionality and timing. In this paper we propose a new method for creating architectures that both a) makes the complete information-flow properties of the machine fully explicit and available to the programmer and b) allows those properties to be verified all the way down to the gate-level implementation the design. The core of our contribution is a new call-and-return mechanism, Execution Leases, that allows regions of execution to be tightly quarantined and their side effects to be tightly bounded. Because information can flow through un-trusted program counters, stack pointer or other global processor state, these and other states are leased to untrusted environments with an architectural bound on both the time and memory that will be accessible to the untrusted code. We demonstrate through a set of novel micro-architectural modifications that these leases can be enforced precisely enough to form the basis for information-flow bounded function calls, table lookups, and mixed-trust execution. Our novel architecture is a significant improvement in both flexibility and performance over the initial Gate-Level Information Flow Tracking architectures, and we demonstrate the effectiveness of the resulting design through the development of a new language, compiler, ISA, and synthesizable prototype.
Planning Roads for Rural Communities

The new report Safe, Clean, and Affordable … Transport for Development sets out the World Bank's transport sector priorities for the period 2007-2015. The report indicates key changes in how the World Bank intends to engage with its clients in low- and middle-income countries with respect to its transport lending program. Investment in transport infrastructure and improved transport services are crucial for meeting the millennium development goals. Low-volume rural roads have been, and continue to be, an important component of the World Bank's transport development program. The recently developed rural access index is a useful indicator of the need for improved accessibility. Research has shown the importance of rural roads in stimulating both economic growth and social development. Effective planning and implementation of good rural road projects depend on a combination of adequate planning tools, worthwhile community consultation, a flexible approach to engineering design, and reliable data. New economi...
GNOSTICISM AS PLATONISM: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MARSANES (NHC 10,1)*

From ancient times it has been averred that the Gnostics derived their basic ideas from the Greek philosophers, especially Pythagoras and Plato. For example, Irenaeus (Adv. haer. 2.14) argued that the Valentinian Gnostics borrowed their doctrines of the pleroma and kenoma from Democritus and Plato. Hippolytus (Ref. 1.11), more systematically, tried to show that the founders of the Gnostic heresies borrowed most of their ideas from Greek philosophy and religion. The Valentinian brand of gnosis, Hippolytus (Ref. 6.21–29) argues, is derived from the philosophy of Pythagoras and Plato. Tertullian (Praesc. 7) claimed that all of the heresies were based on Greek philosophy. Valentinus is stated specifically to be “of the school of Plato.” Plotinus (Enn. 2.9.6), the reputed founder of Neoplatonism, claimed in a famous tract that his doctrinal opponents, whom he did not identify but who were obviously Gnostics, based their doctrines on a misunderstanding of Plato. Porphyry's Life of Plotinus 16 provides us with more information on the Gnostic opponents of Plotinus, and refers to them as αἱρeτικοὶ ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς ϕιλοσοϕίας (“sectarians from the ancient philosophy,” i.e., Platonism).
Results of upper plexus thoracic outlet syndrome operation

A review of 181 patients with thoracic outlet syndrome treated in our clinic revealed that 22 (12%) showed symptoms of compression of the distal median nerve only. Although there are several distinct anatomic abnormalities involving the upper brachial plexus, a first rib resection using the transaxillary approach was found to relieve these patients' symptoms as well as it did in those who exhibited the classic findings of ulnar nerve paresthesias. A comparison of the patients' outcomes showed no appreciable differences in the results obtained in those with distal median nerve compression symptoms only, lower plexus involvement, or combined upper and lower plexus symptoms.
Thimerosal Exposure in Early Life and Neuropsychological Outcomes 7–10 Years Later

Objective The authors used a public use data set to investigate associations between the receipt of thimerosal-containing vaccines and immune globulins early in life and neuropsychological outcomes assessed at 7-10 years. Methods The data were originally created by evaluating 1,047 children ages 7-10 years and their biological mothers. This study developed seven latent neuropsychological factors and regressed them on a comprehensive set of covariates and thimerosal exposure variables. Results The authors found no statistically significant associations between thimerosal exposure from vaccines early in life and six of the seven latent constructs. There was a small, but statistically significant association between early thimerosal exposure and the presence of tics in boys. Conclusions This finding should be interpreted with caution due to limitations in the measurement of tics and the limited biological plausibility regarding a causal relationship.
Extracting small-signal model parameters of silicon MOSFET transistors

A novel approach to the extraction of small signal model parameters for silicon MOSFETs is described. This technique was developed to extract a high frequency model based only on S-parameter measurements to obtain both the intrinsic and parasitic resistance model parameter values of a small signal model. >
Stibadium spumosum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): a potential pest of sunflower in Arkansas

The infestation rates of Stibadium spumosum Grote in hybrid varieties of oil seed sunflower at five locations in Arkansas were studied over a 4-yr period (1982-85). Infestation rates in sunflower varied among varieties from zero or a trace to 70% of the heads. Infested inflorescences averaged 2.0 S. spumosum larvae or larval cavities per head; however, the varieties sustaining the greatest infestation averaged 2.6 larvae per head. Infestation varied among locations and years, as well as among varieties. However, several varieties were attacked at consistently high rates while others experienced little or no damage. The test plots in east central Arkansas experienced a consistent increase in damage over time, indicating the potential for economically damaging infestation of sunflower under continuous cultivation.
Introduction to FDA Device Labeling Guidance in USA

Objective: To provide references for the evolvement of medical devices labeling administration in China.Methods: By content translation and analysis,law documents relevant to device labeling were collected from FDA website,Of which,the"Device labeling guidance" was mainly studied.Results: FDA device labeling guidance are introduced in detail by twelve sub-chapters,including definition,safety and effectiveness considerations,intended uses,contraindications,warnings,precautions,special patient populations,adverse reactions,prescription devices,etc.Conclusions: China should draw experience from FDA,to administrate the prescription devices and the over-the-counter devices in classification,and make device labeling guidance,thus guarantee the safety and efficacy of device.
Information Structure Constraints

Large-scale systems require control laws whose computation is efficient, and whose implementation entails a minimal amount of information exchange between the subsystems. In order to design such laws, it is necessary to develop versatile algorithms that can incorporate a broad range of information structure constraints. This problem has received considerable attention in recent years, particularly in the context of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) (see e.g., Boyd et al., 1994; Geromel et al., 1994; El Ghaoui and Niculescu, 2000; de Oliveira et al., 2000; Ayers and Paganini, 2002; Langbort et al., 2004; Siljak and Zecevic, 2005; Zecevic and Siljak, 2008, and the references therein). In this chapter we will adopt a similar approach, and utilize LMI optimization to obtain structurally constrained control laws that are suitable for complex systems. In doing so, we will rely on the mathematical framework proposed in Siljak and Stipanovic (2000) which will be extended in a number of different ways. We will also take into account the decomposition techniques described in Chap. 1, which suggest that the gain matrix structures shown in Figs. 2.1–2.3 are particularly desirable for large-scale applications.
Making Sense of Leukemia Stem Cells: Our Current Understanding and Future Directions.

Abstract SCI-36 Understanding the biology of leukemia stem cells (LSC) holds the promise of better defining the pathogenesis of leukemia and developing more effective therapeutic regimens. However, evidence from multiple studies indicates that the properties of LSC can be highly variable. Of particular relevance is the target cell of origin and the specific genetic aberrancies found in each type of leukemia. These two parameters appear to influence properties such as LSC phenotype, frequency, cell cycle status, and drug responsiveness. For example, in chronic phase CML and some types of AML, the LSC compartment seems to be relatively well defined and demonstrates biological properties reminiscent of a normal hematopoietic hierarchy. In contrast, leukemias arising from MLL translocations, and/or lymphoid origins, may be more variable and show much less similarity to normal hematopoiesis. A further confounding factor is the degree to which drug treatment and/or disease progression may contribute to LSC evolution and potential instability during the course of disease. Based on the observations to date, several issues bear consideration. First, the degree to which current models adequately mimic human biology must be carefully evaluated. Syngeneic mouse models provide powerful systems to understand basic biology, but may not adequately reflect the genetic diversity/instability found in human disease. Similarly, whether experimental therapies can be effectively modeled in syngeneic systems is less clear. Conversely, xenograft models permit the analysis of primary human LSC, but may be limited with regard to providing an authentic microenvironment in which to study biology and drug response. Another important variable is the extent to which results in any model system (either syngeneic or xenogeneic) actually predict outcome in human leukemia patients. While the biological sophistication of many systems has greatly improved in the past decade, a major challenge for the future is to determine whether such models will provide a superior means by which to design new therapeutic regimens. Despite the limitations noted above, the available evidence does suggest that more specifically targeting LSC will lead to improved therapeutic outcomes. This observation is true irrespective of the details inherent to any particular form of leukemia. Even if LSC are highly variable, abundant, or unstable, they are no less relevant as a potential drug target. Several exciting lines of investigation from preclinical studies have recently been reported that may provide better eradication of LSC. These approaches include the use of monoclonal antibodies to specific epitopes on LSC, and small molecules designed to block self-renewal pathways and/or leukemia-specific survival mechanisms. As these strategies move into clinical testing, they will serve to better determine the relevance of LSC as a therapeutic target, and provide a key validation test for the utility of current preclinical models. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A versatile system for rapid multiplex genome-edited CAR T cell generation

// Jiangtao Ren 1 , Xuhua Zhang 1 , Xiaojun Liu 1 , Chongyun Fang 1 , Shuguang Jiang 1 , Carl H. June 1, 2 , Yangbing Zhao 1, 2 1 Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA 2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Correspondence to: Yangbing Zhao, email: yangbing@upenn.edu Keywords: CRISPR/CAS9, T lymphocytes, chimeric antigen receptors, PD-1, CD95 Received: November 18, 2016 Accepted: January 27, 2017 Published: February 09, 2017 ABSTRACT The therapeutic potential of CRISPR system has already been demonstrated in many instances and begun to overlap with the rapidly expanding field of cancer immunotherapy, especially on the production of genetically modified T cell receptor or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Efficient genomic disruption of multiple gene loci to generate universal donor cells, as well as potent effector T cells resistant to multiple inhibitory pathways such as PD-1 and CTLA4 is an attractive strategy for cell therapy. In this study, we accomplished rapid and efficient multiplex genomic editing, and re-directing T cells with antigen specific CAR via a one-shot CRISPR protocol by incorporation of multiple gRNAs in a CAR lentiviral vector. High efficient double knockout of endogenous TCR and HLA class I could be easily achieved to generate allogeneic universal CAR T cells. We also generated Fas-resistant universal CAR T cells by triple gene disruption. Simultaneous gene editing of four gene loci using the one-shot CRISPR protocol to generate allogeneic universal T cells deficient of both PD1 and CTLA-4 was also attempted.
The relationship between self-reported exposure to greenspace and human stress in Baltimore, MD

Abstract Cross-sectional methods were utilized to investigate if greenspace (GS) exposure predicts stress, a known factor affecting health outcomes. Data included publicly accessible Community Statistical Area (CSA) level information and survey (mailed and online) results of residents in Baltimore, Maryland. The convenience sample was recruited in spring 2013 using random (by CSA) and snowball techniques. The survey included demographic information, GS exposure, recent stressful life events, and the validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Individuals reported (hours per week, type) where they see (visual exposure) or spend time in (physical exposure) GS around their home, work and/or school, and during recreation. Duration of GS exposure was defined as hours of visual exposure, hours of physical exposure, and total hours of exposure (both visual and physical). Multivariable linear regression assessed the effect of GS on perceived stress. Respondents (N = 323) reported a mean 25.5 total hours/week exposed to GS. Mean PSS scores were 15.75 for females and 13.45 for males. Controlling for all covariates, there was a statistically significant reduction in PSS score (0.049, p = 0.007) for every hour/week exposed to GS. This means that an individual who spent 25.5 h/week exposed to GS would have a PSS score 3.1% lower than those who were not exposed to GS. Total hours/week exposed to GS, and the individual effects of visual and physical exposure were all statistically significant. These findings indicate the stress reducing effects of GS exposure may be part of complex set of factors behind the relationship between GS and health outcomes.
105 Rates of violence and substance use among a high-risk sample during the flint water crisis (fwc): results from the flint youth injury study

Statement-of-purpose On April 25, 2014, Flint’s water source was changed without adding essential anti-corrosive agents, leading to lead contamination of the potable water supply. Individual-level consequences resulting from this community-wide traumatic event have yet to be examined. We examined rates of violence and substance use following the initial date of the Flint Water Crisis (FWC) exposure among youth already enrolled in an on-going longitudinal study. Methods Drug-using youth (age: 14–24) seeking assault-injury treatment and a comparison cohort of youth seeking ED care for other reasons were enrolled in a longitudinal study (Baseline: 09/2009–12/2011; Follow-ups: 6, 12, 18, 24 months). Eligible youth were re-contacted and enrolled in a 2nd wave study (Baseline: 03/2014–01/2016) with two additional biannual follow-ups. For this analysis, we conducted pre/post analyses of paired data for participants completing follow-ups within the 24 months preceding/following the initial date of exposure and examined differences in rates of substance use and violence. Results 352-youth enrolled in both studies; 313 (88.9%) had follow-up data within 24 months pre- and post-initial exposure date. In the analytic sample, baseline age was 20.1 (SD:2.4), 49.8% were male, 75.4% required public assistance, and 59.4% were assault-injured. Despite overall decreasing trends in violence and substance use among this cohort at-large, we found that the prevalence of violence (37.7%-vs.-49.5%,p Conclusion/Significance While causal attributions are limited, we observed increases in violence and substance use among this high-risk sample after the initial FWC exposure, suggesting that negative health effects associated with this on-going crisis extend beyond the environmental exposure to lead and highlights the need for additional resources and research focused on addressing the consequences of this wide-scale community trauma.
Chronic Cough and Throat Clearing

The diagnostic approach to chronic cough and its management are well established by international consensus guidelines. In some cases, the main or predominant associated complaint is excessive throat clearing. Cough and throat symptoms, including throat clearing, have been well documented and have serious impacts on quality of life and a patient’s sense of well-being, so much so that they are the first and second most common reasons that patients seek medical attention, respectively. Throat clearing is distinct from cough in its sound, in the amount of volitional control, physiology, and neurophysiology. It is proposed that the differential diagnosis for chronic cough with throat clearing is the same as for chronic cough alone. However, in a nonsmoker without other environmental inhalational exposures, the presence of prominent throat clearing skews the likelihood of specific diagnoses to favor upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) rather than lower airway diseases such as asthma or nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) when these latter conditions are uncomplicated by rhinosinus diseases or environmental exposures. Other causes of cough with excessive throat clearing include direct irritations of the laryngopharyngeal mucosa by inhaled environmental agents, somatic and tic disorders that commonly feature throat and vocal symptoms, and, uncommonly, inflammatory diseases that originate within the patient such as collagen vascular diseases and other autoimmune disorders involving the upper airway. Similar to the treatment of chronic cough alone, the medical treatment for chronic cough with excessive throat clearing should target the underlying disease processes with specific therapy rather than nonspecific cough suppressants. Usually, when the underlying cause is specifically addressed, the excessive throat clearing will resolve in parallel with the resolution of the patient’s chronic cough.
Survival outcomes and costs of trimodal therapy compared with radical cystectomy among patients diagnosed with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

421Background: Radical cystectomy is the guideline-recommended treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Recently there has been a resurgence in trimodal therapy with limited data on comparativ...
Interphases in Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) as economical, high energy alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have received significant attention for large-scale energy storage in the last few years. While the efforts of developing SIBs have benefited from the knowledge learned in LIBs, thanks to the apparent proximity between Na-ions and Li-ions, the unique physical and chemical properties of Na-ions also distinctly differ themselves from Li-ions. It is expected that SIBs have drastically different electrode material structure, solvation–desolvation behavior, electrode–electrolyte interphase stabilities, ion transfer properties, and hence electrochemical performance of batteries. In this review, the authors comprehensively summarize the current understanding of the anode solid electrolyte interphase and cathode electrolyte interphase in SIBs, with an emphasis on how the tuning of the stability and ion transfer properties of interphases fundamentally determines the reversibility and efficiency of electrochemical reactions. Through these carefully screened references, the authors intend to reveal the intrinsic correlation between the properties/functionalities of the interphases and the electrochemical performance of batteries.
The “Forbidden” World of Chemistry

Huckel’s rule1, the Woodward-Hoffmann rules2, and, in a broader sense, Huckel Molecular Orbital (HMO) theory3 have had profound impact on chemistry in a way which is now well recognized and admired. Perhaps, the most important and time-lasting contribution of HMO theory has been the revelation of what in Valence Bond (VB) terms we call parity control of stereoselection4, or, in more familiar language, the revelation of the fact that a ground state molecule, a transition state, or, any molecular system, in general, can be thought of as the product of a “forbidden” or “allowed” union of two component fragments with the latter mode of union being energetically more favorable than the former one.
Morphology of the slashed pod trait in lentil

Reducing losses from pod shatter is a major goal of most lentil (Lens culinaris) improvement programs, however, genetic variability is limited. Recently, a slashed pod trait was suggested to have potential value for reducing losses from shattering, but little was known about the trait. In this study we determined the anatomical features which were associated with the slashed pod trait. Histological specimens from ‘Brewer’ lentil (normal pods) and from germplasm lines expressing the slashed pod trait were compared to each other and to specimens from normal and reduced pod parchment pea (Pisum sativum) lines. Reduced parchment pea pods had less sclerenchyma tissue and fewer fibers than pea pods with normal parchment, but all lentil pods examined had comparable sclerenchyma tissue with similar quantities of fiber. The slashed pod trait was not the result of reduced sclerenchyma tissue (parchment) as had been previously suggested. Apparently, the slashed pod trait resulted from the stresses which develop between fiber cells within the sclerenchyma layer of the pod wall during pod maturation and drying. The trait had little effect on quality of seeds for human utilization in the environments tested but may have an undesirable effect in other environments. Although seed loss due to shatter appeared to be decreased in pods exhibiting the trait, the uncertainty of expression due to environmental influences makes the trait an unlikely candidate for use in lentil improvement programs.
Chiral chains for lattice quantum chromodynamics at N c

We study chiral fields [${U}_{i}$ in the group $\mathrm{U}(N)$] on a periodic lattice (${U}_{i}={U}_{i+L}$), with action $S=(\frac{1}{{g}^{2}})\ensuremath{\Sigma}{l=1}^{L}\mathrm{Tr}({U}_{l}{U}_{l+1}^{\ifmmode\dagger\else\textdagger\fi{}}+{U}_{l}^{\ifmmode\dagger\else\textdagger\fi{}}{U}_{l+1})$, as prototypes for lattice gauge theories [quantum chromodynamics (QCD)] at ${N}_{c}=\ensuremath{\infty}$. Indeed, these chiral chains are equivalent to gauge theories on the surface of an $L$-faced polyhedron (e.g., $L=4$ is a tetrahedron, $L=6$ is the cube, and $L=\ensuremath{\infty}$ is two-dimensional QCD). The one-link Schwinger-Dyson equation of Brower and Nauenberg, which gives the square of the transfer matrix, is solved exactly for all $N$. From the large-$N$ solution, we solve exactly the finite chains for $L=2, 3, 4, \mathrm{and} \ensuremath{\infty}$, on the weak-coupling side of the Gross-Witten singularity, which occurs at $\ensuremath{\beta}={({g}^{2}N)}^{\ensuremath{-}1}=\frac{1}{4}, \frac{1}{3}, \frac{\ensuremath{\pi}}{8}, \mathrm{and} \frac{1}{2}$, respectively. We carry out weak and strong perturbation expansions at ${N}_{c}=\ensuremath{\infty}$ to estimate the singular part for all $L$, and to show confinement (as ${g}^{2}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$) and asymptotic freedom (${g}^{2}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$) in the Migdal $\ensuremath{\beta}$ function for QCD. The stability of the location of the Gross-Witten singularity for different-size lattices ($L$) suggests that QCD at ${N}_{c}=\ensuremath{\infty}$ enjoys this singularity in the transition region from strong to weak coupling.
Finite Field X-Channels with Delayed CSIT and Common Messages

We establish the capacity region of the two-user finite field X-Channels with delayed channel state information at the transmitters. We consider the most general case in which each transmitter has a common message for both receivers and a private message for each one of them. We derive a new set of outer-bounds for this problem that rely on an extremal entropy inequality. This inequality quantifies the ability of each transmitter in favoring one receiver over the other in terms of delivered entropy when both receivers must obtain some baseline entropy. We also propose a transmission strategy that harvests the delayed channel state information to combine and to repackage previously communicated signals in order to deliver them efficiently. We show that this transmission strategy matches the outer-bounds.
Extraction and analysis of total lipids in late Iron Age Bath-shaped basins from the Levant as a means of assessing vessel function

Abstract Four Late Iron Age bath-shaped basins from three sites in the Southern Levant were subjected to organic residue analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to test the hypothesis that the vessels were used for wool scouring and fulling. All lipid extracts of the samples contained saturated and unsaturated lipids. These were compared to the same compounds in a series of reference materials selected based on ethno-historical and literary documentation. A final comparison was made to lipids extracted from a bath-shaped basin from Turkey that had previously been found to contain a residue similar in compounds to date palm kernel oil. Results demonstrate that the total lipid extracts (TLEs) from the bath-shaped basins are more similar to each other and to date palm kernel oil than to the other comparative materials. This supports the accepted view that bath-shaped basins in the Levant, comparable in date and shape, had a common function, but suggests functional alternatives to traditional interpretations of human burial or bathing. While wool working is a viable hypothesis, it was not possible to identify the specific activity as several different behaviors could result in a similar organic residue.
The word of a reluctant convert

Recent political events suggest that there is more political, religious, and moral division than many had previously realized. Since people on all sides think they’re in the right, mitigating division is in everyone’s interest. But overcoming division requires changing minds, and changing minds requires advocacy. These considerations raise important questions in the epistemology of advocacy. In particular, who are the best advocates? After making some general remarks about the epistemology of advocacy, I explore the thought, found in Berkeley’s dialogue Alciphron, that an important variable to consider when assessing advocates is whether they are converts. I argue that this is indeed an important variable to consider, as certain kinds of converts can avoid some attempts to dismiss advocates. However, non-converts score better than converts in other respects. I conclude by suggesting that empirical work must be done to assess the role conversion plays in assessing advocates.
A Latent Growth Modeling Analysis of the Effects of Perceived Supports, Perceived Barriers, and Coping Efficacy on Latina/o Engineering Students’ Life Satisfaction:

Using latent growth modeling (LGM) procedures, this study tested a model of Latina/o engineering students’ life satisfaction based on Lent and Brown’s social cognitive well-being model with a sampl...
Further Developments in Plasma Simulation

Driven by increased computer capabilities, the original TRISTAN code (Buneman et al. 1980; Peratt A.L., TRISTAN user’s manual, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pulsed Energy Applications, X-10, unpublished report, 1984) has been continuously updated to TRISTAN-PRIME.
Economic Analysis of Prophylactic Pegfilgrastim in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

Introduction: Neutropenia and its complications are major dose-limiting toxicities of systemic cancer chemotherapy. Febrile neutropenia (FN) generally prompts immediate hospitalization for evaluation and empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics adding to the cost of cancer care. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that prophylactic recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rG-CSF; filgrastim) is capable of reducing the risk of FN, infection related mortality (IRM) and duration of hospitalization associated with FN. In the absence of compelling clinical indications, current guidelines support the use of prophylactic G-CSF only when using regimens associated with FN risk of 40% or higher. While recent RCTs have demonstrated that a long acting, pegylated form (pegfilgrastim) is at least as effective and safe as filgrastim, its economic impact has received little study. Methods: An economic analysis was conducted comparing prophylactic pegfilgrastim to no prophylactic growth factor in patients receiving systemic chemotherapy. Direct medical cost estimates (US$ 2002) were obtained from the University HealthSystem Consortium and Marketscan databases. Pegfilgrastim costs were based on the average wholesale Red Book © prices. Risk and efficacy estimates were based on recent RCTs and meta-analysis of prophylactic rG-CSF. Sensitivity analyses and estimation of cost neutral thresholds for the range of feasible values of all variables were conducted based on cost-minimization. Results: Under baseline conditions (FN= 17%; RRR=0.941), an incremental cost savings with pegfilgrastim of $428 was estimated. At baseline, a cost neutral threshold for FN risk of 14.6% was estimated with an expected cost for either strategy of $2721. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates a baseline threshold for RRR of 0.74 with lower rates of RRR supported by increasing hospital cost or length of stay, increasing infection-related mortality or incorporation of indirect costs. Threshold estimates for FN risk were robust over all possible values assumed for RRR of infection related mortality. The FN risk threshold falls below 10% when hospitalization cost per day exceeds $3000. Further results, including a Monte-Carlo simulation will be presented. Conclusions: Incorporation of recent RCTs and cost data into clinically relevant models demonstrates that pegfilgrastim is cost saving at levels of FN risk associated with common chemotherapy regimens (
Nonnegative matrix factorization for the identification of pressure ulcer risks from seating interface pressures in people with spinal cord injury

The purpose of this study was to predict and visualize pressure ulcer risks by using a novel approach of extracting computational features from seating interface pressures in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). In conventional clinical practice, seating interface pressure assessments rely on descriptive statistics of pressure magnitude. In this study, rank-2 nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) was applied to the seating interface pressure maps during loading and pressure-relieving conditions in 16 people with SCI. The NMF basis images were used for visual interpretation and computational prediction of pressure ulcer risks. The two NMF basis images encapsulated pressure concentration and pressure dispersion, respectively. The first basis converged on the ischial tuberosity under both seating conditions, whereas the second basis converged anterior to the ischial tuberosity during loading and converged on the coccyx during unloading. The classification yielded 81.25% overall accuracy. In general, higher ulceration risk was associated with higher and lower activations of the first and second bases, respectively. The NMF pipeline yielded promising performance. Basis visualization affirmed the importance of lower ischial pressure and higher distribution dispersion while also revealing that clinical practice may currently be underestimating the importance of coccygeal pressure in response to pressure-relieving activities. Graphical abstract.
In on the ground floor: T cells respond to α-synuclein in preclinical Parkinson’s disease

Analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells demonstrated that α-synuclein–specific T cells are active in preclinical and early Parkinson’s disease.
Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap: Critical Appraisal and Comparison to Alternate Reconstruction

Objectives/hypothesis The supraclavicular artery island (SAI) flap may be a good option for selected head and neck reconstruction due to its reliability, ease of harvest, and favorable color match. The objective of this study was to examine the rates of complications for the SAI flap in head and neck oncologic reconstruction, with examination of risk factors and comparisons to alternative flaps often considered the gold-standard soft-tissue flaps for head and neck reconstruction: the pectoralis myocutaneous (PMC), radial forearm free flap (RFFF), and anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps. Study design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Consecutive SAI flaps were compared to PMC, RFFF, and ALT flaps (non-SAI flap group), all performed by the senior author from 2010 to 2018. The non-SAI flaps were included if an SAI flap could have been performed as an alternate flap. The groups were compared based on demographics, flap dimensions, site of reconstruction, operating time, total hospital stay, total hospital costs, and complications. Results One hundred seven SAI flaps and 194 non-SAI flaps were identified. SAI flaps were used less commonly than non-SAI flaps for mucosal defects (P .05). Multivariate analysis showed that SAI flaps were associated with any postoperative complication (odds ratio [OR]: 3.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.85-6.54), partial flap necrosis (OR: 5.69, 95% CI: 1.83-17.7), flap dehiscence (OR: 5.36, 95% CI: 2.29-12.5), donor site complications (OR: 11.6, 95% CI: 3.27-41.0), and minor complications (OR: 5.17, 95% CI: 2.42-11.0). Within the SAI flap group, SAI flap length >24 cm was associated with postoperative complications on multivariate analysis (OR: 5.09, 95% CI: 1.02-25.5, P = .048). Conclusions The SAI flap is best suited for cutaneous reconstruction of the face, neck, and parotid/temporal bone regions due to the favorable color match; the thin, pliable nature of the skin; ease of harvest; and equivalent complication rates compared to alternate soft-tissue flaps. However, the SAI flap is associated with more complications for oral cavity and mucosal site reconstruction when compared to RFFF and ALT flaps and should be used in selected cases that do not require complex folding. For all sites, flaps longer than 24 cm should be used with caution. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 2020.