cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Professional identity in a participatory media culture

In today’s digital culture, media work can be seen as a stomping ground for the forces of differentiated production and innovation processes and the complex interaction and integration between work, life, and play, all of which get expressed in, and are facilitated by, the rapid development of new information and communication technologies. The new human condition, when seen through the lens of those in the forefront of changes in the way work and life are implicated in a participatory media culture, is convergent. This convergence is not just a technological process. Media convergence must also be seen as having a cultural logic of its own, blurring the lines between different channels, forms and formats, between different parts of the media enterprise, between the acts of production and consumption, between making media and using media, and between active or passive spectatorship of mediated culture. In this chapter I explore the context and consequences of media convergence for a professional identity of journalists. My understanding of convergence is based on the assumption that it contains two interdependent trends at the same time: the convergence of media industries, which in journalism means the establishment of multimedia newsrooms and integrated news companies; the convergence of media production and consumption, which in journalism refers to the increased use of the citizen-consumer as a source or co-creator of news reports, opinion and analysis. Together, these trends are part of what Jenkins as coined as the emergence of a “convergence culture” (2006), increasingly determining the business policies and managerial processes within the creative industries (Deuze, 2007).
Associations between neighbourhood characteristics and depression: a twin study

Background Depression is an important contributor to the global burden of disease. Besides several known individual-level factors that contribute to depression, there is a growing recognition that neighbourhood environment can also profoundly affect mental health. This study assessed associations between three neighbourhood constructs—socioeconomic deprivation, residential instability and income inequality—and depression among adult twin pairs. The twin design is used to examine the association between neighbourhood constructs and depression, controlling for selection factors (ie, genetic and shared environmental factors) that have confounded purported associations. Methods We used multilevel random-intercept Poisson regression among 3738 same-sex twin pairs from a community-based twin registry to examine the association between neighbourhood constructs and depression. The within-pair association controls for confounding by genetic and environmental factors shared between twins within a pair, and is the main parameter of interest. Models were adjusted for individual-level income, education and marital status, and further by neighbourhood-level population density. Results When twins were analysed as individuals (phenotypic model), all neighbourhood constructs were significantly associated with depression. However, only neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation showed a significant within-pair association with depression. A 10-unit within-pair difference in neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation was associated with 6% greater depressive symptoms (1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11); the association did not substantially change in adjusted models. Conclusion This study provides new evidence linking neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation with greater depression. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs to better test social causation versus social selection.
Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Barrier

The outer blood–retinal barrier is formed by the retinal pigment epithelium in collaboration with choroidal capillaries. The barrier requires the coordinated action of the pumps and channels that mediate transcellular transport and the tight junctions that mediate diffusion across the paracellular space. Tight junctions are semi-selective barriers that retard the diffusion of some solutes more than others; these junctions are also very dynamic. Their permeability and selectivity can be modulated on a physiologic timescale and are regulated in conjunction with membrane transporters. These coordinated mechanisms are regulated by interaction with the surrounding choroid and neural retina.
Involvement of Hospitalized Persons With Dementia in Everyday Decisions: A Dyadic Study.

Background and Objectives To examine the involvement of persons with dementia (PWDs) in everyday decision making from the perspectives of hospitalized PWDs and their family caregivers, and to identify determinants thereof. Research Design and Methods Using multilevel modeling, we examined cross-sectional data collected prospectively from 42 family care dyads regarding the care values of the PWD. Results Both members of the dyad rated the PWD, on average, as being “somewhat involved”. There was a significant amount of variability around the average perceptions of PWD involvement in decision making for both PWDs (χ2 = 351.02, p < .001) and family caregivers (χ2 = 327.01, p < .001). Both PWDs and family caregivers were significantly more likely to perceive greater PWD involvement in decision making when the family caregiver reported the PWD as valuing autonomy. Additionally, PWDs were significantly more likely to report greater involvement when they had greater cognitive function. Finally, family caregivers perceived significantly greater involvement of the patient in decision making when they reported less strain in the relationship. Together, autonomy, relationship strain, cognitive function, and care-related strain accounted for 38% and 46% of the variability in PWDs’ and family caregivers’ perceptions, respectively, of the PWD’s decision-making involvement. Discussion and Implications Although research indicates that decision-making abilities decline with advancing dementia, these results imply that working with families to support PWDs in their value of autonomy and mitigate strain in the dyad’s relationship may help prolong PWDs’ decision-making involvement.
A critical period for second language acquisition: Evidence from 2/3 million English speakers

Abstract Children learn language more easily than adults, though when and why this ability declines have been obscure for both empirical reasons (underpowered studies) and conceptual reasons (measuring the ultimate attainment of learners who started at different ages cannot by itself reveal changes in underlying learning ability). We address both limitations with a dataset of unprecedented size (669,498 native and non-native English speakers) and a computational model that estimates the trajectory of underlying learning ability by disentangling current age, age at first exposure, and years of experience. This allows us to provide the first direct estimate of how grammar-learning ability changes with age, finding that it is preserved almost to the crux of adulthood (17.4 years old) and then declines steadily. This finding held not only for “difficult” syntactic phenomena but also for “easy” syntactic phenomena that are normally mastered early in acquisition. The results support the existence of a sharply-defined critical period for language acquisition, but the age of offset is much later than previously speculated. The size of the dataset also provides novel insight into several other outstanding questions in language acquisition.
Brain size growth in wild and captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Despite many studies of chimpanzee brain size growth, intraspecific variation is under-explored. Brain size data from chimpanzees of the Tai Forest and the Yerkes Primate Research Center enable a unique glimpse into brain growth variation as age at death is known for individuals, allowing cross-sectional growth curves to be estimated. Because Tai chimpanzees are from the wild but Yerkes apes are captive, potential environmental effects on neural development can also be explored. Previous research has revealed differences in growth and health between wild and captive primates, but such habitat effects have yet to be investigated for brain growth. Here, I use an iterative curve fitting procedure to estimate brain growth and regression parameters for each population, statistically comparing growth models using bootstrapped confidence intervals. Yerkes and Tai brain sizes overlap at all ages, although the sole Tai newborn is at the low end of captive neonatal variation. Growth rate and duration are statistically indistinguishable between the two populations. Resampling the Yerkes sample to match the Tai sample size and age group composition shows that ontogenetic variation in the two groups are remarkably similar despite the latter's limited size. Best fit growth curves for each sample indicate cessation of brain size growth at around 2 years, earlier than has previously been reported. The overall similarity between wild and captive chimpanzees points to the canalization of brain growth in this species.
Therapeutic strategies to target acute and long-term sequelae of pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Experimental and clinical studies demonstrate that the developmental age, the type of injury (diffuse vs. focal) and sex may play important roles in the response of the developing brain to a traumatic injury. Advancements in acute neurosurgical interventions and neurocritical care have improved and led to a decrease in mortality rates over the past decades. However, survivors are left with life-long behavioral deficits underscoring the need to better define the cellular mechanisms underlying these functional changes. A better understanding of these mechanisms some of which begin in the acute post-traumatic period may likely lead to targeted treatment strategies. Key considerations in designing pre-clinical experiments to test therapeutic strategies in pediatric TBI include the use of age-appropriate and pathologically-relevant models, functional outcomes that are tested as animals age into adolescence and beyond, sex as a biological variable and the recognition that doses and dosing strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective in animal models of adult TBI may not be effective in the developing brain. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled “Novel Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury”.
A case study of the translocation, bioprocessing and tissue interactions of EMP following inhalation exposure.

Abstract Human autopsied lung sections from a resident in the Quebec asbestos region were examined. The study utilized high resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM/STEM) with the analytical capabilities of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detectors. We report the first analytical ultrastructural characteristics of EMPs, detailing chemical concentration gradients inside the iron-protein coatings and lateral elemental gradients in the local tissue regions. It is shown that the EMPs are subjected to bioprocessing which involves physicochemical transformations and also an elemental transport mechanism that alters the inhaled EMP as well as the surrounding cellular matrix. At high resolution imaging the iron-rich coating around the EMP was observed to have a distinct channel-like nanostructure with some parallel aligned nanofibrils that are reminiscent of tooth enamel which consists of biomineralized nanocomposites with alternating organic/inorganic matrices.
Microcuttings Root System Morphology and Development under In Vitro and In Vivo Conditions in Citrus Rootstocks (Citrus macrophylla West and Citrange Troyer—Poncirus trifoliata (L.) X Citrus sinensis (L.) OSB.)

Macrophylla and Troyer are the most used rootstocks in Chile, for lemons and mandarins respectively. There are experimental evidence of differential root system morphology and anatomy, depending on their in vitro or in vivo origin, which could affect their survival potential during acclimation and the subsequent field performance. The objective of this research was to compare the adventitious root systems in microcuttings obtained from in vitro plantlets, under in vitro and in vivo conditions.
The Lupron* screening test: tailoring the use of leuprolide acetate in ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization†

Study Objective To evaluate the prognostic and therapeutic value of a Lupron (leuprolide acetate; Tap Pharmaceuticals, North Chicago, IL) screening test before ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design Prospective. Setting Outpatient IVF program. Patients Eighty patients exhibited four early estradiol (E 2 ) patterns. Patients with pattern A and B remained on a flare-up ovarian stimulation protocol. Patients with pattern C were randomized to three ovarian stimulation protocols. Patients with pattern D were treated with the flare-up protocol using a high pure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) dose. Results Patterns A, B, C, and D occured in 44%, 16%, 25%, and 15% of the patients, respectively. The E 2 pattern recurred in 77% of subsequent IVF cycles. Pattern A and B patients achieved a 41% (23/56) and 22% (5/23) ongoing pregnancy rate (PR) per stimulated cycle. An early luteal phase Lupron protocol had the best ongoing PR per stimulated cycle (10/27, 37%) in patients with a pattern C response. Pattern D patients had a 20% (5/25) ongoing PR per stimulated cycle. Conclusion The Lupron screening test allows prospective selection of stimulation protocols in ovulatory patients undergoing IVF. Early E 2 patterns A and B should be treated with the flare-up protocol. Pattern C patients benefit from the luteal phase Lupron protocol and pattern D patients benefit from a high pure FSH flare-up protocol.
Prophylactic platelet transfusion.

To the Editor: We recently reported on a trial1 that was similar to the Trial of Prophylactic Platelets (TOPPS) by Stanworth et al. (May 9 issue).2 TOPPS showed that a strategy of prophylactic platelet transfusion, as compared with a strategy of no prophylaxis, was marginally superior in preventing bleeding of World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2 or higher in patients with hematologic cancers. This superiority was observed primarily in patients with leukemia. In patients undergoing autologous transplantation, the two strategies were equally effective. Many bleeding episodes of WHO grade 2 are not a relevant clinical problem. Among patients undergoing autologous transplantation, we observed virtually no severe bleeding with the noprophylaxis strategy. In accordance with TOPPS, we observed severe bleeding primarily in patients with leukemia. Post hoc analysis of 443 induction and consolidation cycles showed significantly more bleeding during induction. We think that the transfusion strategy should be adjusted to different hematologic cancers and treatments. In our experience, there is no strategy that fits all. In conclusion, in 453 autologous transplantations, a no-prophylaxis strategy was safe.1-3 The number of platelet transfusions was reduced significantly when prophylactic transfusion was omitted.1,2 Transfusions are not benign.4 We therefore do not agree with the conclusion of Slichter’s editorial regarding TOPPS.5 In adult patients with low bleeding risk (e.g., those undergoing autologous transplantation), it is now time to rethink prophylactic platelet transfusion.
Estimating the accuracy of multiple alignments and its use in parameter advising

We develop a novel and general approach to estimating the accuracy of protein multiple sequence alignments without knowledge of a reference alignment, and use our approach to address a new problem that we call parameter advising. For protein alignments, we consider twelve independent features that contribute to a quality alignment. An accuracy estimator is learned that is a polynomial function of these features; its coefficients are determined by minimizing its error with respect to true accuracy using mathematical optimization. We evaluate this approach by applying it to the task of parameter advising: the problem of choosing alignment scoring parameters from a collection of parameter values to maximize the accuracy of a computed alignment. Our estimator, which we call Facet (for "feature-based accuracy estimator"), yields a parameter advisor that on the hardest benchmarks provides more than a 20% improvement in accuracy over the best default parameter choice, and outperforms the best prior approaches to selecting good alignments for parameter advising.
Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Children’s Past-Life Memories

Objectives: This study examines childhood gender nonconformity (GNC) in conjunction with the phenomenon in which young children describe memories of a purported previous life. Methods: In a case-co...
Application of quantitative phase imaging mass accumulation measurements to research and clinical problems in cancer

The robustness of Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) has enabled QPI to be used in applications to answer both research and clinical questions. QPI requires no labels, is non-destructive, and has nanoscale sensitivity to 3-d morphology. Various applications have included recording cellular force dynamics, identifying parasite-infected red blood cells, detecting cancer prognosis from colon cancer samples, and most recently predicting therapeutic sensitivity from live cell biomass accumulation measurements in patient derived xenograft (PDX) mice. However, challenges remain for clinical adoption, as QPI-based methods must first be proven more effective than current standards of care and patient inconvenience and costs must be minimized. Here we applied basic upgrades to previously described High Speed Live Cell Interferometry (HSLCI) to predict in vivo and in vitro PDX mouse tumor sensitivity to a range of cancer drugs from only Fine Needle Biopsy of the tumor. As demonstrated by our group and many others, the applications of QPI are not limited to the clinical realm. Using HSLCI, we revealed the growth dynamics of senescent and control H460 lung large cell carcinoma cells treated with cancer chemotherapy. The continued improvements in optics and throughput of QPI promise to answer many more clinical and basic science questions.
Leveraging identities: the strategic manipulation of social hierarchies for political gain

Much scholarship on boundary-making focuses on dyadic relationships between “us” and “them.” Yet the presence of multiple categories within societies allows for complex interactions among more than two potentially relevant groups. To capture this phenomenon and its dynamics better, we develop the concept of leveraging: the strategic manipulation of social distance among three or more constructed groups for political gain. The use of one group as a lever against another may involve stigmatizing or elevating categories of people along boundaries of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, class, sexual orientation, or other salient social markers. We theorize these processes and identify the motivations of the initiators of leveraging as well as the range of possible responses to it. We use a pair of empirical case studies drawn from contemporary Europe and additional examples from other settings to demonstrate the relevance of the concept. Conceptualizing leveraging both improves our scholarly understanding of group-making processes and offers political actors tools for interpreting and responding to a common set of strategic practices.
The Amaranth Debacle: A Failure of Risk Measures or a Failure of Risk Management?

The speculative activities of hedge funds have generated considerable interest among market agents and regulatory institutions. In September 2006, the activities of Amaranth Advisors, a large-sized Connecticut hedge fund in the natural gas market resulted in serious losses. By September 21, 2006, Amaranth had lost roughly $4.35B over a 3-week period or one half of its assets due to its activities in natural gas futures and options in September. Shortly thereafter, Amaranth fund was liquidated. This article presents a brief investigation of the possible causes behind this spectacular hedge fund failure and draws lessons by assessing Amaranth9s trading activities within a standard risk management framework. Even by conservative measures, Amaranth was engaging in highly risky trades which in addition to high levels of market risk involved significant exposure to liquidity risk—a risk factor that is seemingly difficult to manage.
Vitamin D Supplementation for Extraskeletal Indications in Older Persons.

Abstract Low levels of vitamin D have been implicated in a wide variety of conditions highly prevalent in the geriatric population, including fractures, functional limitations, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Vitamin D supplementation is often considered integral to the prevention of falls and fractures in the setting of osteoporosis. For other conditions, however, consensus is lacking, and the clinician may struggle to balance competing recommendations around screening, supplementation, and monitoring. This review seeks to provide an overview of the available evidence on the use of vitamin D supplementation to ameliorate sarcopenia, enhance cognition, treat depression, prevent cancer, and reduce mortality—outcomes that are common concerns in the geriatric population for which the merits of treatment are not always certain. Evidence suggests vitamin D supplementation may decrease mortality. Therefore, it may be reasonable to prescribe routine supplementation with oral cholecalciferol 800 to 1000 IU daily to all patients aged ≥65 years who do not have a contraindication. No screening or monitoring would be recommended for this population. We additionally recommend the use of oral cholecalciferol over ergocalciferol for any routine supplementation as this benefit was only observed with cholecalciferol. For patients with depression or cognitive disorders, we recommend screening for vitamin D deficiency, treating with oral cholecalciferol if present, and monitoring periodically to target a level of >30 ng/mL as an adjunct to usual care. The level of evidence certainly would not justify the use of vitamin D in place of more evidence-based therapies, but given the burden of these conditions in the geriatric population, we believe the potential benefit justifies the minimal risk.
Open Source Capture and Analysis of 802.11 Management Frames

The purpose of this initiative is to create an open source tool to allow for the monitoring of IEEE 802.11 wireless networks (Wi-Fi) and their management frames. Several security risks exist in these networks simply due flaws in the wireless protocol design. Our proposed tool will allow for the identification of malicious Wi-Fi frames and will provide the ability for researchers to analyze wireless networks without compromising the privacy of users’ data. We will answer specific questions, using our newly created tool, as to the heuristics of an attack on a wireless network.
Characterizing XBee S2Cs in a DigiMesh Topology for WSN Applications

Digi XBee S2Cs are wireless communications modules that can be programmed to operate various wireless topologies. Applications may require certain hierarchical topologies while others need more robust, redundant topologies. The work here explores the implementation of a mesh topology, using the DigiMesh network protocol, a Digi proprietary protocol in which there is no node hierarchy. This protocol is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for wireless communications. The effects of various obstructions on data transmission must be quantified in order to build a reliable network and understand the challenges that mobile wireless nodes may face in given indoor or outdoor environments. To characterize performance, the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) values were analyzed to show the range of RSSI values at which data can be reliably transmitted. The amount of data transmitted over time (in kilobits per second) shows the speed of the network in various environments. Range and throughput tests recorded RSSI and amount of data transmitted. Experiments were designed for both in line-of-sight (LOS) environments, involving no obstacles between nodes, and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments, which may have obstacles interfering with communication. Hop tests were conducted to measure transmission failure and throughput using single-hop and double-hop packet transmissions. Data were acquired in triplicate using different modules.
Playing in the Face of Death: Pedagogical Play as Love and Lament in a Time of COVID

Death always brings questions for the living. How do we teach and learn in a context of death and pandemic? This essay recounts and reflects on experiences of “playing in the face of death” in a gr...
Segmentation of Infrared Breast Images Using MultiResUnet Neural Networks

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women in the U.S. Early detection of breast cancer is key to higher survival rates to breast cancer patients. We are investigating infrared (IR) thermography as a noninvasive adjunct to mammography for breast cancer screening. IR imaging is radiation-free, pain-free, and non-contact. Automatic segmentation of the breast area from the acquired full-size breast IR images will help limit the area for tumor search, as well as reduce the time and effort costs of manual hand segmentation. Autoencoder-like convolutional and deconvolutional neural networks (C-DCNN) had been applied to automatically segment the breast area in IR images in previous studies. In this study, we applied a state-of-the-art deep-learning segmentation model, MultiResUnet, which consists of an encoder part to capture features and a decoder part for precise localization. It was used to segment the breast area by using a set of breast IR images, collected in our clinical trials by imaging breast cancer patients and normal volunteers with our infrared camera (N2 Imager). The database we used has 450 images, acquired from 14 patients and 16 volunteers. We used a thresholding method to remove interference in the raw images and remapped them from the original 16-bit to 8-bit, and then cropped and segmented the 8-bit images manually. Experiments using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) and comparison with the ground-truth images by using Tanimoto similarity show that the average accuracy of MultiResUnet is 91.47%, which is about 2% higher than that of the autoencoder. MultiResUnet offers a better approach to segment breast IR images than our previous model.
Recent Advances in Reinforcement Learning for Traffic Signal Control: A Survey of Models and Evaluation

Traffic signal control is an important and challenging real-world problem that has recently received a large amount of interest from both transportation and computer science communities. In this survey, we focus on investigating the recent advances in using reinforcement learning (RL) techniques to solve the traffic signal control problem. We classify the known approaches based on the RL techniques they use and provide a review of existing models with analysis on their advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, we give an overview of the simulation environments and experimental settings that have been developed to evaluate the traffic signal control methods. Finally, we explore future directions in the area of RLbased traffic signal control methods. We hope this survey could provide insights to researchers dealing with real-world applications in intelligent transportation systems
'We the Jurists': Islamic Constitutionalism in Iraq

This article examines the implications of incorporating Islamic law in a modern democratic constitutional context. The new Iraqi constitution's designation of Islamic law as "a source of law" placed the issue of Islamic law's role in new democracies at the forefront of the debates on "Islamic constitutionalism" - governing structures characterized by written constitutions that incorporate Islamic law. With its incorporation of both Islamic law and democratic/human rights provisions, the Iraqi constitution establishes a scenario where the government must legislate or adjudicate with respect to a set of dual norms. What challenges does the government face in attempts to legislate and adjudicate vis-a-vis an ostensibly religious legal system? Must it delineate a relationship between its traditional three branches and Islamic law's traditional interpreters (the jurists)? This article takes up these questions, positing that the role of Islamic law in an Islamic constitutional regime revolves around issues of interpretation and the institutional relationship between the government and the jurists. Taking the debates about family law reforms as a case study, the article assesses ways in which sentiments about Islamic law play out in discussions of popular sovereignty ("we the people"), juristic input ("we the jurists"), and legal reform. By comparing Iraq to existing models for Islamic constitutionalism, the article shows how the prospects for progressive laws and legal reform in Iraq depend on the form of Islamic constitutionalism adopted. More generally, the article offers insights in the areas of Islamic law and legislation in contemporary contexts of democracy - building, legal reform, and rule-of-law.
Absence of relationship between serum cortisol and critical illness in premature infants

Background Inadequate cortisol production in response to critical illness in extremely preterm infants may exacerbate poor outcomes. Despite commonly measuring cortisol concentration and administering hydrocortisone for presumed adrenal insufficiency, the relationship between serum cortisol concentration and illness severity remains unclear in this unique population. Objective To determine the relationship between cortisol concentrations and illness severity as measured by the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology II, neonatal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and Vasoactive-Inotropic Score in premature infants. Design/Methods This retrospective, single-center cohort study included preterm infants born Results A total of 224 preterm infants with pretreatment serum cortisol concentration met criteria for inclusion. The median (IQR) gestational age at birth was 25 weeks (24, 26) and at cortisol measurement was 26 weeks (25, 28). The median cortisol was 13.3 ug/dL. Non-survivors had the highest values. Cortisol concentration did not correlate with any of the selected illness severity scores. Conclusion(s) Cortisol concentrations in extremely preterm infants did not correlate with illness severity regardless of gestational age. Further studies are needed to identify clinically useful mediators of adrenal dysfunction and to guide clinical management.
Temporal Trends and Outcomes Among Patients Admitted for Immune-Related Adverse Events: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study from 2011 to 2018

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to characterize severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) seen among hospitalized patients and to examine risk factors for irAE admissions and clinically relevant outcomes, including length of stay, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) discontinuation, readmission, and death. METHODS Patients who received ICI therapy (ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, avelumab, or any ICI combination) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and were hospitalized at MGH following ICI initiation between January 1, 2011, and October 24, 2018, were identified using pharmacy and hospital admission databases. Medical records of all irAE admissions were reviewed, and specialist review with defined criteria was performed. Demographic data, relevant clinical history (malignancy type and most recent ICI regimen), and key admission characteristics, including dates of admission and discharge, immunosuppressive management, ICI discontinuation, readmission, and death, were collected. RESULTS In total, 450 admissions were classified as irAE admissions and represent the study's cohort. Alongside the increasing use of ICIs at our institution, the number of patients admitted to MGH for irAEs has gradually increased every year from 9 in 2011 to 92 in 2018. The hospitalization rate per ICI recipient has declined over that same time period (25.0% in 2011 to 8.5% in 2018). The most common toxicities leading to hospitalization in our cohort were gastrointestinal (30.7%; n = 138), pulmonary (15.8%; n = 71), hepatic (14.2%; n = 64), endocrine (12.2%; n = 55), neurologic (8.4%; n = 38), cardiac (6.7%; n = 30), and dermatologic (4.4%; n = 20). Multivariable logistic regression revealed statistically significant increases in irAE admission risk for CTLA-4 monotherapy recipients (odds ratio [OR], 2.02; p < .001) and CTLA-4 plus PD-1 combination therapy recipients (OR, 1.88; p < .001), relative to PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy recipients, and patients with multiple toxicity had a 5-fold increase in inpatient mortality. CONCLUSION This study illustrates that cancer centers must be prepared to manage a wide variety of irAE types and that CTLA-4 and combination ICI regimens are more likely to cause irAE admissions, and earlier. In addition, admissions for patients with multi-organ involvement is common and those patients are at highest risk of inpatient mortality. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The number of patients admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) has gradually increased every year and the most common admissions are for gastrointestinal (30.7%), pulmonary (15/8%), and hepatic (14.2%) events. Readmission rates are high (29% at 30 days, 49% at 180 days) and 64.2% have to permanently discontinue immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Importantly, multiple concurrent toxicities were seen in 21.6% (97/450) of irAE admissions and these patients have a fivefold increased risk of inpatient death.
Titanium diffusion in Si/Al2O3/Ti/Au metal oxide semiconductor capacitors

As novel semiconductor and dielectric materials become more prevalent in MOS device technology, MOS capacitors are used to investigate the quality of semiconductor/dielectric, semiconductor/contact, and dielectric/metal gate interfaces, through capacitance-voltage (C-V) and I-V testing along with physical materials characterization. Thermal processes such as implant stabilization, contact annealing, and dielectric postdeposition annealing must be managed to accomplish the desired results while minimizing undesirable side effects such as interdiffusion or dopant migration in devices. This can be done through a combination of device and process design, which prevents these unwanted effects through careful material selection, ordering of process steps, temperature adjustments where possible, and selection of process gases used during thermal treatments. This study focuses on the effects of a 430 °C forming gas anneal, which produced an unusual brown layer on Ti/Au metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor gates. A series of experiments, XPS analysis, and C-V electrical data revealed that the brown layer was not an organic residue but a thin layer of TiO2 on the gold surface, which formed due to Ti diffusion to the Au surface during the forming gas anneal. Oxygen plasma treatment before the furnace anneal enhanced the undesirable diffusion effect. Replacing the Ti/Au gates with Cr/Au gates prevented the brown layer and improved capacitance-voltage characteristics.
Membrane topology of a P-type ATPase : the MgtB magnesium transport protein of Salmonella typhimurium

P-type ATPases are a family of cation transport enzymes present in all species from bacteria to mammals whose members mediate membrane flux of all common biologically relevant cations. More than 50 members of this family of transporters have been sequenced; extensive structural data are available, and several members have been analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Nonetheless, there is no current consensus regarding their membrane topology. In this work, the Salmonella typhimurium Mg2+ transporting P-type ATPase encoded by the MgtB locus has been used as a model for P-type ATPases. Unlike other prokaryotic P-type ATPases, the MgtB protein is similar in length, amino acid sequence, and hydropathy profile to known eukaryotic P-type ATPases. The membrane topology of MgtB was analyzed by several epitope insertions in MgtB and from the activity of 35 protein fusions between MgtB and the reporter enzymes BlaM (beta-lactamase) and LacZ (beta-galactosidase). The epitope insertions within MgtB all retained function as assessed by cation uptake assays and were regulated normally by the level of Mg2+ within the growth medium. The epitope insertion and fusion protein data are completely incompatible with the numerous previously proposed models for P-type ATPases predicting 7, 8, 9, or 12 transmembrane segments. Rather, they indicate that MgtB contains 10 transmembrane segments with both amino and carboxyl termini residing within the cytosol. By extension, we suggest that all eukaryotic P-type ATPases contain 10 transmembrane segments with both termini within the cytosol.
Validating Work System Principles for Use in Systems Analysis and Design

This research validates 24 work system principles that emerged from the effort to develop the work system method, whose goal is to help business professionals understand and analyze systems in organizations in their own terms, and also to help bridge the communication gaps that have undermined IS projects and reduced business/IT alignment. The research validates the principles based on questionnaire responses submitted by six cohorts of Executive MBA students, who rated each of the work system principles on two criteria: 1) normatively, to what extent should work systems in their organizations conform to each principle, and 2) descriptively, to what extent do most existing work systems in their organizations actually conform to each principle. An analysis of the results reveals statistically significant gaps between their perceptions of normative principles and their perceptions of how well typical work systems operate in organizations. The findings are statistically significant for all 24 principles.
Rehabilitation following Surgery for Reconstruction of a Foot Defect

Background: This report illustrates the use of pressure for scar management to aid in foot re-shaping following a surgical intervention to repair an arterio-venous (AV) malformation. Methods: This report describes the rehabilitation of a 13-year-old girl after surgical reconstruction of a defect in her left foot following the removal of an AV malformation. Early surgical attempts to repair the problem resulted in complications that required the amputation of toes 2, 3, and 4, and the use of a split thickness skin graft to cover the plantar surface of the medial longitudinal arch on the left foot. Following surgery, the patient had an antalgic gait pattern with decreased weight bearing on the left. The graft obliterated the left medial longitudinal arch and the patient would only weight bear on the heel. The patient had decreased metatarsal joint mobility on the affected side and no movement in the remaining toes. Left talocrural joint active range-of-motion (AROM) was within normal limits and gross ankle muscle force production was assessed to have a grade of 3/5. Results: Treatment included reshaping the left foot using a pressure garment and orthotic, followed by interventions to address range-of-motion and muscle force production deﬁciencies. All treatment objectives were achieved and all patient goals were achieved. Conclusions: Pressure was effective in re-shaping the foot to promote normal gait mechanics.
Effects of diabetes, fatty acids, and ketone bodies on tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism in the perfused rat heart.

An attempt has been made to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating citrate levels in the rat heart. Citric acid cycle intermediates have been measured in perfused and nonperfused hearts of normal and alloxan-diabetic rats. Levels of citrate, isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, and malate were found, in general, to be elevated by diabetes and by perfusion with octanoate, acetate, and β-hydroxybutyrate. Octanoate also caused a large increase in the concentration of acetyl coenzyme A. This latter effect was greatly diminished by anoxia, and anoxia likewise prevented any large effect of octanoate on citrate and isocitrate levels. In the absence of octanoate, anoxia resulted in a slight fall in citrate, no change in isocitrate, a 90% decrease in α-ketoglutarate, and a doubling of malate. The increased concentration of citrate in hearts perfused with octanoate was not dependent upon the presence of glucose or bicarbonate in the perfusion medium. In hearts perfused with 14C-bicarbonate the specific activity of citrate was many times that of malate, suggesting that the immediate product of CO2 fixation under these conditions was not oxalacetate or malate. Under all conditions in which fatty acids or β-hydroxybutyrate induced a rise in citrate there was a fall in aspartate and, in most instances, a rise in glutamate. In hearts perfused with 14C-aspartate, radioactivity was incorporated into citrate, and this incorporation was greatly increased when octanoate was added to the perfusion medium. It is concluded that elevated levels of citric acid cycle intermediates in hearts of diabetic rats and in normal hearts perfused with fatty acids and ketone bodies are due largely to increased availability of acetyl-CoA. It is proposed that the oxalacetate required for extra citrate synthesis is derived to a major extent from aspartate by transamination. Carbon dioxide fixation, perhaps by α-ketoglutarate or changes in the aconitase equilibrium, or both, may be factors in determining the citrate level. Altered activity of dehydrogenase enzymes associated with the cycle may also contribute to changes in the concentration of intermediates.
An Atlas of Mid-Infrared (5 – 20 µm) Astronomical Sources

Array camera images of bright 5 – 20µm astronomical objects sources are being assembled into an Atlas of Mid-Infrared Astronomical Sources. The Atlas has been conceived as a means of making available, in a timely manner, the observational results of our Infrared Array Camera astronomy applications program at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. This first release of images consists primarily of bright, extended galactic sources, but also includes solar system and extragalactic objects. The data are presented in both image and contour map formats. An appendix contains a partial survey of Solar System objects. Examples of the Atlas image data are given in Figure 1 and Color Plates 1 – 4.
Urine biomarkers of kidney injury among adolescents in Nicaragua, a region affected by an epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology

Background An epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of non-traditional aetiology has been recently recognized by health authorities as a public health priority in Central America. Previous studies have identified strenuous manual work, agricultural activities and residence at low altitude as potential risk factors; however, the aetiology remains unknown. Because individuals are frequently diagnosed with CKD in early adulthood, we measured biomarkers of kidney injury among adolescents in different regions of Nicaragua to assess whether kidney damage might be initiated during childhood. Methods Participants include 200 adolescents aged 12-18 years with no prior work history from four different schools in Nicaragua. The location of the school served as a proxy for environmental exposures and geographic locations were selected to represent a range of factors that have been associated with CKD in adults (e.g. altitude, primary industry and CKD mortality rates). Questionnaires, urine dipsticks and kidney injury biomarkers [interleukin-18, N-acetyl-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and albumin-creatinine ratio] were assessed. Biomarker concentrations were compared by school using linear regression models. Results Protein (3.5%) and glucose (1%) in urine measured by dipstick were rare and did not differ by school. Urine biomarkers of tubular kidney damage, particularly NGAL and NAG, showed higher concentrations in those schools and regions within Nicaragua that were defined a priori as having increased CKD risk. Painful urination was a frequent self-reported symptom. Conclusions Although interpretation of these urine biomarkers is limited because of the lack of population reference values, results suggest the possibility of early kidney damage prior to occupational exposures in these adolescents.
Security of quantum key distribution with entangled photons against individual attacks

We investigate the security of quantum key distribution with entangled photons, focusing on the two-photon variation of the Bennett-Brassard 1984 (BB84) protocol proposed in 1992 by Bennett, Brasard, and Mermin (BBM92). We present a proof of security which applies to realistic sources, and to untrustable sources which can be placed outside the labs of the two receivers. The proof is restricted to individual eavesdropping attacks, and assumes that the detection apparatus is trustable. We find that the average collision probability for the BBM92 protocol is the same as that of the BB84 protocol with an ideal single-photon source. This indicates that there is no analog in BBM92 to photon splitting attacks, and that the source can be placed between the two receivers without changing the form of the collision probability. We then compare the communication rate of both protocols as a function of distance, and show that BBM92 has potential for much longer communication distances, up to 170 km, in the presence of realistic experimental imperfections. Finally, we propose a scheme based on entanglement swapping that can lead to even longer distance communication. The limiting factor in this scheme is the channel loss, which imposes very slow communication rates at longer distances.
Does Diabetes Always Confer Coronary Heart Disease Risk Equivalent to a Prior Myocardial Infarction?: Implications for prevention

The excess risk for future coronary heart disease (CHD) events attributable to diabetes alone in the absence of coexisting CHD was not well understood until the publication by Haffner et al. (1) on this subject in 1998, which concluded that the elevation in risk was essentially similar to nondiabetic individuals with a prior myocardial infarction. This conclusion was based on a nonsignificant adjusted hazard ratio of 1.2 for CHD mortality over 7 years of follow-up in a Finnish cohort. This article had a considerable impact on our thinking and approach to CHD prevention in diabetes given its publication in a prestigious medical journal and high number of citations since ( n = 3,676; scholar.google.com, accessed 4 October 2010). It provided justification for taking the same intensive approach to CHD prevention as used in individuals with a prior myocardial infarction, including aspirin as a cornerstone of treatment. In apparently equivalent high-risk states of diabetes and prior CHD, the benefit of aspirin in reducing risk of myocardial infarction has been believed to outweigh uncommon bleeding complications and yield a net average expected benefit. Given the finding of Haffner et al. and previous American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendations in favor of the use of aspirin to prevent CHD in many individuals with diabetes, why then would a recent ADA position statement change course by recommending more limited aspirin use based on overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk (2,3)? A number of reasons seem to justify this change in recommendations. There have been major advances in treatment approaches to type 2 diabetes, replications of the finding by Haffner et al. are inconsistent, and recent data suggest that the utility of aspirin for CHD prevention may be of a lesser magnitude than previously believed. First, it should be pointed out that even though …