cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of Multiple Effects on Adenylyl Cyclase Regulation by Chronic Activation of the Human A3 Adenosine Receptor

SUMMARY The A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) contributes to several cardiovascular effects of adenosine, including antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects. Although several studies have detailed the mechanisms underlying agonist-mediated desensitization of the rat A3AR, the regulation of the human A3AR, which displays only a 70% amino acid identity with the rat homologue, has not been addressed. Using a Chinese hamster ovary cell line stably expressing a recombinant human A3AR, we demonstrated that prolonged treatment with the AR agonist 59-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine induces uncoupling of the A3AR from G proteins and functional desensitization. In addition to A3AR desensitization, a 1.5‐2.5-fold increase was noted in the adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity achieved in the presence of GTP with or without forskolin. This sensitization of AC activity was not a consequence of the down-regulation of Gi proteins induced by NECA treatment and was not associated with sustained or transient increases in the expression of Gs. Time course experiments revealed that the onset of sensitization was half-maximal between 2 and 3 hr but was not due to the synthesis of new proteins because cycloheximide treatment failed to inhibit sensitization. The inability of the sensitization process to alter the AC activity obtained in the presence of manganese chloride suggests that prolonged A3AR activation increases the coupling efficiency between Gs and AC catalytic units. This phenomenon has implications for long term cellular adaptation to agonist because in agonist-treated cells, the extent to which a suboptimal concentration of forskolin could increase phosphorylation of the cAMP-responsive element binding protein was elevated compared with vehicle-treated controls.
H1N1 infection of sleep/wake regions results in narcolepsy-like symptoms

Narcolepsy is a debilitating, neurological sleep disorder that is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and nighttime sleep disturbance. In narcolepsy type 1, the loss of arousal state boundary control can lead to cataplexy—the sudden loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions—and intrusions of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep at abnormal times. Cataplexy resembles the muscle atonia observed during REM sleep and is pathognomonic of the disease. The neurological basis for narcolepsy resides in the degeneration of the hypothalamic neurons that produce the neuropeptide hypocretin (HCRT, also known as orexin), but how and why these specific cells die is one of the most important, unanswered questions in The results presented by Tesoriero et al. may herald a new appreciation for multifaceted origins of narcolepsy.the field. Although certain genetic predispositions increase the risk for narcolepsy, low concordance rates between twins suggest that environmental factors (e.g., exposure to infectious agents) play an important role in initiating disease onset. Tesoriero et al. (1) use an innovative means of manipulating the immune system of the mouse to examine whether viral infection can impact HCRT neurons and other cell groups responsible for arousal state control. Narcolepsy is uncommon (affecting 1 in 2,000 individuals), yet the incidence of this neurological sleep disorder spiked following the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009. In China, new cases of narcolepsy increased threefold in the 6 mo after the peak of the outbreak, then decreased to the normal rate of onset by 2011 … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: thomas.kilduff{at}sri.com. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Concurrent fungus ball and squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus.

European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases - Vol. 133 - N° 2 - p. 153-154
Epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy and symptom improvement in non-small cell lung cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy and symptom improvement in non-small cell lung cancer are discussed. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common and frequently incurable disease. Patients with advanced stage IIIB/IV disease, although not candidates for curative resection, can benefit from treatment that prolongs survival, alleviates symptoms, and reduces complications. While incremental advances have occurred with the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the benefits have been largely palliative. Moreover, the adverse events associated with these therapies may undermine the treatment goal by replacing disease-related symptoms with treatment-related adverse events. Thus, novel, more targeted approaches are needed. Increased understanding of cellular and molecular biology has resulted in the development of treatments that selectively target key regulatory pathways and molecules involved in cell growth and metastasis. Gefitinib is one member of a new class of targeted anticancer agents known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors with activity against NSCLC. In clinical trials, gefitinib has produced responses in patients with relapsed or refractory NSCLC, reduced disease-related symptoms, and has been associated with improvements in quality of life. Such targeted therapy may have a significant impact on the treatment of patients with NSCLC.
Diamonds without blood: a look at Namibia

ABSTRACTThere has been considerable attention to the influence of diamond wealth on conflict. By examining the role of diamonds in Namibia, this research shows that under some conditions diamond wealth can make conflict less probable. It examines possible conditions that may have made Namibia the exception to the rule by exploring five factors: the neighborhood effect, political dynamics, economic institutions, grievances, and political geography. Given these conditions diamonds have contributed to the absence of conflict in Namibia for two reasons: diamonds have historically been mined in the desert area that makes smuggling difficult and the joint agreement between the government and De Beers has led to a taxable base, strengthening state institutions.
New Genus and Two New Species of Melicharini from Venezuela (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ascidae)

Adult males and females of a new genus, Xanthippe gen. nov., and two new species of the tribe Melicharini, family Ascidae, are described. These mites apparently feed on pollen or nectar in inflorescences of a palm, Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) H. A. Wendl., and possibly have a plioretic association with beetles of the genus Mystrops Erichson (Nitidulidae), the major pollinators of this plant.
Semiotics and lived-spaces: Merleau-Ponty's concept of freedom as a potential goal for community transformation

ABSTRACTIn Maurice Merleau-Ponty's (1945) Phenomenology of Perception, there is a short chapter at the end of the book dedicated to the concept of freedom. Although brief, and often ignored, this chapter arguably presents the central crux of the thesis Merleau-Ponty works to constitute throughout a majority of the text: namely, that any sort of free action is only truly possible should one recognize, in his or her local circumstances, the reasons and conditions necessary for freedom to be considered at all. This current article takes up this concept of freedom, as well as others such as intercorporeity and the lived-body, as imperative points of consideration for both psychologists and child and youth workers who are interested in transforming communities on a local scale. Some examples of recent empirical research on community intervention are discussed in relation to the aforementioned concepts, with an emphasis on the importance of place and embodiment.
Determination of Larval Instars of Heterocampa manteo and Reduction of Larval Head Capsule Size by the Parasitoid Diradops bethunei

Head capsule measurements were used to distinguish the 5 larval stages of the variable oak leaf caterpillar Heterocampa manteo (Doubleday). Parasitization of H. manteo larvae by the ichneumonid Diradops bethunei (Cresson) resulted in a reduction of head capsule size. Percentage parasitism of overwintering prepupae of H. manteo was accurately determined by head capsule measurements.
Wais Scores for Black and White Air Force Basic Trainees

The WAIS was administered to 100 black and 100 white male Air Force basic trainees. t tests showed that the white group scored significantly higher on Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, and Full Scale IQ and on all subtests except Digit Span and Digit Symbol. Findings were discussed in terms of cultural opportunity and heritability.
Coming home: Continuing intercultural learning during the re-entry semester following a study abroad experience

User 0 0 2015-05-15T12:51:00Z 2015-05-15T12:51:00Z 1 191 1051 15 3 1239 14.0 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE International experiences through structured study abroad programs are proposed as a powerful way to impact pre-service teachers’ intercultural understandings and competence. In recent years attention has been placed on the nature of such study abroad programs, seeking to illuminate design elements that might enhance intercultural learning prior to, during, and after such programs. Though acknowledged as a vital component to such experiences, the literature lacks exploration of the nature of program design once students’ return to their home university, termed the “re-entry” phase. This article presents findings from a case study of a pre-service teacher during the semester following a study abroad program, illuminating programmatic elements of the re-entry semester that provided the student with the support needed to leverage intercultural learning begun during the international experience once she returned to their home university. The findings provide insight into the importance of providing purposefully designed re-entry programs that support students’ continued intercultural learning, particularly in helping students learn to look at themselves, U.S. schools, and domestic diversity through a critical cultural lens.
Search engine marketing and customer relationship management within a social media environment

Search engine technologies with a social media context has allowed for the development of a modern, consumer-driven internet experience that has been powered by customers' imagination and is designed to at least partially satisfy users' need for self-directed engagement. The present research effort has illustrated that some components are further behind than potentially expected. This study examined millennials versus older generations as well as gender and various search engine and social metrics in order to access their effectiveness of the various media that encompass integrated technology. Millennials may slightly be prone to take advantage of such technologies, but their search and use patterns are not much varied from their older professional counterparts. Businesses are well advised to provide a mindful, less controlled, more interactive presence of potential users, especially through an increasingly mobile presence.
Pan-Leukocyte Monoclonal Antibody L3B12: Characterization and Application to Research and Diagnostic Prob

In this report, the authors describe a murine anti-human monoclonal antibody, L3B12, which defines a pan-leukocyte cell surface antigen of approximately 180,000 m.w. Extensive screening against a variety of tissues indicates that L3B12 is sensitive and specific for leukocytes, related cells of bone marrow lineage, and their corresponding neoplasms. Unlike many lymphoid antigens that are not detectable following routine fixation and embedding, those recognized by L3B12 and related antibodies are variably preserved. L3B12 has proven useful in studying the antigen expression of normal leukocytic elements, lymphomas, and related disorders, and in enriching or depleting leukocytes from heterogeneous cell populations. From a diagnostic standpoint, L3B12 staining of tissue sections or cell suspensions is useful for distinguishing large cell lymphomas from undifferentiated carcinomas and in distinguishing lymphomas and leukemias from other small round cell tumors of childhood.
The Role of Proliferation in Determining Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer: A Gene Expression-Based Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To provide further insight into the role of proliferation and other cellular processes in chemosensitivity and resistance, we evaluated the association of a diverse set of gene expression signatures with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer. Experimental Design: Expression data from primary breast cancer biopsies for 1,419 patients in 17 studies prior to NAC were identified and aggregated using common normalization procedures. Clinicopathologic characteristics, including response to NAC, were collected. Scores for 125 previously published breast cancer–related gene expression signatures were calculated for each tumor. Results: Within each receptor-based subgroup or PAM50 subtype, breast tumors with high proliferation signature scores were significantly more likely to achieve pathologic complete response to NAC. To distinguish “proliferation-associated” from “proliferation-independent” signatures, we used correlation and linear modeling approaches. Most signatures associated with response to NAC were proliferation associated: 90.5% (38/42) in ER + /HER2 − and 63.3% (38/60) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Proliferation-independent signatures predictive of response to NAC in ER + /HER2 − breast cancer were related to immune activity, while those in TNBC comprised a diverse set of signatures, including immune, DNA damage, signaling pathways (PI3K, AKT, Ras, and EGFR), and “stemness” phenotypes. Conclusions: Proliferation differences account for the vast majority of predictive capacity of gene expression signatures in neoadjuvant chemosensitivity for ER + /HER2 − breast cancers and, to a lesser extent, TNBCs. Immune activation signatures are proliferation-independent predictors of pathologic complete response in ER + /HER2 − breast cancers. In TNBCs, significant proliferation-independent signatures include gene sets that represent a diverse set of cellular processes. Clin Cancer Res; 22(24); 6039–50. ©2016 AACR .
Innovation and Social Development in Latin America

How is innovation related to economic development? The question we should really be asking ourselves first is: what does economic development mean for Latin America now?
Wages, Inflation and the Labor Market

The revival of the approach of the Classics has resulted in a multiplier which implies that an increase in the real wage will increase employment. This requires a close examination of the labor market. But the real wage is a composite construct — it is the money wage divided by the money price of consumer goods. These money variables can move independently of one another, and they do in inflationary processes. We must therefore explore inflation as a wage—price spiral, in which money wages and prices, moving at different rates, change distribution.
“ After Your Honor is Gone …”: Exploration of Developmental Trajectories and Life Experiences of Women Working in Mumbai’s Red-Light Brothel Districts

This investigation was intended, first, to examine the early life and childhood experiences of adult women working in the red-light districts of Mumbai, India. A corollary to this goal was determination of processes that led to entry into the commercial sex industry (CSI). Second, we sought better understanding of women’s adult relationships with family of origin and key players of the brothel-based sex industry (e.g., peers, clients, brothel-keepers). Finally, we explored exiting options. In other words, to what extent is it possible to leave India’s brothel-based sex industry if one wanted to do so? Guided by the life-course theory of development, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 women working in two red-light districts of Mumbai, India. Most women described childhoods of extreme poverty, had been trafficked into the CSI, and reported minimal social support as adults. Exiting was challenged by multi-faceted cultural and structural constraints. Implications for continued research are provided.
TCT-114 Comparing Hemodynamic Profiles and Outcomes in Cardiogenic Shock Requiring VA-ECMO or Impella for Circulatory Support

Use of acute mechanical circulatory support (AMCS) devices for cardiogenic shock (CS) is growing and includes veno-arterial extracorporeal oxygenation (VA-ECMO) or Impella. Few studies have defined hemodynamic profiles nor explored the utility of AMCS in CS. We retrospectively analyzed all patients
Gendered Perceptions of Typical Engineers across Specialties for Engineering Majors.

ABSTRACTYoung women do not choose to be engineers nearly as often as young men, and they tend to cluster in particular specialties when they do. We examine these patterns and the role of gender schemas as applied to perceptions of typical engineers in understanding the choices that women make in terms of engineering specialties. We use Part 1 of two waves of survey data collected from first-year engineering students at a large Midwestern university in the fall of 2014. Respondents scored typical engineers on 60 items from the Bem Sex-Role Inventory [Bem, S. L. 1974. “The Measurement of Psychological Androgyny.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 42: 155–162]. Preliminary results show that women consider the typical engineer to be more masculine compared to the impressions gathered from men. Additionally, engineering gender schemas predict some specialty areas but not all, suggesting that gendered perceptions may not affect choice of specialty. Our results provide insight into the decisions that...
Synergistic effects of nuclear and electronic energy loss in KTaO3 under ion irradiation

We use the inelastic thermal spike model for insulators and molecular dynamic simulations to investigate the effects of pre-existing damage on the energy dissipation and structural alterations in KTaO3 under irradiation with 21 MeV Ni ions. Our results reveal a synergy between the pre-existing defects and the electronic energy loss, indicating that the defects play an important role on the energy deposition in the system. Our findings highlight the need for better understanding on the role of defects in electronic energy dissipation and the coupling of the electronic and atomic subsystems.
The Eriocaulaceae of Peru: Three taxonomic novelties, and a revised checklist with key

Paepalanthus piscatorum, sp. nov. (P. subsect. Polyactis) is described with two varieties endemic to the eastern Andes in Peru and Ecuador. Paepalanthus dichotomus var. glabrescens Moldenke is raised to species status as Paepalanthus glabrescens comb. et stat. nov. (P. subsect. Dichocladus), endemic to the vicinity of Chachapoyas. Affinities and floral morphology of both species are discussed in detail. The variability in Syngonanthus peruvianus is documented, with an updated species description. Paepalanthus stuebelianus is placed in synonymy of P. intermedius. In addition a revised checklist for Peru is presented, updating the account in the Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru (1993), and providing global habitat and distribution information, general comments on phytogeographic patterns in the family, and a dichotomous key to Peruvian species. Images of representative specimens are provided in a supplementary online resource (http://fieldmuseum.org/fieldiana-hensold). The new total of 31 species reflects 13 new taxon records, three deleted species records, three name changes due to synonymy, and several changes in distributional records. Ten endemic taxa are reported, for which conservation status is provisionally assessed for eight, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines. Four taxa were found to be widely disjunct from white sand areas of northern South America.Paepalanthus piscatorum sp. nov. (P. subsect. Polyactis) se describe con dos variedades, endemicas de la parte de los Andes orientales en el Peru y Ecuador. Paepalanthus dichotomus var. glabrescens Moldenke se eleva a nivel de especie como P. glabrescens, comb. et stat. nov. (P. subsect. Dichocladus), endemico a la zona de Chachapoyas. Se discuten las afinidades y la morfologia floral de ambas especies en detalle. Se documenta la variabilidad en Syngonanthus peruvianus, con una descripcion de la especie actualizada. Paepalanthus stuebelianus esta colocado en la sinonimia de P. intermedius. Ademas se presenta una lista revisada de las eriocaulaceas del Peru, actualizando el Catalogo de las Angiospermas y Gimnospermas del Peru (1993), incluyendo la informacion del habitat y distribucion global, observaciones generales sobre los patrones fitogeograficas en la familia, y una clave dicotomica para especies peruanas. Imagenes de especimenes representativos se proporcionan en un recurso suplementario disponible en linea (http://fieldmuseum.org/fieldiana-hensold). El nuevo total de 31 especies refleja 13 nuevos registros de taxones, tres registros de especies eliminadas, tres cambios de nombre debido a la sinonimia, y varios cambios en registros de distribucion. Se reportan diez taxones endemicos, y el estado de conservacion se evalua provisionalmente para ocho, de acuerdo con las directrices de la UICN. Se encontraron cuatro taxones que estan ampliamente disjuntos de las zonas de arena blanca de la parte norte de Sudamerica.
Designing and Programming the Configurable Cloud

Process technology improvements have historically allowed an effortless expansion of the capacity and capabilities of computers and the cloud with few changes to the underlying software or programming model. However, the end of Dennard Scaling means that performance and efficiency gains will rely on the customization of the hardware for each application. Yet customizing hardware for each application runs contrary to the trend to moving more and more applications to a common hardware infrastructure the Cloud. Microsofts Catapult project has brought the power and performance of FPGA-based reconfigurable computing to hyperscale datacenters, accelerating major production cloud applications such as Bing web search and Microsoft Azure, and enabling a new generation of machine learning and artificial intelligence applications. These diverse workloads are accelerated using the same underlying hardware by using highly programmable silicon. The presence of ubiquitous and programmable silicon in the datacenter enables a new era of hardware/software co-design across a wide variety of workloads, opening up affordable and efficient performance across an enormous set of workloads. Catapult is now deployed in nearly every new server across the more than a million machines that make up the Microsoft hyperscale cloud. In this talk, I will describe the next generation of the Catapult configurable cloud architecture, and the tools and techniques that have made Catapult successful to date. I will discuss areas where traditional hardware and software development flows fall short, the domains where this programmable hardware holds the most potential, and how this technology can enable new computing frontiers.
Successes and Challenges in School Meal Reform: Qualitative Insights From Food Service Directors

BACKGROUND The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) directed the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise school meal standards to increase healthy food offerings. A critical stakeholder in the implementation of standards is Food Service Directors (FSDs). We sought to examine FSDs' perspectives on revised school meal standards to gain insight into successful implementation strategies. METHODS Semistructured interviews were conducted with FSDs (N = 9) from high schools that had achieved HealthierUS Schools Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms (HUSSC: SL) status. Qualitative interview data were team coded in Atlas.ti v7 and analyzed with principles of constant comparative analysis. RESULTS FSDs reported overall positive perceptions of the revised school meal standards and its potential impacts, as well as improved fruit and vegetable consumption, despite initial challenges with plate waste, procurement of whole grain-rich products, and fast paced sodium targets. Implementation was described as complex, ongoing processes; with time and in-service trainings, student acceptance to these changes improved. CONCLUSIONS These findings are directly relevant to future reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act and to revisions to the implementation time line for the federal school meal standards related to sodium, whole grains, and flavored milk. Insights into FSDs' strategies suggest that more time and targeted technical assistance at federal, state, and local levels is warranted.
Temporal Pattern and Prognostic Significance of Hypokalemia in Patients Undergoing Targeted Temperature Management Following Cardiac Arrest

Hypokalemia has been consistently reported as a common occurrence during targeted temperature management (TTM) in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. We sought to better describe changes in serum potassium throughout the different stages of TTM and to assess for any prognostic significance. We analyzed a prospectively collected cohort of 240 patients treated with TTM following cardiac arrest at a tertiary care hospital between 2007 and 2014. The primary outcome was poor neurologic outcome at hospital discharge, defined as a Cerebral Performance Category score >2. Secondary outcomes included death and recurrent ventricular arrhythmia before hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess for association of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia with the designated outcomes. During all phases of TTM, hypokalemia and hyperkalemia occurred in 207 (86%) and 77 (32%) of patients, respectively. Hypokalemia occurred in 203 (85%) patients at target temperature, and 25 (10%) patients were hyperkalemic following normothermia. In multivariable logistic regression, hypokalemia was not associated with poor neurologic outcomes or recurrent ventricular arrhythmia. Hypokalemia was associated with reduced odds of death before hospital discharge (odds ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.97, p = 0.044). Hyperkalemia was not associated with poor neurologic outcomes, death, or recurrent ventricular arrhythmia.
Discussion, Conclusions, and Perspectives

The method used in this study is the relative back-projection method (RBPM), which is one of the generalized array techniques. This method was modified from the traditional back-projection method (BPM). Its power in resolving the rupture of the earthquakes has been demonstrated in the application to the large earthquakes. This chapter is to discuss the disvantages existing in the method and to provide the potential approaches to improve the back-projection imaging.
John Rawls, American Philosopher (1921–2002)

John Rawls is the most important American philosopher who works with the idea of justice. Rawls departs definitively from the liberal tradition of Mill and Friedman and looks more like a democratic socialist in his understanding of justice. Rawls’s problems with justice are twofold. (1) Rawls tries for Plato-style rational legitimation of his principles of justice. In this effort, Rawls fails. (2) Rawls, like Plato, Mill and Friedman before him, is likewise a racist. Making this case about Rawls is a bit more difficult, probably because of Rawls’s intense focus on theory. Nevertheless, his focus on theory does not relieve Rawls of responsibility to confront real injustices of daily life. Rawls’s focus on theory is no excuse and, like Mill and Friedman before him, Rawls too is a racist.
Fungal–copper interactions in wood examined with large field of view synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy

ABSTRACTThe goal of this study was to demonstrate how synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) can be used to better understand the mechanisms of copper tolerance in wood decay fungi. Copper is a major component in commercial wood preservatives as it is toxic to many wood decay fungi. However, certain fungi are copper tolerant and can attack preservative-treated wood, resulting in structural damage to treated wood members. Here we used large-field XFM to visualize six different elements (K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in the mycelia and wood inoculated with four different species of brown rot wood decay fungi. Wood blocks were partially dipped into a solution of copper sulfate, exposed to fungi in malt extract agar petri dish assays for nine weeks, and then imaged and compared to blocks that were partially dipped in water. The blocks were imaged immediately adjacent to an end-matched control that was placed in malt extract agar petri dish assays for 9 weeks, but not exposed to the fungi so that t...
Sedation and Analgesia Influence Electroencephalography Monitoring in Pediatric Neurocritical Care.

Abstract Objectives We assessed neuroactive medication use in critically ill children who require neurological consultation and evaluated the associations between administration of these medications and continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) utilization and seizure frequency. Methods We evaluated exposure to sedatives, analgesics, anesthetics, and paralytics in consecutive patients (0 days to 18 years) for whom neurological consultation was requested in three intensive care units (ICUs) [neonatal (NICU), pediatric (PICU), and cardiothoracic (PCTU)]) at one children's hospital. We assessed cEEG usage and seizure incidence in relation to drug exposure. Results From November 2015 to November 2016, 300 consecutive patients were evaluated (93 NICU, 139 PICU, and 68 PCTU). Ninety-seven (32%) were receiving ≥1 sedative infusion at the time of consultation [NICU 7 (8%), PICU 50(36%), PCTU 40 (58%%]; 91 (30%) received ≥1 paralytic agent within the preceding 24 hours. Continuous electroencephalography was performed more often for patients treated with sedative infusions (81 of 97 versus 133 of 203, P = 0.001) and paralytic medications (80 of 91 versus 134 of 209, P Conclusions Critically ill infants and children are frequently treated with sedatives, anesthetics, analgesics, and paralytics. Neuroactive medications limit bedside neurological assessments and, in this cohort, were associated with increased cEEG usage. Our data underscore the need to study the effect of these medications on clinical care and long-term outcomes.
Voices in Education: Immigration and Teacher Education

Immigration issues around the world impact teachers and teacher educators. The Pew Research Center reported, “3.9 million kindergarten through 12th-grade students in U.S. public and private schools...
Secure data deletion for Linux file systems

Security conscious users of file systems require that deleted information and its associated meta-data are no longer accessible on the underlying physical disk. Existing file system implementations only reset the file system data structures to reflect the removal of data, leaving both the actual data and its associated meta-data on the physical disk. Even when this information has been overwritten, it may remain visible to advanced probing techniques such as magnetic force microscopy or magnetic force scanning tunneling microscopy. Our project addresses this problem by adding support to the Linux kernel for asynchronous secure deletion of file data and meta-data. We provide an implementation for the Ext2 file system; other file systems can be accommodated easily. An asynchronous overwriting process sacrifices immediate security but ultimately provides a far more usable and complete secure deletion facility. We justify our design by arguing that user-level secure deletion tools are inadequate in many respects and that synchronous deletion facilities are too time consuming to be acceptable to users. Further, we contend that encrypting file information, either using manual tools or a encrypted file system, is not a sufficient solution to alleviate the need for secure data deletion.
Body Mass Index Screening and Follow-Up: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study of Pennsylvania School Nurses.

Background Childhood overweight and obesity health concerns can affect a student's academic performance, so it is important to identify resources for school nurses that would help to improve self-efficacy, knowledge, and confidence when approaching parents with sensitive weight-related information and influence overall obesity prevention efforts in the school setting. Objective The purpose of this study was to conduct a Pennsylvania (PA) state-wide 29-item survey addressing school nursing barriers and practices, supplementing information already known in this area. Although the survey covered a range of topics, the focus was body mass index (BMI) screening and its related practice within the schools. Methods We conducted a state-wide Web-based survey of school nurses in PA to understand current areas of care, find ways to address child health through school BMI screenings and follow up, and identify current educational gaps to assist school nurses with providing whole child care within the realm of weight management. Chi-square test of independence was conducted to determine the relationship between BMI screening follow up and interest in a BMI toolkit. Results Nurse participants (N=210), with a 42% (210/500) response rate, represented 208 school districts across PA. Participants were asked about their current process for notifying parents of BMI screening results. The majority (116/210, 55.2%) send a letter home in the mail, while others (62/210, 29.5%) send a letter home with students. A small number (8/210, 3.8%) said they did not notify parents altogether, and some (39/210, 18.6%) notify parents electronically. More than one-third (75/210, 35.7%) of nurses reported receiving BMI screening inquiries from parents; however, under half (35/75, 46.7%) of those respondents indicated they follow up with parents whose child screens overweight or obese. Overall, the vast majority (182/210, 86.7%) do not follow up with parents whose child screens overweight or obese. The majority (150/210, 71.4%) of the nurses responded they would benefit from a toolkit with resources to assist with communication with parents and children about BMI screenings. A significant association between respondent follow up and interest in a BMI toolkit was observed (P=.01). Conclusions Schools must start recognizing the role school nurses play to monitor and promote children's health. This goal might include involving them in school-based preventive programs, empowering them to lead initiatives that support whole child health and ensuring opportunities for professional development of interest to them. Nonetheless, the first step in facilitating obesity prevention methods within schools is to provide school nurses with meaningful tools that help facilitate conversations with parents, guardians, and caregivers regarding their child's weight status and health through a BMI screening toolkit.
Abstract WP23: Impact of Aortic Arch Anatomy on Technical Performance and Clinical Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Introduction: Arterial access is a technical consideration of mechanical thrombectomy that may affect procedure time. Few studies exist detailing the impact of aortic arch and carotid anatomy on pr...
Boning Up on Irisin

Irisin — Gnawing Bone and Heating Fat A recent study suggests that irisin, a cytokine secreted by muscle during exercise, effects bone resorption and the differentiation of preadipocytes into therm...
Playing Elon Musk

Building your own Mars colony is great fun. But it throws up some tricky real-world dilemmas, from just how many backup water filters you might need to which would-be colonists should be excluded for the greater good, says Jacob Aron
Data-driven reconstruction of nonlinear dynamics from sparse observation

Abstract We present a data-driven model to reconstruct nonlinear dynamics from a very sparse times series data, which relies on the strength of the echo state network (ESN) in learning nonlinear representation of data. With an assumption of the universal function approximation capability of ESN, it is shown that the reconstruction problem can be formulated as a fixed-point problem, in which the trajectory of the dynamical system is a fixed point of the ESN. An under-relaxed fixed-point iteration is proposed to reconstruct the nonlinear dynamics from a sparse observation. The proposed fixed-point ESN is tested against both univariate and multivariate chaotic dynamical systems by randomly removing up to 95% of the data. It is shown that the fixed-point ESN is able to reconstruct the complex dynamics from only 5 ∼ 10 % of the data. For a relatively simple non-chaotic dynamical system, the numerical experiments on a forced van der Pol oscillator show that it is possible to reconstruct the nonlinear dynamics from only 1 ∼ 2 % of the data.
Highly Stereocontrolled Formal Synthesis of Brassinolide via Chiral Sulfoxide-Directed SN2‘ Reactions

An efficient stereocontrolled methodology for the preparation of the four contiguous chiral centers of the brassinosteroid side chain is described. Allylic mesyloxy sulfinyl steroids have been found to undergo highly stereoselective SN2‘ displacements when treated with cyanocuprates that provide the required acyclic stereocontrol in the key C-24 position of the steroidal side chain. Preparation of a direct precursor of brassinolide 1, as well as a precursor of naturally occurring (24R)-epibrassinolide, (+)-18, is carried out in two additional steps utilizing asymmetric dihydroxylations of (22E)-olefins (+)-2 and (+)-17. In this manner, a formal synthesis of this plant growth promoter has been completed, and the extension of the scope of this methodology has been explored providing a straightforward route to this family of steroids. Alternative routes to the key olefin (+)-2 are also outlined. Improved selectivity in the addition to aldehyde 7 for the preparation of the Cram (22R)-allylic hydroxy sulfoxide...
1306 Robotic Myomectomy

Video Objective Describing a minimally invasive technique for a solitary intramural myomectomy. Setting A 28-year-old African American nulliparous woman presented with pelvic pressure and ultrasound evidence of a large posterior/fundal intramural fibroid measuring 6 cm. She had abnormal and heavy uterine bleeding that was refractory to medical therapy. Definitive surgical treatment was desired and thus a robotic approach was planned. Interventions Myomectomy of a solitary intramural uterine fibroid is performed robotically. Several surgical tips are utilized and described herein. Tip#1: horizontal incision; Tip#2: Utility of a tenaculum for traction; Tip#3: Electrosurgical coagulative dissection; Tip#4: Layered closure with a resorbable barbed suture. Conclusion Hemostatic horizontal incisions, traction with a tenaculum, coagulative dissection, and the utility of a barbed resorbable suture are all steps one can utilize for successful completion of a myomectomy via robotic route.
Angels among us? The Watchers myth and angelology in Ephrem’s Commentary on Genesis and the Ethiopic tradition:

This study examines the euhemeristic interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4 as it appears in Ephrem of Nisibis’ Commentary on Genesis and its influence on Syriac and Ethiopic commentary traditions. I sugg...
Incorporating Prescription Drugs Into Affordable Care Act Risk Adjustment.

BACKGROUND The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reformed the individual and small group health insurance markets and established a risk adjustment program to create a level playing field for competition. A new set of predictive models for measuring enrollee risk across plans was developed for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act-reformed markets, referred to as the Department of Health and Human Services Hierarchical Condition Category (HHS-HCC) models. Beginning in 2018, selected prescription drug classes were added to the models as risk markers. OBJECTIVE We describe the motivations, concerns, methodology, and results of adding prescription drug utilization to the HHS-HCC models. METHODS Separate HHS-HCC models are estimated by enrollee age and plan actuarial value. We defined and added 10 prescription drug classes, called RXCs, to the HHS-HCC adult models. RESULTS Using selected RXCs alongside demographic and diagnostic indicators yielded modest overall improvement in HHS-HCC models' predictive power. Also, adding RXCs captures the higher costs of enrollees taking certain expensive pharmaceuticals and allows imputation of diagnoses for enrollees utilizing a drug but lacking the associated diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Including selected drugs in risk adjustment improved the models' predictive power. In addition, inclusion of selected drugs may discourage insurers from using formulary and drug benefit design to avoid enrollment of patients taking high-cost drugs, such as for HIV, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, and improve access for enrollees taking these drugs. Adding RXCs also may improve plan risk measurement for plans with less complete diagnosis reporting.
Positron emission tomography evaluation of oxime countermeasures in live rats using the tracer O-(2-[ 18 F]fluoroethyl)-O-(p-nitrophenyl)methylphosphonate [ 18 F]-VXS

Oxime antidotes regenerate organophosphate-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Although they share a common mechanism of AChE reactivation, the rate and amount of oxime that enters the brain are critical to the efficacy, a process linked to the oxime structure and charge. Using a platform based on the organophosphate [18 F]-VXS as a positron emission tomography tracer for active AChE, the in vivo distribution of [18 F]-VXS was evaluated after an LD50 dose (250 μg/kg) of the organophosphate paraoxon (POX) and following oximes as antidotes. Rats given [18 F]-VXS tracer alone had significantly higher radioactivity (two- to threefold) in the heart and lung than rats given LD50 POX at 20 or 60 min prior to [18 F]-VXS. When rats were given LD50 POX followed by 2-PAM (cationic), RS194b (ionizable), or monoisonitrosoacetone (MINA) (neutral), central nervous system (CNS) radioactivity returned to levels at or above untreated naive rats (no POX), whereas CNS radioactivity did not increase in rats given the dication oximes HI-6 or MMB-4. MINA showed a significant, pairwise increase in CNS brain radioactivity compared with POX-treated rats. This new in vivo dynamic platform using [18 F]-VXS tracer measures and quantifies peripheral and CNS relative changes in AChE availability after POX exposure and is suitable for comparing oxime delivery and AChE reactivation in rats.
Contemporary patterns in kidney graft survival from donors after circulatory death in the United States.

Background Kidney transplants from donors after circulatory death (DCD) make up an increasing proportion of all deceased donor kidney transplants in the United States (US). However, DCD grafts are considered to be of lower quality than kidneys from donors after brain death (DBD). It is unclear whether graft survival is different for these two types of donor kidneys. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of US deceased donor kidney recipients using data from the United Network of Organ Sharing from 12/4/2014 to 6/30/2018. We employed a Cox proportional hazard model with mixed effects to compare all-cause graft loss and death-censored graft loss for DCD versus DBD deceased donor kidney transplant recipients. We used transplant center as the random effects term to account for cluster-specific random effects. In the multivariable analysis, we adjusted for recipient characteristics, donor factors, and transplant logistics. Results Our cohort included 27,494 DBD and 7,770 DCD graft recipients transplanted from 2014 to 2018 who were followed over a median of 1.92 years (IQR 1.08–2.83). For DCD compared with DBD recipients, we did not find a significant difference in all-cause graft loss (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–1.05 in univariable and HR 1.03 [95% CI 0.95–1.13] in multivariable analysis) or for death-censored graft loss (HR 0.97 (95% CI 0.91–1.06) in univariable and 1.05 (95% CI 0.99–1.11) in multivariable analysis). Conclusions For a contemporary cohort of deceased donor kidney transplant recipients, we did not find a difference in the likelihood of graft loss for DCD compared with DBD grafts. These findings signal a need for additional investigation into whether DCD status independently contributes to other important outcomes for current kidney transplant recipients and indices of graft quality.
Network-theoretic modeling of complex activity using UK online sex advertisements

Online sex has become a fast-growing business in both developing and developed network, with advertisements of (not necessarily unique) individuals numbering in the hundreds of millions across different Web portals. One such major hub of sex advertisement activity, before it was shut down by US federal agencies, was backpage.com. The backpage.com website was a classifieds-advertising portal that had become the largest marketplace for buying and selling sex by the time that federal law enforcement agencies seized it in April 2018. Since then, investigations have been actively underway. However, the data (which has recently been made available to us for research on UK Backpage) also offers valuable insights into the nature of the online sex business, including complex properties that can be best studied using network science. One of the challenges, however, is a rigorous modeling of the data as a network, since the primary data are web advertisements and metadata (backend database) on accounts that posted that ad. In this article, we conduct an empirical study of an important sample of the online sex marketplace using UK backpage, including presenting a methodology for constructing simple ‘activity networks’ that define some notion of real-world collaboration or connection between two entities (in our case, at the level of ad-posting accounts) and then studying the properties of these networks. We gather a set of insights into a domain that has not been studied at scale, let alone a national level, but that is continuing to be a growing social problem for many countries.
Living with an Insertable Cardiac Monitor: Influences on Self-Care Management:

The insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) is technology for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias. The perception of those living with the device and how this relates to self-care management is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of those with undiagnosed cardiac symptoms living with an ICM. This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Analysis of data was by intraparticipant analysis, interparticipant analysis, and interrelationships. Three global categories emerged: (a) influences on self-care, (b) dealing and (c) monitoring. Self-care management after insertion of the ICM was determined by the participant's perception of health, what symptoms they were experiencing and whether there was a positive or negative experience with the clinician. Many indicated little to no regular communication regarding symptoms and ICM results. Increasing communication relevant to management of health and long-term findings may assist in enhancing physical and psychological health.
Caught in the Crossfire: Toward Understanding Medieval and Early Modern Advocates of Church Union

This chapter critically engages modern historical research on a series of Later Medieval and Early Modern intellectuals and ecclesiastics who advocated for the union of Eastern Christians with the Roman Church and the pope. The unionists transcended ecclesiastical, political, and cultural boundaries of their time. As such, they not only were caught in the crossfire of religious disputes of their own period but have remained in the crossfire of diverging, often opposing, approaches in modern historical and theological research. The author argues against confessionally charged interpretations of the unionist tradition. By exploring the history and theological legacy of the advocates of union in a denominationally unbiased way, historians can contribute to a better ecclesiological understanding of the “Uniates” of our own time and thus to contemporary ecumenical discourse involving both Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians.