cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Quantitative and Specific Method for Measuring Transcript Levels of Highly Homologous Genes

Because of their high nucleotide sequence homology, the specific detection of mRNA transcripts of individual members of a gene family presents certain problems. Here we apply and defend the single nucleotide primer extension (SNuPE) as a simple, specific, and highly quantitative assay for this purpose. The method distinguishes regions of the brain sodium channel gene family that vary by as little as a single nucleotide. The technique has been modified to include an intersample normalizer, and adaptation of the SNuPE assay to other gene families of interest to neuroscientists should be easy to achieve.
Management of Botulism

OBJECTIVETo provide a concise review of the presentation and treatment of botulism.DATA SOURCESSearches of MEDLINE (1966–November 2001), tertiary references, and public and government Internet sites were conducted.STUDY SELECTIONAll articles and additional references from those articles were thoroughly evaluated.DATA SYNTHESISClostridium botulinum toxin blocks acetylcholine release in a dose-dependent fashion, resulting in acute symmetric diplopia, dysarthria, dysphonia, dysphagia, and possible neurologic sequelae despite the route of exposure (i.e., food-borne, wound, intestinal, inhalation). Disease secondary to genetically engineered C. botulinum may differ from that of inadvertent exposure. Present treatment is primarily supportive care, respiratory support, rapid decontamination, and antitoxin administration (i.e., trivalent, pentavalent, heptavalent antitoxin). Early initiation of antitoxin limits the extent of paralysis, but does not reverse it.CONCLUSIONSSupportive care and the use of antitoxin ha...
Written debriefing: the next vital step in learning with simulations

After 25 years of working with simulations, one of the author’s amazing discoveries has been that students learn much more after completig written debriefing than just oral debriefing. However, in the field of simulations, written debriefing is rarely used or even discussed. The theoretical foundation of simulation and gaming is experiential learning. The proposal in this article is to capture the excitement and energy of the simulation and oral debriefing and use it as a springboard for more learning in written debriefing. Allowing participants time to reflect on all the activity and their emotions helps them put everything in perspective. The major hurdle is the time needed to write and to evaluate the writing. However, the benefits far outweigh the costs. With written debriefing, participants can reflect about their behavior, facilitators can assess individual learning, and students can privately communicate with their professor. Written debriefing should become a major instrument in the field to promo...
High donor FOXP3-positive regulatory T-cell (Treg) content is associated with a low risk of GVHD following HLA-matched allogeneic SCT.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) that constitutively express FOXP3 are instrumental to the maintenance of tolerance and may suppress graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in humans. To determine whether regulatory T cells in allogeneic stem cell transplants (SCTs) ameliorate GVHD after transplantation, we quantitated the coexpression of FOXP3 on CD4+ T cells in 32 donor SCTs infused into HLA-matched siblings and examined GVHD incidence in respective recipients. High CD4+FOXP3+ T-cell count in the donor was associated with a reduced risk of GVHD. We monitored Tregs during immune reconstitution in 21 patients with leukemia undergoing a T-cell–depleted allogeneic SCT. Early after SCT, there was a significant expansion in the CD4+FOXP3+ T-cell compartment. A low CD4+FOXP3+ T-cell count early after SCT (day 30) was associated with an increased risk of GVHD, and the ratio of CD4+FOXP3+ T cells to CD4+CD25+FOXP3– T cells was significantly reduced in patients with GVHD, suggesting diminished control of effector T cells. Our findings suggest that graft Treg content may predict for risk of GVHD after SCT. Determining the Treg levels in the donor and manipulating Tregs early after transplantation may provide a new approach to controlling GVHD.
Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Abstract Context There is a potential risk that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may exacerbate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among aging men with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) because of testosterone's growth-promoting effects on the prostate. Objective To compare the change in LUTS severity as assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) between men receiving TRT versus placebo for the treatment of LOH. Evidence acquisition Systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and The Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials of TRT for LOH published between January 1992 and September 2015. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were a randomized control trial, used TRT, and assessed LUTS outcomes using the IPSS. Estimates were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Differences by study-level characteristics were estimated using meta-regression. Evidence synthesis Data were extracted from 14 trials involving 2029 participants. The average age was 64.5 yr and the average follow-up was 34.4 mo. Seven studies used topical, five used injectable, and two used oral testosterone. There was no statistically significant difference in pooled changes in IPSS from baseline to follow up in men treated with TRT compared with those receiving placebo (–0.41 points [95% confidence interval: –0.89 to 0.07; I 2 =0%, p =0.28] vs. 0.12 points [95% confidence interval: –0.32 to 0.55; I 2 =0%, p =0.81], between-group difference p >0.05). No between-group differences were noted in subanalyses that controlled for potential confounders such as type of testosterone, change in testosterone, aging male symptom scale, or prostate-specific antigen levels ( p >0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusions In this meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials of TRT for LOH, the change in IPSS was similar among men receiving TRT versus placebo, suggesting that TRT treatment does not worsen LUTS among men with LOH. Patient summary In this analysis of 14 clinical trials, testosterone replacement therapy did not worsen lower urinary tract symptoms among men being treated for late-onset hypogonadism.
New Soft-Encoding Relay (SoER) Mechanisms for Wireless Relay Systems: Convolutional and Turbo Constructions

A two-hop parallel-relay network is considered in this paper. Conventional schemes investigating the coding strategies at the relay(s) have largely focused on hard encoding, with the exception of one pioneering strategy that proposed a soft distributed encoding using the soft estimate (tanh-based) information. To fully harness the gain promised by soft encoding, this paper focuses on distributed soft encoding strategies at the relays. Unlike the previous work that favors the tanh form for soft encoding, we advocate the range-limited log-likelihood ratios (rLLR) as a better way for the relays to capture the reliability of the messages sent by the sender, and especially to further soft-encode these messages. Based on this, we develop a simple but effective soft-encoding relay (SoER) strategy that exploits the useful features of rLLR. Specifically, the close resemblance of rLLR to the tanh form allows us to derive a very simple convolutional encoding, and the piece-wise linearity of rLLR allows us to evaluate the codeword probability density function (PDF) analytically, which further allows us to derive a Viterbi decoding algorithm using a more precise PDF (in addition to the Gaussian-approximated Viterbi algorithm). We finally extend the nonrecursive convolutional SoER strategy to the turbo SoER strategy. Simulation results confirm the efficiency of the new proposed SoER schemes.
Public reaction to stock market volatility: evidence from the ATUS

ABSTRACTHow does the public react to changes in the stock market? We know from the existing body of research that sentiment can predict future stock-market movements. However, do market movements affect sentiment? This article addresses these questions by testing whether market movements precede changes in the emotional well-being of the general public. Using Granger causality analysis, we compare how market movements affect public well-being during periods of increased (2010) and decreased (2012) volatility. The results show that 30-day-lagged returns are associated positively and significantly with the public’s emotional well-being, and that this effect is stronger during periods of increased volatility. The results also show that this effect may persist for up to 120 days.
Investigation of the HIV voluntary counseling and testing service (VCT) in Hubei Province

Objective To understand the present situation of the VCT service in Hubei and make further standardization. Methods The method of questionnaire was applied. Results By the end of December 2005, there were 348 VCT-OPD with 808 VCT professionals in 84 counties/cities. Among them, 30.2% were full-time workers and 30.7%, of them were those being trained. ② 29 302 person-time of pre/post-test counseling were provided in 2005, 27 103 clients accepted HIV test,with 333 being newly infected. ③The major problems were: insufficient propaganda for promoting VCT service, lack of full-time professional and short of funding.Conclusion A network of VCT service has been set up in Hubei, and VCT is playing an increasingly important role in HIV/AIDS control. The training of VCT professional and publicity for the population should be further consolidated to improve the quality of VCT service and enhance the access to clients' availability of VCT service.
Monitoring ligand-activated protein-protein interactions using bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay

The bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay has been extensively used in cell-based and in vivo imaging systems for detecting protein-protein interactions in the native environment of living cells. These protein-protein interactions are essential for the functional response of many signaling pathways to environmental chemicals. BRET has been used as a toxicological tool for identifying chemicals that either induce or inhibit these protein-protein interactions. This chapter focuses on describing the toxicological applications of BRET and its optimization as a high-throughput detection system in live cells. Here we review the construction of BRET fusion proteins, describe the BRET methodology, and outline strategies to overcome obstacles that may arise. Furthermore, we describe the advantage of BRET over other resonance energy transfer methods for monitoring protein-protein interactions.
Inhibition of S-Adenosylmethionine-Dependent Methyltransferase Attenuates TGFβ1-Induced EMT and Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer: Putative Roles of miR-663a and miR-4787-5p.

Identification of epigenetic reversal agents for use in combination chemotherapies to treat human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) remains an unmet clinical need. Pharmacological inhibitors of Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) are emerging as potential histone methylation reversal agents for the treatment of various solid tumors and leukemia; however, the surprisingly small set of mRNA targets identified with EZH2 knockdown suggests novel mechanisms contribute to their anti-tumorigenic effects. Here, 3-deazaneplanocin-A (DZNep), an inhibitor of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase and EZH2 histone lysine-Nmethyltransferase, significantly reprograms noncoding miRNA (miR) expression and dampens TGFbeta1-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) signals in pancreatic cancer. In particular, miR-663a and miR-4787-5p were identified as PDAC-downregulated miRs that were reactivated by DZNep to directly target TGFbeta1 for RNA interference. Lentiviral overexpression of miR-663a and miR-4787-5p reduced TGFbeta1 synthesis and secretion in PDAC cells and partially phenocopied DZNep9s EMT-resisting effects, whereas locked nucleic acid (LNA) antagomiRs counteracted them. DZNep, miR-663a, and miR-4787-5p reduced tumor burden in vivo and metastases in an orthotopic mouse pancreatic tumor model. Taken together, these findings suggest the epigenetic reprogramming of miRs by synthetic histone methylation reversal agents as a viable approach to attenuate TGFbeta1-induced EMT features in human PDAC and uncover putative miR targets involved in the process. Implications: The findings support the potential for synthetic histone methylation reversal agents to be included in future epigenetic-chemotherapeutic combination therapies for pancreatic cancer.
Mixed Metaphors in Muranów: Holocaust Memory and Architectural Meaning at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

Since it opened in 2013, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw has been widely praised by journalists and scholars for its permanent exhibition and striking architecture. Built on the site of the former Warsaw ghetto established by the Nazis in World War II, the museum has been identified as a symbol of improved Polish–Jewish relations in the wake of the Holocaust. Few commentators, however, have delved deeply into the complexities of the museum’s architectural relationship to the Holocaust. This essay traces the long discussion surrounding the architectural symbolism of the museum – from its inception up to its recent completion – in order to illustrate how the Holocaust continues to pose major challenges to architects as they wrestle with the task of building after Auschwitz.
Feminist and Queer Pedagogies in The Prime of Jean Brodie and Billy Elliot

Good mentors are difficult to come by, but when we find one, they have the ability to influence us in important ways and critically impact the life decisions that we make. Mentoring thus plays a significant role in the lives of students. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Billy Elliot (2000) are films about such mentors who are extraordinarily courageous, influential, and also controversial, challenging conventional ideas about gender, sexuality, education, and other troubling ideologies that shape human experiences. In this chapter, I argue that The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Billy Elliot function as texts that embody feminist and queer pedagogies and mentorship ideals. Even though these two movies focus on different issues within two different time periods in British culture, they both feature strong and pedagogically complex, innovative, and revolutionary female mentors. Both Jean Brodie, a private school teacher in Edinburgh during the 1930s, and Mrs. Wilkinson, a dance teacher in a mining town in northern England during the 1980s, employ critical pedagogies, particularly feminist and queer approaches, not only educating students but also mentoring them to discover new ideas, find their talents, and also explore different ways of expressing their identities. They achieve these through their efforts within and outside of classroom settings, therefore, their approaches to education can be defined as a critical peformative pedagogy. Both films focus on strong female mentors and the transformation of characters and, in this sense, I argue that The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Billy Elliot convey influential stories and function as forms of mediated pedagogies infused by, or that embody, feminist and queer ideals.
Comparison of Sampling Methods and Implications for Bacterial Decontamination of Poultry Carcasses by Rinsing.

This study showed that the whole carcass rinse and the stomaching or blending of excised skin techniques for sampling broilers, as commonly used, result in the isolation of comparable numbers of aerobes and Enterobacteriaceae . However, these data also show that all three methods recover only a very small percentage of the total bacteria present on broiler carcasses. Large numbers of bacteria were still recovered from the fortieth rinse of a single carcass, indicating that increased rinsing after bacteria become firmly attached to the carcass will only result in a slight reduction of the total bacterial load present, and will not result in a meaningful improvement in bacterial quality of the carcass.
Increased Eye Contact During Conversation Compared to Play in Children With Autism

Children with autism have atypical gaze behavior but it is unknown whether gaze differs during distinct types of reciprocal interactions. Typically developing children (N = 20) and children with autism (N = 20) (4–13 years) made similar amounts of eye contact with an examiner during a conversation. Surprisingly, there was minimal eye contact during interactive play in both groups. Gaze behavior was stable across 8 weeks in children with autism (N = 15). Lastly, gaze behavior during conversation but not play was associated with autism social affect severity scores (ADOS CSS SA) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2). Together findings suggests that eye contact in typical and atypical development is influenced by subtle changes in context, which has implications for optimizing assessments of social communication skills.
Precursors of Construction Fatalities. I: Iterative Experiment to Test the Predictive Validity of Human Judgment

AbstractIn order to prevent fatalities, new methods of evaluating work conditions and making predictions are needed. Nuclear energy, chemical manufacturing, and commercial airline industries have a...
Gestational Trophoblastic Disease: Clinical and Imaging Features

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a spectrum of both benign and malignant gestational tumors, including hydatidiform mole (complete and partial), invasive mole, choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumor, and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. The latter four entities are referred to as gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). These conditions are aggressive with a propensity to widely metastasize. GTN can result in significant morbidity and mortality if left untreated. Early diagnosis of GTD is essential for prompt and successful management while preserving fertility. Initial diagnosis of GTD is based on a multifactorial approach consisting of clinical features, serial quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) titers, and imaging findings. Ultrasonography (US) is the modality of choice for initial diagnosis of complete hydatidiform mole and can provide an invaluable means of local surveillance after treatment. The performance of US in diagnosing all molar pregnancies is surprisingly poor, predominantly due to the difficulty in differentiating partial hydatidiform mole from nonmolar abortion and retained products of conception. While GTN after a molar pregnancy is usually diagnosed with serial β-hCG titers, imaging plays an important role in evaluation of local extent of disease and systemic surveillance. Imaging also plays a crucial role in detection and management of complications, such as uterine and pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas. Familiarity with the pathogenesis, classification, imaging features, and treatment of these tumors can aid in radiologic diagnosis and guide appropriate management. ©RSNA, 2017.
Comparison of [99mTc] tilmanocept and [99mTc] sulfur colloid for identification of sentinel lymph nodes in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients.

11098 Background: Receptor-targeted (CD206) [99mTc] tilmanocept is a radiopharmaceutical specifically engineered for sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification that has recently completed phase III c...
Experimental Evolution to Study Virus Emergence.

Understanding how viruses adapt to new environments and acquire new phenotypes is critical for developing comprehensive responses to outbreaks. By studying the emergence of vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks, Stern et al. describe how a combination of sequence analysis and experimental evolution can be used to reveal adaptive pathways.
Patterns of failure in advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with R-CHOP chemotherapy and the emerging role of consolidative radiotherapy.

8546 Background: The role of consolidative radiotherapy (RT) after a complete response (CR) to R-CHOP for stage III-IV DLBCL patients is unclear. The goal of our study is to evaluate the Emory expe...
Recent Advances in Bioink Design for 3D Bioprinting of Tissues and Organs

There is a growing demand for alternative fabrication approaches to develop tissues and organs as conventional techniques are not capable of fabricating constructs with required structural, mechanical and biological complexity. 3D bioprinting offers great potential to fabricate highly complex constructs with precise control of structure, mechanics and biological matter (i.e., cells and extracellular matrix components). 3D bioprinting is an additive manufacturing approach that utilizes a “bioink” to fabricate devices and scaffolds in a layer-by-layer manner. 3D bioprinting allows printing of a cell suspension into a tissue construct with or without a scaffold support. The most common bioinks are cell-laden hydrogels, decellulerized ECM (dECM)-based solutions, and cell suspensions. In this mini review, a brief description and comparison of the bioprinting methods, including extrusion-based, droplet-based, and laser-based bioprinting, with particular focus on bioink design requirements are presented. We also present the current state-of-the-art in bioink design including the challenges and future directions.
Purification and Characterization of RhoPDE, a Retinylidene/Phosphodiesterase Fusion Protein and Potential Optogenetic Tool from the Choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta

RhoPDE is a type I rhodopsin/phosphodiesterase gene fusion product from the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta. The gene was discovered around the time that a similar type I rhodopsin/guanylyl cyclase fusion protein, RhoGC, was shown to control phototaxis of an aquatic fungus through a cGMP signaling pathway. RhoPDE has potential as an optogenetic tool catalyzing the hydrolysis of cyclic nucleotides. Here we provide an expression and purification system for RhoPDE, as well as a crystal structure of the C-terminal phosphodiesterase catalytic domain. We show that RhoPDE contains an even number of transmembrane segments, with N- and C-termini both located on the cytoplasmic surface of the cell membrane. The purified protein exhibits an absorption maximum at 490 nm in the dark state, which shifts to 380 nm upon exposure to light. The protein acts as a cGMP-selective phosphodiesterase. However, the activity does not appear to be modulated by light. The protein is also active with cAMP as a substrate, but wit...
Reseña de: Radiografía del hathayoga de Adrián Muñoz. México: El Colegio de México.

El libro de Adrian Munoz es el ultimo en una serie de publicaciones que ha dedicado el Centro de Estudios de Asia y Africa de El Colegio de Mexico a los estudios de las tradiciones religiosas de Asia. Radiografia del hathayoga es de facil manejo, con un orden y estructura que nos lleva a sus conclusiones con muy pocas sendas perdidas. Incluye el glosario que todos deseamos y el indice alfabetico que es tan esencial para una obra como esta. La bibliografia esta al dia y organizada de manera que facilita la consulta y la constatacion de las fuentes.
Updated Results of Rituximab Pre- and Post-BEAM with or without 90Yttrium Ibritumomab Tiuxetan during Autologous Transplant for Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

Purpose: We evaluated the effect on long-term survival of adding rituximab (R) to BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) conditioning with or without yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan (90YIT) in patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) undergoing autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).Experimental design: Patients were enrolled on three consecutive phase II clinical trials. Patients received two doses of rituximab (375 and 1,000 mg/m2) during mobilization of stem cells, followed by 1,000 mg/m2 on days +1 and +8 after ASCT with R-BEAM or 90YIT-R-BEAM (90YIT dose of 0.4 mCi/kg) conditioning.Results: One hundred thirteen patients were enrolled, with 73 receiving R-BEAM and 40 receiving 90YIT-R-BEAM. All patients had a prior exposure to rituximab. The median follow-up intervals for survivors were 11.8, 8.1, and 4.2 years in the three trials, respectively. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 62% for R-BEAM and 65% for 90YIT-R-BEAM (P = 0.82). The 5-year overall survival rates were 73% and 77%, respectively (P = 0.65). In patients with de novo DLBCL, survival outcomes of the germinal center/activated b-cell histologic subtypes were similar with 5-year OS rates (P = 0.52) and DFS rates (P = 0.64), irrespective of their time of relapse ( 1 year) after initial induction chemotherapy (P = 0.97).Conclusions: Administering ASCT with rituximab during stem cell collection and immediately after transplantation induces long-term disease remission and abolishes the negative prognostic impact of cell-of-origin in patients with relapsed DLBCL. The addition of 90YIT does not confer a further survival benefit. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2304-11. ©2018 AACR.
"At Least the Pizzas You Make Are Hot": Norms, Values, and Abrasive Humor on the Subreddit r/RoastMe

We present a mixed methods study of the online forum r/RoastMe, a comedy-focused subreddit of the parent site reddit.com, wherein members post photos of themselves to be ridiculed by other members; the site generally encourages harsh and offensive forms of humor in these interpersonal exchanges. We conducted semi-structured interviews with sixteen participants (both "roasters" and "roastees") in the online forum to understand their motivations for participating, their experiences in the subreddit, and their perceptions of their and other members' participation. To complement our qualitative analyses, we also analyzed a RoastMe data set of over 9,000 image posts and 230,000 comments from June-August of 2017. From our interviews, we found that, like other deviant online communities, RoastMe relies on a specific set of norms. In RoastMe, roasters rely heavily on perspective-taking rather than dissociation from their targets, roastees highly value the often scathing assessments offered by users on RoastMe, and, despite the salience of norms that enhance feelings of safety, there is lingering concern among participants about the potential for emotional or psychological harm. Our quantitative analyses confirm many of the statements made in our qualitative interviews and provide further insights into the specific nature of interactions on the subreddit. Our study directs us toward different vantage points from which to design online community spaces that account for or leverage users' predilections for baiting behaviors, harsh judgments, and caustic humor.
Pilot study of vinorelbine (Navelbine) and paclitaxel (Taxol) in patients with refractory breast cancer and lung cancer.

Vinorelbine (Navelbine; Burroughs Wellcome Co, Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Medicament, Paris, France) and paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Oncology, Princeton, NJ) as single-agent therapy exhibit good activity in breast and lung cancers. Concurrent administration of vinorelbine and paclitaxel achieves synergistic cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro. Because these agents bind to distinct sites on tubulin and affect microtubules in opposite ways, a pilot study was conducted of the combination of vinorelbine and paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer or lung cancer who were refractory to first-line chemotherapy. Entry criteria included measurable disease, a Karnofsky performance status of > or = 70, adequate bone marrow reserve, adequate hepatic and renal functions, and no central nervous system metastasis. Seven patients entered the study (one with breast cancer and six with lung cancer; three men and four women, with an age range of 39 to 79 years). The first three patients received vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 intravenously for 5 to 10 minutes on days 1 and 8, and paclitaxel 90 mg/m2 intravenously over 3 hours on day 1 after the administration of vinorelbine. Premedication prior to paclitaxel consisted of dexamethasone, cimetidine, and diphenhydramine. The subsequent four patients enrolled in the study received the identical dose of vinorelbine, but the paclitaxel dose was increased to 175 mg/m2 in the same sequence. Patients received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 5 micrograms/kg subcutaneously from days 3 to 17 (except day 8) or until the absolute granulocyte count was 10,000/microL or higher. Preliminary results showed that one of the first three patients developed grade 4 neutropenia and grade 5 infection. In the subsequent four patients, there were two grade 3 and two grade 4 cases of neutropenia; leukopenic fever or infection did not occur. Two patients required red blood cell transfusions. Two patients developed grade 1 and one patient developed grade 2 peripheral neuropathy. Myalgia and fatigue were common but self-limited. The one patient with breast cancer had a partial response; no response was noted in the lung cancer patients.
Principles and methods of ethical decision making in critical care nursing.

This article emphasizes the importance of critical reasoning skills in addressing ethical issues in nursing. A method of ethical reasoning is introduced that draws upon well established principles of bioethics. The article concludes by reviewing feminist challenges to principle-based approaches and provides responses to these objections.
The divergence between clinical guidelines and practice.

Clinical guidelines are effective vehicles for incorporating evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. Experts in the field review the literature, weigh the strength of the evidence, and develop specific guidelines based on this evidence. This approach to achieving quality care has been
Kanor: a declarative language for explicit communication

Programmers of high-performance applications face two major implementation options: to use a high-level language which manages communication implicitly or to use a low-level language while specifying communication explicitly. The high-level approach offers safety and convenience, but forces programmers to give up control, making it difficult to hand-tune communications or to estimate communication cost. The low-level approach retains this control, but forces programmers to express communication at a verbose, tedious, and error-prone level of detail. We advocate a complementary third approach in which the programmer declaratively, but explicitly, specifies the essence of the communication pattern. The programmer lets the implementation handle the details when appropriate, but retains enough control to hand-encode communications when necessary. In this paper we present Kanor, a language for declaratively expressing explicit communication patterns, and demonstrate how Kanor safely, succinctly, and efficiently expresses both point-to-point and collective communications.
Comparison of postictal semiology and behavior in psychogenic nonepileptic and epileptic seizures.

Abstract Background The available information on postictal semiology and behavior in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES) is limited. In this study, we explore the differences in postictal semiology and behavior between patients with epileptic seizure (ES) and PNES and focus on clinical features that may be helpful in differentiating these two conditions. Methods In this retrospective study, video-electroencephalograph (video-EEG) of 144 seizures from 64 patients with PNES and 66 seizures from 42 patients with ES were reviewed. Three novel postictal behaviors were compared between the two groups: a) abrupt, brief, and rapid blinking or shaking of the head as if regaining sensorium or “coming out” of the ictal event; b) looking around the room with a scanning and uncertain look; c) posing a question of “what happened?” or a similar question to the others present in the room. In addition, differences in several other postictal characteristics were studied. Results At least one of the three specific postictal behaviors was seen in 20.1% of patients with PNES but none of the patients with ES resulting in 100% specificity and 36% sensitivity. While mean ictal duration was significantly longer in patients with PNES (175.3 ± 168 s) compared to ES (105.4 ± 102.9 s), the interval between the end of ictal episode and first correct verbal response (74.5 ± 126.2 s versus 139.4 ± 185.4 s), or first followed command (84.1 ± 133.8 s versus 141.1 ± 192.1 s) were shorter. In the group with PNES, 59.7% of patients demonstrated a whispering or altered voice during the first correct verbal response versus 21.2% of patients in the group with ES. The first followed command was slow or erroneous in 49.3% of the patients with PNES and in 19.7% of the patients with ES. Conclusion In this study, we found significant differences between postictal semiology and behavior of patients with PNES and ES that can be helpful tools in distinguishing between these two conditions. Specifically, three novel postictal behaviors were studied and were found to have a high specificity, but low sensitivity, in distinguishing PNES from ES.
Atypical Mycobacterial Infection

Atypical mycobacteria refers to mycobacterial infection by species other than M. tuberculosis or M. leprae.
ROV Observations on Reproduction by Deep-Sea Cephalopods in the Central Pacific Ocean

Telepresence-enabled operations by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) allow many researchers a unique perspective on morphology, behavior, and small-scale distributions of deep-sea animals. I present some examples of cephalopod natural history from recent ROV dives in the central Pacific Ocean. These examples include clues to reproductive behavior of deep-sea squids and cirrate “dumbo” octopods. During 7-12 March 2017, the ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) operating from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer recorded high-definition video of several squid in the genus Chiroteuthis. These included a mature male, a mature female, and a moribund squid identifiable as C. picteti. The female had obviously mated, with spermatangia implanted in many locations, and was holding in its arms another squid that appeared to be another Chiroteuthis. Considered together, these observations may indicate a deep-sea spawning aggregation and, possibly, sexual cannibalism. Another series of observations by D2 revealed eggs of cirrate octopods attached to octocorals. The remarkable thing about these observations was that in two of them (18 March and 4 May) the egg chorion had swollen and burst the external egg capsule. This may explain how the hatching embryo is able to escape from the tough protective coating secreted by the oviducal gland of cirrates but not secreted by the better-known incirrate octopods.
HIF-2 Complex Dissociation, Target Inhibition, and Acquired Resistance with PT2385, a First-in-Class HIF-2 Inhibitor, in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: The heterodimeric transcription factor HIF-2 is arguably the most important driver of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Although considered undruggable, structural analyses at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW, Dallas, TX) identified a vulnerability in the α subunit, which heterodimerizes with HIF1β, ultimately leading to the development of PT2385, a first-in-class inhibitor. PT2385 was safe and active in a first-in-human phase I clinical trial of patients with extensively pretreated ccRCC at UTSW and elsewhere. There were no dose-limiting toxicities, and disease control ≥4 months was achieved in 42% of patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective companion substudy involving a subset of patients enrolled in the phase I clinical trial at UTSW (n = 10), who were treated at the phase II dose or above, involving multiparametric MRI, blood draws, and serial biopsies for biochemical, whole exome, and RNA-sequencing studies. Results: PT2385 inhibited HIF-2 in nontumor tissues, as determined by a reduction in erythropoietin levels (a pharmacodynamic marker), in all but one patient, who had the lowest drug concentrations. PT2385 dissociated HIF-2 complexes in ccRCC metastases, and inhibited HIF-2 target gene expression. In contrast, HIF-1 complexes were unaffected. Prolonged PT2385 treatment resulted in the acquisition of resistance, and we identified a gatekeeper mutation (G323E) in HIF2α, which interferes with drug binding and precluded HIF-2 complex dissociation. In addition, we identified an acquired TP53 mutation elsewhere, suggesting a possible alternate mechanism of resistance. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a core dependency on HIF-2 in metastatic ccRCC and establish PT2385 as a highly specific HIF-2 inhibitor in humans. New approaches will be required to target mutant HIF-2 beyond PT2385 or the closely related PT2977 (MK-6482).
An Information-Theoretic Measure for Balance Assessment in Comparative Clinical Studies.

Limitations of statistics currently used to assess balance in observation samples include their insensitivity to shape discrepancies and their dependence upon sample size. The Jensen–Shannon divergence (JSD) is an alternative approach to quantifying the lack of balance among treatment groups that does not have these limitations. The JSD is an information-theoretic statistic derived from relative entropy, with three specific advantages relative to using standardized difference scores. First, it is applicable to cases in which the covariate is categorical or continuous. Second, it generalizes to studies in which there are more than two exposure or treatment groups. Third, it is decomposable, allowing for the identification of specific covariate values, treatment groups or combinations thereof that are responsible for any observed imbalance.
Silver Diamine Fluoride Prevents Caries in Primary Teeth Superior to No Treatment, Placebo, or Fluoride Varnish.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information The effect of silver diamine fluoride in preventing caries in the primary dentition: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oliveira BH, Rajendra A, Vietz-eenan A, Niederman R. Caries Res 2018;53(1):24-32. Source of Funding Government: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under award no. R01MD011526 and U24MD006964, and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Award (PCS-1609-36824). The Teacher Training Program of the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Programa de Capacitacao Docente da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro-PROCAD UERJ) also supported this work. Type of Study/Design Systematic review with meta-analysis.
INSULIN, LIXISENATIDE, AND RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES AND A RECENT ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME

Antihyperglycemic treatment guidelines recommend glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) and insulin combination therapy if glycemic control is not achieved despite acceptable insulin titration, yet data regarding long-term cardiovascular (CV) outcomes with this combination are limited.
β-Cyclodextrin-allyl isothiocyanate complex as a natural preservative for strand-based wood composites

Abstract Environmental concerns over chemicals used for protecting wood and wood products from biological degradation have prompted the development of natural wood preservatives with lower health risks and prolonged efficacy. In this study, an effective and environmentally friendly method is demonstrated to substantially improve the durability of a strand-based wood composite product by incorporating a natural wood preservative system. Specifically, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a mustard oil-based natural biocide, was encapsulated into the cavity of β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and the as-prepared βCD-AITC complex was applied in the strand-based composite manufacturing process to produce a natural-preservative-treated engineered wood panel. The formation of the βCD-AITC complex was qualitatively confirmed by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the inclusion yield of AITC was estimated to be 71% by thermogravimetric analysis. The preservative complex was blended with southern pine strands at 0%, 5%, and 10% prior to the application of polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate resin and hot-pressing. The application of the preservative system significantly improved decay resistance against brown-rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Postia placenta, by keeping the average mass losses of the treated panels below 7%. The internal bond strengths of the treated panels were maintained above the required level for structural OSB for use in humid conditions specified in the European OSB product standard. This study suggests the βCD-AITC complex to be a promising alternative to conventional preservatives for the protection of wood composite products.
Genome Sequences of Frankineae sp. Strain MT45 and Jatrophihabitans sp. Strain GAS493, Two Actinobacteria Isolated from Forest Soil.

ABSTRACT Frankiaceae are bacterial endosymbionts that are also found free-living in soil. Here, we present the genome sequences of two novel bacterial members of the order Frankiales, class Actinobacteria, isolated from temperate terrestrial forest soils. The genomes for MT45 and GAS493 indicate a genetic capacity for carbohydrate degradation but not nitrogen fixation.
Buccal Mucosa Graft Harvest in Children and Young Adults: Case Series and Harvest Technique.

Buccal mucosa is a great choice for urethroplasty for urethral stricture repair because of ease of harvesting, pliability of the graft, and minimal donor site morbidity. These procedures are performed at our institution as a combined case with Pediatric Otolaryngology and Urology. Harvesting buccal mucosal grafts in younger patients is more technically challenging due to limited oral cavity access and smaller area available for tissue harvest, but is able to be performed safely and with limited morbidity with the addition of parotid duct cannulation and use of retraction sutures to the graft harvest technique. This retrospective case series reports harvest technique, outcomes, and complications of children and young adult males undergoing buccal or lower lip mucosal graft harvesting to repair congenital urethral strictures. Outcome measures were perioperative bleeding, trismus, pain, numbness, parotid duct injury and lip deformity. Six patients underwent nine harvest procedures. Technique modifications included application of anterior graft margin stay sutures to help stabilize the graft mucosa and cannulation of the parotid duct with lacrimal probes to avoid duct injury and to maximize graft size. Overall, buccal mucosal graft harvesting is a well-tolerated procedure with minimal complications using proper harvest technique.
EFFICIENT COMPUTATION OF COORDINATE-FREE MODELS OF FLAME FRONTS

We present an efficient, accurate computational method for a coordinate-free model of flame front propagation of Frankel and Sivashinsky. This model allows for overturned flames fronts, in contrast to weakly nonlinear models such as the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation. The numerical procedure adapts the method of Hou, Lowengrub and Shelley, derived for vortex sheets, to this model. The result is a nonstiff, highly accurate solver which can handle fully nonlinear, overturned interfaces, with similar computational expense to methods for weakly nonlinear models. We apply this solver both to simulate overturned flame fronts and to compare the accuracy of Kuramoto–Sivashinsky and coordinate-free models in the appropriate limit.
Sublobar resection is comparable to lobectomy for screen-detected lung cancer.

Abstract Objective Sublobar resection is frequently offered to patients with small, peripheral lung cancers, despite the lack of outcome data from ongoing randomized clinical trials. Sublobar resection may be a particularly attractive surgical strategy for screen-detected lung cancers, which have been suggested to be less biologically aggressive than cancers detected by other means. Using prospective data collected from patients undergoing surgery in the National Lung Screening Trial, we sought to determine whether extent of resection affected survival for patients with screen-detected lung cancer. Methods The National Lung Screening Trial database was queried for patients who underwent surgical resection for confirmed lung cancer. Propensity score matching analysis (lobectomy vs sublobar resection) was done (nearest neighbor, 1:1, matching with no replacement, caliper 0.2). Demographics, clinicopathologic and perioperative outcomes, and long-term survival were compared in the entire cohort and in the propensity-matched groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with increased postoperative morbidity or mortality. Results We identified 1029 patients who underwent resection for lung cancer in the National Lung Screening Trial, including 821 patients (80%) who had lobectomy and 166 patients (16%) who had sublobar resection, predominantly wedge resection (n = 114, 69% of sublobar resection). Patients who underwent sublobar resection were more likely to be female (53% vs 41%, P = .004) and had smaller tumors (1.5 cm vs 2 cm, P Conclusions For patients with screen-detected lung cancer, sublobar resection confers survival similar to lobectomy. By decreasing perioperative complications and potentially preserving lung function, sublobar resection may provide distinct advantages in a screened patient cohort.
Predicting Macro Basis Functions for Method of Moments Scattering Problems Using Deep Neural Networks

In this letter, we present research on the application of deep neural networks to predicting macro basis functions for complicated computational electromagnetics problems. We provide error statistics and representative examples for networks trained on simple and complicated datasets of method of moments scattering problems. Notably, we demonstrate that the networks learn generalizable knowledge applicable to problem types on which they were not trained. We conclude that the networks produce encouraging results, especially for cross validation, and larger training datasets will improve reliability for general scattering problems.
A Preliminary Exploration of Pitch Discrimination, Temporal Sequencing, and Prosodic Awareness Skills of Children Who Participate in Different School-Based Music Curricula.

Musical training has been shown to have a positive influence on a variety of skills, including auditory-based tasks and nonmusical cognitive and executive functioning tasks; however, because previous investigations have yielded mixed results regarding the relationship between musical training and these skills, the purpose of this study was to examine and compare the auditory processing skills of children who receive focused, daily musical training with those with more limited, generalized musical training. Sixteen typically developing children (second–fourth grade) from two different schools receiving different music curricula were assessed on measures of pitch discrimination, temporal sequencing, and prosodic awareness. The results indicated significantly better scores in pitch discrimination abilities for the children receiving daily, focused musical training (School 1) compared to students attending music class only once per week, utilizing a more generalized elementary school music curriculum (School 2). The findings suggest that more in-depth and frequent musical training may be associated with better pitch discrimination abilities in children. This finding is important given that the ability to discriminate pitch has been linked to improved phonological processing skills, an important skill for developing spoken language and literacy. Future investigations are needed to determine whether the null findings for temporal sequencing and prosodic awareness can be replicated or may be different for various grades and tasks for measuring these abilities.
Resolving the Theoretically Irreconcilable: Aldo Rossi’s Giant Kitchenware Models as Generative Object--Subjects

This essay investigates Aldo Rossi’s coffee vessel models as exhibited in his “Domestic Theater” project as a mediator between conflicting ideas in his architectural and urban theory. Entangled wit...