cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical utility of carotid duplex ultrasound prior to cardiac surgery

Objective Clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of carotid duplex examination prior to cardiac surgery have been questioned by the multidisciplinary committee creating the 2012 Appropriate Use Criteria for Peripheral Vascular Laboratory Testing. We report the clinical outcomes and postoperative neurologic symptoms in patients who underwent carotid duplex ultrasound prior to open heart surgery at a tertiary institution. Methods Using the combined databases from our clinical vascular laboratory and the Society of Thoracic Surgery, a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent carotid duplex ultrasound within 13 months prior to open heart surgery from March 2005 to March 2013 was performed. The outcomes between those who underwent carotid duplex scanning (group A) and those who did not (group B) were compared. Results Among 3233 patients in the cohort who underwent cardiac surgery, 515 (15.9%) patients underwent a carotid duplex ultrasound preoperatively, and 2718 patients did not (84.1%). Among the patients who underwent carotid screening vs no screening, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk factors of cerebrovascular disease (10.9% vs 12.7%; P = .26), prior stroke (8.2% vs 7.2%; P = .41), and prior transient ischemic attack (2.9% vs 3.3%; P = .24). For those undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 306 (17.8%) of 1723 patients underwent preoperative carotid duplex ultrasound. Among patients who had carotid screening prior to CABG, the incidence of carotid disease was low: 249 (81.4%) had minimal or mild stenosis ( P = .27) and stroke (2.9% vs 2.6%; P = .70) between patients undergoing preoperative duplex scanning and those who did not. Primary outcomes of patients who underwent open heart surgery also showed no difference in the perioperative mortality (5.1% vs 6.9%; P = .14) and stroke (2.6% vs 2.4%; P = .85) between patients undergoing preoperative duplex scanning and those who did not. Operative intervention of severe carotid stenosis prior to isolated CABG occurred in 2 of the 17 patients (11.8%) identified who underwent carotid endarterectomy with CABG. Conclusions In this study, the correlation between preoperative duplex-documented high-grade carotid stenosis and postoperative stroke was low. Prudent use of preoperative carotid duplex ultrasound should be based on the presence of cerebrovascular symptoms and the type of open heart surgery.
Exploiting Biochemical Differences in Leukemia

Two enzymes, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and adenosine deaminase (ADA), play unique roles in DNA metabolism in the human immunological system. We have defined the relationship of these two enzymes to the disease course of chronic myelogenous leukemia and have established their utility as biological markers of disease activity.
Nutritional knowledge and attitudes of physicians

If a physician is called on to give nutritional advice, is he likely to have the necessary knowledge to make sound recommendations to patients?
Novice interpretation of screening electrocardiograms and impact of online training.

Abstract Introduction It is not known whether there is a specific training method that improves the accuracy of physician interpretations of pre-participation electrocardiograms (ECGs). Methods Participants took an online test and interpreted a series of normal, normal variant and abnormal ECGs. They then reviewed the BMJ's ECG interpretation online learning module and completed a post-test and a follow-up examination three months later. Results 28 fellows enrolled. The average correct for the pre-test was 63.57%, which increased to 81.19% for the post-test (p ≤ 0.0001). When evaluating for retention, the average fell to 73.33% (p = 0.0116) but was still significantly improved from baseline (p = 0.0253). Conclusions This study demonstrated that the accuracy of fellows' interpretation of ECGs significantly improved after completion of BMJ modules. Results of this study will likely impact the training of future sports medicine fellows and should encourage fellowship directors to incorporate the BMJ's ECG interpretation module as part of their curriculum.
Exploiting oxidative microenvironments in the body as triggers for drug delivery systems.

Abstract Significance: Reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) play an important role in cell signaling pathways. However, the increased production of these species may disrupt cellular homeostasis, giving rise to pathological conditions. Biomaterials that are responsive to ROS/RNS can be strategically used to specifically release therapeutics and diagnostic agents to regions undergoing oxidative stress. Recent Advances: Many nanocarriers intended to exploit redox micro-environments as triggers for drug release, summarized and compared in this review, have recently been developed. We describe these carriers' chemical structures, strategies for payload protection and oxidation-selective release, and ROS/RNS sensitivity as tested in initial studies. Critical Issues: ROS/RNS are unstable, so reliable measures of their concentrations in various conditions are scarce. Combined with the dearth of materials shown to respond to physiologically relevant levels of ROS/RNS, evaluations of the...
Migraine and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents

The relationship between migraine and suicidal ideation (self-reported thoughts of suicide-related behaviors) in a sample of young adolescents was determined in a study at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Overall Open Laboratories in Universities

The paper probes into the patterns of open laboratories in two sides,on the one hand several open patterns for inside are put forward:to open for experiment classes,to open for students to do designing and researching experiments,and to open for the teachers technicians to carry out scientific research.On the other hand, open laboratories to society is discussed:first,the laboratories have good conditions to serve the society,second,open laboratories to society is the need for developing and upgrading themselves.
Opioids and benzodiazepines

Most patients in the intensive care unit experience pain and anxiety, which are treated most commonly with an opioid or a benzodiazepine. These compounds are effective and have a well-established safety record. With the exception of associated respiratory depression, they have a relatively wide therapeutic window. New approaches and formulations for opioids and benzodiazepines are being used with continued success in the clinical setting.
Machine Tool Industry Adoption of Software Certification Processes

The physical production quality measures of machine tool equipment are widely recognized, but measuring associated software quality has only recently gained attention. Interviews were conducted to determine what embedded software quality assurance measu..
Protein value of two imitation milks. Chemical and biologic assays.

Is imitation milk a suitable substitute for couts milk in diets of adults allergic to cow’s milk protein?
Idealization and Its Discontents: A Reconsideration of the Functions and Limits of a Psychic Phenomenon

This study defines and illustrates the connections and differences between an idealizing and capacitating relationship. We first identified the patient's requirements for an idealized object, both to facilitate the reinforcement of a circumscribed but positive sense of herself, and to ward off dysphoric affect states in the domains of core- and intersubjective relatedness. These requirements were then distinguished from her need at a deeper level (the true self) to find a capacitating object to affirm, tolerate, and contain the full range of affects in her lived experience with others. These two sets of requirements have a different feel in the transference; and countertransference responses may be a valuable means of recognizing and distinguishing each as elements of different structures of self-organization.
Clinical Applications of Cardiac CT

Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) has become an important tool in the evaluation of structural heart disease, large vessel disease, and coronary atherosclerosis, covering a broad spectrum of cardiovascular disease. Recently, the clinical applications have increased dramatically as CCT technology has significantly improved. The improvement in technology and expanding clinical applications will be reviewed.
Calculating Artifact Planview Area

AbstractPlanview area is a useful measurement in lithic artifact analysis. The use of a compensating polar planimeter to obtain this measurement from artifact photocopies is rapid and accurate. The use of planview area in analyzing biface reduction trajectories demonstrates the value of this simple measurement.
MOBILE SENSING: Retrospectives and Trends

It is difficult to think back to a time before smartphones existed, with their ubiquitous computing and communication capabilities, and with detailed location sensing easily available from Global Positioning Systems (GPS). In the late 1990s, when my research group began work on mobile sensing, smartphones had not yet been invented. While GPS did exist, GPS receivers were expensive, power-hungry and not widely available. Our first mobile computing project started as a powerefficiency study for a GPS-based interactive campus tour. GPS-based tour applications are familiar now, but were unheard of then, and the physical implementation was a challenge. We used a Palm Pilot PDA (personal digital assistant) connected to an external GPS receiver and an external Wi-Fi card. In those days, PDAs had neither GPS nor any wireless communication capability! Given the bulkiness of the various pieces of our "app," we carried them and their batteries around in a shoebox. Since both the GPS and the radio were quite high power (over 1W), they greatly impacted the system's battery life. Our power-efficiency work explored methods to locally cache maps on the PDA, and to power down modules when not in use.
ANCHORING ADHD SYMPTOMS TO MENTAL AGE

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), requires that symptoms of ADHD must be developmentally inappropriate in order for an ADHD diagnosis to be considered. Because the DSM-5 does not specifically outline procedure for determining developmental inappropriateness of behaviors, practitioners do not have guidance for making this consideration. To explore the relationship between mental age and behavior ratings of ADHD symptoms, the cognitive and behavioral data from 50 children who were evaluated in a school or clinic were compiled for this study. Cognitive ability scores were used to calculate mental age and behavior rating scores were then recalculated using the assessed mental age. Using the recalculated behavior ratings, scores based on mental age decreased significantly on the Attention Problems, Hyperactivity, and Atypicality scales of the BASC-2. Additionally, as the discrepancy between mental and chronological age increased, larger differences in scores were found.
Phallic reconstruction during exenterative surgery for invasive urethral carcinoma.

AbstractA technique is described for phallic reconstruction after wide surgical excision of squamous cell carcinoma of the bulbomembranous urethra. Two cases in which this technique was used are presented with followup information at 9 and 12 months.
Dyadic alcohol use, alcohol-specific conflict, and relationship dissatisfaction in treatment-seeking men and their female partners:

Intimate partners consuming different amounts of alcohol tend to have lower relationship satisfaction, whereas those drinking at similar levels often report happier unions. It is presently unclear how dyadic alcohol use patterns impact relationship satisfaction for couples wherein one member has an alcohol use disorder. We examined this using longitudinal data from an alcoholic treatment sample (N = 181) and further explored whether conflict pursuant to differential use played a mediating role. Partners similar in their baseline frequency of alcohol intoxication reported higher initial satisfaction but experienced significant declines in satisfaction longitudinally. Highly differential alcohol use was associated with lower satisfaction for both partners at baseline, which was mediated by conflict specific to men’s alcohol use. Notably, baseline relationship variables also predicted subsequent changes in alcohol use. These findings overall support a dyadic understanding of alcoholism and highlight that dri...
Intensive short-term child-centered play therapy and externalizing behaviors in children.

Play therapists use children’s natural symbolic play as a method of mental health treatment (Landreth, 2012). Meta-analysis research has demonstrated the effectiveness of treating children with play therapy (Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, 2005), and child-centered play therapy (CCPT) has proven to be an effective treatment for children with externalizing behaviors such as aggression and other disruptive behavior (Bratton & Ray, 2000; Bratton et al., 2005). Some studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of brief and short-term CCPT, such as twice weekly within two to three months (Blanco & Ray, 2011; Shen, 2002) and when delivered in an intensive format, conducting 12 sessions within three weeks (Jones & Landreth, 2002). In this current study, I sought to determine the effectiveness of intensive CCPT with children identified as having externalizing problem behaviors. Participants were recruited from public schools in the urban area of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia area. A total of 24 participants completed the study: 18 boys and 6 girls aged 6 to 9 years old (M = 7); 17 Australian Caucasians, 1 English (UK) Caucasian, 1 Asian, 3 Hispanic/Latino, and 2 Biracial. Participants were randomly assigned: 12 to the experimental group and 12 to the wait-list control group. Children in the experimental group received 20 intensive CCPT sessions: twice daily for 10 days. For each child participant, a parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a teacher completed the CBCL Teacher’s Report Form (TRF) three times: at pretest, posttest, and one-week follow-up. Mixed between-within ANOVAs were conducted applying an alpha level of .05 to interpret statistical significant and η2 calculation to assess practical significance. Follow-up results indicated a statistically significant interaction effect on CBCL Externalizing score, F (2, 44) = 14.747, p < .001, with a large effect size of η2 = .277. Results also indicated a statistically significant interaction effect on the TRF Externalizing score, F (2, 44) = 4.042, p = .024, with a large effect size of η2 = .135. Therefore, both parents and teachers indicated that children with externalizing behaviors who received intensive CCPT showed a significant decrease in those behaviors. The results of this study indicate that when time and financial resources call for short-term, intensive CCPT for children with problematic externalizing behaviors, practitioners may use it with confidence that its effectiveness has been demonstrated through this research.
Transcriptomics and Proteomics of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens

Newer generations of molecular techniques have revolutionized the way that food microbiologists assess the expression profiles of genes and proteins in foodborne bacterial pathogens. Rather than revisiting some traditional “omics” techniques such as DNA microarrays, the first part of this chapter provides detailed reviews about the methodology and applications of several newer transcriptomic techniques in studying foodborne bacterial pathogens, including transcriptomic sequencing (or RNA-seq), and chromo-immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq). The second part of this chapter explains the rationale and methodology of the two predominant techniques for proteomic analysis, i.e. mass spectrometry and protein microarrays, and summarizes the applications of these techniques in studies of foodborne bacterial pathogens in the recent literature.
A continuous switching model for piezoelectric state switching methods

Piezoelectric-based, semi-active vibration reduction approaches have been studied for over a decade due to their potential in controlling vibration over a large frequency range. Previous studies have relied on a discrete model when switching between the stiffness states of the system. In such a modeling approach, the energy dissipation of the stored potential energy and the transient dynamics, in general, are not well understood. In this paper, a switching model is presented using a variable capacitance in the attached shunt circuit. When the switch duration is small in comparison to the period of vibration, the vibration reduction performance approaches that of the discrete model with an instantaneous switch, whereas longer switch durations lead to less vibration reduction. An energy analysis is then performed that results in the appearance of an energy dissipation term due to the varying capacitance in the shunt circuit.
Promoted recall of sentences.

After exposure to sentences Ss heard sentence words (nouns) that differed in grammatical function. The Ss attempted recall of one sentence for each prompt-word. Test sentences had the same phrase structure but differed in underlying grammatical relations. One set consisted of standard passive sentences. The other consisted of passives with the agent by -phrase replaced with a nonagent by -phrase. Final nouns in the former functioned as logical subjects, but in the latter functioned only as adverbials. Nouns involved in the more inclusive relation (subject-of-sentence) were more effective prompts than the modifier nouns. No recall differences occurred when prompting was with initial nouns, which functioned as logical objects for both sentence types. Conclusions stress that sentence organization depends on the nature of relations among parts rather than on the segmentation of sentences into phrases.
Effects of Src Kinase Inhibition on Expression of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B after Brain Hypoxia in a Piglet Animal Model.

Background. Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in conjunction with protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) regulate cellular processes by posttranslational modifications of signal transduction proteins. PTP nonreceptor type 1B (PTP-1B) is an enzyme of the PTP family. We have previously shown that hypoxia induces an increase in activation of a class of nonreceptor PTK, the Src kinases. In the present study, we investigated the changes that occur in the expression of PTP-1B in the cytosolic component of the brain of newborn piglets acutely after hypoxia as well as long term for up to 2 weeks. Methods. Newborn piglets were divided into groups: normoxia, hypoxia, hypoxia followed by 1 day and 15 days in FiO2 0.21, and hypoxia pretreated with Src kinase inhibitor PP2, prior to hypoxia followed by 1 day and 15 days. Hypoxia was achieved by providing 7% FiO2 for 1 hour and PTP-1B expression was measured via immunoblotting. Results. PTP-1B increased posthypoxia by about 30% and persisted for 2 weeks while Src kinase inhibition attenuated the expected PTP-1B-increased expression. Conclusions. Our study suggests that Src kinase mediates a hypoxia-induced increased PTP-1B expression.
DNase I SIM: A Simplified In-Nucleus Method for DNase I Hypersensitive Site Sequencing

Identifying cis-regulatory elements is critical in understanding the direct and indirect interactions that occur within gene regulatory networks. Current approaches include DNase-seq, a technique that combines sensitivity to the nonspecific endonuclease DNase I with high-throughput sequencing to identify regions of regulatory DNA on a genome-wide scale. Yet, challenges still remain in processing recalcitrant tissues that have low DNA content. Here, we describe DNase I SIM (for Simplified In-nucleus Method), a protocol that simplifies and facilitates generation of DNase-seq libraries from plant tissues for high-resolution mapping of DNase I hypersensitive sites. By removing steps requiring the use of gel agarose plugs in DNase-seq, DNase I SIM reduces the time required to perform the protocol by at least 2 days, while also making possible the processing of difficult plant tissues including plant roots.
Review: Test characteristics and pretest probability of disease need to be considered in screening for dementia

Source Citation Siu AL. Screening for dementia and investigating its causes. Ann Intern Med. 1991 Jul 15;115:122-32.
Materials science: Nanomagnets boost thermoelectric output

The direct conversion of heat into electricity — a reversible process known as the thermoelectric effect — can be greatly enhanced in some materials by embedding them with a small number of magnetic nanoparticles. See Letter p.247 Increasing the efficiency of thermal-to-electric energy conversion using thermoelectric materials typically focuses on nanostructuring—in particular, varying the chemical and physical properties at the nanoscale to modify the thermal conductivity of the whole material. Electrical conductivity is also a key parameter and now Wenyu Zhao et al. report a nanostructuring strategy that offers simultaneous control over thermal and electrical transport, with a net gain in overall thermoelectric performance of the material. They embed nanoparticles of a soft magnetic material in a thermoelectric matrix. The nanoparticles themselves provide conventional scattering sites for thermal vibrations (phonons) in the matrix while superparamagnetic fluctuations of the magnetization state of the nanoparticles interact with the matrix electrons, separately modifying their transport properties.
Cancer Education in the United States Since 1948

ABSTRACT The National Cancer Institute initiated a support program for cancer education in 1948. Its goals were to coordinate cancer teaching in medical and dental schools and to improve its quality. Changes in this program over a 30-year period as well as its present status are described. Medical education has undergone many changes during the same period such as an increase in elective time. Similarly, knowledge concerning cancer has expanded, and more must be taught so that physicians are able to provide optimum care to their patients. Chemotherapy is an example of such new knowledge. Significant improvements in medical and dental education have been noted in institutions which are the recipients of the National Cancer Institute's support grants. These include a wide variety of educational offerings and opportunities for periods of intensive study. There is still a need, however, for more emphasis on certain neglected areas of cancer teaching, such as radiation therapy and the psychosocial aspects of cancer. Graduate education in the clinical specialties varies in cancer content, and examination of these programs is underway to learn the optimum amount of cancer experiences desirable in each specialty training program. Training in the clinical subspecialties pertaining to cancer has grown rapidly but some types of oncologists, notably radiation therapists, are still in short supply. A new specialty in dental oncology is emerging. Continuing education of medical and dental practitioners is not carried out systematically in the United States, but a wide variety of courses and other offerings are available. The medical specialties all require periodic re-examinations for maintenance of certification. Cancer education has evolved as medical knowledge has advanced, and therefore future changes and improvements may be anticipated.
Network Cache Design Under Stationary Requests: Exact Analysis and Poisson Approximation

The design of caching algorithms to maximize hit probability has been extensively studied. In this paper, we associate each content with a utility, which is a function of either corresponding content hit rate or hit probability. We formulate a cache optimization problem to maximize the sum of utilities over all contents under stationary and ergodic request process. This problem is non-convex in general but we reformulate it as a convex optimization problem when the inter-request time (irt) distribution has a non-increasing hazard rate function. We provide explicit optimal solutions for some irt distributions, and compare the solutions of the hit-rate based (HRB) and hit probability based (HPB) problems. We also propose decentralized algorithms that can be implemented using limited information and are guaranteed to provide optimal solutions. We find that decentralized algorithms that solve HRB are more robust than decentralized HPB algorithms. Informed by these results, we further propose lightweight Poisson approximate decentralized and online algorithms that are accurate and efficient in achieving optimal hit rates and hit probabilities.
Stackelberg Strategies for Multilevel Systems

In this paper we will present a brief sketch of how the leader-follower or Stackelberg strategy concept for two-person dynamic nonzero-sum games might be extended to the coordination of several subsystems. We will also explore how hierarchical control could be formulated in the Stackelberg sense.
Unclamped hand-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for predominantly endophytic renal tumors.

PURPOSE: To describe our initial experience with unclamped laparoscopic hand-assisted partial nephrectomy for predominantly endophytic renal masses in the setting of relative contraindication to warm ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Unclamped laparoscopic hand-assisted partial nephrectomy was performed on eight consecutive patients from June 2009 to March 2010. All patients had predominantly endophytic renal masses with a preferential enhancing rim noted on the pre-operative computed tomography. The unclamped hand-assisted approach was utilized for no warm ischemia, minimal blood loss, and enhanced visualization of the tumor bed with improved operative exposure. RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 55.8 years. All patients underwent unclamped hand-assisted partial nephrectomy (ie, zero ischemia). Mean estimated blood loss was 368.8 cc (range, 100 to 800 cc) and mean operation time was 236.9 minutes (range, 175 to 272 minutes). There were no intra-operative complications and no open conversions. There was one grade II (ileus with small pneumothorax) and one grade IV (pulmonary embolism) in the 90-day peri-operative period. There was one positive surgical margin, which was recognized intra-operatively. CONCLUSION: While our results are preliminary, we feel this technique provides superior visualization and adequate hemostasis while preserving oncologic efficacy and renal function in this patient population.
Substrates of rapid plasticity in developing visual cortex

The loss of visual responses by neurons in the primary visual cortex to an eye in which vision is occluded at the peak of the critical period is very rapid, appearing from extra-cellular microelectrode recordings to be nearly maximal after 2 days of monocular deprivation (MD). Anatomically, the first changes in thalamocortical afferent inputs to layer IV appear after 4 days of MD in the cat, and 6–7 days of MD are needed for near maximal losses of deprived-eye input. When we examined the different cortical layers, rapid plasticity was present in all except layer IV, removing the apparent mismatch between anatomical and physiological measures of plasticity in that layer.
Comparison of Sustainable and Conventional Weed Management Systems in Junebearing Strawberry Production

Few herbicides are registered for use in Junebearing matted-row strawberry culture. This study was conducted to develop alternative methods of weed management. The experiment evaluated the effects of two conventional and two alternative weed management systems on Junebearing matted-row strawberry production.
Connectivity differences between human operators of swarms and bandwidth limitations

Human interaction with robot swarms (HSI) is a young field with very few user studies that explore operator behavior. All these studies assume perfect communication between the operator and the swarm. A key challenge in the use of swarm robotic systems in human supervised tasks is to understand human swarm interaction in the presence of limited communication bandwidth, which is a constraint arising in many practical scenarios. In this paper, we present results of human-subject experiments designed to study the effect of bandwidth limitations in human swarm interaction. We consider three levels of bandwidth availability in a swarm foraging task. The lowest bandwidth condition performs poorly, but the medium and high bandwidth condition both perform well. In the medium bandwidth condition, we display useful aggregated swarm information (like swarm centroid and spread) to compress the swarm state information. We also observe interesting operator behavior and adaptation of operators' swarm reaction.
Distinction of stress and non-stress tasks using facial action units

Long-exposure to stress is known to lead to physical and mental health problems. But how can we as individuals track and monitor our stress? Wearables which measure heart variability have been studied to detect stress. Such devices, however, need to be worn all day long and can be expensive. As an alternative, we propose the use of frontal face videos to distinguish between stressful and non-stressful activities. Affordable personal tracking of stress levels could be obtained by analyzing the video stream of inbuilt cameras in laptops. In this work, we present a preliminary analysis of 114 one-hour long videos. During the video, the subjects perform a typing exercise before and after being exposed to a stressor. We performed a binary classification using Random Forest (RF) to distinguish between stressful and non-stressful activities. As features, facial action units (AUs) extracted from each video frame were used. We obtained an average accuracy of over 97% and 50% for subject dependent and subject independent classification, respectively.
Role of Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Cancer Signaling

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a highly conserved pathway essential for cell development, proliferation, migration, polarity, and stem cell homeostasis. This pathway has also been implicated in tumor initiation and progression. Recent efforts have been made to develop therapies targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling; however, the complexity of Wnt signaling has complicated their development. While targeting Wnt has potential beneficial effects, understanding when to activate or inhibit Wnt to impede cancer development and progression still needs to be elucidated. Conventionally, Wnt signaling activation has been associated with poor patient outcome; however, it was recently shown to enhance patient outcome in certain cancer subtypes. Wnt target therapy is still in early stages, and numerous clinical trials are investigating Wnt signaling modulators as potential treatments for cancer. There is still much to learn about Wnt signaling and its interactions with other pathways. The next essential step is to identify potential biomarkers to guide how to perturb Wnt signaling for the most effective clinical results.
Can financial analysis on social media help level the playing field among investors? Evidence from Seeking Alpha

Research suggests certain investors face significant information disadvantages, particularly during earnings announcements. We investigate whether financial analysis on Seeking Alpha, a prominent social media platform hosting original financial analysis, can mitigate this disadvantage. First, we find reduced information asymmetry and increased retail trading on days when financial analysis is posted on Seeking Alpha. Second, we find that more financial analysis on social media during the weeks before an earnings announcement attenuates earnings announcement information asymmetry. Cross-sectional evidence suggests our earnings announcement results are more pronounced for (1) analyses written by more credible authors, (2) analyses more likely relevant to evaluating the earning announcement, (3) firms operating in poorer information environments, and (4) earnings announcements occurring on busier days. Overall, our evidence suggests financial analysis on social media plays an important role in leveling the playing field among investors by reducing disclosure processing costs.
Bridging Social Critique and Design: Building a Health Informatics Tool for Transgender Voice

This project aims to develop a voice training application for transgender people. Voice training is typically conducted by a speech therapist, and consists of personalized sessions that support individuals in changing their voices (such as modifying pitch, resonance, or speech patterns). The reasons why people may pursue voice training are varied, but often includes discomfort with voice being misaligned with gender identity. Training with a speech therapist may be inaccessible due to health disparities; thus, a technological solution, as I propose in my research, is necessary. This project will address existing constraints to design a novel voice training application in partnership with community members, using a participatory research methodology and combining the fields of speech science, feminist and queer theory, and HCI.
Prescription Opioid Misuse Associated With Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents.

Introduction With the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic in the U.S., it is important to explore how prescription opioid misuse correlates with health behaviors that increase the risk for adverse health outcomes among adolescents. The objective of this study is to determine if lifetime nonmedical use of prescription opioids is associated with health risk behaviors among adolescents. Methods Data from the 2017 nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey (14,765 high school students in Grades 9–12) were used to explore associations between lifetime nonmedical use of prescription opioids and 29 health risk behaviors. Logistic regression models (adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, grade, and sexual identity) estimated adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% CIs. Analyses were completed in 2018. Results Nonmedical use of prescription opioids was associated with all but 1 of the health risk behaviors included in the analyses. Substance use ranged from adjusted prevalence ratio=2.46 (current alcohol use) to adjusted prevalence ratio=17.52 (heroin use); violence victimization from adjusted prevalence ratio=1.80 (bullied at school) to adjusted prevalence ratio=3.12 (threatened or injured with a weapon); suicidal thoughts/behaviors from adjusted prevalence ratio=2.23 (considered suicide) to adjusted prevalence ratio=3.45 (attempted suicide); and sexual behavior from adjusted prevalence ratio=1.06 (did not use a dual pregnancy prevention method) to adjusted prevalence ratio=3.42 (4 or more sexual partners). Poor academic performance (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.53), receiving an HIV test (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.77), and having persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.80) were also associated with nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Conclusions Nonmedical use of prescription opioids is associated with many health risk behaviors. Opportunities to reduce nonmedical use of prescription opioids include screening pediatric patients for opioid use disorder, improved prescribing practices, and, from a primary prevention perspective, integrated evidence-based health education programs in schools.
A survey of giant sized trees, shrubs and Iianas in Rajasthan

In present paper detailed information about 25 giant sized trees, shrubs and lianas is given which were seen in different districts of Rajasthan during the present survey. This floral heritage should be protected and conserved. It would help enhance the eco-tourism in the state
The role of interactivity in new media-based health communication: Testing the interaction among interactivity, threat, and efficacy

Abstract This chapter reviews an empirical study that tested the proposition that message content constructs would interact with message modality constructs in influencing persuasive outcomes. Specifically, adopting a factorial experimental design, this study tested the interaction among the message modality feature of interactivity and message content constructs of threat and response efficacy within meningococcal vaccination context. The outcomes were attitudes toward the vaccine and intention to get vaccinated. Results indicate a significant three-way interaction among interactivity, threat, and efficacy, although such interaction effects may be stronger for proximal outcomes such as information processing than distal outcomes such as attitudes and behavioral intention. This suggests that message content needs to be considered in conjunction with interactivity in influencing health-related outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Optimizing doxepin therapy in dermatology: introducing blood level monitoring and genotype testing.

Doxepin, a tricyclic antidepressant, is the most efficacious antipruritic available to dermatologists; however its use is often suboptimal because of significant interindividual variability in doxe...
Characteristics Associated With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and Resuscitations During the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in New York City.

Importance Risk factors for out-of-hospital death due to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are poorly defined. From March 1 to April 25, 2020, New York City, New York (NYC), reported 17 118 COVID-19–related deaths. On April 6, 2020, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests peaked at 305 cases, nearly a 10-fold increase from the prior year. Objective To describe the characteristics (race/ethnicity, comorbidities, and emergency medical services [EMS] response) associated with outpatient cardiac arrests and death during the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based, cross-sectional study compared patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receiving resuscitation by the NYC 911 EMS system from March 1 to April 25, 2020, compared with March 1 to April 25, 2019. The NYC 911 EMS system serves more than 8.4 million people. Exposures The COVID-19 pandemic. Main Outcomes and Measures Characteristics associated with out-of-hospital arrests and the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Results A total of 5325 patients were included in the main analysis (2935 men [56.2%]; mean [SD] age, 71 [18] years), 3989 in the COVID-19 period and 1336 in the comparison period. The incidence of nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in those who underwent EMS resuscitation in 2020 was 3 times the incidence in 2019 (47.5/100 000 vs 15.9/100 000). Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during 2020 were older (mean [SD] age, 72 [18] vs 68 [19] years), less likely to be white (611 of 2992 [20.4%] vs 382 of 1161 [32.9%]), and more likely to have hypertension (2134 of 3989 [53.5%] vs 611 of 1336 [45.7%]), diabetes (1424 of 3989 [35.7%] vs 348 of 1336 [26.0%]), and physical limitations (2259 of 3989 [56.6%] vs 634 of 1336 [47.5%]). Compared with 2019, the odds of asystole increased in the COVID-19 period (odds ratio [OR], 3.50; 95% CI, 2.53-4.84;P Conclusions and Relevance In this population-based, cross-sectional study, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased compared with the same period the previous year and were associated with older age, nonwhite race/ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, physical limitations, and nonshockable presenting rhythms. Identifying patients with the greatest risk for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and death during the COVID-19 pandemic should allow for early, targeted interventions in the outpatient setting that could lead to reductions in out-of-hospital deaths.
The 2018 MAP Regulations: Ending Collection Losses in Nigeria's Electricity Supply Industry

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued the Meter Asset Provider Regulations 2018 (MAP-Regs). The MAP-Regs came into effect on March 8, 2018 and will be enforced by NERC from April 3, 2018. These regulations are designed to provide standard rules to eliminate estimated billing practices in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (usually tagged ‘NESI’) and increase the collection rates of the distribution companies. Ultimately, NERC hopes that the MAP-Regs will enhance revenue assurance in NESI. Anyone who is keenly interested in Nigeria’s electricity industry or NESI will agree that reduction of the collection losses of the distribution companies (DisCos) is an urgent need. Hence, the MAP-Regs should be exciting news. However, after studying the MAP-Regs, I had reasons to reflect on whether the new regulations will achieve the desired purpose. This article gives a background of how the collection losses suffered by the DisCos affect the entire industry, highlights measures taken by NERC to remedy this problem till this point, and presents my reflections on the MAP-Regs.
Prostate Cancer Central Nervous System Metastasis in a Contemporary Cohort.

Abstract Importance Central Nervous System (CNS) metastasis from prostate cancer (PCA) is a rare event, but one with significant prognostic impact for those affected. There are limited data on its impact in contemporary cohorts treated with modern agents. Design A retrospective institutional review was performed to characterize the occurrence/outcome of PCA CNS metastasis on all cases of PCA from 2011-2017. A manual chart review was performed to confirm PCA CNS metastases in all cases identified through a diagnostic code screening of the health data. Results 6,596 cases of PCA were identified, with 29 (20 dural and 9 intraparenchymal) confirmed cases of CNS metastases from prostate cancer. The median survival from the time of diagnosis of CNS metastasis was 2.6 (95%CI: 2.04 – 10.78) months and 5.41 (95% CI: 3.03 – not reached) months for dural and parenchymal metastases respectively. Among those who developed CNS metastases, approximately 79% of patients had prior exposure to abiraterone and/or enzalutamide, of whom 50% had ≥6 months of exposure. Four of the 5841 (0.07%) patients developed CNS metastases prior to the initiation of therapy or on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone. In contrast, 24 of the 279 (8.6%) patients with 2 or more lines of medical therapy developed CNS metastases. Conclusions and Relevance: Our analysis highlights the continued poor prognosis of parenchymal and dural CNS metastases from PCA. CNS metastases in prostate cancer remain a rare event with a 0.4% incidence in this series, but this incidence is considerably increased in patients who receive medical therapy beyond first line ADT.
Metamorphic GaAsP Tunnel Junctions for High-Efficiency III–V/IV Multijunction Solar Cell Technology

Metamorphic GaAs 0.9 P 0.1 tunnel diodes, designed for application to heteroepitaxial GaInP/GaAsP/Si multijunction solar cells, were grown on compositionally graded GaAs y P 1-y /GaAs buffers by molecular beam epitaxy. Optimal growth conditions for high impurity doping were determined and tested using fabricated tunnel diode structures. Peak current densities of 103.9 A · cm -2 and resistance-area products of 4.5 × 10 -4 Ω · cm 2 were obtained. Strong agreement between simulated and fabricated devices indicates excellent device quality with respect to optimized growth conditions and near-nominal operation. These results suggest that the optimized structures are promising for use within III-V/Si multijunction solar cells operating under high concentration.
Risk Assessments at Birth Predict Kindergarten Achievement and Involvement with Child Protective Services.

Screening for family risk factors at birth is one way that early childhood programs and practitioners can identify families who might benefit from prevention efforts. Some prevention programs currently use cumulative risk (i.e., total number of risk factors present) to determine eligibility for services. More recently, however, person-centered approaches that take into account combinations of risk (versus cumulative risk) have emerged as an approach that could complement current risk assessment methods and illuminate the extent to which classes of family risk are associated with different outcomes in early childhood. Grounded in ecological theory, we tested cumulative family risk and latent classes of family risk at birth as predictors of kindergarten outcomes and mother-reported involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS). Families in the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study were included in this study if they had medical records data available at the child’s birth as well as children’s age 5 kindergarten outcomes (N = 757). Cumulative risk was positively associated with children’s attention problems, letter-word recognition skills, CPS involvement, and both covariates (i.e., child’s diagnosed disability status and mother’s ethnicity/race), but not aggression or social skill problems. In terms of latent classes, children from higher risk classes tended to fare significantly worse on kindergarten outcomes and were more likely to have reported involvement with CPS when compared to the lower risk classes. Implications are discussed related to primary prevention, the merits of screening for risk, and comparisons between cumulative risk and classes of risk approaches.
A Retinal Twitch, A Misfired Nerve Cell: The Neuroscience of The Crying of Lot 49

This paper builds upon previous cybernetics scholarship to explore the neuroscience in The Crying of Lot 49, focusing on the neuronal action potential. In 1952, the cybernetics-influenced action po...
Regional Cooperative Federalism and the U.S. Electric Grid

The U.S. Constitution makes no direct mention of regional governing entities, yet they are an entrenched part of our federalist system. In the area of electric grid governance, the federal government enlists independent, private entities called regional transmission organizations (RTOs) to implement federal policy and achieve state energy goals. RTOs are the most prominent form of regional cooperative federalism, yet other policy spheres, such as opioid control, encompass a similar approach. This is a twist on the classic form of cooperative federalism, in which the federal government relies upon individual states to achieve federal mandates. The regionally governed electric grid represents a critical policy area. The availability of reliable electricity directly drives economic and human health outcomes, and populating the grid with clean sources of electricity while maintaining grid reliability is an urgent endeavor. The use of regional cooperative federalism in this area therefore calls for a fresh look at federalism principles. Many RTOs are geographically massive; the largest RTO covers all or part of the territories of fifteen states. Yet RTOs better encompass some of the core federalism principles ascribed to more decentralized control, including policy experimentation and innovation, efficiency, and accountability to stakeholders. Some RTOs have been particularly innovative in formulating new policies to address changing circumstances, such as demand for more renewable energy. But in the accountability sphere, other RTOs have struggled to address stakeholder needs. Regional cooperative federalism will be increasingly important in a world of complex policy issues that spill beyond local and state lines yet require locally tailored solutions. This Article constructs a normative framework for this under-recognized approach, using the attributes of federalism as guideposts, and suggests a path forward for productively expanding and improving this governance form.
Inputs into Microbial Food Chains

There is little question or disagreement with the contention that phytoplankton contribute the vast majority of the input of organic matter to the sea. There are, however, major controversies today on the actual rate of primary productivity in the sea and on the routes by which organic matter arrives in the dissolved pool.1