cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser-Assisted Removal of Embedded Vena Cava Filters: A 5-Year First-in-Human Study

Background Many patients are subjected to the potential risks and morbidity associated with an indwelling inferior vena cava (IVC) filter when standard methods fail to remove the filter. We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the excimer laser sheath technique for removing embedded IVC filters. Methods Over a 5-year period, 251 consecutive patients undergoing laser-assisted filter retrieval were prospectively enrolled. There were 103 men and 148 women (mean, 46 years; range, 15-82 years). Indications for retrieval included symptomatic acute IVC thrombosis, chronic IVC occlusion, and/or pain from filter penetration. Retrieval was also performed to prevent risks from prolonged implantation and potentially to eliminate the need for lifelong anticoagulation. After retrieval failed using three times the standard retrieval force (digitally measured), treatment escalation was attempted using a laser sheath powered by a 308-nm XeCl laser. Success was defined as complete filter detachment and removal from the body. Primary safety outcomes were major procedure-related complications. Results Laser-assisted retrieval was successful in 249 of 251 patients (99.2%) (95% CI, 97.2%-99.9%), with a mean implantation of 979 days, range: 37-7,098 days (> 19 years), among retrievable-type filters (n = 211) and permanent-type filters (n = 40). Average force during failed attempts without laser was 6.7 vs 3.8 lbs during laser-assisted retrievals ( P Conclusions The excimer laser sheath technique is safe and effective for removing embedded IVC filters refractory to standard retrieval and high force. This technique can be used to alleviate or prevent filter-related morbidity and may allow cessation of filter-related anticoagulation. Trial Registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01158482; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov
Prevalence of chytrid parasitism among diatom populations in the lower Columbia River (2009–2013)

We documented temporal (2009–2013) and spatial [river kilometre (rkm) 8–rkm 196] patterns of parasitic fungal infections on diatoms in the lower Columbia River, as evidenced by the presence of sporangia attached to diatom frustules. Multiple diatom species were infected by zoosporic fungi (‘chytrids’) throughout the year, with a maximum infection prevalence (Iₚ) among large diatoms of 36% in spring 2011. At a fixed site at rkm 85, up to 30–45% of the population of Asterionella formosa, the dominant spring diatom, was infected each year during the spring (2010–2013). During this time, high Iₚ was associated with high host density, low precipitation and low orthophosphate concentrations. Parasite load – the number of sporangia per infected diatom cell, also referred to as the mean intensity of infection, I¯ – increased with infection prevalence, but the population average never exceed two parasites per host. Net growth rates of chytrid populations exceeded those of A. formosa host diatoms in the spring under low‐flow conditions. In spring 2013, the prevalence of infection increased from 35 to 78% and the parasite load increased from 1.5 to 2.2 along a downstream transect, suggesting that zoospores were actively infecting hosts in situ and not simply transported allochthonously. The estimated loss of organic carbon associated with diatoms via the parasitic pathway was greatest in spring (averaging c. 10%), with a peak of c. 85 μg carbon L⁻¹ (c. 45% of total large‐diatom carbon) lost from the diatom carbon pool to parasitism in May 2011. Parasites of microalgae may actively shape aquatic food webs within systems like the Columbia River by increasing the availability of large‐diatom carbon to higher trophic levels, thus decreasing downstream export losses to the estuary and coastal ocean.
Differential Effects of Prior Influenza Exposures on H3N2 Cross-reactivity of Human Postvaccination Sera.

Background Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccines mainly depends upon how well vaccine strains represent circulating viruses; mismatched strains can lead to reduced protection. Humans have complex influenza exposure histories that increase with age, which may lead to different postvaccination responses to emerging influenza variants. Recent observational studies also suggest that prior vaccination may influence the performance of current seasonal vaccines. Methods To elucidate the effects of age and influenza preexposures on cross-reactivity of vaccination-induced human antibodies, we generated antigenic maps based on postvaccination hemagglutination inhibition titers against representative H3 variants circulating during the 2015-2016, 2014-2015, and 2012-2013 influenza seasons. Results Antigenic maps determined using sera from subjects 18-64 and ≥65 years of age correlated well with each other but poorly with those determined using sera from children. Antigenic maps derived from human postvaccination sera with H1 influenza preexposure also correlated poorly with those derived from sera with neither H1 nor type B influenza preexposure, and the correlation lessened considerably over time. In contrast, antigenic maps derived from human postvaccination sera with only type B influenza preexposure consistently showed good correlation with those derived from sera with neither H1 nor type B influenza preexposure. Conclusions Our results suggest an age-specific difference in human postvaccination responses. Our findings also suggest that prior exposure to H1 or type B influenza may differentially affect cross-reactivity of vaccination-induced H3-specific hemagglutination inhibition antibody responses, and consequently might affect vaccine effectiveness. Our study highlights the need to study the impact of prior exposure on influenza vaccine performance.
Chromatin Switches during Neural Cell Differentiation and Their Dysregulation by Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Prenatal alcohol exposure causes persistent neuropsychiatric deficits included under the term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Cellular identity emerges from a cascade of intrinsic and extrinsic (involving cell-cell interactions and signaling) processes that are partially initiated and maintained through changes in chromatin structure. Prenatal alcohol exposure influences neuronal and astrocyte development, permanently altering brain connectivity. Prenatal alcohol exposure also alters chromatin structure through histone and DNA modifications. However, the data linking alcohol-induced differentiation changes with developmental alterations in chromatin structure remain to be elucidated. In the first part of this review, we discuss the sequence of chromatin structural changes involved in neural cell differentiation during normal development. We then discuss the effects of prenatal alcohol on developmental histone modifications and DNA methylation in the context of neurogenesis and astrogliogenesis. We attempt to synthesize the developmental literature with the FASD literature, proposing that alcohol-induced changes to chromatin structure account for altered neurogenesis and astrogliogenesis as well as altered neuron and astrocyte differentiation. Together these changes may contribute to the cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in FASD. Future studies using standardized alcohol exposure paradigms at specific developmental stages will advance the understanding of how chromatin structural changes impact neural cell fate and maturation in FASD.
Study of junction degradation and lifetime assessment in FinFETs

Time dependent junction degradation (TDJD) is studied in detail for advanced FinFET technology. It has been shown that TDJD is caused by band to band tunneling current increase and is dominated by junction current between S/D to fin body underneath gate (IS/D-to-F). This current leakage can be controlled by process optimization and junction engineering. Physics behind TDJD is explored by comparing non-optimized and optimized process. It is shown that non-optimized process has poor junction reliability due to trap assisted band to band tunneling. A degradation rate based prediction model is also proposed which can be helpful in assessing the junction reliability lifetime at use condition.
Mice exposed to bisphenol A exhibit depressive-like behavior with neurotransmitter and neuroactive steroid dysfunction.

Fetal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes across the lifespan and can persist across multiple generations of offspring. However, the underlying mechanisms driving these changes are not well understood. We investigated the molecular perturbations associated with EDC-induced behavioral changes in first (F1) and second (F2) filial generations, using the model EDC bisphenol A (BPA). C57BL/6J dams were exposed to BPA from preconception until lactation through the diet at doses (10 μg/kg bw/d-lower dose or 10 mg/kg bw/d-upper dose) representative of human exposure levels. As adults, F1 male offspring exhibited increased depressive-like behavior, measured by the forced swim test, while females were unaffected. These behavioral changes were limited to the F1 generation and were not associated with altered maternal care. Transcriptome analysis by RNA-sequencing in F1 control and upper dose BPA-exposed adult male hippocampus revealed neurotransmitter systems as major pathways disrupted by developmental BPA exposure. High performance liquid chromatography demonstrated a male-specific reduction in hippocampal serotonin. Administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (20 mg/kg bw) rescued the depressive-like phenotype in males exposed to lower, but not upper, dose BPA, suggesting distinct mechanisms of action for each exposure dose. Finally, high resolution mass spectrometry revealed reduced circulating levels of the neuroactive steroid dehydroepiandrosterone in BPA-exposed males, suggesting another potential mechanism underlying the depressive-like phenotype. Thus, behavioral changes associated with early life BPA exposure may be mediated by sex-specific disruptions in the serotonergic system and/or sex steroid biogenesis in male offspring.
Control of Pathological Pain

Publisher Summary Pain is an acute signal of impending or actual tissue damage that impels protection of an injured site and other behaviors that foster healing and functional restoration. In most circumstances, the ubiquitous human experience of pain is biologically adaptive. Pain as a symptom, therefore, plays an essential physiological role. The experience of pain exerts no apparent biological advantage when it persists beyond the healing of an acute injury, continues as a major manifestation of a chronic injury, or occurs as the sole presentation of a physiological or psychological disturbance. From this perspective, longstanding pain is most aptly conceptualized as a disease, which may become far more disabling than any tissue injury associated with its onset. This clinical problem is highly prevalent and extraordinarily diverse. Every discipline encounters patients who describe persistent pain as either a primary condition or a distressing complication of an underlying medical disorder. This chapter discusses the nature of these general skills and illustrates a reference to an abundant medical literature that variably focuses on pains associated with particular diseases, sites, or inciting events.
Effects of Sequestered Iridoid Glycosides on Prey Choice of the Prairie Wolf Spider, Lycosa carolinensis

Specialist insect herbivores that sequester allelochemicals from their host plants may be unpalatable to potential predators. However, the host-plant species used may determine the degree of palatability. Spiders, including members of the family Lycosidae, are important predators of invertebrate prey. We fed buckeye caterpillars, Junonia coenia (Nymphalidae), reared on Plantago lanceolata (containing high levels of iridoid glycosides) or P. major (containing low levels of iridoid glycosides) to prairie wolf spiders, Lycosa carolinensis (Lycosidae), to determine whether the spiders found insects that sequester iridoid glycosides unpalatable. In a field experiment, spiders ate caterpillars reared on P. major significantly more often than caterpillars reared on P. lanceolata, although they attacked equal numbers of both types of prey. Spiders that bit caterpillars behind their heads or along the middle of their backs prevented caterpillars from implementing deterrent defensive strategies such as regurgitating or defecating. In a laboratory experiment, we presented spiders with P. lanceolata-reared and P. major-reared caterpillars simultaneously for eight consecutive trials. Spiders consumed P. major-reared buckeyes significantly more often than P. lanceolata-reared caterpillars. We found no evidence that the spiders learned to avoid the unpalatable prey.
Psychopharmacologic Treatment for Affective Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury

The spectrum of psychologic, social, and behavioral effects of traumatic brain injury often represents the most significant impairments for survivors and their families in the weeks, months, and years after the initial trauma. This article outlines the criteria for diagnosis of two common disorders in the TBI population: depression and bipolar disorder. Evidence for a neuropathologic basis for these disorders is then reviewed.
Catalytic Conversion of Biomass-Derived 1,2-Propanediol to Propylene Oxide over Supported Solid-Base Catalysts.

A series of supported alkali metal salts were investigated as catalysts to produce propylene oxide (PO) from biomass-derived 1,2-propanediol via dehydrative epoxidation in a solid–gas reaction system. The effects of supports, cations, and anions in the alkali metal salts and calcination temperature were investigated by X-ray diffraction and CO2-temperature-programmed desorption. The results indicate the catalysts with relative mild basicity having higher yields of PO. The highest yield of PO is 58.2% from reactions at 400 °C at an atmospheric pressure over KNO3/SiO2. In addition, the catalyst could be reused after calcination in air at 550 °C.
The hindgut microbiota of praying mantids is highly variable and includes both prey-associated and host-specific microbes

Praying mantids are predators that consume a wide variety of insects. While the gut microbiome of carnivorous mammals is distinct from that of omnivores and herbivores, the role of the gut microbiome among predatory insects is relatively understudied. Praying mantids are the closest known relatives to termites and cockroaches, which are known for their diverse gut microbiota. However, little is known about the mantid gut microbiota or their importance to host health. In this work, we report the results of a 16S rRNA gene-based study of gut microbiome composition in adults and late-instar larvae of three mantid species. We found that the praying mantis gut microbiome exhibits substantial variation in bacterial diversity and community composition. The hindgut of praying mantids were often dominated by microbes that are present in low abundance or not found in the guts of their insect prey. Future studies will explore the role of these microbes in the digestion of the dietary substrates and/or the degradation of toxins produced by their insect prey.
Design of Transfer Reinforcement Learning Mechanisms for Autonomous Collision Avoidance

It is often hard for a reinforcement learning (RL) agent to utilize previous experience to solve new similar but more complex tasks. In this research, we combine the transfer learning with reinforcement learning and investigate how the hyperparameters of both transfer learning and reinforcement learning impact the learning effectiveness and task performance in the context of autonomous robotic collision avoidance. A deep reinforcement learning algorithm was first implemented for a robot to learn, from its experience, how to avoid randomly generated single obstacles. After that the effect of transfer of previously learned experience was studied by introducing two important concepts, transfer belief—i.e., how much a robot should believe in its previous experience—and transfer period—i.e., how long the previous experience should be applied in the new context. The proposed approach has been tested for collision avoidance problems by altering transfer period. It is shown that transfer learnings on average had ~50% speed increase at ~30% competence levels, and there exists an optimal transfer period where the variance is the lowest and learning speed is the fastest.
IS BREAST ARTERIAL CALCIFICATION INDICATIVE OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Breast arterial calcification (BAC) is classified as medial arterial calcification and several studies have suggested that BAC is associated with cardiovascular disease, however, consistency among the studies is lacking due to variations in the study population, disease prevalence or disease risk.
Latent Profiles of Cognitive and Interpersonal Risk Factors for Adolescent Depression and Implications for Personalized Treatment

A personalized approach to treatment with patients being matched to the best-fit treatment has been proposed as one possible solution to the currently modest treatment response rates for adolescent depression. Personalized treatment involves identifying and characterizing subgroups likely to respond differently to different treatments. We investigated the feasibility of this approach, by focusing on two key risk factors that are the purported treatment targets of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A): negative unrealistic cognitions and interpersonal relationship difficulties, respectively. We sought to learn whether subgroups high and low on the two risk factors, respectively, might be identified in a large sample of depressed, treatment-seeking adolescents. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted on measures of the two risk factors among 431 adolescents (age 12–17) in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study. LCA identified three classes: (1) adolescents with high levels of problems in both family relationships and cognitions (21.6% of sample), (2) adolescents with moderate levels of problems in both domains (52.4%), and (3) adolescents with low levels of problems in both domains (26.0%). These subgroups did not predict treatment outcome with CBT or CBT + fluoxetine (COMB). The results challenge a current assumption about how treatments could be personalized, and they support a multi-causal model of depression rather than a risk-factor-specific model. Strategies other than risk factor-based personalizing for case assignment to CBT vs. IPT-A are discussed.
Everolimus and exemestane for the treatment of metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients previously treated with CDK4/6 inhibitor based therapies.

1058Background: The combination of everolimus (EVE) and exemestane (EXE) is approved as second line endocrine therapy for metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer (mHRBC) patients who pro...
INCORPORATING BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES FOR LOW RESOURCE SEMI-SUPERVISED NEURAL MACHINE TRANSLATION

We explore ways of incorporating bilingual dictionaries to enable semi-supervised neural machine translation. Conventional back-translation methods have shown success in leveraging target side monolingual data. However, since the quality of back-translation models is tied to the size of the available parallel corpora, this could adversely impact the synthetically generated sentences in a low resource setting. We propose a simple data augmentation technique to address both this shortcoming. We incorporate widely available bilingual dictionaries that yield word-by-word translations to generate synthetic sentences. This automatically expands the vocabulary of the model while maintaining high quality content. Our method shows an appreciable improvement in performance over strong baselines.
Fungal Diagnostic Stewardship in Bronchoscopy Specimens for Immunocompetent Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Objective To evaluate the diagnostic yield of fungal smears and cultures from bronchial lavage and wash specimens obtained from immunocompetent patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) because respiratory tract samples from patients in the ICU often undergo extensive microbiological testing. Patients and Methods In total, we enrolled 112 immunocompetent adult patients treated in the medical and surgical ICU between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017. We evaluated whether the results of fungal smears and cultures of specimens obtained from bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage changed patient care. Results In total, 131 bronchoscopic specimens and 31 bronchoalveolar lavage specimens were tested for fungi. Cultures were held for an estimated 4680 culture-days. Two results changed patient therapy. In both cases, other routine tests provided the same information as fungal culture before these results were returned. Conclusion In immunocompetent, critically ill patients, fungal culture of respiratory tract specimens does not add diagnostic value. Routine fungal culture of respiratory tract specimens should be discouraged in this population.
The Role of Global/Regional Earth Conductivity Models in Natural Geomagnetic Hazard Mitigation

Geomagnetic disturbances cause perturbations in the Earth’s magnetic field which, by the principle of electromagnetic induction, in turn cause electric currents to flow in the Earth. These geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) also enter man-made technological conductors that are grounded; notably, telegraph systems, submarine cables and pipelines, and, perhaps most significantly, electric power grids, where transformer groundings at power grid substations serve as entry points for GICs. The strength of the GICs that flow through a transformer depends on multiple factors, including the spatiotemporal signature of the geomagnetic disturbance, the geometry and specifications of the power grid, and the electrical conductivity structure of the Earth’s subsurface. Strong GICs are hazardous to power grids and other infrastructure; for example, they can severely damage transformers and thereby cause extensive blackouts. Extreme space weather is therefore hazardous to man-made technologies. The phenomena of extreme geomagnetic disturbances, including storms and substorms, and their effects on human activity are commonly referred to as geomagnetic hazards. Here, we provide a review of relevant GIC studies from around the world and describe their common and unique features, while focusing especially on the effects that the Earth’s electrical conductivity has on the GICs flowing in the electric power grids.
Prospects of CO2 capture via 13X for low-carbon hydrogen production using a Pd-based metallic membrane reactor

Abstract In this work steam methane reforming (SMR) was carried in a palladium-based membrane reactor and its performance was evaluated in terms of methane conversion, hydrogen recovery, hydrogen purity, and CO and CO2 selectivity. The membrane reactor was found to produce ultrahigh purity hydrogen with methane conversions as high as 40% at moderate operating conditions and in the absence of sweep gas. Permeation tests using pure hydrogen and inert gases indicate that the membrane reactor is highly selective toward hydrogen. The SMR reactions were performed at 673 K and operating pressures ranging from 100 to 400 kPa. A gas hourly space velocity of 2,600 hr-1 and a steam-to-carbon ratio of 3.5 were used. Methane conversion increased from approximately 23% at 100 kPa to 42% at 400 kPa while a maximum hydrogen recovery value of 43% was achieved at 400 kPa. Furthermore, the purity of the recovered hydrogen was >99.999%. The carbon capture experiments performed in this work consist of dehydrating the retentate stream and redirecting it to a zeolite 13X packed bed before analyzing the stream via mass spectrometry. The carbon capture studies reveal that approximately 5.96 mmol CO2 (262.25 mg of CO2) can be captured per gram of 13X. This value indicates that approximately 80% of the produced CO2 via the SMR, can be captured before the sorbent bed is completely saturated. SEM-EDS, XRD, and XPS techniques were used to characterize the crystal structure and morphology of the membrane surface. These studies reveal that the surface of the membrane underwent significant oxidation during the SMR reaction. This oxidation is only limited to a few nanometers within the top surface of the palladium.
Live Imaging of the Lung

Live imaging is critical to determining the dynamics and spatial interactions of cells within the tissue environment. In the lung, this has proven to be difficult due to the motion brought about by ventilation and cardiac contractions. A previous version of this Current Protocols in Cytometry article reported protocols for imaging ex vivo live lung slices and the intact mouse lung. Here, we update those protocols by adding new methodologies, new approaches for quantitative image analysis, and new areas of potential application. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Live imaging of lung slices Support Protocol 1: Staining lung sections with fluorescent antibodies Basic Protocol 2: Live imaging in the mouse lung Support Protocol 2: Intratracheal instillations Support Protocol 3: Intravascular instillations Support Protocol 4: Monitoring vital signs of the mouse during live lung imaging Support Protocol 5: Antibodies Support Protocol 6: Fluorescent reporter mice Basic Protocol 3: Quantification of neutrophil-platelet aggregation in pulmonary vasculature Basic Protocol 4: Quantification of platelet-dependent pulmonary thrombosis Basic Protocol 5: Quantification of pulmonary vascular permeability.
Importance of fermented foods on human health

Abstract Fermented foods and beverages are produced through controlled microbial growth and the conversion of food components through enzymatic action of bacterial enzymes. In recent years, fermented foods and beverages have surged in popularity, mainly due to their beneficial health effects. The consumption of fermented foods is associated with reduction in risks of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease as well as improvement in weight management. Putative mechanisms for the impact of fermented foods on human health include not only probiotic effects but also health benefits of fermentation-derived antihypertensive bioactive peptides, biogenic amines, and short-chain fatty acids. This chapter defines and characterizes common fermented foods (kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, nattō, miso, kimchi, sourdough bread), their mechanisms of action (including impact on the microbiota), and the evidence for effects on gastrointestinal health and disease in humans.
Reconciling estimates of global spread and infection fatality rates of COVID-19: An overview of systematic evaluations.

BACKGROUND: Estimates of community spread and infection fatality rate (IFR) of COVID-19 have varied across studies. Efforts to synthesize the evidence reach seemingly discrepant conclusions. METHODS: Systematic evaluations of seroprevalence studies that had no restrictions based on country and which estimated either total number of people infected and/or aggregate IFRs were identified. Information was extracted and compared on eligibility criteria, searches, amount of evidence included, corrections/adjustments of seroprevalence and death counts, quantitative syntheses and handling of heterogeneity, main estimates and global representativeness. RESULTS: Six systematic evaluations were eligible. Each combined data from 10 to 338 studies (9-50 countries), because of different eligibility criteria. Two evaluations had some overt flaws in data, violations of stated eligibility criteria and biased eligibility criteria (eg excluding studies with few deaths) that consistently inflated IFR estimates. Perusal of quantitative synthesis methods also exhibited several challenges and biases. Global representativeness was low with 78%-100% of the evidence coming from Europe or the Americas; the two most problematic evaluations considered only one study from other continents. Allowing for these caveats, four evaluations largely agreed in their main final estimates for global spread of the pandemic and the other two evaluations would also agree after correcting overt flaws and biases. CONCLUSIONS: All systematic evaluations of seroprevalence data converge that SARS-CoV-2 infection is widely spread globally. Acknowledging residual uncertainties, the available evidence suggests average global IFR of ~0.15% and ~1.5-2.0 billion infections by February 2021 with substantial differences in IFR and in infection spread across continents, countries and locations.
Modified Lapidus Versus Scarf Osteotomy Outcomes for Treatment of Hallux Valgus Deformity

Background:The Lapidus procedure and scarf osteotomy are indicated for the operative treatment of hallux valgus; however, no prior studies have compared outcomes between the procedures. The aim of ...
Leveraging the Massachusetts perinatal quality collaborative to address the COVID-19 pandemic among diverse populations.

We leveraged the Massachusetts perinatal quality collaborative (PQC) to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goals were to: (1) implement perinatal practices thought to reduce mother-to-infant SARS-CoV-2 transmission while limiting disruption of health-promoting practices and (2) do so without inequities attributable to race/ethnicity, language status, and social vulnerability. Main outcomes were cesarean and preterm delivery, rooming-in, and breastfeeding. We examined changes over time overall and according to race/ethnicity, language status, and social vulnerability from 03/20-07/20 at 11 hospitals. Of 255 mothers with SARS-CoV-2, 67% were black or Hispanic and 47% were non-English speaking. Cesarean decreased (49% to 35%), while rooming-in (55% to 86%) and breastfeeding (53% to 72%) increased. These changes did not differ by race/ethnicity, language, or social vulnerability. Leveraging the Massachusetts PQC led to rapid changes in perinatal care during the COVID-19 crisis in a short time, representing a novel use of statewide PQC structures.
Development of a Financial Toxicity Screening Tool for Radiation Oncology: A Secondary Analysis of a Pilot Prospective Patient-Reported Outcomes Study.

Abstract Purpose Financial toxicity is highly prevalent in oncology. Early identification of at-risk patients is essential because financial toxicity is associated with inferior outcomes. Validated general oncology screening tools are cumbersome and not specific to challenges related to radiation therapy, such as daily treatments. In the population of radiation oncology patients, no standardized, validated, rapid screening tool exists. We sought to develop a rapid, no-cost, and reliable financial-toxicity screening tool for clinical radiation oncology. Methods and Materials We retrospectively analyzed data from a prospective survey study conducted at a large referral center with a heterogeneous population. Before treatment, a 25-item modified comprehensive survey for financial toxicity incorporating subjective and objective patient-reported measures was administered to identify factors linked to the risk of developing financial toxicity, which was defined as radiation therapy resulting in any of the following: loss of income, job, or spouse or difficulty paying for meals, housing, or transportation. We applied a logistic regression model with a stepwise, backward model selection procedure. Estimated probabilities of experiencing financial toxicity were computed using the inverse-logit transformation of the sum of patient-specific predictor values multiplied by the coefficients of the selected logistic regression model. The Youden index was used to determine a reasonable risk threshold. Results A total of 157 patients completed the questionnaire, and 34 (22%) were assessed as experiencing financial toxicity. The model retained 3 factors: age, money owed, and copayment-related worries. It resulted in a concordance statistic of 0.85, developed with a risk threshold of 18% (Youden index, 0.59). This model conferred a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 70%, positive predictive value of 44%, and negative predictive value of 96%. Conclusions Our proposed financial-toxicity screen is rapid, free, sensitive, and specific, and in this study, it identified early-onset, patient-reported financial toxicity after radiation therapy with just 3 simple variables: age, money owed, and copayment-related concerns. Future research steps should include a validation cohort and identification of interventions to mitigate financial toxicity.
Evaluating changes in good safety monitoring" for cancer clinical trial participants during the COVID-19 pandemic"

217Background: Comprehensive and frequent safety monitoring is an essential component of clinical trial conduct to accurately characterize potential toxicities of a study drug and to minimize poten...
The 90° Prism Edge as a Model Snom Probe: Near-Field, Photon Tunneling, and Far-Field Properties

A two-dimensional model SNOM is studied with the localized Green’s dyadic method, allowing the determination of the relevant near and far-fields as well as the tunneling, radiation and imaging characteristics. The model consists of an illuminated 90° prism edge that approaches a planar object with a small protrusion at its surface. The edge allows coupling to the object via evanescent waves (photon tunneling), while the main part of the radiation is totally reflected at the prism side walls. The model comprises all the features that are instrumental for a realistic SNOM device. The far-field providing the signal is emitted to the sides rather than along the symmetry line, and the lateral resolution does not exceed the diffraction limit significantly.
Iron as a Therapeutic Target in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Preclinical Testing of Deferoxamine

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a subtype of stroke with high mortality. Experimental studies have found that brain iron overload occurs after ICH and iron has a key role in ICH-induced brain injuiry. Deferoxamine, an iron chelator, reduces hematoma-induced brain edema, neuronal death, brain atrophy and neurological deficits. Iron chelation with deferoxamine could be a new therapy for ICH.
Design of a more cost effective and durable fiber optic cable for medical applications

Since the development of fiber optic technology in the 1960s, fiber optic cables have been used extensively as surgical field illumination devices. The lighting provided by functioning fiber optic cables has contributed to the success of many operational procedures. Current surgical fiber optic cables, however, are susceptible to damage during sterilization and over bending during storage. To increase the durability and life of surgical optical cables, a cost effective protective armor system is proposed. The protective armor was developed using computer aided design methods to restrict cable bending and pressure damage. Mechanical bending and compression tests demonstrated the durability of the protective armor. The introduction of an optical gel into the cable to increase the durability is also considered. The proposed armor, therefore, has the potential to increase the usefully life of surgical optical cables and significantly reduce replacement costs.
Incidence of Aortic Arch Anomalies in Patients with Thoracic Aortic Dissections

Background and Aim of Study Traditionally aortic arch anomalies have been viewed as a “normal” and clinically insignificant; therefore, they are often overlooked by radiologists and go unreported. Arch anomalies have been reported to occur in 7% to 15% of patients without thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection. This study aims to define the incidence of aortic arch anomalies in patients with a thoracic aortic dissection (TAD). Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients from 2006 to 2010 with a TAD admitted to a single institution. Thoracic computed tomography images of 176 patients with dissected thoracic aortas and 179 consecutive, unselected age-matched patients without dissection as controls were reviewed to determine the incidence of bovine arch and other arch anomalies. Statistical analysis of demographic data and clinical outcomes was performed to evaluate significant differences between the groups. Results Arch anomalies occurred in 34% of patients with TAD compared to controls (19%, p = 0.0017). The most common variant was a common origin of the innominate and left common carotid arteries (“bovine” arch) found in 31% of dissection patients compared to 15% in the control group (p = 0.0004). Overall arch anomalies occurred in 27% of all Type A dissections and 39% (p = 0.1409) of all Type B dissections. The association was statistically significant in patients ages 50 to 79 with TAD (36.4%, p = 0.0011) and in African Americans collectively (43.2%, p = 0.0033). Conclusions Aortic arch anomalies occur frequently in patients with TAD and therefore may represent a proclivity for this life threatening condition. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12072 (J Card Surg 2013;28:151–154)
Effect of temperature and pressure on DC pre-breakdown current in transformer oil

Summary form only given. Any attempt to model the complex interaction of hydrodynamic and electronic processes leading to breakdown in transformer oil suffers from the lack of microscopic transport data. Also, interface processes, such as electron emission from metal electrodes immersed in liquid, are poorly understood. As a first step toward the understanding of breakdown phenomenology, the voltage-current characteristics for pre-discharge conditions are measured. An experimental setup was constructed which allows temperature variations between 10/spl deg/C and 50/spl deg/C, at pressures between 0.5 and 3 bar. DC currents ranging from a few nA with a few kV of applied voltage, to a few /spl mu/A prior to full breakdown are measured using an electrometer. Preliminary results at NTP with a tip-plane geometry indicate Ohmic behavior at low voltages, Schottky emission at intermediate voltages, and saturation due to space charge at high voltages, and allow estimates on the physical parameters governing these effects. The indicated temperature range of the measurements is associated with a variation of the viscosity of a factor of 3, where we anticipate similar relative changes for the transport of electrons. The intermediate voltage range where a Schottky emission process is assumed will be emphasized. For instance, the electron mobility, derived from experimental data to about 0.06 cm/sup 2//Vs at NTP in the intermediate voltage range should distinctly vary with changing temperature and pressure.
Educating Teachers on LGBTQ Issues: A Review of Research and Program Evaluations

(2004). Educating Teachers on LGBTQ Issues. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Issues in Education: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 67-79.
Acoustic nonlinearity in dispersive solids

It is well known that the interatomic anharmonicity of the propagation medium gives rise to the generation of harmonics of an initially sinusoidal acoustic waveform. It is, perhaps, less well appreciated that the anharmonicity also gives rise to the generation of a static or “dc” component of the propagating waveform. We have previously shown [1,2] that the static component is intrinsically linked to the acoustic (Boussinesq) radiation stress in the material. For nondispersive solids theory predicts that a propagating gated continuous waveform (acoustic toneburst) generates a static displacement pulse having the shape of a right-angled triangle, the slope of which is linearly proportional to the magnitude and sign of the acoustic nonlinearity parameter of the propagation medium. Such static displacement pulses have been experimentally verified in single crystal silicon [3] and germanium [4].
Towards a practical, theoretically sound algorithm for random generation in finite groups

This work presents a new, simple O(log^2|G|) algorithm, the Fibonacci cube algorithm, for producing random group elements in black box groups. After the initial O(log^2|G|) group operations, epsilon-uniform random elements are produced using O((log 1/epsilon)log|G|) operations each. This is the first major advance over the ten year old result of Babai [Babai91], which had required O(log^5|G|) group operations. Preliminary experimental results show the Fibonacci cube algorithm to be competitive with the product replacement algorithm. The new result leads to an amusing reversal of the state of affairs for permutation group algorithms. In the past, the fastest random generation for permutation groups was achieved as an application of permutation group membership algorithms and used deep knowledge about permutation representations. The new black box random generation algorithm is also valid for permutation groups, while using no knowledge that is specific to permutation representations. As an application, we demonstrate a new algorithm for permutation group membership that is asymptotically faster than all previously known algorithms.
Game theoretic approach for polarimetric MIMO radar waveform design

Polarimetric radar systems allow the flexibility of transmitting arbitrarily polarized waveforms that match the scattering profiles of the target. Since different types of targets have varying profiles, the advantages of a polarimetric radar system can fully be exploited only when the type of target is accurately estimated. However, accurate estimation requires a significant amount of training data, which can be expensive. We propose a polarimetric design scheme for distributed Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radar target detection. We formulate the selection of transmit polarizations using a game theoretic framework by examining the impact of all possible transmit schemes on the detection performance with different available target profiles. This approach does not require training data, and we show a significant performance improvement due to the polarimetric design.
Matrix analysis of a Markov chain small-world model

Abstract Recently D. Higham showed that the small-world phenomenon arising in a ring network of N nodes can be modelled by a Markov chain which depends on a parameter ϵ of the form ϵ = K / N α , where K ⩾ 0 and α > 1. The parameter can be viewed as a transitional factor interpolating between the completely local and completely global configurations of the network. Higham analyzed the Markov chain model by a combination of matrix perturbation theory and finite difference approximations to an underlying boundary value problem. Using such tools he obtained asymptotic results for the limiting case when N is sufficiently large. Furthermore, for large N , Higham verified the small-world phenomenon on the network in the case when α = 3. Motivated by Higham’s work, we show that the Markov chain of the small-world model can be investigated more completely by direct matrix-theoretic methods which produces exact results for all N and for all ϵ . Our results therefore allow a fuller examination of the behavior of the small-world phenomenon in the Markov chain model for small to moderate values of N and for all α > 1.
Treatment of the porphyrias: mechanisms of action.

The porphyrias are diseases that result from inherited or acquired abnormalities of porphyrin-heme synthesis in the liver and the bone marrow. Only the hepatic porphyrias are known to be aggravated by exposure to a variety of exogenous drugs and chemicals. Simple avoidance of these agents will reduce the risk of developing hepatic porphyria and may lead to clinical improvement in patients with active disease. Some types of therapy of the hepatic porphyrias are effective because of their ability to modulate the activity of δ -aminolevulinic acid synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme for heme synthesis. Most of the porphyrias are associated with cutaneous photosensitivity, the treatment of which centers about either reducing the excessive production of porphyrins or of inhibiting the photobiological response to these photosensitizing chemicals in the skin.
USE OF PHOTOCURRENT-VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF MOS STRUCTURES TO DETERMINE INSULATOR BULK TRAPPED CHARGE DENSITIES AND CENTROIDS

A new technique is described for determining the density and centroid of trapped space charge in the oxide layer of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Photo-current-voltage (photo I-V) characteristics for both the metal-oxide and Si-oxide interfaces are used to determine the internal fields due to bulk trapped charge, and hence its density and centroid. Experimental examples for locating both positive and negative charge are presented. For negative charge, an Al-Si02-W-SiO2-Si structure (MOWOS) with a layer of approximately 1014 W atoms/cm2 deposited 80 A from the Si-SiO2 interface and charged by electronic internal photoemission is investigated. For positive charge, the location of trapped holes generated by 16.85 eV photons or x-rays in the SiO2 layer of an MOS structure under a voltage bias is discussed. The photo I-V technique is compared to others in terms of its direct, rapid, minimally perturbing, low current, and low field characteristics.
Adenosine triphosphate–dependent transport of estradiol‐17β(β‐d‐glucuronide) in membrane vesicles by MDR1 expressed in insect cells

MDR1, an ABC transporter that confers multidrug resistance in tumor cells, is constitutively expressed in normal liver canalicular membrane. Human MDR1-expressing multidrug-resistant cells display increased resistance to estradiol-17beta(beta-D-glucuronide) (E217G). MDR1 substrates/modulators inhibit adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent transport of E217G in the rat canalicular membrane and protect against E217G-mediated cholestasis in isolated perfused rat liver. The present studies were designed to determine if E217G is a substrate for MDR1 using a baculovirus expression system and if other estrogen glucuronides interact with MDR1. ATP-dependent transport of E217G (10 micromol/L) was linear for up to 2 minutes and yielded a rate of 45.6 pmol/min/mg protein in membrane vesicles from Sf9 cells infected with MDR1-baculovirus. This transport was saturable (Km = 62 micromol/L) and occurred into an osmotically sensitive space. ATP-dependent transport of E217G (10 micromol/L) was inhibited 63% by 10 micromol/L daunomycin, but not by 100 micromol/L S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione (GS-DNP) (a substrate for canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter [cMOAT]). Glucuronide conjugates of the estrogen D-ring (100 micromol/L), estriol-17beta(beta-D-glucuronide) (E317G) and estriol-16(beta-D-glucuronide) (E316G), inhibited MDR1-mediated E217G transport by 58% and 35%, respectively. In contrast, noncholestatic glucuronides, estradiol-3-(beta-D-glucuronide) (E23G) or estradiol-3-sulfate-17beta(beta-D-glucuronide) (E23SO417G), had no effect. E217G neither stimulated MDR1 ATPase activity nor inhibited verapamil-stimulated ATPase activity. Infusion of 1.5 micromol/L doxorubicin or 1 micromol/L taxol protected against cholestasis induced by E316G and E317G in isolated perfused rat liver. These studies identify E217G, and probably E316G and E317G, as endogenous substrates for MDR1.
Optimizing Emergency Department Imaging Utilization Through Advanced Health Record Technology

muchofthedatacontainedinEHRs are stored as free-text documents and are difficult to access and review efficiently by care providers, which may lead to redundant or inappropriate utilization of health care resources.Inresponsetothisdifficulty, a team of clinicians and software developers within our Department of Radiology’s informatics division has leveraged advanced EHR technologytodevelopasearchenginefor theEHRknownasQueriablePatient Inference Dossier (QPID) [8]. QPID
A Method of Securing Eggs of the Angoumois Grain Moth

A description of apparatus used to obtain eggs of the Angoumois grain moth in large numbers.