cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Drug Development

Pediatric product development initiatives in the United States have resulted in improved product labeling, increased identification of adverse events, and development of new pediatric formulations. However, a substantial number of pediatric trials have failed to establish either safety or efficacy, leading to an inability to label the product for use in children. An important consideration is drug dosing with resulting inadequate drug exposure, which was found to be a possible contributing factor to pediatric trial failures in nearly a quarter of failed pediatric drug development programs reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2007 and 2014 [1]. A number of scientific tools are now being applied in pediatric drug development to improve pediatric dosing and increase the success rate of pediatric trials. Population pharmacokinetics (POPPK), broadly defined as the quantitative approach to describe pharmacokinetic (PK) data and identify and characterize sources of variability in drug disposition, is one such tool that has made a significant contribution to understanding PK and drug exposure linked to clinical outcomes in the pediatric patient population. POPPK is a robust tool that can handle sparse and unbalanced PK data, which is common in pediatric studies secondary to the logistical and ethical considerations of studying drugs and biologics in children. Additionally, the pediatric population is highly diverse with respect to body size, renal and metabolic maturation, and hormonal status, and the population approach can be used to understand how these factors impact variability in drug disposition and response. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of POPPK in pediatric drug development.
Exploring the influence of plant and animal item contexts on student response patterns to natural selection multiple choice items

Research has shown that students have a variety of ideas about natural selection that may be context dependent. Prior analyses of student responses to open-ended evolution items have demonstrated that students apply more core ideas about natural selection when asked about animals, but respond with the same number of naive ideas for plant and animal items. Other research has shown that changing an item to ask about trait loss or gain shifted the types of naive ideas applied by students in their responses. In this paper, we take up both of these findings to determine if differences exist in the types of ideas students apply to similar items with either a plant or an animal in the item stem. In order to understand if students applied different ideas to plants or animals in distractor-driven multiple-choice questions, we analyzed high school biology students’ responses to matched-item pairs. Dichotomous scoring revealed that students chose the correct response more often for the animal items as compared to the plant items. Chi squared analyses revealed significant differences in the distribution of student responses to matched items. For example, more students chose responses that defined animal fitness as related to their strength and plants’ fitness related to its longevity. These results suggest that varied context of plants or animals in item stems on diagnostic assessments can provide teachers with a more complete picture of their students’ ideas about natural selection prior to instruction. This is particularly important in assessments used prior to instruction; as teachers will gain greater insight into the variety of ways students think about natural selection across different types of plants and animals.
Inhibition of Microbial Growth in English Sole ( Parophrys retulus ) 1.

The influence of potassium sorbate on growth of microorganisms in seafood was tested by treating English sole ( Parophrys retulus ) homogenate with 0, 0.1 and 1.0% potassium sorbate. Viable counts during 1.1-C storage revealed that 0.1% potassium sorbate delayed the onset of logarithmic growth of bacteria for 1 day compared to no delay for the untreated control. The generation time of 1.7 days and a maximum growth level of 109 cells per g were unchanged by the presence of 0.1% potassium sorbate. The 1.0% sorbate treatment extended the lag period to 6 days. The generation time was increased to 2.1 days and the maximum level of growth reached was 107 cells per g on the 14th day. Tests of the microbial flora of the fish revealed that Pseudomonas spp., which comprised 17.1 %of the total at 0 day, increased to 96.0% of the microbial population in 14 days at 1.1 C for the untreated sample. During the same period the Pseudomonas population reached 100% for the 0.1% sorbate-treated sample, and to 98.2% for the 1.0% sorbate-treated sample. Potassium sorbate at the concentrations employed, therefore, did not seem to alter the typical microbial spoilage pattern.
Conservative and Reactive Solute Dynamics

Solute dynamics describe the coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes that govern transport and transformations of materials dissolved in water. In this chapter, we describe empirical and modeling approaches to evaluate dynamics of conservative and reactive solutes in streams. Such approaches provide a foundation upon which studies of transient storage and nutrient uptake are based.
Social Status and Mental Health of Boys as Related to Their Maturity, Structural, and Strength Characteristics

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between criteria of personal and social adjustment and the maturity, structural, and strength characteristics of boys 9 through 14 years of age. The personal and social adjustment criteria were derived from a sociometric questionnaire and an inventory-type instrument, the Mental Health Analysis. The experimental variables consisted of skeletal age, various anthropometric tests, and selected strength test formulae and batteries. When the sociometric questionnaire was used, positive relationships between peer status and body size and muscular strength were found. However, when the inventory-type instrument was used, the results were conflicting and contrary to those with the sociometric questionnaire.
11 How to Write a Report of a Clinical Study

Galileo, a leader in the Scientific Revolution that followed the hyper-religiosity and doctrinaire thinking of the Middle Ages, was a champion of reasoning. Ideally, of course, reasoning is based on observed facts—data—and medicine science’s best format for data presentation and analysis today is the report of a clinical study.
Optical Path in Cavity

Using ray tracing and optical path iteration, this section present a mathematical model for light transmission, absorption, and loss in fiber-based organic photovoltaics (Reprinted with permission from [1], Copyright 2009, American Institute of Physics). Simulations based on this model give an optimum incident angle, position and an optimum aspect ratio in terms of other parameters of the fiber photocell. Further, the predicted relationship between current generation and incident angle correlates well with experimental data for a given fiber length. Finally, we show that experimental results on current generation versus fiber diameter are well reproduced by our simulation for fiber diameters of the order of the wavelength of incident light.
Brain Clathrin: A Study of Its Properties

In 1968, Puszkin, Berl and coworkers reported the presence of contractile proteins in whole brain (1). Subsequent work showed the presence of contractile proteins in nerve-endings (2,3,4). The properties of various contractile proteins found in brain tissue resembled, to a large extent, those from muscle tissue (2,4). As a result, it was proposed that contractile activities are involved in neurotransmitter release (5). With the advantage of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a procedure for distinguishing and comparing the size of various proteins, many researchers working with other tissues or cells began to report the presence and involvement of contractile proteins in motility-related cell functions (6).
Novel mutations in KLF1 encoding the In(Lu) phenotype reflect a diversity of clinical presentations.

BACKGROUND Mutation in the KLF1 gene is the cause of the In(Lu) (Inhibitor of Lutheran) Lu(a–b–) phenotype and more than 60 alleles have been associated with this phenotype. Here we describe findings from investigation of seven cases: six presenting with a Lu(a–b–) phenotype including the historical index case and one referred from a patient with chronic anemia. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Serologic testing was by standard methods. DNA testing included amplification and sequencing of KLF1 and LU coding regions. A StuI polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism was designed to target c.304T>C in KLF1. RESULTS Five different KLF1 alleles were identified. Three are new: KLF1*90A (p.Trp30Ter), KLF*911A (p.Thr304Lys), and KLF1*304C,318G (p. Ser102Pro, Tyr106Ter) present in two unrelated individuals. Two, including the index case, had c.954dupG (p.Arg319Glufs*34), that is, KLF1*BGM06. The child with unexplained anemia had c.973G>A (p.Glu325Lys), associated with congenital dyserythropoietic anemia. The common c.304T>C was found in two of the seven samples investigated and in 60 of 100 blood donors. CONCLUSION Mutations in KLF1 are pleiotropic and although most are benign, others are associated with hematologic abnormalities. We report three new KLF1 alleles associated with benign In(Lu) and document both the molecular basis of the original In(Lu) phenotype using a frozen sample stored for more than 50 years and the cause of unexplained anemia in a child. We also confirm previous observations that c.304C (p.102Pro) is not, by itself, associated with an In(Lu) phenotype in donors self-identified as U.S. minorities.
Research on Race, Ethnicity, Immigration, and Leisure: Have We Missed the Boat?

ABSTRACTThe goal of this essay is to offer a critical look at the past 40 years of research on race, ethnicity, immigration, and leisure and to pose some provocative questions about the future of this subdiscipline. In particular, the article examines the main strands of research on this topic, reviews suggestions for future study offered by some key manuscripts and book chapters, and examines their relevance vis-a-vis current social and political discourse in North America and beyond. Are these research questions still relevant or does the new reality of North American and European societies necessitate refocusing of our scholarship?
The Flâneuse in the Virtual City: Exploring "Lost Angeles"

In this essay, I contemplate the role of video gamer as flâneur in Lost Angeles, a three-hour video work by Lee Tusman that captures the wanderings of gamer Derm McGuigan within the virtual world of Los Santos. With the help of Lena Hammergren’s “The re-turn of the flâneuse” I will consider how the video, originally conceived of as a project of “virtual flânerie,” might fall more accurately under the domain of the flâneuse, who uses the kinesthetic as a way to enter previously inaccessible spaces. As McGuigan moves his avatar through Los Santos, he integrates stimuli from the game with his own physical memories, indexing a series of other places and times as he goes. Lost Angeles also complicates the concept of the flâneuse through the presence of the avatar, who serves as the primary mode of navigation, but also offers kinesthetic information to the player. These relationships become more intricately entangled with the entrance of an additional set of spectators that watch McGuigan and his avatar via a live stream. Through this aggregation of wanderers, the flâneuse becomes unstable and multiplies, producing numerous other embodied relationships with the city of Los Santos and the body of the avatar [Which begs the question: Who and where is the flâneuse?] In this essay, I hope to demonstrate how, the proposal of Lost Angeles (to broadcast the wanderings of an expert gamer in a virtual space) collides with the structure of Grand Theft Auto (which invites the player into an ambiguous inside-and-outside location within Los Santos) and produces not one flâneur, but numerous flâneuses who traverse the virtual city via kinesthetic association with the avatar’s movements.
Mechanisms responsible for metabolic improvements of bariatric surgeries

Given the seemingly unstoppable diabetes crisis, new efficient therapies for the prevention and treatment of this devastating and costly disease are sorely needed, and bariatric surgeries intended for weight loss seem to fill this gap. In addition to weight loss, there is remarkable short- to medium-term diabetes remission, particularly after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy (1). However, broad longer-term effectiveness and complete cure are more elusive (2,3). It is also clear that bariatric surgery is not the answer for the staggering numbers of people with obesity and type 2 diabetes on either a national or global scale. This, in turn, has stimulated intense research efforts to find out the molecular and behavioral mechanisms behind the success of bariatric surgeries so that they can eventually be exploited with improved pharmacological and lifestyle/behavioral strategies but without the surgery. The question of whether diabetes remission is mainly due to weight loss or weight loss–independent effects of the surgery is fundamental, as it guides experimental approaches and may lead us to very different sets of key underlying pathways …
Distributed Web Mining of Ethereum

We consider the problem of mining crytocurrencies by harnessing the inherent distribution capabilities of the World Wide Web. More specifically, we propose, analyze, and implement WebEth, a browser-based distributed miner of the Ethereum cryptocurrency. WebEth handles Proof-of-Work (PoW) calculations through individualized code that runs on the client browsers, and thereafter collates them at a web server to complete the mining operation. WebEth is based on a lazy evaluation technique designed to function within the expected limitations of the clients, including bounds on memory, computation and communication bandwidth to the server. We provide proofs-of-concept of WebEth based on JavaScript and WebAssembly implementations, with the latter reaching hash rates up to roughly 40 kiloHashes per second, which is only 30% slower than the corresponding native C++-based implementation. Finally, we explore several applications of WebEth, including monetization of web content, rate limitation to server access, and private Ethereum networks. Though several distributed web-based cryptominers have appeared in the wild (for other currencies), either in malware or in commercial trials, we believe that WebEth is the first open-source cryptominer of this type.
DEVELOPMENT OF DRUG THERAPIES FOR SNAKE VENOM INTOXICATION

ABSTRACT I determined the efficacy of chloroquine, chlorpromazine, dexamethasone, and piracetam with respect to reducing the toxicity in mice of Bungarus caeruleus venom, Bungarus multicinctus venom and its neurotoxic components α-bungarotoxin and β-bungarotoxin, Crotalus durissus terrificus venom and its neurotoxic component crotoxin, and Oxyuranus scutellatus venom and its neurotoxic component taipoxin. Venom or toxin was administered i.p., followed immediately by an i.p. injection of the drug of interest. The effect of the drug on lethality caused by the venom or toxin was recorded 24 hr later. Chloroquine and chlorpromazine proved to be effective antagonists of the toxicity of B. caeruleus venom, B. multicinctus venom, and β-bungarotoxin without themselves being overtly toxic. Dexamethasone was similarly effective against the lethality of O. scutellatus venom and taipoxin. Piracetam was without effect on the lethality of any of the venoms or toxins. Protection from lethality was maximal when the drugs were administered immediately after the injection of venom or toxin.
Early stage head and neck cancer-surgery.

Early stage head and neck cancer is a highly curable disease when the appropriate treatment is administered. The decision as to which treatment, radiation or surgery, is utilized is dependent upon multiple factors including the location and size of the tumor, the health and bias of the patient, as well as the experience and biases of the head and neck multidisciplinary cancer team.
Ivan Illich and Deschooling Society: A Reappraisal

It is difficult for readers new to Ivan Illich’s Deschooling Societyto grasp its message unless they place it in the ideological context of the late 1960s. Painting with a broad brush, we may say that focal concerns of this time included inequality, psychological impotence, and environmental crisis:
Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes

This chapter reviews the impact of hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress on cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related outcomes in diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes has markedly increased worldwide and continues to rise. CVD is the major cause of death in individuals with diabetes. Emerging evidence suggests a central role for oxidative stress in promoting endothelial dysfunction and vascular damage in diabetes. Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ability of cells or tissues to detoxify the free radicals produced during metabolic activity is tilted in the favor of the former. The possible sources for the overproduction of ROS in diabetes are widespread and include mitochondrial superoxide production in endothelial cells and in the myocardium, enzymatic pathways, and auto-oxidation of glucose. Atherosclerosis and cardiomyopathy in type 2 diabetes are caused in part by pathway-selective insulin resistance, which increases mitochondrial ROS production from free fatty acids and by inactivation of antiatherosclerosis enzymes by ROS. Therapies interrupting these oxidative pathways in vascular tissue might help prevent CVD in this vulnerable population.
A semantic-based transaction processing model for multilevel transactions[1]An earlier version of this paper appeared in IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, Oakland, CA, May 1996, pp. 74-84.

Multilevel transactions have been proposed for multilevel secure databasess in contrast to most proposals, such transactions allow users to read and write across multiple security levels. The security requirement that no high level operation influence a low level operation often conflicts with the atomicity requirement of the standard transaction processing model. In particular, others have shown that no concurrency control algorithm based on the standard transaction processing model can guarantee both atomicity and security. This conflict motivates us to propose an alternative semantic-based transaction processing model for multilevel transactions. Our model uses the semantics of the application to analyze an application and reason about its behavior. Our notion of correctness is based on semantic correctness instead of serializability as in the standard transaction processing model. Semantic correctness ensures that database consistency is maintained, transactions output consistent data, and all partially executed transactions complete. We show how an example application can be analyzed to assure semantic correctness and how this analysis can be automated. We also propose a simple timestamp-based multiversion concurrency control algorithm for transaction processing on a kernelized architecture. The advantages of our model over the standard transaction processing model are that atomicity can be assessed, and for some applications ensured via off line analysis, more concurrency is achieved, lesser synchronization between security levels is required, and a larger class of multilevel transactions can be processed. The work of Sushil Jajodia and Indrakshi Ray was partially supported by National Security Agency under grants MDA904-96-1-0103 and MDA904-96-1-0104 and by US Air Force/Rome Labs under grant F30602-97-1-0139. The work of Indrakshi Ray was also partially supported by a George Mason University Fellowship Award. The work of Paul Ammann was partially supported by US Air Force/Rome Labs under grants F30602-97-1-0139.
Neural control of ACTH: a homeostatic reflex.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the neural control of release of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in response to hemodynamic stimuli. It is necessary to define the precise relations of changes in hemodynamic variables, and of the receptors sensing those changes, to changes in ACTH. To implicate a neural area in the control of release of ACTH, several criteria must be met. First, electrical stimulation of the area must lead to changes in ACTH. Second, changes of hemodynamic variables that lead to changes in ACTH must also lead to consistent changes in activity of neurons in the active area. Finally, both physiologic and anatomical connectivity of the area to other ACTH-related areas must be established. However, meeting these criteria does not demonstrate that a neuron in an ACTH-active area that receives a signal from the cardiovascular system is involved in the control of release of ACTH. The reflex increase of ACTH and cortisol in response to hemorrhage is critical to the restitution of blood volume. However, increased cortisol alone does not increase interstitial osmolality and does not allow complete restitution of plasma volume. The view of a multi-hormonal reflex organized for the control of blood volume does not preclude alternative views of the organization of the system for homeostasis of other factors, such as body temperature or plasma glucose concentration. In the context of homeostatic reflex control of blood volume, the response of ACTH to pain and trauma may be understood by viewing these stimuli as premonitory.
Robots in Transplanting

By virtue of their flexibility, which permits them to be used for many different tasks, robots3 have the potential for lowering production costs. Automated machinery such as combines often go unused for many months each year, and the fixed overhead costs add unnecessary expense. A machine which transplants, irrigates, fertilizes, and harvests many different kinds of crops could be utilized more often during the year, thereby lowering the fixed costs allocated to each crop. Its ability to perform the necessary functions for many different crops would provide additional business options for the farm manager to consider.
A Global Analysis of Land Surface Temperature Diurnal Cycle

Diurnal variations of land surface temperature (LST) have a significant role in a wide range of applications. This study used a fifteen-year series (January 2003 to December 2017) daily observation of LST from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument on board the Aqua and Terra satellites. A spline interpolation method was applied to each year's data to estimate the LST every 30 minutes. The diurnal cycle of LST is computed from the spatially and temporally consistent data at a global scale. The diurnal temperature range and time of occurrence of maximum hour is also calculated for each pixel. The trend of these parameters is compared to a 10-class land cover vegetation and fairly acceptable correlation is found. Analysis of fifteen years diurnal LST record shows a variant global decrease in DTR, but with a few point having increase in amplitude especially in Southern Africa and South America.
A Latent Profile Analysis of the Parent-Adolescent Relationship: Assessing Both Parent and Adolescent Outcomes.

Using family systems and attachment theory frameworks, this study identified specific dimensions of the parent-adolescent relationship and examined the association between those dimensions and adolescent depression and delinquency, and parental depression 2 years later in a racially and ethnically diverse sample. Parent-adolescent relationships were identified using a person-centered approach, latent profile analysis, using closeness, communication, conflict, and autonomy as dimensions of the relationship. The latent profile analysis produced a four-profile solution, which was labeled secure, avoidant, anxious, and detached. Next, parent and adolescent outcomes were examined. Results indicated that adolescents in the detached profile exhibited the highest amount of delinquency, whereas the parents exhibited the lowest amount of depression. Adolescents in the avoidant profile also exhibited high levels of delinquency, and parents in this profile also exhibited the highest amount of depression symptoms. No profile differences were found for adolescent depression symptoms. Implications for family interventions are discussed.
Metallophthalocyanine catalyzed olefination of aldehydes

Abstract The Wittig reaction to synthesize olefins is a very attractive method in organic synthesis. Recently, this methodology has been achieved utilizing simple metal catalysts and diazo compounds in addition to a phosphine and an aldehyde. The following work investigates the use of a variety of metallophthalocyanines (MPc’s) to catalyze Wittig-like reactions from ethyldiazoacetate. We also examine the influence of substitution on the aromatic ring of the aldehyde as well as various phosphines, arsines and antimony complexes. We have been able to exclusively synthesize the trans-olefins in excellent yields in short periods of time (1 h).
Control rod treatment for FEM based radiation transport methods

Abstract This paper presents a novel control rod treatment for finite element method (FEM) based reactor physics simulations. The new method falls into the class of homogenization methods which treat material interfaces in mesh elements by defining a representative, homogenized nuclear cross section set. In contrast to existing homogenization based cusping treatments that attempt to approximate flux-volume weighting of the cross sections, we propose to exactly integrate terms appearing in the variational form of the transport or diffusion equation over mixed material elements. This goal is achieved by defining smoothly varying cross sections in elements that straddle material boundaries. It is shown that the smoothly varying cross sections can be obtained by projecting the piecewise set of cross sections onto the set of Legendre polynomials up to a finite order. Implementation of smoothly varying cross sections is supported within the Rattlesnake radiation multiphysics code at the Idaho National Laboratory. Homogenization methods traditionally suffer from cusping effects that originate from overestimation of absorption cross sections in strongly neutron-absorbing materials as found in control rods. We demonstrate that the presented method is (1) highly effective in removing cusping effects and (2) provides accurate results based on the C5G7-TD benchmark, a time-dependent version of the C5G7 benchmark.
In vitro validation of indirect calorimetry device developed for the ICALIC project against mass spectrometry.

Summary Rationale Accurate evaluation of the energy needs is required to optimize nutrition support of critically ill patients. Recent evaluations of indirect calorimeters revealed significant differences among the devices available on the market. A new indirect calorimeter (Q-NRG®, Cosmed, Roma, Italy) has been developed by a group of investigators supporting the international calorimetry study initiative (ICALIC) to achieve ultimate accuracy for measuring energy expenditure while being easy to use, and affordable. This study aims to validate the precision and the accuracy of the Q-NRG® in the in-vitro setting, within the clinically relevant range for adults on mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Mass spectrometry is the reference method for the gas composition analysis to evaluate the analytic performances of the Q-NRG®. Methods The accuracy and precision of the O2 and CO2 measurements by the Q-NRG were evaluated by comparing the measurements of known O2 and CO2 gas mixtures with the measurements by the mass spectrometer (Extrel, USA). The accuracy and precision of the Q-NRG® for measurements of VO2 (oxygen consumption) and VCO2 (CO2 production) at clinically relevant ranges (150, 250 and 400 ml/min STPD) were evaluated by measuring simulated gas exchange under mechanically ventilated setting at different FiO2 settings (21–80%), in comparison to the reference measurements by the mass spectrometer-based mixing chamber system. Results The measurements of gas mixtures of predefined O2 and CO2 concentrations by the Q-NRG® were within 2% accuracy versus the mass spectrometer measurements in Passing Bablok regression analysis. In a mechanically ventilated setting of FiO2 from 21 up to 70%, the Q-NRG® measurements of simulated VO2 and VCO2 were within 5% difference of the reference mass spectrometer measurements. Conclusion In vitro evaluation confirms that the accuracy of the Q-NRG® indirect calorimeter is within 5% at oxygen enrichment to 70%; i.e. maximum expected for clinical use. Further recommendations for the clinical use of the Q-NRG® by will be released once the ongoing multi-center study is completed.
Analysis of Fn14-NF-κB signaling response dynamics using a mechanistic model.

Abstract Fn14 is a transmembrane receptor protein belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily. Many experimental reports have shown that crosslinking of the receptor by its extracellular ligand TWEAK induces prolonged activation of transcription factor NF-κB. This behavior is distinct from TNF-α receptor, which is a more well-characterized member of the TNFR family. TNF-α receptor, despite sharing many similar molecular interactions with Fn14, only transiently activates NF-κB in response to TNF-α stimulation. Here, we investigate molecular mechanisms that enable Fn14 to display such distinctive behavior. In particular, we focus on two specific features of the Fn14 pathway that potentially give rise to a positive feedback regulation and differentiate it from the TNF-α receptor signaling. By developing a mechanistic model, we analyze how these features may determine the dynamics of an Fn14–NF-κB response. Our analysis reveals that stimulation of Fn14 by TWEAK may generate highly non-linear dynamics, including stable limit cycles and bistable responses. The type of response depends both on the strength and duration of a TWEAK signal. Our predictions and analyses also show that the molecular interactions underlying the positive feedback explain the prolonged activation of NF-κB under certain parameter regimes. In light of the model predictions, we propose possible deregulations of Fn14 leading to its overexpression in solid tumors and tissue injuries.
Aromatase inhibitors: The unexpected breast cancer treatment.

Abstract Objective Suboptimal adherence with endocrine treatment for breast cancer is influenced by a number of factors but remains poorly understood. We sought to describe the prior knowledge about and expectations of breast cancer treatments among older women retrospecting on their diagnosis and treatment. Methods Thematic analysis was used to systematically analyze data obtained with face-to-face, open-ended interviews conducted with 54 women who had filled at least one prescription for an aromatase inhibitor. The average age was 71.9 (65–93) years at diagnosis. Results Three salient themes were described: the sources of information on which preknowledge and expectations surrounding treatment were founded, and two phases of treatment, primary (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy) and anti-hormonal. The main source of information was from family and friends who had been treated for cancer. These peers reported both positive and negative experiences and in many cases contributed to the women having some degree of misinformation. A foundational knowledge of primary treatments was evident (necessity, duration, intensity, side-effects) and that receiving one or more treatments was needed. Compared to primary treatments, anti-hormonal treatment (AHT) was unexpected, the women knew less about it, and felt comparatively under-prepared for this treatment. Conclusions The transition from primary treatments to adjuvant AHT therapy with receiving a prescription for an aromatase inhibitor caught many participants off guard. Our findings elucidate areas to enhance clinical practice, expand the research agenda to more thoroughly explore AHT information and design of an age-appropriate supportive intervention to improve continuation with AHT.
Universality driven analytic structure of the QCD crossover: Radius of convergence in the baryon chemical potential

Recent lattice QCD calculations strongly indicate that the chiral crossover of QCD at zero baryon chemical potential (${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$) is a remnant of the second order chiral phase transition. Universal properties of this second order phase transition can be mapped to QCD temperature $T$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ using nonuniversal parameters determined by lattice QCD recently. Motivated by these results, first, we discuss the analytic structure of the partition function in the QCD crossover regime---the so-called Yang-Lee edge singularity---solely based on universal properties. Next, utilizing the lattice QCD results for nonuniversal parameters we map this singularity to the real $T$ and complex ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ plane, leading to the determination of the radius of convergence in ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ in the QCD crossover regime. These universality- and QCD-based results provide tight constraints on the range of validity of the lattice QCD calculations at ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}g0$. Implication of this result on the location of the conjectured QCD critical point is discussed.
Priming wildflower seed mixtures increases sod production rate.

Abstract Wildflower sod was established in a greenhouse by sowing primed or non-primed seeds of two seed mixtures at 2× (2.44 g/m2, 0.5 lb/1000 ft2) or 10 × (12.20 g/m2, 2.5 lb/1000 ft2) the suppli...
Correlates of hepatitis C viral clustering among people who inject drugs in Baltimore.

Abstract This study examines correlates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genetic clustering among community-recruited people who inject drugs enrolled in the AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience cohort in Baltimore between 1988 and 1989. HCV RNA was extracted and the core/envelope-1 region was sequenced. Clusters were identified from maximum likelihood trees with 1000 bootstrap replicates using a 70% aLRT and a 4% genetic-distance threshold in Cluster Picker. Overall, 46% of participants were in a cluster, including 122 genotype-1a and 36 genotype-1b clusters with an average of 2–3 genetically linked HCV infections. The largest cluster consists of 9 participants. In univariable analysis, black race (PR = 1.66 [95% CI: 1.12–2.45]), age
Valuing Urban Tree Impacts on Precipitation Partitioning

Trees impact surface stormwater runoff, soil moisture, streamflow, water quality, and air temperatures by intercepting precipitation (rain and snow), enhancing soil water infiltration, shading surfaces, and evapotranspiring water. These impacts affect human health and well-being. Many of these tree impacts remain to be more accurately quantified and valued, particularly related to water quality aspects such as mass (e.g., sediments), chemical (e.g., nutrients, metals, pesticides), biological (e.g., pathogens, microbes), and thermal loads. Urban trees can help mitigate many of the negative hydrologic effects created by the relatively large amount of impervious surfaces in cities. Urban tree impacts are generally positive but can create negative outcomes if improperly managed (e.g., leaves or branches clogging drains or streams). Although more and better valuation of tree impacts is needed, studies to date value tree effects on reducing runoff into water bodies in the range of millions of dollars per year at the city or watershed scale.
Hydropower's hidden transformation of rivers in the Mekong

Despite efforts to understand the hydrologic impact of hydropower dams, their influence on downstream river temperatures has gone unnoticed in data limited regions. Using 30 years of Landsat thermal infrared observations (1988-2018), we identified a relationship between dry season water temperature cooling trends and dam development in the 3S Basin, a major tributary of the Mekong River. Within a year of the beginning of operations of major dams in the 3S River Basin, rapid decreases in annual average dry season river temperature were observed ranging between 0.7° C and 2° C. Furthermore, in-situ water temperature observations confirmed decreasing river temperature for two major dam development events. Evidence was found that the 3S outflow has been cooling the Mekong River downstream of the confluence, by as much as 0.8° C in recent years. Our findings are critically important for understanding how fish and aquatic ecosystems will behave in the future as more hydropower dams are built in the Mekong River Basin.
Clonal T-cell large granular lymphocyte proliferations in childhood and young adult immune dysregulation conditions.

Background Proliferation of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) and T-cell LGL (T-LGL) in peripheral blood along with demonstration of clonality are the hallmarks of a heterogeneous group of disorders, including T-LGL leukemia or T-LGL lymphocytosis. They are often associated with neutropenia and responsive to immunosuppression. The true nature of this entity is not well understood. Some cases are reported as reactive phenomena with very limited experience in pediatric population. Methods Hematology/Oncology Flow Cytometry Laboratory database has been reviewed retrospectively. Patients with identifiable distinct CD5-dim T-cell population and positive clonal T-cell receptor rearrangement were included in the analysis. Clinical and laboratory data were then reviewed. Results Sixteen cases of children and young adults with increased peripheral blood clonal T-LGL population characterized by dim CD5 expression with wide range of underlying immune dysregulation/stimulation disorders were reviewed. Extended follow up with repeat testing suggested the reactive nature of persistent clonal T-LGL proliferations in this group. Conclusions Our observations indicate that clonal T-LGL proliferations in children and young adults are reactive in nature and some can be persistent with an indolent course with unknown consequentiality. Clonal T-LGL cells could be targeting the most prominent immunogenic stressor(s) involved as a control mechanism.
Adjuvant sunitinib in high-risk patients with uveal melanoma: A pilot study.

8560 Background: Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular cancer in adults. Despite the successful treatments for primary tumors, up to 50% of the patients later die of distant metasta...
PERFORMANCE OF NOVEL BIOMARKER-CLINICAL SCORE TO PREDICT PRESENCE OF OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY DISEASE VERSUS STRESS TEST IN VALIDATION COHORT

Undetected coronary artery disease (CAD) carries significant morbidity and mortality. A novel biomarker-based model to predict the presence of CAD has the potential to non-invasively diagnose CAD. We assessed the performance of a previously developed algorithm to diagnose obstructive CAD versus
ACE2 glycans preferentially interact with the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 over SARS-CoV

We report a distinct difference in the interactions of the glycans of the host-cell receptor, ACE2, with SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV S-protein receptor-binding domains (RBDs). Our analysis demonstrates that the ACE2 glycan at N90 may offer protection against infections of both coronaviruses, while the ACE2 glycan at N322 enhances interactions with the SARS-CoV-2 RBD. The interactions of the ACE2 glycan at N322 with SARS-CoV RBD are blocked by the presence of the RBD glycan at N357 of the SARS-CoV RBD. The absence of this glycosylation site on SARS-CoV-2 RBD may enhance its binding with ACE2.
A Holistic Transcendental Leadership Model for Enhancing Innovation, Creativity and Well-Being in Health Care

Burnout in health care employees and leaders is at an all-time high. Strategies to address burnout can fall short of addressing the broad range of underlying causes, including both organizational culture and personal factors. The National Academies of Medicine has set forth recommendations to address health care burnout from a leadership-based systems level that focuses on the whole employee, body, mind, and spirit. Across generations and societies, there is a growing trend toward spirituality and meaning as a critical component of both personal life and work. Among the working-age millennials, values of purpose and greater societal good take precedent and impact work choices and behaviors. Spiritually based values such as a sense of purpose, the transcendence of the self and ego, and the acknowledgment of something greater than our collective selves, are present in both popular culture and research on transcendental models of leadership. This article presents a model of holistic transcendental leadership that can be leveraged in the health care workplace to enhance innovation and creativity, while placing a novel emphasis on the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being at the individual, group, and organizational level.
Identification of gp120 Residue His105 as a Novel Target for HIV-1 Neutralization by Small-Molecule CD4-Mimics.

The design and synthesis of butyl chain derivatives at the indane ring 3-position of our lead CD4-mimetic compound BNM-III-170 that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection are repor...
Educational cost-effective intervention to reduce pathologist's peripheral blood smears reviews with non-contributory findings: an academic institution experience.

Peripheral blood smear (PBS) review by a pathologist is a necessary and invaluable diagnostic tool. However, innovative highly sophisticated haematology analysers that flag peripheral blood abnormalities have decreased the need for a PBS review. Ordering practices including PBS reviews lumped as part of an ‘order set’ or with complete blood count (CBC) constituted most PBS requests at our institution. A retrospective review of all PBS review orders from 1 April 2016 to 31 January 2017 was performed to investigate the ordering practices at our institution. A total of 2864 PBS were ordered during the above study period. In many cases, the PBS report did not add any significant clinical information beyond that acquired by the CBC and differential count. These findings inspired policy changes within our institution for pathologist PBS reviews. Within the electronic order system, all PBS orders for inpatients were linked to a pop-up window with criteria for peripheral smear review and instructions on the approval policy. Outpatient orders required clinicians to request pathology approval. This implementation reduced total number of PBS orders by 42.5% with no adverse effect on patient management. Empowering pathologists and clinicians with guidelines on PBS review orders is a beneficial educational exercise of resource utilisation. Discussion with physicians regarding clinical indications reduces non-contributory PBS reviews, provides guidance to appropriate testing, and aptly allocates pathologist and laboratory staff time and resources.
Chapter 6 Molecular-Beam Epitaxy of II–VI Semiconductor Microstructures

Publisher Summary Major new advances in epitaxial growth techniques have contributed to an improved understanding of the properties of II–VI materials and their alloys; these advances have provided the creation of sophisticated heterojunctions, multiple-quantum wells, and strained-layer superlattices composed of II–VI/ II-VI and II-VI/III-V multilayers. The chapter presents an overview of the research activity in the area of II–VI-based structures, with significant recent achievements highlighted. From a materials-oriented point of view, much of the recent research activities have centered on epitaxial growth techniques especially molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and hot-wall epitaxy (HWE), development of new alloys with higher-energy bandgaps, exploration of magnetically active alloys, growth on lattice-mismatched substrates, and the growth of superlattices that are lattice mismatched or have components with different crystal structures. The chapter highlights the significant advances in these exciting new areas of materials science, physics, and engineering. The MBE growth of II–VI compounds can utilize both compound and elemental sources.
Cognitive Considerations in Designing Effective Labels for Presenting Risk Information

A brief review of how people process information when thinking about risk is provided and general propositions are developed. These propositions lead to a set of general guidelines for designing la...
Reasoning about Gradual Changes of Topological Relationships

Geographic objects and phenomena may gradually change their location, orientation, shape, and size over time. A qualitative change occurs if the deformation of an object affects its topological relationship with respect to another object. The observation of such changes is particularly interesting, because qualitative changes frequently require different decisions or trigger new actions. Investigations of a closed set of mutually exclusive binary topological relationships led to a formal model to determine for each topological relationship the relationships closest to it. Applied to the entire set of binary topological relationships between spatial regions, this model describes a partial order over topological relationships and provides a measure to assess how far two relationships are apart from each other. The changes to the binary topological relationship caused by such deformations as translation, rotation, reduction, and expansion of an object are mapped onto this graph. The graphs show characteristic traverses for each kind of deformation. Using these characteristic traverses as knowledge about deformations, one can infer from multiple observations the kind of deformation that caused the change and predict the next topological relationship. Particularly, it provides answers to three kinds of qualitative space-time inferences: (1) Given a process and a state, what is the next most likely state? (2) Given an ordered pair of states, what process may have occurred? (3) Given an ordered pair of states and a process, in what states must the two objects have been in between?
Egypt, Islamists, and the Internet: The Case of the Muslim Brotherhood and Its Rhetoric of Dialectics in Ikhwanweb

This essay offers an ideological analysis of the rhetoric of the Islamist Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in its official English-language Web site, Ikhwanweb, between 2005 and 2010 — years preceding the Egyptian uprising of January 2011. The purpose was to examine the ideology manifest in the rhetoric and uncover the instrumental function the rhetoric served. Analysis brought forth a post-Islamist ideology manifest through a rhetoric of dialectics. The instrumental function of the Egyptian MB's rhetoric in Ikhwanweb was to alter Western societies' monolithic understanding of Islamism — radical, undemocratic, inflexible. The cyber-rhetoric was also used as a means to disapprove certain Western agents' support for authoritarian regimes. During Mubarak's rule, Ikhwanweb was used as a communicative medium to demonstrate to the West the Egyptian MB's need to be valued — respected regardless of ideological differences, understood rather than essentialized, stereotyped, and prejudged, and supported as a pragmatic, political entity within Egypt.