cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
116 PRIMARY HEPATIC GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMOR

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are non-epithelial mesenchymal tumors that usually occur in the gastrointestinal tract. Included in this group are leiomyosarcomas and leiomyomas. Furthermore, CD117, a transmembrane receptor, is the best defining feature of GISTs. CD117 is continually bound, which activates a tyrosine kinase and leads to tumorigenesis. In addition, this receptor is also expressed by the interstitial cells of Cajal. Although the gastrointestinal tract is the most common location, there have also been reports of GISTs originating in the omentum and peritoneum. This case is a 60 year old white male who presented with weight loss and abdominal pain. Evaluation revealed a hepatic mass encompassing much of the right lobe of the liver. A biopsy of the mass contained spindle elements in a fibrous stroma, which stained positive for CD117. Furthermore, a serum α-fetoprotein level, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, small bowel enteroclysis, and bone scan were normal. The patient was started on Gleevec (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), but after three months developed pulmonary lesions/malignant pleural effusions and ultimately died of cardiorespiratory failure. As mentioned before, although GISTs have been reported to originate in the omentum and peritoneum, this is a case of a primary hepatic GIST. More importantly, this novel location emphasizes the current understanding regarding the origin of these tumors. Specifically, these tumors might be comprised of a heterogenous group in respect to the cell of origin, cellular differentiation, and prognosis. In addition, GISTs may arise from the pluripotent stem cell, which gives rise to the interstitial cell of Cajal. This is based on the fact that both cells express CD117. The only approved treatment for non-resectable GISTs is Gleevec (imatinib mesylate), which is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Although initial studies show some promise, the long-term outcomes are currently being studied.
Lipid Lateral Ordering Defined by High-Field EPR

EPR spectra at 94 GHz or higher are sensitive to lipid lateral ordering, which provides key information on the structure and dynamics of biological membranes as well as protein–lipid interactions. High-frequency high-field EPR improves spectral resolution through increased g-factor resolution, enabling the determination of the motionally averaged gxx–gyy anisotropy, which reflects lipid lateral ordering. Lipid rafts are domains of plasma membranes enriched with cholesterol and sphingolipids and are essential for cellular functions. Here, we investigated the lateral ordering of lipid rafts using high-field EPR. The analyses reveal that lateral ordering is more sensitive to raft-domain formation than the conventional order parameter. Lateral ordering is a sensitive parameter for both lipid phase transition and cholesterol/sphingomyelin content. Our data also show that raft and nonraft domains exhibit distinct lateral order profiles across the lipid bilayer. In addition, we characterized the membrane interaction and peptide-induced lipid-lateral-ordering changes of an antibacterial γ-AApeptide (AA1). The results illustrate that AA1 interacts strongly with bacterial membranes, induces significant lipid lateral ordering and membrane thinning, and subsequently disrupts bacterial membranes. Our findings suggest that AA1 interacts with and disrupts bacterial membranes through a carpet-like mechanism. Taken together, these results highlight the sensitivity of high-field EPR for elucidating membrane order and dynamics as well as protein–lipid interactions.
Impact of ISDN at the NASA Lewis Research Center

This paper describes an investigation of the potential impact of ISDN at NASA's Lewis Research Center. The paper contains a detailed survey of the components of narrowband ISDN. The principles and objectives are presented as decreed by CCITT. The channel types are delineated and their associated service combinations are described. The subscriber–access network functions are explained via the ISDN reference configuration. Switching techniques are presented to enable the reader to understand the emergence of the fast packet switching concept. This new technology is designed to operate over the high bandwidth, low error rate transmission media that characterize the Lewis environment. A brief introduction to the next generation of networks is covered, including broadband ISDN (B–ISDN), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and synchronous optical networks (SONET). Applications at Lewis are presented in terms of targets of opportunity and compatibility constraints. In–place pilot projects and testing are described that demonstrate actual usage at the Research Center.
Validation of a Nurse-Based Delirium-Screening Tool for Hospitalized Patients

Background Guidelines recommend daily delirium monitoring of hospitalized patients. Available delirium-screening tools have not been validated for use by nurses among diverse inpatients. Objective We sought to validate the Nursing Delirium-Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) under these circumstances. Methods A blinded cross-sectional and quality-improvement study was conducted from August 2015–February 2016. Nurses׳ Nu-DESC scores were compared to delirium diagnosis according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) criteria. A total of 405 consecutive hospitalized patients were included. Nu-DESC-positive (threshold score ≥2) patients were matched with equal numbers of Nu-DESC-negative patients, by sex, age, and nursing unit. Nurses recorded a Nu-DESC score for each patient on every 12-hour shift. A Nu-DESC-blinded evaluator interviewed patients for 2 consecutive days. Delirium diagnosis was determined by physicians using DSM-5 criteria applied to collected research data. Sensitivity and specificity of the Nu-DESC were calculated. In an exploratory analysis, the performance of the Nu-DESC was analyzed with the addition of bedside measures of attention. Results The sensitivity of the Nu-DESC at a threshold of ≥2 was 42% (95% CI: 33–53%). Specificity was 98% (97–98%). At a threshold of ≥1, sensitivity was 67% (52–80%) and specificity 93% (90–95%). Similar results were found with the addition of attention tasks. Conclusion The Nu-DESC is a specific delirium detection tool, but it is not sensitive at the usually proposed cut point of ≥2. Using a threshold of ≥1 or adding a test of attention increase sensitivity with a minor decrease in specificity.
Total synthesis of cyclosativene

TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF CYCLOSATIVENE John E. MC Murr'y Division of Natural Sciences, University o.f California Santa Cruz, California 95060 (Received in USA 17 October 1968; receih in u( for publication 29 November 1968) Longifolene, l_, occupies a most interesting place in sesquiterpene chemistry (1) both because of the uniqueness of its structure and because of the complexity of its chemistry. Much of this remarkable chemistry which longifolene exhibits is due to its compact tricyclic skeleton which allows for a number of interesting transannular reactions (2). For example (3) when longifolene is heated with cupric acetate in acetic acid, two isomeric hydrocarbons, longicyclene, 2, (4) (29%), and isolongifolene, 3, (15%), are obtained along with much recovered starting material (51%).
Erratum to “Free emboli formation in the wake of bi-leaflet mechanical heart valves and the effect of implantation techniques”: [J. Biomech. 35 (2002) 1533–1540]

Erratum to ‘‘Free emboli formation in the wake of bi-leaflet mechanical heart valves and the effect of implantation techniques’’ [J. Biomech. 35 (2002) 1533–1540] D. Bluestein*, Y.M. Li, I.B. Krukenkamp Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8181, USA Department of Surgery, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8181, USA
Searching for millions of objects in the BOSS spectroscopic survey data with H5Boss

Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey(BOSS) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), typically produces a single data file per object observed in the FITS format. The FITS format has been a default file format in this field of astronomy for many years. None of the FITS I/O libraries support parallel I/O, thus not a fit in today’s high performance computing. The issue becomes more and more severe as the size of the data and the number of files keep increasing. In this paper, we introduce an alternative file format and build a parallel python tool based on H5py. The developed H5Boss library supports efficient file conversion, large scale data query, and parallel I/O. Given the typical analytics pattern, we are able to scale the H5Boss to millions of object query, with minimum I/O and communication overhead. This study presents a clear picture about the BOSS data analytics and data management with a HPC friendly file format, HDF5.
Abstract SY34-04: Do we need to know what pO2 hypoxia is

Despite its widespread use in the literature, the word ‘hypoxia’ is often missing from dictionaries. It means “a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body” (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Since many molecular, biological and chemical phenomena are related to the actual oxygen concentration (most commonly estimated in units of partial pressure for tissue) it seems reasonable to suggest that one must carefully define the precise nature of ‘hypoxia’ in tissue. In addition to many other possible applications, this first step is critical before attempting to overcome hypoxia9s many deleterious effects by therapeutic intervention. Among its multiple complexities, and consistent with its vague definition, hypoxia in tumors can be caused by several distinct mechanisms. Although most of these mechanisms have been predicted to cause oxygen-deficits in isolated small volumes or thin inter-connected shells of tissue, we have recently described a new mechanism that leads to what we have termed ‘extended regional hypoxia’, whereby entire zones of hypoxic tissue, having multi-millimeter dimensions, may form. In order to address the biological and/or therapeutic importance of the complexity described above, we clearly need to be able to distinguish between the causes of hypoxia, and then determine the relevance of this to either the biology or therapy of tumors and normal tissue. Unfortunately, the development of validated methods to determine the type and degree of hypoxia is far from complete. This talk will discuss various approaches to understanding tumor ‘hypoxia’ using the hypoxia marker EF5 (a 2-nitroimidazole), both from the point of view of invasive and non-invasive imaging. A novel modification of the EF5 binding technique has allowed an initial description of the mRNA transcriptional changes that accompany ‘hypoxia’ in a syngeneic rat tumor model. Citation Format: Cameron J. Koch. Do we need to know what pO2 hypoxia is [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY34-04
Probabilistic Category Learning and Striatal Functional Activation in Psychosis Risk.

Background Psychosis risk is associated with striatal dysfunction, including a previous behavioral study that found that psychosis risk is associated with impaired performance on a probabilistic category learning task (PCLT; ie, the Weather Prediction Task), a task strongly associated with striatal activation. The current study examined whether psychosis risk based on symptom levels was associated with both poor behavioral performance and task-related physiological dysfunction in specific regions of the striatum while performing the PCLT. Methods There were 2 groups of participants: psychosis risk (n = 21) who had both (a) extreme levels of self-reported psychotic-like beliefs and experiences and (b) interview-rated current attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS); and a comparison group (n = 20) who had average levels of self-reported psychotic-like beliefs and experiences. Participants completed the PCLT during fMRI scanning. Results The current research replicated previous work finding behavioral PCLT deficits at the end of the task in psychosis risk. Furthermore, as expected, the psychosis risk group exhibited decreased striatal activation on the task, especially in the associative striatum. The psychosis risk group also displayed decreased activation in a range of cortical regions connected to the associative striatum. In contrast, the psychosis risk group exhibited greater activation predominantly in cortical regions not connected to the associative striatum. Conclusions Psychosis risk was associated with both behavioral and striatal dysfunction during performance on the PCLT, suggesting that behavioral and imaging measures using this task could be a marker for psychosis risk.
Computer-Augmented Environments: The Workplace

The advent of computer technology in our daily lives has created two worlds for humanity: the unreal world of virtual reality (VR), which through simulation lets people live a few minutes of a fantasy facilitated by computer-driven devices such as head-worn goggles and hand-fitting gloves, and a real computer technology-driven world, which augments our familiar environment and makes our daily activities easier and more enjoyable. Because we spend most of our lives either in our homes, work, or schools, these environments have been the focus of this computer-augmented environment technology. Although the workplace and schools have seen the greatest influx of computer technology in the last ten years, with advances in communication the home is also slowly turning into a hub of technology. The philosophy and aim of this technology has been and still is to make life easy for users wherever they are.
Equations and Units

We must distinguish between dimensional equations that are valid in all self consistent systems of units and equations that give the numerical values only in a specified system of units. A dimensional equation, for instance, is $$ {\text{u = Ri}}{\text{.}} $$ (1) This equation holds regardless of what the units are. In contrast, the equation $$ u=\underline{23}i\ , $$ (2) where u represents a voltage and i a current, holds only in the system of units for which the numerical value 23 has been specified. Strictly speaking, this equation is incorrect in the form written because 23 is a number of zero dimension; and volts as given by the left-hand side, can never be amperes, as given by the right-hand side. To draw attention to this fact, 23 is underlined to indicate that it is not just a number, but also has a dimension. It is poor practice to omit dimensional symbols, because a dimensional check is always the first step in tracing computational errors. The equations in this book, therefore, refer to dimensional magnitudes almost without exception, and they hold for every coherent system of units.
Functions of One Complex Variable Special Part

Let a 0, a 1, a 2,..., a n ,... be complex numbers not all zero. Let the power series $$ f(z) = {a_0} + {a_1}z + {a_2}{z^2} + \cdots + {a_n}{z^n} + \cdots $$ have radius of convergence R, R>0. If R = ∞, f(z) is called an entire function. Let 0 ≦ r < R. Then the sequence $$ \left| {{a_0}} \right|,\quad \left| {{a_1}} \right|r,\quad \left| {a{}_2} \right|{r^2},\quad \cdots, \;\left| {{a_n}} \right|{r^2},\; \cdots $$ tends to 0, and hence it contains a largest term, the maximum term, whose value is denoted by μ(r). Thus $$ \left| {{a_n}} \right|{r^n}\underline \leqslant \mu (r) $$ for n = 0, 1, 2, 3,..., r ≧ 0 [I, Ch. 3, § 3].
Methodological criticism and critical methodology

Methodological criticism may be defined as the critique of scientific practice in the light of methodological principles, and critical methodology as the study of proper methods of criticism; the problem is that of the interaction between the scientific methods which give methodological criticism its methodological character and the critical methods which give it its character of criticism. These ideas and this problem are illustrated by an examination of Karl Popper's critique of Marxian social science. It is argued that though Popper's favorable articulations of Marx are valuable, his unfavorable criticism is invalid, the grounds of my argument being certain ideas in critical methodology relating to the distinctions between theory and practice, between inaccurate and invalid criticism, and between the justification of favorable criticism and the justification of unfavorable criticism.
ScreenTrack: Using Visual History for Self-tracking Computer Activities and Retrieving Working Context

Reconstructing a previous working context (files, websites and software) when resuming a task is inevitable for computer users after switching software or being interrupted. The process of retrieving relevant applications, files, and web pages can be time-consuming; while users may be able to use a "recent documents" feature to resume work in some applications, it is challenging to find relevant information from a text-based history --- file names, web page titles, or URLs may not be informative enough. To address this problem, we tested the idea of using a visual history of a computer screen through the development of ScreenTrack. ScreenTrack is software that captures an image of a computer screen at regular intervals. It lets a user watch and navigate a time-lapse video made of computer screenshots to retrieve a previous working context from a screenshot. Through a controlled user study, it was found that participants were able to retrieve requested information more quickly with ScreenTrack than the control condition; this difference was statistically significant. Additionally, participants gave positive feedback on possible future uses for this software. We present the software, our preliminary user study result, and a plan for further validation.
Highly Efficient CRISPR-Cas9-Based Methods for Generating Deletion Mutations and F0 Embryos that Lack Gene Function in Zebrafish

Inconsistent activity limits the use of CRISPR-Cas9 in zebrafish. We show supernumerary guanine nucleotides at the 5' ends of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) account for diminished CRISPR-Cas9 activity in zebrafish embryos. Genomic sequences can be targeted consistently with extremely high efficiency using Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) containing either a sgRNA molecule or a synthetic crRNA:tracrRNA duplex that perfectly matches the protospacer target site. Following injection of zebrafish eggs with such RNPs, virtually every copy of a targeted locus harbors an induced indel mutation. Loss of gene function is often complete, as F0 embryos closely resemble true null mutants without detectable non-specific effects. Mosaicism is sufficiently low in F0 embryos that cell non-autonomous gene functions can be probed effectively and redundant activities of genes can be uncovered when two genes are targeted simultaneously. Finally, heritable deletion mutations of at least 50 kbp can be readily induced using pairs of duplex guide RNPs targeted to a single chromosome.
Could recruiting former college athletes be the answer to less pharmacy student burnout

Abstract Introduction Student pharmacists are in a notable wellness deficit. Pharmacy organizations are issuing statements and providing resources addressing efforts to increase student wellness. This commentary suggests that institutions refocus recruiting efforts on students with experience balancing the demands of school, wellness, and mental health. Perspective The purpose of this commentary is to start the conversation on increasing efforts to recruit candidates who already possess the resilience needed to perform in pharmacy school, with a focus on former college athletes. This piece in no way suggests decreased attention on wellness programs or efforts to reduce burnout. Former student athletes, through their training, have increased experience in resilience and may be less at risk for burnout. These candidates will likely have an increased team mentality and acceptance of constructive criticism. Additionally, this is an untapped resource for candidates as only 2% of collegiate athletes pursuing professional athletic careers. Of the 140 accredited pharmacy schools, 82.9% have an undergraduate program that offers at least one National Collegiate Athletic Association sport. Implications Schools of pharmacy should consider additional recruitment efforts and admissions criteria weight for former student athletes who meet the same standards as other candidates. As many pharmacy faculty direct significant effort toward the prevention of student burnout, perhaps an additional approach is to recruit students who are already capable of the expected demands. The athletic community may answer both the need for additional pharmacy recruits and provide a cohort with advanced abilities in stress management, wellness, and teamwork.
Power Management for Systems

In all previous chapters we focused on power management schemes for VLSI digital circuits. We also assumed mainstream static CMOS technology and synchronous (i.e., clocked) implementation style. The assumption on technology and on clocking style are not fundamental, and many techniques previously presented can still be applied, with minor modifications, to circuits implemented with different technologies and clocking styles. Nevertheless, all power management techniques presented so far focus on the reduction of chip-level power consumption.
Missed expectations: teacher and coach tensions at the boundary of STEM integration in an elementary classroom

The current study explored how a STEM coach supported an elementary teacher during the implementation of an integrated curriculum that culminated with an engineering design challenge. The findings of the case study reported, detail how the reflective nature of the coaching moves employed failed to fully meet the needs of the teacher given the distinct challenges that arose upon implementation of the co-developed curriculum. By closely examining two primary data sources: (1) five extended coaching sessions, and (2) the coach’s pre-post coaching log reflections; analysis identifies and explores how the pair’s missed expectations produced unanticipated tensions that hindered the potentials of the teacher-coach relationship. Insights related to an elementary teacher’s conceptions of STEM integration are also revealed within the data presented. Finally, analysis enabled discussion of strategies that might be employed to strategically support elementary teachers working with coaches; specifically exploring how differentiated supports based on prior experiences might be instituted.
Detached Attachment: Burnout and Commitment among Caregivers in the Immigrant Rights Movement:

The increasing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers reaching the U.S.–Mexico border since 2014 has strained local nonprofit organizations helping them. Lack of material and human resources along ...
Semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation of the acrolein induced surface segregation and aggregation of AgPd with machine learning surrogate models

The single atom alloy of AgPd has been found to be a promising catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of acrolein. It is also known that the formation of Pd islands on the surface will greatly reduce the selectivity of the reaction. As a result, the surface segregation and aggregation of Pd on the AgPd surface under reaction conditions of selective hydrogenation of acrolein are of great interest. In this work, we lay out a workflow that can predict the surface segregation and aggregation of Pd on a FCC(111) AgPd surface with and without the presence of acrolein. We use machine learning surrogate models to predict the AgPd bulk energy, AgPd slab energy, and acrolein adsorption energy on AgPd slabs. Then, we use the semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation to predict the surface segregation and aggregation under different bulk Pd concentrations. Under vacuum conditions, our method predicts that only trace amount of Pd will exist on the surface at Pd bulk concentrations less than 20%. However, with the presence of acrolein, Pd will start to aggregate as dimers on the surface at Pd bulk concentrations as low as 6.5%.
Sampling from Disentangled Representations of Single-Cell Data Using Generative Adversarial Networks

Abstract Deep generative models, including variational autoencoders (VAEs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs), have achieved remarkable successes in generating and manipulating highdimensional images. VAEs excel at learning disentangled image representations, while GANs excel at generating realistic images. Here, we systematically assess disentanglement and generation performance on single-cell gene expression data and find that these strengths and weaknesses of VAEs and GANs apply to single-cell gene expression data in a similar way. We also develop MichiGAN1, a novel neural network that combines the strengths of VAEs and GANs to sample from disentangled representations without sacrificing data generation quality. We learn disentangled representations of two large singlecell RNA-seq datasets [13, 68] and use MichiGAN to sample from these representations. MichiGAN allows us to manipulate semantically distinct aspects of cellular identity and predict single-cell gene expression response to drug treatment.
The B-APNEIC score: distilling the STOP-Bang questionnaire to identify patients at high risk for severe obstructive sleep apnoea

The STOP-Bang questionnaire is an established clinical screening tool to identify the risk of having mild, moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnoea using eight variables. It is unclear whether all eight variables contribute equally to the risk of clinically significant obstructive sleep apnoea. We analysed each variable for its contribution to detecting obstructive sleep apnoea; based on the results, we investigated whether the STOP-Bang questionnaire could be abbreviated to identify patients at high risk for severe obstructive sleep apnoea. We recruited patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea who were referred for overnight polysomnography. We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate the association of STOP-Bang parameters with severe obstructive sleep apnoea based on clinical and polysomnography data. Regression estimates were used to select variables to create the novel B-APNEIC score. We constructed receiver operating characteristic curves for the STOP-Bang questionnaire and B-APNEIC scores to identify patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea and compared the areas under the curve using the DeLong method. Of the 275 patients enrolled, 32% (n = 88) had severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Logistic regression demonstrated that neck circumference (OR 2.20; 95%CI 1.10-4.40, p = 0.03) was the only variable independently associated with severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Observed apnoea during sleep, blood pressure and body mass index were the three next most closely trending predictors of severe obstructive sleep apnoea and were included along with neck circumference in the B-APNEIC score. Receiver operating curves demonstrated that the areas under the curve for STOP-Bang vs. B-APNEIC were comparable for identifying patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OR 0.75; 95%CI 0.68-0.81 vs. OR 0.75; 95%CI 0.68-0.81: p = 0.99, respectively). Our results suggest that the B-APNEIC score is a simplified adaptation of the STOP-Bang questionnaire with equivalent effectiveness in identifying patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Further studies are needed to validate and build on our findings.
Prescription medication use and baseline health status of women with live-birth deliveries in a national data network

BACKGROUND The US Food and Drug Administration increasingly uses administrative databases to conduct surveillance of medications used during pregnancy. To assess adverse fetal effects, administrative records must be linked between the mother and infant. The Sentinel Initiative's Mother-Infant Linkage Table provides a large cohort of linked deliveries from national, regional, and public insurance claims in the United States for the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct surveillance. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to describe baseline health conditions and prescription medication use during pregnancy in cohorts of women with a live-birth delivery linked and not linked to an infant. STUDY DESIGN Live-birth deliveries in women aged 10 to 54 years with at least 391 days of medical and drug coverage before delivery were identified in the Sentinel Mother-Infant Linkage Table from 2000 to 2019. Two cohorts were created for analysis: deliveries linked to infant records (linked deliveries, n=2,320,805) and deliveries unable to be linked to an infant (not-linked deliveries, n=504,785). Baseline health conditions, pregnancy history, healthcare utilization, and pregnancy conditions were defined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, diagnosis and procedure codes. Medication exposure was identified in a 90-day prepregnancy period and in each trimester. RESULTS Few notable differences were observed between the linked and not-linked deliveries except for maternal age and preterm birth; the not-linked cohort was 3.4 years younger on average and more likely to have a preterm delivery. At baseline among the linked deliveries, the most common conditions were depression and anxiety (5.2% each), acquired hypothyroidism (5.0%), pain conditions (3.9%), and asthma (2.8%). Among linked deliveries, 6.9% had evidence of gestational diabetes mellitus, 3.9% had gestational hypertension, and 4.5% had preeclampsia or eclampsia. The most commonly used medications during pregnancy in the linked deliveries were antibacterials (41.6%) and antiemetics (21.5%); similar medication use patterns were observed in the not-linked cohort. Age trends were observed for some medication groups; anti-infectives, pain medications, and antiemetics were more common in younger mothers, whereas endocrine medications were more common in older mothers. CONCLUSION Similarities between the linked and not-linked cohorts suggested that the ability to link mother and infant records is not influenced by maternal health status. In the linked cohort, the prevalence of specific pregnancy complications and medication use were similar to previously reported national estimates. Some baseline comorbidities, such as obesity and smoking, may be underestimated in the Sentinel Mother-Infant Linkage.
Radiation Dose to the Intraprostatic Urethra Correlates Strongly With Urinary Toxicity After Prostate Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: A Combined Analysis of 23 Prospective Clinical Trials.

Purpose Clinical trials assessing evaluation prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) have used a wide range of allowed doses to the intraprostatic urethra, but the relationship between urethral dose and urinary toxicity has not been thoroughly evaluated. The goal of this study was to characterize urinary toxicity outcomes according to urethral dose administered during prostate SBRT. Methods and Materials The MEDLINE (PubMed) database was searched for published prospective studies of prostate SBRT through August 2020 that documented a maximum urethral dose metric (MUDM). Reported acute and late urinary toxicity rates were collected. Logistic regression and weighted Pearson correlation models were used to assess associations between urinary toxicity rates and MUDM. Results Twenty-three unique studies (n = 2232 patients) met the inclusion criteria and included a wide range of MUDMs (equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions [EQD2]: 69-141.75 Gy; α/β = 3 Gy). The median follow-up ranged from 3 to 67 months (median, 32 months). On logistic regression analysis, the MUDM EQD2 was significantly associated with multiple urinary toxicity endpoints, including acute grade (G) 2+ (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; P Conclusions Radiation dose to the urethra correlates closely with urinary toxicity in patients with prostate cancer treated with SBRT. Attention should be paid to the urethral dose when delivering prostate SBRT to high doses, and approaches for urethral dose reduction warrant further investigation.
Usage Patterns in Multi-tenant Data Centers: a Large-Case Field Study

Data centers are nowadays ubiquitous and have become a commonplace computing platform for corporations as well as individuals, providing a diverse array of services. Data centers may be universal and prevalent, but so are their administrative challenges that include how to best use them, as well as how to optimize their power and cooling costs. The sheer diversity of customer demands (e.g., one may expect very different needs and performance expectations between individual users of cloud-based data centers versus corporate customers) make data center administration challenging and without clear solutions. Studying the workload that typical data centers experience can provide many useful insights for the better usage of data centers, for the design of autonomic management policies for various resources, even for more efficient power and/or cooling management policies.
Protecting the Self

This study was used to examine how practicing veterinarians protect the self when dealing with people at work. Veterinarians interact with the people attached to their patients in myriad ways in order to accomplish their organizational goals. Data collected during semistructured interviews with 17 veterinarians revealed that these veterinarians considered client interactions just as important as treating nonhuman animals. Impression management concepts were used to describe many of the interactional strategies veterinarians employ to protect the self when dealing with difficult clients. Building trust with clients and giving front stage performances were common strategies adopted. Despite veterinarians wanting their jobs to be animal-centric, these data show that they are not.
Human pituitary growth hormone. XIX. The primary structure of the hormone.

Abstract The isolation and partial characterization of human pituitary growth hormone (HGH) were first reported from this laboratory in 1956 (1). In the ensuing years a number of reports (2) have described improved methods of isolation and further characterization of the hormone as a single polypeptide chain molecule containing a single tryptophan residue, four half-cystine residues, and having a molecular weight of 21,500. Additional information about the sequence of amino acid residues comprising the NH2-terminus (3) and the COOH-terminus (4) of the protein has been published. Herein is the completed account of the total amino acid sequence in HGH. A preliminary report on this work has been published (5).
Evolutionary Game Theory, Natural Selection, and Darwinian Dynamics

1. Understanding natural selection 2. Underlying mathematics and philosophy 3. The Darwinian game 4. G-functions for the Darwinian game 5. Darwinian dynamics 6. Evolutionary stable strategies 7. The ESS maximum principle 8. Speciation and extinction 9. Matrix games 10. Evolutionary ecology 11. Managing evolving systems.
Literature and Heresy in the Age of Chaucer: The reinvention of “lollardy”: William Langland and his contemporaries

for the lollards, storm was shelter. Joyce In the late fourteenth century, bishops, schoolmen, chroniclers, preachers, and poets of all stripes could agree on one thing: in 1382, the Wycliffites were condemned as heretics by the Blackfriars Council in London and exposed as “lollards.” Yet what they neglect to mention is that nobody actually knew what a “lollard” was in 1382. For the word itself was not yet available and would not be until 1387. There was simply no way yet of capturing, in a word, all that is so politically and theologically troubling about Wycliffism. That particular point of historical accuracy did not matter, however, to those looking back on 1382. For the term so saturated late medieval legal, literary, and chronicle discourse that most witnesses already knew the Wycliffites as “lollards.” The Wycliffites were, of course, not pleased about this “lollardy” – the way in which a dissident identity could be concocted on their behalf, and the ease with which a formidably large body of work and an interestingly persuasive set of ideas could be damned and dismissed in just a single word. And they were not alone in that view. This chapter explores how “lollardy” was transformed from a curse word to a term of approbation rich in meaning and seeks to illustrate a broader cultural phenomenon I call the “reinvention of lollardy.”
Power and sample size calculations in the presence of phenotype errors for case/control genetic association studies

Phenotype error causes reduction in power to detect genetic association. We present a quantification of phenotype error, also known as diagnostic error, on power and sample size calculations for case-control genetic association studies between a marker locus and a disease phenotype. We consider the classic Pearson chi-square test for independence as our test of genetic association. To determine asymptotic power analytically, we compute the distribution's non-centrality parameter, which is a function of the case and control sample sizes, genotype frequencies, disease prevalence, and phenotype misclassification probabilities. We derive the non-centrality parameter in the presence of phenotype errors and equivalent formulas for misclassification cost (the percentage increase in minimum sample size needed to maintain constant asymptotic power at a fixed significance level for each percentage increase in a given misclassification parameter). We use a linear Taylor Series approximation for the cost of phenotype misclassification to determine lower bounds for the relative costs of misclassifying a true affected (respectively, unaffected) as a control (respectively, case). Power is verified by computer simulation. Our major findings are that: (i) the median absolute difference between analytic power with our method and simulation power was 0.001 and the absolute difference was no larger than 0.011; (ii) as the disease prevalence approaches 0, the cost of misclassifying a unaffected as a case becomes infinitely large while the cost of misclassifying an affected as a control approaches 0. Our work enables researchers to specifically quantify power loss and minimum sample size requirements in the presence of phenotype errors, thereby allowing for more realistic study design. For most diseases of current interest, verifying that cases are correctly classified is of paramount importance.
Earnings Expectations and Investor Clienteles

Prior research suggests that some investors may hold earnings expectations that are biased toward seasonal random walk (SRW) predictions. We provide direct evidence that the net buying activity of small (large) traders around earnings announcements is significantly positively associated with SRW (analyst) forecast errors. Further, after controlling for firm-specific variables, e.g., institutional holding, small-trader activity is positively associated with the importance of SRW forecast errors (relative to analyst forecast errors) in explaining stock returns around earnings announcements. Taken together these results suggest that a specific subset of investors (those implementing small trades) hold systematically biased expectations and affect stock prices.
A comparative study of randomized algorithms for multidimensional integration

This paper presents a comparative study of randomized algorithms for computation of a class of high dimensional Gaussian weighted integrals. The work is an extension of past research by Keister et al. and later by Papageorgiou et al. who used non-product (grid-less) multidimensional quadrature rules and Quasi Monte Carlo respectively for integration in up to 100 dimensions. In the present paper, the same integrals are computed using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and a comparison is made. It is shown that the MCMC technique is significantly more accurate for the problem of interest and is also robust in implementation. Moreover, by virtue of its information-centric approach, MCMC can be adapted to efficiently compute integrals weighted by general weight functions (besides Gaussian weights).
Extraintestinal dissemination of Salmonella by CD18-expressing phagocytes

Specialized epithelia known as M cells overlying the lymphoid follicles of Peyer's patches are important in the mucosal immune system, but also provide a portal of entry for pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium, Mycobacterium bovis, Shigella flexneri, Yersinia enterocolitica and reoviruses1,2,3,4. Penetration of intestinal M cells and epithelial cells by Salmonella typhimurium requires the invasion genes of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 (SPI1)3,5,6,7,8,9. SPI1-deficient S. typhimurium strains gain access to the spleen following oral administration and cause lethal infection in mice5 without invading M cells3,9 or localizing in Peyer's patches10, which indicates that Salmonella uses an alternative strategy to disseminate from the gastrointestinal tract. Here we report that Salmonella is transported from the gastrointestinal tract to the bloodstream by CD18-expressing phagocytes, and that CD18-deficient mice are resistant to dissemination of Salmonella to the liver and spleen after oral administration. This CD18-dependent pathway of extraintestinal dissemination may be important for the development of systemic immunity to gastrointestinal pathogens, because oral challenge with SPI1-deficient S. typhimurium elicits a specific systemic IgG humoral immune response, despite an inability to stimulate production of specific mucosal IgA.
Climate‐driven body‐size trends in the ostracod fauna of the deep Indian Ocean

Body size is a common focus of macroevolution- ary, macroecological and palaeontological investigations. Here, we document body-size evolution in 19 species-level ostracod lineages from the deep Indian Ocean (Deep Sea Drilling Program Site 253) over the past 40 myr. Body-size trajectories vary across taxa and time intervals, but most lin- eages (16 ⁄ 19) show net gains in body size. Because many modern ostracod taxa are larger in colder parts of their geo- graphical range, we compared the timing and magnitude of these size changes to established Cenozoic deep-water cooling patterns confirmed through d 18 O measurements of benthic foraminifera in the samples studied. These data show a sig- nificant negative correlation between size changes and tem- perature changes (ostracods get larger as temperatures get colder), and that systematic size increases only occur during intervals of sustained cooling. In addition, statistical support for an explicit temperature-tracking model exceeds that of purely directional evolution. We argue that this Cope's Rule pattern is driven by secular changes in the environment, rather than any universal or intrinsic advantages to larger body sizes, and we note some difficulties in the attempts to link Cope's Rule to observations made within a single gener- ation.
A Quantitative Analysis of Growth and Size Regulation in Manduca sexta: The Physiological Basis of Variation in Size and Age at Metamorphosis.

Body size and development time are important life history traits because they are often highly correlated with fitness. Although the developmental mechanisms that control growth have been well studied, the mechanisms that control how a species-characteristic body size is achieved remain poorly understood. In insects adult body size is determined by the number of larval molts, the size increment at each molt, and the mechanism that determines during which instar larval growth will stop. Adult insects do not grow, so the size at which a larva stops growing determines adult body size. Here we develop a quantitative understanding of the kinetics of growth throughout larval life of Manduca sexta, under different conditions of nutrition and temperature, and for genetic strains with different adult body sizes. We show that the generally accepted view that the size increment at each molt is constant (Dyar’s Rule) is systematically violated: there is actually a progressive increase in the size increment from instar to instar that is independent of temperature. In addition, the mass-specific growth rate declines throughout the growth phase in a temperature-dependent manner. We show that growth within an instar follows a truncated Gompertz trajectory. The critical weight, which determines when in an instar a molt will occur, and the threshold size, which determines which instar is the last, are different in genetic strains with different adult body sizes. Under nutrient and temperature stress Manduca has a variable number of larval instars and we show that this is due to the fact that more molts at smaller increments are taken before threshold size is reached. We test whether the new insight into the kinetics of growth and size determination are sufficient to explain body size and development time through a mathematical model that incorporates our quantitative findings.
Suppression of endogenous PPARγ increases vulnerability to methamphetamine-induced injury in mouse nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway

Rationale Methamphetamine is a commonly abused drug and dopaminergic neurotoxin. Repeated administration of high doses of methamphetamine induces programmed cell death, suppression of dopamine release, and reduction in locomotor activity. Previous studies have shown that pretreatment with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist reduced methamphetamine-induced neurodegeneration.
CONSERVATION OF A HAIRPIN RIBOZYME SEQUENCE IN HIV-1 IS REQUIRED FOR EFFICIENT VIRAL REPLICATION

Abstract We have previously described a hairpin ribozyme that targets a highly conserved sequence in the U5 region of HIV-1. To determine if escape mutations would compromise virus replication, we introduced critical mutations into the ribozyme target site of an infectious molecular clone of HIV-1MN. HIV-1 MN A has a substitution of A for G immediately 3′ to the cleavage site and HIV-1 MN GC has two substitutions in the flanking sequences that are complementary to the ribozyme. In vitro studies confirmed that neither the MN A - nor the MN GC -mutated target sequence was cleaved by the ribozyme, and furthermore, the MN GC -mutated target sequence failed to bind the ribozyme. Compensatory GC substitutions in the substrate recognition domain of the ribozyme resulted in a switch of binding and cleavage specificity. Replication of both the MN A and MN GC mutant viruses was initially two to three logs lower than that of wild-type virus, but after 3 weeks, virus production rose sharply in both cultures. Nucleotide sequence of RT-PCR-amplified viral sequences obtained from virus produced at later time points revealed complete reversion of MN A or partial reversion of MN GC to wild-type genotypes. No additional mutations within the ribozyme target sequence were observed. These results indicate that mutations in this conserved ribozyme target sequence led to significant attenuation of HIV-1MN.
Depression of contractility in isolated rabbit myocardium following exposure to iron: role of free radicals.

Abstract The mechanism of acute iron cardiotoxicity was investigated in isometrically contracting left atrial strips and right ventricular papillary muscles isolated from rabbit hearts. A 90-min exposure to iron (1.8 m m ; as ferrous sulfate) reduced the peak-developed tension and the maximal rate of tension development. The presence of either N -acetylcysteine (20 m m ), superoxide dismutase (2000 units/ml), or mannitol (5 m m ) prevented this depression of contractility. Catalase (30,000 units/ml) was not protective against the effects of iron. Iron did not decrease myocardial adenosine triphosphate or creatine phosphate contents. The force-frequency relationship (positive staircase phenomenon) was examined in the absence and presence of iron. Iron did not reduce the positive inotropic response evoked by increasing the stimulation frequency, but at higher frquencies iron prolonged the time from peak tension to 90% relaxation. We conclude that acute iron cardiotoxicity may be mediated by free radical generation and does not involve impairment of myocardial high energy phosphate production.