cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival comparison of hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with radioembolization versus nonoperative/interventional treatment.

AIM To compare the overall survival (OS) and liver cancer-specific survival of advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who received transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with those who received nonoperative/interventional treatment (NOT). MATERIALS & METHODS A total of 12,520 HCC patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database were categorized by treatment with either radioembolization or NOT. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression were conducted. RESULTS The TARE group had both a significantly longer median overall survival than the NOT group (TARE = 9 months; NOT = 2 months; p < 0.0001) and a significantly higher probability of liver cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio = 0.474). CONCLUSION TARE appears to provide a significant survival advantage over the NOT population in advanced HCC patients.
My possessions need me: Anthropomorphism and hoarding

Hoarding disorder (HD), a new DSM-5 classification, is characterized by difficulty discarding and the excessive acquisition of possessions to the extent that living spaces are compromised by clutter. Individuals with hoarding difficulties have a variety of motivations for object ownership, including emotional attachment towards their possessions which sometimes manifests through imbuing possessions with human-like terms. Limited extant evidence suggests that anthropomorphism, attributing human qualities to non-human objects, is related to hoarding, possibly because of difficulties with interpersonal attachment and social isolation. The current study investigated the relationship between hoarding behaviors (i.e., difficulty discarding, excessive acquisition, and clutter), hoarding beliefs (i.e., motivations for ownership including responsibility, emotional attachment, memory, control), anthropomorphism (i.e., generally in childhood, generally in adulthood, and towards three different personally-owned objects), and loneliness. Moderation analyses examined whether hoarding beliefs or loneliness impacted how anthropomorphism related to hoarding symptoms. Results suggested that all dimensions of anthropomorphism were related to hoarding behaviors. Regression analyses indicated that anthropomorphism in adulthood and of personally owned-objects were the best predictors of hoarding behavior. Mixed evidence was found for hoarding beliefs and loneliness moderating these associations. Findings successfully replicated and extended previous literature and provide a novel measure of anthropomorphism specifically incorporating personal ownership.
Lead Exposure in Early Life: Health Consequences

No toxic substance has probably received as much attention over so long a period of time as has lead. Investigation of its health consequences focused initially on occupational exposure where the association between cause and effect was most clearly apparent. In a seminal treatise published in 1839, Tanquerel des Planches described the health effects of occupational lead poisoning with remarkable accuracy and in great detail. This triggered a period of intensive clinical and experimental investigation. The special problem of lead poisoning in children was not widely known until later. In 1892, the disease as it occurred in children was first described in the Brisbane area of Australia (Gibson et al. 1892). A few years later, Gibson identified chalking lead-based paint in homes as the source (Gibson 1904). These publications and others by the Brisbane group led to the realization that the same problem existed in the United States (Thomas and Blackfan 1914). Subsequent to that report an ever-increasing number of publications appeared, almost invariably asserting that lead-based paint was the cause of pediatric lead poisoning. With time, however, other sources were incriminated, such as fumes generated by burning battery casings, lead-glazed pottery, and lead nipple shields. In Japan, and later in India, cosmetics used by the mothers of infants were also found to be frequent sources of poisoning.
Self-forgiveness and responsible moral agency

Appliquant son analyse du pardon interpersonnel au theme de l'indulgence envers soi, l'A. montre que la disposition a se pardonner soi-meme verifie l'affirmation kantienne de la valeur intrinseque de la personne. Comparant les situations ou le mal est realise a l'encontre de soi, d'autrui ou de la communaute, l'A. defend l'idee selon laquelle le pardon envers soi est une vertu compatible avec le respect de la victime, de la moralite et de soi comme agent moral. Examinant le paradigme du jugement de la performance et le paradigme de la croissance de la transcendance, l'A. souligne la necessite du pardon comme critere de l'action morale responsable
Electrochemistry of Nerve Excitation

Physiologists and biophysicists are, by and large, satisfied that the fundamental processes of nerve excitation are well understood. In brief, the explanation usually given is as follows: Cells contain solutions of ions, with K+ as the main cation. The extracellular solutions contain mainly Na+ salts. Since the cell membrane is more permeable to K+ than to Na+, the efflux of K+ establishes an electrical potential difference across the membrane, called the resting potential. In a squid axon the value is about 65 mV, with the inside surface negative with respect to the medium. The electrical potential opposes the chemical potential driving the efflux of K+ ions and establishes a steady state. The loss of K+ ions is replenished by the “pump” flux due to the action of the Na,KA-TPase of the membrane.
Discussion of “The Roles of the Family in the Formation of Offspring’s Earnings and Income Capacity”

Paul Taubman deserves congratulation for his broad-ranging survey of family influences on offspring’s economic status. He has synthesized an enormous amount of theoretical and empirical work on the nature and sources of parents’ contributions to their children’s economic welfare. I wish only to extend his discussion of two particular overlapping issues: (1) the extent of intergenerational income mobility and (2) the connection between current and long-run income.
A perturbation-based numerical method for solving a three-dimensional axisymmetric indentation problem

The three-dimensional axisymmetric problem of the indentation of a thin compressible linear elastic layer bonded to a rigid foundation is considered. Approximate analytical solutions of the problem that incorporate a large portion of the singular deformation gradients near the edge of the indenter are presented. An accurate closed-form expression for the deformation as well as the deformation gradient throughout the layer is provided and its effectiveness in solving the problem numerically is demonstrated. By incorporating the approximate solution into the numerical scheme the accuracy and convergence rate increase dramatically.
Time and dose dependency of the suppression of pulmonary metastases of rat mammary cancer by amiloride

Amiloride is an inhibitor of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), an essential component of the plasminogen/plasmin enzyme system. Inhibition of uPA prevents the conversion of plasminogen to tumor cell surface bound plasmin which is required for initiation of the metastatic process. MATB rat mammary cancer cells were introduced into the jugular venous system of 80 Fisher 344 female rats. Amiloride at high and low dosages was administered in the drinking water at the time of, prior to or several days following the tumor cell inoculation and continued daily for 10 days post inoculation. Control rats were maintained on water alone. The middle lobe of the right lung was examined microscopically for numbers of metastases. Suppression of metastases was significant at high amiloride dosages in all groups, and at low dosage when administered prior to inoculation. We conclude that amiloride suppresses induced metastases of rat mammary cancer, the effect being dose- and time-dependent. © Rapid Science Ltd.
OncoKB: Annotation of the oncogenic effect and treatment implications of somatic mutations in cancer.

11583Background: Sequencing of tumor DNA is becoming part of routine clinical care, with the goal of matching patients to approved treatments or clinical trials based on specific mutations. However...
Algorithmic materials: Embedding computation within material properties for autonomy

Abstract The constraints of energy and power density, as well as the speed of internal communications, will drive the next generation of robotic and autonomous systems to computation that is distributed away from a central processor toward embedded computation, perhaps within the compositional materials themselves. One of the most critical drivers for computation within classical systems is control—the ability to impact a system's state evolution in time through decisions—and estimation—the ability to estimate the state based on sensory measurements. Typically both control and estimation techniques are implemented using a centralized, digital computer. Widely used theories of control and estimation unnecessarily push systems toward this centralization by relying on a foundation of mathematical assumptions often employing continuous signals in time and a continuous dependence of the dynamics on state variables. This reliance manifests itself as a limiting but nonessential constraint for next-generation robotics. As with recent advances in nanotechnology, the ability to design materials at a variety of scales provides opportunities to enable autonomous systems that operate while bypassing the need for explicit computation. Such “algorithmic materials” can assume some aspects of decision making and control embedded into their material properties. Realizing this vision, however, prompts a revisiting of some of the most basic assumptions of classical approaches. Materials as sensors and actuators will often display discrete states (e.g., low or high conductivity, swelled or unswelled) rather than continuous ones. In this chapter a route to such “algorithmic materials” is developed. We show that, although the two settings may appear rather dissonant with each other, the classical theory of control and estimation can map in a natural way to materials-based implementations of controllers and estimators. We provide a brief description of classical control and estimation techniques and then use a simple example of a robot with a one-bit sensor (analogous to chemical comparators) and control consisting of the ability to move toward a landmark (analogous to controlled attraction to hydrogels in solution). We additionally provide simulated examples of synthesizing designs based on data-driven models. Altogether, this chapter provides a potential template of a pipeline of mathematical and computational elements that combine to map a control task into an implementable physical design.
Word Identification With Temporally Interleaved Competing Sounds by Younger and Older Adult Listeners.

Objectives The purpose of this experiment was to contribute to our understanding of the nature of age-related changes in competing speech perception using a temporally interleaved task. Design Younger and older adults (n = 16/group) participated in this study. The target was a five-word sentence. The masker was one of the following: another five-word sentence; five brief samples of modulated noise; or five brief samples of environmental sounds. The stimuli were presented in a temporally interleaved manner, where the target and masker alternated in time, always beginning with the target. Word order was manipulated in the target (and in the masker during trials with interleaved words) to compare performance when the five words in each stream did versus did not create a syntactically correct sentence. Talker voice consistency also was examined by contrasting performance when each word in the target was spoken by the same talker or by different talkers; a similar manipulation was used for the masker when it consisted of words. Participants were instructed to repeat back the target words and ignore the intervening words or sounds. Participants also completed a subset of tests from the NIH Cognitive Toolbox. Results Performance on this interleaved task was significantly associated with listener age and with a metric of cognitive flexibility, but it was not related to the degree of high-frequency hearing loss. Younger adults' performance on this task was better than that of older adults, especially for words located toward the end of the sentence. Both groups of participants were able to take advantage of correct word order in the target, and both were negatively affected, to a modest extent, when the masker words were in correct syntactic order. The two groups did not differ in how phonetic similarity between target and masker words influenced performance, and interleaved environmental sounds or noise had only a minimal effect for all listeners. The most robust difference between listener groups was found for the use of voice consistency: older adults, as compared with younger adults, were less able to take advantage of a consistent target talker within a trial. Conclusions Younger adults outperformed older adults when masker words were interleaved with target words. Results suggest that this difference was unlikely to be related to energetic masking and/or peripheral hearing loss. Rather, age-related changes in cognitive flexibility and problems encoding voice information appeared to underlie group differences. These results support the contention that, in real-life competing speech situations that produce both energetic and informational masking, older adults' problems are due to both peripheral and nonperipheral changes.
Analyzing Corporate Social Responsibility Reports Using Unsupervised and Supervised Text Data Mining

The literature shows that companies have matured on how they see and understand CSR--even to the extent of seeing it as an essential element of the firm's strategy. As part of a comprehensive research agenda, we investigate CSR reports from seven Dow Jones companies to assess the embeddedness of Environmental Sustainability considerations into their Core Business discourse. We leverage the use of supervised and unsupervised Text Data Mining TDM techniques to analyze data from these seven companies. To our knowledge, this is one of the first attempts to apply TDM processing to analyze unstructured data from CSR reports. The process we outline should facilitate pattern discovery in documents, minimizing or eliminating the need for time-consuming content analysis that is frequently used in qualitative research.
Cochlear Enhancement May Precede Cochlear Obliteration After Vestibular Schwannoma Excision.

OBJECTIVE Cochlear obliteration after vestibular schwannoma excision has been noted, with implications on cochlear implantation. Early postoperative cochlear enhancement with gadolinium on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has also been observed. Timing of enhancement and association with obliteration is described here. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case review. SETTING Tertiary referral center, ambulatory. PATIENTS Patients receiving vestibular schwannoma excision surgery by the senior author performed at one institution between January 2015 and July 2017 with postoperative MRIs INTERVENTION:: Diagnostic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The imaging characteristics on postoperative MRIs examined were loss of fluid signal on postoperative T2 images and cochlear enhancement on gadolinium enhanced T1 images. In the patients receiving labyrinthine sparing procedures, presence of postoperative hearing was evaluated. RESULTS Of the 42 patients evaluated, 24 received the translabyrinthine approach and 18 received a labyrinth sparing surgery. Twenty-nine had evidence of cochlear enhancement on T1 with gadolinium contrast, and 27 had evidence of cochlear obliteration on T2 images. The odds ratio of patients with cochlear enhancement having obliteration was 30.0:1 (p < 0.0001). Intense cochlear enhancement (n = 21) appeared a median of 163 days after surgery, and complete or near complete obliteration (n = 18) appeared a median of 480 days after surgery, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Within the labyrinth sparing group, there was no statistically significant association between hearing loss and cochlear obliteration or enhancement. CONCLUSIONS Cochlear enhancement is correlated with cochlear obliteration and may precede it.
Composing reciprocity: An analysis of scattered reciprocal

Scattered reciprocals (SRs) are Brazilian Portuguese constructions built from two discontinuous phrases which can offer a new window into the issue of the building blocks of reciprocity. By investigating how reciprocity is compositionally built in sentences with SRs, a puzzle emerges: SRs can apparently take split scope around other quantifiers, but only if these quantifiers are pronounced in a position outside of the reciprocal's scope domain. I argue that these are only apparent cases of split scope and, building on Murray (2008) and Dotla c il (2012), I propose a decompositional account of reciprocals which is formalized in Champollion, Bledin & Li's (2017) Plural Predicate Logic, a static logic which makes use of sets of assignment functions to model plurals. The resulting analysis allows us to view SRs and reciprocal pronouns like each other as being built from the same pieces, with the only difference between them being in how they are syntactically built.
Comparison of continuous and rotational silvopastoral systems for established walnut plantations in southwest Missouri, USA

Forty-eight Holstein steers (average weight 243 kg ± 11.8) were utilized to study the performance of cattle grazing a mature walnut stand. Steers were grazed for 56 days in either a continuous (C) or rotational (R) silvopastoral system. Four 0.81 ha pastures were assigned to either the C or R system (two replications per treatment). Initial stocking rates for both treatments were 14.8 animals/ha which was reduced at the mid-point to 7.4 animals/ha. Forage quality, yield, and plant composition were measured weekly throughout the trial. Forage quality differences were determined by neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and crude protein (CP) measurements. Forage composition was determined by separating material into four categories: grass, legume, weed and dead plant material. Tree response (diameter at breast height and height growth) was measured prior to and following the grazing period. No significant differences were observed for cattle average daily gain between treatments. Forage availability was higher (P > 0.05) for the R treatment. There were no differences for %NDF (P 0.10) and %CP tended (P = 0.12) to be higher for R when compared to C. Rotational pastures had higher (P > 0.10) percentages of grass and legume with lower (P > 0.10) percentage dead material. There were no treatment differences (P < 0.10) for tree diameter at breast height. The average height growth for C was 1.67 m while R was 1.19 m which was only numerically different (P = 0.13). It is postulated that differences in height growth were due to increased water competition in R due to increased soil moisture loss by vegetative growth and transpiration.
Autoclaving of Poloxamer 407 hydrogel and its use as a drug delivery vehicle

With antibiotic-resistant bacteria becoming increasingly prevalent, biomaterials capable of targeted, in situ drug delivery are urgently needed. The synthetic polymer Poloxamer 407 (P407) is of particular interest due to its thermoreversible gelation. Clinical use of P407 typically involves sterilization via autoclaving, but the effects of these extreme environmental conditions on hydrogel water content, rheological properties and efficacy as a drug delivery vehicle remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of autoclaving on the properties of P407 hydrogel. Autoclaving reduced hydrogel water content due to evaporation, thus increasing the polymer weight fraction of the hydrogels. In contrast, except for a reduction in gelation temperature following autoclaving, autoclaved hydrogels had similar rheological properties as nonautoclaved hydrogels. In vitro, autoclaving did not hinder the hydrogel's efficacy as a carrier for vancomycin antibiotic, and P407 (with and without vancomycin) had a bactericidal effect on planktonic Staphylococcus aureus. An in vivo pilot study using P407 to deliver bacteriophage highlighted the need for additional understanding of the functionality of the hydrogel for surgical applications. In conclusion, P407 hydrogel water content and gelation temperature were reduced by autoclave sterilization, while other rheological properties and the efficacy of the biomaterial as a delivery vehicle for vancomycin in vitro were unaffected.
Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine: The Evolution of Addiction Physician Specialists

Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine are two physician subspecialities recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) that focus on providing care for patients with substance use disorders. Their shared and distinct historical roots are reviewed, and their respective ABMS board examination content areas and Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) fellowship training program requirements are compared. Addiction Psychiatry, a subspecialty under the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, began certifying diplomates in 1993, currently has 1202 active diplomates, and certifies around 150 diplomates every 2 years through 50 ACGME-accredited fellowships. Addiction Medicine, a subspecialty under the American Board of Preventive Medicine, began certifying diplomates in 2018, has 2604 diplomates with more expected before the practice pathway closes (anticipated in 2021), after which a fellowship training becomes required. Currently there are 78 accredited Addiction Medicine fellowships and more under development. The fields display substantial overlap between their respective examination content areas and fellowship training requirements, covering similar knowledge and skills for evaluation and treatment of substance use disorders and psychiatric and medical comorbidities across the full range of clinical settings, from general medical to addiction specialty settings. Key differences include that Addiction Psychiatry is open only to Board-certified psychiatrists and places extra emphasis on psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological management strategies. Addiction Medicine is open to any ABMS primary specialty, including psychiatry. Opportunities for collaboration are discussed as both fields pursue the common goal of providing a well-trained workforce of physicians to meet the public health challenge presented by addiction. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00-00).
Drug Reimbursement Regulation in 6 Peer Countries

The US has nearly 4.5% of the world’s population but accounts for more than 40% of global drug spending. With the upcoming 2020 election, a top priority of many voters is to better control drug prices and reform the pharmaceutical market. In this Special Communication, the drug price mechanisms and government regulations used in 6 representative peer countries are evaluated: Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Drug price regulation is compared with that currently used in the US. Eight key lessons from the regulations used in these countries and which elements are incorporated into the bills currently making their way through the US Congress are evaluated (2 from the US House of Representatives and 1 from the US Senate). None of these bills is as systemic or comprehensive in its drug pricing mechanisms and regulations as the schemes in the other countries.
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) danger motif is potent adjuvant to accentuate peptide-based cancer vaccine by bridging innate and adaptive immunity.

2161 The primary response of CD8+ T cells is characterized by rapid expansion followed by contraction in which the majority of antigen-specific T cells undergo apoptosis with a diminshed memory T cell population. Recent evidence suggests that stimulation of innate immunity by inflammatory (danger) signals can augment antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), a viral mimic dsRNA-like polymer, is a potent inducer of innate immunity via TLR-3 receptors. Here, we investigated the impact of Poly I:C on both the expansion and contraction of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in an OT-1 TCR transgenic mouse adoptive transfer model. Following adoptive transfer of OT-1 cells, recipient mice were primed subcutaneously with peptide (100 μg/mouse) with or without single intraperitoneal injection of Poly I:C (200 μg/mouse). We found that priming with peptide alone resulted in a transient expansion of OT-1 cells peaking on day 3 (4% in PBL) with a marked contraction thereafter. In contrast, vaccination with peptide and Poly I:C induced massive expansion of OT-1 cells peaking on day 7 (18% in PBL ) associated with a delay in T cell contraction. This was also associated with a 3-fold decrease in the number of OT-1 cells undergoing apoptosis and a ten-fold increase in the gene expression of the anti-apoptotic factors Bcl-3 and Bcl-xL. Poly I:C provided sustained activation of OT-1 cells during the priming and effector phases, as reflected by the enhanced expression of CD25, CD95, CD11b/CD11a and decreased CD62L expression. In addition, Poly I:C administration augmented effector and memory cells to produce IFN-γ and TNF-α. Timing of administration is apparently critical as Poly I:C lacked its adjuvant effects when injected two days before vaccination. Most importantly, Poly I:C along with vaccination suppressed the intraperitoneal growth of Eg.7 lymphoma (6 × 107 cells in vaccinated mice vs 1 × 107 in vaccinated and Poly I:C treated mice) and lung metastasis of B16OVA melanoma (120 colonies in vaccinated mice vs 10 colonies in vaccinated and Poly I:C treated mice). The adjuvant effects of Poly I:C were markedly reduced in the absence of NK cells or IFN-γ produced by either host or effector cells. Collectively, these results provide strong evidence that providing a danger signal during peptide vaccination can accentuate the quantity and quality of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, establishment of long-term anti-tumor immunity.
Correlation of expressional pattern of ubiquitin activating gene with grain Fe content in rice.

Ubiquitin, ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), ubiquitin ligases (E3) and 26S proteasome are the significant components of the ubiquitination process. The expression level of ubiquitin activating (UBA) gene was evaluated in 18 genotypes with differential grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) (including landraces, high yielding and released biofortified varieties) at panicle initiation stage. The relative expression of the UBA gene was analysed with three yield checks- BPT 5204, MTU 1010 and Swarna and the highest gene expression level were found in land race Kalanamak followed by Jalpriya and Taroari Basmati.Significant positive correlation of expression of the UBA gene with grain Fe content suggests the possible role of ubiquitin activating enzymes in addition to the reported ubiquitin-conjugating and ligases in Fe homeostasis. The understanding of ubiquitination regulated nutrient transport mechanism is yet to be explored hence, more indepth studies in future may provide better insight to understand the role of ubiquitination in nutrient homeostasis and develop better strategies for biofortification.
Prospective Validation of an Electronic Health Record-Based, Real-Time Suicide Risk Model.

Importance Numerous prognostic models of suicide risk have been published, but few have been implemented outside of integrated managed care systems. Objective To evaluate performance of a suicide attempt risk prediction model implemented in a vendor-supplied electronic health record to predict subsequent (1) suicidal ideation and (2) suicide attempt. Design, Setting, and Participants This observational cohort study evaluated implementation of a suicide attempt prediction model in live clinical systems without alerting. The cohort comprised patients seen for any reason in adult inpatient, emergency department, and ambulatory surgery settings at an academic medical center in the mid-South from June 2019 to April 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary measures assessed external, prospective, and concurrent validity. Manual medical record validation of coded suicide attempts confirmed incident behaviors with intent to die. Subgroup analyses were performed based on demographic characteristics, relevant clinical context/setting, and presence or absence of universal screening. Performance was evaluated using discrimination (number needed to screen, C statistics, positive/negative predictive values) and calibration (Spiegelhalterzstatistic). Recalibration was performed with logistic calibration. Results The system generated 115 905 predictions for 77 973 patients (42 490 [54%] men, 35 404 [45%] women, 60 586 [78%] White, 12 620 [16%] Black). Numbers needed to screen in highest risk quantiles were 23 and 271 for suicidal ideation and attempt, respectively. Performance was maintained across demographic subgroups. Numbers needed to screen for suicide attempt by sex were 256 for men and 323 for women; and by race: 373, 176, and 407 for White, Black, and non-White/non-Black patients, respectively. Model C statistics were, across the health system: 0.836 (95% CI, 0.836-0.837); adult hospital: 0.77 (95% CI, 0.77-0.772); emergency department: 0.778 (95% CI, 0.777-0.778); psychiatry inpatient settings: 0.634 (95% CI, 0.633-0.636). Predictions were initially miscalibrated (Spiegelhalterz= −3.1;P= .001) with improvement after recalibration (Spiegelhalterz= 1.1;P= .26). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, this real-time predictive model of suicide attempt risk showed reasonable numbers needed to screen in nonpsychiatric specialty settings in a large clinical system. Assuming that research-valid models will translate without performing this type of analysis risks inaccuracy in clinical practice, misclassification of risk, wasted effort, and missed opportunity to correct and prevent such problems. The next step is careful pairing with low-cost, low-harm preventive strategies in a pragmatic trial of effectiveness in preventing future suicidality.
Dietary Selenium Requirement for the Prevention of Glucose Intolerance and Insulin Resistance in Middle-Aged Mice.

BACKGROUND Although dietary selenium (Se) deficiency or excess induces type 2 diabetes-like symptoms in mice, suboptimal body Se status usually causes no symptoms but may promote age-related decline in overall health. OBJECTIVES We sought to determine the dietary Se requirement for protection against type 2 diabetes-like symptoms in mice. METHODS Thirty mature (aged 4 mo) male C57BL/6J mice were fed a Se-deficient torula yeast AIN-93M diet supplemented with Na2SeO4 in graded concentrations totaling 0.01 (basal), 0.04, 0.07, 0.10, and 0.13 (control) mg Se/kg for 4 mo (n = 6) until they were middle-aged (8 mo). Droplets of whole blood were used to determine glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in the mice from ages 5 to 8 mo. Postmortem serum, liver, and skeletal muscle were collected to assay for selenoprotein expression and markers of glucose metabolism. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANCOVA with or without random effects for time-repeated measurements using live mice or postmortem samples, respectively. RESULTS Compared with control, the consumption of basal diet increased (P < 0.05) fasting serum insulin (95% CI: 52%, 182%) and leptin (95% CI: 103%, 118%) concentrations in middle-aged mice. Dietary Se insufficiency decreased (P < 0.05) 1) glucose tolerance (13-79%) and insulin sensitivity (15-65%) at ≤0.10 mg Se/kg; 2) baseline thymoma viral proto-oncogene phosphorylation on S473 (27-54%) and T308 (22-46%) at ≤0.10 and ≤0.07 mg Se/kg, respectively, in the muscle but not the liver; and 3) serum glutathione peroxidase 3 (51-83%), liver and muscle glutathione peroxidase 1 (32-84%), serum and liver selenoprotein P (28-42%), and liver and muscle selenoprotein H (39-48%) and selenoprotein W (16-73%) protein concentrations at ≤0.04, ≤0.10, ≤0.07, and ≤0.10 mg Se/kg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Mice fed diets containing ≤0.10 mg Se/kg display impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, suggesting increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes by suboptimal Se status at levels ≤23% of nutritional needs.
Machine learning and deep learning to predict mortality in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) can successfully predict high prevalence events in very large databases (big data), but the value of this methodology for risk prediction in smaller cohorts with uncommon diseases and infrequent events is uncertain. The clinical course of spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is variable, and no reliable methods are available to predict mortality. Based on the hypothesis that machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques could enhance the identification of patients at risk, we applied a deep neural network to information available in electronic health records (EHR) to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with SCAD. We extracted patient data from the EHR of an extensive urban health system and applied several ML and DL models using candidate clinical variables potentially associated with mortality. We partitioned the data into training and evaluation sets with cross-validation. We estimated model performance based on the area under the receiver-operator characteristics curve (AUC) and balanced accuracy. As sensitivity analyses, we examined results limited to cases with complete clinical information available. We identified 375 SCAD patients of which mortality during the index hospitalization was 11.5%. The best-performing DL algorithm identified in-hospital mortality with AUC 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99), compared to other ML models (P < 0.0001). For prediction of mortality using ML models in patients with SCAD, the AUC ranged from 0.50 with the random forest method (95% CI 0.41–0.58) to 0.95 with the AdaBoost model (95% CI 0.93–0.96), with intermediate performance using logistic regression, decision tree, support vector machine, K-nearest neighbors, and extreme gradient boosting methods. A deep neural network model was associated with higher predictive accuracy and discriminative power than logistic regression or ML models for identification of patients with ACS due to SCAD prone to early mortality.
"The Way you Interpret Health": Adolescent Definitions and Perceptions of Health Literacy.

Background Adolescents are required to take increased responsibility for their health. Although health literacy is implicated in adults' health decision-making and health behaviors, little is known about adolescents' health literacy and its relationship to their health behaviors. Furthermore, adolescent health literacy research overlooks adolescent development-specific needs and skills. Therefore, we qualitatively explored adolescents' (1) definitions of health literacy, preventive health behaviors, and health risk behaviors; and (2) perception of the health literacy/health behavior relationship. Methods Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted with adolescents (N = 37) who answered questions about their perceptions of health literacy, preventive health behaviors, and health risk behaviors. Focus groups were coded using thematic analysis. Themes representing adolescents' definitions of health literacy were secondarily coded for alignment with definitions in the literature. Results Some of adolescents' health literacy definitions aligned with the adult health literacy literature. They considered health literacy a tool for informed decision-making, but acknowledged not always using these skills. Conclusions Adolescents' definitions of health literacy were multidimensional, going beyond numeracy and literacy skills. Developmental characteristics and adolescents' definition of health risk behaviors were related to use of health literacy skills. Opportunities for adolescents to develop and practice health literacy skills are discussed.
Learning Algorithms for Artifical Neural Nets for Analog Circuit Implementation

We describe (supervised and unsupervised) learning rules for continuous-time Artificial Neural Nets (ANNs). For feedforward ANNs, supervised learning is achieved efficiently by modifications to the well-known Error Back-Propagation learning rule. For Feedback ANNs novel learning rules are introduced for supervised learning. The essential feature of all the learning rules is that they lend themselves to analog (all-MOS) circuit realization, and thus they are suitable for implementation using standard (analog) silicon CMOS technology. Circuit implementation of sample learning rules are demonstrated.
Trial by Preview

It has been an obsession of modern civil procedure to design ways to reveal more before trial about what will happen during trial. Litigants today, as a matter of course, are made to preview the evidence they will use. This practice is celebrated because standard theory says it should induce the parties to settle; why incur the expenses of trial, if everyone knows what will happen? Rarely noted, however, is one complication: The impact of previewing the evidence is intertwined with how well the parties know their future audience — that is, the judge or the jury who will be the finder of fact at trial. Both theory and policy have focused narrowly on previewing the evidence, while barely noticing the complementary effect of previewing the audience. How this interplay might affect leading theories of settlement has yet to be articulated. This Essay begins to fill the gap.This Essay also presents preliminary empirical findings from a policy experiment in the federal courts, arising from recent reforms in civil procedure. These data suggest that the current use of evidentiary previews may be driving a wedge between trials by jury and trials by judge. Trials are “vanishing” indeed — but not all trials vanish alike. Preview policies may be accelerating a decline in bench trials more than in jury trials. New policy concerns emerge from both the data and the theoretical analysis, and this Essay explores how an awareness of asymmetric preview effects might inform current debates about procedural values and policy design.
A highly capable arbitrary waveform generator for next generation radar systems

We are developing an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) to provide enhanced capability for radar applications. The current design accommodates two waveform generators on a single unit for dual frequency operation. The basic architecture of this unit employs a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a high speed and high precision digital to analog converter (DAC) for direct digital synthesis. This AWG is capable of up to 450 MHz bandwidth with ability for frequency notching. Phase fidelity of better than 1.2/spl deg/ deviation RMS is also achievable. This AWG operates with lower power consumption as compared with other waveform generators, which is advantageous for future spaceborne applications. This will enable radars to return higher precision data, to be reduced in complexity, and to operate in any band without interfering with dedicated bandwidths.
Transformation of a Discrete Distribution to Near Normality

Utilizing an information number approach, we propose an objective method for the normalization of either discrete distributions, or sample counts, by means of a power transformation. Approximations are also given to the original known probabilities. Next, we derive the large sample distribution of our estimate of the power transformation. We compare our methods with the Box-Cox procedure, applied to observed counts, and conclude that their technique often provides good approximations even though their underlying assumption of normality is clearly violated. Two examples illustrate our methods.
Postoperative adrenal crisis in an adolescent with Loeys-Dietz syndrome and undiagnosed adrenoleukodystrophy.

We present an unusual case involving an adolescent who experienced cardiovascular collapse postoperatively. He had more than one rare life-threatening genetic disorder, and herein we review the anesthetic management of a patient with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) and adrenoleukodystrophy. A 12-yr-old male (41.5 kg, American Society of Anesthesiologists’ physical status III) with LDS, a connective tissue disorder, underwent posterior spinal fusion for spondylolisthesis. This patient demonstrated many signs of LDS: bifid uvula, retrognathia, dilated aortic root, aortic arch aneurysm, inguinal hernias and vertebral subluxations, and multiple areas of tortuous intracranial vessels. A fibreoptic intubation was performed and a balanced anesthetic was administered, consisting of opioids and a low-dose volatile agent. The patient was stable throughout surgery, and at the end of the procedure, his trachea was extubated and he was admitted to the intensive care unit. During the postoperative period, the patient became acutely hemodynamically unstable. Initially, the intensive care team considered the differential diagnoses of postoperative hemorrhage, postoperative sepsis, and cardiac failure secondary to aortic dissection. Supportive care was instituted, and these diagnoses were systematically ruled out. The differential diagnosis was expanded, and the patient was treated with corticosteroids after baseline cortisol levels were drawn. Later he was found to have primary adrenal failure, and it was determined by biochemical and genetic blood analysis that he also had adrenoleukodystrophy. Although Occam’s razor states that physicians should exercise diagnostic parsimony when treating patients, it is possible for a patient to have two or more life-threatening unrelated genetic disorders. Consequently, diagnosticians must always develop and test new hypotheses when treating patients.
Recent Research on the Foundations of Thermodynamics

The principles of thermodynamics have found application in many branches of science. These principles have been employed to understand the efficiency of heat engines, the electromotive force of galvanic cells and thermal junctions, the dependence of chemical equilibrium on temperature and pressure, the properties of phase transitions, and the subject emphasized in this book: the thermomechanics of continuous bodies.
Effect of Load Rate on Tensile Strength of Various Cfccs at Elevated Temperatures ‐ An Approach to Life Prediction Testing

Strength of three continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic composites, including SiC/CAS-11, SiC/MAS-5 and SiC/SiC, was determined as a function of test rate in air at 1100 - 1200 C. All three composite materials exhibited a strong dependency of strength on test rate, similar to the behavior observed in many advanced monolithic ceramics at elevated temperatures. The application of the preloading technique as well as the prediction of life from one loading configuration (constant stress-rate) to another (constant stress loading) suggested that the overall macroscopic failure mechanism of the composites would be the one governed by a power-law tyw of damage evolution/accumulation, analogous to slow crack growth commonly observed in advanced monolithic ceramics. It was further found that constant stress-rate testing could be used as an alternative to life prediction test methodology even for the composite materials at least for the short range of lifetime.
Open Source, Open Access, and Open Transfer: Market Approaches to Research Bottlenecks

One of the most hotly contested issues in the field of intellectual property law concerns the existence, or non-existence, of patent thickets and the extent to which any such bottlenecks may be interfering with research. For decades, scholars warned that problems related to the over proliferation of patent rights would interfere with innovation. In contrast, a growing body of commentary argues that patent thickets are not a problem in modern industries. Either patent thickets do not exist, or if they do, patent thickets do not interfere with the progress of research.The rhetoric is particularly heated these days because of dramatic changes underway in patent law. Research bottlenecks, or lack thereof, are invoked either in support of or in opposition to such changes, and it is difficult to have a rational discussion when so much seems to be at stake. Stepping back from the rhetoric a bit, this piece suggests that one can sometimes indirectly observe effects, even if one cannot directly measure the extent of a phenomenon. With this in mind, the piece describes three approaches appearing in modern patent markets that are directed at mitigating the effects of patent thickets. These approaches can be described as Open Source, Open Access, and Open Transfer. From our vantage point, we may not be able to see or to measure the depth of the thicket. We can, however, observe the altered growth patterns that give us some indication of where the problems lie.
Parameterization of Cumulus Convective Cloud Systems in Mesoscale Forecast Models

Abstract : Conduct detailed studies of cloud microphysical processes in order to develop a unified parameterization of boundary layer stratocumulus and trade wind cumulus convective clouds. Develop a parameterization of subgrid cloud variability that in combination with the unified parameterization of conversion/sedimentation rates will provide a complete formulation of microphysical processes in convective clouds for use in mesoscale forecast models. Test the parameterization using COAMPS model in simulations of convective cloud systems.
The apparent toxicity of metallic materials of construction and antifoam agents for mammalian cell lines.

The satisfactory growth of mammalian cells in fluid suspension (submerged culture) has been demonstrated with a number of mammalian cell lines and a variety of equipment (Earle et al., 1954; Owens et al., 1953; Graham and Siminovitch, 1955; Cherry and Hull, 1956; Powell, 1954; Brown and Hardy, 1957; and Danes, 1957). Investigations in our laboratories have indicated good growth of the following stable cell lines: HeLa (Gey et al., 1952), L cell (Earle et al., 1951), human conjunctiva (Chang, 1954), and human amnion (Fogh and Lund, 1957) in an all-glass culture vessel -the spinner culture (McLimans et al., 1957a). The spinner apparatus was designed with the viewpoint of extrapolating information procured through its use to larger systems of conventional architecture such as the New Brunswick Fermentor5. Accordingly, it was deemed necessary to investigate the relative toxicity of types of materials of construction used in larger fermentor systems as well as the determiration of satisfactory antifoam agents. This investigation was undertaken on the basis of the projected needs of an L cell cultivation in aerobic fermentation-type equipment, namely, a metallic or partially metallic baffled tank with a gas sparger beneath the impeller. Glass lined equipment, of course, would provide an essential substitute if all the metals had proved to be toxic.
Overview of Peroxiredoxins in Oxidant Defense and Redox Regulation

Peroxiredoxins are important hydroperoxide detoxification enzymes, yet have only come to the fore in recent years relative to the other major players in peroxide detoxification, heme-containing catalases and peroxidases, and glutathione peroxidases. These cysteine-dependent peroxidases exhibit high reactivity with hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides and peroxynitrite and play major roles not only in peroxide defense, but also in regulating peroxide-mediated cell signaling. This overview focuses on important peroxiredoxin features that have emerged over the past several decades with an emphasis on catalytic mechanism, regulation and biological function.