cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Semantic lexicon induction from twitter with pattern relatedness and flexible term length

With the rise of social media, learning from informal text has become increasingly important. We present a novel semantic lexicon induction approach that is able to learn new vocabulary from social media. Our method is robust to the idiosyncrasies of informal and open-domain text corpora. Unlike previous work, it does not impose restrictions on the lexical features of candidate terms - e.g. by restricting entries to nouns or noun phrases - while still being able to accurately learn multiword phrases of variable length. Starting with a few seed terms for a semantic category, our method first explores the context around seed terms in a corpus, and identifies context patterns that are relevant to the category. These patterns are used to extract candidate terms - i.e. multiword segments that are further analyzed to ensure meaningful term boundary segmentation. We show that our approach is able to learn high quality semantic lexicons from informally written social media text of Twitter, and can achieve accuracy as high as 92% in the top 100 learned category members.
Problems and Hypotheses

The University of Kansas research program described in this volume is a continuation of a theoretical interest that I initiated in 1969 with the study of genetic, demographic, and morphological microdifferentiation of transplanted Tlaxcaltecan populations of Mexico. The primary objective of the Tlaxcaltecan project, performed between 1969 and 1975, was to measure evolutionary changes in human populations transplanted from their valley of origin (approximately 400 years ago) into markedly diverse environments. The complicating variable in that study was the gene flow from the Spanish colonial administration and from the surrounding indigenous peoples into the transplanted communities (Crawford, 1976). Only limited and conservative conclusions could be drawn concerning evolutionary rates and genetic microdifferentiation.
Relationship Between Tongue Base Region Pressures and Vallecular Clearance.

Tongue base pressures have been thought to provide primary bolus clearance through the pharynx during swallowing. The relationship between bolus driving pressures and residue remaining in the valleculae after the swallow has not been defined. Thirty-seven dysphagic patients who were evaluated with both videofluoroscopy (VFSS) and high-resolution manometry (HRM) were identified within the University of Wisconsin Voice and Swallowing Outcomes database. Patients were categorized according to binary ratings of presence or absence of vallecular stasis as well as incomplete or complete tongue retraction on VFSS. Tongue base region pressures measured with HRM during saline swallows of 1 and 10 ml volumes were compared to ratings of vallecular stasis or tongue base retraction. No significant difference could be identified among mean peak HRM pressures when compared to presence or absence of vallecular stasis (1 ml saline: p = .1886; 10 ml saline: p = .7354). When categorized according to complete or incomplete tongue retraction, mean peak HRM pressures were significantly greater in the complete tongue retraction group as compared to incomplete tongue retraction (1 ml saline: p = .0223; 10 ml saline: p = .0100). Findings suggest there are multiple factors that lead to reduced vallecular clearance. In the absence of HRM measures, judging complete or incomplete tongue retraction on VFSS may be a more valid gauge of tongue base region pressures than vallecular clearance when planning dysphagia treatment.
Inorganic polyphosphate in cardiac myocytes: from bioenergetics to the permeability transition pore and cell survival.

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a linear polymer of P i residues linked together by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds as in ATP. PolyP is present in all living organisms ranging from bacteria to human and possibly even predating life of this planet. The length of polyP chain can vary from just a few phosphates to several thousand phosphate units long, depending on the organism and the tissue in which it is synthesized. PolyP was extensively studied in prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes by Kulaev9s group in the Russian Academy of Sciences and by the Nobel Prize Laureate Arthur Kornberg at Stanford University. Recently, we reported that mitochondria of cardiac ventricular myocytes contain significant amounts (280±60 pmol/mg of protein) of polyP with an average length of 25 P i and that polyP is involved in Ca 2+ -dependent activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Enzymatic polyP depletion prevented Ca 2+ -induced mPTP opening during ischaemia; however, it did not affect reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated mPTP opening during reperfusion and even enhanced cell death in cardiac myocytes. We found that ROS generation was actually enhanced in polyP-depleted cells demonstrating that polyP protects cardiac myocytes against enhanced ROS formation. Furthermore, polyP concentration was dynamically changed during activation of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and stress conditions such as ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) and heart failure (HF) indicating that polyP is required for the normal heart metabolism. This review discusses the current literature on the roles of polyP in cardiovascular health and disease.
Fatal Attraction? Why Sperber’s Attractors do not Prevent Cumulative Cultural Evolution

AbstractIn order to explain why cultural traits remain stable despite the error-proneness of social learning, Dan Sperber has proposed that human psychology and ecology lead to cultural traits bein...
Resistance detection and acetylcholinesterase activity on Blattella germanica

Objective To understand the resistance level of 5 conventional insecticides against Blattella germanica and the role of acetylcholinesterase(AChE) in resistance.Methods Medicine film method was used to determine the resistance level of B.germanica,while AChE activity and its kinetic parameters were determined according to the method of Ellman et al.(1961).Results The resistance factor values of 5 insecticides against B.germanica were 1.091 6(propoxur),1.364 7(deltamethrin),4.991 5(high effect cypermethrin),5.251 9(prallethrin) and122.261 8(dichlorvos) fold,respectively.The specific activity of resistant strain was decreased significantly(P 0.01),and Km value was obviously higher than that of susceptible strain(P 0.01).The results suggested that the structure of AChE changed.Therefore,the sensitivity on insecticides was reduced.Conclusion In addition to propoxur and deltamethrin,the field strain of B.germanica had developed high resistance to dichlorvos,high effect cypermethrin and prallethrin in some degree.The biochemistry results indicated that decreased AChE sensitivity was closely correlated to the resistance development of B.germanica.
Analyzing the Present Situations of Bearing the Administrative Legal Liabilities for Wanton Cutting

In investigating the obligations in administrative law for wanton cutting, there exist the defects: considerable resistance for executing administrative penalties, inadequate theoretical foundation for collecting the administrative fine and the unmerited management and application of the fines. Therefore, it's essential to redefine the boundaries between civil and administrative obligations, and to redesign an efficient civil obligation system. The punitive damages will be a proper instrument.
Essentials of Corporate Arbitrage for the Financial Manager

This article is a primer on how profits are created in corporate finance and thus provides a justification for the role of corporate finance in practice. The key is to understand the role of corporate arbitrage. Corporations have a larger arbitrage opportunity set which allows the firm to arbitrage assets that individuals cannot. Furthermore, they can also create their own short position, which is a major constraint for individual and large investors. Thus, the firm serves a crucial role as an arbitrageur that is often overlooked by financial managers. Practicing managers and students alike should thus realize this role and utilize appropriate strategies to discover and exploit arbitrage opportunities to benefit not only their firm but the capital markets as a whole.
Surgical Issues in the Management of the HIV-Infected Patient

Surgeons are called upon with increasing frequency to participate in the management of HIV-infected patients. This review summarizes the epidemiology, natural history, infection control procedures, and surgical indications relating to HlV infection.
A Convenient Solution: Using MTurk To Sample From Hard-To-Reach Populations

We agree with Landers and Behrend's (2015) proposition that Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) may provide great opportunities for organizational research samples. However, some groups are characteristically difficult to recruit because they are stigmatized or socially disenfranchised (Birman, 2005; Miller, Forte, Wilson, & Greene, 2006; Sullivan & Cain, 2004; see Campbell, Adams, & Patterson, 2008, for a review). These groups may include individuals who have not previously been the focus of much organizational research, such as those of low socioeconomic status; individuals with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) individuals; or victims of workplace harassment. As Landers and Behrend (2015) point out, there is an overrepresentation of research using “Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic” participants. It is important to extend research beyond these samples to examine workplace phenomena that are specific to special populations. We contribute to this argument by noting the particular usefulness that MTurk can provide for sampling from hard-to-reach populations, which we characterize as groups that are in the numerical minority in terms of nationwide representation. To clarify, we focus our discussion on populations that are traditionally hard to reach in the context of contemporary organizational research within the United States.
The Use of Differential mRNA Display (DDRT-PCR) to Identify Genes Differentially Expressed in Normal and Diseased Vascular Cells

In 1992 a new approach for identifying differentially expressed genes was described by Liang and Pardee (1). Their method allowed the simultaneous differential display of mRNA from two or more cell types by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In a subsequent study demonstrating the technique Bauer, et al. (2) named it differential display reverse transcription PCR (DDRTPCR) in accordance with the series of steps required to identify differences in gene expression. Differential mRNA display offered a number of advantages over existing cDNA library hybridization based methods used to identify differentially expressed genes. Firstly, screening is fast, reproducible, and technically easier than existing protocols, especially since cDNA libraries do not need to be constructed. Secondly, PCR amplification not only detects low abundance mRNA species, but also allows the comparison of gene expression from very small amounts of starting material such as vascular biopsies.
Designing Lifelikeness in Interactive and Robotic Objects

As technologies become more intelligent and interactive, studies have shown that people perceive and treat them as if they were human and alive. My PhD research seeks to understand designers' implementations and users' perceptions of embodied life-like characteristics in robots and interactive systems. This work will provide insights about how to design lifelike features in minimal interactive objects, and the purposes which we should design lifelike features for.
Do salient features overshadow learning of other features in category learning

Hundreds of associative learning experiments have examined how animals learn to predict an aversive outcome, such as a shock, loud sound, or puff of air in the eye. In this study, we reversed this pattern and examined the role of an aversive stimulus, shock, as a feature of a complex stimulus composed of several features, rather than as an outcome. In particular, we used a category learning paradigm in which multiple features predicted category membership and asked whether a salient, aversive feature would reduce learning of other category features through cue competition. Three experiments compared a condition in which 1 category had among its 6 features a painful "sting" (shock) and the other category a distinctive sound (the critical features) to a control condition in which the sting and sound were represented by much less salient (and not aversive) visual depictions. Subjects learned the categories and then were tested on their knowledge of all 6 features as predictors of the category label. Surprisingly, the experiments consistently found that the salient, aversive critical features did not reduce learning of other features relative to the control. Bayesian statistics gave positive evidence for this null result. Equally surprisingly, in a fourth experiment, a nonaversive salient feature (brightly colored patterns) increased learning of other features compared to the control. We explain the results in terms of attentional strategies that may apply in a category learning context. (PsycINFO Database Record
The sport concussion baseline assessment: an investigation of sex and sport differences

Objective To assess for sex and sport baseline differences for the Immediate Postconcussion and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) and Sensory Organisation Test (SOT) in collegiate athletes. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Research laboratory. Participants Participants consisted of 315 male (n=189) and female (n=126) division I collegiate athletes with an average of 19.5 + 1.34 and 19.3 + 1.31 years, respectively. Intervention Participants completed ImPACT and the SOT baseline assessments as part of their university concussion management protocol. Outcome measures Analyses of variance were used to assess for sex and sport differences for ImPACT’s Visual and Verbal Memory, Visual Motor Speed, and Reaction Time and the SOT’s composite scores. Post-hoc analyses were performed with Tukey’s test. All analyses were performed with α=.05. Main results In terms of sex, females scored significantly higher than males on ImPACT’s Verbal Memory (F (1,314)=4.85, p=0.03) and Visual Motor Speed (F (1,314)=4.51, p=0.03) composite scores. Within male sports, a significant difference was observed for the SOT composite score (F (6,181)=3.22, p=0.01). Within female sports, a significant difference was observed between sports for ImPACT’s Reaction Time composite score (F (6,125)=4.16, p=0.01). Conclusions Overall, sex as well as sport differences were observed for baseline ImPACT and SOT performance for one or more composite scores. Our results support the use of baseline assessments to account for performance differences between sex and sport. Competing interests None.
Is Anyone Watching the Course Video? Inferring Elapsed Watch Time and Video Engagement Patterns When Using Embedded Videos from Youtube, Vimeo, or Other Third-Party Video Streaming Services for Moodle and Other Online Learning Management Systems

Because of the prevalence of video in online courses, it is important to understand the ways in which learners interact with video in order to improve video-based activities and content. However, when embedding third-party video hosting services (such as YouTube and Vimeo), instructional designers and researchers do not have access to in-depth video analytics at the participant level. In this paper, the authors propose a method for inferring patterns of video use and overall embedded video watch time (inferred video engagement or IVE) at both participant and individual video grain sizes in learning management systems (LMS). The authors subsequently demonstrate an application of this method using a dataset from a video-based, online teacher professional development course (oTPD) provided in Moodle. IVE has promise for instructional designers and educational technology researchers to aid in analyses of usability, learner experience, and media efficacy in digital learning environments.
A High-Elevation Record of the Little Spotted Cat (Leopardus tigrinus oncilla) from Western Panama

Abstract We report a record of the endangered Central American little spotted cat (Leopardus tigrinus oncilla) from Volcan Baru National Park in the state of Chiriqui, Panama, from a scat identified through noninvasive genetics. This record, from just below the summit of Panama's highest peak, represents the highest-elevation record for the species in Panama. Additionally, we designed new DNA primers for identification of L. tigrinus oncilla from scat samples.
Decisional Conflict Among Patients Considering Treatment Options for Lumbar Herniated Disc

Background Lumbar herniated disc is a “preference-sensitive” condition, in which the optimal treatment choice is crucially dependent on an informed patient's goals and values. Little is known about decisional conflict, defined as an individual's level of uncertainty regarding a decision, in patients considering treatment for lumbar herniated discs. Our work aims to identify factors associated with decisional conflict and areas for improved shared decision making. Methods We prospectively surveyed patients seeking treatment for a lumbar herniated disc at L4-L5 and/or L5-S1 with a physician at the UCLA Spine Center. Decisional conflict was measured using the validated SURE questionnaire. We performed univariate and multivariate logistic analysis to identify predictors of decisional conflict. Results Among the 174 participants surveyed, 47% reported experiencing decisional conflict and 44% changed their treatment preference after the visit, with 61% of these opting for more invasive treatment. Participants with decisional conflict were less satisfied with their treatment decision (P Conclusions Many patients with a lumbar herniated disc experience decisional conflict when choosing a treatment option. Our results highlight the need to implement tools and strategies to improve decisional quality, such as decision aids before consultation.
The Assessment of Dysfunctional Family Systems

The title of this chapter reflects at least three concerns that are major issues in studies of the family. The first of these is the current interest in methods of behavioral assessment that best describe the functioning of individual family members and the family unit as a whole. Adequate measurement procedures are necessary if dysfunctional families, our second concern, are to be distinguished from those operating at a satisfactory level. Finally, family researchers often conceive of the phenomena they study in terms of interdependent systems of social interaction. Most students of the family would agree that the actions of individual family members cannot be considered as events that are independent of the behavioral milieu in which they occur. Thus, family interaction processes are often described in terms of system concepts such as reciprocity, homeostasis, feedback, and so on.
Development of a quality improvement checklist for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Article-at-a-Glance Background In 1991, the Department of Veterans Affairs developed an instrument to monitor various aspects of quality in Veterans Affairs hospitals. The instrument, the Quality Improvement Checklist, is composed of a series of clinical indicators or questions about administrative or clinical processes, structures, or outcomes. Method For most questions, data are obtained by automated search of electronic patient databases maintained in each facility. Individual hospital data are collated and displayed in comparative format with those from other hospitals. Hospitals use the information to identify areas needing further study or improvement. Conclusion Hospital directors and physicians are slowly accepting the usefulness of the instrument.
Axillary Clearance in Operable Breast Cancer: Still a Necessity?

For many years, axillary lymph node dissection has been a routine part of the surgical treatment of breast cancer. This has been most often accompanied in the past by a total mastectomy (radical mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy); more recently, it has often been carried out at the time of or subsequent to segmental (breast conserving) mastectomy.
Simulated Dust Aerosol Impacts on Western Sahelian Rainfall: Importance of Ocean Coupling

AbstractNorth Africa is the world’s largest source of mineral dust, and this dust has potentially significant impacts on precipitation. Yet there is no consensus in published studies regarding the ...
Preliminary examination of gray and white matter structure and longitudinal structural changes in frontal systems associated with future suicide attempts in adolescents and young adults with mood disorders.

Abstract Background Mood disorders are major risk factors for suicidal behavior. While cross-sectional studies implicate frontal systems, data to aid prediction of suicide-related behavior in mood disorders are limited. Longitudinal research on neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying suicide risk may assist in developing targeted interventions. Therefore, we conducted a preliminary study investigating baseline gray and white matter structure and longitudinal structural changes associated with future suicide attempts. Methods High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and suicide-related behavioral assessment data for 46 adolescents and young adults with mood disorders [baseline agemean = 18 years; 61% female] were collected at baseline and at follow-up (intervalmean = 3 years). Differences in baseline and longitudinal changes in gray matter volume and white matter fractional anisotropy in frontal systems that distinguished the participants who made future attempts from those who did not were investigated. Results Seventeen (37%) of participants attempted suicide within the follow-up period. Future attempters (those attempting suicide between their baseline and follow-up assessment), compared to those who did not, showed lower baseline ventral and rostral prefrontal gray matter volume and dorsomedial frontal, anterior limb of the internal capsule, and dorsal cingulum fractional anisotropy, as well as greater decreases over time in ventral and dorsal frontal fractional anisotropy (p Limitations Sample size was modest. Conclusions Results suggest abnormalities of gray and white matter in frontal systems and differences in developmental changes of frontal white matter may increase risk of suicide-related behavior in youths with mood disorders. Findings provide potential new leads for early intervention and prevention strategies.
Unusually fast and large actuation from multilayer polyelectrolyte thin films

Polymers responsive to external stimuli (e.g., electric field, chemical vapor, light) are of great interest for smart materials such as sensors and soft robotics. A vapor-driven multilayer polymer actuator, capable of fast and large-scale actuation, is described here. This Janus-like actuator is prepared with two polyelectrolyte multilayer systems (polyethylenimine (PEI)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and polyurethane (PU)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)) using layer-by-layer assembly (LbL). The differing hydrophilicity of these two nanocoatings results in different swelling behavior in water and organic solvents, which leads to vapor-responsive mechanical motion. The bending/curling degree of this polymeric actuator can be precisely controlled by changing the thickness ratio of the two layers. A vapor sensor was constructed to demonstrate the environmental detection ability of this unique actuator.
Probabilistic seismic assessment of as-built and retrofitted old and newly designed skewed multi-frame bridges

Abstract This paper presents a probabilistic seismic assessment of older and newly-designed skewed multi-frame reinforced concrete box-girder bridges in California. The overall system and individual components fragility curves were developed for both older and new bridges with different skewness angles across four different damage states. Moreover, the effectiveness of two retrofit strategies: restrainer cables and shear keys at both in-span hinges and abutments was explored for mitigating the seismic fragility of multi-frame bridges and contributing to the nation's effort in maintaining the deteriorating infrastructure. The results indicate that the bridge system and different component fragilities are affected by the design details chronological changes, deck skewness, and the choice of the retrofit components. Deck unseating at the in-span hinge is shown to be the most sensitive component to the retrofit measures and design chronological changes. The retrofit measures are also shown to reduce the vulnerability of older bridges and have a negligible effect on newly designed bridges. On the other hand, the bearing pads damage of both old and new bridges is the most susceptible component to the deck skewness. For completeness, the results of this study are compared to fragility medians suggested by HAZUS-MH, and a significant underestimation of vulnerability for both old and new skewed multi-frame bridge is shown.
Endovascular Management of Carotid-Cavernous Fistulae

The cavernous sinus is a rich and fascinating anatomic structure, serving as a major conduit between the intradural and extradural cranial milieu. Because of the many connections the cavernous sinus has with other structures of the head and neck, diseases of this structure can have a myriad of presentations. Vascular pathology in particular produces a myriad of symptoms and signs that are quite unique. One of the most recognizable of these lesions is the carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF). Dramatic or slowly indolent in its presentation, it can progress to become devastating to vision, cranial nerve function, and potentially cognition. The complexity of lesions in this territory is historically very difficult to treat, carrying significant morbidity and mortality. Though surgical lesions were the initial method by which to effect a cure, advances in endovascular technology have changed the treatment paradigm. This chapter will describe significant historical aspects, the anatomy and presentation of CCF and the endovascular treatment options for these lesions.
An integrated workflow for multiscale fracture analysis in reservoir analog

The study of the naturally fractured reservoirs is very challenging with the main difficulty being how to model and predict the fracture networks at different scales extending from outcrops and shallow depth to the reservoir and basin depths. Advanced 3D seismic and well data are needed to characterize and model fractures, a process which is time consuming and requires great effort in terms of data collection and analysis. The study of the reservoir analog maybe an easier approach with more readily accessible data. The results can be used to characterize and model fractures at different scales using several available workflows. 3D model is used to understand the fracture distribution, connectivity, fractures kinematics, and emulate the fluid flow simulation. In this paper, an integrated workflow is presented to characterize and model the natural fractures using as case study in the Cambro-Ordovician reservoirs analog located at the Southern edge of the Mouydir basin, Saharan platform in Algeria. The workflow uses the temporal and spatial fracture distribution at the outcrops to predict their extension later at the subsurface. The analysis composed of two main steps. Firstly, the global fault map corresponding to the area of study, generated from the combination of curvature and illumination attributes, geological maps, satellite images, and digital elevation models, is built. The outcomes are the determination of fault sets, length distributions, correlation coefficients, power law coefficients, and fractal dimensions. Secondly, using the same input data and parameters, the fracture impact on the basement formations, in this case, different Cambro-Ordovician units, is analyzed. The proposed methodologies help to determine the major and minor fault sets at different scales to understand the fractography and typology of fractures affecting the Cambro-Ordovician units. The 3D deterministic fault model for each formation is built to illustrate the fractures distribution in space and time. The models superposition helps to determine the fracture origin, their relationship, kinematics, and illustrate the impact of the basement’s faults on the sedimentary cover and the basin’s structure.
Assessment of Myocardial Viability

The primary goal of myocardial viability assessment in ischemic cardiomyopathy is to predict the likelihood of contractile recovery of dysfunctional myocardium following medical therapy and revascularization. Myocardial viability is estimated by probing a variety of biologic properties of a ‘living myocyte’, typically by cardiac imaging modalities—echocardiography, nuclear (SPECT & PET), and cardiac magnetic resonance—each with its own merits and limitations. While there is still an ongoing debate on the degree of therapeutic value of viability assessment, current guidelines acknowledge its prognostic and therapeutic utility in clinical practice. Viability status may not always be an all or none binary phenomenon but can be a wide spectrum from early hibernating to terminal pre-scar stages of the myocardium. As a result, estimating myocardial viability and predicting the revascularization benefits in severe ischemic cardiomyopathy with adverse remodeling can be a challenging task, at times. The decision to pursue revascularization should be based on the several factors that may determine the success of therapy, including the degree of myocardial ischemia, extent of viable and non-viable myocardium in the territory of the culprit coronary artery, left ventricular volumes, left ventricular ejection fraction, patient’s comorbidities and procedural risk. This chapter provides an overview of assessment of myocardial viability, its therapeutic and prognostic implications as well as management of ischemic cardiomyopathy based on the myocardial viability status.
On the true nature of the sphenoidal “pits” in the common warthog, Phacochoerus africanus (Artiodactyla, Suidae), and a description of the cranial sinuses

The peculiar sphenoidal “pits” of the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) long have been recognized as a feature that distinguishes that species from the closely related desert warthog (P. aethiopicus). Authors seem to regard these structures as blind pockets that do not extend beyond the basicranium. However, these structures actually are openings that lead into a complex system of sinuses (the sphenoidal sinuses) located in the sphenoid and squamosal, and occasionally extending into the occipital and parietal bones. The openings appear to serve as a drain into the nasopharynx. The sphenoidal “pits” of P. africanus as currently defined by most authors are, therefore, not homologous with the sphenoidal pits of P. aethiopicus. We suggest that the term “sphenoidal apertures” be applied to these openings. The true homologue of the sphenoidal pits of P. aethiopicus is the bone that surrounds the sphenoidal apertures in P. africanus. This would include the thin bony sheet that forms the floor of the opening and that bears a shallow fossa. We recommend the term “sphenoidal shelf” be employed to describe this part of the true sphenoidal pit of P. africanus. In addition to the sphenoidal sinuses, the maxillary and frontal sinuses of P. africanus also are described. We report the possibility of mammalian cranial sinuses arising from nasopharyngeal diverticula rather than from diverticula originating from the nasal cavity proper. Previously, such nasopharyngeal pneumatization only has been known to occur in Reptilia. Possible sinus functions are discussed including shock absorption, lightening of the skull, improvement of olfaction, and enhancement of the immune system. In addition to P. africanus, sphenoidal apertures also occur in Babyrousa, and in an extinct perissodactyl, a brontothere (= titanothere).
Risk of QT Interval Prolongation Associated With Use of Hydroxychloroquine With or Without Concomitant Azithromycin Among Hospitalized Patients Testing Positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Importance Administration of hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–associated pneumonia carries increased risk of corrected QT (QTc) prolongation and cardiac arrhythmias. Objective To characterize the risk and degree of QT prolongation in patients with COVID-19 in association with their use of hydroxychloroquine with or without concomitant azithromycin. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a cohort study performed at an academic tertiary care center in Boston, Massachusetts, of patients hospitalized with at least 1 positive COVID-19 nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction test result and clinical findings consistent with pneumonia who received at least 1 day of hydroxychloroquine from March 1, 2020, through April 7, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Change in QT interval after receiving hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin; occurrence of other potential adverse drug events. Results Among 90 patients given hydroxychloroquine, 53 received concomitant azithromycin; 44 (48.9%) were female, and the mean (SD) body mass index was 31.5 (6.6). Hypertension (in 48 patients [53.3%]) and diabetes mellitus (in 26 patients [28.9%]) were the most common comorbid conditions. The overall median (interquartile range) baseline QTc was 455 (430-474) milliseconds (hydroxychloroquine, 473 [454-487] milliseconds vs hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, 442 [427-461] milliseconds;P Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, patients who received hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of pneumonia associated with COVID-19 were at high risk of QTc prolongation, and concurrent treatment with azithromycin was associated with greater changes in QTc. Clinicians should carefully weigh risks and benefits if considering hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, with close monitoring of QTc and concomitant medication usage.
Frequency of face touching with and without a mask in pediatric hematology/oncology health care professionals

The impact of wearing a mask on face-touching behavior is unknown. We conducted a survey of pediatric hematology/oncology staff to assess the perception of how masks would affect face-touching behavior and a brief observational study of providers during conferences in a children's hospital to quantify how masks affect face-touching behavior. Most felt that the mask would either increase (37.4%) or decrease (36.6%) their face-touching behavior. During a total of 330 person-minutes of observation, median face-touching rate was 5.4 face touches/hour (FT/h) while wearing a mask and 20 FT/h without a mask. Masks may reduce face-touching behavior amongst health care professionals.
Beyond corticosterone: The acute stress response increases DNA damage in house sparrows.

Although corticosterone (Cort) has been the predominant metric used to assess acute stress in birds, it does not always accurately reflect how an animal copes with a stressor. Downstream measurements may be more reliable. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that acute increases in DNA damage could be used to assess stressor exposure. Studies have shown DNA damage increases in response to stress-related hormones in vitro; however, this has not yet been thoroughly applied in wild animals. We exposed house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to a 30- or 120-min restraint stressor and took blood samples at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min to measure Cort, DNA damage, and uric acid. Both treatments increased DNA damage and Cort, and decreased uric acid. It thus appears that DNA damage can reflect acute stressor exposure. To improve the usability of DNA damage as a metric for stress, we also tested the impacts of sample storage on DNA damage. Leaving red blood cells on ice for up to 24 hr, only slightly influenced DNA damage. Freezing blood samples for 1-4 weeks substantially increased DNA damage. These findings emphasize the importance of reducing variation between samples by assaying them together whenever possible. Overall, these results indicate that assessing DNA damage is a valid method of assessing acute stressor exposure that is suitable for both laboratory- and field-based studies; however, additional research is needed on the molecular dynamics of nucleated red blood cells, including whether and how their DNA is repaired.
A facile synthesis of 4-azaisoindoles and their transformation into novel pyrrole-fused 2-pyridones

Abstract We describe herein a novel, efficient and practical synthetic approach to access pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridines from dihydropyridones in three steps, in which a pyrrole unit is generated from a dihydropyridone using TosMIC reagent. Protection of the resulting pyrrole, Grignard addition followed by oxidative aromatization afford substituted pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridines. These underutilized structures are subsequently transformed to novel pyrrole-fused 2-pyridones via N-alkylation and then oxidation.
Skin tape stripping identifies gene transcript signature associated with allergic contact dermatitis.

Background Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) are common skin conditions with an overlapping clinical and histological appearance, but distinct underlying mechanisms. Patch testing is the gold standard for ACD diagnosis, yet the interpretation of its results may be confounded by weak and varying macroscopic reactions. Objective To examine whether gene transcript profiling of RNA sampled from patch tested patient skin by tape stripping (TS) could differentiate ACD from ICD and the baseline skin state (control) METHODS: Nine patients (seven females, two males; mean age 38.6 years, range 24-72 years) with confirmed ACD through patch testing were recruited. Total RNA was isolated from TS samples and relative transcript abundance was determined by quantitative real-time polymeraise chain reaction using 39 gene-specific primers. Results TS captured gene transcripts derived from diverse skin cell types, including not only keratinocytes, but also epidermal and dermal antigen-presenting cells. Among the genes analysed in transcript profiling, genes encoding epidermal barrier components and inflammatory mediators exhibited changes in transcript abundance in ACD skin compared to ICD or control skin. Conclusions Our findings reveal the potential of skin TS for non-invasive biopsy during patch testing and molecular marker-based ACD diagnosis.
Fusing the single-excitation subspace with $${\mathbb C}^{2^n}$$ C 2 n

There is a tremendous interest in developing practical applications for noisy intermediate-scale quantum processors without the overhead required by full error correction. Near-term quantum information processing is especially challenging within the standard gate model, as algorithms quickly lose fidelity as the problem size and circuit depth grow. This has lead to a number of non-gate-model approaches such as analog quantum simulation and quantum annealing. These come with specific hardware requirements that are different than that of a universal gate-based quantum computer. We have previously proposed an approach called the single-excitation subspace (SES) method, which uses a complete graph of superconducting qubits with tunable coupling. Without error correction the SES method is not scalable, but it offers several algorithmic components with constant depth, which is highly desirable for near-term use. The challenge of the SES method is that it requires a physical qubit for every basis state in the computer’s Hilbert space. This imposes exponentially large resource costs for algorithms using registers of ancillary qubits, as each ancilla would double the required graph size. Here we show how to circumvent this doubling by leaving the SES and fusing it with a multi-ancilla Hilbert space. Specifically, we implement the tensor product of an SES register holding “data” with one or more ancilla qubits, which are able to independently control arbitrary $$n\!\times \!n$$ unitary operations on the data in a constant number of steps. This enables a hybrid form of quantum computation where fast SES operations are performed on the data, traditional logic gates and measurements are performed on the ancillas, and controlled-unitaries act between. As example applications, we give ancilla-assisted SES implementations of quantum phase estimation and the quantum linear system solver of Harrow, Hassidim, and Lloyd.
Comparative Analysis of LSTM, One-Class SVM, and PCA to Monitor Real-Time Malware Threats Using System Call Sequences and Virtual Machine Introspection

System call analysis is based on a behavior-oriented anomaly detection technique, which is well accepted due to its consistent performance. This study compares two popular algorithms long short-term memory (LSTM) sequence to sequence (Seq-Seq), and one-class support vector machines (OCSVM) for anomalous system call sequences detection. The proposed framework monitors running processes to recognize compromised virtual machines in hypervisor-based systems. The evaluated results show the comparative analysis and effectiveness of feature extraction strategies and anomaly detection algorithms based on their high detection accuracy and with a low loss. This study demonstrates a comparative analysis of detecting anomalous behavior in any process using OCSVM and LSTM Seq-Seq algorithms. A bag-of-2-g with PCA feature extraction strategy and LSTM Seq-Seq with a sequence length of five provides higher detection accuracy of 97.2%.
Intraoperative hematoma volume can predict chronic subdural hematoma recurrence.

Background We routinely measured the exact chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) volume during single burr hole surgery. To date, several risk factors have been reported for CSDH recurrence, including sex, hematoma volume and degree of midline shift calculated from computed tomography, use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications, and alcohol consumption habits. The aim of this study was to clarify whether hematoma volume, in conjunction with other factors, can predict recurrence. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 194 consecutive patients with CSDH who underwent single burr hole surgery. The risk factors for recurrence were analyzed based on patients' sex, age, bilaterality, existence of apparent trauma history, exact intraoperative hematoma volume, and various clinical factors, including preoperative anticoagulant/antiplatelet intake. Results Recurrence occurred in 22 patients (11.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that intraoperative hematoma volume was an independent risk factor for CSDH recurrence (odds ratio [OR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.02, P < 0.001), in addition to sex (male) (OR 9.25; 95% CI, 1.00-84.8; P = 0.049) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR: 3.97, 95% CI, 1.34-11.7, P = 0.013). Based on receiver operating characteristics analysis, the cutoff value of the hematoma volume predicting CSDH recurrence was 150 ml (sensitivity and specificity of 72.7% and 72.1%, respectively; area under the curve: 0.7664, 95% CI: 0.654-0.879, P < 0.001). Of these, a hematoma volume ≥150 mL was the strongest independent risk factor for recurrence according to multiple regression (OR: 8.98, 95% CI: 2.73-29.6, P < 0.001) and Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.18-7.87, log-rank P = 0.0046, P = 0.021). Follow-up periods after surgery were significantly longer for cases with recurrence than for non-recurrence cases (24.8 ± 11.5 vs. 15.9 ± 9.7 days), and the recurrence prediction cutoff value was 17 days, with a sensitivity and specificity of 83.1% and 68.2%, respectively (AUC: 0.7707, 95% CI: 0.6695-0.8720, P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraoperative hematoma volume could be a predictive value for CSDH recurrence.
Leadership Mindsets: Why New Managers Fail and What to Do About It

Abstract It is not a secret that many leadership development programs are not producing their intended results, and that the majority of first-time managers are simply not effective. Even though leadership development is a high priority for organizations, most companies recognize that their programs have much to improve in selecting and developing first time managers. Perhaps it is time to reconsider the assumptions that these programs are based upon. First, while organizations tend to promote high performing individual contributors, the mindsets of an effective individual contributor do no translate to effective leadership mindsets. Second, leadership development programs generally assume that new managers can change behavior by focusing on skill development. These programs fail to identify, name, and address the underlying mindsets that influence individual action. In this article, I highlight research on leadership and leadership mindsets that can replace the assumptions of underperforming leadership selection and training programs. Building on leadership mindset research, I make recommendations to help organizations better select and train new managers.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Fentanyl Dissociation from the mu-Opioid Receptor

Driven by illicit fentanyl, opioid related deaths have reached the highest level in 2020. Currently, an opioid overdose is resuscitated by the use of naloxone, which competitively binds and antagonizes the mu-opioid receptor (mOR). Thus, knowledge of the residence times of opioids at mOR and the unbinding mechanisms is valuable for assessing the effectiveness of naloxone. In the present study we calculate the fentanyl-mOR dissociation time and elucidate the mechanism by applying an enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (MD) technique. Two sets of metadynamics simulations with different initial structures were performed while accounting for the protonation state of the conserved H297, which has been suggested to modulate the ligand-mOR affinity and binding mode. Surprisingly, with the Nd-protonated H297, fentanyl can descend as much as 10 Angstrom below the level of the conserved D147 before escaping the receptor, and has a calculated residence time of 38 s. In contrast, with the NE- and doubly protonated H297, the calculated residence times are 2.6 s and 0.9 s, respectively. Analysis suggests that formation of the piperidine--Hid297 hydrogen bond strengthens the hydrophobic contacts with the transmembrane helix (TM) 6, allowing fentanyl to explore a deep pocket. Considering the experimental τ of ~4 min for fentanyl and the role of TM6 in mOR activation, we suggest that the deep insertion mechanism may be biologically relevant. The work paves the way for large-scale computational predictions of opioid dissociation rates to inform the regulatory decision. The profound role of the histidine protonation state found here may shift the paradigm in computational studies of ligand-receptor kinetics.
No Difference in Neck Pain or Health-Related Quality Measures Between Patients With or Without Degenerative Cervical Spondylolisthesis.

Study DesignThis study is a retrospective case control.ObjectivesThis study aims to determine whether cervical degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) is associated with increased baseline neck/arm pai...