cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term survival after surgical aortic valve replacement among patients over 65 years of age.

Objective Surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains the gold standard therapy for severe aortic stenosis. Long-term survival data following AVR is required. Our objective was to provide a detailed contemporary benchmark of long-term survival following AVR among elderly patients (≥65 years) in the UK. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1815 adult patients undergoing surgical AVR± coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery at a single UK centre between 1996 and 2011. Our main outcome was patient survival, which was assessed by linkage to census records at the Office for National Statistics. Results The mean age of the cohort was 75 (±5.6) years. Patients in the AVR alone group had a slightly higher median survival of 10.9 (95% CI 10.5 to 11.8) years than the AVR+CABG group which had a median survival of 9.6 (95% CI 8.7 to 10.1) years (p=0.001 of log-rank test (LRT) for equality of survivor functions). The presence of chronic kidney disease, severely impaired left ventricular function or being a current smoker were each associated with a ≥50% increased risk of long-term mortality. Comparison of our study cohort patients and the reference (operation year, age and gender matched) UK population suggested no difference in survival probability up to 8 years (p=0.55). However, for longer periods of follow-up, the difference became increasingly significant (p<0.0001). Conclusions Long-term survival following surgical AVR in patients over 65 years of age is excellent and up to 8 years is comparable to the matched general population.
The Critique of Nationalism

Rabindranath Tagore’s critique of nationalism on the whole earned him more opprobrium than praise. The time was out of joint for a tirade against a concept which dominated the early decades of the century. The right to self-determination seemed a necessary truth and this was encouraging for new nations hoping to join the club, especially for countries belonging to dismembered empires or one which might hopefully in the future be dismembered. And yet, even so, immediately after a world war there was an audience for a different message. Wars were waged by nation-states and to those who saw in war one of the greatest evils, it was not difficult to identify in nationalism and the xenophobia it so often inspired a major cause of armed conflict.
El Estado chileno y la Patagonia: una tensa relación en la última frontera interior de América Latina

The Patagonia is the last of the major unpopulated regions of Latin America, and its western zone, which belongs to Chile, is the most isolated one. In this article, some of the research outcomes are exposed, specifically the secular tension that this zone maintains with the absent Chilean State central administration. Relation that has rendered western Chilean Patagonia at the margin of integration due to deficient territorial management policies and of colonization. Summarily, two recent and emblematic social conflicts are described, which consequences on territorial management in the zone will mark the coming years from two fundamental axes: the ecological and sustainable priority of any development project, and the rising of increasing levels of local protagonism in the region. Methodologically, this article corresponds to a study case with multisituated ethnographies and supported by secondary information.
Assessment of the influence of the RaD-X balloon payload on the onboard radiation detectors

The NASA Radiation Dosimetry Experiment (RaD-X) stratospheric balloon flight mission, launched on 25 September 2015, provided dosimetric measurements above the Pfotzer maximum. The goal of taking these measurements is to improve aviation radiation models by providing a characterization of cosmic ray primaries, which are the source of radiation exposure at aviation altitudes. The RaD-X science payload consists of four instruments. The main science instrument is a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC). The other instruments consisted of three solid state silicon dosimeters: Liulin, Teledyne total ionizing dose (TID) and RaySure detectors. The instruments were housed in an aluminum structure protected by a foam cover. The structure partially shielded the detectors from cosmic rays but also created secondary particles, modifying the ambient radiation environment observed by the instruments. Therefore, it is necessary to account for the influence of the payload structure on the measured doses. In this paper, we present the results of modeling the effect of the balloon payload on the radiation detector measurements using a Geant-4 (GEometry ANd Tracking) application. Payload structure correction factors derived for the TEPC, Liulin, and TID instruments are provided as a function of altitude. Overall, the payload corrections are no more than a 7% effect on the radiation environment measurements.
Small RNA Transfection in Primary Human Th17 Cells by Next Generation Electroporation.

CD4+ T cells can differentiate into several subsets of effector T helper cells depending on the surrounding cytokine milieu. Th17 cells can be generated from naive CD4+ T cells in vitro by activating them in the presence of the polarizing cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-23, and TGFβ. Th17 cells orchestrate immunity against extracellular bacteria and fungi, but their aberrant activity has also been associated with several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Th17 cells are identified by the chemokine receptor CCR6 and defined by their master transcription factor, RORγt, and characteristic effector cytokine, IL-17A. Optimized culture conditions for Th17 cell differentiation facilitate mechanistic studies of human T cell biology in a controlled environment. They also provide a setting for studying the importance of specific genes and gene expression programs through RNA interference or the introduction of microRNA (miRNA) mimics or inhibitors. This protocol provides an easy to use, reproducible, and highly efficient method for transient transfection of differentiating primary human Th17 cells with small RNAs using a next generation electroporation device.
Maximizing Stake Performance: Storage, Soaking, Scoring, and Auxin as Pre-Planting Techniques for Sandbar Willow (Salix exigua) Stakes

ABSTRACT: Willow (Salix spp.) stakes are used in riparian restoration due to their wetland adaptations, large root systems, and production of adventitious roots. Best practices for maximizing stake performance need to be developed. We tested the effects of storage, scoring, and auxin treatments on the performance of sandbar willow (Salix exigua) stakes. Storage significantly increased height, longest stem length, and biomass. Height and aboveground biomass increased when stakes were stored/soaked. There were no significant effects of scoring or auxin application. Results show storing and soaking significantly improve willow stake performance, which could lead to faster canopy closure and better invasive species control in the field, increasing restoration success.
The natural history of thin melanoma and the utility of sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Background and Objectives Current literature may overestimate the risk of nodal metastasis from thin melanoma due to reporting of data only from lesions treated with SLNB. Our objective was to define the natural history of thin melanoma, assessing the likelihood of nodal disease, in order to guide selection for SLNB. Methods Retrospective review. The primary outcome was the rate of nodal disease. Clinicopathologic factors were evaluated to find associations with nodal disease. Results Five hundred and twelve lesions, follow up available for 488 (median: 48 months). Lesions treated with WLE/SLNB compared to WLE alone were more likely to have high-risk features. The rate of nodal disease was higher in the WLE/SLNB group (24 positive SLNB, five false-negative SLNB with nodal recurrence: 10.2%) compared to WLE alone (four nodal recurrences: 2.0%). Univariate analysis showed age ≤45, Breslow depth ≥0.85 mm, mitotic rate >1 mm2, and ulceration were associated with nodal disease. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of age ≤45 and ulceration. Conclusions SLNB for melanoma 0.75-0.99 mm should be considered in patients age ≤45, Breslow depth ≥0.85 mm, mitotic rate >1 mm2, and/or with ulceration. Thin melanoma <0.85 mm without high-risk features may be treated with WLE alone.
Abstract 4988: Genome-wide CRISPR screen and metabolite profiling reveal a new mechanism of methotrexate sensitivity

The chemotherapeutic drug methotrexate (MTX) inhibits nucleotide biosynthesis and causes cell death by blocking DNA and RNA production. While MTX has had tremendous success as an anti-cancer treatment and is the subject of nearly a thousand ongoing clinical trials, we do not fully understand why certain cancers are more sensitive to it and why resistance emerges. To study these questions, we used a CRISPR-based genetic screen to identify genes that confer sensitivity to MTX. We identified an enzyme that plays a key role in a metabolic pathway that was not known to be associated with MTX sensitivity. Inhibition of the pathway, either by genetic loss of several genes in the pathway or through nutritional modulations, causes dramatic resistance to MTX in cultured cancer cells. Our results improved our understanding of the cellular response to MTX, and suggest that expression levels of enzymes in the pathway may serve as clinical predictor for MTX response in patients. Citation Format: Naama Kanarek, Elizaveta Freinkman, Jason Cantor, Monther Abu-Remaileh, Tim Wang, David M. Sabatini. Genome-wide CRISPR screen and metabolite profiling reveal a new mechanism of methotrexate sensitivity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4988. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4988
Oncostatin M and TNF-α induce alpha-1 antitrypsin production in undifferentiated adipose stromal cells

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT), a circulating acute-phase reactant antiprotease, is produced and secreted by cells of endodermal epithelial origin, primarily hepatocytes, and by immune cells. Deficienc...
The Glass Escalator, Revisited: Gender Inequality in Neoliberal Times, SWS Feminist Lecturer

When women work in male-dominated professions, they encounter a “glass ceiling” that prevents their ascension into the top jobs. Twenty years ago, I introduced the concept of the “glass escalator,” my term for the advantages that men receive in the so-called women’s professions (nursing, teaching, librarianship, and social work), including the assumption that they are better suited than women for leadership positions. In this article, I revisit my original analysis and identify two major limitations of the concept: (1) it fails to adequately address intersectionality; in particular, it fails to theorize race, sexuality, and class; and (2) it was based on the assumptions of traditional work organizations, which are undergoing rapid transformation in our neoliberal era. The glass escalator assumes stable employment, career ladders, and widespread support for public institutions (e.g., schools and libraries)—which no longer characterize the job market today. Drawing on my studies of the oil and gas industry ...
Aptamer Therapeutics in Cancer: Current and Future.

Aptamer-related technologies represent a revolutionary advancement in the capacity to rapidly develop new classes of targeting ligands. Structurally distinct RNA and DNA oligonucleotides, aptamers mimic small, protein-binding molecules and exhibit high binding affinity and selectivity. Although their molecular weight is relatively small—approximately one-tenth that of monoclonal antibodies—their complex tertiary folded structures create sufficient recognition surface area for tight interaction with target molecules. Additionally, unlike antibodies, aptamers can be readily chemically synthesized and modified. In addition, aptamers’ long storage period and low immunogenicity are favorable properties for clinical utility. Due to their flexibility of chemical modification, aptamers are conjugated to other chemical entities including chemotherapeutic agents, siRNA, nanoparticles, and solid phase surfaces for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, as relatively small sized oligonucleotides, aptamers present several challenges for successful clinical translation. Their short plasma half-lives due to nuclease degradation and rapid renal excretion necessitate further structural modification of aptamers for clinical application. Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first aptamer drug, Macugen® (pegaptanib), which treats wet-age-related macular degeneration, several aptamer therapeutics for oncology have followed and shown promise in pre-clinical models as well as clinical trials. This review discusses the advantages and challenges of aptamers and introduces therapeutic aptamers under investigation and in clinical trials for cancer treatments.
A comparative study on nonlinear models for performance-based earthquake engineering

Abstract Performance-based earthquake engineering requires a large number of nonlinear dynamic analyses to statistically assess the performance of frame structures. The complexity and high computational demand of such procedures, however, has hindered its use in practice. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of three numerical models with varying computational demand levels. Two nonlinear models with different complexities and one linear model with a concentrated plasticity approach were used to evaluate a reinforced concrete frame. The accuracy of the calculated responses was assessed using the experimental results. A total number of 126 dynamic analyses were performed to derive fragility curves. The nonlinear models calculated significantly more accurate structural responses than the more-commonly used plastic-hinge model. The model preparation and result acquisition times were found to comprise a significant portion of the total computational demand of each model. An overview of the performance-based modeling processes and the critical points for minimizing the computational demand while retaining the calculation accuracy are also presented.
Multi-Cloud Performance and Security Driven Federated Workflow Management

Federated multi-cloud resource allocation for data-intensive application workflows is generally performed based on performance or quality of service (i.e., QSpecs ) considerations. At the same time, end-to-end security requirements of these workflows across multiple domains are considered as an afterthought due to lack of standardized formalization methods. Consequently, diverse/heterogenous domain resource and security policies cause inter-conflicts between application's security and performance requirements that lead to sub-optimal resource allocations. In this paper, we present a joint performance and security-driven federated resource allocation scheme for data-intensive scientific applications. In order to aid joint resource brokering among multi-cloud domains with diverse/heterogenous security postures, we first define and characterize a data-intensive application's security specifications (i.e., SSpecs ). Then we describe an alignment technique inspired by Portunes Algebra to homogenize the various domain resource policies (i.e., RSpecs ) along an application's workflow lifecycle stages. Using such formalization and alignment, we propose a near optimal cost-aware joint QSpecs - SSpecs -driven, RSpecs -compliant resource allocation algorithm for multi-cloud computing resource domain/location selection as well as network path selection. We implement our security formalization, alignment, and allocation scheme as a framework, viz., “OnTimeURB” and validate it in a multi-cloud environment with exemplar data-intensive application workflows involving distributed computing and remote instrumentation use cases with different performance and security requirements.
The effect of long-term contact lens wear on the cells of the cornea.

Purpose: To review the effects of long-term contact lens wear on the cells of the cornea. Methods: Published investigations into the effects of long-term contact lens wear on the corneal epithelium, keratocytes, and endothelium were reviewed. Results: Results from multiple studies indicate that long-term daily wear of contact lenses causes endothelial polymegethism but has no effect on corneal epithelium (thickness, surface cell size); keratocytes (density, stromal reflectivity); or endothelial cell density, permeability, or pump rate. Extended wear also causes no endothelial changes other than polymegethism, but it affects the epithelium (decreased thickness, increased surface cell size) and keratocytes (possible decreased density). Conclusions: Investigators have not found detrimental effects on the cells of the cornea from the long-term use of daily wear contact lenses. Although contact lenses cause endothelial polymegethism, no functional deficits ensue. Extended wear lenses may cause changes in all three cell types, but it is not known if these effects are detrimental nor if they occur with newer lenses of higher oxygen transmissibility. Patients can be reassured that modern contact lenses can be worn for many years in daily wear fashion (and possibly in extended wear with lenses of very high oxygen transmissibility) without damaging the cells of the cornea.
Diltiazem restores cardiac output and improves renal function after hemorrhagic shock and crystalloid resuscitation.

Although calcium antagonists produce salutary effects after shock and ischemia, it is unknown whether such agents restore the depressed cardiac output (CO) and renal function in a nonheparinized mo...
Kinetics of Dissolution of Magnesium Oxide in a Sodium Silicate Melt

A continuous measurement process is needed for studying the kinetics of refractory corrosion. Dissolution kinetics of magnesium oxide in a sodium silicate melt in the temperature range of 1100°C to 1220°C were studied. The rate of reaction was observed by using a continuous measurement process which was designed especially for this investigation but can be used for other refractory corrosion reactions. With this process, the weight loss can be measured at any time during the experiment, thus providing many advantages over previous techniques in which only the starting and ending points can be measured.
Three-Dimensional Kinetics of Rigid Bodies

On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the National Academy of Engineering selected the Moon landing as the single most impressive engineering achievement in the past 25 years. That event, which was witnessed on television in 1969 by six hundred million people marked the pinnacle of engineering vision and daring. When Neil Armstrong set the first earthling foot onto that celestial body, human consciousness leaped into space to a degree unequaled since the discovery of the New World. That small step by Armstrong was a triumph for humankind and a fulfillment of the hopes and aspirations of people everywhere without regard to race and national origin. The Moon landing illustrated the vitality and importance of teamwork while eloquently emphasizing the essence of a great nation.
Pathological Aspects of Brain Transport Phenomena

Historically the extravasation of dye compounds such as Evans blue and fluorescein as dye albumin complexes into the brain have been the oldest acceptable indicators of blood brain barrier (BBB) injury11, 12, 35. Subsequently, among radiolabeled substances3, labeled albumin has been most commonly used for the quantitative, besides the qualitative, evaluation of BBB permeability to albumin in pathological conditions35, 49. More recently, fluorescein labeled serum protein30 and horseradish peroxidase48 (MW 40,000) have been introduced as tracers for the functional assessment of BBB status under various circumstances. All of these substances have a common denominator of enabling the investigation of one of the many probable parameters of BBB permeability; namely, the passage of proteins across the membrane barrier. Another dimension was added in clarifying the selective vulnerability BBB when altered brain uptake of nutrients was demonstrated in the experimentally damaged BBB55–57. However, for years elaborate quantitative investigations of brain transport phenomenon in disease have been limited due to lack of suitable methods for such a study.
Patient Characteristics Associated With Voluntary Safety Event Reporting in the Acute Care Setting.

OBJECTIVES: Adverse events are increasingly important to health care delivery and financial reimbursement. Most hospitals use voluntary event reporting (VER) systems to detect safety events, which may be vulnerable to individual and systemic biases. We tested the hypothesis that patient demographic factors such as weight status and race would be associated with safety event reporting in the acute care setting. METHODS: We reviewed all acute care encounters for patients 2 to 17 years of age and corresponding safety events entered in the VER system of a tertiary-care children’s hospital from February 2015 to February 2016. Data collected included patient demographics, clinical characteristics, incident description, and reported harm score. Our primary outcome was any report of a safety event. Using χ2 and multivariable logistical regression methods, we determined patient characteristics associated with safety event reporting. RESULTS: A total of 22 056 patient encounters were identified, and 341 (1.5%) of those had a reported safety event. In univariate analysis, age, weight category, and race were found to be significantly associated with event reporting, whereas sex and insurance provider were not. In the multivariable logistic regression model, obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49–0.97) and African American race (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46–0.93) were negatively associated with event reporting, whereas length of stay was positively associated (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.46–1.55). CONCLUSIONS: We identified associations between patient demographic factors and voluntary safety event reporting in the acute care setting. In future studies, we will compare VER to event identification by more objective measures, such as a trigger tool.
In the Courts

Courtrooms are busy places. A colleague of mine once termed lawsuits as “chaos”, best to be avoided. However, the courts are a critical component of the legal process and are essential to determining how the law applies to a given situation. Individual court decisions provide a snapshot as to how the law may apply to a situation. I spent some time gathering a few selected court decisions from over the last several weeks as a modest representation of the range of issues the courts deal with, and how even some of these modest issues may impact the information industry.
Abstract 1217: Exploiting host pre-existing immunity for melanoma cancer immunotherapy

Vaccines are considered one of greatest successes of modern medicine; indeed, prophylactic vaccinations allow tight control of disease spreading and even eradication of some diseases. Vaccines immunize patients against known antigens derived from infectious agents, so that the immune system can efficiently block pathogen entry and mount a faster and better immune reaction in case of infection. In the context of cancer, finding good antigens for immunization against tumor cells can be challenging since tumor cells are derived from the self, and thus are not always efficiently recognized as malignant by the immune system. Here, we seek to develop a cancer immunotherapy that delivers a pre-encountered antigen to tumor cells to redirect the host pre-existing immunity against cancer. As a vaccine model, we used ovalbumin (OVA) antigen adjuvanted with CpG-B oligodeoxynucleotides to pre-immunize C57BL/6 mice, developing both T cell and B cell immunity against OVA. At least one month later, mice were challenged with B16-OVA melanoma cells. We observed that tumor growth in pre-immunized mice was slightly delayed compared to growth in naive mice, but this effect was modest, leading to an overall 1-day increased survival. We reasoned that this effect could be improved by modifying the cellular localization of OVA antigen; indeed, OVA is expressed intracellularly in B16-OVA cells, thus excluding potential antibody-mediated anti-tumoral immune response. Therefore, we created a B16 melanoma cell line that overexpresses a membrane-bound OVA (B16memOVA), using similar design as published elsewhere (DiLillo et al., J. Immunol. 2010). In vitro, B16memOVA cells behaved similarly to the parental B16 cell line, and the growth of B16memOVA tumors in OVA-expressing mice (which are tolerant to OVA) was similar to the growth of B16 tumors, thus validating our B16memOVA tumor model. When implanted in naive mice, B16memOVA tumors were able to grow, despite the onset of a neo-immune reaction against OVA, which slows tumor growth. In contrast, mice pre-immunized against OVA totally rejected B16memOVA tumors. Our efforts are now focusing on the development of an antigen-delivery method to trigger the expression of membrane-bound OVA in B16 tumors after implantation, to apply this approach in a therapeutic setup. Citation Format: Priscilla S. Briquez, Sylvie Hauert, Gregoire Repond, Melody A. Swartz, Jeffrey A. Hubbell. Exploiting host pre-existing immunity for melanoma cancer immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1217.
Neuroimaging Findings of Delirium

Neuroimaging is increasingly being used as a tool to gain a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of delirium. While initial neuroimaging investigations of delirium centered on qualitative analysis of brain computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions, voxel-based morphometry studies were the first to show specific gray and white matter structural correlates related to delirium. More recently, diffusion tensor imaging has offered insights into alterations in white matter pathways that may underlie delirium. Cerebral blood flow measurements using Xenon CT and MRI techniques have shown both regional and global decreases during delirium compared to baseline. Resting-state functional MRI has also been used to identify changes in functional cortical connectivity. Most recently, positron emission tomography (PET) MRI has given clues to pathologic protein alterations in delirium. Given the constraints of neuroimaging, research must proceed in a focused, hypothesis-driven manner.
Increased Posterior Tibial Slope in Patients With Osgood-Schlatter Disease: A New Association.

Background:Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is a traction apophysitis of the tibial tubercle caused by repetitive strain and chronic avulsion from the patellar tendon. No widely accepted anatomic ris...
Modified PRISM and SCI-SET Spasticity Measures for Persons With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Results of a Rasch Analyses.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury Spasticity Evaluation Tool (SCI-SET) and Patient-Reported Impact of Spasticity Measure (PRISM) using Rasch analysis to optimize their validity and efficiency. Design Rasch analysis of the SCI-SET and PRISM represents a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a collaborative research project of the SCI Model Systems Centers. The overall survey was organized into 4 sections: (1) participant demographics and injury characteristics, (2) participant experiences of spasticity, (3) SCI-SET, and (4) PRISM. Participants were recruited from the community via multiple avenues. Data were collected and managed via an online survey tool using a secure web-based data management application. Setting Participating Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers. Participants Most participants (N=1239) had lived with their injury for more than 2 years and used a wheelchair as their primary mode of mobility. The majority of the sample (58%) sustained cervical injuries. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures SCI-SET and PRISM. Results The SCI-SET demonstrated strong measurement properties with acceptably high reliability and point-measure correlations and no evidence of multidimensionality. However, respondents underused some rating scale categories. Analyses of the PRISM demonstrated 3 distinct subscales relating to the physical, psychological, and social influences of spasticity; respondents underused some rating scale categories. Combining underused rating scale categories for both spasticity instruments resulted in increased reliability and reduced respondent burden compared with the original versions. Both the Modified SCI-SET (person separation reliability=0.93) and Modified PRISM (person separation reliability=0.85, 0.89, 0.83 for physical, psychological, and social subscores, respectively) display strong measurement properties. Conclusions Measurement properties of the SCI-SET and PRISM improved from use of Rasch model methods. The SCI-SET required minor revisions, whereas the PRISM required definition of subscores. Both modified spasticity measures demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, and correlations among the modified measures were high, providing evidence of convergent validity. We recommend use of the Modified SCI-SET and Modified PRISM measures in future studies.
Functionalized nanofibrous nylon 6 membranes for efficient reusable and selective separation of laccase enzyme.

Abstract The development of biomolecules adsorbent with superb efficiency and large processing throughput is of great importance for separation and reusing of enzymes in its free form in various vital industries. Herein, laccase enzyme adsorbent was prepared by carboxylation of nanofibrous nylon 6 membranes (Ny NFM) to form complex with copper metal ions [Ny-CCA-Cu(II)] with high selectivity for laccase adsorption with adsorption capacity 220 mg.g−1 within 4 h. The prepared nylon NFM provides a promising candidate for separation and use of laccase enzyme in its free form for several times without significant change in its activity. Moreover, [Ny-CCA-Cu(II)] showed dynamic binding efficiency of 160 mg g−1 which was achieved solely by a gravity filtration, as well as good reusability of [Ny-CCA-Cu(II)] at least for 5 cycles. The results were due to stable physical and chemical structures, highly tortuous open-porous structure of the nanofibrous membranes, and incorporated Cu+2 complex in [Ny-CCA-Cu(II)]. This simple approach may introduce a way for the design and development of a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and selective adsorptive membranes to recover the valuable enzymes in industrial applications.
Isolation, Lack of Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Role Models

Despite the increasing prevalence of women in medicine, they still represent a small percentage of medical school faculty. Due to a “leaky” pipeline, women often do not advance past midlevel academic positions, and few have senior leadership roles. Women may engage in meaningful academic or clinical work that does not traditionally lead to promotion. Even when publication rates are similar within a given field, women still have a slower career trajectory as compared to men. The paucity of women in medicine, especially in leadership roles, can lead to professional isolation, which contributes to burnout and its long-term consequences. Academic institutions can implement a number of strategies to help combat professional isolation among women including promoting mentorship, sponsoring, and coaching activities, creating focused pathways for promotion, providing constructive feedback, and developing a transparent organizational structure.
Biological Means of Arsenic Minimization with Special Reference to Siderophore

Arsenic (As), a p-block element, is a metalloid common on earth crust in various forms such as arsenopyrite and scorodite. It is known to be present in four oxidation states that are −3, 0, +3 and +5 of which pentavalent and trivalent forms are most toxic. Arsenic in its various forms proves hazardous to environment and all living beings including microbes, animals and plants. In animals, it affects almost all vital organs including liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. As is a known carcinogen too. In plants, As triggers production of reactive oxygen species hence deteriorate development and metabolism of plants. To mitigate these hazardous effects organisms have developed As detoxification mechanisms such as arsenic transforming enzymes, phytochelatins, etc. An emerging discovery in context of arsenic mitigation is utilization of siderophores. Siderophores are secondary metabolites of microorganisms, some plants as well as mammalian cells. These are low molecular weight peptides synthesized via ribosome independent process using non-ribosomal peptide synthetase enzymes. Major function of siderophore was believed to be chelation of iron to make it accessible for siderophore producers. However, studies proved that it can too binds with other heavy metals and metalloids and form thermodynamically stable complex. The complex formation between siderophores and different metals and metalloids including As depends on various physiochemical parameters. This chapter highlights different aspects of arsenic detoxification in organisms with special reference to siderophore utilization in arsenic mitigation.
Assessing disabling and non-disabling injuries and illnesses using accepted workers compensation claims data to prioritize industries of high risk for Oregon young workers

Abstract Introduction: Young workers are especially vulnerable to occupational injuries and illnesses. There is a continued need to investigate injury burden among young workers across demographics and industry to inform targeted interventions. Workers compensation (WC) claims are important for quantifying work-related injuries and illnesses, however published studies have focused on disabling claims. This study extended previous research on Oregon young workers by including the most recent WC claims data to identify patterns of injury and high risk industries. Methods: We obtained all accepted disabling claims (N = 13,360) and a significant portion of non-disabling claims (N = 24,660) on workers aged 24 years and under from 2013 to 2018. Claim count, rate and cost were calculated by year, age, gender, industry, and injury type. A prevention index (PI) method was used to rank industries in order to inform prevention efforts. Results: Average annual disabling and non-disabling claim rates were 111.6 and 401.3 per 10,000 young workers. Workers aged 19–21 (disabling: 119.0 per 10,000 and non-disabling: 429.3) and 22–24 years (115.7 and 396.4) and male workers (145.3 and 509.0) had higher claim rates than workers aged 14–18 (80.6 and 297.0) and female workers (79.8 and 282.9). The most frequent injury types were “struck by/against” (35.6%) and “work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)” (19.5%). High risk industries included agriculture, construction, and manufacturing for both genders combined. For female young workers, the highest risk industry was healthcare. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the added value of non-disabling WC claims data. Using both disabling and non-disabling data and PI method, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and healthcare industries were identified as priority workplaces to prevent common and costly injuries among Oregon young workers. Practical Applications: While the industries identified are considered hazardous for all workers, findings in this study can guide targeted research and prevention efforts specific to young workers.
Early success transplanting kidneys from donors with new SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity: A report of 10 cases.

Transplantation of solid organs from donors with active SARS-CoV-2 infection has been advised against due to the possibility of disease transmission to the recipient. However, with the exception of lungs, conclusive data for productive infection of transplantable organs do not exist. While such data are awaited, the organ shortage continues to claim thousands of lives each year. In this setting, we put forth a strategy to transplant otherwise healthy extrapulmonary organs from SARS-CoV-2-infected donors. We transplanted 10 kidneys from five deceased donors with new detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA during donor evaluation in early 2021. Kidney donor profile index ranged from 3% to 56%. All organs had been turned down by multiple other centers. Without clear signs or symptoms, the veracity of timing of SARS-CoV-2 infection could not be confirmed. With 8-16 weeks of follow-up, outcomes for all 10 patients and allografts have been excellent. All have been free of signs or symptoms of donor-derived SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings raise important questions about the nature of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in potential organ donors and suggest underutilization of exceptionally good extrapulmonary organs with low risk for disease transmission.
A prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled multisite clinical study of bedinvetmab, a canine monoclonal antibody targeting nerve growth factor, in dogs with osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE Bedinvetmab is a canine monoclonal antibody targeting nerve growth factor. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of bedinvetmab for alleviation of pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs. STUDY DESIGN Double-blind, randomized, multicentre, placebo-controlled study. ANIMALS Client-owned dogs (n = 287) with osteoarthritis. METHODS Dogs were randomized (1:1) to subcutaneous injection with placebo (saline, n = 146) or bedinvetmab (0.5-1.0 mg kg-1, n = 141) administered monthly. After 3 months, 89 bedinvetmab-treated dogs that responded positively based on owner and veterinarian assessments were administered up to six additional doses of bedinvetmab in a single-armed open-label continuation phase. The primary efficacy end point was treatment success based on the owner-assessed canine brief pain inventory (CBPI) on day 28. Treatment success was defined as ≥ 1 reduction in pain severity score (0-10) and ≥ 2 in pain interference score (0-10). RESULTS Percentage treatment success was significantly greater in the bedinvetmab group than in the placebo group from day 7 through all assessed time points (p ≤ 0.0025). On day 28, 43.5% of dogs achieved treatment success with bedinvetmab compared with placebo (16.9%) (p = 0.0017). Treatment success continued through days 56 (50.8%) and 84 (48.2%) in the bedinvetmab group and was < 25% in the placebo group at all time points. Sustained efficacy was demonstrated in the continuation phase. Adverse health events occurred at similar frequencies in both groups. They were considered typical for a population of dogs with osteoarthritis and not related to study treatment. Treatment with bedinvetmab demonstrated a significant effect on all three components of CBPI-pain interference, pain severity, quality of life. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of bedinvetmab administered monthly for up to 9 months at 0.5-1.0 mg kg-1 for alleviation of pain associated with canine osteoarthritis.
A semi-parametric, state-space compartmental model with time-dependent parameters for forecasting COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths

Short-term forecasts of the dynamics of COVID-19 in the period up to its decline following mass vaccination was a task that received much attention but proved difficult to do with high accuracy. A major obstacle has been capturing variations in the underlying kinetics of transmission resulting from changes in public policy, individual behaviors, and evolution of the virus. However, the availability of standardized forecasts and versioned data sets from this period allows for continued work in this area. Here we introduce the Gaussian Infection State Space with Time-dependence (GISST) forecasting model. We evaluate its performance in 1-4 week ahead forecasts of COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions, and deaths in the state of California made with official reports of COVID-19, Googles mobility reports, and vaccination data available each week from June 29, 2020 to April, 26, 2021. Evaluation of these forecasts with a weighted interval score shows them to consistently outperform a naive baseline forecast and often score closer to or better than a high-performing ensemble forecaster. The GISST model also provides parameter estimates for a compartmental model of COVID-19 dynamics, includes a regression submodel for the transmission rate, and allows for parameters to vary over time according to a random walk. GISST provides a novel, balanced combination of computational efficiency, model interpretability, and applicability to large multivariate data sets that may prove useful in improving the accuracy of infectious disease forecasts. Author summaryThe COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented both in the volume of related data made available and the volume of infectious disease forecasts generated. Improvements in forecasting methods can allow us to more fully identify regular patterns within the available data, which may provide further insight into the epidemiology of COVID-19. Improved forecasting algorithms would also be of value during any future outbreaks of similar pathogens, and to develop models useful for scenario planning. In this paper, we introduce a new forecasting model developed for forecasting cases, deaths, and hospital admissions at the state level in the United States. We use versioned data sets to apply this to the same forecasting tasks that models performed during the pandemic. We find that this new model performs well relative to a leading ensemble forecasting method. We also show that this model can be useful for understanding how COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions, and deaths are related to each other and human mobility and vaccine administration, and how these relationships changed over time.
Poly(vinyl sulfonate) Facilitates bFGF-Induced Cell Proliferation

Heparin is a highly sulfated polysaccharide and is useful because of its diverse biological functions. However, because of batch-to-batch variability and other factors, there is significant interest in preparing biomimetics of heparin. To identify polymeric heparin mimetics, a cell-based screening assay was developed in cells that express fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) but not heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Various sulfated and sulfonated polymers were screened, and poly(vinyl sulfonate) (pVS) was identified as the strongest heparin-mimicking polymer in its ability to enhance binding of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to FGFR. The results were confirmed by an ELISA-based receptor-binding assay. Different molecular weights of pVS polymer were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The polymers were able to facilitate dimerization of FGFRs leading to cell proliferation in FGFR-expressing cells, and no size dependence was observed. The data showed that pVS is comparable to heparin in these assays. In addition, pVS was not cytotoxic to fibroblast cells up to at least 1 mg/mL. Together this data indicates that pVS should be explored further as a replacement for heparin.
Student Attitudes toward Web-Enhanced Instruction in an Introductory Biology Course

AbstractThis study examined student attitudes toward the introduction of a Web component into a general biology course for undergraduate nonmajors at a midsized rural university. The Web component primarily allowed asynchronous learning outside the classroom and increased student-to-student interaction. Students could use the Web site to access chapter outlines, grades, critical-thinking and problem-solving questions, self-grading quizzes, and the course syllabus. It was found that the Web component had a highly positive effect on student learning, problem-solving skills, and critical-thinking skills. The effects of the Web-enhancement tool were assessed using essays, short answer and multiple choice questions, and in-class discussion. The attitude of females in the course toward Web-based learning was found to be significantly more positive than that of males. Furthermore, females in the class were found to use the Web more often than males. Student use of the Web was found to be independent of age, race...
A new approach to the design of three-channel perfect-reconstruction linear-phase FIR filter banks

A new approach is presented for the design of three-channel perfect reconstruction (PR) FIR filter banks employing linear-phase analysis and synthesis filters. The approach formulates the design as a quadratic programming problem with nonlinear constraints. The design technique is extendable to M-channel (M/spl ges/2), and this extension is currently under development. >
Enzymatic Capabilities of Bacteria Associated with Apple Maggot Flies: A Postulated Role in Attraction

Isolates of the bacterium Enterobacter agglomerans, obtained from the alimentary tract of the apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, were found to be attractive or nonattractive in attraction tests. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of whole bacterial cell and outer membrane preparations of bacteria revealed the presence of a protein confined to isolates attractive to the flies. This protein, with an approximate molecular weight of 106 kDa, was found to be extracellular in E. agglomerans, but absent in either whole cell or extracellular preparations of Klebsiella oxytoca or Klebsiella pneumoniae. Comparison of this protein with authentic uricase revealed that this protein has a molecular weight, a PAGE migration rate (Rf = 0.22), and behavior on a G-100 Sephadex column similar to pure uricase. This protein appears to be made by E. agglomerans in the absence of uric acid, i.e., constitutively, and its presence is positively linked to apple maggot fly response in attraction assays. The probable roles of this unique protein in purine degradation and the lives of apple maggot adults are discussed.
On the uplink synchronization of OFDMA systems

In this paper, we study symbol timing synchronization for the uplink of an OFDMA system in a multipath fading channel. The effects of timing offsets on both synchronized and unsynchronized users are investigated and performance degradation is illustrated. Then, a simple timing offset estimator is developed and its performance is evaluated. The symbol-error rate of the compensated system is also presented. Simulation results demonstrate that this estimator performs well even for large offsets and in the presence of significant levels of noise
CommuniCast: Developing a Community-Programmed Webcasting Service

This paper sketches a preliminary plan for an online music webcasting service, called "CommuniCast," in which members of genre-specific online forums program webcasts for their communities by means of their ratings and rankings of music - and each other. This method stands in contrast to the usual programming methodologies, which utilize "top down" expert programmers or personal-preference algorithms tailored to an individual user. More specifically, the paper represents an attempt to examine the theoretical insights of Yochai Benkler (regarding "peer production") and Lawrence Lessig (regarding "reintermediation") in the context of a practical application/test case. It asks whether user communities might generate "peer-produced" content - in this case, whether users might supply the measures of relevance and credibility normally supplied by corporate intermediaries (record companies, radio programmers, music critics, etc.). The model also incorporates a meta-moderation (or reputational) model similar to that used by Slashdot and Epinions to provide the quality control mechanism necessary in a decentralized, peer-produced system.