cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bruising and the ketogenic diet: Evidence for diet‐induced changes in platelet function

Excessive bruising is a symptom noted by parents of some children treated with the ketogenic diet for epilepsy control, although this side effect is not reported in the literature. We evaluated our cohort of current and past diet-treated patients for symptoms of bruising or bleeding through chart review and prospective screening at clinic follow-up visits. A significant increase in bruising or other minor bleeding was reported and/or observed in 16 of 51 patients (31.4%). There were no differences in sex distribution or number of anticonvulsants used between patients with bruising/bleeding and those without this symptom, although the group with bruising/bleeding was significantly younger. No specific anticonvulsant was associated with bruising/bleeding. Six patients with diet-induced bruising/bleeding underwent an investigation for bleeding diathesis. Five of these patients had prolonged bleeding times and all had diminished responsiveness to various platelet aggregating agents, with no evidence of a release defect. The abnormalities all normalized in the 1 patient tested after ceasing the diet. No patients had serious hemorrhage. One patient had mild von Willebrand disease, which had been asymptomatic before diet initiation. Some patients were Stimate responsive, suggesting a treatment for more severe bouts of symptoms. These data suggest that a ketogenic diet-related bleeding tendency occurs in about one third of treated patients owing to preexisting factors defining susceptibility in combination with diet-induced depression of platelet responsiveness, possibly related to changes in platelet membrane lipid composition and/or concentration and resultant effects on function of membrane-embedded proteins. Patients on the diet undergoing anticoagulation or surgery should be evaluated carefully for symptoms of bleeding tendency.
Deleuzian Concepts for Education: The subject undone

(2004). Deleuzian Concepts for Education: The subject undone. Educational Philosophy and Theory: Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 283-296.
Using decision theory to justify heuristics

We present a method for using decision theory to evaluate the merit of individual situation → action heuristics. The design of a decision-theoretic approach to the analysis of heuristics is illustrated in the context of a rule from the MYCIN system. Using calculations and plots generated by an automated decision making tool, decision-theoretic insights are shown that are of practical use to the knowledge engineer. The relevance of this approach to previous discussions of heuristics is discussed. We suggest that a synthesis of artificial intelligence and decision theory will enhance the ability of expert systems to provide justifications for their decisions, and may increase the problem solving domains in which expert systems can be used.
Progesterone inhibition of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator: evidence for varied effects in hyperandrogenemic adolescent girls.

Compared with normal women, adults with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) require higher progesterone (P) concentrations to inhibit GnRH (LH) pulse frequency, which contributes to persistently rapid GnRH pulses and elevated LH levels in PCOS. To explore the origin of this abnormality, we assessed hypothalamic sensitivity to P feedback in nine normal controls and 11 hyperandrogenemic (HA) adolescents. Subjects first underwent frequent blood sampling for 11 h to assess baseline LH pulse frequency. Thereafter, oral estradiol and micronized P were given for 7 d to achieve mean estradiol and P levels of 143 ± 16 pg/ml (524 ± 60 pmol/liter) and 7.8 ± 0.7 ng/ml (24.9 ± 2.3 nmol/liter), respectively. LH pulse frequency was then reassessed. On d 7, the slope of the percent reduction of LH pulses per 11 h as a function of the d 7 P concentration was less in the HA group compared with controls (P = 0.02) despite similar P levels. LH pulse frequency was suppressed in all NC (mean, 7.0 to 3.4 pulses/11 h), but was un...
FlashQueryFile: flash-optimized layout and algorithms for interactive ad hoc SQL on big data

High performance storage layer is vital for allowing interactive ad hoc SQL analytics (OLAP style) over Big Data. The paper makes a case for leveraging flash in the Big Data stack to speed up queries. State-of-the-art Big Data layouts and algorithms are optimized for hard disks (i.e., sequential access is emphasized over random access) and result in suboptimal performance on flash given its drastically different performance characteristics. While existing columnar and row-columnar layouts are able to reduce disk IO compared to row-based layouts, they still end up reading significant columnar data irrelevant to the query as they only employ coarse-grained, intra-columnar data skipping which doesn't work across all queries. FlashQueryFile's specialized columnar data layouts, selection, and projection algorithms fully exploit fast random accesses and high internal I/O parallelism of flash to allow fast and I/O-efficient query processing and fine-grained, intra-columnar data skipping to minimize data read per query. FlashQueryFile results in 11X-100X TPC-H query speedup and 38%-99.08% reduction in data read compared to flash-based HDD-optimized row-columnar data layout and its associated algorithms.
The Challenge of Bitcoin Pseudo-Anonymity to Computer Forensics

Digital forensics must constantly adapt to new technological developments. The advent of Bitcoin is such a development. Bitcoin represents a new model for financial transactions. In many cash transactions between strangers, the underlying model is parties-unknown/transaction-unknown. There is no ledger record of the transaction. In contrast, PayPal illustrates the parties-known/transaction-known model. An intermediary will record both items of information. Bitcoin differs from both of these models; Bitcoin uses a parties-unknown/transaction-known model. The Bitcoin block chain records the transaction, but the user’s Bitcoin address is not expressly tied to an identity. Thus, Bitcoin users enjoy pseudo-anonymity.As the recent experience with Silk Road demonstrates, there is a downside to this pseudo-anonymity. Precisely because of that feature, Silk Road served a marketplace for vendors to sell illegal narcotics, forged identifications, and other illicit goods and services. Given that danger, law enforcement authorities have a felt need to develop techniques to penetrate the pseudo-anonymity. To do so, they have turned to digital forensics experts.This article evaluates two techniques that have been proposed for this purpose. The first is traffic analysis. This technique relies on the entry nodes that users employ to access the Internet. The second is transaction graph analysis. This technique clusters transactions to identify natural chokepoints in the Bitcoin economy, that is, service islands where, for example, the user might convert Bitcoins to fiat currency. The chokepoints becomes a target for a law enforcement subpoena to learn the user’s IP address. After describing each technique, the article assesses the research conducted to date. In particular, the article reviews Alex Biryukov’s research into traffic analysis and Sarak Meiklejohn’s work with transaction graph analysis. The article applies the standards announced in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993) to determine whether, given the available data, expert testimony based on either technique would be admissible today. The article explains that it is doubtful whether testimony based on either technique would survive a Daubert admissibility challenge. The article concludes that further research is needed to enable law enforcement authorities to effectively penetrate the pseudo-anonymity of the new parties-unknown/transaction-known model.
Adjusting to Chronic Health Conditions

Research on adjustment to chronic disease is critical in today's world, in which people are living longer lives, but lives are increasingly likely to be characterized by one or more chronic illnesses. Chronic illnesses may deteriorate, enter remission, or fluctuate, but their defining characteristic is that they persist. In this review, we first examine the effects of chronic disease on one's sense of self. Then we review categories of factors that influence how one adjusts to chronic illness, with particular emphasis on the impact of these factors on functional status and psychosocial adjustment. We begin with contextual factors, including demographic variables such as sex and race, as well as illness dimensions such as stigma and illness identity. We then examine a set of dispositional factors that influence chronic illness adjustment, organizing these into resilience and vulnerability factors. Resilience factors include cognitive adaptation indicators, personality variables, and benefit-finding. Vulnerability factors include a pessimistic attributional style, negative gender-related traits, and rumination. We then turn to social environmental variables, including both supportive and unsupportive interactions. Finally, we review chronic illness adjustment within the context of dyadic coping. We conclude by examining potential interactions among these classes of variables and outlining a set of directions for future research.
Photoinactivation and Toxicity of Nano-sized TiO 2 on Paint Microflora Using Visible Lights

Traditional TiO2 has been used as an antimicrobial additive to paints, but more recently the use of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) has been proposed as an alternative because of its ability to induce oxidative damage to the cell membrane of bacteria. This study focused on how photoinactivation of TiO2 NPs by fluorescent and halogen lights (400–700 nm) influenced survival of Bacillus sphaericus (Gram-positive bacterium) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (Gram-negative bacterium) isolated from spoiled paints. The loss of viability of the test organisms in the presence of TiO2 NPs determined by culturable (plate) count technique indicated a decrease in viable bacteria that was predominant after 24-h exposure. The TiO2 NPs showed higher antibacterial performance under fluorescent light than halogen light with increasing irradiation time and confirms the photokilling effect of TiO2 NPs. TiO2 NPs were also bactericidal under dark conditions, suggesting potential antibacterial applications in the paint industry.
Some Further Observations on Sodium Iso-Amyl-Ethyl-Barbiturate as a Laboratory Anesthetic.

Summary(1) Solutions of sodium amytal injected intravenously depress the circulation. (2) Such solutions cause prolonged but temporary paralysis of the vagus to the heart. (3) These solutions are stable, and do not show any increase in toxicity within 2 months.
Public Service Motivation, Public Management Reform, and Organizational Socialization Testing the Effects of Employment At-Will and Agency on PSM Among Municipal Employees

This study tests public service motivation (PSM) by accounting for organizational factors and socialization in shaping motives. Focusing on PSM and its four dimensions, we control for employment at-will as an organizational factor and agency type in influencing organizational socialization. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling, we evaluate PSM in 10 municipalities at the individual level, while controlling for agency context as a predictor for a second level of analysis. The results underscore the effect of organizational factors, indicating that municipal employees in employment at-will environments have higher levels of self-sacrifice than their civil service counterparts. Although municipal employees in public safety agencies exhibit higher levels of self-sacrifice and commitment to the public interest than their peers in other agencies, their levels of attraction to policy making and compassion are significantly lower. The findings suggest the importance of a multi-dimensional approach to PSM when c...
Local Economic Development, Politics of

In human geography the literature on the politics of local development is a fairly recent one. It emerged in part as a critical response to earlier work in sociology and political science in the United States. Central to it has been the theme of a tension between fixity and mobility. Agents are to varying degrees locally dependent. In virtue of fixities in social relations the continuing flow of value through them is of central importance. The ever-changing character of the wider economic geography threatens that flow, and hence those values. This is the necessary condition for the formation of local growth coalitions aiming at securing the conditions of continuing growth. The recognition of their significance has precipitated interest in cognate topics including local governance, the politics of scale, and the ideologies of local development through which growth coalitions try to defuse opposition to their plans. There are continuing yet creative tensions in the literature between the claims of universality and particularity. Initially there were difficulties in extending essentially American frameworks to the British case. Study of the topic in other countries, however, means that these tensions will continue to be a source of innovation in thinking about it.
Volatility and Macroeconomic Paradigms for Rich and Poor

Michael Bruno has left us with legacies that include an empiricism free of ideology, a curiosity about what the real facts are, a scepticism about the conventional wisdom, and a willingness to listen to a wide range of opinions. His interest in macroeconomics resulted in one of the most influential books of the 1980s, The Economics of Worldwide Stagflation, which examined why the conventional Phillips curve had been turned on its head by institutional mechanisms. His interest in macroeconomic policy was applied to real life when he led the successful Israeli heterodox inflation stabilization effort of 1985, first as adviser and then as central bank governor. As Chief Economist of the World Bank, he emphasized research and economic and sector work relative to lending activities and external relations. In research, while Chief Economist, he showed how high inflation was robustly and negatively related to economic growth, while there was little evidence of a robust relationship between inflation and growth at low rates of inflation (say below 40 per cent a year). Michael Bruno’s legacy lives on in the many people whom he inspired by being a good and curious listener and a thoughtful and non-ideological researcher. While inflation was the central macroeconomic issue of the 1980s,
Migration of Organic Molecules from Sediment to Fossils

The 25 mya lacustrine deposit of Enspel, Germany, is important for molecular taphonomy as weevils from this site have yielded the oldest preserved traces of chitin. These weevil cuticles show excellent morphological and ultrastructural preservation. Plant cuticle is also preserved but it is obscured or distorted by diatom impressions. Molecular analysis of dicotyledonous angiosperm leaf from the Enspel deposit revealed the presence of polysaccharide, guaiacyl and syringyl related lignin, and possibly degraded protein moieties in the insoluble macromolecular component. Analysis of fossil conifer leaf showed the same moieties, but syringyl related lignin units were absent. Py-GC/MS revealed C9–33 n-alkyl components from both types of leaf, with C13,14,29 homologues being the most abundant n-alkanes. TMAH pyrolysis yielded a fatty acid distribution ranging in carbon number from C6–30, with the C16,18,14 components being the most abundant. Analysis of fossil weevil cuticle also revealed the presence of an aliphatic polymer as evidenced by C9–33 n-alkyl components in the pyrolysate and C6–26 FAMEs (predominantly even-numbered C14–18 components) in the TMAH pyrolysate. Pyrolysates of the sediments contain alkanes with distributions similar to those observed in the fossils; however, TMAH pyrolysates of sediments were distinct from those of the fossils with C20–22 components being the most abundant in the conifer-bearing sediment and the even-numbered C22–26 components dominating in the weevil-bearing sediment. Thus, the aliphatic polymers in the fossils and sediment are different, apparently comprised of moieties of different chain length. This suggests that the aliphatic polymer in the plant and insect fossils is not derived from migration from the organic-rich host sediment.
Emerging biotechnologies for production of itaconic acid and its applications as a platform chemical

Recently, itaconic acid (IA), an unsaturated C5-dicarboxylic acid, has attracted much attention as a biobased building block chemical. It is produced industrially (>80 g L−1) from glucose by fermentation with Aspergillus terreus. The titer is low compared with citric acid production (>200 g L−1). This review summarizes the latest progress on enhancing the yield and productivity of IA production. IA biosynthesis involves the decarboxylation of the TCA cycle intermediate cis-aconitate through the action of cis-aconitate decarboxylase (CAD) enzyme encoded by the CadA gene in A. terreus. A number of recombinant microorganisms have been developed in an effort to overproduce it. IA is used as a monomer for production of superabsorbent polymer, resins, plastics, paints, and synthetic fibers. Its applications as a platform chemical are highlighted. It has a strong potential to replace petroleum-based methylacrylic acid in industry which will create a huge market for IA.
COMPLETE MAPPINGS IN BASE OF COUNTABLE ORDER THEORY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses complete mappings in base of countable order theory. A function f: X → Y defined on a space X is called sequentially complete if there exists a sequence n : n ɛ N> of bases for X such that for all y ɛ Y and sequences n : n ɛ N>, if B n+1 ⊆ B n ɛ β n . An open sequentially complete mapping generates a well ordered sequence of covers from a well ordered sequence of covers in such a way that first elements that contain images of points are related in a certain way to the first elements that contain the points. If X is a regular space with a primitive base and f: X → Y is an open sequentially complete continuous mapping of X onto Y, then Y has a primitive base.
Reliability and Validity of the Tender and Swollen Joint Counts and the Modified Rodnan Skin Score in Early Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis: Analysis from the Prospective Registry of Early Systemic Sclerosis Cohort

Objective To determine the inter/intraobserver reliability of the tender and swollen joint counts (TJC, SJC) and the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) and to assess content validity of the TJC/SJC. Methods Ten rheumatologists completed the SJC, TJC, and mRSS on 7 patients. Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) was performed. Results Interobserver and intraobserver reliability for the TJC was 0.97 and 0.99, for the SJC was 0.24 and 0.71, and for the mRSS was 0.81 and 0.94, respectively. MSUS abnormalities did not correspond with SJC/TJC. Conclusion We demonstrate excellent inter- and intraobserver reliability for the mRSS and TJC in dcSSc. However, the SJC and TJC did not correspond to MSUS.
The production of androgen binding protein by Sertoli Cells.

Studies designed to elucidate the biochemical mechanism of action of FSH in the testis have long been hampered by two major problems. First, the precise target cell affected by this gonadotrophin was difficult to pinpoint because of the heterogeneity of cells within the germinal epithelium. Secondly, no specific endpoint for the acute effect of FSH was available.
The State in Classical Laissez-Faire, Its Crisis, and the Establishment of Fordism

This chapter stresses the point that contrary to arguments proposed by neoliberals, the state has consistently been a relevant actor in the organization of the economy and society. It indicates that the role played by the state was fundamental in the expansion and stability of capitalism in its early stages, during the laissez-faire era of the nineteenth century and under Fordism in the twentieth century. This argument is illustrated through a review of salient aspects of classical liberal theories of the state such as those of John Locke, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill and a brief review of the theory of Marx and early twentieth century contributions such as those of Karl Polanyic and John M. Keynes. An analysis of the theories of the role of the state under Fordism is proposed in the final sections of the chapter.
Practical Covert Authentication

Von Ahn, Hopper, and Langford [vAHL05] introduced the notion of two-party steganographic a.k.a. covert computation, which assures that neither party can distinguish its counterparty from a random noise generator, except for what is revealed by the final output of the securely computed function. The flagship motivation for covert computation is covert authentication, where two parties want to authenticate each other, e.g. as some credential holders, but a party who lacks the credentials is not only unable to pass the authentication protocol, but cannot even distinguish a protocol instance from random noise. Previous work on covert computation [vAHL05,CGOS07] showed general-purpose protocols whose efficiency is linear in the size of the circuit representation of the computed function. Here we show the first practical assuming a large-enough random steganographic channel covert protocol for the specific task of two-party mutual authentication, secure under the strong RSA, DQR, and DDH assumptions. The protocol takes 5 rounds 3 in ROM, O1 modular exponentiations, and supports revocation and identity escrow. The main technical contribution which enables it is a compiler from a special honest-verifier zero-knowledge proof to a covert conditional key encapsulation mechanism for the same language.
The implementation of maintaining constant distance between satellites in coplanar elliptic orbits

A strategy for maintaining separation distances between several satellites in a coplanar elliptical orbiting constellation is developed. A possible scientific application of such a system would be in measuring the curl ofthe Earth's magnetic field by taking simultaneous measurements along the elliptical orbit. The strategy involves maneuvers which would cause small shifts in the direction of the four semimajor axes. With this approach for Keplerian type orbits, the separation distance between adjacent satellites remains within a few percent of the nominal separation distance. This paper emphasizes problems of implementation: 1. Initial deployment. It is assumed that the satellites are launched by a single vehicle. The method to distribute the satellites into their positions using the least maneuver energy is studied. 2. Maintenance of the separation distance. Since the mathematical model is nonlinear and time-variant, a nonlinear control law based on a Lyapunov function is applied to the osculating orbital elements of the daughter satellites. The simulation results with this control show that with perturbations (mainly caused by J 2 ), the response to initial errors converges smoothly and the control energy spent is at a very low level.
Investigating the Effects of Anthropomorphic Fidelity of Self-Avatars on Near Field Depth Perception in Immersive Virtual Environments

Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) are becoming more accessible and more widely utilized for training. Previous research has shown that the matching of visual and proprioceptive information is important for calibration. While research has demonstrated that self-avatars can enhance ones' sense of presence and improve distance perception, the effects of self-avatar fidelity on near field distance estimations has yet to be investigated. This study tested the effect of avatar fidelity on the accuracy of distance estimations in the near-field. Performance with a virtual avatar was also compared to real-world performance. Three levels of fidelity were tested; 1) an immersive self-avatar with realistic limbs, 2) a low-fidelity self-avatar showing only joint locations, and 3) end-effector only. The results suggest that reach estimations become more accurate as the visual fidelity of the avatar increases, with accuracy for high fidelity avatars approaching real-world performance as compared to low-fidelity and end-effector conditions. In all conditions reach estimations became more accurate after receiving feedback during a calibration phase.
Adaptive Link Optimization for 802.11 UAV Uplink Using a Reconfigurable Antenna

This paper presents a low-cost and flexible experimental testbed for aerial communication research along with an implementation and experimental evaluation of an aerial-to-ground 802.11g link with an adaptive beamsteering antenna system. The system consists of a software-defined radio (SDR) platform, and a pattern reconfigurable antenna mounted on a hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). First, the system design aspects of the tesbed are described. The performance of the reconfigurable antenna is characterized through radiation pattern measurements while the antenna is mounted on the underbelly of the UAV. A low complexity reinforcement learning based adaptive antenna selection algorithm is implemented on the aerial SDR testing platform to enhance the link quality. We present SNR measurements obtained during various indoor and outdoor flight scenarios. The results show that utilizing a reconfigurable antenna and intelligent antenna selection strategy onboard a UAV provides a higher mean SNR compared to an omni-directional antenna in both line of sight (LOS) and non-line of sight (NLOS) scenarios, and is more resilient to co-channel interference.
Crowdsourcing to delineate skin affected by chronic graft-vs-host disease.

BACKGROUND Estimating the extent of affected skin is an important unmet clinical need both for research and practical management in many diseases. In particular, cutaneous burden of chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD) is a primary outcome in many trials. Despite advances in artificial intelligence and 3D photography, progress toward reliable automated techniques is hindered by limited expert time to delineate cGVHD patient images. Crowdsourcing may have potential to provide the requisite expert-level data. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-one three-dimensional photographs of three cutaneous cGVHD patients were delineated by a board-certified dermatologist. 410 two-dimensional projections of the raw photos were each annotated by seven crowd workers, whose consensus performance was compared to the expert. RESULTS The consensus delineation by four of seven crowd workers achieved the highest agreement with the expert, measured by a median Dice index of 0.7551 across all 410 images, outperforming even the best worker from the crowd (Dice index 0.7216). For their internal agreement, crowd workers achieved a median Fleiss's kappa of 0.4140 across the images. The time a worker spent marking an image had only weak correlation with the surface area marked, and very low correlation with accuracy. Percent of pixels selected by the consensus exhibited good correlation (Pearson R = 0.81) with the patient's affected surface area. CONCLUSION Crowdsourcing may be an efficient method for obtaining demarcations of affected skin, on par with expert performance. Crowdsourced data generally agreed with the current clinical standard of percent body surface area to assess cGVHD severity in the skin.
Subjektivierung in datafizierten Gesellschaften – Dividualisierung als Perspektive auf kommunikative Aushandlungsprozesse in datengetriebenen Zeiten

In diesem Beitrag soll der Frage nachgegangen werden, welche Folgen die Datafizierung der Gesellschaft fur Prozesse der Subjektivierung hat. Subjekte konnen als Ergebnis von kommunikativen Klassifikationsleistungen begriffen werden, welche sich in Zeiten einer ‚tiefen‘ Mediatisierung verandern. Aspekte der interaktiven Kommunikation mit einer ubergeordneten, digitalen Infrastruktur und ihrer distinkten Rechen- und Verarbeitungslogik, werden zu einem zentralen Modus der Subjektivierung. Gleichzeit sickern Regierungsrationalitaten in alltagliche kommunikative Handlungen ein und beeinflussen so unseren Horizont des Denk- und Machbaren. Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller Subjekttheorien und dem Konzept der Gouvernementalitat soll Modulation als Form der Klassifikation in datafizierten Gesellschaften beschreiben, wie algorithmische Verarbeitungsprozesse Teil von kommunikativen Handlungen und Praktiken der Selbst- und Fremdfuhrung werden. Die Ausfuhrungen verweisen dabei auf einen Prozess der Dividualisierung, bei dem digitale Abdrucke von Individuen zunehmend zu kommunikativen Bausteinen der digitalen wie analogen Aushandlung von Subjekten werden. Deren Verhandlung muss im Rahmen einer kontextsensiblen Mediatisierungsforschung kritisch mitgedacht werden.
Nephrology Advanced Practitioners in the United States, 2010-2018.

Aging of the population in the United States and increasing incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and CKD have contributed to a growing demand for healthcare services. Increasingly, healthcare organizations employ Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs),
Rectal Microbiome Alterations Associated With Oral Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

Author(s): Fulcher, Jennifer A; Li, Fan; Cook, Ryan R; Zabih, Sara; Louie, Alexander; Okochi, Hideaki; Tobin, Nicole H; Gandhi, Monica; Shoptaw, Steven; Gorbach, Pamina M; Aldrovandi, Grace M | Abstract: BackgroundOral daily tenofovir (TFV) disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for HIVprevention, yet long-term effects are not fully understood. We investigated the effects of PrEP on the rectal microbiome in a cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM).MethodsThis cross-sectional analysis included HIV-negative MSM either on PrEP (n = 37) or not (n = 37) selected from an ongoing cohort using propensity score matching. Rectal swabs were used to examine microbiome composition using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing, and associations between PrEP use and microbiota abundance were examined. Hair specimens were used to quantify TFV and FTC exposure over the past 6 weeks on a subset of participants (n = 15).ResultsPre-exposure prophylaxis use was associated with a significant increase in Streptococcus abundance (adjusted P = .015). Similar associations were identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, confirming the increase in Streptococcus and also showing increased Mitsuokella, Fusobacterium, and decreased Escherichia/Shigella. Increased Fusobacterium was significantly associated with increasing TFV exposure.ConclusionsOral TDF/FTC for PrEP is associated with rectal microbiome changes compared to well matched controls, specifically increased Streptococcus and Fusobacterium abundance. This study highlights the need for future investigations of the role of microbiome changes on HIV susceptibility and effectiveness of PrEP.
Calculation of the 48Ca( beta -)48Sc decay rate.

A calculation is made of the partial half-life for the ..beta../sup -/ decay of /sup 48/Ca to the 5/sup +/ state of /sup 48/Sc at 130.94 +- 0.04 keV (an energy release of 147.1 +- 5.0 keV). The estimated partial half-life is 760 x 10/sup 18/ yr. This value is competitive with the most recent estimate of the partial half-life for the 2..nu.. mode of double beta decay.
Is Membership in a Reciprocal Group Affiliation Right for You: A Methodology for Answering that Question

AbstractVery few of the group affiliations listed in OCLC’s Policies Directory consist of member libraries that lend books and provide copies of articles to one another at no cost while extending m...
The impact of historical racism on modern gun violence: Redlining in the city of Louisville, KY.

Abstract Background The Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC) was created in 1933 to provide government backing of troubled mortgages during the Great Depression. Residential security maps were created to guide investment in over 200 US cities. Neighborhoods were assigned grades of ‘A’ through ‘D’ (with corresponding color coding of green, blue, yellow and red) to indicate desirability for investment. Neighborhoods with a high percentage of African Americans or other minorities were frequently assigned grades of ‘C’ or ‘D’. These maps are now most associated with redlining, or the process of denial of credit for real estate investment based on race. Resulting economic disparities endure in areas of many US cities today. We hypothesized that there would be a correlation between redlined areas on the 1937 map of Louisville, KY to the prevalence of gun violence today. Methods Gunshot victims (GSV) and their residential addresses within the city of Louisville were examined between 2012-2018. GSVs were aggregated within census block groups to approximate neighborhoods. The spatial distribution of GSVs was analyzed against the original HOLC neighborhood grade. Additional control variables adapted from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey were included to account for other possible explanations for the spatial distribution of GSVs. A zero-inflated negative binomial regression with a spatial component was used to determine incidence rate ratios (IRR) for the relative likelihood of GSVs within neighborhoods. Results Relative to green-graded neighborhoods, red-graded neighborhoods had five times as many GSVs. This difference remained statistically significant after accounting for differences in demographic, racial, and housing characteristics of the neighborhoods. Conclusion Redlined neighborhoods within Louisville, KY in 1937 had significantly more GSVs today. The impact of historical and institutional racism on modern gun violence merits acknowledgement and further study.
The Controlled Release of a 5-Fluorouracil Prodrug from a Biodegradable Matrix

A prodrug of 5-fluorouracil [5-FU] was prepared by reacting a 5-FU slurry with hexylisocyanate, in dioxane, at room temperature. The resulting solid, called HIFU, was purified and the release rates of 5-FU were determined, in distilled water, and compared against 5-FU using the gas dispersion tube technique previously described, at both room temperature and at 37°C. HIFU was studied in the form of a powder and as a monolithic dispersion in poly(caprolactone), The prodrug releases 5-FU very rapidly in the powdered form and both HIFU and 5-FU gave the typical monolithic release profiles, which were linear when plotted against the square root of time.
Brief history of spaser from conception to the future

A history and a glimpse into the future of spaser (acronym for “surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”) is provided. The spaser (also called a plasmonic nanolaser) is an active nanosystem including a gain medium and a nanoplasmonic metal core. It generates coherent intense nanolocalized fields. Theoretically predicted in 2003 by Bergman and Stockman, the spaser grew into a large fundamental research and application field with thousands of publications. We review a few of them to illustrate the most important and general fundamental properties of the spaser. We also review some selected applications of spasers, in particular, to ultrasensing and biomedical problems, concentrating on cancer-cell theranostics (therapeutics and diagnostics). In conclusion, we attempt to glimpse into the future by predicting that the next big development of the spasers will be topological nano-optics, and its “killer” application will be ultrafast, high-density on-chip communications for future information processing.
Anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in epitaxial films of topological kagome magnet Fe 3 Sn 2

The topological kagome magnet (TKM) ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}$ exhibits unusual topological properties, flat electronic bands, and chiral spin textures, making it an exquisite materials platform to explore the interplay between topological band structure, strong electron correlations, and magnetism. Here we report the synthesis of high-quality epitaxial (0001) ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}$ films with large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect close to that measured in bulk single crystals. In addition, we measured a large, anisotropic anomalous Nernst coefficient ${S}_{yx}$ of $1.26\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{V}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, roughly 2--5 times greater than that of common ferromagnets, suggesting the presence of Berry curvature sources near the Fermi level in this system. Crucially, the realization of high-quality ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}$ films opens the door to explore emergent interfacial physics and create novel spintronic devices based on TKMs by interfacing ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}$ with other quantum materials and by nanostructure patterning.
Complete genome sequence of multidrug-resistant avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strain APEC-O2-MS1170.

Abstract Objectives Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis, one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity associated with significant economic losses in the poultry industry. This study aimed to determine antimicrobial resistance and to characterise the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) APEC strain isolated from a broiler chicken. Methods Strain APEC-O2-MS1170 was isolated from the broiler yolk sac of a 14-day-old broiler. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a Sensititre National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Gram-negative panel. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using both the long-read sequencing approach with a Nanopore GridION sequencer and short-read sequencing with an Illumina HiSeq X-Ten sequencer to obtain a complete scaffold of the genome and an accurate sequence. Results The genome size of strain APEC-O2-MS1170 is 4,993,909 bp with a GC content of 50.7% and 4,651 protein-coding sequences. Public databases were used to identify the virulence-associated gene and antimicrobial resistance gene cargo. Plasmid comparison showed that pAPEC-O2-MS1170-R is a large multidrug resistance IncB/O/K/Z plasmid, while pAPEC-O2-MS1170-ColV shares homology with the APEC ColV virulence plasmid. Conclusion The genome sequence of APEC-O2-MS1170 provides valuable information on resistance mechanisms and virulence characteristics of pathogenic E. coli as well as information for tracing the potential spread of this MDR strain.
Biostatistics in Clinical Decision Making What can We Get from a 2×2 Contingency Table

Biostatistics is an essential part when making clinical decisions. Applications of 2×2 contingency tables playing a key role in conducting analysis involving binary variables. When it comes to analysis based on 2×2 contingency tables, most people are familiar with the concept of sensitivity and specificity for evaluating a new test, but predictive values and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves would also provide information. Besides, Odds Ratio (OR), Risk Ratio (RR), and Chi-square test are measures based on 2×2 tables and commonly applied in retrospective and prospective studies. This article will first review the two kinds of application of 2×2 contingency tables, evaluating a new test compared with a reference standard, and exploring the relationship of exposures and outcomes in retrospective or prospective studies. Two clinical examples are presented to demonstrate these basic biostatistical concepts: diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (64-MDCT) to identify periampullary duodenal diverticula, and a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to examine the effectiveness of Dexmedetomidine for prevention of delirium in elderly patients after non-cardiac surgery. Correctly understanding these concepts will assist clinicians and medical researchers to analyze the data and interpret the results, and therefore make accurate decisions in clinical practice.
Management of Impacted Teeth Other Than Third Molars

SUMMARY Impacted teeth other than third molars are relatively common findings. Much can be done to preserve these teeth and allow their functional positioning within the dental arch. Surgical exposure with or without orthodontic guidance, surgical uprighting, and transplantation of teeth are valuable techniques that can be mastered by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Although some studies have indicated that routine removal of impacted teeth is not necessary,6 removal of impactions is indicated in many different situations.
Considerations for endoscopic imaging of the fallopian tubes

We have developed endoscopes for the fallopian tubes that contain multispectral fluorescence imaging, optical coherence tomography, and/or cell collecting wires. The ability to expand the lumen of the fallopian tube with saline or balloon pressure has been proposed as a method for assuring high quality imaging and increasing the lumen diameter. Using ex vivo porcine and human tissue, we found that fallopian tubes can tolerate pressurization of up to 15 psi. Movement of balloons within the fallopian tube can denude the epithelial layer. The external diameter of tubes expanded by a minimal amount under pressurization, indicating sub-mm diameter endoscopes are required.
Strategic Referral and On-the-Job Search Equilibrium

A majority of workers use referral when searching for a job, looking for a better match. To study how and to what extent referral affects match quality and aggregate labor market, I build an equilibrium on-the-job search model in which workers have two ways to search, formal application and referral, and information on information on match quality is endogenously transmitted through referral. The model characterizes the extent of information transmission in different jobs as an outcome of a strategic game, and the equilibrium of the game and workers' optimal search interact with each other in general equilibrium. The endogenous information explains why workers in a higher position in the job-ladder benefit more from a referral, which is consistent with empirical findings of this paper. I calibrate the model by matching the observed referral wage premium for different workers. The calibration shows a significant welfare gain 2.42% - 9.01% from referral. The welfare gain is more substantial when underlying match quality is dispersed, or when employers' screening ability is low. The quantitative result indicates that active labor market policy can have significant welfare effects, and the effects are larger in a labor market with high uncertainty.
Long-acting PGE2 and Lisinopril Mitigate H-ARS

Thrombocytopenia is a major complication in hematopoietic-acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) that increases the risk of mortality from uncontrolled hemorrhage. There is a great demand for new therapies to improve survival and mitigate bleeding in H-ARS. Thrombopoiesis requires interactions between megakaryocytes (MKs) and endothelial cells. 16, 16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (dmPGE2), a longer-acting analogue of PGE2, promotes hematopoietic recovery after total-body irradiation (TBI), and various angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors mitigate endothelial injury after radiation exposure. Here, we tested a combination therapy of dmPGE2 and lisinopril to mitigate thrombocytopenia in murine models of H-ARS following TBI. After 7.75 Gy TBI, dmPGE2 and lisinopril each increased survival relative to vehicle controls. Importantly, combined dmPGE2 and lisinopril therapy enhanced survival greater than either individual agent. Studies performed after 4 Gy TBI revealed reduced numbers of marrow MKs and circulating platelets. In addition, sublethal TBI induced abnormalities both in MK maturation and in in vitro and in vivo platelet function. dmPGE2, alone and in combination with lisinopril, improved recovery of marrow MKs and peripheral platelets. Finally, sublethal TBI transiently reduced the number of marrow Lin-CD45-CD31+Sca-1- sinusoidal endothelial cells, while combined dmPGE2 and lisinopril treatment, but not single-agent treatment, accelerated their recovery. Taken together, these data support the concept that combined dmPGE2 and lisinopril therapy improves thrombocytopenia and survival by promoting recovery of the MK lineage, as well as the MK niche, in the setting of H-ARS.
Examination of How Well Long-Range-Corrected Density Functionals Satisfy the Ionization Energy Theorem.

We calculated the vertical ionization energies (VIE) of 99 species in two ways to examine the accuracy of several long-range-corrected (LC) hybrid meta functionals in comparison with a gradient approximation (GA), global hybrids, and doubly hybrids. In the category of LC functionals, we examined both those with meta ingredients (i.e., that depend on the kinetic energy density) and those without them. The LC-hybrid meta functionals examined are M11, revM11, M11plus, and ωB97M-V. The reference data used to assess accuracy consist of 95 molecules and 4 atoms in the GW100 set. The two methods studied are the ΔSCF method (involving the difference of neutral and cation self-consistent field (SCF) energies) and the ionization energy theorem (involving the orbital energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital, HOMO). We calculated linear correlation coefficients (r2) and mean absolute deviations (MADs) between each approach and the reference VIE value from the CCSD(T)/def2-TZVPP level of theory. We compared the new LC-hybrid meta calculations to calculations with the 10 functionals in a previous VIE study by Bremond et al. and to the calculations with LC-BLYP (LC-Becke, Lee-Yang-Parr), CAM-B3LYP (Coulomb-attenuating-method Becke-3-parameter Lee-Yang-Parr), LC-ωHPBE, and ωB97X-D. The results show that Minnesota LC-hybrid meta functionals have the smallest mean absolute deviation of ionization energy theorem VIEs with the reference data; the LC-ωHPBE functional also does quite well in this test. This is very encouraging and indicates that LC-hybrid meta functionals would be the best starting points for the tuning strategy that has been shown to be a very good procedure for improving time-dependent density functional calculations, and it also helps explain the good success of LC-hybrid meta functionals for molecular excitation energies.
Molecular defects in Drosophila rhodopsin mutants

Four well characterized Drosophila rhodopsin (ninaE) mutants possess low levels of rhodopsin in their major class of photoreceptors. The molecular defect present in each strain was determined by isolating and sequencing the mutant genes. Two missense mutants encode proteins which have arginine residues positioned within membrane-spanning domains. The third missense mutant eliminates a proline found near an extracellular domain/membrane-spanning domain interface. Thus, the low levels of rhodopsin protein found in these mutants result directly from changes in protein structure which likely affect the positioning and stability of membrane-spanning domains. The fourth and most severe mutation is a nonsense mutation.
The global ocean platform inventory

By initiating a comprehensive inventory of in situ ocean platforms that routinely collect oceanographic and marine meteorological data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Services (OOS) has taken the first step toward improving the coordination of the globally dispersed elements of the system of platforms. The authors note that the resultant database should form a basis for improving the measurements per se, eliminating redundant sensors, and revealing geographic areas that are in need of increased coverage. OOS is exploring advanced data communications techniques for making this database available to the scientific community. The ocean platform database is described, and inventory results are discussed. Future directions in this area are considered. >
The future. The present participle and the infinitive

The verb used for the future resembles a modal auxiliary in form and might be said to function as one in expressing conjecture, probability or inevitability. The conjugation of zullen in the present and past is