cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrition, inflammation, and periodontal disease.

Historically, periodontal disease has been seen as an inflammatory disease with limited associations to nutrition, with the possible exception of scurvy in which teeth are readily lost due to reduced collagen support in the periodontal ligament. However, pathology related to scurvy differs from the pathology of chronic inflammatory periodontal disease. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the ways in which nutrition can influence the two main subsets of periodontal disease: gingivitis and periodontitis. Recent data have suggested that nutrition has an important role in periodontal disease. Nutrients that can act as antioxidants that may modulate gingival inflammation. Obesity has significant metabolic and systemic immune and inflammatory effects and also may increase the host’s susceptibility to periodontal disease through its impact on metabolic and immune parameters.
Bases of Power in Chinese Politics: A Theory and an Analysis of the Fall of the “Gang of Four”

This paper sets forth a preliminary theory of the substructure of Chinese politics. Power is based on an influential constituency in China as elsewhere, but here there are two types of such constituencies: the formal, consisting of an actor's bureaucratic colleagues and subordinates, which exerts formal power [ch'uan-li]; and the informal, consisting of interested family members, long-term friends, and proteges, which exerts informal influence [shih-li]. The support of the former may be relied upon during “nonantagonistic contradictions”; but if the contradiction becomes “antagonistic,” only the informal base is likely to be of any avail, because of the severe sanctions applied to any associate of an “enemy of the people.” The “Gang of Four” could be considered as “favorites” of Mao Tse-tung, inasmuch as their narrow and shallow “backgrounds” afforded them no constituency, formal or informal, aside from the Chairman himself. Their political actions were characterized by exclusive loyalty to their patron and by a disregard for the formal rules of the game. Sensitive to the long-range untenability of their positions, the Four sought to expand their base by appealing to the masses through the media and by building an incipient bureaucratic constituency. Their ultimate failure may be attributed not only to their ineptitude at base-building, but to the inherent limitations of their positions in an increasingly determinate bureaucratic-political game.
Costs of treating cardiovascular events in Germany: a systematic literature review.

This study aims to systematically evaluate available evidence regarding direct medical costs of treating cardiovascular (CV) events in Germany after 2003 on an individual patient basis and from a payer perspective. The CV events of interest were myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina, heart failure (HF), stroke, and peripheral artery disease (PAD). A systematic literature search was performed in the following databases according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines - Medline, Embase, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, TIBORDER, and German dissertation database from January 2003 to October 2013. Both observational studies and randomized clinical trials were considered for the review. All values stated in € are inflation adjusted to 2014 € unless stated otherwise. This review included 13 articles. For newly occurred MI patients, the average hospitalization costs during the acute phase were reported to be between € 6790 and € 8918 per admission. In the first year after a MI event, direct medical costs were € 13,838–14,792 per patient. Direct medical costs of chronic HF patients were found to be between € 3417 and 5576 per patient per year. Treatment costs increase with disease progression. The average treatment costs for hospitalized PAD in the acute phase were reported to be € 4963 per admission, € 2535 per patient during month 1–6 after the initial hospitalization, € 1601 in month 7–12, and € 1390 in month 13–18. For stroke of all types, total direct medical costs in the 1st year after an event were reported to be € 13,273 per patient. Total direct medical costs during the 1st year after an ischemic stroke event were € 17,399–21,954 per patient, € 6260 in month 13–18, and € 6496 per year in the subsequent 4 years. MI, unstable angina, HF, stroke and PAD have a high financial impact on the German health care system. Treatment costs of these diseases are mostly incurred during the acute phase of events and tend to decrease over time. Hospitalization and rehabilitation costs were two major cost drivers. Medication costs was one of the smallest cost component reported.
Increasing the chances for platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer patients.

Ovarian carcinoma is still one of the most common causes of death from cancer in the western world. Despite high sensitivity to chemotherapy, the majority of patients will relapse within 3 years. In this article the focus is centered on patients who have a late relapse (>12 months). Carboplatin-based regimens are the backbone of treatment for this group, producing clinical benefit with higher rates for progression-free and overall survival. However, not all patients can continue with platinum owing to loss of activity or toxicity (hypersensitivity, neurotoxicity and ototoxicity). In particular, hypersensitivity reactions to carboplatin are a concern and have been reported in approximately 15–20% of women receiving the drug. When expectations for a positive outcome with carboplatin are good, desensitization protocols may be useful so as to continue treatment. If platinum-based regimens are not possible then alternative forms of treatment are required; additional research efforts are being directed towards ...
ADHD, Visual Selective Inattention, and Benign Rolandic Epilepsy

Investigators at Asan Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea, performed a retrospective study of the prevalence of ADHD in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) and the factors that affect ADHD or attention impairment in patients with BECTS.
Conspiracy in Quelimane: The Dream to Create a Brazilian Empire in the African Continent

This presentation will focus on Quelimane, a coastal city in central Mozambique. After 1815 Quelimane rose to prominence as an important slave trading post. The extensive presence of Brazilian slave traders in the area is now well documented. The official historiography, however, overlooks the various plots during the 1820s and 1830s to revolt against the Portuguese and join the newly formed Brazilian empire. A few Mozambican historians do mention the supposed existence of Brazilian plots but, to date, have substantiated these claims with, at best, tangential evidence. I argue that the focus on slavery in the nineteenth century has obfuscated these other fascinating transnational histories. While recognizing the importance of the histories of slavery in Africa and their valuable contribution to the literature on the Black Atlantic and beyond, I would argue that it is necessary to supplement the history of slavery in the region with an analysis of the political and intellectual history of the region. To my knowledge, there are no studies in Brazilian or Mozambican history about the ideological influence of Brazil on Mozambican politics. My work will hopefully draw scholars attention to this oversight and encourage other researchers to analyze this heretofore neglected historical episode of Mozambicans who, inspired by Brazil, rejected the absolutist politics of Portugal and planned a separatist revolt to introduce a system of constitutional monarchy in the region.
Rapid Identification and Quantitative Determination of Barbiturates and Glutethimide in Blood by Gas—Liquid Chromatography

Barbiturates and glutethimide can be identified and measured in whole blood, plasma, or serum in 20 min. An internal standard containing known amounts of five common barbiturates is added to the sample, the sample is acidified, and the sedatives are extracted rapidly into toluene, then from the toluene into a small volume of aqueous tetraethylammonium hydroxide. An aliquot of this last extract is introduced directly into the gas chromatograph, where the barbiturates are converted to their ethyl derivatives and separated on a silicone column. They are identified by observing which of the internal standard peaks has increased and measured by measuring the extent of increase. Glutethimide can be determined on the same chromatogram. Mephobarbital and phenobarbital can be simultaneously determined.
Synergistic Mergers in an Agency Context: An Illustration of the Interaction of the Observability Problem and Synergistic Merger

This paper formulates a simple agency problem in a single division firm and has that firm merge with another firm having the same agency problem. The merger creates synergy, but it also causes the principal to lose information in observing the agent’s performance. We call the latter problem the observability problem associated with merger. We focus on the interaction of these two by-products of merger and study their effects on the firm’s agency contract, and profit. A key point is that many of the beneficial effects that we would associate with the presence of synergy can be undone by the observability problem, so that the synergistic benefits of merger can be misgauged, if the observability problem is ignored. Two empirically testable implications arise. First, if the post merger contract is less sensitive, then the observability problem is essentially nonexistent and the merger is profitable. Second, if the post merger contract is very sensitive, then synergy is swamping the observability problem and the merger is profitable.
Craniocerebral Trauma in Children

Clinical aspects of head injury in children. Relationship of loss of consciousness to age of child. Specific disorders include leptomeningeal cysts and intracranial hematomas, with special emphasis on the characteristics and treatment of chronic subdural hematomas and the angiographic criteria for diagnosis.
Influence of dietary vitamin E on the intermembrane transfer of α-tocopherol as mediated by an α-tocopherol binding protein

The effect of dietary vitamin E on the intermembrane transfer of (3R)-alpha-tocopherol, a spontaneous process accelerated in the presence of an alpha-tocopherol binding protein (alpha TBP), was examined. The transfer activity of this cytosolic liver protein was assayed via in vitro transfer of (3R)-alpha-[3H]tocopherol (alpha[3H]T) from egg lecithin liposomes to human erythrocyte ghosts (EG). Male Fisher 344 rats (1 and 20 months old) were fed diets containing 0, 30, and 500 mg/kg vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) for 15 weeks. Liver cytosol fractions were assayed for alpha[3H]T transfer activity (alpha TTA). Among young rats, those fed vitamin E-deficient diets had the highest alpha TTA, 5.02 +/- 3.10 pmole alpha[3H]T/min (mean +/- SD), which was different (P less than 0.05) from the spontaneous transfer rate of 2.10 pmole/min. Neither young rats fed 30 and 500 mg/kg vitamin E diets nor any of the aged rats showed alpha TTA which differed significantly from the spontaneous transfer rate. To examine the relationship between hepatic alpha-tocopherol levels and alpha TTA, alpha-tocopherol concentration per gram of wet liver was assayed by HPLC. A steep positive slope (6.39 +/- 1.46 pmole min-1 nmole g-1) and strong correlation (r = 0.873) between hepatic alpha-tocopherol and alpha TTA were observed (P less than 0.005) among young vitamin E-deficient rats. The data indicates that alpha TTA varies directly with hepatic alpha-tocopherol concentration when total liver vitamin E stores are very low. Thus, alpha TBP-mediated transfer of alpha-tocopherol may be manifest only when vitamin E status is compromised.
Cardiac actions of a myocardial depressant factor isolated from shock plasma.

SummaryA myocardial depressant factor (MDF) which appears in the plasma during a variety of forms of shock was tested on the isolated perfused cat heart (Langendorff preparation) for cardiotoxic properties, MDF exerted a marked negative inotropic effect (83% decrease in cardiac contractile force) under conditions of controlled heart rate, coronary perfusion pressure, and resting tension. Coronary flow increased an average of 35% during this rapid decline in contractile force. Cardiac arrest occurred in 88% of the experiments within 1 to 2 min after addition of the plasma extract containing MDF to the perfusate. As contractile activity reappeared following cardiac arrest, A-V blocks frequently occurred. These results indicate that MDF has a direct negative inotropic effect on the isolated cat heart. This cardiotoxic effect is not a result of restriction of coronary flow, since coronary flow increased during the negative inotropic effect, nor of the induction of arrhythmias, since the arrhythmias (e.g., A-V...
The specificity of the streptococcus of gastroduodenal ulcer and certain factors determining its localization

In previous papers I have shown that ulcer of the stomach in man and in domestic animals often is associated with a streptococcus infection in the ulcerated area, that foci of infection, such as in tonsils and teeth, harbor the streptococcus and predispose to ulcer, and that the streptococcus isolated from the ulcer and from the distant focus has elective affinity for the stomach, producing hemorrhage and ulcer on intravenous injection.1 The character of the experimentally produced ulcers, and their location, especially with regard to nonhealing, resemble those noted in the spontaneous diseases. Among the difficulties encountered in my earlier work was the inability to maintain specific infecting power and specific immunologic properties in the streptococcus isolated. Specific infecting power disappeared on successive animal passage or aerobic cultivation. It has been found since that relatively anaerobic conditions, and keeping the organisms in latent life, tend to preserve this property. Some of the strains were put aside under these conditions in the hope that they would live and maintain specific characteristics for a long time. It is my purpose here to record the results of a study of the localizing power, the mechanism involved, and the immunologic condition of several of the strains isolated years ago, of a fresh strain from a recurrent ulcer in man, and of a series of similar strains from experimental ulcers in dogs.
Control of Production of Toxic-Shock-Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1) by Magnesium Ion

A typographical error appeared in "The Relative Role of Bacterial Cell Wall and Capsule in the Induction of Inflammation in Pneumococcal Meningitis" by Elaine Tuomanen et al. (March 1985). The second sentence of the legend for figure 3 on page 538 is incomplete and should appear as follows: . . . concentrations present on 106 cells (hatched bars with stipple, cell wall; cross-hatched bars, capsule), or alternatively at 2 mg/0.2 ml (stippled bars, cell wall; hatched bars, capsule)."
Polymyxin Susceptibility Testing: a Cold Case Reopened

Abstract In recent years, the emergence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative rods and a dwindling antimicrobial armamentarium has led to renewed use of the polymyxins. With increasing use of polymyxins, there has been increase in resistance among previously susceptible populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Acinetobacter baumannii . Unfortunately, susceptibility testing for the polymyxins is fraught with difficulties, making clinically informative interpretation of these tests challenging. Among the key factors, the physiochemical properties of polymyxins make them difficult to diffuse through agar, compromising the performance of disk diffusion and Etest methods. Polymyxins also interact with polystyrene microtiter plates, resulting in great variability in MIC results, especially at low concentrations of the drug. There are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared automated commercial systems currently available for susceptibility testing. This review evaluates polymyxin B and colistin modes of action, mechanisms of resistance, and susceptibility testing methods.
Soil Fumigants to Replace Methyl Bromide for Weed Control in Ornamentals

A field study was conducted to evaluate fumigant alternatives for methyl bromide (MB). Iodomethane (IM), chloropicrin (CP), 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), metham sodium (MS), and MB in various combinations were applied to a sandy soil field site in Sept. 2002. Some treatments were tarped. Plant injury, plant growth, fresh weight, and dry weight were evaluated for seven ornamental species: cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma), globe thistle (Echinops bannaticus ‘Blue Globe’), common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’), hosta (Hosta ‘Twilight PP14040’), silvermound artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum ·superbum ‘Snow Lady’), and thread leaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’). Weed control was evaluated in Apr. 2003, July 2003, and May 2004. All treatments gave almost complete control of all annual weeds, except for IM 50% + CP 50% (200 lb/acre, tarped) and MS (75 gal/acre, 1:4 water, not tarped), which did not give adequate control of common chickweed (Stellaria media), mouseear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), or common purslane (Portulaca oleracea). None of the treatments caused visual injury to any crop species. Treatments did not affect plant size in Nov. 2003. However, some treatments resulted in larger thread leaf coreopsis and silvermound artemisia plants in May 2004. There was no difference in dry weight at harvest between treatments for all species.
Reactivation Intra-abdominal Tuberculosis

A 22-year-old man was born in Bangladesh, had a history of treated pulmonary tuberculosis at 11 years of age, and has lived in the United States for eight years with no symptoms. He presented with pain and tenderness of the right iliac fossa. A computer tomogram of the abdomen demonstrated an edematous appendix and abdominal lymphadenopathy. The patient underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy, removal of a mesenteric lymph node, and liver biopsy. Multiple liver plaques (arrow head) and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes were seen (Figure 1A, arrow). Histopathology showed liver granulomata with multinucleated giant cells (Figure 1B). Caseating granulomata largely replaced the lymphoid architecture of the excised lymph node but was acid fast bacilli (AFB) stain-negative (Figure 1C). Mycobacterium tuberculosis grew from culture of the lymph node. The appendix showed neutrophils in its wall and no granuloma. The patient received anti-tuberculosis therapy and recovered.
Identity and quantification

It is a philosophical commonplace that quantification involves, invokes, or presupposes, the relation of identity. There seem to be two major sources for this belief: (1) the conviction that identity is implicated in the phenomenon of bound variable recurrence within the scope of a quantifier; (2) memories of Quine’s insistence that quantification requires absolute identity for the values of variables. With respect to (1), I show that the only extant argument for a dependence of variable recurrence on identity, due to John Hawthorne, fails. I further show that the function of variable recurrence is not subsumed under that of identity, so that a dependence of the former on the latter, if any, would have to be of a rather indirect nature. With respect to (2), I argue that the relevant passage in Quine fails to establish a connection between quantification and the identity relation, and indeed wasn’t intended by Quine to do so.
On most permissive observers in dynamic sensor optimization problems for discrete event systems

This paper considers the problem of dynamic sensor selection under the constraint of maintaining the property of K-diagnosability. We use an information-state-based approach to define the most permissive observer, a structure introduced in prior work that provides all feasible solutions for the controller (i.e., for sensor selections). The principal result of this paper is that the information-state-based controller results in no loss of generality relative to any other admissible controller.
Suppression of vacancy cluster growth in concentrated solid solution alloys

Abstract Large vacancy clusters, such as stacking-fault tetrahedra, are detrimental vacancy-type defects in ion-irradiated structural alloys. Suppression of vacancy cluster formation and growth is highly desirable to improve the irradiation tolerance of these materials. In this work, we demonstrate that vacancy cluster growth can be inhibited in concentrated solid solution alloys by modifying cluster migration pathways and diffusion kinetics. The alloying effects of Fe and Cr on the migration of vacancy clusters in Ni concentrated alloys are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations and ion irradiation experiment. While the diffusion coefficients of small vacancy clusters in Ni-based binary and ternary solid solution alloys are higher than in pure Ni, they become lower for large clusters. This observation suggests that large clusters can easily migrate and grow to very large sizes in pure Ni. In contrast, cluster growth is suppressed in solid solution alloys owing to the limited mobility of large vacancy clusters. The differences in cluster sizes and mobilities in Ni and in solid solution alloys are consistent with the results from ion irradiation experiments.
Adaptive enhancement filtering for motion compensation

This paper proposes an enhanced motion compensated prediction algorithm for hybrid video coding. The algorithm is built upon the concept of applying adaptive enhancement filtering at the motion compensation stage. For luma, a high-pass filter is applied to the motion compensated prediction signal to recover distorted high-frequency information. For chroma, cross-plane filters are applied to enhance the motion compensated signals by restoring the blurred edges and textures of the chroma planes using the high-frequency information of the luma plane. To verify the effectiveness, the proposed algorithm is implemented on the HM Key Technology Area (HM-KTA) 1.0 platform. Experimental results show that compared to the anchor, the proposed algorithm achieves average Bjentegaard delta (BD) rate savings of 0.4%, 8.8% and 7.4% for Y, Cb and Cr components, respectively.
Measurement invariance of intuitive cancer risk perceptions across diverse populations: The Cognitive Causation and Negative Affect in Risk scales.

Intuitive cancer risk perceptions may inform strategies to motivate cancer prevention behaviors. This study evaluated factor structure and measurement invariance of two new measures of intuitive ca...
The impact of shoreline stabilization on economic growth in small island developing states

This paper assesses the economic growth impact of shoreline stabilization policy in Small Island Developing States. Concentrating on the Barbadian efforts to stem shoreline retreat, it explores whether investments in shoreline stabilization and beach amenity enhancement have beneficial effects on medium-term economic growth. The analysis relies on the synthetic control method as a way to systematically choose comparison units (beach sites), which allows for precise quantitative inference in small-sample studies. Our results indicate that in the first three years after shoreline stabilization works were completed, local economic effects, as measured by nighttime lights data, are positive and indicate a positive trend. Confidence bounds obtained by a bootstrapping method suggest that the positive trend is robust in the last two years post-treatment. Shoreline stabilization works may therefore not only help preserve fragile ecological conditions, but further lead to sustainable growth in the local economy.
Applications of vibrational tags in biological imaging by Raman microscopy

As a superb tool to visualize and study the spatial-temporal distribution of chemicals, Raman microscopy has made a big impact in many disciplines of science. While label-free imaging has been the prevailing strategy in Raman microscopy, recent development and applications of vibrational/Raman tags, particularly when coupled with stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, have generated intense excitement in biomedical imaging. SRS imaging of vibrational tags has enabled researchers to study a wide range of small biomolecules with high specificity, sensitivity and multiplex capability, at a single live cell level, tissue level or even in vivo. As reviewed in this article, this platform has facilitated imaging distribution and dynamics of small molecules such as glucose, lipids, amino acids, nucleic acids, and drugs that are otherwise difficult to monitor with other means. As both the vibrational tags and Raman instrumental development progress rapidly and synergistically, we anticipate that this technique will shed light onto an even broader spectrum of biomedical problems.
Comparative Study of Measured Suction in Fine-Grained Soil Using Different In-Situ and Laboratory Techniques

This paper presents a comparison between soil suction test results for a lean clay (CL) using four different measurement techniques, which included thermal conductivity sensors, in-situ psychrometers, a dew-point potentiometer and filter paper. The primary objective of these tests was to evaluate and compare the performance of these techniques and to demonstrate the sensitivity of the measured suction data to the quality of contact between the soil and the sensor, and measurement time and procedure, which could lead to orders of magnitude difference between the anticipated and measured results. The tests using a dew-point potentiometer and thermal conductivity sensors were carried out at different gravimetric water content values (referred to as moisture content in this paper) within the ranges of 10–23% and 8–24%, respectively, which were significantly above and below the optimum moisture content (OMC) of 18%. However, those using in-situ psychrometers and filter paper were carried out for moisture contents between OMC − 2% and OMC + 2%, as part of model embankment tests that were constructed at those moisture contents. Results of the study indicate that the in-situ psychrometer data were consistent with the soil water characteristic curve established using the dew-point potentiometer. However, thermal conductivity sensors and filter paper test data showed significant sensitivity to the quality of contact with the surrounding soil and measurement time and procedure, respectively, resulting in orders of magnitude deviations from the otherwise consistent in-situ psychrometer and dew-point potentiometer readings for the lean clay examined in this study. Findings of this study highlight the challenges involved, and level of care and due attention required in sensor installation and the testing procedure in order to obtain satisfactory suction data in unsaturated soils.
Lack of myeloid Fatp1 increases atherosclerotic lesion size in Ldlr−/− mice

Abstract Background and aims Altered metabolism is an important regulator of macrophage (MΦ) phenotype, which contributes to inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. Broadly, pro-inflammatory, classically-activated MΦs (CAM) are glycolytic while alternatively-activated MΦs (AAM) oxidize fatty acids, although overlap exists. We previously demonstrated that MΦ fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1, Slc27a1 ) was necessary to maintain the oxidative and anti-inflammatory AAM phenotype in vivo in a model of diet-induced obesity. The aim of this study was to examine how MΦ metabolic reprogramming through FATP1 ablation affects the process of atherogenesis. We hypothesized that FATP1 limits MΦ-mediated inflammation during atherogenesis. Thus, mice lacking MΦ Fatp1 would display elevated formation of atherosclerotic lesions in a mouse model lacking the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor ( Ldlr −/− ). Methods We transplanted bone marrow collected from Fatp1 +/+ or Fatp1 −/− mice into Ldlr −/− mice and fed chimeric mice a Western diet for 12 weeks. Body weight, blood glucose, and plasma lipids were measured. Aortic sinus and aorta lesions were quantified. Atherosclerotic plaque composition, oxidative stress, and inflammation were analyzed histologically. Results Compared to Fatp1 +/+ Ldlr −/− mice, Fatp1 −/− Ldlr −/− mice exhibited significantly larger lesion area and elevated oxidative stress and inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque. Macrophage and smooth muscle cell content did not differ by Fatp1 genotype. There were no significant systemic alterations in LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol, or triacylglyceride, suggesting that the effect was local to the cells of the vessel microenvironment in a Fatp1 -dependent manner. Conclusions MΦ Fatp1 limits atherogenesis and may be a viable target to metabolically reprogram MΦs.
Nanowire FET With Corner Spacer for High-Performance, Energy-Efficient Applications

Parasitic capacitance in nanoscale FETs is becoming a dominant component of the total device capacitance which degrades device and circuit performance. This problem is exacerbated with the introduction of multigate FETs such as FinFET and gate-all-around FETs. In this paper, we introduce the corner spacer design for gate-all-around nanowire FET to significantly decrease parasitic capacitance with negligible degradation in ON-current. We show that the parasitic capacitance of a well-engineered corner spacer in a nanowire FET can be reduced by over 80% compared to the device with full nitride spacers. Ring oscillator stage delay and energy consumption of the corner spacer design are lower than the full spacer by over 50% each. This paper shows the possibility of engineering the spacers as a performance booster to continue scaling.
Clinical significance of enlarged cardiophrenic lymph nodes in advanced ovarian cancer: Implications for survival

Abstract Objective Advanced ovarian cancer (OC) commonly spreads to cardiophrenic lymph nodes (CPLNs), and is often visible on preoperative imaging. We investigated the prognostic significance of abnormal CPLNs in OC detected by preoperative CT scans using three different definitions. Methods Patients undergoing primary debulking surgery for stage IIIC/IV with residual disease (RD) ≤1.0cm and a preoperative abdominopelvic CT scan available were included. Scans were reviewed by two blinded radiologists. We characterized abnormal CPLNs using three different definitions: i) qualitative assessment score (QAS); ii) nodes >7mm on the short axis; or, iii) nodes ≥10mm on the short axis. We compared overall survival (OS) using the log-rank test. Results Of the 253 patients (mean age 64.0years), 136 had no gross residual disease (NGR) and 117 had RD. By the QAS definition, CPLNs were abnormal in 28 (11.1%) patients and removed in one case. Among patients with NGR, presence of abnormal CPLNs was associated with worse OS (median OS, 38.4 vs. 69.6months, p=0.08). We observed no association between abnormal CPLNs and OS among patients with RD (median OS, 37.5 vs. 28.5months, p=0.49). OS was significantly better in NGR group without abnormal CPLNs (median OS for NGR vs. RD, 69.6 vs. 28.5months, p Conclusion Abnormal CPLNs are an important predictor of survival in advanced stage OC. Management of abnormal CPLNs should be considered in treatment planning when the goal is NGR.
Characterizing Temporal Ecophysiology for Herbicide Management of Huisache (Acacia farnesiana [L.] Willd.)

Abstract Huisache (Vachellia farnesiana [L.] Wight & Arn.) is a woody species native to the western hemisphere that can invade a variety of native rangeland habitats around the world. In South Texas, it is native yet increasing in density and range while displacing more desirable forage plants, and because it resprouts prolifically it has been difficult to control. We therefore attempted to characterize optimal timing and environmental conditions for herbicide control. We collected weather data in four huisache-invaded pastures along the Texas Coastal Bend and recorded the average huisache phenological stage at those pastures each month. We also analyzed root crown total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) and huisache mortality resulting from herbicide treatment each month between April 2012 and November 2014. Huisache mortality and TNC data were analyzed using a randomized complete block analysis of variance, with post hoc tests to separate means; Akaike's information criterion determined best-fit models for mortality data. Root crown TNC increased during May, August, and December, indicating downward translocation and the potential for increased mortality of treated plants. Actual mortality was greatest during the months of May, September, October, and November. The best fit model for mortality was a sixth-order polynomial function of mortality versus month; when month was removed as a model factor, the best fit model was a quadratic function of soil temperature (peaking at ≈24.5°C), combined with a quadratic function of phenology (highest at full canopy stage). These results indicate that huisache is best treated with chemicals when soil temperature is near 24.5°C and during the full canopy stage. In the coastal plains of South Texas these variables coincide with two windows of optimal mortality for huisache treatment: May and September−November.
Residential Segregation: Experiences of African Americans

The United States has a long history of racial segregation, which contributed to the physical and social isolation of minority groups in disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the country. To understand how these disparities came about and continue to affect the housing experiences of African Americans in urban areas, this article considers earlier discriminatory practices that limited opportunities for economic advancement. In addition, we consider how residential patterns over the past several decades resulted in the concentration of chronically poor black families in segregated inner cities and the implications of the recent recession on homeownership in these vulnerable communities.
Influence of Diabetes Mellitus on Outcomes in Patients After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Background Despite previous studies, the mortality risk of patients with diabetes mellitus after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant remains unclear. In addition, the relationship between the degree of glycemic control and long-term mortality risk in LVAD patients with diabetes has not been established. Methods Ninety-five nondiabetic patients and 96 diabetic patients from the University of Rochester Medical Center who received a HeartMate II (Thoratec, Pleasanton, CA) continuous-flow LVAD between May 2008 and June 2014 were included in this study. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included rates of infection, neurologic dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and rehospitalization. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox models were utilized. Results During follow-up, 32 diabetic patients (33%) and 15 nondiabetic patients (16%) died after LVAD implantation. Cumulative probability of death was higher for diabetic patients when compared with nondiabetic patients (42% versus 21% at 3 years, p = 0.013). There were no significant differences in overall rates of infection, neurologic dysfunction, and rehospitalization between the two groups. However, after an initial secondary outcome event, diabetic patients continued to have a higher mortality rate when compared with nondiabetic patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of death between diabetic patients with pre-LVAD hemoglobin A1c less than 7.0% and diabetic patients with pre-LVAD hemoglobin A1c 7.0% or greater (hazard ratio 1.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.72 to 4.08, p = 0.223). Conclusions Diabetic patients who underwent LVAD implantation had a higher risk of death compared with nondiabetic patients. Adverse event rates did not differ between the two groups. Finally, the degree of glycemic control in diabetic patients before LVAD was not found to influence mortality.
Safety of Intravenous Diltiazem in Reduced Ejection Fraction Heart Failure with Rapid Atrial Fibrillation

Diltiazem is a nondihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that is used to control rapid ventricular response in patients who have atrial fibrillation or flutter. Diltiazem has a negative inotropic effect and may cause hemodynamic decompensation in patients with reduced ejection fraction. This study evaluated outcomes in patients who had low ejection fraction and were treated with diltiazem. This was a retrospective chart review in 635 patients who were hospitalized because of rapid atrial fibrillation and who were treated with intravenous diltiazem. Outcomes were evaluated for patients in two groups based on ejection fraction (EF): normal (EF ≥ 50%) and low EF (EF < 50%). There were no differences in frequency of hypotension, intensive care unit transfer, or in-hospital mortality between the two groups. There was a significantly higher frequency of acute kidney injury within 48 h after starting diltiazem in patients who had low (16 patients [10%]) compared with normal EF (17 patients [3.6%] P = 0.002). Intravenous diltiazem in patients who have decreased EF may be associated with increased risk of acute kidney injury, but not increased risk of hypotension, intensive care unit transfer, or in-hospital mortality.
Synaptotagmins Tweak Functional β Cell Maturation

Immature β cells secrete insulin at a lower glucose threshold compared to mature β cells. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Huang et al. (2018) show that the increase in glucose threshold during β cell maturation is achieved through balance between the Ca2+-sensitive synaptotagmin 7 and the Ca2+-insensitive synaptotagmin 4.
Design and evaluation of auditory-supported air gesture controls in vehicles

Using touchscreens while driving introduces competition for visual attention that increases crash risk. To resolve this issue, we have developed an auditory-supported air gesture system. We conducted two experiments using the driving simulator to investigate the influence of this system on driving performance, eye glance behavior, secondary task performance, and driver workload. In Experiment 1 we investigated the impact of menu layout and auditory displays with 23 participants. In Experiment 2 we compared the best systems from Experiment 1 with equivalent touchscreen systems with 24 participants. Results from Experiment 1 showed that menus arranged in 2 × 2 grids outperformed systems with 4 × 4 grids across all measures and also demonstrated that auditory displays can be used to reduce visual demands of in-vehicle controls. In Experiment 2 auditory-supported air gestures allowed drivers to look at the road more, showed equivalent driver workload and driving performance, and slightly decreased secondary task performance compared to touchscreens. Implications are discussed with multiple resources theory and Fitts’s law.
Expanding the clinical spectrum of the rare epilepsy syndrome of Benign Infantile Focal Epilepsy with Midline Spikes (BIMSE) (P2.304)

Objective: NA Background: BIMSE is a rare epilepsy syndrome first described in 2000. The cardinal electrographic feature is of distinctive sleep-activated low amplitude grouped spikes followed by a bell-shaped slow wave occurring in a restricted field limited to the midline vertex. The epilepsy presents between 13 to 30 months of age in normal children. Stereotypic seizures, typically occurring in the wake state, consisting of motionless arrest, perioral cyanosis and stiffening over 1 to 5 minutes are described. Seizures are sporadic and clustering is not noted. All children outgrow the epilepsy Design/Methods: Case report Results: Case Description: A 6-year-old normal girl presented at 32 months of age with a history of a prolonged seizure. The seizure began in sleep with repeated gurgling vocalizations, drooling and eyelid flickering. She vomited twice within the first few minutes of seizure onset. After 10 minutes, bilateral body jerking set in. The seizure lasted 60 minutes. Interictal EEG showed the unexpected finding of frequent sleep activated narrow based and very low amplitude spike and slow wave discharges in a limited midline central field suggestive of those described in BIMSE. She was started on Levetiracetam 250 mg BID after the seizure. There have been no further seizures. Conclusions: The seizure in our patient with midline spikes showed mixed characteristics of Panayiotopoulos syndrome (early vomiting, autonomic features. prolonged seizure duration) and childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (gurgling vocalization, drooling). This suggests an overlap of BIMSE with Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) and childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (CECTS). This contrasts with the literature which suggests BIMSE is a novel syndrome and not an early presentation of PS or CECTS. No reported cases of BIMSE have presented with similar semiology. Disclosure: Dr. Butt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Constantinou has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Dr. Constantinou receives speaker fees from Eisai Co. Ltd. Dr. Salim Khan has nothing to disclose.
A Perceptual Study of the Relationship Between Posture and Gesture for Virtual Characters

Adding expressive body motions that synchronizes with gestures appropriately is a key element in creating a lively, intelligent virtual character. However, little is known about the relationship between body motions and gestures or how sensitive humans are to the errors generated by desynchronized gesture and body motion. In this paper, we investigated the motion splicing technique used for aligning body motion and studied people’s sensitivity to desynchronized body motions through two experiments. The first experiment is designed to see whether audio will affect people’s sensitivity to desynchronization errors and explore the role of Posture-Gesture Mergers in the transferability of body motion. A motion distance metric for measuring the distance between stylistically varied body motions is proposed and evaluated in a second experiment. The experiments revealed that audio does not affect the recognition rate, but the presence of posture gesture mergers in the source motion lowers output quality, and people’s sensitivity to motion realism is related to an energy distance metric.
How Does ATP Make Work

The question of how movement is brought about has been one of the most interesting unsolved problems in biology. Muscle contraction, active transport, and the synthesis of ATP by proton transport are coupled vectorial processes that interconvert the chemical energy of ATP and mechanical or osmotic work, often in reversible reactions. This is described by Eq. (1). The problem is to understand the meaning of the $${\text{ATP}}\rightleftharpoons{\text{ADP}} + {\text{Pi}} +{\text{work}}$$ (1) coupling in these systems, as described by this equation. It is not obvious how to think about a chemical equation of this kind; it is not useful to compare it with a steam engine or approach it with Carnot cycles or irreversible thermodynamics. We would like to define the questions that must be answered in order that we can say that we understand the mechanism of a coupled vectorial process.
Latte: Locality Aware Transformation for High-Level Synthesis

In this paper we classify the timing degradation problems using four common collective communication and computation patterns in HLS-based accelerator design: scatter, gather, broadcast and reduce. These widely used patterns scale poorly in one-to-all or all-to-one data movements between off-chip communication interface and on-chip storage, or inside the computation logic. Therefore, we propose the Latte microarchitecture featuring pipelined transfer controllers (PTC) along data paths in these patterns. Furthermore, we implement an automated framework to apply our Latte implementation in HLS with minimal user efforts. Our experiments show that Latte-optimized designs greatly improve the timing of baseline HLS designs by 1.50x with only 3.2% LUT overhead on average, and 2.66x with 2.7% overhead at maximum.
Quantum Capacitance Based Amplified Graphene Phononics for Studying Neurodegenerative Diseases

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease (MND) characterized by a rapid loss of upper and lower motor neurons resulting in patient death from respiratory failure within 3–5 years of initial symptom onset. Although at least 30 genes of major effect have been reported, the pathobiology of ALS is not well understood. Compounding this is the lack of a reliable laboratory test which can accurately diagnose this rapidly deteriorating disease. Herein, we report on the phonon vibration energies of graphene as a sensitive measure of the composite dipole moment of the interfaced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that includes a signature-composition specific to the patients with ALS disease. The second-order overtone of in-plane phonon vibration energy (2D peak) of graphene shifts by 3.2 ± 0.5 cm–1 for all ALS patients studied in this work. Further, the amount of n-doping-induced shift in the phonon energy of graphene, interfaced with CSF, is specific to the investigated neuro...
How lovebirds maneuver through lateral gusts with minimal visual information.

Flying birds maneuver effectively through lateral gusts, even when gust speeds are as high as flight speeds. What information birds use to sense gusts and how they compensate is largely unknown. We found that lovebirds can maneuver through 45° lateral gusts similarly well in forest-, lake-, and cave-like visual environments. Despite being diurnal and raised in captivity, the birds fly to their goal perch with only a dim point light source as a beacon, showing that they do not need optic flow or a visual horizon to maneuver. To accomplish this feat, lovebirds primarily yaw their bodies into the gust while fixating their head on the goal using neck angles of up to 30°. Our corroborated model for proportional yaw reorientation and speed control shows how lovebirds can compensate for lateral gusts informed by muscle proprioceptive cues from neck twist. The neck muscles not only stabilize the lovebirds’ visual and inertial head orientations by compensating low-frequency body maneuvers, but also attenuate faster 3D wingbeat-induced perturbations. This head stabilization enables the vestibular system to sense the direction of gravity. Apparently, the visual horizon can be replaced by a gravitational horizon to inform the observed horizontal gust compensation maneuvers in the dark. Our scaling analysis shows how this minimal sensorimotor solution scales favorably for bigger birds, offering local wind angle feedback within a wingbeat. The way lovebirds glean wind orientation may thus inform minimal control algorithms that enable aerial robots to maneuver in similar windy and dark environments.
Programming of Distinct Chemokine-Dependent and -Independent Search Strategies for Th1 and Th2 Cells Optimizes Function at Inflamed Sites

Summary T-helper (Th) cell differentiation drives specialized gene programs that dictate effector T cell function at sites of infection. Here, we have shown Th cell differentiation also imposes discrete motility gene programs that shape Th1 and Th2 cell navigation of the inflamed dermis. Th1 cells scanned a smaller tissue area in a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and chemokine-dependent fashion, while Th2 cells scanned a larger tissue area independent of GPCR signals. Differential chemokine reliance for interstitial migration was linked to STAT6 transcription-factor-dependent programming of integrin αVβ3 expression: Th2 cell differentiation led to high αVβ3 expression relative to Th1 cells. Th1 and Th2 cell modes of motility could be switched simply by manipulating the amount of αVβ3 on the cell surface. Deviating motility modes from those established during differentiation impaired effector function. Thus, programmed expression of αVβ3 tunes effector T cell reliance on environmental cues for optimal exploration of inflamed tissues.