cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the calcium release domains during excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle fibres.

The spatiotemporal properties of the Ca2+ release process in skeletal muscle fibres were determined using a confocal spot detection system. The low-affinity, fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-5N (OGB-5N) was used to record localized, action potential-induced fluorescence signals from consecutive locations separated by 200 nm within a single sarcomere. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the Ca2+ transients illustrated the existence of fluorescence domains around Ca2+ release sites, which are centred at the T-tubules. By constructing isochronal plots, it was estimated that the earliest detectable full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the Ca2+ domains was 0.77±0.08 µm and increased rapidly with time to 1.4±0.04 µm at peak (17–18 °C). A delay of 0.64±0.1 ms was observed between the onset of the fluorescence transients at the Z- and M-lines. Deconvolution of fluorescence transients gave estimates of approximately 9 and 2 µM for the peak [Ca2+] changes at the Z and M-lines, respectively. Our results are compatible with the possibility that action potential stimulation elicits Ca2+ release from a region of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) broader than the T-SR junction.
The Politics of Presidential Speechmaking, 1949-1980

The study provides an empirical analysis of the determinants and consequences of presidential speechmaking, defined as the occurrence of a major, nationally broadcast and televised address. Major speeches delivered by Presidents Truman through Carter are examined during the period 1949-1980. Using a probit analysis, a prediction is made of the likelihood of a major speech occurring within a month, based on the effects of public attitudes, national conditions, and events. The results indicate that changes in public approval ratings and the presence of visible national events increase the likelihood that a president will deliver a speech. Conversely, worsening economic conditions (inflation and unemployment) as well as expanding military situations decrease speechmaking efforts. The findings also demonstrate that a president's popularity increases significantly with the delivery of a major address.
Laboratory Identification of Rhodococcus equi From a patient With AIDS

Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi has long been recognized as an animal pathogen. Rarely seen as an opportunist, its significance in humans has been uncertain. However, when isolated from blood, respiratory, and autopsy cultures in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), as reported here, this aerobic gram-positive bacillus should be considered clinically significant.
Evaluating the Impact of the US National HIV/AIDS Strategy, 2010–2015

The 2010 US National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) set key targets for the reduction of HIV incidence (25 %) and the transmission rate (30 %) by 2015. We utilized published CDC data on HIV prevalence and mortality for 2007–2012, and literature-based incidence estimates for 2008–2012, along with mathematical modeling to evaluate whether the original NHAS incidence and transmission rate goals were achieved. From 2010 to 2015, a decrease was estimated from about 37,366 to 33,218 (11.1 % net decrease) for HIV incidence, and from 3.16 to 2.61 (17.4 % net decrease) for the HIV transmission rate. Over the same period, estimated all-cause mortality decreased from 17,866 to 16,085, while HIV prevalence increased from 1,181,300 to 1,270,755 persons living with HIV. At the conclusion of the original NHAS time period, important incremental but ultimately insufficient progress was made in attempting to reach key incidence and transmission rate targets for the NHAS. HIV prevention efforts must be reinvigorated in the NHAS’s second era.
Analysis of epidemiologic characteristics of Hand-foot-mouth disease in 2011 of Nantong

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of Hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in 2011 of Nantong and provide the scientific evidence for HFMD control.Method:The data was based on the National Disease Surveillance Report System.Descriptive epidemiologic methods were performed to analyze the three dimension distributions of HFMD.Results:The trough epidemic period of HFMD in 2011 was June and November.The incidence of HFMD in the inner city was significantly higher than in the counties.Cases occurred in children aged 0-5years old,and the most cases occurred in the 3 year-old group,and tended to occur in boys.The main pathogene of HFMD in Nantong was EV71 in 2011.Conclusion:child-care institutions are the key points in the work of preventing and controlling HFMD.HFMD-related health education should be enhanced widely and conprehensive prevention and control measures should be implemented.
Extended statistical element selection: a calibration method for high resolution in analog/RF designs

In this paper we propose a high resolution digital calibration method for analog/RF circuits that is an extension of the statistical element selection (SES) approach. As compared to SES, the proposed ESES method provides wider calibration range to accommodate multiple variation sources and produces higher calibration yield for the same calibration resolution target. Two types of ESES-based calibration with application in analog/RF designs are demonstrated; current source calibration and phase/delay calibration. As compared to traditional calibration methods, the proposed ESES-based calibration incurs lower circuit overhead while achieving higher calibration resolution. ESES calibration is further applied to a wideband harmonic-rejection receiver design that achieves best-in-class harmonic-rejection performance after calibration.
Special problems associated with cutaneous carcinoma of the ear.

Cancer of the ear is similar, in many respects, to cancer of other skin-covered parts of the body. The aggressive nature of malignancies involving the ear is often underestimated, resulting in initial undertreatment. With sufficiently aggressive treatment, the chances for successful tumor control can be generally very good.
The Effects of Schedules of Reinforcement on Instruction Following

The present study is a mixed design that examines instruction following, with the accuracy of instructions varied across phases within subjects and the schedule of reinforcement varied across six groups. A choice experiment was conducted in which subjects were provided with instructions that varied systematically in their accuracy. Across phases, the accuracy of instructions (expressed in percentages) was either 0-50-100-50-0 or 100-50-0-50-100. Across groups, the schedule of reinforcement was one of the following: continuous, Fixed Ratio 2, or Fixed Ratio 3. With continuous reinforcement, subjects showed collateral consequence control and either followed or disobeyed instructions, in keeping with the predictions of reinforcement theory. When the schedule of reinforcement was leaned, however, insensitivity was observed. The implications of the results for the controversies regarding the concept of rule-governed behavior are discussed.
Piezo channels and GsMTx4: Two milestones in our understanding of excitatory mechanosensitive channels and their role in pathology.

Discovery of Piezo channels and the reporting of their sensitivity to the inhibitor GsMTx4 were important milestones in the study of non-selective cationic mechanosensitive channels (MSCs) in normal physiology and pathogenesis. GsMTx4 had been used for years to investigate the functional role of cationic MSCs, especially in muscle tissue, but with little understanding of its target or inhibitory mechanism. The sensitivity of Piezo channels to bilayer stress and its robust mechanosensitivity when expressed in heterologous systems were keys to determining GsMTx4's mechanism of action. However, questions remain regarding Piezo's role in muscle function due to the non-selective nature of GsMTx4 inhibition toward membrane mechanoenzymes and the implication of MCS channel types by genetic knockdown. Evidence supporting Piezo like activity, at least in the developmental stages of muscle, is presented. While the MSC targets of GsMTx4 in muscle pathology are unclear, its muscle protective effects are clearly demonstrated in two recent in situ studies on normal cardiomyocytes and dystrophic skeletal muscle. The muscle protective function may be due to the combined effect of GsMTx4's inhibitory action on cationic MSCs like Piezo and TRP, and its potentiation of repolarizing K+ selective MSCs like K2P and SAKCa. Paradoxically, the potent in vitro action of GsMTx4 on many physiological functions seems to conflict with its lack of in situ side-effects on normal animal physiology. Future investigations into cytoskeletal control of sarcolemma mechanics and the suspected inclusion of MSCs in membrane micro/nano sized domains with distinct mechanical properties will aide our understanding of this dichotomy.
Next-generation enterprise architectures: Common vernacular and evolution towards service-orientation

Industry 4.0 is opening new avenues for reconfigurable and information-centric integration of enterprise functions and control systems. Most of the current approaches (e.g., ISA-95) view enterprise architectures in a pre-defined, monolithic, and hierarchical sense. To enable more innovative, personalized, and efficient manufacturing processes, however, such ‘tree-like’ architectures must turn into decentralized and cyber-physical networks of ‘things’ and ‘services’. This article investigates the emerging Industry 4.0 paradigms and architectures (e.g., IIRA, RAMI4.0), their commonalities, limitations, and evolution towards modular and service-oriented architectures (eg., ISO/IEC 18384:2016). The goal is to identify and analyze the existing technical and technological gaps, and provide recommendations for developing new reference models/architectures for next-generation enterprises.
Eventualities, Grammar, and Language Diversity

Languages differ widely in what is put into their grammars. Typological studies must take this into account. In the realm of “eventology” I compare a number of North American languages from the point of view of showing how a basic and probably universal classification of events, processes, states can enter into the grammar of words and phrases in different ways. The principal exhibits are from languages in the two branches of Wakashan, which are typologically very similar in gross characteristics and whose differences are thus especially interesting for questions of language diversity. The discussion is set out against a background of issues revolving around language diversity.
Human glioma cell models resistant to alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes

687 Radiation is a well-known immunosuppressive agent. The mechanism is generally ascribed to the high radiosensitivity of lymphocytes. We have investigated whether suppression of antigen presentation function might exist at the level of dendritic cells (DCs), which are relatively radioresistant. DCs capture, process, and load peptides on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II molecules in order to activate CD8+ or CD4+ T cells. Antigenic peptides presented on MHC class I molecules can be loaded either by the endogenous or exogenous pathway. The endogenous pathway in DCs involves antigen degradation through the proteasome. The exogenous pathway involves direct loading of peptides onto the MHC class I molecules. In this study, we used the human melanocyte/melanoma antigen MART-1 to investigate the effects of radiation on the development of class I-mediated MART-1 specific T cell responses. DCs were generated from 7-day cultures of murine bone marrow cells in GM-CSF and IL-4. Replication-deficient adenoviral vectors were used to express MART-1 (AdVMART1) in DCs for processing through the endogenous pathway. C57BL/6 mice were immunized with AdVMART1 transduced DCs, with and without prior irradiation. 10-14 days after immunization, IFN-γ production by immune splenocytes was measured by ELISPOT. Prior radiation treatment resulted in a significant decrease in MART-1-specific T cell responses. To investigate if the generation of protective anti-tumor immunity was affected, the murine B16 tumor cells which express murine MART-1 were used. AdVMART1/DC vaccination protected C57BL/6 mice against challenge with viable B16 melanoma cells while irradiation of the DCs prior to AdVMART1 transduction completely abrogated protection. Irradiation affected expression of costimulatory molecules by DC; however, this may not be the mechanism for reduced function of irradiated DC because antigen presentation through the exogenous MHC class I pathway was not inhibited and was in fact improved by irradiation. This was shown using the immunodominant antigenic peptide MART-1(27-35), presented by HLA-A2.1 MHC molecules. HLA-A2.1/Kb transgenic mice were injected with peptide pulsed DCs, with and without irradiation treatment. A significant increase in MART-1 specific T cells responses was seen by ELISPOT. To study protective immunity, HLA-A2.1/Kb transgenic mice were immunized with MART-1(27-35) pulsed DCs (MART-1/DC) with or without prior irradiation. B16/A2/Kb tumor cells had delayed tumor growth in mice immunized with radiation treated MART-1/DC immunization comparing to the non-irradiated group. These results suggest that DC antigen presentation function is affected by irradiation and this may be a possible pathway suppressing immune responses to tumor antigens released during radiation therapy.
High-Quality Genome Assemblies Reveal Long Non-coding RNAs Expressed in Ant Brains

Ants are an emerging model system for neuroepigenetics, as embryos with virtually identical genomes develop into different adult castes that display diverse physiology, morphology, and behavior. Although a number of ant genomes have been sequenced to date, their draft quality is an obstacle to sophisticated analyses of epigenetic gene regulation. We reassembled de novo high-quality genomes for two ant species, Camponotus floridanus and Harpegnathos saltator. Using long reads enabled us to span large repetitive regions and improve genome contiguity, leading to comprehensive and accurate protein-coding annotations that facilitated the identification of a Gp-9-like gene as differentially expressed in Harpegnathos castes. The new assemblies also enabled us to annotate long non-coding RNAs in ants, revealing caste-, brain-, and developmental-stage-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in Harpegnathos. These upgraded genomes, along with the new gene annotations, will aid future efforts to identify epigenetic mechanisms of phenotypic and behavioral plasticity in ants.
JAK/STATS in Zebrafish

The zebrafish has emerged over the last decade as a powerful model system for understanding molecular and cellular aspects of vertebrate development and disease processes. Because of the implications for, and applications to human health, the vast majority of work on JAK and STAT function has been done in mammalian systems, primarily in the mouse and in human cell lines. However, apart from natural curiosity, there are two important reasons to consider JAK and STAT biology in non-human systems. Firstly, an evolutionary perspective will shed light on which features of mammalian JAK/STAT function are conserved, and which are peculiarities of mammalian development and physiology. Second, the technical advantages that many organisms possess over mammals, particularly in genetic screening and embryological manipulation means that certain questions are relatively simple to answer in these systems, producing insight that would be impossible or financially prohibitive to achieve in mammals. Thus, the exploration of JAK/STAT function in non-mammalian model systems is a critical complementary line of investigation for a thorough understanding of these fascinating signaling molecules.
Computation of joint spectral radius for network model associated with rank-one matrix set

In the paper, we prove that any finite set of rank-one matrices has the finiteness property by making use of (invariant) extremal norm. An explicit formula for the computation of joint/generalized spectral radius of such type of matrix sets is derived. Several numerical examples from current literature are provided to illustrate our theoretical conclusion.
Institutional Barriers to Urban Greenspace Planning in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Global development agenda such as the Sustainable Development Goals call for natural-based strategies to make urban areas sustainable. One approach is urban greenspace planning. In Ghana, however, planning response to urban problems has often been inadequate and/or unresponsive. As such, the effective role of planning authorities in urban greenspace planning becomes a critical issue. This paper asks three questions: (i) What attention has been given to urban greenspaces in urban development plans for the Kumasi Metropolis? (ii) What challenges do urban planners encounter in urban greenspace planning in the Kumasi Metropolis? (iii) What factors should urban authorities consider in urban greenspace planning in the Kumasi Metropolis? This paper used content analysis on five urban development plans and interviews with urban development professionals in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. The findings show that urban greenspaces receive low attention in urban development plans. Institutional barriers to urban greenspace planning included a lack of innovation in visions for urban greenspaces, political interference, inadequate funding, disharmony in land management, misconception about land use, and a low appreciation of urban greenspaces among residents and landowners. This study concludes that these factors undermine urban greenspace planning capacity of urban authorities in the Metropolis. Therefore, urban greenspace planning must take cognizance of these factors and act to mitigate their effects on urban greenspace planning in the Kumasi Metropolis.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults with systemic right ventricles referred for cardiac transplantation

Background Systemic right ventricular (RV) failure may progress necessitating referral for orthotropic heart transplantation (OHT). Pulmonary hypertension (PH) frequently coexists in adult congenital heart disease and can complicate the assessment for OHT. Methods Single-center case series of six patients (median age 34.9 years [IQR, 31.9-42.4]) with systemic RV physiology with PH referred for OHT evaluation from 2008 to 2017. Results One-third (n = 6) of 18 patients with systemic RV physiology referred for OHT evaluation had pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) > 25 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) > 3 Wood Units. Two of the six patients were considered OHT-ineligible due to PH and comorbidities. Of the remaining four, two had pre-capillary PH and underwent heart-lung transplant (HLTx). The other two demonstrated reversibility of PVR with vasodilator testing and underwent OHT alone, one of whom died post-transplant from PH crisis. Conclusions Pulmonary arterial hypertension is common in systemic RV patients referred for OHT. Systemic RV dysfunction places these patients at risk for post-capillary PH but pre-capillary PH can exist. Despite management with selective pulmonary vasodilators and afterload reduction, criteria for listing patients for HLTx vs OHT are not known and need further elucidation.
Mechanical stresses associated with flattening of human femoropopliteal artery specimens during planar biaxial testing and their effects on the calculated physiologic stress–stretch state

Planar biaxial testing is commonly used to characterize the mechanical properties of arteries, but stresses associated with specimen flattening during this test are unknown. We quantified flattening effects in human femoropopliteal arteries (FPAs) of different ages and determined how they affect the calculated arterial physiologic stress–stretch state. Human FPAs from 472 tissue donors (age 12–82 years, mean 53 ± 16 years) were tested using planar biaxial extension, and morphometric and mechanical characteristics were used to assess the flattening effects. Constitutive parameters for the invariant-based model were adjusted to account for specimen flattening and used to calculate the physiologic stresses, stretches, axial force, circumferential stiffness, and stored energy for the FPAs in seven age groups. Flattened specimens were overall 12 ± 4% stiffer longitudinally and 19 ± 11% stiffer circumferentially when biaxially tested. Differences between the stress–stretch curves adjusted and non-adjusted for the effects of flattening were relatively constant across all age groups longitudinally, but increased with age circumferentially. In all age groups, these differences were smaller than the intersubject variability. Physiologic stresses, stretches, axial force, circumferential stiffness, and stored energy were all qualitatively and quantitatively similar when calculated with and without the flattening effects. Stresses, stretches, axial force, and stored energy reduced with age, but circumferential stiffness remained relatively constant between 25 and 65 years of age suggesting a homeostatic target of 0.75 ± 0.02 MPa. Flattening effects associated with planar biaxial testing are smaller than the intersubject variability and have little influence on the calculated physiologic stress–stretch state of human FPAs.
RNA sequencing dataset characterizing transcriptomic responses to dietary changes in Caenorhabditis elegans

Transcriptome analysis using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology provides the capability to understand global changes in gene expression throughout a range of tissue samples. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a well-established genetic system used for analyzing a number of biological processes. C. elegans are a bacteria-eating soil nematode, and changes in bacterial diet have been shown to cause a number of physiological and molecular changes. Here we used Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis to characterize the mRNA transcriptome of mixed C. elegans populations fed differing strains of bacteria to further understand dietary changes at the molecular level. Raw FASTQ files for the RNA-seq libraries are deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) and have been assigned BioProject accession PRJNA412551.
Patents, Promises, and Reproducibility

Cutting-edge scientific research faces a global reproducibility crisis: scientists often cannot faithfully reproduce their colleagues’ experiments. Several domestic patent law doctrines would appear to mitigate this problem, including the enable­ment doctrine in the United States, the promise doctrine in Canada and the Commonwealth of Nations, and Europe’s industrial application doctrine. But these doctrines’ disconnect from scientific practice and their broader international harmonization make them weak tools to combat irreproducibility. Given the increase of cross-border scientific collaboration and uncertainty surrounding cer­tain types of new technologies, these doctrines seem to exacerbate the reproducibil­ity crisis. Making these doctrines fulfill their promises to encourage reproducible, technical disclosures will likely require effort from a variety of domestic institu­tions, including domestic patent offices, courts, legislatures, and universities.
Association of Change in Patient-Reported Health Status after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, and Postoperative Outcomes

BACKGROUND The study aim was to investigate the relationship between postoperative morbidity after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and short-term patient-reported health status, using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). METHODS The association between 30-day post-procedure changes in patient-reported heath status and post-TAVR outcomes was examined. Patients were stratified into three groups based on observed changes in KCCQ-Overall scores (OS): Group A, increase in KCCQ-OS ≥10 points; Group B, KCCQ-OS scores <10 points; and Group C, decline in KCCQ-OS ≥10 points. Variation components of KCCQ scores were determined using paired t-tests. Postoperative morbidity was investigated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify pre-procedural factors associated with an increase or decline in KCCQ-OS at 30 days. RESULTS A total of 223 patients with complete baseline and postoperative 30-day KCCQ responses was studied. At the 30-day follow up there was a significant change in baseline mean KCCQ-OS for all patients (mean difference 14.1; p <0.0001). Improvement in KCCQ-OS ≥10 was observed in 130 patients (58%), 64 patients (29%) had no change, and 29 patients (13%) had a decline in KCCQ-OS ≥10. The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), permanent pacemaker (PPM) placement and new-onset arrhythmia (NOA) was higher in group C than in groups A and B: AKI, 11%, 0%, 0%; p <0.001; PPM, 21%, 4%, 6%; p = 0.004; and NOA, 21%, 5%, 8%, p = 0.026. Independent predictors of decline in KCCQ scores after TAVR were PPM requirement (estimate: 0.76 CI 0.22, 1.29; p = 0.005) and NYHA functional class (III/IV) (estimate: -0.41 CI -0.71, 0.10; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS TAVR patients experienced an improvement in health status after the procedure, but for a smaller proportion their health status worsened. Patients who experience perioperative complications may have a decline in their health status after the procedure in the short term.
Impact of Positive Margins and Radiation After Tracheal Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Resection on Survival

Background Achieving negative margins for adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the trachea can be technically difficult. This study evaluated the impact of positive margins on prognosis and tested the hypothesis that radiation improves survival in the setting of incomplete resection. Methods The impact of margin status and adjuvant therapy on overall survival of patients with tracheal ACC in the National Cancer Database (1998 to 2014) who underwent resection with known margin status and with no documented nodal or distant disease was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard analysis. Results Of 132 patients who met study criteria, 79 (59.8%) had positive margins after resection. Adjuvant radiation was given to 95 patients overall (72.0%) and to 62 of the 79 patients with positive margins (78.5%). The survival of patients with positive margins was not significantly different from that of patients with negative margins (5-year survival, 82.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 71.3-89.3] compared with 82.0% [95% CI, 67.0-90.6], P = .97), even after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 0.62-4.84; P = .30). In the subset of patients with positive margins, there was no significant difference in survival between patients who did or did not receive postoperative radiation therapy (5-year survival, 82.0% [95% CI, 68.8-89.9] compared with 82.4% [95% CI, 54.7-93.9]; P = .80), even after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.21-5.25; P = .96). Conclusions The majority of tracheal ACC resections performed in this national cohort had positive margins. Adjuvant radiation was commonly used for positive margins but was not associated with an overall survival benefit.
2288. Role of Β Lactam-Β Lactamase Inhibitors in Indian Tertiary Care Hospitals: Results from a Nationwide Survey

Background Broad-spectrum antibiotics, particularly third-generation cephalosporins, are routinely used in the treatment of nosocomial infections. The emergence of Extended Spectrum Β-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing pathogens in Indian tertiary care hospitals warrants the need to reassess β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitors (BL-BLIs) as better alternative treatments.
Spinning the CEO Pay Ratio Disclosure

We examine the consequences of mandating disclosure about the pay gap between the CEO and the median employee. Firms reporting higher pay ratios take actions to downward adjust the reported ratio and tend to include discretionary narrative attempting to portray their employee relations or compensation practices in a positive light (i.e., “spin”). Reporting a higher ratio is associated with adverse changes in employee morale and productivity, especially when the ratio is unexpectedly high. We validate the relation between disclosure and the employee response using several identification strategies. Firms utilizing more spin do not attenuate the negative effects on employees. Those with larger decreases in the pay ratio in the second reporting year reduce their use of spin in the disclosure narrative. Our results contribute to the emerging literature on human capital disclosure.
Current Understanding of the Neurobiology of Agitation.

Author(s): Miller, Christopher W.T.; Hodzic, Vedrana; Weintraub, Eric | Abstract: Introduction: Managing agitation in the clinical setting is a challenge that many practitioners faceregularly. Our evolving understanding of the etiological factors involved in aggressive acts has betterinformed our interventions through pharmacologic and behavioral strategies. This paper reviews theliterature on the neurobiological underpinnings of aggressive behaviors, linking psychopathology withproposed mechanisms of action of psychiatric medications shown to be effective in mitigating agitation. Methods: We performed a review of the extant literature using PubMed as a primary database.Investigation focused on neurobiology of agitation and its relation to the current evidence base forparticular interventions. Results: There are well-established pathways that can lead to increased autonomic response andthe potential for violence. Psychopathology and substance-induced perceptual distortions may leadto magnification and overestimation of environmental threat, heightening the potential for aggression.Additional challenges have arisen with the advent of several novel drugs of abuse, many of whichlead to atypical clinical presentations and which can elude standard drug screens. Our interventionsstill lean on the evidence base found in Project BETA (Best Practices in Evaluation and Treatmentof Agitation). Although not a new drug and not included in the Project BETA guidelines, ketamineand its use are also discussed, given its unique pharmacology and potential benefits when otherprotocoled interventions have failed. Conclusion: Aggression can occur due to manifold reasons in the clinical setting. Having aninformed understanding of the possible determinants of agitation can help with more tailoredresponses to individual patients, limiting the unnecessary use of medications or of interventions thatcould be deemed forceful.
Suicide Gatekeeping: An Important Potential Role for Early Childhood Home Visitors.

Parents of young children with disabilities may experience high levels of stress and psychological distress that may put them at higher risk for experiencing suicidality. Thus, early childhood home visitors (e.g., professionals who work for home-based early intervention programs) may serve as important gatekeepers for identifying and referring parents who are experiencing psychological distress, including suicidal thoughts. However, most early childhood home visitors do not receive training on identifying or intervening with distressed and potentially suicidal caregivers. Therefore, early childhood home visitors would benefit from acquiring evidence-based, accessible strategies for identifying and responding to caregivers who they know or suspect are experiencing suicidal thoughts—a class of knowledge and skills that can be obtained through “suicide gatekeeper” training. In this article, we provide evidence-based information about suicide risk among parents of young children with disabilities, the intervention of suicide gatekeeping, and how suicide gatekeeping can be incorporated into the early childhood home visitor role.
CD8+ T-Cell Repertoire in Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I-Mismatched Alloreactive Immune Response.

In transplantation, direct allorecognition is a complex interplay between T-cell receptors (TCR) and HLA molecules and their bound peptides expressed on antigen-presenting cells. In analogy to HLA mismatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the TCR CDR3β repertoires of alloreactive cytotoxic CD8+ responder T cells, defined by the cell surface expression of CD137 and triggered in vitro by HLA mismatched stimulating cells, were analyzed in different HLA class I mismatched combinations. The same HLA mismatched stimulatory cells induced very different repertoires in distinct but HLA identical responders. Likewise, stimulator cells derived from HLA identical donors activated CD8+ cells expressing very different repertoires in the same mismatched responder. To mimic in vivo inflammation, expression of HLA class l antigens was upregulated in vitro on stimulating cells by the inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IFNβ. The repertoires differed whether the same responder cells were stimulated with cells treated or not with both cytokines. In conclusion, the selection and expansion of alloreactive cytotoxic T-cell clonotypes expressing a very diverse repertoire is observed repeatedly despite controlling for HLA disparities and is significantly influenced by the inflammatory status. This makes prediction of alloreactive T-cell repertoires a major challenge in HLA mismatched HSCT.
From Static to Dynamic Prediction: Wildfire Risk Assessment Based on Multiple Environmental Factors.

Wildfire is one of the biggest disasters that frequently occurs on the west coast of the United States. Many efforts have been made to understand the causes of the increases in wildfire intensity and frequency in recent years. In this work, we propose static and dynamic prediction models to analyze and assess the areas with high wildfire risks in California by utilizing a multitude of environmental data including population density, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), tree mortality area, tree mortality number, and altitude. Moreover, we focus on a better understanding of the impacts of different factors so as to inform preventive actions. To validate our models and findings, we divide the land of California into 4,242 grids of 0.1 degrees $\times$ 0.1 degrees in latitude and longitude, and compute the risk of each grid based on spatial and temporal conditions. By performing counterfactual analysis, we uncover the effects of several possible methods on reducing the number of high risk wildfires. Taken together, our study has the potential to estimate, monitor, and reduce the risks of wildfires across diverse areas provided that such environment data is available.
Energy Level Bending and Molecular Packing Mode of 2,7-diocty[1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene(C8-BTBT) on MoS_2

The energy level alignment,film growth and molecular orientation of C8-BTBT on Mo S2 were studied by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy( UPS),X-ray photoemission spectroscopy( XPS) and atomic force microscopy( AFM). The molecules adopt standing-up orientation on Mo S2 and the island growth mood were confirmed. The ionization potential( IP) decrease and highest occupied orbital( HOMO) down-shift were observed as the film thickness increased. IP decrease is ascribed to the gradual increase of the surface electric dipole pointing inwards when the molecular tilt angle( θ) about the substrate normal decreases with the increasing of film thickness. The energy level shift results in an analogy P-N junction effect,which provides important guidance for C8-BTBT based electronic device design.
Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring Setup and Data Interpretation: How Do I Augment My IONM Experience?

The purpose of this article is to review the current intraoperative nerve monitoring technologies on the market and discuss the setup and interpretation of data to provide surgeons a guide by which to perform nerve monitoring during endocrine surgical cases. The associated risk minimization to the recurrent laryngeal nerve with the use of intraoperative nerve monitoring allows continued self-improvement by surgeons during dissection and offers some protection in litigious environments. This article emphasizes the published International Neural Monitoring Study Group guidelines on intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) during thyroid and parathyroid surgery. These guidelines have informed the algorithms by which intermittent and continuous nerve monitoring (IIONM and CIONM, respectively) is used. There have been multiple follow-up studies on rates of use, prognostication, and clinical outcomes using the technology. Established algorithms for intraoperative nerve monitoring allow the endocrine surgeon to easily gather and analyze data that are valuable in ultimately improving post-operative voice outcomes.
Aging of Current DACs and its Impact in Equalizer Circuits

This paper illustrates the impact of temporal degradations due to aging on current digital-to-analog converters (IDACs) within the context of a feed-forward equalizer (FFE) that is used in high-speed links. Aging causes mismatch in the current mirror, a matching-critical building block of IDACs, which degrades IDAC performance. The work analyzes and models the effect of mismatch over IDAC performance metrics and demonstrates how this affects FFE behavior. Finally, a novel scheme for FFE recalibration to recover from this degradation is presented.
A Critical Survey of the Major Methods for Measuring and Calculating Dilute Gas Transport Properties

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with those dilute gas transport phenomena which are fundamental molecular properties independent of the particular fluid dynamic environment in which they may be operating. The three most commonly important phenomena are discussed, which are shear viscosity, thermal conductivity, and ordinary concentration diffusivity. The theory necessary for the prediction of transport properties where no experimental data are available is summarized briefly, with emphasis on the newer developments. Of the several techniques which are used for gas viscosity measurement, only two are suitable for use over wide ranges of temperature (and pressure). These two methods are the Capillary flow method, and the oscillating disk method. Most of the data on gas thermal conductivity are obtained in steady state systems subject to simple solutions of the appropriate equation of heat conduction. The classic techniques for concentration diffusion measurements in the gas phase are also discussed in the chapter.
The Significance of Ego Interpretive States in Insight-Directed Psychotherapy.

I AM pleased and grateful to have the chance to speak with you on this special occasion when we can recall and evalute the contributions--conceptual, educational, and personal--which Harry Stack Sullivan made and still makes to our field and to the understanding of human living. Sullivan belonged to that group of scholars who analyzed human experience in terms of a psychology of action grounded in the philosophical basis derived from Brentano, Mead, and Dewey--and represented by Meyer. Freud and the psychoanalysts, Titchener, and most anthropologists and modern sociologists. A psychology of action includes purpose and intent in its basic terms, it recognizes the ubiquity of symbolic interpretation as characteristic of humans, and it emphasizes the importance of understanding in the sence of grasping human communication, rather than in the sense of understanding objective mechanisms. It stands in contrast to an effort at objectivity in a behaviorist sence on the one hand, and to a strictly phenomenological psychology on the other. Phenomenological and existentialist analysis consider dialogue, communion, and the sharing of experience as the source of creative novelty and discovery, and exclude classification which might, for instance, consider some persons sick and capable of recovery. The act psychologist tends to ask what the person is trying to do, whereas others would speak of a trait, a symptom, or a defect.
Default estimation and expert information: All likely dataset analysis and robust validation

Default is a rare event, even in segments in the midrange of a bank's portfolio. Inference about default rates is essential for risk management and for compliance with the requirements of Basel II. Most commercial loans are in the middle-risk categories and are to unrated companies. Expert information is crucial in inference about defaults. A Bayesian approach is proposed and illustrated using a prior distribution assessed from an industry expert. The method of All Likely Datasets, based on sufficient statistics and expert information, is used to characterize likely datasets for analysis. A check of robustness is illustrated with an epsilon-- mixture of priors.
Prospective evaluation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients receiving hepatic arterial and systemic chemotherapy for unresectable colorectal liver metastases.

Abstract Background The prognostic and predictive abilities of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) coupled with conventional computed tomography (CT) have not been studied in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (uCRLM) treated with combined hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) and systemic chemotherapy. Objectives The ability of PET‐CT metabolic response parameters to predict conversion to resectability and oncologic outcome in this setting was evaluated. Methods Thirty‐eight patients undergoing serial PET‐CT as part of a Phase II trial of HAI and systemic chemotherapy for uCRLM were included. Metabolic response was determined as the percentage change in standard uptake value (SUV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). Conversion to resection, overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS) and recurrence‐free survival were evaluated using standard statistics. Results Volumetric response sufficient to facilitate resection was seen in 53% of patients after a median of 5 months of therapy. Median follow‐up was 38 months (range: 32–52 months). Median OS was not reached [95% confidence interval (CI) 32 months–unknown] and 3‐year OS was 54% (range: 33–71%). Median PFS was 13 months (95% CI 6–21 months) and 3 year PFS was 10% (range: 3–20%). Neither baseline values nor the percentage change in any of the metabolic parameters evaluated correlated with conversion to resection, survival variables or hepatic recurrence on Cox regression analysis. Conclusions Pre‐ and post‐treatment PET‐related metabolic parameters do not predict conversion to resection or oncologic outcome in patients with uCRLM treated with HAI and systemic chemotherapy. Metabolic parameters should not be used to monitor response or to determine prognosis in these patients.
Sensitivity evaluation of the Daphtoxkit and Thamnotoxkit microbiotests on blind samples

At the Oregon State University Workshop we utilized two ‘culture/maintenance-free’ microbiotests, the Thamnotoxkit F™ with the anostracan crustacean Thamnocephalus platyurus and the Daphtoxkit F™ magna with the cladoceran crustacean Daphnia magna, to determine the toxicity of water samples in a blind format. The Thamnotoxkit was applied to 7 samples and the Daphtoxkit to 12 samples. The chemical composition of the water samples to which the Toxkit microbiotests had been applied was disclosed a posteriori by the organizers and appeared to contain chlordimeform, colchicine, phosdrin, mercuric chloride, sodium arsenite, metham sodium, sodium cyanide, trimethylol propane phosphate, p-chlorophenol and a natural sediment sample containing mercury. Three of the water samples were blanks that had not been spiked with chemicals. No false positives were obtained with the two Toxkits and all the toxic waters were earmarked as such by the microbiotests, except trimethylol propane phosphate, which was not found to induce acute effects in Daphnia magna in the non-diluted water sample containing 100 mg l−1 of this compound. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Catecholamine Receptors and Signal Transduction

Publisher Summary Recent research in the area of catecholamine receptors has focused on structure, classification, and tissue localization of adrenoceptor subtypes, intracellular mechanisms influenced by catecholamine receptor occupation, including negative feedback loops responsible for receptor desensitization, pharmacology of neurological, psychiatric, and cardiovascular drugs acting at catecholamine receptors, roles of catecholamine receptor subtypes in behavioral and physiological processes, and catecholamine receptors in pathophysiological states. Distinctions based on genetic sequences for identifying types and subtypes of catecholamine receptors have outpaced those based on pharmacological techniques such as ligand binding. As a result, the functional importance of many of these distinctions remains unclear. This chapter includes summaries of classification schemas for these subtypes, lists of the associated G-proteins and intracellular messengers that couple catecholamine receptor occupation with cellular functional changes, and notes on some of the specific agonists and antagonists. In response to pharmacological doses of agonists, many studies have focused on refining understanding of mechanisms of adrenoceptor desensitization. Adrenoceptor occupation presumably results in conformational changes that initiate the signaling process. The α1A subtype predominates in human heart, liver, brain, and prostate. Transcriptional regulation appears to underlie tissue-specific expression of this subtype. In humans, α1-adrenoceptors play relatively minor roles in mediating catecholamine effects in the heart, and kidneys play an important role in regulation of vascular tone.
Fast labile carbon turnover obscures sensitivity of heterotrophic respiration from soil to temperature: A model analysis

[1] Labile carbon, although often a small fraction of soil organic carbon (SOC), significantly affects heterotrophic respiration at short timescales because of its rapid decomposition. However, in the current literature, most soil respiration measurements are interpreted without simultaneous information on labile carbon pool dynamics. Sensitivity of soil respiration to temperature is routinely derived directly from field observations, and such relationships have been used to extrapolate effects of global change (e.g., warming) on carbon emission from SOC. Here we use a multipool SOC model to demonstrate the impacts of seasonal fluctuations of labile carbon pools on interpretation of soil respiration measurements. We find that labile carbon pool sizes vary widely in response to seasonal changes in representative plant material inputs and temperature even though the model is operating at equilibrium in terms of annual means. Convolution of the dynamics of fast turnover carbon pools and temporal progression in temperature lead to misrepresentation and misinterpretation of the heterotrophic respiration-temperature relationships estimated from bulk soil CO2 exchanges. Temperature sensitivity is overestimated when the variations of labile carbon pools and temperature are in phase and underestimated when they are out of phase. Furthermore, with normally used observation time windows (weeks to a year), temperature sensitivity is more likely to be underestimated. A distortion of temperature sensitivity (Q10) from 2 (actual, sensitive dependence on temperature) to nearly 1 (false, no dependence on temperature) is shown. Applying estimated temperature sensitivity parameter back into the model considerably overestimates soil carbon storage at equilibrium. Our findings indicate that caution must be taken when soil respiration-temperature relationships are evaluated based on bulk soil observations and when sensitivity of soil respiration to temperature estimated directly under field conditions is used to predict future carbon cycle-climate feedbacks.