cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
146. Depressive symptoms and cardiovascular risk

Background: Increased cardiovascular risk in those with depressive symptoms is well-documented, notably increased mortality, rehospitalizations, and adverse cardiac events. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is used as a prognostic marker of cardiovascular disease risk for heart failure. We seek to elucidate whether BNP and other cardiac parameters are associated with depressive symptoms to determine biological factors that may prevent adverse cardiac outcomes. Methods: Patients receiving echocardiograms between May and July 2010 completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to assess depressive symptoms. Information was collected regarding past medical history, surgeries, cardiac symptoms, medications, lipids, BNP, and echocardiogram findings. Linear regression analyses identified relationships between depressive symptoms and cardiac measures. Results: Total BDI score was independently correlated with edema ( p = 0.017), arrhythmia ( p = 0.013), previous myocardial infarction (MI) ( p = 0.003), and weakness ( p = 0.007). When combining variables: including edema and fatigue ( p = 0.005); arrhythmia and previous heart attack ( p Conclusions: Patients with edema, arrhythmia, previous MI, and weakness were more likely to be depressed. The presence of multiple cardiac factors strengthened the association.Although BNP was unrelated to depressive symptoms, perhaps it has a role in more specific cardiovascular populations with depression.Clinicians must maintain awareness of depressive symptoms in cardiac patients to help minimize adverse outcomes.
Redbacked Cutworm: Flight Period and Egg Development Under Field Conditions

Flight activity of Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenee) was monitored with BL traps for 2 years in Jefferson County, Oregon. Stages of egg development were determined from a random sample of females collected in the traps during the same period. Flight activity started in mid-June and ceased in mid-September, a period of 13–14 weeks with a peak near the end of July or early August. Weekly dissection of females from trap collections showed little or no egg development prior to early August, 4–5 weeks after adult activity began. However, eggs were present in the ovarioles during August and early September which is probably closely correlated with oviposition.
Aging and Transgender Bisexuals: Exploring the Intersection of Age, Bisexual Sexual Identity, and Transgender Identity

AbstractThis study is the first to examine the experiences and needs of an international sample of current, English-speaking, bisexual, and transgender-identified adults (trans-bisexuals) on a number of later-life and end-of-life (EOL) perceptions, preparations, and concerns. In particular, the author analyzed a subset (n = 147) of the cross-sectional data collected from the online Trans MetLife Survey on Later-Life Preparedness and Perceptions in Transgender-Identified Individuals (N = 1,963). The author assessed perceptions and fears around aging, preparation for later life and end of life, as well as numerous demographic and psychosocial variables. Despite the fact that many respondents feel that they have aged successfully, the respondent trans-bisexual population harbors significant fears around later life challenges. Additionally the author found that this population is ill prepared for the major legalities and events that occur in the later to end-of-life time periods.
A study of the semantic collocations between disyllabic psychological verbs and noun objects of the cognitive category in modern Chinese

This study analyzes the semantic collocations of 33 psychological verbs of the cognitive category in modern Chinese from the first-grade words of GlossaryfortheTeachingSyllabusfor InternationalStudentsofChineseLanguageMajorsinHigherInstitutionsofChina.These psychological verbs with nouns as the objects are classified into five categories,including memorizing,understanding,thinking,deducting,and imagining.Based on the modern Chinese corpus data of the Center for Chinese Linguistics at Peking University(CCL),the frequency of the collocations of each psychological verb is calculated and the semantic distribution of the noun objects is discussed as well.This study finally provides some suggestions for the relevant teaching.
Studies demonstrating improved outcomes in patients with asthma: a 10-year review.

Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease that affects 14 to 15 million Americans and over 100 million people worldwide.1,2 It is a costly disease in terms of human suffering and in economic terms, with estimated annual costs of $6.2 billion in the United States.3 High costs are associated with unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Roughly 10 million missed school days by children are associated with lost work productivity in parents of nearly $1 billion.2 Morbidity and mortality are greatest among inner city minority populations, with about 5000 deaths in the United States each year.1 Recent evidence indicates that among the diverse US Hispanic population, Puerto Ricans (especially in the northeast) have the greatest annual asthma mortality (40.9 per million), followed by Cuban Americans (15.8 per million) and Mexican Americans (9.2 per million).4 In comparison, non-Hispanic whites had an annual asthma mortality of 14.7 per million, and non-Hispanic blacks had a mortality rate of 38.1 per million.4 Diminished quality of life is a major consequence of poorly managed asthma, including nocturnal awakenings or awakening in the early morning with symptoms. Poor sleep quality from asthma or concomitant allergic rhinitis can affect functional status, such as reduced performance at school.5,6 Improving asthma control is helpful not only to the patient, but CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT This course has been approved for a total of two (2) contact hours of continuing education credit (0.2 CEUs) by the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy is approved by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education as a provider of continuing pharmaceutical education. ACPE Program Number: 064-999-01-202-H-01. This course expires on February 28, 2003.
Minimizing perioperative hypoxemia does not affect postpneumonectomy lung growth

The effects of preventing the acute hypoxemia common during lung resection on postpneumonectomy lung growth were investigated. Rats that had undergone translaryngeal tracheal intubation and were supported with intermittent positive-pressure ventilation during pneumonectomy (IPPV) were compared with those allowed to breathe room air spontaneously via the natural airway (SV). A pulse oximeter was used to document intraoperative and postoperative oxygen saturation (SaO2). Almost all SV animals became acutely hypoxemic during thoracotomy [SaO2 less than 50% for 2.5 +/- 0.5 min (8/9), less than 30% for 1.7 +/- 0.4 (8/9)], whereas IPPV animals largely maintained oxygenation [SaO2 less than 50% for 0.3 +/- 0.2 min (8/13), less than 30% for 0.05 +/- 0.05 min (1/13)]. Direct measurements of oxygen saturation correlated well with the pulse oximeter (slope of regression line = 0.90, correlation 0.91), and arterial blood gases showed the SV group to be hypercapneic and acidotic as well as hypoxemic during lung removal. These abnormalities resolved soon after chest closure. Intubated animals had mild postextubation hypoxemia that normalized within 3 h of surgery. Two weeks postoperative, there were no differences in lung mass or content of water, RNA, DNA, and protein between the two groups.
Speciation, Geography of

Evolutionary biologists have considered the nature of the geography of speciation for generations. Particularly, heated debate has surrounded the question of whether geographic isolation is required for species formation. While there are now compelling empirical and theoretical examples demonstrating the presence and feasibility of divergence in the face of gene flow, the frequency of speciation events that occur by complete versus incomplete spatial isolation is unknown. Geography may play a critical role in both cases; therefore, this incessant source of contention will likely continue to be a focus of speciation research into the future.
Frege's ‘On the Concept of Number’ (1891) – an unnoticed publication

ABSTRACTA short piece by Frege, heretofore overlooked, containing a precis of his views on the concept of number, is presented, after some very brief questions about Frege's possible involvement in the wider intellectual milieu.
Material characterization using photocurrents generated by a moving space charge field

Two-wave mixing in photorefractive materials can generate photocurrents1-3 which can be used to infer physical parameter values of the host material. In these experiments a single laser beam is split into two optical paths. Light transversing one path encounters some form of optical phase modulation. The two beams are then brought to interference in a photoconductive semiconductor containing mid-band- gap trapping sites. The interference pattern forms an internal moving space charge field which can generate an alternating current flow inside the material.
Future Directions for Advanced Thyroid Cancer Therapy

The unique features of thyroid cells long have enabled clinicians to target therapy for patients with differentiated thyroid cancers. The retained expression and function of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) and the Na, I symporter (NIS) in most thyroid cells have allowed for the successful use of TSH-suppressive doses of levothyroxine (L-T4) and radioiodine in selected patients. These targeted treatments, in combination with surgery, have led to long-term survival rates for patients with early-stage thyroid cancers that approach 98 % at 20 years [1, 2]. However, this excellent prognosis is not shared by individuals with aggressive, metastatic thyroid cancers or those with malignancies that dedifferentiate and lose expression and function of the TSH receptor and NIS. Indeed, patients with these more aggressive thyroid cancers typically have poor responses to traditional therapies resulting in a much higher incidence of cancer-related death. Alternative therapies using nontargeted cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents have been largely disappointing. Therefore, a major effort is ongoing to identify effective treatments for patients with aggressive thyroid cancers. Proper therapeutic targeting for these tumors requires clarification of the pathways most critical for tumor progression and tumor cell survival and the mechanisms responsible for the loss of TSHR and NIS expression (Table 104.1) [3]. As better tolerated therapies that target pathways involved in cancer have been developed, a number of teams focused on thyroid cancer clinical trials have successfully completed studies assessing efficacy in patients with progressive and metastatic thyroid cancer. This approach has resulted in the approval of three agents for treating progressive and metastatic thyroid cancer including two for medullary cancer (cabozantinib and vandetanib) and one for follicular-cell-derived thyroid cancer (sorafenib). In addition, a number of FDA-approved compounds for other malignancies have been shown to have disease-modifying activating in thyroid cancer and could be prescribed by clinicians in the United States. While these studies and subsequent approvals are a significant advance for patients with thyroid cancer; thus far all of the approvals are based on improved progression-free survival but an overall survival benefit has not been shown and durable complete remissions have not been described. Moreover, side effects are common, some of which can be severe. Thus, at this time the use of these agents is limited to patients with progressive and life-threatening forms of thyroid cancer. In this chapter, the potential targets for alternative therapies, the key data that resulted in the approvals of these compounds, future directions now that new approved therapies exist will be discussed. Specific ongoing or published clinical trials beyond those will not be reviewed in detail.
Development and evaluation of data-driven respiratory gating methods with simulated list-mode PET data

Data-driven respiratory gating techniques in cardiac PET extract respiratory motion signal from the PET data to guide respiratory gating and motion estimation. However, the influence of the quality of the list-mode data including the uptake ratio between the myocardium and background and the detected count level on its performance has never been studied thoroughly. In this project, list-mode PET data derived from realistic Monte Carlo simulation of different uptake ratios and count levels was employed to quantitatively evaluate the respiratory motion signal extraction and estimation techniques. Simulated projection data were generated from the 4D XCAT phantom with known respiratory motion. The list-mode data were rebinned into projection data at 200 msec intervals and the centers-of-mass of a region-of-interest over the heart were calculated. Contributions from the background were subtracted in the centroid calculation. The peak in the Fourier transform of the time sequence of the centroid locations, or the frequency spectrum, was identified as the respiratory motion signal and its SNR was measured. The high frequency components of the frequency spectrum were removed for noise smoothing before extracting the respiratory motion signal for use in respiratory gating estimation. The results show that with background correction, the amplitude of the estimated respiratory motion signal is increased and is closer to the truth. Both lower myocardium to background uptake ratio and lower count level reduce the SNR of the respiratory motion signal. When they become too low, the extraction of the respiratory motion signal becomes difficult or fails completely.
Strain localization in a solid-water-air system with random heterogeneity via stabilized mixed finite elements

Summary Unsaturated soils are solid-water-air systems that include a solid skeleton, pore water, and pore air. Heterogeneities in porosity or degree of saturation are salient features of unsaturated soils. These heterogeneities may trigger localized deformation (e.g., shear banding) in such materials as demonstrated by numerical simulations via a pseudo three-phase model. In this article, we formulate a true three-phase mathematical framework implemented via stabilized low-order mixed finite elements. With this mathematical framework, we study the evolution of pore air pressure and its role in the inception of strain localization triggered by initial heterogeneity either in porosity or suction. The numerical simulations show that pore air pressure is non-zero and non-uniform in the process of progressive failure in unsaturated soils. The heterogeneity of pore air pressure may also play a significant role in the onset of localized deformation of unsaturated soils. Therefore, a three-phase model considering the pore air phase is physically more appropriate for modeling strain localization in unsaturated soils. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cortical inhibitory interneurons control sensory processing

Inhibitory and excitatory neurons form intricate interconnected circuits in the mammalian sensory cortex. Whereas the function of excitatory neurons is largely to integrate and transmit information within and between brain areas, inhibitory neurons are thought to shape the way excitatory neurons integrate information, and they exhibit context-specific and behavior-specific responses. Over the last few years, work across sensory modalities has begun unraveling the function of distinct types of cortical inhibitory neurons in sensory processing, identifying their contribution to controlling stimulus selectivity of excitatory neurons and modulating information processing based on the behavioral state of the subject. Here, we review results from recent studies and discuss the implications for the contribution of inhibition to cortical circuit activity and information processing.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld analysis of 2-(5-bromo-thio-phen-2-yl)aceto-nitrile.

The title compound, C6H4BrNS, crystallizes in the space group P21/n with one complete mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit. The non-H atoms are nearly planar (r.m.s for non-H atoms = 0.071 A), with the nitrile group oriented anti­periplanar with respect to the thio­phene S atom. Inter­molecular Type I centrosymmetric Br⋯Br halogen inter­actions are present at a distance of 3.582 (1) A and with a C—Br⋯Br angle of 140.7 (1)°. Additional weaker C—H⋯N, C—H⋯S, and S⋯π inter­actions are also present. A Hirshfeld analysis indicates Br⋯Br inter­actions comprise only 1.9% of all the inter­atomic contacts.
Overcoming challenges in educational stem game design and development

Captivate is a mobile game for STEM in higher education. In the development of Captivate, the employment of popular game mechanics and development of a set of mathematical tools have allowed developers to overcome some of the problems commonly facing developers of educational STEM games for higher education. Game mechanics from a variety of popular games are incorporated which supports player engagement by providing a familiar narrative to each game. Additionally, mathematical tools have been developed which provide symbolic and numeric manipulation capabilities within the game. These tools allow for graphing, problem generation and display, multiple types of player input, and evaluation of player answers all to be conducted at run time. This paper details how challenges were overcome and addressed in Captivate with examples, namely display and manipulation of complex expressions and the complexity and length of problems.
Correction to: An exotic abscess within the United Kingdom from The Gambia: a case report.

In the publication of this article [1], there is an error in an authors name. The error: ‘Estelle Hong How‘ Should instead read: ‘Estelle How-Hong‘ This has now been included in this erratum.
Tuberculosis multidrogo resistente en la era final de la tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) emerged shortly after introduction of rifamycins in the 1960s; isoniazid resistance had already emerged by the mid-1950s. Without these two drugs, tuberculosis is very difficult and costly to treat, with unacceptably high rates of treatment failure, death, loss to follow-up, and no known preventive treatment. Global attention first focused on MDR TB in the early 1990s when nosocomial outbreaks with high case fatality rates were reported in many countries. Prevalence data for MDR TB on a global scale first became available in 1997. In 2016, about 4.1% of estimated ~10.4 million new TB patients plus 19% of ~1 million previously treated patients, that is ~600,000 people develop MDR TB or rifampicin resistant TB; 250,000 die annually. Ten years ago, <5% of them were diagnosed and enrolled on treatment, increasing to about 21.6% in 2016, leaving much room for improvement. Over that same period of time, momentum has been building to combat MDR TB, including advances in diagnostics, therapeutics, and care; decentralizing patient-centered care coupled with social support; growing improvements in prevention of transmission; increasing use of highly effective antiretroviral treatment; communications, advocacy, and social mobilization; leadership and updated policy guidance. Taking into account long-term epidemiological trends, all of these factors coupled with funding from the Global Fund and other major donors, suggest we may be on the verge of accelerating declines in MDR TB morbidity and mortality. Extreme poverty, which allows tuberculosis to flourish, has actually decreased by about one billion people over the past 25 years. What is needed now is political will on the part of national governments to apply these advances diligently and further reductions in poverty, pushing epidemiological trends past the inflection point to the downward slope. All these can be accelerated with increased support for science leading to better diagnosis, treatment and an effective vaccine to sustain and accelerate the meager declines reported thus far.
Product formulas for the 5-division points on the Tate normal form and the Rogers–Ramanujan continued fraction

Abstract Explicit formulas are proved for the 5-torsion points on the Tate normal form E 5 of an elliptic curve having ( X , Y ) = ( 0 , 0 ) as a point of order 5. These formulas express the coordinates of points in E 5 [ 5 ] − 〈 ( 0 , 0 ) 〉 as products of linear fractional quantities in terms of fifth roots of unity and a parameter u, where the parameter b which defines the curve E 5 is given as b = ( e 5 u 5 − e − 5 ) / ( u 5 + 1 ) and e = ( − 1 + 5 ) / 2 . If r ( τ ) is the Rogers–Ramanujan continued fraction and b = r 5 ( τ ) , then the coordinates of points of order 5 in E 5 [ 5 ] − 〈 ( 0 , 0 ) 〉 are shown to be products of linear fractional expressions in r ( 5 τ ) with coefficients in Q ( ζ 5 ) .
Intramembrane changes in retinal pigment epithelial cell junctions of the dystrophic rat retina.

A progressive failure in phagocytosis by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) occurs in the Royal College of Surgeons rat with inherited retinal degeneration. Another change that can be attributed to a defect in the RPE is a breakdown in the blood-retinal barrier. RPE cell junctions, which form a part of this barrier, become permeable to extracellular tracer during the dystrophic process. We have used the freeze-fracture technique to study the structure of RPE cell junctions in normal and dystrophic retinas. In normal retinas, tight junctions between RPE cells consisted of 8 to 16 anastomosing strands on the cytoplasmic membrane leaflet (P-face) and a complementary pattern of grooves on the external membrane leaflet (E-face). Gapjunctional aggregates of hexagonally packed P-face particles and complementary E-face pits were enclosed within the tight junctional strands. In dystrophic retinas changes were first seen at postnatal day 21. Subtle breaks in P-face tight-junctional strands became more pronounced with time. Eventually the tight junctions appeared to unravel from the gap junctional aggregates, which became isolated and appeared to break off into patches of particle aggregates. The increased density of background particles in the membranes adjacent to disassembling junctions suggested that junctional elements were being removed by dispersal. Endocytosis of junctional elements was observed in both dystrophic and control retinas but may be accelerated in the dystrophic retina. In the late stages of the dystrophy some RPE cell junctions appeared to have proliferated and occupied extensive areas of the RPE membrane. (INVEST OPHTHALMOL Vis SCI 23:305-318, 1982.)
Nanotechnology and Ethics – European Public Policies

The global dissemination of science and technology is transforming bioethics increasingly into a global intellectual and practical activity. Research projects are undertaken in multiple international centres with more and more research subjects being recruited in developing countries. Medication is distributed all over the globe. Healthcare practices are increasingly standardised although guidelines and legislative frameworks may differ or even be absent. This globalisation of science and healthcare makes the benefits of scientific and technological progress, at least theoretically, available to all citizens of the world. However, we know that in practise the benefits and burdens of scientific development are not equally distributed. Poorer countries are often excluded from the benefits of biomedical progress. Vaccination programmes for infectious diseases, for example, are frequently not used in the least developed countries because of lack of resources. There is also the risk that different legal and moral standards are applied in different regions of the world. While in western countries detailed legislation regulates the conduct of clinical trials, less developed countries have experiences of ‘unauthorized’ research since they do not have appropriate legislation or ethical review committees. Scientific development, technological innovation and environmental protection are often the focus of close attention of policy-makers in more developed countries. One of the effects can be that research consortia and pharmaceutical companies are transferring their activities to less developed countries where legal frameworks and public oversight are less extensive. Especially Africa is sometimes regarded as the dustbin of the world. This danger is illustrated by the recent scandal over toxic waste in the Ivory Coast as well as the movie The Constant Gardener.
Indium-111 Platelets in Thromboembolism: Can Labeled Platelets be Used to Evaluate Antithrombotic Therapy?

Venous and arterial thromboembolism continue to represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in populations around the world. For several decades, intense investigative interest has focused upon the major forms of thromboembolism: coronary thrombosis with its potential consequence of myocardial infarction; cerebral thromboembolism with its consequences of transient ischemic attacks and/or cerebral infarction; and venous thrombosis and its potentially lethal complication, pulmonary embolism. Add to these major problems those arterial and venous thromboembolic events which can cause impairment in other body organs--the kidney, the lower extremities, the bowel--and the clinical magnitude of the problem is clear.
Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Practice Guidelines: Accelerating an Evolution. An Endocrine Society Consensus Statement

An analysis of the Endocrine Society's clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) published from 2010 to 2017-presented by Irwig et al. in the current issue of The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism-suggested that the Endocrine Society met five of seven National Academy of Medicine (NAM) standards concerning financial conflicts of interest in CPGs. As current contributors to the Endocrine Society's CPG efforts, we offer additional context related to the 2011 NAM standards and the current environment concerning industry support in medicine, and we comment on the nature of industry support received by the Society's CPG authors according to Irwig and colleagues' analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Open Payments database. Perhaps most importantly, we outline the Society's recent and ongoing efforts to enhance the value of its CPGs. Such efforts include a 2016 revision of CPG author conflict of interest rules-a change that was invisible to the investigatory methods used by Irwig et al.-in addition to other processes designed to enhance CPG objectivity. We conclude our commentary by recognizing that good-faith attempts to enhance transparency and to reduce conflicts of interest (real or apparent) in CPGs will ultimately serve the best interests of patients and providers; we confirm the Endocrine Society's resolute commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based clinical guidance via a CPG development process that faithfully accords with current CPG best practices.
Risk Factor Information Systems

Risk factor information systems monitor the prevalence of specific antecedents of premature disease and death. These systems focus on tracking behaviors, conditions, and exposures to increase awareness of the burden of disease in a community, support prioritization of public health resources, and allow measurement of the effectiveness of prevention programs. There are a variety of important risk factor information systems in use at the present time, both in the United States and internationally: some systems are designed to produce national or regional estimates, while others have a more local, community focus; some systems cover a broad range of health risk factors across all demographic groups, while others focus on a small number of disease-specific exposures in special populations; some systems require only subjective responses, while others collect additional measurements of the body and biological assays. There are numerous efforts underway that use information technology to make risk factor information more accessible and useful through integration and innovative presentation, and the future uses of new information technologies to augment risk factor surveillance are explored.
Colloidal ReO3 Nanocrystals: Extra Re d-Electron Instigating a Plasmonic Response.

Rhenium (+6) oxide (ReO3) is metallic in nature, which means it can sustain localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in its nanocrystalline form. Herein, we describe the colloidal synthesis of na...
Chapter 34 – Pituitary Adenomas

Publisher Summary This chapter explains how pituitary tumors are common benign neoplasms that cause symptoms related to excess hormone production, or due to compression of surrounding brain structures. Mechanisms for development and progression of pituitary adenomas are not fully understood. Several abnormalities have been identified in pituitary tumors, including imbalances in cell cycle regulation, transcription factors and signaling pathways that result from inherited or spontaneous oncogene activation or tumor suppressor gene inactivation. Pituitary gland hormone production and proliferation is regulated by central and peripheral signals. No molecular imbalance common to all pituitary tumors has been identified. This could be due to limitations in technologies used to identify candidate genes, and the intrinsic complexity of pituitary tumors, as they are derived from at least five distinct pituitary cell types. Medical therapy for acromegaly includes somatostatin receptor ligands, and GH receptor antagonists. Somatostatin analogs octreotide and lanreotide are selective for SSTR2 and SSTR5 expressed in normal and adenomatous GH-secreting cells, causing biochemical control of IGF-1 and GH levels in up to 70% of patients.
Band Structures and optical properties of CdSn P 2 and CdSn As 2

The band structures of CdSn${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$ and CdSn${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ have been calculated by a new empirical pseudopotential technique. Parameters characterizing the real-space atomic potentials were fitted to the fundamental gaps. Calculated reflectance spectra are compared to the data.
Risk-Based Vulnerability Analysis of Deteriorating Coastal Bridges under Hurricanes Considering Deep Uncertainty of Climatic and Socioeconomic Changes

AbstractCorrosion and hurricanes pose substantial risk to coastal bridges. This risk is compounded by future climatic and socioeconomic changes due to the increasing temperature and humidity, risin...
The economic value of research in managing invasive hydrilla in Florida public lakes

Weber MA, Wainger LA, Harms NE, Nesslage GM. 2020. The economic value of research in managing invasive hydrilla in Florida public lakes. Lake Reserv Manage. XX:XX–XX. Decisions on how to allocate r...
REIONIZATION ON LARGE SCALES. III. PREDICTIONS FOR LOW-ℓ COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND POLARIZATION AND HIGH-ℓ KINETIC SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH OBSERVABLES

We present new predictions for cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature (on small angular scales) and polarization (on large angular scales) anisotropies induced during the epoch of reionization (EoR). Using a novel method calibrated from radiation-hydrodynamic simulations, we model the EoR in large volumes (L 2 Gpc h –1). We find that the EoR contribution to the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich power spectrum (patchy kSZ) ranges between ~0.6-2.8 μK2 at l = 3000 for the explored parameter space. For each model, the patchy kSZ power spectrum is calculated from three large 15° × 15° maps for better numerical convergence. Decreasing the size of these maps biases the overall patchy kSZ power to higher values. We find that the amplitude of the patchy kSZ power spectrum at l = 3000 follows simple scalings of and for the mean redshift () and duration (Δ z ) of reionization. Using the constraints on from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe seven year results and the lower limit on Δ z from EDGES, we find a lower limit of ~0.4 μK2 at l = 3000. Planck will infer the mean redshift from the Thomson optical depth imprinted in the low-l polarization power spectrum. Future measurements of the high-l CMB power spectrum from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and South Pole Telescope should detect the patchy kSZ signal if the cross correlation between the thermal SZ effect and the cosmic infrared background is constrained. We show that the combination of temperature and polarization measurements constrains both and Δ z . The patchy kSZ maps, power spectra templates, and the polarization power spectra will be publicly available.
FLICK: An optimized plate reader-based assay to infer cell death kinetics

Evaluating drug sensitivity is improved by directly quantifying death kinetics, rather than correlates of viability, such as metabolic activity. This is challenging, requiring time-lapse microscopy and genetically encoded labels to distinguish live and dead cells. Here, we describe fluorescence-based and lysis-dependent inference of cell death kinetics (FLICK). This method requires only a standard fluorescence plate reader, retaining the high-throughput nature and broad accessibility of common viability assays. However, FLICK specifically quantifies death, including an accurate inference of death kinetics. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Richards et al. (2020).
Distinct representations of tonotopy and pitch in human auditory cortex.

Frequency-to-place mapping, or tonotopy, is a fundamental organizing principle throughout the auditory system, from the earliest stages of auditory processing in the cochlea to subcortical and cortical regions. Although cortical maps are referred to as tonotopic, it is unclear whether they simply reflect a mapping of physical frequency inherited from the cochlea, a computation of pitch based on the fundamental frequency, or a mixture of these two features. We used high-resolution fMRI to measure BOLD responses as male and female human participants listened to pure tones that varied in frequency or complex tones that varied in either spectral content (brightness) or fundamental frequency (pitch). Our results reveal evidence for pitch tuning in bilateral regions that partially overlap with the traditional tonotopic maps of spectral content. In general, primary regions within Heschl’s gyri exhibited more tuning to spectral content, whereas areas surrounding Heschl’s gyri exhibited more tuning to pitch. Significance statement Tonotopy, an orderly mapping of frequency, is observed throughout the auditory system. However, it is not known whether the tonotopy observed in the cortex simply reflects the frequency spectrum (as in the ear) or instead represents the higher-level feature of fundamental frequency, or pitch. Using carefully controlled stimuli and high-resolution fMRI, we separated these features to study their cortical representations. Our results suggest that tonotopy in primary cortical regions is driven predominantly by frequency, but also reveal evidence for tuning to pitch in regions that partially overlap with the tonotopic gradients but extend into non-primary cortical areas. In addition to resolving ambiguities surrounding cortical tonotopy, our findings provide evidence that selectivity for pitch is distributed bilaterally throughout auditory cortex.
Sex Steroid-Dependent Modulation of Acoustic Communication Systems in Fishes

Acoustic communication is widespread among fishes, the largest extant group of vertebrates, and in many vocal teleost species it is essential for their reproductive and social behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that a fish’s internal hormonal state can profoundly influence its ability to produce and perceive social acoustic signals. Here, we review the current knowledge of how sex steroids can influence the auditory capabilities and vocal motor production of acoustic social signals in two incipient model teleosts, the plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus and the African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni. Studies of these model systems show that steroid-mediated improvements in vocal-acoustic processing are typically associated with reproductive readiness. This especially holds true for species that rely heavily on acoustic signaling during seasonal breeding such as the midshipman fish, as well as non-seasonally breeding species like cichlids that appear to use sound production as one component of a more complex multimodal courtship repertoire. Evidence for reproductive-state dependent plasticity in midshipman and cichlids is supported by changes in gonadal state, circulating sex-steroids (testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, and estradiol), and steroid receptor expression in peripheral and central auditory structures that are concurrent with changes in auditory sensitivity and vocal motor production. This form of steroid-dependent vocal-acoustic plasticity is proposed to be an evolutionary labile solution for enhancing the detection and production of social acoustic signals. The abundance and diversity of vocal fish present unique future opportunities to explore how this solution may have shaped sexual selection and the evolution of acoustic communication systems in fishes.
The Angiotensin II Type-1 Receptor Is a Mechanosensor in Cerebral Parenchymal Arteriole Smooth Muscle Cells

Angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1R) have been linked to mechanosensivity in cardiomyocytes, mainly through activation of a β2-arrestin signaling pathway. AT1Rs are also involved in sensation of intraluminal pressure by vascular smooth muscle cells. However, it is not known if the AT1R is a mechanosensor in cerebral parenchymal arterioles (PA), a highly specialized vasculature in which small alterations in myogenic reactivity can have profound effects on blood flow and neurovascular coupling. We hypothesized that AT1Rs are mechanosensors in cerebral arteries and arterioles, acting through β-arrestin signaling to cause myogenic constriction. Anterior cerebellar arteries (ACA) from C57Bl/6J mice were isolated and pressurized. Myogenic reactivity was reduced after exposure to the AT1R antagonist losartan. The biased AT1R agonist peptide TRV120023, a selective activator of the β-arrestin pathway, caused a small yet significant constriction (-5.9±2.9 μm, p<0.05) that was inhibited by pre-incubation with losa...
The effect of building block construction on the behavior of the GA in dynamic environments: a case study using the shaky ladder hyperplane-defined functions

The shaky ladder hyperplane-defined functions (sl-hdf’s) are a test suite utilized for exploring the behavior of the genetic algorithm (GA) in dynamic environments. We present three ways of constructing the sl-hdf’s by manipulating the way building blocks are constructed, combined, and changed. We examine the effect of the length of elementary building blocks used to create higher building blocks, and the way in which those building blocks are combined. We show that the effects of building block construction on the behavior of the GA are complex. Our results suggest that construction routines which increase the roughness of the changes in the environment allow the GA to perform better by preventing premature convergence. Moreover, short length elementary building blocks permit early rapid progress.
A Limited Access Mouse Model of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure that Produces Long‐Lasting Deficits in Hippocampal‐Dependent Learning and Memory

In both humans and laboratory animal models, exposure to alcohol during development has been shown to cause a multitude of dose-dependent effects on the structure and function of the central nervous system, with the extent of damage being dependent on the pattern and chronicity of the exposure and the stage(s) of development during which it occurs (Riley and McGee, 2005). The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on the brain display regional variability (Guerri, 1998; Willford et al., 2004), with the hippocampus being particularly sensitive to the damaging effects of the exposure (Berman and Hannigan, 2000). The dysfunctions that are associated with PAE are collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) (Streissguth and O’Malley, 2000). It is estimated that the incidence of the use of any alcohol during pregnancy is about 12% (Floyd et al., 2009), with the incidence of newborns displaying prenatal alcohol-related damage as high as 5% in the United States (May et al., 2009). While heavy and binge (5 or more drinks in a single episode) patterns of drinking during pregnancy are associated with the development of fetal alcohol syndrome (Clarren and Smith, 1978; Jones and Smith, 1973), extensive research shows that even moderate maternal drinking (1 to 2 drinks per day) is, in some individuals, associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits, often revealed only under stressful or challenging conditions (Streissguth et al., 1999). Existing rodent models for PAE employ various lengths and routes of administration, as well as a range of ethanol doses (Costa et al., 2000; Cudd, 2005). Although liquid diets and intragastric intubation are capable of producing moderate-to-high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs), they often induce maternal stress and malnutrition, which may confound the results (Slone and Redei, 2002; Ward and Wainwright, 1989). Voluntary oral consumption can reduce stress and malnutrition issues, but it may be difficult to reach moderate-to-high BECs with this procedure (Finn et al., 2005). However, limiting access to ethanol in voluntary consumption paradigms has been shown to increase self-administration (Finn et al., 2005; Rhodes et al., 2005, 2007). A recent study (Boehm et al., 2008) employed this method to develop a PAE model using C57BL/6J mice, with pregnant dams being given access to 20% ethanol for 2 hours during the dark cycle. These mice reached BECs ranging from 100 to 200 mg/dl, and the offspring exhibited motor deficits at postnatal day (PD) 33. We sought to expand upon the model developed by Boehm and colleagues (2008) to determine its impact on hippocampal-dependent learning. Significant deficits in both delay- and trace-conditioned learning and a delayed nonmatching to place radial-arm maze (RAM) task in adult PAE mice were observed. The model will likely be an important tool in the study of molecular mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction associated with PAE.
Outage optimum routing for wireless ad hoc networks

A new routing metric for multihop wireless ad hoc networks is presented. The proposed metric is based on the computation of signal-to-noise ratio and path minimization of wireless ad hoc network outage probability in a fading environment. This metric improves the quality of service by reducing the number of dropped packets. Further, by modeling the network with a Trellis diagram and then using Viterbi algorithm to select the best routing path, we reduce the routing complexity of our approach. The performance of the proposed metric is compared with other commonly used routing metrics such as minimum hop count, expected transmission count, and two other signal-to-noise ratio-based metrics in both mobile and stationary networks. Simulation results demonstrate the improvement achieved by this new metric. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors affecting the bidding behaviour of contractors in Egypt : This paper contains the results of a questionnaire survey conducted among a sample of the large size construction contractors operating in Egypt and should provide useful insight to international contractors, as well as to those contemplating entry into this market

The financing source was determined to be the most important to the category of contractors included in the study. Other qualitative factors such as nationality of expected competitors were determined as influencing the decision. The factors and their influence on the bid/no bid decision differed between the Egyptian and foreign large size contractors operating in the country.
Cross-talk between ICAM-1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor signaling modulates eosinophil survival and activation

Reversal of eosinophilic inflammation has been an elusive therapeutic goal in the management of asthma pathogenesis. In this regard, GM-CSF is a primary candidate cytokine regulating eosinophil activation and survival in the lung; however, its molecular mechanism of propagation and maintenance of stimulated eosinophil activation is not well understood. In this study, we elucidate those late interactions occurring between the GM-CSF receptor and activated eosinophil signaling molecules. Using coimmunoprecipitation with GM-CSF-stimulated eosinophils, we have identified that the GM-CSF receptor β-chain (GMRβ) interacted with ICAM-1 and Shp2 phosphatase, as well as Slp76 and ADAP adaptor proteins. Separate experiments using affinity binding with a tyrosine-phosphorylated peptide containing an ITIM (ICAM-1 residues 480–488) showed binding to Shp2 phosphatase and GMRβ. However, the interaction of GMRβ with the phosphorylated ICAM-1-derived peptide was observed only with stimulated eosinophil lysates, suggesting that the interaction of GMRβ with ICAM-1 required phosphorylated Shp2 and/or phosphorylated GMRβ. Importantly, we found that inhibition of ICAM-1 in activated eosinophils blocked GM-CSF-induced expression of c-fos, c-myc, IL-8, and TNF-α. Moreover, inhibition of ICAM-1 expression with either antisense oligonucleotide or an ICAM-1-blocking Ab effectively inhibited ERK activation and eosinophil survival. We concluded that the interaction between ICAM-1 and the GM-CSF receptor was essential for GM-CSF-induced eosinophil activation and survival. Taken together, these results provide novel mechanistic insights defining the interaction between ICAM-1 and the GM-CSF receptor and highlight the importance of targeting ICAM-1 and GM-CSF/IL-5/IL-3 receptor systems as a therapeutic strategy to counter eosinophilia in asthma.
Portable gas chromatograph

An improved inexpensive portable gas chromatograph for the acetylene reduction assay of nitrogenase is described. The instrument is more convenient to use than a previously described model. Modifications permit the detection of hydrogen or methane.
Contadores de histórias em iídiche e a política do resgate

Neste artigo, argumenta-se que rotular os judeus como uma nacao de contadores de historias e um produto dos tempos modernos e analisa-se o renascimento da arte de contar historias entre os falantes do iidiche na Europa Oriental na virada do seculo XIX. Entre seus expoentes destacaram-se Isaac Leib Peretz (1852-1915) e Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916). Contar historias era uma heranca natural dos judeus, tao profundamente arraigada na cultura popular, que suportou as turbulencias geograficas, linguisticas, culturais e ideologicas do seculo XX. Enquanto Peretz era conhecido pelos finais em pointe, encontrando muitas maneiras argutas de deixar o advogado de acusacao rir por ultimo, mesmo quando ele deveria estar chorando, Sholem Aleichem ficou conhecido pelas historias que se recusavam a acabar. Um exemplo do seu humor e o conto Por causa de um chapeu, protagonizado por um comerciante de papeis de Kasrilevke, que pode ser lido como um acrescimo posterior as Historias de trem ou como uma historia independente em honra de Pessach. Yiddish-speaking storytellers and the policy of rescue - Abstract: It is argued, in this paper, that the labeling of Jews as a nation of storytellers is a product of modern times, and it is analysed the revival of the art of storytelling among yiddish-speaking people in East Europe in the turn of the XIXth century. Among its prominent authors are Isaac Leib Peretz (1852-1915) and Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916). Storytelling was a natural heritage of the Jews, so deeply embedded in popular culture that it has overcome geographic, linguistic, cultural and ideological turbulence in the XXth century. Peretz was known for his pointe endings, and he found many clever ways to give the prosecuting attorney the last laugh, even when he should have been crying. Sholem Aleichem was known for his stories without an end. An example of his humor is the short story On account of a hat , whose main character is a stationery dealer from Kasrilevke, which can be read either as a late addition to the Railroad stories or as a free-standing story in honor of Passover.