cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cocaine esterase prevents cocaine-induced toxicity and the ongoing intravenous self-administration of cocaine in rats.

Cocaine esterase (CocE) is a naturally occurring bacterial enzyme, is a very efficient protein catalyst for the hydrolysis of cocaine, and has previously been shown to protect rodents from the lethal effects of cocaine. The current studies were aimed at evaluating the capacity of a longer acting mutant form (CocE T172R/G173Q; DM CocE) of CocE to protect against the lethal effects of cocaine, and alter ongoing intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats. A dose-response analysis revealed a dose-dependent suppression of cocaine-reinforced responding with 1.0 mg of CocE T172R/G173Q producing saline-like rates of responding. The effects of 1.0 mg of CocE T172R/ G173Q on cocaine-reinforced responding were then compared with responding when saline was available for injection, whereas the selectivity of CocE T172R/G173Q’s effects was assessed by evaluating the effects of 1.0 mg of CocE T172R/ G173Q on ()-2-carbomethoxy-3-phenyltropane (WIN35065-2)- and food-reinforced responding. Although 1.0 mg of CocE T172R/G173Q suppressed responding maintained by 0.1 mg/kg/injection cocaine, a significant increase in responding was observed when responding was maintained by 1.0 mg/kg/ injection cocaine, resulting in a 10-fold rightward shift in the dose-response curve for cocaine self-administration at a dose that did not significantly alter responding maintained by either WIN-35065-2 or food. These findings demonstrate that a longacting form of CocE is effective at abruptly reducing the ongoing self-administration of low doses of cocaine, and provides a robust antagonism of cocaine’s reinforcing effects. Furthermore, these studies provide strong evidence for the potential usefulness of a suitable, stable, and long-acting form of CocE as a pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse in humans.
Monolithic 3D Integrated Circuits

3D IC's promise to solve the 2D communication bottleneck, and enable the integration of heterogeneous materials, devices and systems. There are at least three approaches to realize 3D IC's : chip stacking, wafer stacking and full monolithic integration. Each approach is at a different level of maturity and offers various degree of improvement. This paper will focus on the monolithic 3D approach, which offers a high density of device-dimension vertical interconnects and thereby facilitates the optimal assembly of transistors and interconnects in a 3D volume. The performance advantages of such a technology are demonstrated with a 3D-FPGA. Technology challenges of monolithic approach are discussed.
Differentially secure multicasting and its implementation methods

Though the areas of secure multicast group architecture, key distribution and sender authentication are under scrutiny, one topic that has not been explored is how to integrate these with multi-level security. Multi-level security is the ability to distinguish subjects according to classification levels, which determines to what degree they can access confidential objects. In the case of groups, this means that some members can exchange messages at a higher sensitivity level than others. The Bell-La Padula model [BL76] outlines the rules of these multi-level accesses. In multicast groups that employ multi-level security, some of these rules are not desirable so a modified set of rules is developed in this paper and is termed differential security. Also, this paper proposes three methods to set up a differentially secure multicast group: (i) [email protected]?ve approach, (ii) multiple tree differential security (DiffSec) approach, and (iii) single DiffSec tree approach. In order to evaluate the performances (in terms of the number of links used per packet transmitted) of these approaches, extensive simulation experiments were conducted by varying the network connectivity and group size for both uniform and non-uniform membership distribution across security levels. Our studies show that the multiple tree and single DiffSec tree approaches perform much better than the [email protected]?ve approach. While the multiple tree approach could be implemented using current technology, this scheme consumes many times more addresses and network resources than the single DiffSec tree approach. From our studies, we conclude that the single DiffSec tree is a viable option for supporting multi-level security as it maximizes the resource utilization and is also scalable.
Compressive Properties of Soybean Oil-Based Polymers at Quasi-Static and Dynamic Strain Rates

Quasi-static and dynamic compressive properties of three soybean oil-based polymeric materials, which were made through the reaction of epoxidized soybean oil with diamine compounds, have been determined. Quasi-static properties were determined with an MTS 810 hydraulically driven testing machine, whereas dynamic experiments were conducted with a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) modified for low-impedance material testing. All three materials were capable of deforming to very large strains, with significant nonlinear stress-strain response. Their compressive behaviors were strain-rate sensitive with distinctive rate sensitivities. On the basis of the experimental results at various strain rates, a compressive one-dimensional stress-strain material model with strain-rate effects was developed to describe the experimental results for all three materials under both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions.
Site Characteristics of River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Natal Dens in Minnesota

Abstract Knowledge of the habitat and spatial characteristics of natal dens used by female river otters (Lontra canadensis) is limited to a few observations. Documentation of these characteristics in human-altered landscapes may improve management opportunities for this species. We monitored 8 adult (>2 y old) radio-marked female otters during the natal denning season (March–May) in southeastern Minnesota during 2003–2004 and quantified 10 micro- and 2 macro-habitat characteristics of dens. Females began denning in March, with a mean initiation date of 31 March, and used natal dens for a mean of 49 d (se = 3). Two females used man-made brush piles as dens, four used small limestone caves, one used a cavity in the roots of a big-toothed aspen (Populus grandidentata) and one used a beaver (Castor canadensis) bank-den. Dens were located a mean of 316 m (se = 79) from the nearest body of water and averaged 61 m (se = 15) of elevation higher than the nearest body of water. Seven of eight females placed dens ou...
MAGNETOSTRICTION AND ANISOTROPY IN TbxDy1 - x SINGLE CRYSTALS

Mesures de magnetostriction et de calorimetrie differentielle a balayage sur le systeme Tb x Dy 1−x , entre 56 K et 300 K dans des champs allant de 6 a 20 kOe
Successful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of an Anomalous Right Coronary Artery with High Anterior Takeoff Using TIG Catheter From Trans-Femoral Approach

Background: Anomalous coronary arteries pose unique challenges in coronary interventions. Case (Method & Results): Here, we report a case of use of the TIGER guiding catheter for percutaneous coronary intervention of an anomalous right coronary artery (RCA) with high anterior takeoff from trans-femoral approach, after multiple failed attempts to cannulate RCA with other catheters. Discussion (Conclusions): Unique shape of TIGER guiding catheter allowed coaxial engagement of anomalous RCA, adequate lesion assessment and stent delivery.
Nutrition Support in the Open Abdomen

Early provision of enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill and injured patients has become standard practice in surgical intensive care units (ICUs) due to its proven role in reducing septic complications. Increasingly, intensivists are confronted with patients with an open abdomen due to the use of damage control surgery and the recognition of the abdominal compartment syndrome; the role and timing of EN in these challenging patients continue to be debated. Patients with an open abdomen are often among the sickest in the ICU and hence could benefit from early nutrition support. However, the exposed abdominal viscera can understandably create anxiety regarding the initiation of EN; there is theoretic concern over exacerbation of bowel distention with resultant inability to close the abdomen and an increased aspiration risk due to paralytic ileus. Recent studies have investigated the utility of EN in the patient with an open abdomen, addressing these clinical concerns. The goal of this clinical review is to provide guidance to physicians caring for these complex patients.
An evaluation of the TCu 380Ag and the Multiload Cu375

The TCu 380Ag (Outokumpu Oy, Pori, Finland) and the Multiload Cu375 (Multilan, Organon, Oss, The Netherlands) were evaluated in 1477 women in a multicenter clinical trial. The intrauterine devices showed similar, low-event rates. Cumulative life-table pregnancy rates were
Improving teleseismic event locations using a three-dimensional Earth model

Abstract A comparison is made between seismic event locations derived from standard spherically symmetric Earth models (JB, PREM, IASP91) and a recent Earth model (SP and a published data set of 82 well-located earthquakes with a more even global distribution. IASP91 and PREM are shown to offer similar errors in event location and origin time estimates with respect to the JB model. The three-dimensional (3D) model SP for the earthquakes, the improvements are smaller. Corrections for crustal thickness beneath source and receiver are found to be of similar magnitude to the mantle corrections, but use of station corrections together with the three-dimensional mantle model provide the best locations.
Photon Wave Mechanics and the Wolf Equations of Classical Coherence Theory

The quantum wave function for two photons is a tensor field obeying a generalized Maxwell equation. Duality between the two-photon detection amplitude and the Wolf equations of coherence theory follows from the two-photon Maxwell equation. Article not available.
Thermal degradation of foot-and-mouth disease virus into infectious ribonucleic acid.

SummaryFoot–and–mouth disease virus (FMDV) heated at 61° to 85° C yields infectious ribonucleic acid (RNA) when either sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) is present to inactivate environmental ribonucleas...
Laboratory Population Studies of the German Cockroach Using a Two-chromosome and a Three-chromosome Reciprocal Translocation,

The effects of repeated releases of a translocation, T(8;9), carrying a deleterious gene, st , and of a 3-chromosome translocation, T(4;8;10), on growth of laboratory populations were analyzed. P1 matings were between translocation-carrying males and 5 +/+ females. Subsequent nymphal groups were isolated and, in most cases, T/+ males were released so as to maintain ratios of ca. 5-6 T/+:1 +/+ male. Hatch, development, and other data were recorded for each progeny group in order to reconstruct total populations for the 1st 7 mo of growth. Mating types were studied by examining mature oothecae for normal embryonic development, semisterility, or sterility (T/+ × T/+). From linkage tests of T(8;9) with st , is was predicted that ca. 23% of the F2 females would be sterile st/st homozygotes. Observed frequencies generally ranged from 5-8%. T(8;9) did not provide a successful mechanism for driving the sterility gene into the population. Comparisons to control data showed the reductions differed little from those expected from the translocation alone. Progeny groups and population growth were severely limited by the T(4;8;10) releases. A 7-mo-old population reconstructed from 3 replicates was 2.1% that of the +/+ control; one based on a 4th replicate in which releases were increased was 1.3%. The latter grew by a factor of 10 in the 1 st-7th mo as compared to ca. 250X in the control. Certain F3 groups that hatched after month 7 were used to test the effects of 9-10:1 ratios. It appeared that releases of this magnitude would come close to population suppression. The reductions following T(4;8;10) releases resulted from the combined effects of high lethality (aneuploid gametes) and sterility from embryonic trapping (inability of low numbers of viable embryos to force open the ootheca at the time of hatch).
Effects of Transmembrane α-Helix Length and Concentration on Phase Behavior in Four-Component Lipid Mixtures: A Molecular Dynamics Study

We used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to examine the effects of transmembrane α-helical WALP peptides on the behavior of four-component lipid mixtures. These mixtures contain a high-melting temperature (high-Tm) lipid, a nanodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid, a macrodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid and cholesterol to model the outer leaflet of cell plasma membranes. In a series of simulations, we incrementally replace the nanodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid by the macrodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid and measure how lipid and phase properties are altered by the addition of WALPs of different length. Regardless of the ratio of the two low-Tm lipids, shorter WALPs increase domain size and all WALPs increase domain alignment between the two leaflets. These effects are smallest for the longest WALP tested, and increase with increasing WALP concentration. Thus, our simulations explain the experimental observation that WALPs induce macroscopic domains in otherwise nanodomain-forming lipid-only mixtures (unpubl...
Bradykinin competitive antagonists for classical kinin systems.

The substitution of D-phenylalanine for proline at position 7 of bradykinin (BK) converts BK into a specific antagonist. Additional modifications of the nonapeptide structure, especially the inclusion of β-2-thienylalanine residues (Thi) for phenylalanine at positions 5 and 8, increase antagonist potency in the classic smooth muscle (isolated rat uterus and guinea pig ileum) and rat blood pressure kinin assays. [ Thi5,8,DPhe7]-BK had a pA2 value of 6.5 for inhibition of the BK response on rat uterus, and 6.3 on guinea pig ileum. Addition of Lys-Lys- or a D-Arg- residue to the N-terminal of D-Phe7-substituted antagonists decreases uterine agonist activity, but does not affect inhibitory potency on the ileum. Addition of a D-proline residue in place of proline in position 3 of D-Arg- extended antagonists produces specific uterine inhibitors which show no antagonism on the ileum. The D-Phe7-analogs did not inhibit smooth muscle responses to substance-P or angiotensin-II, and the antagonism of kinin responses was competitive.
Initiation or ordination? Balthasar Hubmaier's rite of baptism

L'A. se propose d'analyser le rite du bapteme tel qu'il est concu chez Balthasar Hubmaier (mort en 1528). Il s'agit pour lui de poser la problematique du bapteme anabaptiste a ses origines. Pour ce faire, dans un premier temps, il presente une courte biographie de Hubmaier, il expose son ecclesiologie avant que de pouvoir decrire sa theologie sacramentaire du bapteme. Enfin, l'A. peut presenter le rituel tel que ce theologien l'avait concu avant que d'etre brule par les autorites autrichiennes a Vienne le 10 mars 1528
Localized orbitals: tight-binding

Summary Localized functions afford a satisfying description of electronic structure and bonding in an intuitive localized picture. They are widely used in chemistry and have been revived in recent years in physics for efficiency in large simulations, especially “order- N ” methods (Ch. 23). The semi-empirical tight-binding method is particularly simple and instructive since the basis is not explicitly specified and one needs only the matrix elements of the overlap and the hamiltonian. This chapter starts with a definition of the problem of electronic structure in terms of localized orbitals, and considers various illustrative examples in the tight-binding approach. Many of the concepts and forms carry over to full calculations with localized functions that are the subject of the following chapter, Ch. 15. The hallmark of the approaches considered in this chapter and the next is that the wavefunction is expanded in a linear combination of fixed energy-independent orbitals, each associated with a specific atom in the molecule or crystal. For example, the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) formulation denotes a basis of atomic or modified atomic-like functions. Such a basis provides a natural, physically motivated description of electronic states in materials; in fact, possibly the first theory of electrons in a crystal was the tight-binding method developed by Bloch [36] in 1928. The history of this approach is summarized nicely by Slater and Koster [589], who point out that the seminal work of Bloch considered only the simplest s-symmetry function and the first to consider a basis of different atomic orbitals were Jones, Mott, and Skinner [594] in 1934.
A Topological Approach to Hardware Bug Triage

Verification is a critical bottleneck in the time to market of a new digital design. As complexity continues to increase, post-silicon validation shoulders an increasing share of the verification/validation effort. Post-silicon validation is burdened by large volumes of test failures, and is further complicated by root cause bugs that manifest in multiple test failures. At present, these failures are prioritized and assigned to validation engineers in an ad-hoc fashion. When multiple failures caused by the same root cause bug are debugged by multiple engineers at the same time, scarce, time-critical engineering resources are wasted. Our scalable bug triage technique begins with a database of test failures. It extracts defining features from the failure reports, using a novel, topology-aware approach based on graph partitioning. It then leverages unsupervised machine learning to extract the structure of the failures, identifying groups of failures that are likely to be the result of a common root cause. With our technique, related failures can be debugged as a group, rather than individually. Additionally, we propose a metric for measuring verification efficiency as a result of bug triage called Unique Debugging Instances (UDI). We evaluated our approach on the industrial-size OpenSPARC T2 design with a set of injected bugs, and found that our approach increased average verification efficiency by 243%, with a confidence interval of 99%.
Apache Airavata security manager: Authentication and authorization implementations for a multi-tenant escience framework

eScience middleware frameworks integrating multiple virtual organizations must incorporate comprehensive user identity and access management solutions. In this paper we examine usage patterns for these systems and map the patterns to widely used security standards and approaches. We focus on science gateways, a class of distributed system cyberinfrastructure. Science gateways are end user environments that provide access to a wide range of academic and commercial computing and storage resources for virtual organizations. Successful gateways focus on specific scientific communities and domains, but they build on many reusable features that can be provided by general purpose hosted platform services that can support multiple tenants. Providing a security framework for identity and access management for such hosted service removes the burden for each gateway to handle its user identity management and control access to its critical resources. From the resource provider's point of view, it provides a basis for more uniform accounting and auditing. Challenges arise from the range of gateways (both legacy and newly created), the range of technologies used to build them, and the range of end user environments (Web, mobile, desktop, and programmatic API clients) that gateways provide. Using Apache Airavata as an implementation, we examine three common gateway types based on where the user identity information is held and how these can be treated in a unified manner using OAuth2 and OpenID-Connect. Our solutions for identity and access management are not specific to Apache Airavata but can be generally applied to any e-Science platform.
Mechanisms of Intravenous Anesthetic Action

General anesthesia consists of key separable and independent neurobiological end points. Each of these involves distinct but possibly overlapping neuroanatomical and molecular mechanisms that converge to produce the characteristic behavioral end points of anesthesia: amnesia, unconsciousness, and immobility. The potency of various structurally dissimilar general anesthetics correlates with their solubilities in oil (lipophilicity), consistent with critical interactions with hydrophobic molecular targets. The pharmacologically relevant binding sites of general anesthetics are lipophilic cavities in proteins identified by a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and high-resolution structural analysis of anesthetic binding. Specific point mutations render putative target proteins insensitive to certain general anesthetics. Expression of these mutations in mice reduces anesthetic potency for specific end points.
Task Allocation and Route Planning for Robotic Service Networks in Indoor Building Environments

AbstractRobots have become increasingly pervasive in day-to-day life, simplifying several monotonous and mundane tasks in indoor environments. With increasing applications being developed for domes...
Planning Robust Dynamic Transitions for Enhanced Mobility of Planetary Rovers

Abstract This paper considers the control of planetary rovers that use mobility strategies incorporating aggressive maneuvers such as jumping or hopping. Robust execution of an aggressive maneuver is difficult since success depends critically on the state of the system as it begins the maneuver. This paper presents an efficient algorithm for planning a robust maneuver based on the consideration of noise in the time at which the maneuver begins. A complete implementation of this algorithm is shown for a specific system in simulation.
Mechanistic Study of SmI2/H2O and SmI2/Amine/H2O-Promoted Chemoselective Reduction of Aromatic Amides (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary) to Alcohols via Aminoketyl Radicals.

Samarium(II) iodide–water and samarium(II) iodide–water–amine complexes have been recognized as valuable reagents for the selective generation of aminoketyl radicals from amides and derivatives. The resulting aminoketyl radicals can undergo reduction or reductive cyclization pathways, providing a powerful method for (i) direct synthesis of alcohols from amides by the challenging N–C bond scission and (ii) synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles via polarity reversal of the amide bond. This report describes mechanistic investigation into samarium(II) iodide–water and samarium(II) iodide–water–amine-mediated generation of benzylic aminoketyl radicals from aromatic primary, secondary, and tertiary amides (benzamides). The mechanistic experiments suggest that the rate and selectivity of the reduction is closely dependent on the water concentration and the type of amide undergoing the reduction. The data also suggest that benzylic aminoketyl radicals generated in the reduction of benzamides are significa...
Progressive negotiation for resolving conflicts among distributed heterogeneous cooperating agents

Progressive negotiation is a strategy for resolving conflicts among distributed heterogeneous cooperating agents. This strategy aims at minimizing backtracking to previous solutions and provably ensures consistency of agents' distributed solutions and convergence on a globallysatisfiable solution. The progressive negotiation strategy is enforced by a task-independent agent called Facilitator, which coordinates and controls the interaction of cooperating agents. The interaction of cooperating agents includes the communication of messages, the identification of conflicts, and the negotiation of conflicts as a way to resolve them. In this paper, we formally present our conceptualization of cooperating agents and their interaction via the facilitator. We next discuss the conflict types identified by agents and then present the progressive negotiation strategy for resolving conflicts. We then present two theorems that discuss the consistency and convergence of distributed solutions ensured by the strategy. Finally, we conclude with a summary of this paper and remarks about the strategy.
What's eating you? Chiggers.

Belonging to the Trombiculidae family of mites, chigger specifically refers to the larval stage of the mite's life cycle when it is able to bite its host. Although humans act as an accidental host, chiggers will latch on to the skin and their feeding process leads to localized inflammation and irritation. In most cases, these pruritic erythematous papules and papulovesicles are self-healing within a couple weeks, so only symptomatic relief is required as necessary by means of topical antipruritics, oral antihistamines, topical corticosteroids, or an intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection in severe instances. The best practice, however, is to take preventative measures by completely covering one's skin and applying products containing DEET to the skin and clothing when traveling in infested areas.
Super-resolution imaging via expectation-maximization estimation of near stellar neighborhoods

Deconvolution techniques for removing the effects of diffraction from the Hubble space telescope have been employed for decades. This paper introduces a new solution for the deconvolution problem that separates the measurements into three sets of complete data. These data sets are a function of the unknown neighborhood around a star, the amplitude of the star that is known to exist and the background light and dark current measured during the acquisition process. In this paper the new method is tested with simulated Hubble space telescope data and compared to the traditional RichardsonLucy deconvolution algorithm. The results show that the new method can obtain imaging resolution well beyond the classical diffraction-limit and outperforms the Richardson-Lucy method by a substantial margin.
Differentiating Customer Engagement and Customer Participation in Service Marketing: An Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated correlation between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty where the latter ultimately results in both revenue growth and profitability for the (service provider) firm (Zeithaml et al. 2013) (Heskett et al 1997). Fewer, but several, studies have examined the relationship between customer participation and customer satisfaction of service delivery and provider (Lovelock and Young 1979; Zeithaml 1981; Mills and Morris 1986; Benapudi and Leone 2003; Chan et al. 2010; and Wu 2011). Earlier research defined service customer engagement (CE) and service customer participation (CP), where the former was more psychological, where customers think, feel, and trust, and the latter was more behavioral, where customers act and do. This research works to better differentiate these two constructs where Customer Participation has been studied prior and more extensively than Customer Engagement. Being Customer Engagement a behavioral construct, it is easier to measure that Customer Participation, a psychological construct. The premise of this research is to establish a relationship between customer engagement (CE), customer participation (CP), and customer satisfaction (CS) where antecedent CE is necessary for mediator CP which is necessary for outcome CS. Research indicates that customers who perceive more value from their service encounters tend to be more satisfied (Ouschan et al. 2006; Patterson and Smith 2001; Sharma and Patterson 1999) (Chan et al. 2010) and that greater (customer) engagement will be associated with perceptions of greater value received (Vivek et al. 2012). This paper concludes that customers perceive more value when they are engaged; thus, service providers can maximize customer participation effectiveness with engagement. In other words, customers can engage without participating but not (effectively) participate without engaging. Two propositions are posited. Limitations and future research are also discussed such as considering outcomes beyond customer satisfaction such as service quality (SQ), a construct studied heavily by Parasuraman et al. (1985).
Recent Advances and New Perspectives in Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry for Single Cell “Omics”

Accurate clinical therapeutics rely on understanding the metabolic responses of individual cells. However, the high level of heterogeneity between cells means that simply sampling from large populations of cells is not necessarily a reliable approximation of an individual cell’s response. As a result, there have been numerous developments in the field of single-cell analysis to address this lack of knowledge. Many of these developments have focused on the coupling of capillary electrophoresis (CE), a separation technique with low sample consumption and high resolving power, and mass spectrometry (MS), a sensitive detection method for interrogating all ions in a sample in a single analysis. In recent years, there have been many notable advancements at each step of the single-cell CE-MS analysis workflow, including sampling, manipulation, separation, and MS analysis. In each of these areas, the combined improvements in analytical instrumentation and achievements of numerous researchers have served to drive the field forward to new frontiers. Consequently, notable biological discoveries have been made possible by the implementation of these methods. Although there is still room in the field for numerous further advances, researchers have effectively minimized various limitations in detection of analytes, and it is expected that there will be many more developments in the near future.
Streamlining Quality Review of Mass Spectrometry Data in the Clinical Laboratory by Use of Machine Learning

Context.— Turnaround time and productivity of clinical mass spectrometric (MS) testing are hampered by time-consuming manual review of the analytical quality of MS data before release of patient re...
A microchannel thermalization inlet design to reduce molecular fragmentation in orbital and flyby closed-source mass spectrometers

Abstract Closed-source mass spectrometers rely on thermalization of neutral molecules, which are intercepted at a high velocity relative to the spacecraft. However, encountered molecules generally impact with enough kinetic energy to drive chemical modification, obscuring the identity of native compounds. We describe a novel inlet design that reduces dissociation and other chemical changes to sampled species by quenching the impact energy faster than the dissociation process. The inlet consists of a parallel array of microchannels. Impinging molecules experience the same number and type of thermalizing collisions as in a conventional closed-source inlet, but the process is several orders of magnitude faster than it is in prior designs due to the short distance between successive impacts. Preliminary calculations using the representative molecule hexane show that the lowest pathway to dissociation is breaking one of the carbon-carbon bonds and that vibrationally excited neutrals survive intact only a short time after the initial impact. The ab initio and density functional theory calculations described here show that lifetimes of impact-induced, vibrationally excited states depend on impact velocity, molecular weight, and molecular bonding and for hexane are in the range of 10−4 to 10−10 s for encounter velocities of 9–13 km/s, assuming a translation-to-vibration energy conversion of 14%. For all molecules, the microchannel thermalization inlet allows encounter velocities at least 1.25 times higher than a conventional thermalization inlet for a given level of fragmentation. With hexane, for instance, fragmentation in the microchannel inlet is negligible at velocities of 11 km/s, whereas a conventional inlet starts experiencing fragmentation of hexane at 8.5 km/s. Ram pressure enhancement is maintained using this novel inlet, preserving the improved sensitivity of closed-source designs. The microchannel thermalization inlet reduces all types of impact-induced chemical changes, including racemization, isomerization, and rearrangement, for any encounter velocity.
Outcomes of peritoneal dialysis catheter configurations and pelvic fixation.

Background Laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter placement has expanded indications, although a relative paucity of data exists about the best configuration for improving outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of different catheter configurations and pelvic fixation on catheter and patient outcomes. Methods Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis catheter implantation between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016. All procedures were conducted laparoscopically at a single center. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata/SE 14.2. Results Buried catheter configuration was a statistically significant predictor of peritonitis compared to unburied configuration (P = 0.008). Buried catheter was exteriorized at 100 days (SD 107.8). A longer length of time to exteriorization significantly correlated with peritonitis, need for revision, and need for revision pelvic fixation (P < 0.05). Additionally, initial pelvic fixation was a significant predictor of revision (HR 3.94). Conclusions Peritoneal dialysis catheter placement via a laparoscopic approach can be successfully performed in a diverse patient mix with positive results. However, buried catheter configuration and prophylactic pelvic fixation should be carefully employed in select patients.
IoT devices discovery and identification using network traffic data: poster

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been erupting world widely over the decade. However, the security and privacy leakage issues from IoT devices are surfaced to a major flaw for IoT device operators. An attacker may use network traffic data to identify IoT devices and launch attacks on their target devices. To explore the severity and extent of this privacy threat, we design a hybrid ML-based IoT device identification framework. Our key insight is that typically an IoT device has a unique traffic signature and it is already embedded in its network traffic. Unlike other existing work using complex modeling, we show that the majority of IoT devices can be easily identified using our empirical models, and the other devices can also be correctly classified using our ML-based models. We instrument a smart IoT experiment environment to verify and evaluate our approaches. Our framework paves the way for operators of smart homes to monitor the functionality, security and privacy threat without requiring any additional devices.
Stereoselective Syntheses of β-l-FD4C and β-l-FddC

Stereocontrolled syntheses of two potent antiviral agents, β-l-FD4C and β-l-FddC, were accomplished both in 10-step sequences, with an overall yield of 27% and 25%, respectively. It is worthwhile to mention that the introduction of a phenylseleno moiety to the C-2α position of the lactone 4 can now be performed in a stereocontrolled fashion, providing the key intermediate 5α in 75% yield.
Cryo-EM Structures of a Group II Intron Reverse Splicing into DNA.

Group II introns are a class of retroelements that invade DNA through a copy-and-paste mechanism known as retrotransposition. Their coordinated activities occur within a complex that includes a maturase protein, which promotes splicing through an unknown mechanism. The mechanism of splice site exchange within the RNA active site during catalysis also remains unclear. We determined two cryo-EM structures at 3.6-A resolution of a group II intron reverse splicing into DNA. These structures reveal that the branch-site domain VI helix swings 90°, enabling substrate exchange during DNA integration. The maturase assists catalysis through a transient RNA-protein contact with domain VI that positions the branch-site adenosine for lariat formation during forward splicing. These findings provide the first direct evidence of the role the maturase plays during group II intron catalysis. The domain VI dynamics closely parallel spliceosomal branch-site helix movement and provide strong evidence for a retroelement origin of the spliceosome.
104. IDENTIFYING PATIENTS AT RISK OF CLINICAL DETERIORATION PRIOR TO PICU TRANSFER

Background Cleveland Clinic Children's incorporated the Situational Awareness (SA) model in 2013 to prevent and reduce patient unrecognized clinical deterioration (UCD). The model equips healthcare providers to identify patients at risk of deterioration via use of various criteria and intervene in a timely manner. From April 2018 through August 2018, only 14% of patients transferred to the PICU from the RNF were identified as SA. Our goal was to increase utilization of the SA model to identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration to at least 50% prior to PICU transfer. This project was sponsored by an ACGME initiative aimed at supporting innovation to transform the clinical learning environment where residents pursue their training. Aim Statement Increase the percentage of patients identified as Situational Awareness prior to transfer to PICU from 14% to 50% by November, 2018. Interventions Interventions were implemented over a period of 4 months: 1) incorporating assessment of patients SA status during morning rounds with the multidisciplinary team including Nursing, 2) SA discussion during resident afternoon sign-out and 3) adding SA status identification box into the resident electronic sign-out form. The processes were audited randomly to ensure interventions were being carried out. Measures Data were collected through a retrospective chart review surveying SA documentation of patients prior to PICU transfer from the RNF. Only patients under Pediatric resident-run services were included. Data were obtained from Cleveland Clinic Quality Data Registries and monitored bi-weekly. Results Following implementation of interventions, data show a median of 50% of patients being identified as SA prior to transfer to PICU. Based on observations and audits, those teams which included Nursing on morning rounds had better outcomes. Assessment of patients during morning rounds had the most profound impact whereas though resident sign-out interventions had a positive effect, they were not implemented to their full extent as seen on audit checks and required multiple education sessions. Conclusions and Next Steps Interventions were successful at increasing the utilization of the SA model. As noted by consecutive points above baseline median, this shift in the data signals a non-random pattern. We hope, adherence to SA model, can prevent UCD. There is still room for improvement and future interventions will focus on sustainability and use of technology to hardwire the process and promote adherence to routinely assessment of SA status.
Chapter 1 – Mammalian Meiosis

Meiosis is a specialized form of cellular division that occurs in all sexually reproducing organisms. The goal of meiosis is to halve the genomic content of the parent cell, which contains two copies of each chromosome (i.e., diploid), so that the daughter cells, or gametes, contain only one copy of each chromosome (i.e., haploid). Two gametes can then undergo fertilization to produce an embryo that is restored to diploid chromosome status. Unlike mitosis, therefore, in which cells replicate their DNA and then divide once, during meiosis, DNA replication is followed by two consecutive divisions to result in up to four gametes. This chapter addresses the fundamental events that induce meiotic initiation, the defining events of meiosis that allow for faithful segregation of DNA content, and the molecular events that orchestrate this exquisitely choreographed and fascinating process. Also covered are the consequences for human health of inaccurate segregation of chromosomes, and how this impacts mammalian reproduction.
The Molecular Biology of Hepatitis C Virus

Despite the decreased incidence of post-transfusion hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV), this chronic viral infection remains a major health concern affecting an estimated 170 million individuals worldwide. The acute phase of HCV infection is generally subclinical, however, approximately 80% of infected individuals fail to clear the virus and develop persistent infections. Although this may result in a healthy carrier state, a high proportion develop chronic liver disease and ∼20-30% of chronic carriers progress to cirrhosis. HCV-associated end-stage liver disease is now the leading cause for liver transplantation in the United States, and moreover HCV infection has been epidemiologically linked to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection. Prolonged treatment of chronically HCV-infected patients with interferon-α (IFN-α) alone, or in combination with the nucleoside analogue ribavirin is the only currently approved therapy, although poor response rates often accompany these treatment regimens.
Introduction to special issue on sexual health risks and assessments

As I highlighted in the last editorial introduction, Volume 35, Issue 3 (see Twist, 2020a), we, as a global community, are continuing to experience and relatedly combat a viral pandemic–“the 2019 n...
Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: a Systematic Review of Recent Research

Research has demonstrated that sexual and gender minority youth are at elevated risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs). This systematic review aimed to synthesize and critically examine research published within the last 5 years, with a particular emphasis on (1) prevalence rates; (2) disparities over time; and (3) individual- and macro-level risk and protective factors contributing to risk for SITBs within this population. Overall, 97 peer-reviewed articles, published since 2015, were identified for inclusion. Across studies, rates of SITBs among sexual and gender minority youth were substantially elevated compared to heterosexual and/or cisgender youth and the general population. Studies identified several common risk factors, including bullying and other forms of victimization, minority-specific discrimination and harassment, and general mental health factors, as well as several common protective factors, including support from close others, school-based programs, and statewide policies. Further research is needed in numerous domains, including the examination of identity-specific factors in large, representative samples, additional protective factors, disparities across subgroups of LGBTQ youth, and intersectionality, as well as the use of longitudinal designs and randomized controlled trials examining interventions in this population. Critical areas for further research on SITBs among this high-risk population are discussed.
Relational Surprise Experiences as a Unique Form of Relational Maintenance

This study presents an initial exploration and conceptualization of relational surprise experiences (RSEs) as communication phenomenon involving strategic relational maintenance behaviors with potential for positive and negative outcomes. University students in the Southeastern United States (N = 203) described a RSE that occurred with a close relational partner (romantic partner, friend, or family member), explained how deception was used to achieve the surprise, and reported relational benefits and drawbacks in an online survey. Seven types of RSEs were reported including gifts, events, visits, and destinations. Responses revealed that people considered surprises as relationally beneficial with minimal drawbacks. Although over one-third of the participants described their partner’s pants perceived the surprise as a violation of relational rules. Some participants reported both benefits and drawbacks to RSEs, thereby illuminating a nuance for traditional relational maintenance typologies. This study establishes a path to explore implications of RSEs for individual and relational satisfaction, happiness, and well-being.
Political Overconfidence Inhibits the Effectiveness of Inoculations Against Misperceptions

In this study, I develop an experimental framework to examine whether political overconfidence leads Americans to defend political misperceptions. Politically overconfident Americans, who suffer from the “double bind” of ignorance described by the Dunning-Kruger Effect, are expected to resist the effects of corrective inoculations against misperceptions. In two survey experiments, I measure political overconfidence, and assess its effects on skepticism towards five common misperceptions. In one study, I randomly expose respondents to an inoculation message, and observationally assess the effects of political overconfidence on the inoculation’s effectiveness. In a second study, I experimentally manipulate overconfidence itself, by exposing a random subset of respondents to an objective assessment of their political knowledgeability before random exposure to an inoculation. Together, the results show that corrective inoculations can reduce support for misperceptions. However, among the politically overconfident, these treatments are ineffective.
Structural Chromosome Rearrangements

The subject of structural chromosome rearrangements is an immense one, to which entire catalogs have been devoted. Indeed, there are theoretically an almost infinite number of ways in which chromosomes can reconfigure themselves from the normal 23-pair arrangement with which we are familiar. Although we tend to think of the resulting structural rearrangements in terms of chromosome pathology, some rearrangements are fairly innocuous. In fact, a few such benign rearrangements (such as certain pericentric inversions of chromosome 9) are seen frequently enough to be considered polymorphic variants of no clinical significance.
Did Small Traders Benefit from the Global Settlement and Related Regulations

Responding to the allegedly biased research reports issued by large investment banks, the Global Research Analyst Settlement and related regulations went to great lengths to weaken the investment banking tie and mitigate the conflicts of interest faced by investment bank analysts. The primary objectives of these regulations are to improve investor confidence and protect small investors. In this study I test the effect of the regulations on small and large trader trading activity. Comparing abnormal trading volume across time periods, I find that abnormal trading volume upon investment bank recommendations increased in the Post-Reg. period, for both types of traders, at any level of recommendations (revisions), suggesting that investors are relying more on i-bank recommendations. Moreover, small trader trading profit following these recommendations has increased since the regulations while large trader trading profit has decreased. The wealth-transfer from small traders to large traders has been largely reduced. I conclude that small traders benefited from the Settlement and related regulations.
Removal of Adsorbed Toxin Fragments That Modify Bacillus thuringiensis CryIC δ-Endotoxin Iodination and Binding by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Treatment and Renaturation

We report that 10- and 25-kDa toxin fragments adhere to CryIC prepared from Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystals, block iodination, and alter membrane binding. There is no apparent affect on CryIC toxicity against Spodoptera exigua. Associated peptides remained bound to CryIC in the presence of 50 mM dithiothreitol or 6 M urea. A novel detergent-renaturation procedure was developed for the purification of B. thuringiensis CryIC toxin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treatment followed by gel filtration chromatography yielded a homogeneous 62-kDa CryIC toxin. After removal of SDS and renaturation, the purified CryIC toxin was fully insecticidal to S. exigua larvae. I-labeled CryIC bound with high affinity to brush border membrane vesicles from S. exigua larvae.
To see or not to see

Het gebruik van vergroting in de tandheelkunde heeft de laatste jaren een enorme vlucht genomen. De loepbril en de behandelmicroscoop hebben talrijke voordelen. Beide vergroten zij het beeld, maar daarmee houdt elke gelijkenis op. De ergonomische voordelen, het leerproces, het toepassingsgebied en de kosten zijn voor de loepbril en de microscoop volkomen verschillend.