cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The interaction of proteins and cells with self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolates on gold and silver

Alkanethiols, HS(CH2)nX, chemisorb on gold and silver and form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The ability to present a variety of functional groups, X, at the terminal position of the alkanethiol makes it possible to control the structure of the surface at the molecular level, and thus to control the interfacial properties of these organic surfaces. These SAMs constitute an exceptionally useful set of model surfaces with which to study the interaction of synthetic materials with biologically relevant systems. By varying the terminal group X, it is possible to examine the influence of the structure and polarity of common organic groups on the adsorption of proteins. Alkanethiols terminated with oligo(ethylene glycol) groups form SAMs that resist the adsorption of proteins (so-called ‘inert surfaces’). These alkanethiols, when used in mixed SAMs that include alkanethiols that present other functional groups, isolate the biomolecular interactions of interest from non-specific effects and simplify fundamental studies of protein adsorption. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a particularly valuable technique for measuring rates and equilibrium constants of processes that involve adsorption of proteins at surfaces and for characterizing mechanisms of protein adsorption. Since the techniques used in preparing SAMs for studies of protein adsorption are essentially the same as those used in preparing substrates for SPR, a common synthetic technology can be used with both. Soft lithographic techniques—microprinting and micromolding—make it possible to pattern SAMs with different functionalities on surfaces that can be either planar or contoured. The combination of SAMs, inert surfaces, SPR, and soft lithography allows the study of the molecular-level interaction of solutions containing proteins with synthetic surfaces. Extensions of these studies to investigations of the attachment and spreading of cells on surfaces also offer a new set of research tools in cell biology.
Maternal effects and range expansion: a key factor in a dynamic process?

Species that depend on ephemeral habitat often evolve distinct dispersal strategies in which the propensity to disperse is closely integrated with a suite of morphological, behavioural and physiological traits that influence colonizing ability. These strategies are maintained by natural selection resulting from spatial and temporal variation in resource abundance and are particularly evident during range expansion. Yet the mechanisms that maintain close alignment of such strategies with resource availability, integrate suites of dispersal traits and generate variability in dispersal propensity are rarely known. Breeding females can influence offspring phenotype in response to changes in current environmental conditions, making maternal effects uniquely suited to bridge fluctuations in resource abundance in the maternal generation and variation in offspring dispersal ability. Western bluebirds’ (Sialia mexicana) dependence on nest cavities—an ephemeral resource— has led to the evolution of two distinct dispersal phenotypes: aggressive males that disperse and nonaggressive males that remain philopatric and cooperate with their relatives. Over the last 40 years, western bluebirds rapidly expanded their geographical range, providing us with an opportunity to test, in newly established populations, the importance of maternal effects for generating variability in dispersal propensity. Here, I show that, under variable resource conditions, breeding females group offspring of different competitive ability in different positions in the egg-laying order and, consequently, produce aggressive males that are more likely to disperse when resources are low and non-aggressive philopatric males when resources are abundant. I then show experimentally that the association between resource availability and sex-specific birth order is robust across populations. Thus, this maternal effect enables close tracking of resource availability and may explain how variation in dispersal is generated in newly colonized populations. More generally, these results suggest that, as a key source of variation in colonizing phenotypes, maternal effects are of crucial importance for understanding the dynamics of range expansion.
Activation of sexual reflexes of male rats by dihydrotestosterone but not estrogen

Abstract Previous studies have shown that withdrawal and administration of testosterone propionate (TP) has a quantitative influence on sexual reflexes which parallels changes in copulatory activity following castration and administration of TP. The present study involving castrated spinal male rats explored further this parallel, focusing on the effects on sexual reflexes of the administration of dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHTP) and estradiol benzoate (EB), both of which can activate sexual behavior in spinally intact castrated male rats, but only if given in very large doses for a prolonged period of time. A parallel effect on reflexes and behavior was not found inasmuch as DHTP activated sexual reflexes at a dose (200 μg daily) considerably below that needed to activate behavior, and EB did not appreciably activate reflexes, even after prolonged treatment at levels (100–200 μg) higher than necessary to activate behavior. The results, with EB in particular, point out that the display of intromissive and ejaculatory patterns in rats may not involve spinal neural mechanisms that are customarily associated with these behavioral patterns.
Arp2/3 Complex Is Important for Filopodia Formation, Growth Cone Motility, and Neuritogenesis in Neuronal Cells

A role of Arp2/3 complex in lamellipodia is well established, whereas its roles in filopodia formation remain obscure. We addressed this question in neuronal cells, in which motility is heavily based on filopodia, and we found that Arp2/3 complex is involved in generation of both lamellipodia and filopodia in growth cones, and in neuritogenesis, the processes thought to occur largely in Arp2/3 complex-independent manner. Depletion of Arp2/3 complex in primary neurons and neuroblastoma cells by small interfering RNA significantly decreased the F-actin contents and inhibited lamellipodial protrusion and retrograde flow in growth cones, but also initiation and dynamics of filopodia. Using electron microscopy, immunochemistry, and gene expression, we demonstrated the presence of the Arp2/3 complex-dependent dendritic network of actin filaments in growth cones, and we showed that individual actin filaments in filopodia originated at Arp2/3 complex-dependent branch points in lamellipodia, thus providing a mechanistic explanation of Arp2/3 complex functions during filopodia formation. Additionally, Arp2/3 complex depletion led to formation of multiple neurites, erratic pattern of neurite extension, and excessive formation of stress fibers and focal adhesions. Consistent with this phenotype, RhoA activity was increased in Arp2/3 complex-depleted cells, indicating that besides nucleating actin filaments, Arp2/3 complex may influence cell motility by altering Rho GTPase signaling.
Study of the fine crystalline structure of polyethylenes via annealing and thermal fractionation

The fine crystalline structures of two polyethylenes have been investigated with annealing and fractionation techniques via modulated differential scanning calorimetry. The molecular structure and polydispersity of both high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene have been characterized by multiple-step annealing and successive self-nucleation/annealing thermal fractionation methods. The effects of annealing on the crystallinity and mechanical properties and the possible mechanism of the formation of the different fine crystalline structures related to the macromolecular chain motion for the two polyethylenes have also been studied and analyzed according to detailed annealing and fractionation processes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2686–2691, 2003
Bird Migration and Bias of WSR-88D Wind Estimates

Abstract Migrating birds can greatly influence base velocity, velocity azimuth display (VAD), and VAD wind profile products of the WSR-88D. This is documented by comparing estimates of wind velocity and direction from these products with corresponding radiosonde and pilot balloon data. Mean absolute differences between wind velocities estimated from base velocity products and the corresponding radiosonde data were significantly greater on days with bird migration than on days with no migration. Even low-density migrations can increase VAD wind velocities relative to winds measured simultaneously by balloon. Because birds usually migrate with following winds, wind directions measured by VAD are less affected, but in some cases the difference can be as much as 128°. Consequently, when winds aloft are nearly calm and variable in direction, the data in the VAD wind profile and base velocity products may pertain almost exclusively to migrating birds.
Minimum Service Requirements, Limited Brokers and Menuing of Services

In the past few years, many states have responded to the increasing number of limited service brokers by passing minimum service requirements. Limited service brokers can be viewed as those brokers who are offering their marketing and representative services A La Carte as opposed to the more traditional full-services brokers offering of a Table D’hote (one size fits all) for their services. Supporters claim the legislation is necessary to protect consumers who are otherwise hurt by limited service brokers, but critics assert that this legislation is anti-competitive and not necessary. This study provides empirical evidence that sellers using limited service brokers experience a trade-off between a higher selling price and longer marketing spans with accompanying lower probabilities of finding a buyer during a given marketing period.
Metabolic Effects of Feeding Protected Tallow to Dairy Cows

Twelve Holstein cows were matched into pairs after 7 days lactation. Each was fed 1 kg of grain concentrate per 3 kg milk and corn silage free choice. At 2 wk, one cow from each pair was maintained on this diet and the other was fed a protected tallow product mixed with the grain concentrate, 1 to 2, providing 25% of metabolizable energy as fat. For 14 wk, milk fat production was 12.4% higher and efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy for lactation was 8.0 to 13.6% higher in tallow-fed cows. These had higher concentrations of glucose in plasma and cholesterol in serum and lower concentrations of acetoacetate and betahydroxybutyrate in plasma. At 16 wk, cows were fed in two groups, the concentrate to milk ratio was 1:4 and silage intake 41 kg/day. Digestible protein was reduced from 118 g/kg dry matter to only 80 g/kg. Milk production declined rapidly, so that duration of lactation averaged only 163 days in both groups. Protected tallow conferred metabolic advantages during the first 16 wk of lactation. Its influence on the duration of lactation requires further study in cows fed adequate protein.
Synchronized Arbitrage and the Value of Public Announcements

This paper tests the idea that arbitrageurs use public announcements as a synchronizing signal. I find that firms publicly identified by hedge fund managers as being overvalued underperform their respective benchmarks by 324 to 376 basis points per month, during the 24 months subsequent to the public announcement. In contrast, firms identified by managers as being undervalued do not overperform their benchmarks. I find evidence of coordination among arbitrageurs through an increase in post-event short selling and changes in funds’ derivative positions. Finally, I find that the long-short return disparity cannot be resolved by common explanations, such as varying manager skill, short sales constraints, analyst downgrades or slow information diffusion, but is rather derived from managers’ idiosyncratic ability to predict future accounting deficiencies and negative earnings news.
Seasonal Transmission of Bluetongue Virus by Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) at a Southern California Dairy and Evaluation of Vectorial Capacity as a Predictor of Bluetongue Virus Transmission

Vectorial capacity of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones for the transmission of bluetongue (BLU) virus was examined at a southern California dairy from January 1995 to December 1997. Insects were collected one to two times per week in five CDC-type suction traps (without light) baited with CO2 at a constant release rate of 1,000 ml/min. BLU virus was detected in midges collected from May through December with an estimated overall infection rate of 0.08%. The BLU virus infection rate of field-captured midges was not correlated with sentinel calf seroconversions to BLU virus. Sentinel calf seroconversions were highly seasonal, occurring from August through November with most calves seroconverting during September and October. Vector competence of field-collected nulliparous flies fed a locally acquired serotype of BLU virus in the laboratory was stable among years (17–23%). Vectorial capacity was strongly correlated with BLU virus transmission (measured by sentinel calf seroconversions) during 1995 and 1996, but not during 1997. Host biting rate estimated for traps nearest to the sentinel calves was the index best correlated with BLU virus transmission for all study years and was most highly correlated with sentinel seroconversions 4 wk later. The utility of vectorial capacity and its component variables is discussed for this system.
Spatial determination of diffusible hydrogen concentrations proximate to pits in a Fe–Cr–Ni–Mo steel using the Scanning Kelvin Probe

Abstract The diffusible hydrogen concentration (C H,diff ) was mapped spatially, proximate to acidic corrosion pits formed in MgCl 2 droplets, on an ultra-high strength stainless steel using a Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP). A secondary hardened martensitic stainless steel (Fe–11Ni–12Cr–1Mo–0.005C–0.02Mn wt%) was evaluated. Predetermined, uniform C H,diff levels quantified by electrochemical extraction after homogeneous cathodic charging, were calibrated versus the SKP potential at 57% RH (0.16 kPa H 2 O, 20.26 kPa O 2 , 79.03 kPa N 2, and 0.55 kPa residual gas species) [1] . Calibration enabled estimation of C H,diff near pitted surfaces. Cross-sections of corrosion damage sites after pitting were also examined to determine the distribution of the C H,diff perpendicular to the exposure surface.
Disappearing Dividends, Catering Incentives and Agency Costs: International Evidence

We examine time-series evidence of dividend polices in several developed financial markets over the period 1989-2002. Consistent with trends in the U.S., our evidence indicates a declining propensity to pay dividends in Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, and Japan. This decline cannot be explained by the changing composition of publicly traded firms in each country. In addition, we test implications of the catering explanation for the declining propensity to pay dividends, but fail to find robust support for the hypothesis. We argue that both our evidence and prior evidence supporting the catering hypothesis is consistent with an agency cost explanation for dividends.
NMR Study of Miscibility in Polyepichlorohydrin/Poly(Vinylmethylether) Blends

Abstract 129Xe NMR spectroscopy is employed to demonstrate that polyepichlorohydrin and poly(vinylmethylether), which have virtually equal glass transition temperatures, form thermodynamically miscible blends. This conclusion is drawn from the appearance of a single resonance in the blend spectrum, at a chemical shift differing from that calculated for the fast exchange regime. 13C NMR results are consistent with thermodynamic miscibility, and reflect the similarity of the component dynamics.
An investigation of the impact of facial affect recognition impairments in moderate to severe TBI on fatigue, depression, and quality of life

Individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been shown to experience significant problems in facial affect recognition (FAR). However, it is not known how these impairments relate to overall functioning and quality of life (QoL) following TBI. The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that worse performance on an FAR task would be associated with reduced QoL (related to social and emotional functioning), worse mood, and increased fatigue. Forty-seven individuals with TBI and 27 healthy controls (HCs) completed the facial emotion identification task (FEIT), as well as questionnaires assessing social and emotional QoL, mood, and fatigue. The TBI group performed significantly worse than HCs on the FEIT. A significant relationship between FAR and fatigue and QoL related to social and emotional functioning was documented, but in an unexpected direction: individuals who performed better on the FEIT reported poorer QoL and greater fatigue. Individuals who have better FAR may require increased effort to perform this task, and thus experience greater fatigue and poorer social and emotional QoL.
Cultivar variation in cotton photosynthetic performance under different temperature regimes

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yields are impacted by overall photosynthetic production. Factors that influence crop photosynthesis are the plants genetic makeup and the environmental conditions. This study investigated cultivar variation in photosynthesis in the field conditions under both ambient and higher temperature. Six diverse cotton cultivars were grown in the field at Stoneville, MS under both an ambient and a high temperature regime during the 2006–2008 growing seasons. Mid-season leaf net photosynthetic rates (P N) and dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence variable to maximal ratios (Fv/Fm) were determined on two leaves per plot. Temperature regimes did not have a significant effect on either P N or Fv/Fm. In 2006, however, there was a significant cultivar × temperature interaction for P N caused by PeeDee 3 having a lower P N under the high temperature regime. Other cultivars’ P N were not affected by temperature. FM 800BR cultivar consistently had a higher P N across the years of the study. Despite demonstrating a higher leaf Fv/Fm, ST 5599BR exhibited a lower P N than the other cultivars. Although genetic variability was detected in photosynthesis and heat tolerance, the differences found were probably too small and inconsistent to be useful for a breeding program.
Quantum Dynamics of Ultracold Bose Polarons.

We analyze the dynamics of Bose polarons in the vicinity of a Feshbach resonance between the impurity and host atoms. We compute the radio-frequency absorption spectra for the case when the initial state of the impurity is noninteracting and the final state is strongly interacting with the host atoms. We compare results of different theoretical approaches including a single excitation expansion, a self-consistent T-matrix method, and a time-dependent coherent state approach. Our analysis reveals sharp spectral features arising from metastable states with several Bogoliubov excitations bound to the impurity atom. This surprising result of the interplay of many-body and few-body Efimov type bound state physics can only be obtained by going beyond the commonly used Frohlich model and including quasiparticle scattering processes. Close to the resonance we find that strong fluctuations lead to a broad, incoherent absorption spectrum where no quasiparticle peak can be assigned.
Seismic Retrofit of a Three-Span RC Bridge with Buckling-Restrained Braces

AbstractThis study evaluated the potential benefits of using buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) to seismically rehabilitate straight bridges. For this purpose, a three-span RC box girder bridge was used as a case study. A three-dimensional model was developed using software to incorporate BRBs between bent columns. The BRB inelastic behavior was represented using the Menegotto–Pinto model to reproduce its isotropic and kinematic strain-hardening properties. Nonlinear time-history analyses were performed to assess the seismic performance of the BRBs and the existing RC bridge. The structure was evaluated under several performance limit states using far-field records, which were scaled to the maximum considered earthquake level at the site using an average interval scaling method. The results show that BRB components improve the seismic performance of bridges under serviceability and ultimate limit states by decreasing drifts in the bents and by reducing the steel and concrete strains of the original RC colu...
Preliminary study on agreement between clinical and pathogenic diagnoses for bacillary dysentery

Objective The purpose of this article is to evaluate the agreement between clinically diagnosed bacillary dysentery and actual Shigella infection,and its related factors.Methods Cluster sampling was used in this investigation.Informants with clinically diagnosed bacillary dysentery were investigated and their stool specimens were collected for pathogen culture.Results Stool of 18.3 percent of patients with clinically diagnosed bacillary dysentery were Shigella positive by culture,with more red blood cells by routine fecal examinations,clearer epidemiological history and clinical manifestations.Conclusion Agreement between clinically diagnostic bacillary dysentery and actual Shigella infection is so low that therapy should be applied according to their clinical manifestations.
Ultrafast Semiconductor Carrier Dynamics Probed by Four-Wave Mixing and Application to All-Optical Signal Processing in WDM Systems

Four-wave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers provides a frequency domain tool for probing a wide range of carrier relaxation phenomena.
Pain coping skills training for African Americans with osteoarthritis (STAART): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of osteoarthritis (OA), with higher prevalence rates, more severe pain, and more functional limitations. One key barrier to addressing these disparities has been limited engagement of African Americans in the development and evaluation of behavioral interventions for management of OA. Pain Coping Skills Training (CST) is a cognitive-behavioral intervention with shown efficacy to improve OA-related pain and other outcomes. Emerging data indicate pain CST may be a promising intervention for reducing racial disparities in OA symptom severity. However, there are important gaps in this research, including incorporation of stakeholder perspectives (e.g. cultural appropriateness, strategies for implementation into clinical practice) and testing pain CST specifically among African Americans with OA. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced pain CST program among African Americans with OA. This is a randomized controlled trial among 248 participants with symptomatic hip or knee OA, with equal allocation to a pain CST group and a wait list (WL) control group. The pain CST program incorporated feedback from patients and other stakeholders and involves 11 weekly telephone-based sessions. Outcomes are assessed at baseline, 12 weeks (primary time point), and 36 weeks (to assess maintenance of treatment effects). The primary outcome is the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and secondary outcomes include self-efficacy, pain coping, pain interference, quality of life, depressive symptoms, and global assessment of change. Linear mixed models will be used to compare the pain CST group to the WL control group and explore whether participant characteristics are associated with differential improvement in the pain CST program. This research is in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, East Carolina University, and Duke University Health System. This culturally enhanced pain CST program could have a substantial impact on outcomes for African Americans with OA and may be a key strategy in the reduction of racial health disparities. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02560922 , registered 9/22/2015.
Rights and Freedoms under the State Constitution (Freedom of Speech)

This symposium essay argues through the lens of freedom of speech that state constitutional adjudication is unclear and unfocused, and that New York's Court of Appeals should be more explicit and more consistent in applying New York State's Constitutional protections to speech related cases.
A Technique for the Determination of Ratios of Effective Cross Sections from Reactor Fuel Burnup Data

(1968). A Technique for the Determination of Ratios of Effective Cross Sections from Reactor Fuel Burnup Data. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 267-270.
The role of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs in the development and differential growth of inflorescence stems.

ABSTRACTPlants react to environmental cues by altering their growth and development, which can include organ tropic responses. These differential growth responses are triggered by the hormone auxin, and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) have been implicated in numerous organ tropisms in Arabidopsis thaliana. Surprisingly, despite being critical for light capture and overall plant morphology, inflorescence stem tropic responses remain relatively understudied, with presumed direct links to ARF function yet to be established. Here, we show that the expression patterns of ARF5/MONOPTEROS and ARF7/NONPHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL4 are consistent with roles in inflorescence stem tropisms. Mutation of these factors does not alter inflorescence stem responses to gravity or unilateral auxin application, meaning their participation in these processes is presumably masked by functional redundancies. Future resolution of these redundancies will likely require higher order arf mutant combinations, guided by detailed expression an...
Moral Methodology in Maternal-Fetal Conflicts

This essay will examine the position of those ethicists who interpret the moral act using an intentionalist approach. This approach focusses on the “intention,” which the intentionalist understands as “what one means by what one is doing,” as the criterion for determining the morality of a human act. This approach is at odds with traditional ways of viewing the role of intention, viz., what one chooses to do, when one acts. These two ways of looking at the moral act have recently been deployed in the case of maternal-fetal conflict, which occurs when the continued presence of the unborn child immediately poses a threat to the mother’s life, and one cannot save both the mother and the unborn. Intentionalists argue that a doctor may directly kill the unborn child, if that is the only way to save the mother’s life, because the doctor’s “intention” is to save the mother’s life and not to kill the unborn child. I challenge this claim, contending that the traditional approach offers a more realistic assessment of actors and activities in vital conflict situations. The intentionalist methodologies I examine are, in my view, deficient in their attempts to justify a termination of pregnancy in vital conflict situations. There is too little congruence between what is done and what they claim they are doing. I fear that accepting these other methodologies will blur the lines between indirect abortions and therapeutic abortions.
The timing of retears after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Background Little is known about the time dependence of the failure rate of surgically repaired rotator cuffs. Retears are significant, as they are common and may lead to less satisfactory outcomes and additional operations. Their timing is critical foundational information for understanding failure mechanisms. However, this remains unclear. Currently, there exist a number of studies that have reported retear rates at specific time points. Combining data from these publications can reveal when cuffs retear, which will help inform expectations and guidelines for progression of activity after surgery. Methods PubMed, Medline, and Embase were searched for studies relating to rotator cuff repair. Abstracts and articles were evaluated on the basis of predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted from those publications that satisfied all requirements, and regression analysis was performed. Results Thirteen articles were included in the final meta-analysis. Retear rates for medium tears increased for approximately 15 months and leveled off at approximately 20%. Retear rates for large tears progressed steadily for about 12 months and approached an upper limit of approximately 40%. Retear rates for massive tears ranged from 20% to 60%, but the distribution of retear rate over time for these cuff tears is not clear from these data. Conclusion Retear rates for medium and large tears generally increase until at least 10-15 months after surgery, after which they are likely to level off. Retear rates for massive tears are variable and may follow a time course different from that of other tear sizes. Retear rates depend on size of the original tear.
Detection of Mixed-Phase Clouds From Shortwave and Thermal Infrared Satellite Observations

Abstract Multispectral band measurements from satellite radiometers have been widely used to detect and characterize the optical and microphysical properties of global clouds. These passive radiometer observations also provide information about cloud top phase. In situ observations have shown that clouds often contain a mixture of both liquid and ice at temperatures below 0°C. These mixed-phase clouds remain an important source of uncertainty in numerical models and satellite retrieval algorithms. Cloud phase information can be inferred from conventional satellite radiometers using thermal-infrared bands, but the sensitivity is biased strongly toward cloud top due to strong absorption in these bands. In situ observations of many mixed-phase clouds reveal a profile of supercooled liquid water at or near cloud top and a predominantly ice phase residing below, contrary to typical assumptions used in many retrieval algorithms. Based on cloud top sensitivity bias, conventional thermal infrared-based satellite algorithms would identify these clouds simply as supercooled liquid without any further information regarding the presence of a sub-cloud top phase. Here, we introduce a daytime detection method of liquid-top mixed-phase clouds from passive radiometer observations which utilizes reflected sunlight in narrow bands at 1.6 and 2.25 μm to “optically probe” within liquid-topped mixed-phase clouds in an attempt to detect sub-cloud top phase. The basis of the algorithm is established on differential absorption properties between liquid and ice particles, accounting for varying sun/sensor geometry and cloud optical properties. The algorithm has been applied experimentally to the S-NPP VIIRS and Himawari-8 AHI, and evaluated based on active sensor measurements from CloudSat and CALIPSO. The results showed that the algorithm has promising potential for distinction between supercooled liquid-top phase clouds with and without an underlying mixed phase component.
Vessel sealer and divider instrument temperature during laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses.

OBJECTIVE To determine the temperature of a vessel sealer and divider device during unilateral paralumbar laparoscopic ovariectomy in standing, sedated mares. STUDY DESIGN Prospective study. ANIMALS Fifteen healthy research mares. METHODS Healthy mares with normal ovarian palpation and ultrasonographic appearance were enrolled. Horses were restrained in standing stocks and sedated. A right or left paralumbar ovariectomy was performed with a laparoscopic portal and 2 instrument portals. Ovaries were excised with traumatic forceps and a blunt tip vessel sealer and divider. Temperatures of the vessel sealer and divider were recorded with a thermocouple device adhered to the tip of the instrument. Variables were reported as median and interquartile range (IQR). RESULTS Surgical time was 30 minutes (IQR, 25-32) including use of the vessel sealer and the divider for 4.1 minutes (IQR, 3.2-5.8). The tip of the instrument reached temperatures of 77°C (IQR, 72-85) during activation and 64°C (IQR, 61-67) at end cycle. The median increase in end-cycle instrument tip temperature per activation cycle was 2°C (IQR, -1-6). All mares returned to their intended use. CONCLUSION Despite the instrument temperatures observed during unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy, surgical complications were minimal. The clinical relevance of the increase in instrument tip temperature of the vessel sealer and divider is presently unclear, but surgeons should use the instrument with caution, especially in close proximity to viscera. The increase in temperature observed at the tip of the vessel sealer and divider during unilateral ovariectomy could be associated with morbidity. The clinical relevance of instrument tip heating during other procedures, such as adhesiolysis and intestinal resection, is unknown and should be evaluated.
Postfolate spina bifida lesion level change.

BACKGROUND Spina bifida accounts for a large proportion of birth defects in the United States. Studies have evaluated the decrease in prevalence at birth after folate fortification of food grains, but little is known about neurologic functional changes related to fortification. This study assesses the functional level of lesions in the prefortification and postfortification eras. METHODS Data were collected through retrospective review of medical records from a regional multispecialty clinic in Arizona. This study included individuals born between 1981-1995 (prefortification) and 1999-2013 (postfortification). Patients were included if they had a primary diagnosis of spina bifida with or without hydrocephalus. RESULTS There was a significant difference in functional lesion level with an 85% reduction in thoracic level lesions in the postfortification era (p < .005). There were no differences in gender or ethnicity across eras; however, Hispanic ethnicity had a higher number of cases overall (51.7%). The most common lesion level in both eras was mid-lumbar, accounting for 35.7 and 34.4% of cases in the prefolate and postfolate eras, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a significant difference in the distribution of lesion level of spina bifida patients born in the postfortification era, based on neurologic function. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to determine if this observation holds true nationally.
Sleep disturbances and diminished quality of life in postural tachycardia syndrome.

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States alone. POTS is defined as excessive increase in heart rate (≥ 30 beats/min) with upright posture, associated with orthostatic symptoms including palpitation, chest pain syndrome, dyspnea on standing, mental clouding, and difficulties with concentration in the absence of orthostatic hypotension. It can produce substantial disability among otherwise healthy people.1,2 The pathophysiology of POTS is poorly understood, however many patients suffer from either a primary or secondary increase in sympathetic nervous system tone.3 Patients with POTS commonly complain of symptoms including fatigue and difficulty with sleep. One study found that patients with POTS had a diminished quality of life when measured using a standard health status instrument (SF-36).4 There are no published data, however, on the quality of sleep or sleep disturbances in patients with POTS. Conversely, problems with autonomic nervous system regulation have been noted in several primary disorders of sleep. These include relatively common sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea5–7 and less common disorders such as fatal familial insomnia, sleep terrors, and REM sleep behavior disorder.8–10 Recent studies have shown that subjective poor sleep is associated with reduced physical performance, greater functional limitation, increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, and may even predict all-cause mortality.11–14 Therefore poor sleep may be a core factor associated with the low quality of life reported by patients with POTS. BRIEF SUMMARY Current Knowledge/Study Rationale: Patients with POTS commonly complain of symptoms including fatigue and difficulty with sleep. Prior to this paper, there were no published data on the quality of sleep or sleep disturbances in patients with POTS. Study Impact: This study found that patients with POTS have poor sleep quality, excessive sleepiness, excessive fatigue, and a high proportion of diminished quality of life due to sleep problems. Further objective sleep assessments are needed to delineate the specific sleep problems in patients with POTS, which will be a pre-requisite to develop optimal treatments. The aim of this study was to formally assess sleep quality, fatigue, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with POTS as compared with healthy control subjects.
Negative Effective Mass Terahertz Range Oscillators on a Cleaved Edge of a Superlattice

We consider electron dispersion relations in a quantum well overgrown on a cleaved edge of a superlattice and covered by a top barrier containing a donor modulation-doping sheet. Parameters of this structure are selected so that the electron wave function, which is localized inside of the quantum well at kZ = 0 (kZ is a wave vector component along the superlattice vector), enters the superlattice deeper and deeper with increasing kZ. As a result of this penetration, electrons become heavier and heavier. Such a dynamic (quantum) real-space transfer (without any scattering) leads to the appearance of a negative effective mass section in the lowest quantization subband. The position of this section as well as the width of the subband itself and its distance from the next subbands are regulated by both the quantum well parameters and parameters of the superlattice. The latter has to be with maximally high barriers and a small spatial period. The limitation of transverse motion of electrons in the superlattice layers is accomplished by an electric field of a pn-heterojunction formed as a result of an acceptor doping of the superlattice barriers and the above-mentioned donor modulation doping of the top barrier. This field also effectively controls the dispersion relations. Diodes with negative effective mass sections in the dispersion relation promise to be efficient terahertz range oscillators.
Zur Beuerteilung natürlichsprachlicher Endbenutzerschnittstellen von Datenbanken

Naturlichsprachliche Schnittstellen zu Datenbanksystemen dringen aus den Forschungslabors in den Markt vor. Damit stellen sich neue Fragen nach dem Nutzen solcher Systeme im praktischen Einsatz. Dieser Aufsatz fasst einige Ziele und Entwicklungsrichtungen aus Anwendersicht zusammen und diskutiert Kriterien und Methoden zur Bewertung naturlichsprachlicher Anfragesprachen am Beispiel einer Serie von Experimenten, die am Center for Research on Information Systems der New York University durchgefuhrt wurden. Abschliessend werden kurz einige Probleme der Anwendungsentwicklung dargestellt.
Optimal $\mathcal{H}_{2}$ Decentralized Control of Cone Causal Spatially Invariant Systems

This paper presents an explicit solution to decentralized control of a class of spatially invariant systems. The problem of optimal $\mathcal{H}_{2}$ decentralized control for cone causal systems is formulated. Using Parseval's identity, the optimal $\mathcal{H}_{2}$ decentralized control problem is transformed into an infinite number of model matching problems with a specific structure that can be solved efficiently. In addition, the closed-form expression (explicit formula) of the decentralized controller is derived for the first time. In particular, it is shown that the optimal decentralized controller is given by a specific positive feedback scheme. A constructive procedure to obtain the state-space representation of the decentralized controller is provided. A numerical example is given and compared with previous works which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Myocardial Redox Hormesis Protects the Heart of Female Mice in Sepsis.

Mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide develop cardiomyopathy in a sex and redox-dependent fashion. Here we extended these studies to the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model.We compared male and female FVB mice (wild type, WT) and transgenic littermates overexpressing myocardial catalase (CAT). CLP induced 100% mortality within 4 days, with similar mortality rates in male and female WT and CAT mice. 24 h after CLP, isolated (Langendorff) perfused hearts showed depressed contractility in WT male mice, but not in male CAT or female WT and CAT mice. In WT male mice, CLP induced a depression of cardiomyocyte sarcomere shortening (ΔSS) and calcium transients (ΔCai), and the inhibition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase (SERCA). These deficits were associated with overexpression of NADPH-dependent oxidase (NOX)-1, NOX-2, and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and were partially prevented in male CAT mice. Female WT mice showed unchanged ΔSS, ΔCai, and SERCA function after CLP. At baseline, female WT mice showed partially depressed ΔSS, ΔCai, and SERCA function, as compared with male WT mice, which were associated with NOX-1 overexpression and were prevented in CAT female mice.In conclusion, in male WT mice, septic shock induces myocardial NOX-1, NOX-2, and COX-2, and redox-dependent dysregulation of myocardial Ca transporters. Female WT mice are resistant to CLP-induced cardiomyopathy, despite increased NOX-1 and COX-2 expression, suggesting increased antioxidant capacity. Female resistance occurred in association with NOX-1 overexpression and signs of increased oxidative signaling at baseline, indicating the presence of a protective myocardial redox hormesis mechanism.
SPhyR: tumor phylogeny estimation from single-cell sequencing data under loss and error.

Motivation Cancer is characterized by intra-tumor heterogeneity, the presence of distinct cell populations with distinct complements of somatic mutations, which include single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy-number aberrations (CNAs). Single-cell sequencing technology enables one to study these cell populations at single-cell resolution. Phylogeny estimation algorithms that employ appropriate evolutionary models are key to understanding the evolutionary mechanisms behind intra-tumor heterogeneity. Results We introduce Single-cell Phylogeny Reconstruction (SPhyR), a method for tumor phylogeny estimation from single-cell sequencing data. In light of frequent loss of SNVs due to CNAs in cancer, SPhyR employs the k-Dollo evolutionary model, where a mutation can only be gained once but lost k times. Underlying SPhyR is a novel combinatorial characterization of solutions as constrained integer matrix completions, based on a connection to the cladistic multi-state perfect phylogeny problem. SPhyR outperforms existing methods on simulated data and on a metastatic colorectal cancer. Availability and implementation SPhyR is available on https://github.com/elkebir-group/SPhyR. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Optical coherence tomography evaluation of the optic nerve head neuro‐retinal rim in glaucoma

Clinical examination of the optic disc is a fundamental component of any ophthalmic evaluation, but it is especially important for diagnosis and management of glaucoma. The purpose of this article is to: (1) review the limitations inherent to clinical examination; (2) outline the rationale for adopting into clinical practice quantitative measures of the optic nerve head neuro-retinal rim tissue integrity derived from current optical coherence tomography imaging approaches; (3) describe recent developments in this area; and (4) highlight a few avenues of active research that hold promise for future translation to clinical practice.
A Precision Medicine Model for Targeted NSAID Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background. To date the therapeutic paradigm for Alzheimer’s disease focuses on a single intervention for all patients. However, a large literature in oncology supports the therapeutic benefits of a precision medicine approach to therapy. Here we test a precision-medicine approach to Alzheimer’s disease therapy.
Cardiac Arrest in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU: Is Medical Congenital Heart Disease a Predictor of Survival?

OBJECTIVES Children with medical cardiac disease experience poorer survival to hospital discharge after cardiopulmonary arrest compared with children with surgical cardiac disease. Limited literature exists describing epidemiology and factors associated with mortality in this heterogeneous population. We aim to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes after cardiopulmonary arrest in medical cardiac patients. DESIGN We performed a retrospective review of pediatric cardiac patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a tertiary care cardiac ICU. Surgical cardiac patients underwent cardiac surgery immediately prior to ICU admission. Nonsurgical cardiac patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of congenital heart disease: congenital heart disease medical or noncongenital heart disease medical. Clinical and outcome variables were collected. Primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. SETTINGS Texas Children's Hospital cardiac ICU. PATIENTS Patients admitted to Texas Children's Hospital cardiac ICU between January 2011 and December 2016. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of 150 cardiopulmonary arrest events reviewed, 90 index events were included (46 surgical, 26 congenital heart disease medical, and 18 noncongenital heart disease medical). There was no difference in primary outcome among the three groups. The absence of an epinephrine infusion precardiopulmonary arrest was associated with increased odds of survival in the congenital heart disease medical group (p = 0.03). Noncongenital heart disease medical patients experienced pulseless ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation more frequently than congenital heart disease medical patients (p = 0.02). Congenital heart disease medical patients had trends toward longer cardiac arrest durations, higher prevalence of neurologic sequelae postcardiopulmonary arrest, and higher mortality when extracorporeal support at cardiopulmonary resuscitation was employed. CONCLUSIONS Although trends in first documented rhythm, neurologic sequelae, and inotropic support prior to cardiopulmonary arrest were noted between groups, no significant differences in survival after cardiac arrest were seen. Larger scale studies are needed to better describe factors associated with cardiopulmonary arrest as well as survival in heterogeneous medical cardiac populations.
Cancer Nanotherapeutics Administered by Non-conventional Routes

Nanoparticle drug formulations (NDFs) allow for local and durable release of cancer therapeutics, and hold tremendous promise for advancing the efficacy of cancer treatment strategies. NDFs can be administered to patients via a variety of routes, the most common of which is intravenous injection. Unfortunately, the systemic nature of this approach can result in off-target toxicity. Furthermore, many cancers cannot be accessed by intravenous administration. Consequently, recent efforts have applied anatomical targeting strategies to deliver NDFs directly to cancerous lesions. These non-conventional routes of administration can increase the bioavailability of therapeutics while reducing off-target side effects. Importantly, the considerations that underlie NDF design for each anatomical targeting strategy are unique due to obstacles specific to different organs and delivery devices. Clinical trials reporting upon non-conventional administration of NDFs and preclinical studies investigating novel administration techniques are very encouraging. This chapter will discuss the current state and practice of cancer treatment approaches utilizing non-conventional NDF administration.