cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating local spread of recently established emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, infestations and the potential to influence it with a systemic insecticide and girdled ash trees

Abstract Information on the pattern and rate of spread for invasive wood- and phloem-feeding insects, including the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), is relatively limited, largely because of the difficulty of detecting subcortical insects at low densities. From 2008 to 2011, grids of girdled and subsequently debarked ash (Fraxinus spp.) detection trees were established across a >390 km2 area encompassing two recently established EAB infestations in Michigan as part of the SLow Ash Mortality (SLAM) Pilot Project. Ash distribution and abundance were inventoried across the project area which included public and private forestland, a state park, and street trees in a small municipality. Spread rates of EAB from 2008 to 2011, based on larval presence in girdled detection trees, were estimated to be 1.2–1.7 km yr−1 in the larger, presumably older, infestation and 0.4–0.7 km yr−1 in the smaller infestation; suggesting a slower spread rate during the initial stages of population establishment. From 2009 to 2011, a total of 587 ash trees in the project area were trunk-injected with a highly effective, systemic emamectin benzoate insecticide. Potential effects of girdled ash trees and the systemic insecticide treatment on EAB spread were evaluated using a simulation model and a simple descriptive model of observed spread. Not surprisingly, density of trees treated with the insecticide was too low to exert a detectable effect on EAB spread. However, while the density of girdled trees was also relatively low, model results indicated a reduced spread of EAB out of areas containing girdled trees.
MYOCARDIAL SCAR BURDEN INCREASES WITH AGE AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECLINE IN LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC FUNCTION IN YOUNG PATIENTS WITH BECKER MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients develop myocardial fibrosis with associated systolic dysfunction. Despite milder skeletal myopathy, cardiomyopathy onset is thought to occur earlier in Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) than DMD. 1) BMD patients show age-related late gadolinium enhancement (
Comparison of self-directed learning versus instructor-modeled learning during a simulated clinical experience

Background:There are no reports in the literature that compare instructor-modeled learning to self-directed learning when simulation is used. Therefore, no evidence exists to know which approach is superior. This study aims to test the hypothesis that instructor-modeled learning is more effective co
Identification of key regulators of pancreatic cancer progression through multidimensional systems-level analysis

Background Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with dismal prognosis, urgently necessitating better biomarkers to improve therapeutic options and early diagnosis. Traditional approaches of biomarker detection that consider only one aspect of the biological continuum like gene expression alone are limited in their scope and lack robustness in identifying the key regulators of the disease. We have adopted a multidimensional approach involving the cross-talk between the omics spaces to identify key regulators of disease progression.
On the Study of Performance and Trust in Aided, Adversarial Decision Making

Aided-adversarial decision-making (AADM) refers to military command and control decisions in environments in which computerized aids are available to groups of co-located and distributed decision-makers, and in which there is a potential for adversarial forces to tamper with and disrupt such aids. It is therefore necessary to understand the extent to which decision-makers rely on or use these decision aid systems, and factors affecting that reliance. Researchers have suggested that trust can affect how much people accept and rely on increasingly automated systems. Ongoing research and experimentation in the Center for Multi-source Information Fusion at the University at Buffalo has been addressing these concerns.
Cross-dialysis: description of a possible method of temporary kidney substitution.

SummaryApparatus and technic for cross-dialysis is described. It is believed that the procedure is relatively uncomplicated, safe and requires few laboratory checks during operation. Only further extensive studies will determine whether or not it has any value as a clinical tool.
Visualization of dielectric constant-electric field-temperature phase maps for imprinted relaxor ferroelectric thin films

The dielectricphase transition behavior of imprinted lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate relaxor ferroelectricthin films was mapped as a function of temperature and dc bias. To compensate for the presence of internal fields, an external electric bias was applied while measuring dielectric responses. The constructed three-dimensional dielectric maps provide insight into the dielectric behaviors of relaxor ferroelectricfilms as well as the temperature stability of the imprint. The transition temperature and diffuseness of the dielectric response correlate with crystallographic disorder resulting from strain and defects in the films grown on strontium titanate and silicon substrates; the latter was shown to induce a greater degree of disorder in the film as well as a dielectric response lower in magnitude and more diffuse in nature over the same temperature region. Strong and stable imprint was exhibited in both films and can be utilized to enhance the operational stability of piezoelectric devices through domain self-poling.
Life Is Simple—Biologic Complexity Is an Epiphenomenon

Life originated from unicellular organisms by circumventing the Second Law of Thermodynamics using the First Principles of Physiology, namely negentropy, chemiosmosis and homeostatic regulation of calcium and lipids. It is hypothesized that multicellular organisms are merely contrivances or tools, used by unicellular organisms as agents for the acquisition of epigenetic inheritance. The First Principles of Physiology, which initially evolved in unicellular organisms are the exapted constraints that maintain, sustain and perpetuate that process. To ensure fidelity to this mechanism, we must return to the first principles of the unicellular state as the determinants of the primary level of selection pressure during the life cycle. The power of this approach is reflected by examples of its predictive value. This perspective on life is a "game changer", mechanistically rendering transparent many dogmas, teleologies and tautologies that constrain the current descriptive view of Biology.
Creatine kinase immunocytochemistry of human sperm-hemizona complexes: Selective binding of sperm with mature creatine kinase-staining pattern

Objective To examine the clinical significance of the increased sperm cytoplasmic content that is due to a fault of spermatogenesis, we have further studied the relationship between increased sperm creatine kinase (CK) concentrations and diminished fertilizing potential in men. In the present work, we used CK immunocytochemistry of human sperm-hemizona (HZ) complexes to examine whether the distribution of mature (clear heads), intermediate (sperm heads with light stippling), and immature (heads with heavy stippling or with solid CK staining) spermatozoa bound to the HZ would follow the incidence of these sperm in the samples tested, or if there is a preferential binding by the mature sperm. Design Two pairs of HZ were exposed to washed semen and to their swim-up sperm fractions. The sperm and sperm-HZ complexes were treated with a CK antibody followed by horseradish peroxidase immunostaining, and the sperm were evaluated for maturity. Setting Men presenting for fertility evaluation were studied in two university-based andrology laboratories. Results The binding of the HZ was selective for mature sperm as indicated by the incidence of intermediate and immature sperm in washed semen versus bound to the HZ (intermediate: 20.0% versus 1.4%; immature: 7.6% versus 0.5% [mean ± SEM]) or in swim-up sperm fractions versus the HZ (intermediate: 18.7% versus 3.4%; immature: 2.5% versus 0.2%). The binding was almost exclusive to normal sperm (96.4% to 98.1%) whether the HZ were exposed to washed semen or swim-up fractions in spite of the five to ten times higher incidence of intermediate and immature sperm. Conclusions Mature sperm selectively bind to the zona. We suggest that spermatozoa with immature CK-staining patterns are deficient in the site(s) of oocyte recognition and binding.
Perceptions of shared decision making among patients with spinal cord injuries/disorders

Background: Individuals with spinal cord injuries/disorders (SCI/D) are interested in, and benefit from, shared decision making (SDM). Objective: To explore SDM among individuals with SCI/D and how demographics and health and SCI/D characteristics are related to SDM. Method: Individuals with SCI/D who were at least 1 year post injury, resided in the Chicago metropolitan area, and received SCI care at a Veterans Affairs (VA; n = 124) or an SCI Model Systems facility (n = 326) completed a mailed survey measuring demographics, health and SCI/D characteristics, physical and mental health status, and perceptions of care, including SDM, using the Combined Outcome Measure for Risk Communication and Treatment Decision-Making Effectiveness (COMRADE) that assesses decision-making effectiveness (effectiveness) and risk communication (communication). Bivariate analyses and multiple linear regression were used to identify variables associated with SDM. Results: Participants were mostly male (83%) and White (70%) and were an average age of 54 years (SD = 14.3). Most had traumatic etiology, 44% paraplegia, and 49% complete injury. Veteran/civilian status and demographics were unrelated to scores. Bivariate analyses showed that individuals with tetraplegia had better effectiveness scores than those with paraplegia. Better effectiveness was correlated with better physical and mental health; better communication was correlated with better mental health. Multiple linear regressions showed that tetraplegia, better physical health, and better mental health were associated with better effectiveness, and better mental health was associated with better communication. Conclusion: SCI/D and health characteristics were the only variables associated with SDM. Interventions to increase engagement in SDM and provider attention to SDM may be beneficial, especially for individuals with paraplegia or in poorer physical and mental health.
School Closure Decisions Made by Local Health Department Officials During the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Outbreak

Objectives The goal of this study was to gain insights into the decision-making processes used by California public health officials during real-time crises. The decision-making processes used by California public health officials during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic were examined by a survey research team from the University of California Berkeley. Methods The survey was administered to local public health officials in California. Guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended school closure, and local public health officials had to decide whether to follow these recommendations. Chi-squared tests were used to make comparisons in the descriptive statistics. Results The response rate from local public health departments was 79%. A total of 73% of respondents were involved in the decision-making process. Respondents stated whether they used or did not use 15 ethical, logistical, and political preselected criteria. They expressed interest in receiving checklists and additional training in decision-making. Conclusions Public health decision-makers do not appear to have a standard process for crisis decision-making and would benefit from having an organized decision-making model. The survey showed that ethical, logistical, and political criteria were considered but were not prioritized in any meaningful way. A new decision-making tool kit for public health decision-makers plus implementation training is warranted. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:464–471)
Modeling collective action through media to promote social change and positive intergroup relations in violent conflicts

Abstract Does social influence exerted through role modeling of collective action impact social change in contexts that are not conducive to collective action, such as long-lasting violent conflicts? We examined this question in two field experiments in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We created two versions of an episode of an existing media intervention (a show aiming to promote positive social change), in which fictional characters either planned collective action (role modeling condition), or did not plan action (control condition) to address grievances. In Study 1, role modeling affected individual-level outcomes: it increased perceived collective efficacy and willingness to take action, but exacerbated intergroup attitudes and reduced tolerance. Study 2 tested the influence of role modeling on a group-level outcome (group discussions). Discussions following the role modeling show focused less on grievances, and included more positive lessons of the show, as well as more statements about collective efficacy and collective action. The findings highlight the influence of role modeling of collective action through media on efficacy and action for social change, but caution against unintended consequences on intergroup attitudes.
Abstract LB-130: STAT3/PIAS3 as “early signature” gene pathways in the development of ovarian high grade serous carcinoma from the fallopian tube

Objectives: Our recent studies in human samples have demonstrated constitutive activation of STAT3 Tyr705 and loss of protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 (PIAS3) in STICs in the fallopian tubes and advanced HGSC tissues. The goal of this current study is to identify and elucidate the molecular mechanisms leading to the initiation and development of HGSC through STAT3 activation and low levels or absence of PIAS3 in the fallopian tube (FT). Methods: Human tissues–benign normal FTs, STICs (without ovarian cancer) and HGSC—were evaluated for expression of STAT3/PIAS3 (as compared with their known TP53 signature) and their target proliferation genes. Isolated primary fallopian tubal serous epithelial carcinoma (FTSEC) cells from FT and immortalized FT cells were also utilized and were evaluated with real time PCR, IHC, ICC, western blots, cloning and orthotopic mouse models. Results: We observed high-level expression of pSTAT3 Tyr705, and decreased levels of PIAS3, in dysplastic areas of FT obtained from patients with and without cancer and advanced stage HGSC (as compared to high PIAS3 low pSTAT3 expression in normal benign FT). In addition, FT cells transfected with a STAT3 overexpression construct showed translocation of pSTAT3 and c-Myc into the nucleus. Further, the in vivo experiments demonstrated that the overexpression of STAT3 in FTSECs promoted tumor progression and metastasis, mimicking the clinical disease observed in patients with HGSC. In contrast, STAT3 knockdown in ovarian cancer cells was associated with reduced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Conclusions: The STAT3 pathway may play a critical role in the development of STIC lesions and their progression to HGSC. We will further screen more FT samples and number of human tissues from various stages of HGSC along with an in vivo mouse model of HGSC in order to establish the oncogenic role of STAT3 and expression levels of PIAS3 in ovarian HGSC. Our current and future findings offer an opportunity to address the clinically important questions that are critical for cancer prevention and early detection in deadly HGSC. Citation Format: Uksha Saini, John Wallbillich, Maria Riley Riley, John M. Fowler, Ross Wanner, Jenny Lester, Beth Karlan, Paul Goodfellow, Adrian Suarez, David Cohn, Karuppaiyah Selvendiran. STAT3/PIAS3 as “early signature” gene pathways in the development of ovarian high grade serous carcinoma from the fallopian tube. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-130.
Wildfire-specific Fine Particulate Matter and Risk of Hospital Admissions in Urban and Rural Counties.

Background:The health impacts of wildfire smoke, including fine particles (PM2.5), are not well understood and may differ from those of PM2.5 from other sources due to differences in concentrations and chemical composition.Methods:First, for the entire Western United States (561 counties) for 2004–2
Biobible: Biblical Provocations to Biocapital in the U.S. Culture Wars

This paper considers how a newly emergent biobible radically invests bodily functions, bodily matter, and bodies in and as capital. In conservative Christian family-values commentary on marriage, sexuality, and reproduction, reference to biology is on the rise. Biblical arguments for heterosexual marriage and sanctity of life are supported by biological language and imaging. These discourses reflect, respond to, and contribute to what scholars have called biocapital, that is, the increased commodification of biological materials and technologies. Biology is biblically elevated and given increased value, feeding biocapital. Indeed emphasis on biology has come to edge out or make subordinate more traditional religious language of interiority, spirituality and emotional life, making them unimportant, or provisionally important, displaced onto the future wellbeing of biological children raised in heterosexual, white families.These developments are traced in conservative Christian discussions of same-sex marriage, assisted reproductive technology, abortions, and prison ministry.
Automatic tumor segmentation in single-spectral MRI using a texture-based and contour-based algorithm

We propose a new fully automatic method to detect and segment brain lesions.The method is based on a texture-based and a contour-based algorithm.The algorithm is independent of multi-spectral MRI, and local or global registration. Automatic detection of brain tumors in single-spectral magnetic resonance images is a challenging task. Existing techniques suffer from inadequate performance, dependence on initial assumptions, and, sometimes, the need for manual interference. The research reported in this paper seeks to reduce some of these shortcomings, and to remove others, achieving satisfactory performance at reasonable computational costs. The success of the system described here is explained by the synergy of the following aspects: (1) a broad choice of high-level features to characterize the images texture, (2) an efficient mechanism to eliminate less useful features (3) a machine-learning technique to induce a classifier that signals the presence of a tumor-affected tissue, and (4) an improved version of the skippy greedy snake algorithm to outline the tumors contours. The paper describes the system and reports experiments with synthetic as well as real data.
Toxaphene-induced mouse liver tumorigenesis is mediated by the constitutive androstane receptor.

Toxaphene was shown to increase liver tumor incidence in B6C3F1 mice following chronic dietary exposure. Preliminary evidence supported a role for the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) in the mode of action of toxaphene-induced mouse liver tumors. However, these results could not rule out a role for the pregnane X receptor (PXR) in liver tumor formation. To define further the nuclear receptors involved in this study, we utilized CAR, PXR and PXR/CAR knockout mice (CAR-/- , PXR-/- and PXR-/- /CAR-/- ) along with the wild-type C57BL/6. In this study CAR-responsive genes Cyp3a11 and Cyp2b10 were induced in the liver of C57BL/6 (wild-type) mice by toxaphene (30-570-fold) (at the carcinogenic dose 320 ppm) and phenobarbital (positive control) (16-420-fold) following 14 days' dietary treatment. In contrast, in CAR-/- mice, no induction of these genes was seen following treatment with either chemical. Cyp3a11 and Cyp2b10 were also induced in PXR-/- mice with toxaphene and phenobarbital but were not changed in treated PXR-/- /CAR-/- mice. Similarly, induction of liver pentoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (CAR activation) activity by toxaphene and phenobarbital was absent in CAR-/- and PXR-/- /CAR-/- mice treated with phenobarbital or toxaphene. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD, represents aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation) activity in CAR-/- mice treated with toxaphene or phenobarbital was increased compared with untreated control, but lower overall in activity in comparison to the wild-type mouse. Liver EROD activity was also induced by both phenobarbital and toxaphene in the PXR-/- mice but not in the PXR-/- /CAR-/- mice. Toxaphene treatment increased 7-benzyloxyquinoline activity (a marker for PXR activation) in a similar pattern to that seen with pentoxyresorufin-O-deethylase. These observations indicate that EROD and PXR activation are evidence, as expected, of secondary overlap to primary CAR receptor activation. Together, these results definitively show that activation of the CAR nuclear receptor is the mode of action of toxaphene-induced mouse liver tumors. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The relationship between spending and winning in college baseball: Is this the new ‘arms race’ in college athletics?:

College baseball has grown in popularity over the course of the last few years, as is evidenced by the increased national and regional broadcasts of games on television. For some schools, baseball ...
Mindful Practitioners, Mindful Teams, and Mindful Organizations: Attending to the Core Tasks of Medicine

Distraction in health care is best seen as a mismatch between capabilities (of individuals, teams, and organizations) and the nature of the work that they must accomplish. Mindful practice refers to ways of enhancing those capabilities. Focusing attention on what is most important in the workplace can be achieved by enhancing self-awareness within individuals, situation and emotional awareness within teams, and the structure of healthcare organizations. Collectively, these efforts can affect quality of care, human relationships, and sustainability of the healthcare workforce. Individual, team, and organizational change strategies all require development of attentive observation, critical curiosity, beginner’s mind, and presence. I propose ways of optimizing the healthcare work environment through contemplative practices, team training, and organizational redesign to address distractions that emanate from within one’s one mind as well as those coming from the workplace.
Effect of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Joint Injury and Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis: an Animal Study.

Abstract This study investigated the therapeutic potential of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Intra-articular fracture of the medial tibial plateau was surgically created in 30 rats. LIPUS was applied to the operated joints either for the first 2 wk (LIPUS1-2 group) or in weeks 4 and 5 after intra-articular fracture (LIPUS4-5 group). In controls, the operated knees were not treated with LIPUS (LIPUS0 group). The rats were monitored with weekly gait analysis and euthanized at week 8. Among the altered gait parameters, the maximal and average paw print areas in the LIPUS1-2 and LIPUS4-5 groups, but not the LIPUS0 group, had either reached baseline or significantly recovered (70%, p
Demographics and clinical characteristics of primary lateral sclerosis: case series and a review of literature.

Aim Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a form of motor neuron disease involving only upper motor neurons. In some patients presenting as PLS, the disease progresses to involve lower motor neurons and thereby converting to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, pure forms of PLS do exist. Our aim was to study epidemiological and clinical characteristics of pure PLS patients treated at our neuromuscular clinic. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 15 patients from July 2011 to October 2014 with PLS treated at the neuromuscular disorder clinic at our hospital. Data collection included patient demographics, age and site of onset, duration of symptoms and duration of follow-up. We also studied clinical features such as bulbar involvement; pseudobulbar affect; depression; spasms/pain; bladder involvement; diagnostic work up, in other words, MRI; brain/electromyography findings; clinical course, namely years to wheelchair; and need for gastrostomy tube requirement baclofen pump placement. We also tried to find a correlation between PLS and environmental factors such as urban/suburban/rural living, consumption of well water, socioeconomic status/occupation and history of trauma. Results Male-to-female ratio was 1:2, mean age at onset of symptoms was 58.6 years, with the oldest patient being an 84-year-old female at the time of onset of symptoms. Mean duration of follow-up was 51 months. Mean duration of symptoms was 77.4 months. About eight (53%) patients presented with bulbar symptoms in the form of spastic speech and dysphagia, pseudobulbar affect, developed depression and had bladder involvement. Seven (47%) patients presented with symmetric spasticity in the extremities. A third of the patients required baclofen for spasticity and a third required gastrostomy tube placement for dysphagia. None of them had abnormal neuroimaging or electrodiagnostic testing. Only one patient had history of trauma. About half of the patients were from lower socioeconomic status as well as middle class. One of the patients had consumed well water during younger years and three (20%) patients lived in the rural area. Conclusion Though on review of literature there is no clear consensus about the existence of PLS as a distinct disease entity, we believe that there are rare cases of motor neuron disease with progressive upper motor neuron symptoms that throughout their course never convert to ALS. Our series highlights the demographic and clinical features of these patients and underscores the longer survival of these patients when compared with ALS.
The Ultimate Black Box: The Thorny Issue of Programming Moral Standards in Machines [Industry View]

The transitory and subjective nature of moral inclinations requires ongoing evaluation (9) and iteration of the algorithmic training to ensure that the output continues to resonate broadly with societal norms. Humans, however, are fallible, and morality is a human construct that is subject to change. Despite an engineer's best efforts to train and test an algorithm prior to release, there may be edge cases in which the outcome affronts our (individual and collective) moral principles. As a society, we are generally accepting of human error. We are less forgiving of technology. When presented with hard, ethical dilemmas, is it (morally) justified for humans to demand a higher standard of a mere machine?
Teaching NeuroImages: Presentation of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with bilateral sequential oculomotor neuropathy.

A 56-year-old man with HIV on combination antiretroviral therapy (CD4 count 368 cells/μL; HIV-RNA < 20 copies/mL) had sequential, bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy after recent travel to Africa. Nonexpansile enhancement of the oculomotor nerves was noted on MRI (figure 1). Multiple CSF studies showed lymphocytic pleocytosis without neoplastic cells. Molecular testing on the serum was positive for Plasmodium falciparum by PCR early in the course of presentation but symptoms progressed despite treatment for P falciparum . Infectious etiologies including Cryptococcus neoformans , histoplasmosis, varicella-zoster virus, herpes simplex virus, and JC virus were ruled out. He developed multiple cranial neuropathies (bilateral 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 10th) and encephalopathy and died of cytomegalovirus-related cardiopulmonary complications. Lymphadenopathy was not observed during the course of his illness. Autopsy revealed intracranial and pericardial diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (figure 2). Isolated oculomotor palsy is a rare presentation of DLBCL, with fewer than 20 reported cases.1,2 The risk for DLBCL, an AIDS-defining illness, increases with decreasing CD4 counts; however, it can occur in HIV despite normal CD4 counts.3
Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia and Long QT Syndromes

Based on the morphological features of the QRS complex, ventricular tachycardia can be classified as monomorphic or polymorphic [1]. Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is defined as a rapid irregular ventricular tachycardia with alteration of the QRS morphology almost from beat to beat at 150 to 300 beats per minute (Figure 16-1) [2]. Various terms have been used to depict this form of ventricular tachycardia. These include “par oxysmal ventricular fibrillation,” “transient recurrent ventricular fibrillation,” “cardiac ballet,” and “atypical ventricular tachycardia” [3–8]. The torsade de pointes tachycardia is also a form of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that specifically occurs in association with the long QT syndromes [9–17]. During torsade de pointes, the QRS morphology changes its direction simulating a torsion around an imaginary isoelectric line. Classically the onset of torsade de pointes is preceded by a “ short-long-short sequence” of RR intervals (Figures 16-2 & 16-3), although the variant form of torsade de pointes can be initiated by a short RR interval [18].
Temporal trends of co-diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety among female maternal and non-maternal hospitalizations: Results from Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2004-2013.

Abstract Perinatal depression/anxiety is considered the most underdiagnosed pregnancy complication in the US and is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. However, despite its prevalence, most women who present with depressive symptoms are not screened and do not receive adequate treatment. We examined the clinical co-diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety among maternal and non-maternal hospitalizations among females aged 14–49 from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2004 and 2013 (n = 83,472,775). Meta-regression was used to determine annual change and presence of temporal trends. Survey logistic regression was used to examine the association with sociodemographic factors. Rates of diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety disorders demonstrated a temporal increase from 2004–2013, and this increase was mainly driven by non-maternal hospitalizations compared to maternal. Furthermore, non-maternal hospitalizations demonstrated a greater prevalence of depression and/or anxiety diagnoses compared to maternal hospitalizations over the same time period (21•7% versus 2•8%). Among all female hospitalizations, whites were roughly twice as likely as minorities to have a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety. These results add to the evidence suggestive of the underdiagnosed depression/anxiety present among women of reproductive age, particularly pregnant women and minorities, and underscore the critical role of obstetricians in treating both physical and mental health.
Modest Reading of St. Thomas Aquinas on the Connection between Natural Law and Human Law, A

This essay’s purpose is to articulate an alternative reading of St. Thomas Aquinas' Treatise on Law. The proposed alternative reading would accept the existence of natural law and even the legitimacy of its enforcement, to some extent, by the state. However, the alternative reading of Aquinas proposed here would not advocate a warrant for civil government to enforce the natural law generally (with only limited exceptions). Even if the guidance of Aquinas is generally accepted, as it is by most contemporary advocates of the natural law tradition, it is possible to read Aquinas more narrowly, in a way that gives due attention to the necessarily limited purpose of human law and that makes Aquinas’ connection between natural law and human law less threatening and more consistent with other important tenets of the natural law, such as human equality and liberty.
Comparing in-patient extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation to standard cardiac treatment group of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients: 8 years of experience at a single institution.

Introduction:Post-cardiac arrest survivals remain low despite the effort of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (e...
Gelation Suppression in RAFT Polymerization

In this article, we extend the understanding of gelation suppression in reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization in systems with long primary chains and high crosslink...
Time-Domain Terahertz Spectroscopy and Solid-State Density Functional Theory Analysis of p-Nitrophenol Polymorphs

Accurate interpretations of THz vibrational spectra using density functional theory (DFT) must account for the often significant thermal expansion exhibited by molecular crystal systems. In this study, the THz spectra of two p-nitrophenol polymorphs were obtained in the spectral bandwidth of 20–95 cm−1, and solid-state DFT was used to assign the observed absorptions to specific vibrational mode characters. Computational treatments of the crystal systems involved comparison of phonon frequencies produced from both fixed- and full-unit cell geometry optimizations using a variety of functional and basis set combinations. Arbitrary frequency scaling was applied to overcome the temperature dependence of unit cell volumes and associated phonon vibrational frequencies. Fully relaxed cell geometries producing contracted cell volumes resulted in a large overestimation of THz vibrational frequencies. Employing appropriate frequency scaling factors to the computed mode frequencies allowed for proper vibrational mode assignments and enhanced the quality of spectral simulations versus fixed-cell calculations. Optimal frequency scalars in the range of 0.675 to 0.827 were determined to best reproduce the THz spectra of the p-nitrophenol polymorphs. This treatment of calculated phonon modes offers the key advantage of eliminating the temperature correlation between the crystal structure data and the THz data acquisition.
Coastal Strand and Mangrove Swamps of the Mariana Islands

Abstract This article represents a status assessment of the Mariana Islands coastal ecotype, including the status, stressors, and future viability. The coastal ecotype in the Mariana Islands is composed of two sub-types: coastal strand and mangrove swamps. Coastal strand is present on portions of the perimeter of all islands in the archipelago but is more extensive on the older and larger southern islands (i.e., Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan), while mangrove swamps are limited to Guam and Saipan. Coastal strand and mangrove swamps are generally limited to a narrow zone above high tide and below the line of influence of shoreline processes such as periodic salt-water inundation, eroding winds, salt spray, and groundwater influx. Invasive species degrade and fragment coastal areas and disrupt mutualistic relationships among biota. Sea level rise and increased storm frequency exacerbate this. Typhoons, drought, sedimentation, erosion and pollution also degrade coastal systems.
Multimodality Imaging for Risk Assessment of Inherited Cardiomyopathies

This review summarizes the evidence concerning the imaging techniques and features to (a) diagnose and (b) risk stratify patients with, or at risk of, inherited cardiomyopathies. The inherited cardiomyopathies we have focused on are dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (AVRC), arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy (ALVC) and noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCCM)). Echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) still form the foundations of the diagnosis and risk stratification of inherited cardiomyopathies. Although not yet uniformly integrated into implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) recommendations, recent advancements in the assessment of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR represent a step forward in the diagnosis and risk stratification of inherited cardiomyopathies. We highlight the recent research on CMR, as well as on other imaging features pertinent to the diagnosis and risk stratification of inherited cardiomyopathies. Furthermore, it is important to note that we followed the Heart Rhythm Society’s recent classifications of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies, to include ARVC, ALVC and NCCM under a collective disease label. Inherited cardiomyopathies are a common cause of heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Transthoracic echocardiography and CMR are important to reach a diagnosis and help guide future risk assessment. In the absence of CMR, cardiac CT can be an appropriate substitute; however, much less data on its diagnostic and prognostic ability exist. We have summarized the available evidence for imaging diagnosis and risk assessment for the most common inherited cardiomyopathies.
False Flags and the First Amendment: Lying Through Symbolic Speech

Federal prosecutors have accused Ivan Hunter, a leader of the right-wing Boogaloo Bois, of participating in a riot when he allegedly fired his AK-47 at the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct during Black Lives Matter protests in May of 2020. Hunter’s alleged target—the home base of Derek Chauvin, the officer captured on video killing George Floyd—burned down at the hands of protesters the same evening. This Essay argues that Hunter’s purported conduct is best understood as symbolic speech under the First Amendment, a conclusion few analyses would bother to reach because such speech would still be categorically excluded from First Amendment protection. Hunter’s alleged actions are not only more fully comprehensible as speech, but they also serve as an exemplar of a novel theoretical category: dishonest symbolic speech. Indeed, through his violence rather than through words, Hunter appears to have trafficked in a powerful form of political propaganda. Drawing on this remarkable yet increasingly representative case, the Essay offers two critiques of First Amendment jurisprudence. First, relying on the First Amendment to identify speech artificially impedes our ability to classify and process communicative events of substantial public consequence, especially as public concern grows about the spread of misinformation. Second, the underappreciated power of symbolic speech to spread lies offers a new and significant basis for skepticism about the longstanding doctrinal distinction between pure and symbolic speech.
Intestinal Co-culture System to Study TGR5 Agonism and Gut Restriction

The activation of the Takeda G-protein receptor 5 (TGR5, also known as the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1, GPBAR1) in enteroendocrine L-cells results in secretion of the anti-diabetic hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) into systemic circulation. Consequently, recent research has focused on identification and development of TGR5 agonists as type 2 diabetes therapeutics. However, the clinical application of TGR5 agonists has been hampered by side effects of these compounds that primarily result from their absorption into circulation. Here we describe an in vitro screening protocol to evaluate the TGR5 agonism, GLP-1 secretion, and gut-restricted properties of small molecules. The protocol involves differentiating gut epithelial and endocrine cells together in transwells to assess both the pharmacodynamics of TGR5 agonists and the toxicity of compounds to the intestinal monolayer. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the use of the protocol in evaluating properties of naturally occurring bile acid metabolites that are potent TGR5 agonists. This protocol is adapted from Chaudhari et al. (2021).
Poems from the Egerton MS. 1651

After his departure from the monastery Erasmus continued to write some verse, but with a less whole-hearted enthusiasm than formerly. Most of the poems he wrote during the following years were occasional. The young humanist had apparently begun to realize that poetry was not his destined medium. In the Catalogus Lucubrationum he asserted that for some years before his first visit to England in 1499 he had neither read nor written poetry 1). This was not strictly accurate; but it is an indication of a changing interest. That he no longer took his poetic labors very seriously is further suggested by his frivolous letter to John Sixtin in October 1499, in answer to the latter’s fulsome praise of his poetry 2): Sobrii scribimus versus adeo sanos vt nullum omnino Apollinis vestigium habeant. .... Incidimus omnino in siccum quoddam, exile, exangue, exuccum carminis genus, partim ingenii paupertate quadam, partim cacozelia.
Long Live the Treasure Hunter

Because they violate common intuitions, there are many ways to interpret the results of novelty search described in the previous chapter. This chapter continues to build the argument that there is no reliable way to consistently achieve particular ambitious goals. The results from novelty search don’t point to a method for solving any particular problem we have, but instead to the frailty of pursuing objectives. Novelty search, like any other search algorithm, cannot magically uncover the solution to any particular ambitious problem. And while this might appear pessimistic, all is not lost: We can still continually discover new and interesting things by collecting stepping stones that may lead to important discoveries in the future, even if they are not predetermined. What this change in philosophy asks of us is to become treasure hunters, accumulating stepping stones without knowing exactly to where they lead, but aware that wherever they lead will likely be interesting and rewarding. Such is the way of the treasure hunter.
Anaerobic methane oxidation: occurrence and ecology.

Anoxic sediments and digested sewage sludge anaerobically oxidized methane to carbon dioxide while producing methane. This strictly anaerobic process showed a temperature optimum between 25 and 37°C, indicating an active microbial participation in this reaction. Methane oxidation in these anaerobic habitats was inhibited by oxygen. The rate of the oxidation followed the rate of methane production. The observed anoxic methane oxidation in Lake Mendota and digested sewage sludge was more sensitive to 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid than the simultaneous methane formation. Sulfate diminished methane formation as well as methane oxidation. However, in the presence of iron and sulfate the ratio of methane oxidized to methane formed increased markedly. Manganese dioxide and higher partial pressures of methane also stimulated the oxidation. The rate of methane oxidation in untreated samples was approximately 2% of the CH4 production rate in Lake Mendota sediments and 8% of that in digested sludge. This percentage could be increased up to 90% in sludge in the presence of 10 mM ferrous sulfate and at a partial pressure of methane of 20 atm (2,027 kPa).
Power savings analysis of peak-to-average power ratio in OFDM

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has become a popular modulation method in high-speed wireless networks because of its robustness against multipath fading, its simple equalizer structure, and its high bandwidth efficiency. However, in the time domain, the OFDM signal has a large peak-to-average power ratio (PAR), which translates to low power amplifier efficiencies. In this paper we examine and quantify the power savings from PAR reductions. We also relate any power savings to the computational power costs of selected mapping, which is a prominent PAR reduction scheme that results in negligible performance degradation.
The use of surface enhanced absorption, scattering and catalytic properties of gold nanoparticles in some bio- and biomedical applications

Gold nanoparticles with unique optical properties offer useful applications in biotechnology. In this article two applications that we have developed are summarized, in one they are used in cancer cell diagnostics and in the other they are found to have catalytic property for the NADH oxidation reaction which is important in ATP formations. By conjugation with anti-EGFR antibodies which specifically target EGFR that are usually overexpressed on most cancer cells, gold nanoparticles are used as a molecular contrast agent for cancer cell diagnostics using their both strong surface plasmon absorption and efficient Mie scattering properties. Au nanoparticles are also good catalysts for many reactions due to their high surface to volume ratio. Au nanoparticles are found to be the catalyst for the NADH oxidation reaction. This was studied by monitoring the effect of the nanoparticles on NADH fluorescence intensity and lifetime as well as the change of the surface plasmon absorption band during the reaction.
N-Cadherin expression and signaling in limb mesenchymal chondrogenesis: stimulation by poly-L-lysine.

Cellular condensation is a requisite step in the initiation of mesenchymal chondrogenesis in the embryonic limb bud. We have previously shown that cellular condensation of limb chondroprogenitor mesenchymal cells is accompanied by elevated expression of N-cadherin during chondrogenesis both in vivo and in vitro. N-Cadherin-mediated cell–cell interaction is also functionally required for proper mesenchymal chondrogenesis both in vivo and in vitro. In this report, we have further analyzed the functional importance of N-cadherin in the cellular condensation–chondrogenesis pathway by examining N-cadherin expression and related activities in high density micromass cultures of chick limb mesenchymal cells in which chondrogenesis is being stimulated with the cationic polymer, poly-l-lysine (PL). The chondrogenesis-promoting action of PL is thought to involve the clustering of cells via ionic cross-linking, perhaps mimicking the action of an endogenous matrix component. Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and Northern blot analysis all show that PL treatment results in a time-dependent increase in N-cadherin expression at both the protein and mRNA levels. In addition, inhibition of N-cadherin function with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody directed to its extracellular domain inhibits the chondrogenesis-stimulating effect of PL. PL treatment also alters the tyrosine-phosphorylation state of the N-cadherin associated signaling protein, β-catenin. These results suggest that N-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion is a requisite regulatory component of the limb mesenchymal chondrogenic differentiation program, involving at least in part β-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation as a signaling step. Dev. Genet. 24:178–187, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optically Active 1,1′-Spirobiindane-7,7′-diol (SPINOL)-Based Phosphoric Acids as Highly Enantioselective Catalysts for Asymmetric Organocatalysis

The synthesis and application of a series of optically active 1,1'-spirobiindane-7,7'-diol (SPINOL)-based phosphoric acids are described. These SPINOL-based phosphoric acids were prepared from (R)-SPINOL in three steps and exhibited excellent enantioselectivities for the reactions of indoles with aldimines and β,γ-unsaturated-α-ketoesters. Our study provides a family of promising chiral phosphoric acids to the asymmetric organocatalysis toolbox.
Epithelial cells cultured from bovine ocular carcinoma

A method is reported for the continuous in vitro culture of epithelial cells derived from bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma.
Core-loss EELS

Abstract It is now possible to create an atom sized electron beam that can probe the electronic structure of materials on the scale. Electrons passed through an electron spectrometer from such a probe give energy loss spectra that can provide insight on the local chemistry, bonding and electronic structure. In particular, electrons excited from core electron states explore the unoccupied states in the immediate vicinity of the atom. Such observations are particularly valuable in understanding chemical bonding in grain boundaries, heterointerfaces and chemically inhomogeneous regions of materials.