cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steroidogenic capacity and ultrastructural morphology of cultured ovine luteal cells.

Corpora lutea were surgically collected from superovulated ewes 36 h post-injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (Day 2), dissociated (0.2% collagenase), plated, and maintained in culture Days 2-ID in Medium 199 supplemented with 5% calf serum. Accumulation of progesterone in the cultures did not decrease (p>O.05) from Day 3 (17.5 ± 5.1 nmol/106 cells) to Day 10(4.8 ± 1.7 nmol/106 cells). Calf serum (5%) in the medium supported greater (p O.05) from that of cells collected from the ovary on Day 10 (in vivo); however, steroidogenic cells recovered from plates had greater (p<0.0I) mean cell diameters (24.5 ± 1.6 �m, in vitro, compared to 15.2 ± 1.0 Mm, in vivo). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that cultured cells (Days 5, 10) possessed less smooth endoplasmic reticulum but more lipid droplet inclusions, ribosomes, and rough endoplasmic reticulum than cells obtained in situ (Day 10). Electron-dense secretory granules were rarely seen. Although subcellular morphology of ovine luteal cells in culture was altered, these changes did not appear to significantly affect the ability of these cells to produce progesterone.
Explicit expressions for three-dimensional boundary integrals in linear elasticity

On employing isoparametric, piecewise linear shape functions over a flat triangle, exact formulae are derived for all surface potentials involved in the numerical treatment of three-dimensional singular and hyper-singular boundary integral equations in linear elasticity. These formulae are valid for an arbitrary source point in space and are represented as analytical expressions along the edges of the integration triangle. They can be employed to solve integral equations defined on triangulated surfaces via a collocation method or may be utilized as analytical expressions for the inner integrals in a Galerkin technique. A numerical example involving a unit triangle and a source point located at various distances above it, as well as sample problems solved by a collocation boundary element method for the Lame equation are included to validate the proposed formulae.
Minimax Support Vector Machines

We study the problem of designing support vector machine (SVM) classifiers that minimize the maximum of the false alarm and miss rates. This is a natural classification setting in the absence of prior information regarding the relative costs of the two types of errors or true frequency of the two classes in nature. Examining two approaches - one based on shifting the offset of a conventionally trained SVM, the other based on the introduction of class-specific weights - we find that when proper care is taken in selecting the weights, the latter approach significantly outperforms the strategy of shifting the offset. We also find that the magnitude of this improvement depends chiefly on the accuracy of the error estimation step of the training procedure. Furthermore, comparison with the minimax probability machine (MPM) illustrates that our SVM approach can outperform the MPM even when the MPM parameters are set by an oracle.
Detecting Simulated Attacks in Computer Networks Using Resilient Propagation Artificial Neural Networks

In a large network, it is extremely difficult for an administrator or security personnel to detect which computers are being attacked and from where intrusions come. Intrusion detection systems using neural networks have been deemed a promising solution to detect such attacks. The reason is that neural networks have some advantages such as learning from training and being able to categorize data. Many studies have been done on applying neural networks in intrusion detection systems. This work presents a study of applying resilient propagation neural networks to detect simulated attacks. The approach includes two main components: the Data Pre- processing module and the Neural Network. The Data Pre- processing module performs normalizing data function while the Neural Network processes and categorizes each connection to find out attacks. The results produced by this approach are compared with present approaches.
Abstract 4690: Inhibition of AKT signaling by targeting both VEGF-R and ErbB-2 in breast cancer cell lines

Deregulation of PI3K/AKT signaling occurs commonly in breast cancer and is associated with HER2 amplification as well as activating PI3K mutations. Trastuzumab (Herceptin), a recombinant humanized anti-ErbB-2 monoclonal antibody, has been found to have potent antiproliferative effects in ErbB-2 overexpressing human breast tumors, and to inhibit PI3K/AKT pathways. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-R) is overexpressed in human breast tumors and cell lines, and specifically targeted knockdown of VEGF-R1 expression by siRNA has been shown to downregulate AKT phosphorylation and decrease the survival of breast cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of the novel combination of trastuzumab and a specific VEGF-R tyrosine kinase inhibitor in human breast cancer cell lines, and to assess their effect on AKT activation and apoptosis. Increasing doses of trastuzumab (0.125-2 nM) and a VEGF-R tyrosine kinase inhibitor (1.25-20 μM) were tested alone and in combination. Three breast carcinoma cell lines were studied: two ErbB-2 overexpressing lines (SKBR3 and BT474) and one cell line that expressed low levels of the receptor (MDA-MB231). Inhibition of growth was assessed after 5 and 7 days of treatment by the MTT colorimetric assay. Inactivation of pAKT (Ser 473) was assessed by Western Blot analysis, while apoptosis was determined by quantitating Caspase-3, 8 and 9 levels. A time and dose-dependent growth inhibition was demonstrated in all three cell lines tested with the VEGF-R inhibitor, while trastuzumab was only effective in the ErbB-2 positive cells. After 5 days of treatment, trastuzumab (0.5 nM) inhibited cell growth by 37.5% and 33.8%, and the VEGF-R inhibitor (5 μM) by 41.3% and 20.3% in the SKBR3 and BT474 cell lines, respectively. The combination of trastuzumab and the VEGF-R inhibitor, at these doses, significantly inhibited growth in SKBR3 and BT474 cells by 57.9% and 54.4 % (p Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4690.
Analysis on HIV/AIDS epidemic surveillance in Yuanjiang

Objective To analyze HIV/AIDS epidemic from 1997 to 2008 and propose advice on HIV/AIDS prevention and control work for government and relevant departments.Methods Collecting and analyzing the data of people with HIV/AIDS reported in 1997-2008,involving with reported number,transmission modes,disease status,geographic distribution and demographic distribution,such as gender,age,occupation and,et.al.Results Yuanjian is confronted with the moderate of HIV/AIDS epidemic period,but HIV spreads increasingly,the dominant transmission mode is changing from by drug to by sex,and the general population,but not the high-risk populations account for the major new reported infections,The age distribution is mainly ranged from 20 to 39 year-old,and most of them are rural people.Though many of infected cases are reported in the LijiangTown,the total 14 towns,except for Wadie Town,have reported infections.Conclusions In order to respond to the HIV/AIDS spread,Yuanjiang County should increase the inputs of human resource and budget,and strengthen the adoption of effective measures,such as responsibility identification in various departments,advocacy,training,public education,monitoring behavioral intervention and so on.
Power systems analysis and design for ADX

The Advanced Divertor eXperiment (ADX) [1] is a compact, high field (6.5 T with possible upgrade to 8 T), high power density tokamak being proposed to test new advanced divertor concepts at reactor-level conditions. Development and testing of advanced Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD) and Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) concepts including high-field-side launch capability is also an important goal for ADX [2], [3]. Where possible the design of the ADX experiment will make extensive use of existing power systems at MIT that presently support Alcator C-Mod, which includes a 225 MVA alternator/flywheel (2 GJ stored energy) and 32 MVA (peak) substation. Analysis of existing alternator/flywheel, substation, and power system supply capabilities and their application to support ADX operation up to 6.5 T will be discussed. Power system supplies, magnet voltages and currents and operating requirements based on the current point design will be presented. Potential power system upgrades that would support ADX operation at 8 T and 2 MA plasma current will also be described.
Mental models for modern program tuning

Improving performance in programs should usually be driven by measured data. But we cannot base program tuning only on data, as the initial design and later improvement of the program already needs to take performance into account. To think about performance it is important to have a useful mental model of the performance characteristics of common operations, so that we can build complex and fast programs out of them.Modern computer systems are quite complicated, with multi-level caches, sophisticated pipelines, interconnects, and other non obvious performance characteristics. Classic mental models for performance, like the O(n) notation for algorithms, are often overly simplistic to properly deal with this complicated world. On the other hand the mental models cannot exist on their own, but have to be informed and calibrated by performance measurements, such as data from performance counters, and tracing information. Modern systems have many ways to gather data, so it is important to use structured methodologies to focus on the important information. This talk gives an overview of some useful mental models to tune programs for modern CPUs, focusing on caching performance, and how to efficiently calibrate the mental models with modern profiling methodologies using performance counters and tracing functionality on Intel CPUs. The audience is programmers who are interested in low-level performance tuning.
Message-Oriented Middleware with QoS Awareness

Publish/subscribe messaging is a fundamental mechanism for interconnecting disparate services and systems in the service-oriented computing architecture. The quality of services (QoS) of the messaging substrate plays a critical role in the overall system performance as perceived by the end users. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of Harmony, an overlay-based messaging system that can manage the end-to-end QoS in wide-area publish/subscribe communications based on the application requirements. This is achieved through a holistic set of overlay route establishment and maintenance mechanisms, which actively exploit the diversity in the network paths and redirect the traffic over links with good quality, e.g., low latency and high availability. In order to cope with network dynamics and failures, Harmony continuously monitors the link quality and adapts the routes whenever their quality deteriorates below the application requirements. Harmony can operate on top of different data transport layers. When the transport layer has built-in message scheduling capability, Harmony takes advantage of it and utilizes a novel budget allocation scheme to control the scheduling behavior. We have fully implemented the Harmony messaging system, and our empirical experience has confirmed its effectiveness in providing end-to-end QoS in dynamic wide-area network environments.
The Sensitivity of Evapotranspiration to Inter-Specific Plant Neighbor Interactions: Implications for Models

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important water loss flux in ecosystem water cycles, and quantifying the spatial and temporal variation of ET can improve ecohydrological models in arid ecosystems. Plant neighbor interactions may be a source of spatial and temporal variation in ET due to their effects on the above- and belowground microclimate and increased water demand for transpiration. Over longer timescales (annual to multiple years), adjustments in plant physiological traits may occur in response to neighbor environments, potentially affecting the transpiration (T) component of ET. We used a dynamic soil water model to assess the sensitivity of ET and T estimates to neighbor effects on soil moisture via competition for water, aboveground microclimate effects via canopy shading, and physiological adjustments (specifically, root distribution, stomatal behavior, and canopy leaf area). We focus on a common desert shrub (Larrea tridentata) under different inter-specific neighbor environments and precipitation regimes. Neighbors impacted T of Larrea by as much as 75% at the patch scale (plant and surrounding soil) and 30% at the stand scale. Annual T estimates were highly sensitive to changes in soil moisture associated with competition for water, and the inclusion of physiological adjustments to neighbor environments significantly impacted seasonal T. Plant neighbor interactions can significantly influence ET and soil moisture, and their inclusion in models can help explain spatial and temporal variation in water fluxes in arid ecosystems. Furthermore, physiological adjustments to neighbor environments may be an important source of variation to include in models that operate over seasonal timescales or in studies focused on plant responses to precipitation under climate change.
Riociguat in PAH and CTEPH: Strategies for Patient Management

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are subtypes of pulmonary hypertension—a rare, life-threatening condition defined by chronically elevated pulmonary artery pressure. Treatment goals include improving patient functioning, symptom management, and delaying disease progression. Traditional therapies have focused on affected physiologic pathways, with endothelin-receptor antagonists and/or phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors as first-line agents and prostacyclins for more severe disease. Riociguat, a therapeutic agent that stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase via nitric-oxide pathways, was approved in 2013 for treatment of PAH and CTEPH. Riociguat significantly improved exercise capacity, hemodynamic parameters, and other functional endpoints in phase 3 trials. Safety and efficacy were maintained in long-term extension studies. Adverse events (AEs) were generally mild to moderate and self-limiting and did not require treatment discontinuation. To optimize adherence, frequent patient monitoring and management of AEs are recommended. Management strategies include patient education, treatment/prevention of adverse events, and individualized dose adjustment. Funding: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Whippany, NJ, USA.
IN-HOSPITAL CLINICAL OUTCOMES FOLLOWING CONCOMITANT CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT AND HEART VALVE SURGERY IN WOMEN

Background: In-hospital clinical outcomes following concomitant coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] with heart valve surgery [HVS] is not well characterized. We sought to delineate the in-hospital outcomes in female patients [FP] following such complex surgery. Method: All patients [pts] who had
Deep tissue coherent imaging using speckle intensity correlations over object position

Spatial speckle intensity correlation measurements in relation to object position are used to image moving objects embedded inside heavily scattering, centimeter-thick chicken breast tissue.
BARRACUDA: binary-level analysis of runtime RAces in CUDA programs

GPU programming models enable and encourage massively parallel programming with over a million threads, requiring extreme parallelism to achieve good performance. Massive parallelism brings significant correctness challenges by increasing the possibility for bugs as the number of thread interleavings balloons. Conventional dynamic safety analyses struggle to run at this scale. We present BARRACUDA, a concurrency bug detector for GPU programs written in Nvidia’s CUDA language. BARRACUDA handles a wider range of parallelism constructs than previous work, including branch operations, low-level atomics and memory fences, which allows BARRACUDA to detect new classes of concurrency bugs. BARRACUDA operates at the binary level for increased compatibility with existing code, leveraging a new binary instrumentation framework that is extensible to other dynamic analyses. BARRACUDA incorporates a number of novel optimizations that are crucial for scaling concurrency bug detection to over a million threads.
Dickens and the Public Humanities: A Service-Learning Approach

Service-learning students meet academic learning objectives through community engagement integrated into a course, community partners’ real needs are addressed through the students’ work, and students engage in meaningful reflection about their service-learning experience. Victorian literature lends itself very well to this high-impact pedagogical practice; the Victorians valued civic responsibility at a time when the fabric of community life was becoming unraveled, and their issues are still largely relevant today. This chapter describes two service-learning public humanities projects used in different classes: (1) students partnered with a local museum that offers hands-on workshops for children and created a new activity based on Hard Times, and (2) students partnered with an after-school program on a series of classes and activities inspired by A Christmas Carol. The chapter provides explanation, guidance, and resources to encourage others to develop service-learning assignments.
Near memory key/value lookup acceleration

In the "Big Data" era, fast lookup of keys in a key/value store is a ubiquitous operation. We have designed a near memory accelerator combining simple hardware building blocks to accelerate lookup in a hash table based key/value store. We report on the co-design of hardware and software to accomplish fast lookup using open addressing. The accelerator implements a batch get command to look up a set of keys in a single request. Using an FPGA emulator, we evaluate the performance of a query workload under a comprehensive range of conditions such as hash table load factor (fill) and query key repeat distribution (likelihood of a key to reappear in a query workload). We emulate two memory configurations: Hybrid Memory Cube (or High Bandwidth Memory), and Storage Class Memory. Our design shows 12.8X - 2.9X speedup compared to conventional CPU lookup depending on workload characteristics.
1,4-Dioxane Biodegradation by Mycobacterium dioxanotrophicus PH-06 Is Associated with a Group-6 Soluble Di-Iron Monooxygenase

1,4-Dioxane (dioxane) is a groundwater contaminant of emerging concern for which bioremediation may be a promising strategy. Several bacterial strains can metabolize dioxane or degrade it cometabolically. However, the molecular basis of dioxane biodegradation is only partially understood, and the gene coding for dioxane/tetrahydrofuran (THF) monooxygenase in Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans CB1190 is the only well-characterized catabolic gene. Here, we identify a novel group-6 propane monooxygenase gene cluster (prmABCD) in Mycobacterium dioxanotrophicus PH-06, which is a bacterium with superior dioxane degradation kinetics compared with CB1190. Whole genome sequencing of PH-06 revealed the existence of a single soluble di-iron monooxygenase (SDIMO). RNA sequencing and reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) subsequently confirmed that all four components of this gene cluster are upregulated when PH-06 is grown on dioxane compared with growth on acetate or glucose as negative controls. This first cha...
Functional Impairment and Decline in Middle Age: A Cohort Study.

Background Difficulties with daily functioning are common in middle-aged adults. However, little is known about the epidemiology or clinical course of these problems, including the extent to which they share common features with functional impairment in older adults. Objective To determine the epidemiology and clinical course of functional impairment and decline in middle age. Design Cohort study. Setting The Health and Retirement Study. Participants 6874 community-dwelling adults aged 50 to 56 years who did not have functional impairment at enrollment. Measurements Impairment in activities of daily living (ADLs), defined as self-reported difficulty performing 1 or more ADLs, assessed every 2 years for a maximum follow-up of 20 years, and impairment in instrumental ADLs (IADLs), defined similarly. Data were analyzed by using multistate models that estimate probabilities of different outcomes. Results Impairment in ADLs developed in 22% of participants aged 50 to 64 years, in whom further functional transitions were common. Two years after the initial impairment, 4% (95% CI, 3% to 5%) of participants had died, 9% (CI, 8% to 11%) had further ADL decline, 50% (CI, 48% to 52%) had persistent impairment, and 37% (CI, 35% to 39%) had recovered independence. In the 10 years after the initial impairment, 16% (CI, 14% to 18%) had 1 or more episodes of functional decline and 28% (CI, 26% to 30%) recovered from their initial impairment and remained independent throughout this period. The pattern of findings was similar for IADLs. Limitation Functional status was self-reported. Conclusion Functional impairment and decline are common in middle age, as are transitions from impairment to independence and back again. Because functional decline in older adults has similar features, current interventions used for prevention in older adults may hold promise for those in middle age. Primary funding source National Institute on Aging and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through the University of California, San Francisco, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
EFFECTIVENESS STYLE LINEAR AND NON-LINEAR SETTINGS CERTIFIED IN MATH LEARNING

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of applying linear note style and non linear recording style with scientific setting in terms of learning achievement, mathematical communication, and student self-efficacy. The type of research is quasi experimental research with pretet-posttest nonequivalent comparison-group design design. The population in this research is all students of class VIII SMP Negeri 15 Yogyakarta. The samples are class VIIIE and VIIIB as experimental class. Class VIIIE is treated as linear recording style, while class VIIIB is treated with non linear recording style. To test the effectiveness of learning using paired sample t test. To test the difference in effectiveness using MANOVA (multivariate tests). For univariate test using independent sample t-test. The results of this study are: 1) linear note style effective when viewed from learning achievement and mathematical communication, while non linear note style effective when viewed from student achievement and student self-efficacy. 2) There is a difference of effectiveness between linear and non linear recording style in terms of learning achievement, mathematical communication and student self-efficacy. 3) linear note style is more effective when viewed from learning achievement and mathematical communication, while non linear note style more effective if ditinjasu from self-efficacy student
The clinical laboratory practitioner.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate potential areas of practice for the clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) and to propose a graduate curriculum to prepare the practitioner for an advanced level of practice. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of PharmD, physician assistant, physical therapy, and nurse practitioner curricula focusing on academic and clinical advanced practice was used to develop an educational model and curriculum for a professional doctorate in clinical laboratory science (CLS). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: 1) New educational model for CLS advanced practice; 2) A proposed curriculum for a Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Science degree. RESULTS: A new curriculum model was adapted from established healthcare educational models. CONCLUSION: Although there is a need for a baccalaureate degree in CLS there is also a role for expanded education and responsibilities for CLS practitioners. The CLS Advanced Practitioner design focuses on moving students from the baccalaureate level to the doctoral level and prepares the individual to become an integral part of the healthcare team. ABBREVIATIONS:CLP = clinical laboratory practitioner; CLS = clinical laboratory science/scientist; IOM = Institute of Medicine; PharmD = Doctor of Pharmacy.
Patients with stage 3 compared to stage 4 liver fibrosis have lower frequency of and longer time to liver disease complications.

Background and aims Advanced liver fibrosis is an important predictor of liver disease progression and mortality, and current guidelines recommend screening for complications of cirrhosis once patients develop F3 fibrosis. Our study compared liver disease progression and survival in patients with stage 3 (F3) and stage 4 (F4) fibrosis on liver biopsy. Methods Retrospective study of patients with F3 or F4 on liver biopsy followed for development of liver disease complications (variceal bleeding, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy); hepatocellular carcinoma, and survival (overall and transplant free survival). Results Of 2488 patients receiving liver biopsy between 01/02 and 12/12, a total of 294 (171 F3) were analyzed. Over a median follow up period of 3 years, patients with F4 (mean age 53 years, 63% male) compared to F3 (mean age 49 years, 43% male) had higher five year cumulative probability of any decompensation (38% vs. 14%, p<0.0001), including variceal bleed (10% vs. 4%, p = 0.014), ascites (21% vs. 9%, p = 0.0014), and hepatic encephalopathy (14% vs. 5%, p = 0.003). F4 patients also had lower overall 5-year survival (80% vs. 93%, p = 0.003) and transplant free survival (80% vs. 93%, p = 0.002). Probability of hepatocellular carcinoma in 5 years after biopsy was similar between F3 and F4 (1.2% vs. 2%, p = 0.54). Conclusions Compared to F4 stage, patients with F3 fibrosis have decreased risk for development of liver disease complications and better survival. Prospective well designed studies are suggested with large sample size and overcoming the limitations identified in this study, to confirm and validate these findings, as basis for modifying guidelines and recommendations on follow up of patients with advanced fibrosis and stage 3 liver fibrosis.
GONADOPENIA AND AGING IN MEN

Objective: The decrease in testosterone levels that occurs with aging has become an important clinical issue both due to the growth of the geriatric population and patient interest in testosterone therapy. The decision to assess for testosterone deficiency and the ability to determine whether the benefits exceed the risks require a comprehensive evaluation of the aging patient. This article is part of a series of papers focused on the endocrinology of aging. This review addresses common issues needed for clinical decision making, including how to interpret test results, differential diagnosis, potential impact of testosterone treatment on insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease, and options for therapy. Methods: Papers reviewed were identified through literature searches conducted on PubMed. Results: Assessment of testosterone levels in the geriatric male requires an understanding of the limitations of the assay that is used, the symptoms associated with low testosterone, the impact of comorbid cond...
Nanostructure stability and nano-phase separation sintering in the titanium–magnesium system

Abstract Nanocrystalline metals have certain property advantages over their microcrystalline counterparts due to their high grain boundary content, but they are difficult to process in bulk forms without suffering detrimental grain growth. This study evaluates candidates for thermodynamic stabilization of a nanocrystalline state in Ti alloys through the formation of a “nanoduplex” structure, and identifies the Ti–Mg system as worthy of exploration. The structural stability and sintering behavior of nanocrystalline Ti–Mg powders produced by mechanical milling are investigated. Structural stability of the nanocrystalline state is retained to high temperatures for hours. A grain growth kinetic scaling law similar to microcrystalline duplex alloys was found. Furthermore, accelerated sintering of cold pressed samples was achieved through nanophase separation, leading to relative densities of more than 95% at processing temperatures below 600 °C, even while retaining an ultrafine grain size.
Coherent Turbulence in the Boundary Layer of Hurricane Rita (2005) during an Eyewall Replacement Cycle

AbstractThe structure of coherent turbulence in an eyewall replacement cycle in Hurricane Rita (2005) is presented from novel airborne Doppler radar observations using the Imaging Wind and Rain Air...
M3-subtype muscarinic receptor activation stimulates intracellular calcium oscillations and aldosterone production in human adrenocortical HAC15 cells.

Abstract A previous body of work in bovine and rodent models shows that cholinergic agonists modulate the secretion of steroid hormones from the adrenal cortex. In this study we used live-cell Ca2+ imaging to investigate cholinergic activity in the HAC15 human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line. The cholinergic agonists carbachol and acetylcholine triggered heterogeneous Ca2+ oscillations that were strongly inhibited by antagonists with high affinity for the M3 muscarinic receptor subtype, while preferential block of M1 or M2 receptors was less effective. Acute exposure to carbachol and acetylcholine modestly elevated aldosterone secretion in HAC15 cells, and this effect was also diminished by M3 inhibition. HAC15 cells expressed relatively high levels of mRNA for M3 and M2 receptors, while M1 and M5 mRNA were much lower. In conclusion, our data extend previous findings in non-human systems to implicate the M3 receptor as the dominant muscarinic receptor in the human adrenal cortex.
DNA in the environment: ecological, and therefore societal, implications

Microorganisms grow in some environments but not in others, even though most environments are exposed to essentially all microorganisms. Some of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect establishment and growth are known. In the 1940’s, it was discovered in the laboratory under controlled conditions that bacteria transfer genes, not only by conjugal transfer (conjugation), but also, unique among all other organisms, via viruses (transduction) and extracellular DNA (transformation). In the late 1960’s, studies began on whether gene transfer contributed to the adaptation of bacteria to changes in their environments, as it had been assumed that mutation was primarily responsible for changes in the genetic composition of bacteria in natural environments. These studies showed that gene transfer occurs in soil — probably the most complex of environments — and that extracellular DNA, either “naked” or in viruses (bacteriophages), became resistant to degradation when bound on surface-active soil particles, such as clay minerals and humic substances, and persisted. Because this extracellular DNA is not expressed in soil, as it is not in a cell and, therefore, is not detected, it was dubbed “cryptic”. If the cryptic genes are “novel” (i.e., contain recombinant DNA and are not naturally present in a bacterium), they could pose a hazard to the environment, as the undetectable genes could persist, even after the introduced engineered bacteria disappeared, and then reappear in another host more adapted to soil. Some novel genes resulted in unanticipated adverse environmental effects, emphasizing that the potential effects of genetically engineered organisms must be evaluated in simulations of the environment to which they are to be released. Another potential hazard is the widespread use of transgenic plants containing genes from bacteria that code for proteins toxic to insects. Although these biotoxins are probably less of an environmental hazard than synthetic chemical pesticides, they can accumulate in soil when bound on surface-active particles and may be toxic to non-target beneficial insects and enhance the enrichment of toxin-resistant target insects. Although there may be many potential benefits from genetic engineering, the release of recombinant DNA to the environment poses potential risks to society, which must be weighed against potential benefits.
Developing a Spatial Navigation Screening Tool Sensitive to the Preclinical Alzheimer Disease Continuum.

Objective There remains a need for a non-invasive and cost-effective screening measure that could be administered prior to the provision of a lumbar puncture or positron emission tomography scan for the detection of preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD). Previous findings suggest that a hippocampally-based spatial navigation task may be effective for screening individuals for the preclinical AD continuum (i.e., low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42). Unfortunately, this task took 1.5-2 hours to administer, which would be time-prohibitive in a clinical setting. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare psychometric properties of six spatial navigation-related tasks in order to take the next steps in developing a clinically appropriate screening measure. Methods Psychometric properties (i.e., reliability, diagnostic accuracy, validity) of a modified version of the cognitive mapping task, two binding tasks, a visual perspective taking task, and self- and informant report versions of a questionnaire were examined in a sample of 91 clinically normal (CN) individuals. CSF Aβ42 and ptau181 were available for 30 individuals. Results The learning phase of the cognitive mapping task and the self-report questionnaire were sensitive to identifying individuals in the preclinical AD continuum (93% and 87% sensitivity, 60% and 67% specificity, respectively). These two measures also demonstrated good test-retest stability (intraclass correlation coefficients = .719 and .838, respectively) and internal consistency (Cronbach's αs = .825 and .965, respectively). Conclusions These findings suggest that a self-report questionnaire and aspects of a cognitive mapping task may be particularly appropriate for development as screening tools for identifying individuals in the preclinical AD continuum.
Current Low-Cost Video-Based Motion Analysis Options for Clinical Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.

Background Physical therapists, as clinical human movement experts, must qualitatively evaluate patients' functional and biomechanical impairments. There are now low-cost 2- and 3-dimensional video measurement systems that can be used to increase the precision and reliability of these qualitative clinical assessments. Purpose The purpose of this study was to systematically review current low-cost video-based methods for motion analysis compared with gold-standard 3-dimensional biomechanical methods. Data sources Electronic searches were conducted until January 2018 within the following databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, Scopus, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Study selection Studies designed to evaluate criterion-referenced validity and/or reliability of video-based motion analysis technologies within the last 20 years were included. English-language articles dealing with human rehabilitation were considered. Data extraction Data extraction was independently completed by 3 reviewers, and methodological quality was assessed using the 2018 Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist. Articles were organized for analysis on the basis of type of motion analyzed and category of each low-cost technology used. Data synthesis With 20 articles meeting selection criteria, 10 low-cost motion analysis platforms were presented, each examining different functional movement-dependent variables. Overall article quality was "low" or "very low" on the basis of Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments scoring. Correlations between low-cost and 3-dimensional gold standard systems ranged widely from "poor" agreement (r = 0.025) to "strong" agreement (r = 0.992). Spatiotemporal gait parameters consistently outperformed planar joint angle data. Reliability was better measured than concurrent validity. A summary table was developed to assist clinicians in choosing which motions could potentially be measured accurately by each low-cost platform on the basis of current findings. Limitations Databases available to researchers were more clinical/medical in nature, and this review was written from that clinically based perspective. Lack of standardized protocols and methodology within included studies was common, making generalizability difficult. Conclusions Research attempting to validate newer low-cost movement analysis systems is limited in quality. Measurement of only certain variables should be considered when these tools are used. Further research is warranted, because these devices still have potential clinical utility for supplementing qualitative movement assessment with objective outcome measures.
Hospital or Home? Where Should Children Die and How Do We Make That a Reality?

Abstract Context Most of the 20,000 U.S. children dying of serious illnesses annually die in the hospital. It is unknown if this hospital death predominance reflects family wishes or systemic issues such as lack of hospice access. Hence, we need to better understand location of death preferences for children and their families. Objective To better understand location of death preferences in North America, we reviewed the literature to examine the evidence for and against home death in seriously ill children (0–18 years). Methods We searched English articles in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase published during 2000–2018 for articles related to parental, child/adolescent, and provider preference for death location and articles that correlated death location with bereavement or quality of life outcomes. Results The search results (n = 877 articles and n = 58 abstracts of interest) were reviewed, and 34 relevant articles were identified. Parent, child, and provider preferences, bereavement outcomes, and associated factors all point to some preference for home death. These findings should be interpreted with several caveats: 1) many studies are small and prone to selection bias, 2) not all families prefer home death and some that do are not able to achieve home death due to inadequate home support, 3) studies of bereavement outcomes are lacking. Conclusion Adequate resources are needed to ensure children can die in their chosen location—be that home, hospital, or free-standing hospice. This review highlights research areas needed to better understand death location preference and programs and policies that will support home death for those that desire it.
High Precision Electronic Spectroscopy of Ligand-Protected Gold Nanoclusters: Effects of Composition, Environment, and Ligand Chemistry

Atomically precise gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are a class of nanomaterials valued for their electronic properties and diverse structural features. While the advent of X-ray crystallography of AuNCs has revealed their geometric structures with high precision, detailed electronic structure analysis is challenged by environmental, compositional, and thermal averaging effects present in electronic spectra of typical samples. To circumvent these challenges, we have adapted mass spectrometer-based electronic absorption spectroscopy techniques to acquire high-resolution electronic spectra of atomically precisely defined nanoclusters separated from a synthetic mixture. Here we discuss recent results using this approach to link the surface chemistry of triphenylphosphine-protected AuNCs to their electronic structure and expand on key elements of the experiment and the link between these gas-phase measurements and solution-phase behavior of AuNCs. Chemically derivatized Au8(P(p-X-Ph)3)72+ and Au9(P(p-X-Ph)3)83+ clusters, where X = -H, -CH3, or -OCH3, are used to derive systematic trends in the response of the electronic spectrum to the electron-donating character of the ligand shell. We find a linear relationship between the substituent Hammett parameter σp and the transition energy between both sets of clusters' highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, a transition that is localized in the metal core within the limits of the superatomic model. The similarity of the mass-selective and solution-phase UV/vis spectra of Au9(PPh3)83+ indicates that the interpretation of these experiments is transferable to the condensed phase. He and N2 environments are introduced to a series of isovalent clusters as a subtle probe of discrete environmental effects over electronic structure. Strikingly, select bands in the UV/vis spectrum respond strongly to the identity of the environment, which we interpret as a state-selective indicator of interfacially relevant electronic transitions. Physically predictable trends such as these will aid in building molecular design principles necessary for the development of novel materials based on nanoclusters.
5 – Atmospheric Chemistry1

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on some of the basic concepts and principles underlying atmospheric chemistry, as illustrated by the effects of both natural and anthropogenic trace constituents. It also focuses on gas-phase chemistry and atmospheric aerosols. Atmospheric chemistry studies were originally concerned with determining the major gases in the Earth's atmosphere. In the latter half of the past century, as air pollution became an increasing problem in many large cities, attention turned to identifying the sources, properties, and effects of the myriad of chemical species that exist in the natural and polluted atmosphere. Acid deposition led to the realization that chemical species emitted into the atmosphere can be transported over large distances and undergoes significant transformations as they move along their trajectories. In 1985, the identification of significant depletion of ozone in the Antarctic stratosphere focused attention on stratospheric chemistry and the susceptibility of the stratosphere to modification. More recently, studies of the effects of trace chemical constituents in the atmosphere on the climate of the Earth have moved to center stage.
The Evolving Influence of Psychometrics in Political Science

Psychometrics is a subfield of Psychology devoted to the development, evaluation, and application of mental tests of various kinds. These mental tests attempt to measure knowledge, attitudes, personality traits, and abilities. Psychometrics has its origins in the work of Sir Francis Galton (1822 - 1911), Karl Pearson (1857 - 1936), and Charles Spearman (1863 - 1945) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Galton's most famous work was Hereditary Genius (1869) in which he studied "illustrious" intellects and their families. His biographical data of the descendants of these illustrious intellects showed "regression to the mean" for a number of mental and physical characteristics that he regarded as important. Much of his work in the latter part of the 19th Century was devoted to eugenics. Galton was interested in measurement and developed a measure of co-relation which influenced the development of the correlation coefficient by Karl Pearson. He and Karl Pearson founded the journal Biometrika in 1901.
Computational methods to automate the initial interpretation of lower extremity arterial Doppler and duplex carotid ultrasound studies

Abstract Background Lower extremity arterial Doppler (LEAD) and duplex carotid ultrasound studies are used for the initial evaluation of peripheral arterial disease and carotid stenosis. However, intra- and inter-laboratory variability exists between interpreters, and other interpreter responsibilities can delay the timeliness of the report. To address these deficits, we examined whether machine learning algorithms could be used to classify these Doppler ultrasound studies. Methods We developed a hierarchical deep learning model to classify aortoiliac, femoropopliteal, and trifurcation disease in LEAD ultrasound studies and a random forest machine learning algorithm to classify the amount of carotid stenosis from duplex carotid ultrasound studies using experienced physician interpretation in an active, credentialed vascular laboratory as the reference standard. Waveforms, pressures, flow velocities, and the presence of plaque were input into a hierarchal neural network. Artificial intelligence was developed to automate the interpretation of these LEAD and carotid duplex ultrasound studies. Statistical analysis was performed using the confusion matrix. Results We extracted 5761 LEAD ultrasound studies from 2015 to 2017 and 18,650 duplex carotid ultrasound studies from 2016 to 2018 from the Indiana University Health system. The results showed the ability of artificial intelligence algorithms and method, with 97.0% accuracy for predicting normal cases, 88.2% accuracy for aortoiliac disease, 90.1% accuracy for femoropopliteal disease, and 90.5% accuracy for trifurcation disease. For internal carotid artery stenosis, the accuracy was 99.2% for predicting 0% to 49% stenosis, 100% for predicting 50% to 69% stenosis, 100% for predicting >70% stenosis, and 100% for predicting occlusion. For common carotid artery stenosis, the accuracy was 99.9% for predicting 0% to 49% stenosis, 100% for predicting 50% to 99% stenosis, and 100% for predicting occlusion. Conclusions The machine learning models using LEAD data, with the collected blood pressure and waveform data, and duplex carotid ultrasound data with the flow velocities and the presence of plaque, showed that novel machine learning models are reliable in differentiating normal from diseased arterial systems and accurate in classifying the extent of vascular disease.
Detecting Cardiac Abnormalities From 12-lead ECG Signals Using Feature Selection, Feature Extraction, and Machine Learning Classification

This work represents an entry to the 2020 PhysioNET Computing in Cardiology Challenge for the team named “Whitaker's Lab.” The algorithm we developed can be divided into three main components: feature extraction, dimensionality reduction, and classification. In the feature extraction stage, we process the provided 12-lead ECG signals to determine various features. We consider 12 time-domain statistical features per lead, as well as sparse coding features obtained from frequency information that is extracted from each ECG lead. After computing the features, we reduce the dimensionality of the statistical features using principal component analysis in an attempt to ease the computational requirements of the classifier. After feature extraction and dimensionality reduction, we classify each 12-lead ECG signal using a random forest classifier. The classifier is trained using a cross-validated grid search algorithm to help select hyperparameters. In an attempt to avoid overfitting, the classifier and unsupervised feature extraction algorithms are trained on disjoint subsets of the Challenge data. We were unable to rank and score in the test set, but using a holdout portion of the training set we achieved a validation score of − 0.744. This result is likely to be over-optimistic.