cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real-world Incidence and Management of Immune-related Adverse Events from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Retrospective claims-based analysis.

Purpose We assessed real-world spectrum and patterns of irAEs for patients treated with anti-PD(L)1 ICIs. Methods irAEs were defined using medical and pharmacy claims for patients enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan who initiated treatment with anti-PD(L)-1 and received ≥1 dose of therapy between September 1, 2014 and February 28, 2018. Results Treatment was discontinued for 46.6% of patients, and withheld and subsequently restarted for 10.3%. While toxicity profiles did not differ by age, RiskRx-V co-morbidity index was higher in patients with irAEs. Conclusion These data underscore the needs for tailored irAE diagnostic and management pathways.
Association Between Management of Continuous Subcutaneous Basal Insulin Administration and HbA1C.

Background:While we expect that patients who adjust their insulin delivery algorithms between clinic visits to have better glucose control compared to those who do not, this effect has not been qua...
Outcomes following upfront radiation versus monitoring in atypical meningiomas: 16-year experience at a tertiary medical center.

Background The role of postoperative upfront radiotherapy (RT) in the management of gross totally resected atypical meningiomas remains unclear. This single-center retrospective review of newly diagnosed histologically confirmed cases of World Health Organization (WHO) Grade II atypical meningioma at Weill Cornell Medicine from 2004 to 2020 aims to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of postoperative upfront RT versus observation, stratified by resection status (gross total resection [GTR] vs subtotal resection [STR]). Methods Ninety cases of atypical meningioma were reviewed (56% women; median age 61 years; median follow-up 41 months). Results In patients with GTR, hazard ratio (HR) of PFS was 0.09 for postoperative upfront RT versus observation alone (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.68; P = .02), though HR for OS was not significant (HR 0.46; 95% CI 0.05-4.45; P = .5). With RT, PFS was 100% at 12 and 36 months (compared to 84% and 63%, respectively, with observation); OS at 36 months (OS36) was 100% (compared to 94% with observation). In patients with STR, though PFS at 36 months was higher for RT arm versus observation (84% vs 74%), OS36 was 100% in both arms. HR was not significant (HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.16-3.5; P = .73). Conclusions This retrospective study suggests postoperative upfront RT following GTR of atypical meningioma is associated with improved PFS compared to observation. Further studies are required to draw conclusions about OS.
Multiple tornadoes in the Italian Ionian regions: Observations, sensitivity tests and mesoscale analysis of convective storm environmental parameters

Abstract In the months of November 2012, 2014 and 2018, four tornadic events affected southern Italy (Calabria and Apulia regions). Tornado-spawning supercells hit the same regions, had similar trajectories, and were characterized by common synoptic conditions. The events are analysed through the use of multiple observational tools; large-scale and mesoscale analysis are performed, in addition to high-resolution numerical simulations and sensitivity tests with the WRF model. In particular, the effect of changes in Sea Surface Temperature on the intensity and tracking of tornadic supercells in the Mediterranean is investigated, finding that small variations of SST may cause significant changes on instability parameters, consequently on the supercell intensity. Numerical simulations show that the structure and the track of the convective cells can be correctly reproduced, as well as the triggering of convection due to interaction of the flow with the topographic features, such as the land-sea interface and orography, within a relatively small temporal delay. The mesoscale analysis also reveals, in all cases, an environment highly favourable for tornado formation, with most simulated instability parameters/indices exceeding their critical thresholds.
Mothers' and fathers' perceptions of daily mealtime coparenting.

Abstract The current study is the first to examine mothers' and fathers' perceptions of mealtime-specific daily coparenting support from their partner. We investigated relations between parents' reports of mealtime-specific coparenting support, global coparenting support, and discrepancies in parents' controlling feeding practices. One-hundred families (67 participating partners) of 3- to 5-year-old children participated. Parents reported daily on coparenting support and feeding practices for seven consecutive days. Preliminary analyses pooling across the week were conducted using correlations, t-tests, and analyses of variance. Although parents' perceptions of global coparenting and mealtime-specific coparenting support were correlated, both mothers and fathers perceived less coparenting support at mealtime than overall in their parenting role. When partners were present at the dinnertime meal, parents perceived greater mealtime coparenting support and mothers also perceived greater global coparenting support from fathers compared to when partners were not present. Using a subsample of families where both mothers and fathers were present at the dinner meal, we used dyadic multilevel models to analyze daily behaviors. These models showed significant daily variability in mothers' mealtime-specific coparenting support from fathers. Fathers' mealtime coparenting support from mothers did not vary day-to-day. On days when mothers perceived greater global coparenting support from their partners, mothers also perceived greater mealtime support. After accounting for the main effects of mothers' and fathers' pressure and restriction, on days when parents reported greater discrepancies between their pressuring feeding practices, mothers perceived less mealtime coparenting support than usual. Results suggest that mealtimes are a challenging context for interparental teamwork, particularly for mothers who receive inconsistent support day-to-day.
Integrated structural health monitoring system and multi-regression models for determining load ratings for complex steel bridges

Abstract This paper presents a multi-regression-based framework to efficiently and accurately determine load ratings of complex steel bridges. To validate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed framework, the framework was applied to an in-service steel bridge located in Iowa. A network of strain sensors was placed on critical regions of the bridge to capture its behaviors resulting from actual ambient five-axle trucks. To approximate the trucks, relevant Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) data were secured from two weigh stations nearest the bridge. As part of the load rating calculation process, strain sensors were tested for significance and compared to the WIM data to explore which trucks significantly affect the sensors. Four different regression methods were used with the significant WIM data that were condensed to match the size of conventional rating data obtained from a series of structural analyses of the bridge based upon the AASHTO Manual. The four different truck data sets obtained from the regression methods were then each combined with the conventional data to create the corresponding regression models to predict load ratings. The predicted data were compared to the conventional data to determine the best fit regression model. Using the best fit model, a sensitivity analysis was performed to test which truck characteristic parameters affect the predicted ratings the most. Findings indicated that the framework can build the best fit regression model capable of accurately and rapidly predicting load ratings given unknown truck data. It was also found that each axle weight and the largest axle spacing have a great influence on the predicted ratings, implying that these variables may be holistically considered to ensure structural safety of steel bridges subjected to unknown trucks.
Urban aquaculture: using New York as a model.

Here we discuss the major ramifications of urban aquaculture development using New York City as a model and template. We define the parameters essential for successful aquaculture, as well as reflecting on the problems that we face as we move urban aquaculture from concept to practice and to ultimate success. We envision closed, water-reuse systems (recirculating aquaculture systems; RAS) as key to environmentally responsible, sustainable, intensive, and economically feasible aquaculture in metropolitan areas. We suggest that research must may play a major role in the development and application of technology, biological principles, and socioeconomic feasibility, each one of which is an important entity for successful urban aquaculture development. Furthermore, the future success of urban aquaculture is likely to depend upon support in the form of grants and subsidies, research, and access to capital.
Reconstitution of potato virus X in vitro. I. Properties of the dissociated protein structural subunits.

Abstract The functional protein subunits of the X H R strain of potato virus X (PVX) obtained when the virus was disrupted with lithium chloride sedimented in the analytical ultracentrifuge as a single boundary ( s o 20,w = 2.3 × 10 −13 ), migrated in polyacrylamide gels as a single band, eluted from Sephadex G-200 as a single peak (Stokes radius = 3.27 nm), and behaved during diffusion coefficient measurements as a monodisperse solute ( D 20,w = 5.02 × 10 −7 cm 2 sec −1 ). Amino acid and tryptic peptide analyses showed the molecular weight of these subunits to be 23,000. The dimensions of the functional subunits calculated from these data were consistent with the volume available for the subunit in the intact virus. Results of hydrogen-tritium exchange and circular dichroism studies showed that the subunits possessed appreciable α-helical structure under conditions (20°C, pH 6.10 to 6.50, low ionic strength) optimal for reconstitution of viruslike particles with viral RNA. The properties of functional protein subunits thus differ in several respects from those of denatured subunits prepared with pyridine (Shalla and Shepard, 1970) . However, functional subunits were serologically identical to denatured subunits in Ouchterlony double diffusion tests against PVX D-protein antiserum.
Uncertainty Analysis in Watershed Modeling

All watershed modeling studies unavoidably contain uncertain elements. This uncertainty is propagated into the model predictions and impacts subsequent decision-making. Main uncertainties include those stemming from a lack of understanding of the hydrologic system, the problem of identifying appropriate model structure and parameters, and uncertainties in the measured data. While many approaches exist that can be used for uncertainty analysis, little guidance is available to choose the best approach for a certain study. While available techniques are many, they can all be reduced to three fundamental steps: (1) define what constitutes a behavioral model; (2) find all the models that comply with this definition in the feasible parameter space; (3) propagate the predictions of all identified models into the output space while considering other uncertainties (e.g., in the forcing data). This three-step structure is used to describe and cluster current approaches. Keywords: watershed modeling; uncertainty; perceptual model; model structure; parameters
Vibrational Coherence Decay in Metal Carbonyls: Solvent Dependence of Coherence Lifetimes Studied with MDIR

Multidimensional infrared spectra of a metal carbonyl in different solvents are presented as a function of the waiting time, t 2. The evolution of each peak is related to excitedstate coherences and the relative correlation between excited state vibrational energies.
Specific Removal of Proteins from the Envelope of Escherichia coli by Protease Treatments

When the envelope fraction of Escherichia coli was treated by trypsin, about 40% of total envelope proteins were removed from the fraction without changing its phospholipid content. Analysis of envelope proteins by acrylamide gel electrophoresis in 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed that trypsin treatment was very specific; one of the major proteins (molecular weight, 38,000) and all proteins of molecular weight greater than 70,000 were completely removed by the treatment. On the other hand, three other major proteins were found to be resistant to the treatment, including protein Y, which was previously shown to be related to deoxyribonucleic acid replication. The trypsin treatment of the envelope fractions composed of a five electron-dense layered structure formed vesicles with a triple-layered membrane (two electron-dense layers). Pronase treatment of the envelope fraction removed about 60% of the envelope proteins without changing its phospholipid content. A major protein of molecular weight of 58,000 was found to be the only protein resistant to the Pronase treatment. Application of these treatments is useful for purification and structural studies of envelope proteins.
Purification of a second alternative nitrogenase from a nifHDK deletion strain of Azotobacter vinelandii.

A second alternative nitrogenase complex (nitrogenase 3) was purified from a nifHDK deletion strain of Azotobacter vinelandii. The active complex is made up of two components, dinitrogenase 3 and dinitrogenase reductase 3. Dinitrogenase 3 contains two protein subunits (alpha, Mr 58,000, and beta, Mr 50,000) which assemble into at least two active configurations: alpha 2 beta 2 (dinitrogenase 3s) and alpha 1 beta 2 (dinitrogenase 3F). Dinitrogenase 3s contains 24 Fe and 18 acid-labile S2-ions per Mr 216,000, and dinitrogenase 3F contains 11 Fe and 9 acid-labile S2-ions per Mr 158,000. Dinitrogenase reductase 3 is composed of two protein subunits of identical Mr (32,500) and contains four Fe and four acid-labile S2- ions per Mr 65,000. On two-dimensional gels, the protein subunits of the nitrogenase 3 complex comigrated with the four Mo-, V-, and NH4+-repressible proteins originally designated as N2ase B: the nitrogenase hypothesized to exist in the alternative N2 fixation system first described in 1980 (P.E. Bishop, D. M. L. Jarlenski, and D. R. Hetherington, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:7342-7346, 1980). Neutron activation analysis indicated that the nitrogenase 3 complex lacked significant amounts of Mo, V, Cr, Re, and W. Some Zn, however, was found in the dinitrogenase 3S and dinitrogenase 3F preparations. The pattern of substrate reduction efficiency was H+ greater than N2 greater than C2H2. The maximum specific activity found for N2 reduction was 38 nmol of NH3 per min per mg of protein (dinitrogenase 3S). Nitrogenase 3 was found to be extremely sensitive to O2, and activities could not be reproducibly maintained during freezing and thawing. Images
Evaluation of 16 adult disposable manual resuscitators.

INTRODUCTION: Disposable manual resuscitators are commonly used to ventilate patients during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, suctioning, and intrahospital transport, and their clinical performance is critical. METHODS: We bench-tested 16 adult disposable manual resuscitators from 9 different manufacturers. We performed a series of tests and made observations using testing industry standards as a guideline. Each resuscitator was tested for fraction of delivered oxygen (FDO2), tidal volume delivery, drop test, and patient valve lock-up. We also made observations about reservoir style, ease or difficulty of attaching the positive end-expiratory pressure valve, size, texture, carbon dioxide detector, and if the resuscitator was labeled “latex free.” RESULTS: Reservoir style and manufacturer design significantly affected FDO2. In general, the resuscitators with reservoir bags provided better FDO2 than did the resuscitators with tubing reservoirs (large-bore or small-bore). Delivered tidal volumes were acceptable for all the resuscitators tested. All the resuscitators passed a standard drop test. None of the resuscitators had a patient valve lock up at high flow. With all but one resuscitator, attaching the positive end-expiratory pressure valve was easy and the valve attached securely. Most resuscitators were average in size and had good texture, but some were large, somewhat slippery, and difficult to handle. Only 2 resuscitators came with carbon dioxide detectors already attached. All but one of the resuscitators were labeled “latex free,” and the one that was not was found not to contain latex proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Resuscitator reservoir style and manufacturer design significantly affect FDO2. Some resuscitator models may not deliver adequate oxygen in certain clinical circumstances. Each institution should evaluate and choose the resuscitator that best fits its needs, while meeting established performance criteria.
Analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data using self-organizing mapping with spatial connectivity

Commonly used methods in analyzing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, such as the Student's t-test and cross-correlation analysis, are model-based approaches. Although these methods are easy to implement and are effective in analyzing data obtained with simple paradigms, they are not applicable in situations in which patterns of neuronal response are complicated and when fMRI response is unknown. In this work, Kohonen's self-organizing mapping (SOM), which is a model-free approach, is adapted for analyzing fMRI data. Because spatial connectivity is an important function in the identification of activation sites in functional brain imaging, it is incorporated into the SOM algorithm. Receiver operating characteristic analysis on simulated data shows that the new algorithm achieves measurable improvement over the standard algorithm. The applicability of the new algorithm is demonstrated on experimental data. Magn Reson Med 41:939–946, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of external sodium and cell membrane potential on intracellular chloride activity in gallbladder epithelium.

Conventional and Cl-selective liquid ion-exchanger intracellular microelectrodes were employed to study the effects of extracellular ionic substitutions on intracellular Cl activity (aCli) in Necturus gallbladder epithelium. As shown previously (Reuss, L., Weinman, S.A., 1979; J. Membrane Biol. 49:345), when the tissue was exposed to NaCl-Ringer on both sides aCli was about 30 mM, i.e., much higher than the activity predicted from equilibrium distribution (aCleq) across either membrane (5--9 mM). Removal of Cl from the apical side caused a reversible decrease of aCli towards the equilibrium value across the basolateral membrane. A new steady-state aCli was reached in about 10 min. Removal of Na from the mucosal medium or from both media also caused reversible decreases of aCli when Li, choline, tetramethylammonium or N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) were employed to replace Na. During bilateral Na substitutions with choline the cells depolarized significantly. However, no change of cell potential was observed when NMDG was employed as Na substitute. Na replacements with choline or NMDG on the serosal side only did not change aCli. When K substituted for mucosal Na, the cells depolarized and aCli rose significantly. Combinations of K for Na and Cl for SO4 substitutions showed that net Cl entry during cell depolarization can take place across either membrane. The increase of aCli in depolarized cells exposed to K2SO4-Ringer on the mucosal side indicates that the basolateral membrane Cl permeability (PCl) increased. These results support the hypothesis that NaCl entry at the apical membrane occurs by an electroneutral mechanism, driven by the Na electrochemical gradient. In addition, we suggest that Cl entry during cell depolarization is downhill and involves an increase of basolateral membrane PCl.
A Preliminary Study of the Orion Nebula Cluster Structure and Dynamics

We use optical and near-infrared star counts to explore the structure and dynamics of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). This very young (<1 Myr) cluster is not circularly symmetric in projection but is elongated north-south in a manner similar to the molecular gas distribution in the region, suggesting that the stellar system may still reflect the geometry of the protocluster cloud. Azimuthally averaged stellar source counts compare well with simple spherically symmetric, single-mass King cluster models. The model fits suggest that the inner Trapezium region should be regarded as the core of the ONC, not as a distinct entity as sometimes advocated. We estimate that the core radius of the cluster is 0.16-0.21 pc and that the central stellar density approaches 2 × 10^4 stars pc^(-3). Adopting the stellar velocity dispersion from published proper-motion studies, virial equilibrium would require a total mass within about 2 pc of the Trapezium of ~4500 M_☉, slightly more than twice the mass of the known stellar population and comparable to the estimated mass in molecular gas projected onto the same region of the sky. If ≳ 20% of the remaining molecular gas is converted into stars, thus adding to the binding mass, given that the present stellar population alone has a total energy close to zero, the ONC is likely to produce a gravitationally bound cluster. The ONC also exhibits mass segregation, with the most massive (Trapezium) stars clearly concentrated toward the center of the cluster and some evidence for the degree of central concentration to decrease with decreasing mass down to 1-2 M_☉, as would be expected for general mass segregation. Given the extreme youth of the stars compared with the estimated range of collisional relaxation times, the mass segregation is unlikely to be the result of cluster relaxation. Instead, we suggest that the mass segregation reflects a preference for higher mass stars to form in dense, central cluster regions.
A nonlinear analysis of elastically constrained tie-rods under transverse loads

Abstract An exact theory is used to analyze tie-rods with various types of elastic constraints. The resulting nonlinear boundary-value problem is solved numerically by a shooting method, and graphs are presented to show the effect of centerline extensibility and constraint configuration on the response of the tie-rods.
Molar Volume and Adsorption Isotherm Dependence of Capillary Forces in Nanoasperity Contacts

The magnitude of the capillary force at any given temperature and adsorbate partial pressure depends primarily on four factors: the surface tension of the adsorbate, its liquid molar volume, its isothermal behavior, and the contact geometry. At large contacting radii, the adsorbate surface tension and the contact geometry are dominating. This is the case of surface force apparatus measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments with micrometer-size spheres. However, as the size of contacting asperities decreases to the nanoscale as in AFM experiments with sharp tips, the molar volume and isotherm of the adsorbate become very important to capillary formation as well as capillary adhesion. This effect is experimentally and theoretically explored with simple alcohol molecules (ethanol, 1-butanol, and 1-pentanol) which have comparable surface tensions but differing liquid molar volumes. Adsorption isotherms for these alcohols on silicon oxide are also reported.
A message-logging protocol for multicore systems

Although many details of an eventual Exascale machine remain unknown, we can safely make a couple of assumptions. Exascale machines will be composed of multicore nodes and will experience frequent failures. The latter means that effective resilience support is imperative to make Exascale machines usable. The former opens up opportunities for exploring new alternatives to provide resilience support. This paper examines a new fault tolerance protocol for multicore systems. The paper contains three major parts. In the first part, we start by showing evidence that a node (and not a core) is the appropriate unit of failure. When a crash hits a machine, it usually renders unusable a whole node. Rarely, the crash brings down more than one node. The second part describes a message logging protocol that tolerates the failure of whole nodes and uses an efficient shared memory scheme to minimize overhead. We present results on various clusters and scale the approach to 1024 cores with a stencil computation. The overhead is always lower than 4%. The third part performs an analysis of reliability to understand how robust the protocol is when failures affect several nodes. Using an analytical framework and the frequency of multiple-node failures, we find that our approach is able to survive more than 99% of the crashes.
On the performance of averaged optimal routing

Traffic uncertainty makes designing optimal routing protocols for many networks a difficult problem. A good way to capture uncertainty is via an uncertainty set - a collection of traffic matrices with associated probabilities of occurrence. Averaged optimal routing, where the performance metric is averaged over the potential traffic matrices, allows us to incorporate an uncertainty set into an optimization framework. We derive bounds on the performance of averaged optimal routing where the objective is to minimize maximum channel load, a commonly used metric. Furthermore, we provide examples of networks and uncertainty sets where the bounds are tight. These bounds can be used to quickly check whether averaged optimal routing is an effective routing protocol for a given network and uncertainty set. Numerical evaluations of the performance of the bounds for uncertainty sets drawn from random graphs are presented and some interesting trends are noted. Also, simulations performed on a cycle level on-chip network simulator demonstrate that averaged optimal routing outperforms general-purpose routing algorithms.
Adaptive optics optical coherence tomography at 1 MHz.

Image acquisition speed of optical coherence tomography (OCT) remains a fundamental barrier that limits its scientific and clinical utility. Here we demonstrate a novel multi-camera adaptive optics (AO-)OCT system for ophthalmologic use that operates at 1 million A-lines/s at a wavelength of 790 nm with 5.3 μm axial resolution in retinal tissue. Central to the spectral-domain design is a novel detection channel based on four high-speed spectrometers that receive light sequentially from a 1 × 4 optical switch assembly. Absence of moving parts enables ultra-fast (50ns) and precise switching with low insertion loss (−0.18 dB per channel). This manner of control makes use of all available light in the detection channel and avoids camera dead-time, both critical for imaging at high speeds. Additional benefit in signal-to-noise accrues from the larger numerical aperture afforded by the use of AO and yields retinal images of comparable dynamic range to that of clinical OCT. We validated system performance by a series of experiments that included imaging in both model and human eyes. We demonstrated the performance of our MHz AO-OCT system to capture detailed images of individual retinal nerve fiber bundles and cone photoreceptors. This is the fastest ophthalmic OCT system we know of in the 700 to 915 nm spectral band.
Streptozotocin-induced diabetes blocks the positive feedback release of luteinizing hormone in the female rat.

Abstract The effects of streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetes on the release of gonadotropins was studied in female rats. In the first experiment, rats were ovariectomized and 2 days later were injected with STZ. Three weeks later rats were treated with estrogen and progesterone and blood samples were taken via intraatrial cannulae for luteinizing hormone (LH) assay. Afternoon surges of LH were seen in 4 5 control but 0 8 STZ rats. Pituitary responses to LH-releasing hormone in vitro did not differ. In the 2nd experiment, ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats were killed prior to and during a progesterone-induced LH surge. As in Experiment 1, STZ-treatment inhibited the LH surge but did not effect the afternoon rise in median eminence norepinephrine turnover which has previously been shown to be important in stimulating LH release. Turnover of norepinephrine in the anterior hypothalamus was depressed in the diabetic rats both prior to and during the expected time of the LH surge. Dopamine turnover was depressed in all three brain regions studied. It can be concluded that the positive feedback control of LH release is severely attenuated in diabetic rats but the mechanism explaining the loss is not clear. Diabetes-induced alterations in hypothalamic catecholamine metabolism may be involved but further work is needed to more carefully define these relationships.
Comparative patterns of synthesis of polyadenylated and nonpolyadenylated RNA in various brain regions following intraventricular administration of 3H-uridine into adult rats.

Abstract Measurements of populations of unlabeled RNA indicate that the absolute concentrations and relative proportions of poly(A)-RNA and of nonpoly(A)-RNA, relative to total cellular RNA are similar in three brain regions. The incorporation of 3H-uridine into poly(A)-RNA and nonpoly(A)-RNA was measured in cerebrum, diencephalon, and midbrain-hindbrain from 15 min through 8.0 hr after intraventricular injection of the precursor into adult rat brains. Incorporation of 3H-uridine into poly(A)-RNA was very rapid and reached maximum levels of specific activity within 30 to 120 minutes, depending upon locus, after injection of the precursor. The specific activity of nonpoly(A)-RNA increased with time, but remained lower than that of poly(A)-RNA throughout the 8.0 hr period. Regionally differential synthesis occurred both in poly(A)-RNA and nonpoly(A)-RNA in the several brain regions. Establishment of the time kinetics of brain RNA synthesis should provide useful basis for selection of the conditions for labeling pulses for further studies of in vivo RNA metabolism.
Classification of the Floquet statistical distribution for time-periodic open systems

How to understand the order of Floquet stationary states in the presence of external bath coupling and their statistical mechanics is challenging; the answers are important for preparation and control of those Floquet states. Here, we propose a scheme to classify the statistical distribution of Floquet states for time-periodic systems which couple to an external heat bath. If an effective Hamiltonian and a system-bath coupling operator, which are all time independent, can be simultaneously obtained via a time-periodic unitary transformation, the statistical mechanics of the Floquet states is equivalent to the equilibrium statistical mechanics of the effective Hamiltonian. In the large driving frequency cases, we also show that the conditions of this theorem can be weakened to the following: The time-period part in the system Hamiltonian commutes with the system-bath coupling operator. A Floquet-Markov approach is applied to numerically compute the Floquet state occupation distribution of a bosonic chain, and the results agree with the theoretical predictions.
Ultrahigh dense and gradient nano-precipitates generated by warm laser shock peening for combination of high strength and ductility

Abstract Nanocrystalline materials generated by severe plastic deformation often come with high strength but low ductility due to the inability to accumulate dislocations and thus the low work hardening rate. In this study, a unique high strain rate deformation process – warm laser shock peening (WLSP) – is studied to generate extremely high-density nano-precipitates in precipitation hardenable alloy. Aluminum alloy (AA) 7075 was selected to evaluate the generation of ultra-high-density precipitates by WLSP and the effects on the strength and ductility. WLSP integrates the advantages of laser shock peening (LSP), dynamic strain aging (DSA) and dynamic precipitation (DP). The nanoscale precipitate particles generated by WLSP effectively block dislocations and thus increase the material strength. The precipitate–dislocation interaction has been observed by high resolution TEM (HR-TEM) and modeled by the multiscale discrete dislocation dynamic (MDDD) model. It has been demonstrated that compared with room temperature LSP, WLSP can improve material strength by 32.3% without compromising the ductility, in that elongation remains 20%. These ultra-high-density nano-precipitates greatly improve dislocation accumulation capacity and thus effectively increase ductility.
A new radioactive assay for enzymes with elastolytic activity using reduced tritiated elastin, the effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate on elastolysis

Abstract A method is described for the assay of elastolytic activity based on the use of an insoluble elastin substrate the aldehydes and cross-links of which have been labeled by reduction with tritiated NaBH 4 . The rate of appearance of radioactivity elastolysis than both the rates of appearance of materials that react with ninhydrin or with the biuret-Folin reagent. Experiments were also perfomed to determine whether the reported enhancement of elastolysis occasioned by pretreatment of the substrate with sodium dodecyl sulfate could be verified using the radioactivity assay, induced the rate of elastolysis was approximately doubled when the labeled substrate was first treated with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Comparison of the rates of liberation to the soluble phase of radioactivity, ninhydrin-reacting material and of peptides reacting with the biuret Folin reagent permits an inference that sodium dodecyl sulfate, in addition to inducing formation of new regions of α helix, may expose the polypeptide regions surrounding the cross-links allowing elastase subsequently to cleave these regions more rapidly.
Mechanistic model for the reaming process with emphasis on process faults

A mechanistic model is developed to predict the cutting forces for an arbitrary reamer geometry. Inputs to the model include: tool geometry, feed, speed, initial hole geometry, and process faults including parallel offset runout, spindle tilt, their respective locating angles, and tool/hole axis misalignment. Given these input parameters, the model predicts torque, thrust, and radial forces. The cutting edges of the reamer are divided into elements and the elemental forces are determined from a fundamental oblique cutting model. The model is calibrated over a range of feed, speed, and varying tool geometry. Model validation tests were conducted and model predictions match experimental data well. The effects of process faults on cutting forces are examined through model-based studies. It was found that parallel offset runout, spindle tilt, spindle tilt locating angle, and tool/hole axis misalignment have significant effects on the radial forces. These radial forces are shown to be correlated to hole quality.
Microbial‐iron interactions in the plant rhizosphere. An overview

Abstract From a microbiologist's viewpoint, iron is an important key regulatory element which can exert a significant influence on microbial‐plant interactions occurring in the rhizosphere. Microorganisms can create substantial changes in the soil solution bathing the roots of plants. Examples of this ability are cited in this brief overview, using data gathered on the production of siderophores, high‐affinity Fe(III) chelating molecules, from bacteria and other microorganisms. The biological diversity of these systems is noted in molecular structure and genetic studies. Similarly, plant stress responses due to iron limitation are known, which include changes in root exudation, a major source of substrates for microbial growth. In vitro, in vivo, and field observations support the critical nature of the iron requirement of both plants and microorganisms. Initial attempts to manipulate or introduce microbial flora for biocontrol purposes have lead to the importance of understanding microbial colonization o...
Role of reactive oxygen metabolites in early cardiopulmonary changes of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis

The role of reactive oxygen metabolites in extrapancreatic organ dysfunction associated with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis was studied in dogs. Experimental pancreatitis was induced by the intraductal infusion of activated trypsin and taurocholate. Cardiac output, pulmonary and systemic blood pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, central venous pressure, heart rate, blood gases and serum amylase were measured. Cardiac index, pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance, and the right and left stroke work were calculated. Systemic arterial and venous blood pressure and cardiac index gradually declined over 6 hr, while pulmonary mean blood pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance increased. Pretreatment of pancreatitis with catalase and Superoxide dismutase prevented the rise in mean pulmonary blood pressure, moderated the rise in pulmonary vascular resistance, and decreased the rate and extent of the fall in cardiac index. These data suggest that reactive oxygen metabolites may play some role in the extraabdominal organ manifestations of acute pancreatitis.
Long time existence for the heat equation with a noise term

We consider the equationu t =u xx +u γ W forx on a finite interval, with Dirichlet boundary conditions. W is spacetime white noise. The initial condition is continuous and nonnegative. We show existence and uniqueness for all time, provided 1 ≧γ<3/2.
Feasibility of a lifestyle intervention for overweight/obese endometrial and breast cancer survivors using an interactive mobile application.

Abstract Objective The study aimed to assess a one-month lifestyle intervention delivered via a web- and mobile-based weight-loss application (app) ( LoseIt! ) using a healthcare-provider interface. Methods Early-stage overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI]≥25kg/m 2 ) cancer survivors (CS) diagnosed in the past three years, and without recurrent disease were enrolled and received exercise and nutrition counseling using the LoseIt! app. Entry and exit quality of life (FACT-G) and Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL) measuring self-efficacy were measured along with anthropometrics, daily food intake, and physical activity (PA) using the app. Results Mean participant age was 58.4±10.3years ( n =50). Significant reductions ( p 2 versus 33.9±8.4kg/m 2 ); and waist circumference (108.1±14.9cm versus 103.7±15.1cm). A significant improvement in pre- and post-intervention total WEL score was noted (99.38±41.8 versus 120.19±47.1, p =0.043). No significant differences were noted in FACT-G, macronutrient consumption, and PA patterns. Conclusion These results indicate that a lifestyle intervention delivered via a web- and mobile-based weight-loss app is a feasible option by which to elicit short-term reductions in weight. Though these results parallel the recent survivors of uterine cancer empowered by exercise and healthy diet (SUCCEED) trial, it is notable that they were achieved without encumbering significant cost and barrier-access issues (i.e. time, transportation, weather, parking, etc.).
Non‐epileptic seizures in temporal lobectomy candidates with medically refractory seizures

Diagnosis of epileptic seizures is often based on temporal lobe epileptiform abnormalities appearing on interictal EEG, when reported ictal semiologies are consistent with temporal lobe seizures. It is unclear how often such patients have non-epileptic seizures. We studied 145 patients who had temporal interictal EEG spikes and reported ictal semiology characteristic of temporal lobe seizures, with long-term EEG-video-monitoring (LTM) for presurgical evaluation of medically refractory seizures. Nonepileptic seizures were unexpectedly recorded in 12 of these patients (8%). Outcomes after LTM in patients who had both epileptic seizures and nonepileptic seizures demonstrated that the epileptic seizures usually were controlled with medications. Our observations support LTM as useful in diagnosis of non-epileptic seizures in this group of patients. We suggest that ictal recordings always should be performed before epilepsy surgery, in part to avoid unintentional surgical treatment of nonepileptic seizures.
Intracellular Conversion of Environmental Nitrate and Nitrite to Nitric Oxide with Resulting Developmental Toxicity to the Crustacean Daphnia magna

Background Nitrate and nitrite (jointly referred to herein as NOx) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants to which aquatic organisms are at particularly high risk of exposure. We tested the hypothesis that NOx undergo intracellular conversion to the potent signaling molecule nitric oxide resulting in the disruption of endocrine-regulated processes. Methodology/Principal Findings These experiments were performed with insect cells (Drosophila S2) and whole organisms Daphnia magna. We first evaluated the ability of cells to convert nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) to nitric oxide using amperometric real-time nitric oxide detection. Both NO3− and NO2− were converted to nitric oxide in a substrate concentration-dependent manner. Further, nitric oxide trapping and fluorescent visualization studies revealed that perinatal daphnids readily convert NO2− to nitric oxide. Next, daphnids were continuously exposed to concentrations of the nitric oxide-donor sodium nitroprusside (positive control) and to concentrations of NO3− and NO2−. All three compounds interfered with normal embryo development and reduced daphnid fecundity. Developmental abnormalities were characteristic of those elicited by compounds that interfere with ecdysteroid signaling. However, no compelling evidence was generated to indicate that nitric oxide reduced ecdysteroid titers. Conclusions/Significance Results demonstrate that nitrite elicits developmental and reproductive toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations due likely to its intracellular conversion to nitric oxide.
Novel Finite Difference Discretization of Interface Boundary Conditions for Stablized Explicit-Implicit Domain Decomposition Methods

Stabilized explicit-implicit domain decomposition is a group of methods for solving time-dependent partial difference equations of the parabolic type on parallel computers. They are efficient, stable, and highly parallel, but suffer from a restriction that the interface boundaries must not intersect inside the domain. Various techniques have been proposed to handle this restriction. In this paper, we present finite difference schemes for discretizing the equation spatially, which is of high simplicity, easy to implement, attains second-order spatial accuracy, and allows interface boundaries to intersect inside the domain.
A lack of tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam on the plus-maze: comparison of male and female rats

Rationale: The demonstration of tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines remains inconsistent. Objectives: The present study tested the hypothesis that intact and gonadectomized male and female rats might exhibit differential tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam (DZ). Methods: Following acute (3 days) or chronic (3 weeks) DZ exposure, all animals were tested on the elevated plus-maze and immediately sacrificed for analysis of corticosterone, adrenocorticotropin hormone, estrogen and progesterone levels in serum. In experiment 2, following acute or chronic DZ exposure, animals were treated with a DZ challenge dose on the test day. Results: In experiment 1, both acute and chronic DZ treatment similarly enhanced percentage open arm time and entries, regardless of the hormonal status of the animal. The results of experiment 2 showed that both acute and chronic DZ-treated animals exhibited a significantly higher percentage open arm time than control animals after the DZ challenge dose, and males and females did not differ in their responses to DZ exposure. Conclusions: The findings from these experiments suggest that tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of DZ did not develop in males or females, and that the hormonal status of the animal does not significantly alter the anxiolytic effects of DZ following either acute or chronic exposure. Following plus-maze exposure, females had significantly higher corticosterone levels than males and acute DZ treatment diminished this stress response.
Sanctions, modeling, and deviant behavior

Abstract This study investigated the extent to which group influence (and particularly the modeling aspects of groups) specifies the relationship between the certainty of punishment and deviant behavior. An experiment was conducted in which sixty males played a game of “chicken” against a computer. The study was designed to assess the influence of subjects' exposure to deviant behavior by “models,” subjects' knowledge of the outcomes of deviance for the “models,” and the interaction of these variables with the probability of punishment. Analysis showed that exposure to the behavioral outcomes of models' deviant conduct either enhanced or weakened the effects of certainty of punishment, depending upon whether the models were rewarded or punished for their deviant behavior. Implications of the findings for the development of a theory of deterrence are drawn, and suggestions for future research are made.
On optimal filtering of GPS dual frequency observations without using orbit information

The concept of optimal filtering of observations collected with a dual frequency GPS P-code receiver is investigated in comparison to an approach for C/A-code units. The filter presented here uses only data gathered between one receiver and one satellite. The estimated state vector consists of a one-way pseudorange, ionospheric influence, and ambiguity biases. Neither orbit information nor station information is required. The independently estimated biases are used to form double differences where, in case of a P-code receiver, the wide lane integer ambiguities are usually recovered successfully except when elevation angles are very small. An elevation dependent uncertainty for pseudorange measurements was discovered for different receiver types. An exponential model for the pseudorange uncertainty was used with success in the filter gain computations.
Social variety in the yellow-bellied marmot: A population-behavioural system

This is the publisher's version, which can also be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0003347277901087
Mass-spectrometric analysis of hydroperoxy- and hydroxy-derivatives of cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine in cells and tissues induced by pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory stimuli☆☆☆

Oxidation of two anionic phospholipids--cardiolipin (CL) in mitochondria and phosphatidylserine (PS) in extramitochondrial compartments--is important signaling event, particularly during the execution of programmed cell death and clearance of apoptotic cells. Quantitative analysis of CL and PS oxidation products is central to understanding their molecular mechanisms of action. We combined the identification of diverse phospholipid molecular species by ESI-MS with quantitative assessments of lipid hydroperoxides using a fluorescence HPLC-based protocol. We characterized CL and PS oxidation products formed in a model system (cyt c/H(2)O(2)), in apoptotic cells (neurons, pulmonary artery endothelial cells) and mouse lung under inflammatory/oxidative stress conditions (hyperoxia, inhalation of single walled carbon nanotubes). Our results demonstrate the usefulness of this approach for quantitative assessments, identification of individual molecular species and structural characterization of anionic phospholipids that are involved in oxidative modification in cells and tissues.
Low eGFR is associated with dysexecutive and amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Background Few studies have explored the association between renal function and major subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).