cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parsonage-Turner Syndrome

Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (PTS), also referred to as idiopathic brachial plexopathy or neuralgic amyotrophy, is a rare disorder consisting of a complex constellation of symptoms with abrupt onset of shoulder pain, usually unilaterally, followed by progressive neurologic deficits of motor weakness, dysesthesias, and numbness. Although the etiology of the syndrome is unclear, it is reported in various clinical situations, including postoperatively, postinfectious, posttraumatic, and postvaccination. The identification of the syndrome in the postoperative patient remains a challenge as symptoms may easily be attributed to sequelae of surgical positioning, postoperative recovery, or postanesthetic block pain. The purpose of this review is to bring forth salient, identifiable factors which may assist the surgical clinician in identifying the condition sooner. An early and proper diagnosis affords the opportunity to treat the patient accordingly and to the satisfaction of both surgeon and patient.
We Are All for Elevating VR

It is well demonstrated that myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), when performed as an adjunct to exercise treadmill electrocardiography (ECG), is a more sensitive test for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) and it is even more effective than the location of ST segment depression on the ECG
Disease-associated mutations in KCNE potassium channel subunits (MiRPs) reveal promiscuous disruption of multiple currents and conservation of mechanism

KCNE genes encode single transmembrane-domain subunits, the MinK-related peptides (MiRPs), which assemble with pore-forming alpha subunits to establish the attributes of potassium channels in vivo. To investigate whether MinK, MiRP1, and MiRP2 operate similarly with their known native alpha subunit partners (KCNQ1, HERG, and Kv3.4, respectively) two conserved residues associated with human disease and influential in channel function were evaluated. As MiRPs assemble with a variety of alpha subunits in experimental cells and may do so in vivo, each peptide was also assessed with the other two alpha subunits. Inherited mutation of aspartate to asparagine (D --> N) to yield D76N-MinK is linked to cardiac arrhythmia and deafness; the analogs D82N-MiRP1 and D90N-MiRP2 were studied. Mutation of arginine to histidine (R --> H) to yield R83H-MiRP2 is associated with periodic paralysis; the analogs K69H-MinK and K75H-MiRP1 were also studied. Macroscopic and single-channel currents showed that D --> N mutations suppressed a subset of functions whereas R/K --> H changes altered the activity of MinK, MiRP1, and MiRP2 with all three alpha subunits. The findings indicate that the KCNE peptides interact similarly with different alpha subunits and suggest a hypothesis: that clinical manifestations of inherited KCNE point mutations result from disruption of multiple native currents via promiscuous interactions.
Procedure-Oriented Large-Sized Mining Shaft Construction Project Risk Identification Research

On the basis of necessity analysis of risk identification in large-sized mining shaft construction project, this article researches from the aspects of goal, method and procedure of risk identification and constructs a procedure-oriented large- sized mining shaft construction project risk identification implementation system according to the characteristics of shaft construction project in large-sized coalmine. By using three researching tools, i.e., questionnaire survey, brainstorming and executive interviewing, this article makes an empirical study in the different periods of shaft construction project from the preparation, freezing, sinking to the close of shaft construction period and the research outcome provides necessary reference for the risk identification work of mining shaft construction project and is favorable for the improvement of shaft construction project full-process risk management quality and the reduction of risk losses.
Hardware/software partitioning of software binaries

Partitioning an embedded system application among a microprocessor and custom hardware has been shown to improve the performance, power or energy of numerous examples. The advent of single-chip microprocessor/FPGA platforms makes such partitioning even more attractive. Previous partitioning approaches have partitioned sequential program source code, such as C or C++. We introduce a new approach that partitions at the software binary level. Although source code partitioning is preferable from a purely technical viewpoint, binary-level partitioning provides several very practical benefits for commercial acceptance. We demonstrate that binary-level partitioning yields competitive speedup results compared to source-level partitioning, achieving an average speedup of 1.4 compared to 1.5 for eight benchmarks partitioned on a single-chip microprocessor/FPGA device.
A Parallel Software Infrastructure for Structured Adaptive Mesh Methods

Structured adaptive mesh algorithms dynamically allocate computational resources to accurately resolve interesting portions of a numerical calculation. Such methods are difficult to implement and parallelize because they rely on dynamic, irregular data structures. We have developed an efficient, portable, parallel software infrastructure for adaptive mesh methods; our software provides computational scientists with high-level facilities that hide low-level details of parallelism and resource management. We have applied our software infrastructure to the solution of adaptive eigenvalue problems arising in materials design. We describe our software infrastructure and analyze its performance. We also present computational results which indicate that the uniformity restrictions imposed by a data parallel Fortran implementation of a structured adaptive mesh application would significantly impact performance.
Age Differences in Stroop Interference: Contributions of General Slowing and Task-Specific Deficits

This study examined the contributions of general slowing and task-specific deficits to age-related changes in Stroop interference. Nine hundred thirty-eight participants aged 20 to 89 years completed an abbreviated Stroop color-naming task and a subset of 281 participants also completed card-sorting, simple reaction time, and choice reaction time tasks. Age-related increases in incongruent color-naming latency and card-sorting perseverative errors were observed. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the processing speed measures accounted for significant variance on both dependent measures, but that there was also a significant residual effect of age. An additional regression analysis showed that some of the variance in incongruent color-naming, after controlling for processing speed, was shared with the variance in perseverative errors. Overall, findings suggest that the age difference in Stroop interference is partially attributable to general slowing, but is also attributable to age-related changes in task-specific processes such as inhibitory control.
Alkaloids of the Papaveraceae VI. Protopine and allocryptopine from Arctomecon californica

Protopine and allocryptopine (in approximately equal amounts) make up over 95 per cent of the alkaloidal content of A. californica .
In Vitro Assessment of the Efficacy of Thermal Therapy in Human Renal Cell Carcinoma

Objectives To define the temperature-time points that result in cell death in a human renal cell carcinoma cell (RCC) line in vitro. Methods Cellular viability and clonogenic cell survival were determined for human A498 RCC cells after thermal treatment. Various temperature (45°C to 70°C) and time (1 to 30 minutes) combinations were used. Cell viability was assessed by vital dye uptake and clonogenic cell survival. Mathematical Arrhenius modeling was performed to construct a graphic display of A498 cell thermal sensitivity. Results Temperature-time points at which 99% or greater cell death occurred according to the vital dye assay were 55°C for 30 minutes, 60°C for 10 minutes, and 65°C for 8 minutes. Clonogenic survival studies confirmed that cells treated at these temperature-time points failed to grow even after 10 days. Conclusions These in vitro results show that short exposure to temperatures higher than 70°C is lethal in the A498 RCC cell line. Lower temperatures in the 60°C range require more prolonged heating to cause cell death. Knowledge of these temperatures will be useful to better plan and monitor complex radiofrequency ablations.
Using Functional Behavioral Assessment to Develop Effective Intervention Plans Practical Classroom Applications

Functional behavioral assessment was mandated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 as a behavioral evaluation for students who display behaviors that are likely to result in school exclusion. Functional behavioral assessment is not intended to be used solely as a reaction to chronic and serious behaviors. Rather, functional behavioral assessment is most effective when used proactively at the first display of challenging behaviors by students. Through case examples, this article presents step-by-step procedures for conducting functional behavioral assessment and developing effective intervention plans for students in public school classrooms.
Occam's rattle: children's use of simplicity and probability to constrain inference.

A growing literature suggests that generating and evaluating explanations is a key mechanism for learning and inference, but little is known about how children generate and select competing explanations. This study investigates whether young children prefer explanations that are simple, where simplicity is quantified as the number of causes invoked in an explanation, and how this preference is reconciled with probability information. Both preschool-aged children and adults were asked to explain an event that could be generated by 1 or 2 causes, where the probabilities of the causes varied across conditions. In 2 experiments, it was found that children preferred explanations involving 1 cause over 2 but were also sensitive to the probability of competing explanations. Adults, in contrast, responded on the basis of probability alone. These data suggest that children employ a principle of parsimony like Occam’s razor as an inductive constraint and that this constraint is employed when more reliable bases for inference are unavailable.
Bear's Hiding Place: Ishi's Last Refuge

Bear's Hiding Place: Ishi's Last Refuge. 1998. 18 minutes, color. video by Jed Riffe. For more information, contact University of California Extension, Center for Media and Independent Learning, 2000 Center Street. Fourth Floor, Berkeley. CA 94704.
Techniques for Observing Weak Raman Signals in the Diamond Pressure Cell

We wish to report a technique of using the 752.5 nm line of the Kr+ laser to excite the Raman effect in weakly scattering samples in a gasketed diamond anvil pressure cell. The use of this near-infrared excitation substantially reduces the fluorescence of the diamond windows which otherwise tends to distort and overwhelm weak Raman signals. This excitation also reduces interference from the fluorescence of the ruby fragment placed in the cell for pressure measurement. These are, we believe, the first spectra obtained from weak Raman scatterers in a diamond/ruby pressure cell.
Assay of emetine hydrochloride injection.

Abstract Data are presented for the DAB 7 assay of emetine hydrochloride and for quantitative assay of emetine hydrochloride injection by a method previously reported for injections of aminsalts. The method involves nonaqueous titration of a chloroform, eluted sample from a magnesium oxide‐siliceous earth mixture Thermogravimetric data show that emetine hydrochloride forms no stable hydrates, that water can be lost even at room temperature, and that loss still continues slowly beyond the usual drying temperature so that it is difficult to render the material anhydrous. For these reasons, it is suggested that emetine hydrochloride and emetine hydrochloride injection be labeled with the content of anhydrous emetine hydrochloride. Permissible variation should be ± 1% for emetine hydrochloride and ± 5% for the injection.
Identification of network parameter errors using phasor measurements

This paper first illustrates that errors associated with certain network parameters can not be correctly identified if the only available measurements are the conventional measurements. The paper then analyzes the conditions which lead to such cases and searches for an efficient way to eliminate them. This involves a parameter error identification method which requires the use of phasor measurements. Algorithm to implement the method and several illustrative examples are presented.
Phonon softening and anomalous mode near the x c = 0.5 quantum critical point in Ca 2 − x Sr x RuO 4

Inelastic neutron scattering is used to measure the temperature-dependent phonon dispersion in ${\text{Ca}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Sr}}_{x}{\text{RuO}}_{4}$ $(x=0.4,0.6)$. The in-plane ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{4}$ octahedral tilt mode softens significantly at the zone boundary of the high-temperature tetragonal (HTT) $I{4}_{1}/acd$ structure as the temperature approaches the transition to a low-temperature orthorhombic (LTO) $Pbca$ phase. This behavior is similar to that in ${\text{La}}_{2}{\text{CuO}}_{4}$, but an inelastic feature that is not found in the cuprate is present. An anomalous phonon mode is observed at energy transfers greater than the ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{4}$, albeit with similar dispersion. This anomalous phonon mode never softens below $\ensuremath{\sim}5\text{ }\text{meV}$, even for temperatures below the HTT-LTO transition. This mode is attributed to the presence of intrinsic structural disorder within the $I{4}_{1}/acd$ tetragonal structure of the doped ruthenate.
High-Frequency Diel Dissolved Oxygen Stream Data Modeled for Variable Temperature and Scale

Diel dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and temperature were sensed at high-frequency and modeled in an eastern Iowan stream, Clear Creek, in an agricultural setting. The magnitude of the diel changes in DO and temperature were largest at the upstream (headwater) station. Inclusion of temperature change factors increased the accuracy of modeling results and yielded estimates of the reaeration rate constant, primary production rate, and respiration rate. The DO modeling of the high-frequency measurements (15-min intervals) revealed a temperature-driven nonlinear reaeration process that led to increases in nighttime DO concentrations. The DO modeling results from three sensing stations in the watershed revealed decreasing trends in primary productivity, respiration, and the reaeration rate constant with increasing drainage area. Light extinction from suspended solids was the main factor limiting net primary production. As a result, the P/R ratio also decreased with increasing drainage area. High-frequency...
Telomere Loss Provokes Multiple Pathways to Apoptosis and Produces Genomic Instability in Drosophila melanogaster

Telomere loss was produced during development of Drosophila melanogaster by breakage of an induced dicentric chromosome. The most prominent outcome of this event is cell death through Chk2 and Chk1 controlled p53-dependent apoptotic pathways. A third p53-independent apoptotic pathway is additionally utilized when telomere loss is accompanied by the generation of significant aneuploidy. In spite of these three lines of defense against the proliferation of cells with damaged genomes a small fraction of cells that have lost a telomere escape apoptosis and divide repeatedly. Evasion of apoptosis is accompanied by the accumulation of karyotypic abnormalites that often typify cancer cells, including end-to-end chromosome fusions, anaphase bridges, aneuploidy, and polyploidy. There was clear evidence of bridge–breakage–fusion cycles, and surprisingly, chromosome segments without centromeres could persist and accumulate to high-copy number. Cells manifesting these signs of genomic instability were much more frequent when the apoptotic mechanisms were crippled. We conclude that loss of a single telomere is sufficient to generate at least two phenotypes of early cancer cells: genomic instability that involves multiple chromosomes and aneuploidy. This aneuploidy may facilitate the continued escape of such cells from the normal checkpoint mechanisms.
Hybrid Finite Element Method for Describing the Electrical Response of Biological Cells to Applied Fields

A novel hybrid finite element method (FEM) for modeling the response of passive and active biological membranes to external stimuli is presented. The method is based on the differential equations that describe the conservation of electric flux and membrane currents. By introducing the electric flux through the cell membrane as an additional variable, the algorithm decouples the linear partial differential equation part from the nonlinear ordinary differential equation part that defines the membrane dynamics of interest. This conveniently results in two subproblems: a linear interface problem and a nonlinear initial value problem. The linear interface problem is solved with a hybrid FEM. The initial value problem is integrated by a standard ordinary differential equation solver such as the Euler and Runge-Kutta methods. During time integration, these two subproblems are solved alternatively. The algorithm can be used to model the interaction of stimuli with multiple cells of almost arbitrary geometries and complex ion-channel gating at the plasma membrane. Numerical experiments are presented demonstrating the uses of the method for modeling field stimulation and action potential propagation
A high-speed adaptive antenna array with simultaneous multiple-beamforming capability

A new type of adaptive beamforming antenna system architecture is developed for multi-channel wireless communications. Multi-beam beamforming with high data throughput is accomplished using the proposed beamformer architecture consisting of analog mixers and multi-tone direct digital synthesizers (DDS). The multi-beam beamformer is based on a multi-tone weighting scheme combined with analog-digital hybrid signal processing. High-speed real-time beamforming is realized by an analog beamformer circuit, while the flexibility on adaptive beamforming algorithms is retained by computing weighting coefficients using the digital signal processor (DSP). A 5.8 GHz eight-element adaptive beamforming array successfully demonstrates two-beam simultaneous beamforming and two-channel data recovery at 25 Mb/s data throughput in each channel with BPSK modulation, based on SDMA (space division multiple access).
High efficiency polymer solar cells with vertically modulated nanoscale morphology

Nanoscale morphology has been shown to be a critical parameter governing charge transport properties of polymer bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. Recent results on vertical phase separation have intensified the research on 3D morphology control. In this paper, we intend to modify the distribution of donors and acceptors in a classical BHJ polymer solar cell by making the active layer richer in donors and acceptors near the anode and cathode respectively. Here, we chose [6,6]-phenyl- C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) to be the acceptor material to be thermally deposited on top of [poly(3-hexylthiophene)] P3HT: the PCBM active layer to achieve a vertical composition gradient in the BHJ structure. Here we report on a solar cell with enhanced power conversion efficiency of 4.5% which can be directly correlated with the decrease in series resistance of the device.
A Superlimiting Phased-Array Receiving System in a Two-Source Environment

The performance of a uniformly spaced phased-steered line array with element channel superlimiting is studied for far-field sources consisting of 1) two sinusoidal signals with different frequencies and angular locations, and 2) a sinusoid and a noise signal at different angular locations. Attention is focused on the nonlinear case where internal noise is negligible compared to both input signals. The analysis for the two-sinusoid case gives the precise frequencies, positions, and amplitudes of all apparent sources. In addition to the two active sources, the array output has an array of images arranged symmetrically in sine space about the larger input, at intervals equal to the spacing between the two active sources. For the case of a separated sinusoid and a noise source, the analysis shows that the angular positions and average powers of the array outputs duplicate the double-sinusoid results, but the images have noise-like spectra. The analyses are confirmed by experimental results obtained with a 60-element superlimiting X-band array.
Student Instruction Should Be Distributed Over Long Time Periods

In many academic courses, students encounter a particular fact or concept many times over a period of a few weeks and then do not see it again during the remainder of the course. Are these brief instructional periods sufficient, or should the same amount of instruction be distributed over longer periods of time? This question was the focus of several recent studies in which a fixed amount of instruction was distributed over time periods of varying duration and followed by a delayed posttest. With few exceptions, the results showed that longer instructional periods produced greater posttest scores if the posttest was delayed by at least a month or so. Notably, the search criteria for this review excluded several oft-cited studies favoring short foreign language courses over longer ones, but a closer look at these studies reveals limitations (e.g., no delayed posttest or confounding variables). In brief, the best reading of the data is that long-term learning is best achieved when the exposures to a concept are distributed over time periods that are longer rather than shorter.
Health Care Unhinged

To date, there exists no thermometer to measure vacillations in a person’s mental health, which is a good thing for febriphobics, and generally speaking, neither acetaminophen nor ibuprofen can cure mental illness, especially if the diagnosis is pharmacophobia. Unlike a fractured bone or sinus infection, ailments of the mind tend to be subjective and therefore more difficult to gauge. Just as a diagnosis of schizophrenia relies on a spectrum, psychotic examples range from hallucinations to speech impediments (even for glossophobics), and bipolar affective disorder by definition alternates between periods of elevated mood and depression. Notwithstanding the disparity between identifying and treating mental health and medical concerns, the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) focused on preventing health insurance agencies from imposing unequal benefit limitations upon the two. While MHPAEA had certain limitations in its initial application across health plans, the Affordable Care Act effectively eliminated any imperfections in parity.
Random 2-SAT Solution Components and a Fitness Landscape

We describe a limiting distribution for the number of connected components in the subgraph of the discrete cube induced by the satisfying assignments to a random 2-SAT formula. We show that, for the probability range where formulas are likely to be satisfied, the random number of components converges weakly (in the number of variables) to a distribution determined by a Poisson random variable. The number of satisfying assignments or solutions is known to grow exponentially in the number of variables. Thus, our result implies that exponentially many solutions are organized into a stochastically bounded number of components. We also describe an application to biological evolution; in particular, to a type of fitness landscape where satisfying assignments represent viable genotypes and connectivity of genotypes is limited by single site mutations. The biological result is that, with probability approaching 1, each viable genotype is connected by single site mutations to an exponential number of other viable genotypes while the number of viable clusters is finite.
SSA 1999 Annual Meeting Presidential Address: Storytelling, Scholarship, and Science

I believe that all of us are acutely aware of the information overload that swamps our professional lives. Each of us will return to our home institutions and find 50-100 e-mail messages (maybe more) and a mail box stuffed with all kinds of announcements, letters, junk mail, and our own scientific journals (at least electrons are an inexhaustible supply, while trees are not). The overall issue of information overload is too large a subject for me to tackle. (God knows you would all be fleeing for the exits if I were to try.) I want to confine my thoughts to an issue that affects us all as scientific scholars: How do we communicate our own ideas while giving proper credit to our colleagues? I won't speak for anyone but myself, though I suspect many have had similar experiences. Now and then I find an hour or so where I can...
Geriatric assessment predicts completion and toxicity of therapy in senior adults with cancer

Purpose of the study: Malignancy of unknown origin (MUO) is a diagnosis of metastatic disease in a patient with no known primary. Those deemed to be fit enough are further investigated with a staging CT and biopsy, to try to identify a primary site and help direct treatment. If no primary site can be identified after investigation then patients are diagnosed and actively treated for confirmed cancer of unknown primary (CUP). In those who a primary is found, are treated with metastatic therapies appropriate to that primary site. If a diagnosis is not pursued then patients with MUO are treated with best supportive care (BSC). Methods/Summarised description of the project: The Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bath is a busy district general hospital with an integral oncology unit and a dedicated CUP oncology consultant. All patients with a diagnosis of MUO were added to a prospective database and information was collected on imaging, biopsies,multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) discussions aswell as primary treatment and outcome. Results: 116 patients have been registered on the MUO database between January 2010 and 2012. The younger cohort (Y) was defined as b70 years and the older cohort (O) ≥70 years.
The West Baden Springs Hotel in Michael Koryta’s So Cold the River: Collecting Local Connections in Your Library

There was the hotel. And Alyssa Bradford had used the correct word in describing it, because only one word came close—surreal. The place was that, and then some. Pale yellow towers flanked a mammoth crimson dome, and the rest of the structure fell away beneath, hundreds of windows visible in the stone. It looked more like a castle than a hotel, something that belonged in Europe, not on this stretch of farmland (Koryta, 2010, p. 41-42).
Team-based learning for the basic communication course: a transformative pedagogical approach

ABSTRACTTeam-based learning (TBL) is an instructional method that provides a specific sequence of individual and group work followed by immediate feedback. Scaffolding the basic course based on TBL principles allows for a democratic focus of the general-education requirement and development of communication skills at multiple levels simultaneously (interpersonal, group, and public).
Tailoring transport properties through nonstoichiometry in BaTiO3–BiScO3 and SrTiO3–Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3 for capacitor applications

The ceramic perovskite solid solutions BaTiO3–BiScO3 (BT–BS) and SrTiO3–Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3 (ST–BZT) are promising candidates for high-temperature and high-energy density dielectric applications. A-site cation nonstoichiometry was introduced in these two ceramic systems to investigate their effects on the dielectric and transport properties using temperature- and oxygen partial pressure-dependent AC impedance spectroscopy. For p-type BT–BS ceramics, the addition of excess Bi led to effective donor doping along with a significant improvement in insulation properties. A similar effect was observed on introducing Ba vacancies onto the A-sublattice. However, Bi deficiency registered an opposite effect with effective acceptor doping and a deterioration in the bulk resistivity values. For n-type intrinsic ST–BZT ceramics, the addition of excess Sr onto the A-sublattice resulted in a decrease in resistivity values, as expected. Introduction of Sr vacancies or addition of excess Bi on A-site did not appear to affect the insulation properties in air. These results indicate that minor levels of nonstoichiometry can have an important impact on the material properties, and furthermore it demonstrates the difficulties encountered in trying to establish a general model for the defect chemistry of Bi-containing perovskite systems.
Factors influencing the fabrication of albumin-bound drug nanoparticles (ABDns): Part II. Albumin-bound carbamazepine nanoparticles (ABCns).

AbstractCarbamazepine (CBZ) is a BCS Class II drug with poor solubility profile. In order to improve the physicochemical properties of CBZ, albumin (HSA)-bound CBZ nanoparticles (ABCns) were prepared. Drug-loading studies indicated that monomeric ABCns can be fabricated by self-assembly of anhydrous form III of CBZ and HSA in molar ratios of 1:1 or 2:1 within 0.5 h in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 with particle size in the range of 10–20 nm. Approximately 73–76% of the CBZ was encapsulated within HSA and 20–40% CBZ was released from the ABCns over 8 days. In conclusion, novel ABCns can be fabricated with sustained-release of CBZ for over 8 days which can significantly improve the physicochemical profile of CBZ.
An In Vitro Perfusion System to Enhance Outflow Studies in Mouse Eyes

Purpose The molecular mechanisms controlling aqueous humor (AQH) outflow and IOP need much further definition. The mouse is a powerful system for characterizing the mechanistic basis of AQH outflow. To enhance outflow studies in mice, we developed a perfusion system that is based on human anterior chamber perfusion culture systems. Our mouse system permits previously impractical experiments. Methods We engineered a computer-controlled, pump-based perfusion system with a platform for mounting whole dissected mouse eyes (minus lens and iris, ∼45% of drainage tissue is perfused). We tested the system's ability to monitor outflow and tested the effects of the outflow-elevating drug, Y27632, a rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor. Finally, we tested the system's ability to detect genetically determined decreases in outflow by determining if deficiency of the candidate genes Nos3 and Cav1 alter outflow. Results Using our system, the outflow facility (C) of C57BL/6J mouse eyes was found to range between 7.7 and 10.4 nl/minutes/mm Hg (corrected for whole eye). Our system readily detected a 74.4% Y27632-induced increase in C. The NOS3 inhibitor L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and a Nos3 null mutation reduced C by 28.3% and 35.8%, respectively. Similarly, in Cav1 null eyes C was reduced by 47.8%. Conclusions We engineered a unique perfusion system that can accurately measure changes in C. We then used the system to show that NOS3 and CAV1 are key components of mechanism(s) controlling outflow.
Endotoxin-cell-membrane interactions leading to transmembrane signaling.

It has been approximately 100 years since endotoxins were first recognized as bacterial products that were distinct from exotoxins (Pfeiffer, 1892). In contrast to these latter toxins, which are synthesized and secreted most prominently by gram-positive bacteria (but some by gram-negative), endotoxins are unique to gram-negative organisms. They normally exist as an integral and functional component of the bacterial outer cell membrane. When released from the bacteria, these endotoxins appear to have an almost limitless capacity to bind to, interact with, and, in many cases, rather significantly perturb mammalian cells. Such perturbations may result in an equally broad spectrum of varying responses that are elicited in man and other animals (Milner et al., 1971). The net consequences of such endotoxin-cell interactions, under some circumstances, are exceedingly beneficial to the host, as in the case of endotoxin-induced tumor regression and/or necrosis, or enhancement of immune responsiveness of the host to heterologous antigens (reviewed in Morrison and Ryan, 1979). In contrast, other endotoxin-cell interactions lead to responses which produce profoundly deleterious effects on host tissues, resulting in disease and even in death (reviewed in Morrison and Ulevitch, 1978). The various factors that interact to regulate these contrasting host responses remain as an area of considerable scientific interest and research effort.
How Should We Interpret the Decrease in Annual Volume of Stress Imaging Tests for Evaluation of Suspected or Known Coronary Artery Disease With Fewer High-Risk Test Results?

In recent years, observations related to the diminution in annual volume of stress imaging tests, the decrease in frequency of abnormal test findings, coupled with a rather high rate of normal coronary angiograms or nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) at coronary angiography, following an abnormal stress imaging test, have intrigued the cardiology specialist community. Similarly, these observations have occurred simultaneously with a decrease in the cardiac event rate after testing and an overall improved prognosis in patients with CAD. Using Medicare data, Levin et al1 determined the trends in noninvasive imaging use from 2001 to 2013. Total radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) rates per 1000 Medicare beneficiaries rose from 63.4 in 2001 to a peak of 88.0 in 2006 but then declined every year afterward, reaching 10.8 in 2013. Rates for use of stress echocardiography held steady until 2010 and then decreased each year thereafter (12.6/1000 to 10.8/1000). McNulty et al2 investigated the temporal trends in radionuclide MPI use at Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2000 to 2011. They found that annual rates of MPI rose steadily from 2000 to 2006 and then abruptly declined by 51% through 2011. Relative declines were greater for outpatients than inpatients and greater for individuals <65 years of age versus those ≥65 years. Interestingly, the volume of stress echocardiography was unchanged from 2007 to 2011. See Article by Jouni et al In 2 separate publications, the second in this issue of the journal, Jouni et al3,4 from the Mayo Clinic report a marked decrease in single-photon computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion MPI tests from 2003 to 2012 at their institution. The first study comprised patients without known prior CAD referred for SPECT MPI.3 They found that between 2001 and 2003, 2490 such tests were performed annually. By 2012, …
Nanoparticle growth by particle-phase chemistry

Abstract. The ability of particle-phase chemistry to alter the molecular composition and enhance the growth rate of nanoparticles in the 2–100 nm diameter range is investigated through the use of a kinetic growth model. The molecular components included are sulfuric acid, ammonia, water, a non-volatile organic compound, and a semi-volatile organic compound. Molecular composition and growth rate are compared for particles that grow by partitioning alone vs. those that grow by a combination of partitioning and an accretion reaction in the particle phase between two organic molecules. Particle-phase chemistry causes a change in molecular composition that is particle diameter dependent, and when the reaction involves semi-volatile molecules, the particles grow faster than by partitioning alone. These effects are most pronounced for particles larger than about 20 nm in diameter. The modeling results provide a fundamental basis for understanding recent experimental measurements of the molecular composition of secondary organic aerosol showing that accretion reaction product formation increases linearly with increasing aerosol volume-to-surface-area. They also allow initial estimates of the reaction rate constants for these systems. For secondary aerosol produced by either OH oxidation of the cyclic dimethylsiloxane (D 5) or ozonolysis of β -pinene, oligomerization rate constants on the order of 10 −3 to 10 −1 M −1 s −1 are needed to explain the experimental results. These values are consistent with previously measured rate constants for reactions of hydroperoxides and/or peroxyacids in the condensed phase.
Introduction to Moltres: An application for simulation of Molten Salt Reactors

Abstract Moltres is a new physics application for modeling coupled physics in fluid-fuelled, molten salt reactors. This paper describes its neutronics model, thermal hydraulics model, and their coupling in the MOOSE framework. Neutron and precursor equations are implemented using an action system that allows use of an arbitrary number of groups with no change in the input card. Results for many-channel configurations in 2D-axisymmetric and 3D coordinates are presented and compared against other coupled models as well as the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment.
The Effect of Random and Periodic Fluctuations on Nonlinear Systems

It has become well established that a fluctuating environment can cause transitions in otherwise stable nonlinear systems. See the report of HORSTHEMKE in this volume for a theoretical analysis, and the report of MOSS for numerical and experimental studies of such phenomena. In both of these reports, the noise considered is random and the state of the system is characterized by its stationary probability density. Maxima and minima of this distribution are identified with stable and unstable steady states respectively. Transitions are recognized as qualitative changes, i.e., changes in the number and location of extrema of the system’s probability density due to changes in the noise parameters while the average value of the environment remains constant.
A Univariate Formulation of the Multivariate Linear Model

The vec operator of matrix algebra is exploited to extend the univariate formulation of the multivariate linear model that is in the literature to deal not only with estimation but also with hypothesis testing. Hotelling's generalized T20 statistic can then be derived from the numerator sum of squares of the univariate F statistic. Application of the vec operator to Jacobian results is also explored.
Growth cartilage: normal appearance, variants and abnormalities.

SUMMARY The cartilaginous structures in the growing bone have a complex anatomy. MR imaging allows exquisite depiction of these structures. The normal anatomy and biochemical features of the zones of cartilage are reviewed. Based on an analysis of signal characteristics, it is possible to optimize the use of pulse sequences to study the normal structures and abnormalities of growing bone.
Analog and Digital Sound Encoding

This chapter gives an overview of the most prominent analog and digital sound encoding systems of the present music industry.
Two Pif1 Family DNA Helicases Cooperate in Centromere Replication and Segregation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Pif1 family helicases are found in virtually all eukaryotes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) encodes two Pif1 family helicases, ScPif1 and Rrm3. ScPif1 is multifunctional, required not only for maintenance of mitochondrial DNA but also for multiple distinct nuclear functions. Rrm3 moves with the replication fork and promotes movement of the fork through ∼1400 hard-to-replicate sites, including centromeres. Here we show that ScPif1, like Rrm3, bound robustly to yeast centromeres but only if the centromere was active. While Rrm3 binding to centromeres occurred in early to mid S phase, about the same time as centromere replication, ScPif1 binding occurred later in the cell cycle when replication of most centromeres is complete. However, the timing of Rrm3 and ScPif1 centromere binding was altered by the absence of the other helicase, such that Rrm3 centromere binding occurred later in pif1-m2 cells and ScPif1 centromere binding occurred earlier in rrm3 Δ cells. As shown previously, the modest pausing of replication forks at centromeres seen in wild-type cells was increased in the absence of Rrm3. While a lack of ScPif1 did not result in increased fork pausing at centromeres, pausing was even higher in rrm3 Δ pif1 Δ cells than in rrm3 Δ cells. Likewise, centromere function as monitored by the loss rate of a centromere plasmid was increased in rrm3 Δ but not pif1 Δ cells, and was even higher in rrm3 Δ pif1 Δ cells than in rrm3 Δ cells. Thus, ScPif1 promotes centromere replication and segregation, but only in the absence of Rrm3. These data also hint at a potential post-S phase function for ScPif1 at centromeres. These studies add to the growing list of ScPif1 functions that promote chromosome stability.
Pilot study of decision support tools on breast cancer chemoprevention for high-risk women and healthcare providers in the primary care setting.

Breast cancer chemoprevention can reduce breast cancer incidence in high-risk women; however, chemoprevention is underutilized in the primary care setting. We conducted a pilot study of decision support tools among high-risk women and their primary care providers (PCPs). The intervention included a decision aid (DA) for high-risk women, RealRisks, and a provider-centered tool, Breast Cancer Risk Navigation (BNAV). Patients completed validated surveys at baseline, after RealRisks and after their PCP clinical encounter or at 6-months. Referral for high-risk consultation and chemoprevention uptake were assessed via the electronic health record. The primary endpoint was accuracy of breast cancer risk perception at 6-months. Among 40 evaluable high-risk women, median age was 64.5 years and median 5-year breast cancer risk was 2.19%. After exposure to RealRisks, patients demonstrated an improvement in accurate breast cancer risk perceptions (p = 0.02), an increase in chemoprevention knowledge (p < 0.01), and 24% expressed interest in taking chemoprevention. Three women had a high-risk referral, and no one initiated chemoprevention. Decisional conflict significantly increased from after exposure to RealRisks to after their clinical encounter or at 6-months (p < 0.01). Accurate breast cancer risk perceptions improved and was sustained at 6-months or after clinical encounters. We discuss the side effect profile of chemoprevention and the care pathway when RealRisks was introduced to understand why patients experienced increased decision conflict. Future interventions should carefully link the use of a DA more proximally to the clinical encounter, investigate timed measurements of decision conflict and improve risk communication, shared decision making, and chemoprevention education for PCPs. Additional work remains to better understand the impact of decision aids targeting both patients and providers. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02954900 November 4, 2016 Retrospectively registered.
Accelerated Conversion of Native Prairie to Cropland in Minnesota

Unplowed native grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world, due in large part to their agricultural suitability and widespread conversion to cropland. Despite this, remaining locations of these species- and carbon-rich landscapes are neither well monitored nor effectively protected. A recent spike in US prices for corn (Zea mays) and soybeans (Glycine max) intensified incentives to bring new land into production, potentially hastening the conversion of grasslands to crops. We combined satellite-based land cover data with aerial photographs and a field-based inventory of remaining native grassland (hereafter prairie) in Minnesota to assess the areas, rates, and locations of prairie conversion since 2008. Our results reveal that during 2008–2012, prairie was converted at average annual rates more than four times greater than the previous decade and a half. Corn and soybeans were the initial crops planted on 73% of converted prairie, and more than 80% of conversion occurred in recently established conservation priority zones, thereby magnifying the urgency to protect these sites. Broader land-use trends in Minnesota suggest that expansion of both croplands and developed lands continues to threaten all grasslands, including the subset that is prairie, and that the growth of developed or built-up land may be amplifying the conversion pressure exerted by agriculture, though further research is needed. Despite the small total area of prairie lost, the multi-fold increase in conversion rates and the confirmation of native habitat clearing may have substantial conservation implications, especially given the very limited prairie that remains in the region. The overall results reveal challenges for federal policies, including a loophole in the crop insurance Sodsaver provision surrounding alfalfa hay and limitations in the current enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
ProPPR: efficient first-order probabilistic logic programming for structure discovery, parameter learning, and scalable inference

A key challenge in statistical relational learning is to develop a semantically rich formalism that supports efficient probabilistic reasoning using large collections of extracted information. This paper presents a new, scalable probabilistic logic called ProPPR, which further extends stochastic logic programs (SLP) to a framework that enables efficient learning and inference on graphs: using an abductive second-order probabilistic logic, we show that first-order theories can be automatically generated via parameter learning; that in parameter learning, weight learning can be performed using parallel stochastic gradient descent with a supervised personalized PageRank algorithm; and that most importantly, queries can be approximately grounded with a small graph, and inference is independent of the size of the database.
Towards the development of a voice-controlled exoskeleton system for restoring hand function

Spinal cord injury (SCI) to the C-5 area causes loss of fine motor control in the hand and fingers. Stroke often causes hemiparesis, which impairs arm and hand function. Both afflictions render the individual unable to complete activities of daily living (ADL). In this work, an exotendon glove system is designed for repetitive task practice (RTP) to improve the efficacy of hand and finger function rehabilitation in spinal cord injury patients. Common ADL tasks are evaluated through correlation analysis to aid in the design of the exotendon glove. A novel slack-enabling mechanism is introduced and a smartphone app voice control interface is developed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the exotendon glove. The range-of-motion (ROM) of the exotendon glove in individual finger movement and ADL tasks is experimentally identified, and the performance of the exotendon glove in ADL tasks is experimentally evaluated.
Extended Propagation of Broadband Space-Time Wave Packets for 70 M

We synthesize a femtosecond wave packet of 20-nm bandwidth and spatial beam width of 0.7-mm that propagates diffraction-free for 70-m by virtue of carefully engineered spatiotemporal spectral correlations introduced into the field. © 2019 The Author(s)
Progress and Challenges for an Evidence-Based Gender Equality Policy: a Focus in Latin America and the Caribbean

Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) made important progress towards labor participation in the past century. However, the labor sex gap has remained largely stable in the last 10 years. We reflect on what the remaining gaps in LAC represent. To do that, we introduce a lifecycle perspective to describe the gender gaps in the region. We show some patterns that connect the adult gender gap in labor force participation to choices early in life. Next, we collect the lessons learnt from recent policies adopted in the region, while introducing the work of the contributing authors to this numbers. We discuss the challenges remaining to design evidence-based policy. Finally, we warn researchers of challenges ahead resulting from data limitations and unconscious bias.