cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating Heterogeneous Treatment Eects in Randomized Control Trials

This paper shows that heterogeneous treatment eects can be estimated using data usually available in RCTs under mild assumptions. The paper adapts a methodology used in computer science and signal engineering called non-negative matrix factorization. The paper presents necessary and sufcient conditions for the factorization to be unique. The factorization is implemented as a continuously updating general method of moments estimator and analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations. This estimator is used to measure heterogeneous treatment eects of adjuvant chemotherapies for colon cancer using data from a trial run in the late 1980s. The results suggest that the value of adjuvant chemotherapy varies substantially across the population. For approximately 80% of patients, the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy has little eect on survival, while for 20% of patients, the pro
Graffiti as a Function of Building Utilization

Graffiti in the past have been randomly collected without consideration for the geographic area or the buildings. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a specific graffito is unique to a specific type of building and the population utilizing that specific building. Significant differences were obtained among the graffiti found in the Art, Law, and Computer Sciences buildings individually and collectively as compared with the general use buildings. Significant sex differences were obtained; however, no significant differences were found in comparisons of either specific or general use buildings for profanity or sports comments. Other studies would make possible inferences regarding a population from graffiti found.
Mean Curvature, the Laplacian, and Soap Bubbles

(1982). Mean Curvature, the Laplacian, and Soap Bubbles. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 89, No. 3, pp. 180-198.
Determination of bisphenol-A levels in human amniotic fluid samples by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals used widely in common consumer products. There is an increasing concern about human exposure to BPA, particularly in fetuses, due to the potential adverse effects related to the estrogenic activity of BPA. In assessing environmental exposure to BPA, it is essential to have a sensitive, accurate and specific analytical method, particularly for low BPA levels in complex sample matrices. In this study, we developed and validated an accurate, sensitive, and robust liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for determining BPA concentrations in human amniotic fluid. In this method, BPA and the internal standards 13C12-BPA were extracted from 500 μL of human amniotic fluid using solid phase extraction. Calibration curves were linear over a concentration range of 0.3 to 100 ng/mL for BPA. The analytes were quantitatively determined using LC-MS operated in negative electrospray ionization selected ion monitoring mode. This validated method has been used successfully in clinical sample analysis of BPA in second-trimester amniotic fluid specimens.
Mutations in the Dynein1 Complex are Permissible for Basal Body Migration in Photoreceptors but Alter Rab6 Localization.

The photoreceptor outer segment is a specialized primary cilium, and anchoring of the basal body at the apical membrane is required for outer segment formation. We hypothesized that basal body localization and outer segment formation would require the microtubule motor dynein 1 and analyzed the zebrafish cannonball and mike oko mutants, which carry mutations in the heavy chain subunit of cytoplasmic dynein 1 (dync1h1) and the p150Glued subunit of Dynactin (dctn1a). The distribution of Rab6, a player in the post-Golgi trafficking of rhodopsin, was also examined. Basal body docking was unaffected in both mutants, but Rab6 expression was reduced. The results suggest that dynein 1 is dispensable for basal body docking but that outer segment defects may be due to defects in post-Golgi trafficking.
A Calibration Method on Base Excitation Amplitude of Piezoelectric Ceramic Exciter

This paper researched howto accurately obtain base excitation amplitude of piezoelectric ceramic exciter( PCE) by some calibration methods. Firstly,a simple and reliable calibration method was proposed. The dynamics model of cantilever beam under base excitation of PCE was established to clarify calibration principle and simulate calibration process. Next,the calibration and test system of base excitation amplitude of PCE was set up. The key steps of this method were explained in details. At last,practicability and effectiveness of above calibration method were demonstrated by experiment.
WE-D-204-01: Site-Specific Clinical Rotation: Into the Minds of the Radiation Oncologists

Speakers in this session will present overview and details of a specific rotation or feature of their Medical Physics Residency Program that is particularly exceptional and noteworthy. The featured rotations include foundational topics executed with exceptional acumen and innovative educational rotations perhaps not commonly found in Medical Physics Residency Programs. A site-specific clinical rotation will be described, where the medical physics resident follows the physician and medical resident for two weeks into patient consultations, simulation sessions, target contouring sessions, planning meetings with dosimetry, patient follow up visits, and tumor boards, to gain insight into the thought processes of the radiation oncologist. An incident learning rotation will be described where the residents learns about and practices evaluating clinical errors and investigates process improvements for the clinic. The residency environment at a Canadian medical physics residency program will be described, where the training and interactions with radiation oncology residents is integrated. And the first month rotation will be described, where the medical physics resident rotates through the clinical areas including simulation, dosimetry, and treatment units, gaining an overview of the clinical flow and meeting all the clinical staff to begin the residency program. This session will be of particular interest to residency programs who are interested in adopting or adapting these curricular ideas into their programs and to residency candidates who want to learn about programs already employing innovative practices. Learning Objectives: 1.To learn about exceptional and innovative clinical rotations or program features within existing Medical Physics Residency Programs. 2.To understand how to adopt/adapt innovative curricular designs into your own Medical Physics Residency Program, if appropriate.
Measuring suspended sediment: Chapter 10

Suspended sediment in streams and rivers can be measured using traditional instruments and techniques and (or) surrogate technologies. The former, as described herein, consists primarily of both manually deployed isokinetic samplers and their deployment protocols developed by the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project. They are used on all continents other than Antarctica. The reliability of the typically spatially rich but temporally sparse data produced by traditional means is supported by a broad base of scientific literature since 1940. However, the suspended sediment surrogate technologies described herein – based on hydroacoustic, nephelometric, laser, and pressure difference principles – tend to produce temporally rich but in some cases spatially sparse datasets. The value of temporally rich data in the accuracy of continuous sediment-discharge records is hard to overstate, in part because such data can often overcome the shortcomings of poor spatial coverage. Coupled with calibration data produced by traditional means, surrogate technologies show considerable promise toward providing the fluvial sediment data needed to increase and bring more consistency to sediment-discharge measurements worldwide.
Funding the Bank War: Nicholas Biddle and the public relations campaign to recharter the second bank of the U.S., 1828–1832

ABSTRACTPresident Andrew Jackson’s protracted conflict with Nicholas Biddle, known colloquially as the “Bank War,” endures as a seminal chapter in the nation’s political and economic history. This article analyzes Biddle’s interactions with lawmakers, financiers, newspaper editors, and intellectuals during the Second Bank’s campaign for recharter from early 1830 to mid-1832. It brings together research from numerous manuscript collections, bank balance sheets, newspapers, and legislative debates to show how Biddle orchestrated one of the earliest business lobbies and public relations campaigns conducted on a nationwide scale. Biddle developed a nationwide lobby primarily because of the Bank’s branch structure and vast financial holdings, because he mobilized a large army of campaign surrogates, because he targeted voters with a standardized campaign message, and because recent advancements in transportation and communication enabled him to correspond with scores of subordinates separated by hundreds of mi...
MicroRNAs in biofluids as biomarker for drug-induced toxicity

M are emerging as a valuable tool in toxicological applications due to their role in regulation of gene expression in different biological pathways. Multiple studies have revealed that miRNAs are present and relatively stable in clinically accessible biofluids such as blood and urine. Thus, microRNAs in biofluids may provide a non-invasive way of detecting drug-induced toxicities. In our studies, microRNA profiling and individual miRNAs in rodent blood and urine have been evaluated for biomarkers to predict toxicities induced by several chemicals and drugs. Male B6C3F1 mice were treated with 140 mg/kg carcinogen N-ethyl-Nnitrosourea (ENU) and profiling of total miRNAs in the blood showed that a number of microRNAs associated with carcinogenesis were altered by the ENU treatment. One of these miRNAs, miR-34a, was very sensitively increased by ENU. Urine miRNA profiles were assessed from rats treated with 1250 mg/kg acetaminophen. Urinary miRNA levels were correlated with centrilobular liver necrosis and consistently elevated in the treated animals. Acute cardiotoxicity in rats was induced by a single s.c. injection of 0.5 mg/kg isoproterenol. The heart-enriched microRNAs miR-208, miR-499, and miR-1 in serum and plasma of the treated animals were evaluated. The levels of the microRNAs were increased by approximately 10-fold in serum 4 hr after treatment. The microRNA induction resulted from the release of the damaged heart cells. These results suggest that miRNA profilings and specific miRNAs in biofluids could reflect toxicities induced by chemicals and drugs and therefore have the potential to be used as noninvasive preclinical and clinical biomarkers.
History of the Center for Optics Manufacturing

The Center for Optics Manufacturing (COM) at the Univ. of Rochester was a U.S. Army Center of Excellence from 1990–2004 as a focal point for development, demonstration, and implementation of manufacturing technology.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, and Brachytherapy Boost Modalities in Invasive Cervical Cancer: A Study of the National Cancer Data Base

Background and Purpose Our objective was to determine whether stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and brachytherapy boost techniques have comparable overall survival in treating cervical cancer when adjusted for known prognostic factors. Materials and Methods We used the National Cancer Database to study women with invasive cervical cancer who were treated with radiation between 2004 and 2013. A logistic regression model was built to identify factors associated with the receipt of SBRT and IMRT. Outcomes were compared using Kaplan-Meier and propensity score matching. Results Of all 15,905 patients, 14,394 (90.5%) received brachytherapy, 42 (0.8%) received SBRT, and 1468 (9.2%) received IMRT. After propensity score matching, there was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) for patients who received SBRT boost versus brachytherapy boost (hazard ratio = 1.477, 95% confidence interval = 0.746–2.926, P = 0.263) but a significant OS detriment in patients who received IMRT boost versus brachytherapy boost (hazard ratio = 1.455, 95% confidence interval = 1.300–1.628, P Conclusions In a propensity-matched analysis, those who received SBRT boost had equal OS when compared with brachytherapy, but those who received IMRT boost had worse OS when compared with brachytherapy.
Late effects awareness website for pediatric survivors of acute lymphocytic leukemia

Objectives Every day 43 children are newly diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, almost 90% of these childhood cancer patients will survive. However, 60–90% of these survivors will experience late effects, health problems that occur months or years after treatment has ended. Late effects could occur as a result of the disease, its treatment, and patient-related factors. The two main objectives of this research are to: 1) Examine the existence of all web-based resources for childhood cancer survivors with acute lymphocytic leukemia which focus on medical and psychological aspects of late effects, and 2) Create an innovative website specifically designed to fill this void. Materials and methods A systematic literature review, followed by input from >20 different organizations, resulted in the creation of LEAP3 AHEAD (Late Effects Awareness for Patients, Physicians and the Public; Advancing Health and Eliminating All Disparities), a multi-dimensional website centering on late effects. Results An extensive review revealed 14 pediatric cancer websites, none of which focused exclusively on late effects. LEAP3 AHEAD is the first interactive website for acute lympocytic leukemia childhood cancer survivors and families, as well as physicians, and the public to: a) increase awareness about risks, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of medical and psychological late effects, b) provide suggestions to successfully reintegrate into schools, careers, and socially, and c) present opportunities including camps, scholarships, and pet therapy programs. Conclusion LEAP3 AHEAD is the first national website to provide a comprehensive, accessible, affordable, and multi-dimensional resource for pediatricians, internists, nurse practitioners, psychologists, survivors and their families, as well as the public about late effects.
Fidaxomicin jamsMycobacterium tuberculosisRNA polymerase motions needed for initiation via RbpA contacts.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that affects over ten million people every year. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria that cause the disease spread through the air from one person to another and mainly infect the lungs. Although curable, TB is difficult to eradicate because it is remarkably widespread, with one third of the world’s population estimated to carry the bacteria. Treatment for TB involves a mix of antibiotics that should be taken for several months to a year. The number of multidrug-resistant TB cases, where the infection is not treatable by the common cocktail of antibiotics, is rapidly increasing. There is therefore a need to discover new drugs that can kill the M. tuberculosis bacteria. An antibiotic called fidaxomicin is used to treat intestinal infections. Although it can kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells in culture, it is not absorbed from the intestines to the blood and thus cannot reach the lungs to kill the bacteria. It may be possible to change the structure of the drug so that it can enter the bloodstream. Before this can be done, researchers need to understand exactly how fidaxomicin kills the bacteria so that they know which parts of the drug they can alter without making it less effective. Fidaxomicin kills bacterial cells by binding to an enzyme called RNA polymerase. The antibiotic prevents the enzyme from reading and ‘transcribing’ DNA to form molecules that are essential for life. To learn more about how fidaxomicin has this effect, Boyaci, Chen et al. used cryo-electron microscopy to look at structures of the M. tuberculosis RNA polymerase in different states, including when it was bound to fidaxomicin. The structures reveal the chemical details of the interactions between the RNA polymerase and the antibiotic. The two molecules bind to each other through a region of the RNA polymerase that is unique to M. tuberculosis and closely related bacteria. Fidaxomicin acts like a doorstop to jam the RNA polymerase in an open state that cannot bind to DNA and transcribe genes. Medicinal chemists could now build on these findings to develop new drugs that might treat TB, either by modifying fidaxomicin or designing new antibiotics that bind to the same region of the RNA polymerase. Because the fidaxomicin-binding region of the RNA polymerase is specific to M. tuberculosis new antibiotics could be tailored towards the bacteria that have a minimal effect on a patient’s normal gut bacteria.
A Case of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Renal Significance

A 53-year-old white man with a past medical history of gout and uric acid nephrolithiasis was referred for evaluation of proteinuria and CKD. His serum creatinine (SCr) had been 1.5–1.8 mg/dl for at least 3 years, and his urine dipsticks were positive for blood and protein, which had been
Press Pause: Critically Contextualizing Music Video in Visual Culture and Art Education

Music video is one of the most influential visual culture forms to hit youth culture since the advent of television. Although provocative, the value of studying such visual culture as the music video in art education is much more than providing mere spectacle or motivational tactic. As many teenagers know, music videos portray meaning. They provoke, sell, promote, and tell stories through densely textured images and sound. They are exciting, dramatic forms of art that are in their own right an excellent source of learning as well as a provocative link to more traditional artistic forms. Like any form of art and educational experience, music video, as well as other visual culture studies, requires meaningful contextual research and analysis as well as alternative approaches to what we think about, teach, and learn in art education. In a quest for a critical, comprehensive, and contextual approach to music video analysis and interpretation, this article examines and correlates theories of critical pedagogy,...
Investigating optimal bull:heifer ratios required for estrus-synchronized heifers.

The objectives of this study were to determine 1) the effect of bull:heifer ratio on reproductive performance and associated costs and return on heifers in synchronized estrus and 2) the effect of estrus synchronization on reproductive performance and economic variables, in a multiple-sire, pasture breeding situation. Eight hundred yearling beef heifers and 28 mature, sexually experienced beef bulls were allotted to four treatments (two replicates per treatment) at bull:heifer ratios of 2 per 100 (1:50; Treatment 1), 2 per 100 (1:50; Treatment 2), 4 per 100 (1:25; Treatment 3), and 6 per 100 (1:16; Treatment 4). Treatment 1 (control) used nonsynchronized heifers, whereas heifers in Treatments 2, 3, and 4 were synchronized using the 33-d melengestrol acetate (MGA)-prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) program. Pregnancy results after a 28-d breeding season indicate that there may be a limit to how many estrus-synchronized heifers bulls can impregnate. Treatment 2 showed a 6% decrease (P < .10) in pregnancy rate (77%) compared with Treatment 3 (83%), indicating that the bulls probably were not able to service all the synchronized heifers. Treatments 3 and 4 had similar pregnancy rates (83 and 84%, respectively). Treatment 4 had a 3-d advantage (P < .01) over Treatment 3 in average day of conception. However, based on economic analysis, Treatment 3 exhibited greater returns. Estrus synchronization failed to provide any advantage in pregnancy rate or day of conception. For unknown reasons, the control, nonsynchronized heifers cycled and conceived as if they were synchronized.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Education-dependent activation of glycolysis promotes the cytolytic potency of licensed human natural killer cells

Background The mechanism by which natural killer (NK) cell education results in licensed NK cells with heightened effector function against missing self-targets is not known. Objective We sought to identify potential mechanisms of enhanced function in licensed human NK cells. Methods We used expanded human NK cells from killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)/HLA–genotyped donors sorted for single-KIR+ cells to generate pure populations of licensed and unlicensed NK cells. We performed proteomic and gene expression analysis of these cells before and after receptor cross-linking and performed functional and metabolic analysis before and after interference with selected metabolic pathways. We verified key findings using freshly isolated and sorted NK cells from peripheral blood. Results We confirmed that licensed human NK cells are greater in number in peripheral blood and proliferate more in vitro than unlicensed NK cells. Using high-throughput protein analysis, we found that unstimulated licensed NK cells have increased expression of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme M2 and after KIR cross-linking have increased phosphorylation of the metabolic modulators p38-α and 5′ adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase α. After cytokine expansion and activation, unlicensed NK cells depended solely on mitochondrial respiration for cytolytic function, whereas licensed NK cells demonstrated metabolic reprogramming toward glycolysis and mitochondrial-dependent glutaminolysis, leading to accumulation of glycolytic metabolites and depletion of glutamate. As such, blocking both glycolysis and mitochondrial-dependent respiration was required to suppress the cytotoxicity of licensed NK cells. Conclusions Collectively, our data support an arming model of education in which enhanced glycolysis in licensed NK cells supports proliferative and cytotoxic capacity.
Shifting Demographics: Understanding How Ethnically Diverse Networks Influence Latinos’ Political Uses of Social Media and Offline Political Engagement

Although prior work has demonstrated a link between online political engagement and offline participation, less is known about which mechanisms might influence online political opinion expression. This study examined specific constructs that might lead to increased social media engagement among Latinos—a demographic group with high social media adoption, but lower levels of political participation. Results from this study, using data from the 2016 presidential election, suggest that acculturation processes can explain the likelihood of online political engagement, willingness to share opinions, and offline political participation. Findings indicate that for Latinos, the ethnic heterogeneity of one’s social media network and perceptions of commonality between one’s own ethnic group and other ethnic and racial groups drive willingness to share opinions, online political engagement, and, indirectly, offline political participatory behaviors. Results are contextualized in relation to the ways Latinos uniquely integrate with U.S. political culture through online engagement.
Acute Leak Following Bariatric Surgery: Endoscopic Stent Management

Leaks occur in 1.6–4.8% of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and 1.7–2.4% of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) cases. The two modalities of care in the setting of an acute leak include both surgical and endoscopic intervention. This chapter focuses on the proper evaluation and management of an acute leak following bariatric surgery utilizing endoscopic stent placement.
Outcome comparison of allogeneic vs. autologous stem cell transplantation in transformed low grade lymphoid malignancies: A meta-analysis of comparative studies.

8566 Background: Low grade lymphoid malignancy is incurable disease with a chronic relapsing disease course, requiring recurrent therapeutic interventions. Stem cell transplantation (SCT) has becom...
The role of social workers in sport: shared values, interprofessional collaborations, and unique contributions

AbstractSport is often utilized as a hook to captivate the attention of the public, a medium that represents a microcosm of societal issues, a platform to advocate for awareness of social justice i...
The impact of disregarding family structure on genome-wide association analysis of complex diseases in cohorts with simple pedigrees

The generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) methodology is the standard framework for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of complex diseases in family-based cohorts. Fitting GLMMs in very large cohorts, however, can be computationally demanding. Also, the modified versions of GLMM using faster algorithms may underperform, for instance when a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is correlated with fixed-effects covariates. We investigated the extent to which disregarding family structure may compromise GWAS in cohorts with simple pedigrees by contrasting logistic regression models (i.e., with no family structure) to three LMMs-based ones. Our analyses showed that the logistic regression models in general resulted in smaller P values compared with the LMMs-based models; however, the differences in P values were mostly minor. Disregarding family structure had little impact on determining disease-associated SNPs at genome-wide level of significance (i.e., P < 5E-08) as the four P values resulted from the tested methods for any SNP were all below or all above 5E-08. Nevertheless, larger discrepancies were detected between logistic regression and LMMs-based models at suggestive level of significance (i.e., of 5E-08 ≤ P < 5E-06). The SNP effects estimated by the logistic regression models were not statistically different from those estimated by GLMMs that implemented Wald’s test. However, several SNP effects were significantly different from their counterparts in LMMs analyses. We suggest that fitting GLMMs with Wald’s test on a pre-selected subset of SNPs obtained from logistic regression models can ensure the balance between the speed of analyses and the accuracy of parameters.
The Citizenship Issue and Gerrymandering

The census tells the story of population composition—the country of birth, mother tongue, ancestry, and race of the population. Therefore, the census also tells the story of immigration. Although a question about citizenship had been asked as recently as the 1950 Census, it was then asked only of the foreign-born. When Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., announced that there would be an additional question on the 2020 Census on citizenship, the resulting lawsuits were eventually heard by the Supreme Court. The Court narrowly ruled that the question would not be included on the 2020 Census. An important issue in the public controversy was the fear that a census citizenship question would increase the undercount among immigrants and Hispanics.
Making Hungary Great Again: Mass Violence, State Building, and the Ironies of Global Holocaust Memory

This chapter begins by examining the persecution and destruction of Jews and Jewish communities in the multiethnic and multi-religious borderlands under Hungarian rule during World War II that aimed to create an ethno-national “Greater Hungary.” This vision also entailed an attack by the Hungarian state against other groups, which the state also perceived as dangerous, foreign, or otherwise “non-Hungarian.” The chapter highlights the agency of wartime Hungarian state authorities by offering a novel analysis of bystanders: a close reading of testimonies of Holocaust survivors who witnessed Hungarian state violence against other groups. The chapter then addresses a troubling irony: the current Hungarian government, which spreads anti-Jewish discourse and engages in violent attacks against Roma, also plays an active role in international institutes of global Holocaust memory. State-sponsored Holocaust memory in Hungary furthermore exploits this memory culture to promote a political agenda wherein the “Greater Hungary” vision is still central by referring to the Holocaust in Hungary as an exclusively German history. The government also reclaims as Hungarian the borderland Jews that the Hungarian state had excluded as “non-Hungarian” and destroyed during World War II in order to stress the “Hungarian” character of those “Greater Hungary” territories that are today parts of neighboring states. The chapter concludes by linking this ironic situation very briefly with another irony of global Holocaust memory.
What Donald Trump’s response to COVID-19 teaches us: It’s time for our romance with leaders to end

This article challenges our collective focus on individual leaders such as Donald Trump especially during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that such attention distracts us f...
Design and Operation of a Graphene-Based Plasmonic Nano-Antenna Array for Communication in the Terahertz Band

Terahertz (THz)-band (0.1 - 10 THz) communication is envisioned as a key wireless technology to satisfy the need for higher wireless data rates in denser networks. Several ongoing approaches are being considered to overcome the grand challenge of the THz band, i.e., the limited communication distance. Among others, the use of new 2D nanomaterials such as graphene to create novel plasmonic devices that operate directly in the THz range and can be densely packed has been proposed. This paper presents a novel THz plasmonic array architecture which leverages the properties of graphene to greatly simplify its design and operation. Each element of the plasmonic array is an independent front-end, consisting of an on-chip plasmonic source, modulator and antenna. The advantages of this array architecture over conventional array architectures are discussed. The trade-offs in the design of the front-end and the array are exhaustively studied in transmission. The ability to perform continuous dynamic beamforming is presented. A new tailored algorithm is developed for beamforming weight selection. Extensive numerical results are provided to demonstrate the functionality of the array for dynamic beamforming and increased power output.
Why Counting Black Lives Matters - The 2020 Census.

Why Counting Black Lives Matters A confluence of events has substantially increased the likelihood of undercounts of non-White populations in the U.S. census, at a time when such undercounts might ...
Supramolecular Hydrogels via Light-Responsive Homoternary Cross-Links.

Host-guest physical cross-linking has been used to prepare supramolecular hydrogels for various biomedical applications. More recent efforts to endow these materials with stimuli-responsivity offers an opportunity to precisely tune their function for a target use. In the context of light-responsive materials, azobenzenes are one prevailing motif. Here, an asymmetric azobenzene was explored for its ability to form homoternary complexes with the cucurbit[8]uril macrocycle, exhibiting an affinity (Keq) of 6.21 × 1010 M-2 for sequential binding, though having negative cooperativity. Copolymers were first prepared from different and tunable ratios of NIPAM and DMAEA, and DMAEA groups were then postsynthetically modified with this asymmetric azobenzene. Upon macrocycle addition, these polymers formed supramolecular hydrogels; relaxation dynamics increased with temperature due to temperature-dependent affinity reduction for the ternary complex. Application of UV light disrupted the supramolecular motif through azobenzene photoisomerization, prompting a gel-to-sol transition in the hydrogel. Excitingly, within several minutes at room temperature, thermal relaxation of azobenzene to its trans state afforded rapid hydrogel recovery. By revealing this supramolecular motif and employing facile means for its attachment onto pre-synthesized polymers, the approach described here may further enable stimuli-directed control of supramolecular hydrogels for a number of applications.
Brief Report: Youth Living With Perinatally Acquired HIV Have Lower Physical Activity Levels as They Age Compared With HIV-Exposed Uninfected Youth.

BACKGROUND Few studies have evaluated physical activity patterns or their association with vascular inflammation among youth living with perinatally acquired HIV (YPHIV). METHODS We assessed YPHIV and youth perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (YPHEU) in the PHACS Adolescent Master Protocol with at least one Block physical activity questionnaire (PAQ) completed between ages 7-19 years. Physical activity metrics were as follows: (1) daily total energy expenditure (TEE) and (2) physical activity duration (PAD) defined as the minutes of daily moderate and vigorous activities. In a subgroup, we measured serum biomarkers of coagulation (fibrinogen and P-selectin) and endothelial dysfunction (soluble intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin) obtained within 3 months of a single PAQ. Repeated measures linear regression models were used to compare the trajectories of log-transformed TEE and PAD by HIV status, adjusting for confounders. Spearman correlations were calculated to assess the relationship of TEE and PAD with vascular biomarkers. RESULTS Five hundred ninety-six youth (387 YPHIV and 209 YPHEU) completed 1552 PAQs (median PAQs completed = 3). The median age at enrollment (Q1, Q3) was 11 (9, 13) years. TEE and PAD increased with age in both YPHIV and YPHEU. However, even after adjusting for confounders, YPHIV had significantly less increase per year than YPHEU for TEE (5.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): -9.9% to -1.4%, P = 0.010] less) and PAD (5.2% [95% CI: -9.2% to -1.1%, P = 0.016] less). Among 302 youth with biomarker measures (187 YPHIV and 114 YPHEU), we observed little correlation with TEE or PAD. CONCLUSIONS Both groups had increases in physical activity levels as they aged, but YPHIV had smaller increases throughout adolescence compared with YPHEU, which may impact long-term health.
Longitudinal Variation in Absolute and Relative AlloMap Score in Heart Transplant Recipients

Purpose The non-invasive AlloMap gene expression profiling test has been demonstrated to possess high negative predictive value for detecting cardiac allograft rejection and dysfunction after heart transplant. We assessed longitudinal trends in AlloMap score post-transplant. Methods We retrospectively analyzed AlloMap scores, organized by season and year post-transplant, for patients undergoing heart transplantation at our center. Patients with multiple tests in one season had their scores averaged. Relative AlloMap score was calculated for each patient as (AlloMap score)/(average AlloMap score across all tests). The association between season and AlloMap score was also investigated. Seasons were defined as the following: (1) Winter: January - March, (2) Spring: April - June, (3) Summer: July - September, (4) Fall: October - December. Results A total of 658 tests were included in our study. AlloMap scores were significantly greater in tests done more than one-year post-transplant compared to those completed in the first year (median: 32 (29, 34) vs 28 (24.5, 32), p Conclusion We observed longitudinal trends of rising absolute and relative AlloMap scores after one-year post-transplant. Clinically, the variability score may be more meaningful than the raw score in the long-term due to more specific comparison of patient level variation from baseline. Further analyses with multicenter data are warranted.
On believing and hoping whether

Theories of clause selection that aim to explain the distribution of interrogative and declarative complement clauses often take as a starting point that predicates like think , believe , hope , and fear are incompatible with interrogative complements. After discussing experimental evidence against the generalizations on which these theories rest, I give corpus evidence that even the core data are faulty: think , believe , hope , and fear are in fact compatible with interrogative complements, suggesting that any theory predicting that they should not be must be jettisoned. EARLY ACCESS
Photoelectron photofragment coincidence spectroscopy of carboxylates

Photoelectron–photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying the decarboxylation dynamics of carboxyl radicals. Measurement of photoelectron and photofragment kinetic energies in coincidence provides a kinematically complete measure of the dissociative photodetachment (DPD) dynamics of carboxylate anions. PPC spectroscopy studies of methanoate, ethanoate, propanoate, 2-butenoate, benzoate, p-coumarate and the oxalate monoanion are reviewed. All of the systems studied undergo decarboxylation via a two-body DPD channel i.e. , driven by the thermodynamic stability of CO2. Additionally, decarboxylation is observed via a three-body ionic photodissociation channel for p-coumarate. In some cases photodetachment also results in a stable carboxyl radical (RCO2). The branching ratio for DPD, the threshold detachment energy and the peak of the kinetic energy release spectrum are compared for different carboxylates, as a probe of the character of the potential energy landscape in the Franck–Condon region.
A Competitive Algorithm for Throughout Maximization on Identical Machines.

This paper considers the basic problem of scheduling jobs online with preemption to maximize the number of jobs completed by their deadline on $m$ identical machines. The main result is an $O(1)$ competitive deterministic algorithm for any number of machines $m >1$.
Enhancing neural stem cell response to SDF-1α gradients through hyaluronic acid-laminin hydrogels

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates an expansive biochemical insult that is largely responsible for the long-term dysfunction associated with TBI; however, current clinical treatments fall short of addressing these underlying sequelae. Pre-clinical investigations have used stem cell transplantation with moderate success, but are plagued by staggeringly low survival and engraftment rates (2-4%). As such, providing cell transplants with the means to better dynamically respond to injury-related signals within the transplant microenvironment may afford improved transplantation survival and engraftment rates. The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) is a potent chemotactic signal that is readily present after TBI. In this study, we sought to develop a transplantation vehicle to ultimately enhance the responsiveness of neural transplants to injury-induced SDF-1α. Specifically, we hypothesize that a hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin (Lm) hydrogel would promote 1. upregulated expression of the SDF-1α receptor CXCR4 in neural progenitor/stem cells (NPSCs) and 2. enhanced NPSC migration in response to SDF-1α gradients. We demonstrated successful development of a HA-Lm hydrogel and utilized standard protein and cellular assays to probe NPSC CXCR4 expression and NPSC chemotactic migration. The findings demonstrated that NPSCs significantly increased CXCR4 expression after 48 h of culture on the HA-Lm gel in a manner critically dependent on both HA and laminin. Moreover, the HA-Lm hydrogel significantly increased NPSC chemotactic migration in response to SDF-1α at 48 h, an effect that was critically dependent on HA, laminin and the SDF-1α gradient. Therefore, this hydrogel serves to 1. prime NPSCs for the injury microenvironment and 2. provide the appropriate infrastructure to support migration into the surrounding tissue, equipping cells with the tools to more effectively respond to the injury microenvironment.
Metal ion and substrate structure dependence of the processing of tRNA precursors by RNase P and M1 RNA.

A synthetic tRNA precursor analog containing the structural elements of Escherichia coli tRNA(Phe) was characterized as a substrate for E. coli ribonuclease P and for M1 RNA, the catalytic RNA subunit. Processing of the synthetic precursor exhibited a Mg2+ dependence quite similar to that of natural tRNA precursors such as E. coli tRNA(Tyr) precursor. It was found that Sr2+, Ca2+, and Ba2+ ions promoted processing of the dimeric precursor at Mg2+ concentrations otherwise insufficient to support processing; very similar behavior was noted for E. coli tRNA(Tyr). As noted previously for natural tRNA precursors, the absence of the 3'-terminal CA sequence in the synthetic precursor diminished the facility of processing of this substrate by RNase P and M1 RNA. A study of the Mg2+ dependence of processing of the synthetic tRNA dimeric substrate radiolabeled between C75 and A76 provided unequivocal evidence for an alteration in the actual site of processing by E. coli RNase P as a function of Mg2+ concentration. This property was subsequently demonstrated to obtain (Carter, B. J., Vold, B.S., and Hecht, S. M. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7100-7103) for a mutant Bacillus subtilis tRNAHis precursor containing a potential A-C base pair at the end of the acceptor stem.
"Simplest" Paths: Automated Route Selection for Navigation

Numerous cognitive studies have indicated that the form and complexity of route instructions may be as important to human navigators as the overall length of route. Most automated navigation systems rely on computing the solution to the shortest path problem, and not the problem of finding the “simplest” path. This paper addresses the issue of finding the “simplest” paths through a network, in terms of the instruction complexity. We propose a “simplest” paths algorithm that has quadratic computation time for a planar graph. An empirical study of the algorithm’s performance, based on an established cognitive model of navigation instruction complexity, revealed that the length of a simplest path was on average only 16% longer than the length of the corresponding shortest path. In return for marginally longer routes, the simplest path algorithm seems to offer considerable advantages over shortest paths in terms of their ease of description and execution. The conclusions indicate several areas for future research: in particular cognitive studies are needed to verify these initial computational results. Potentially, the simplest paths algorithm could be used to replace shortest paths algorithms in any automated system for generating human navigation instructions, including in-car navigation systems, Internet driving direction servers, and other location-based services.
Evidence for differences in the thermal histories of Antarctic and non-Antarctic H chondrites with cosmic-ray exposure ages < 20 Ma

Antarctic H chondrites show a different range of induced thermoluminescence properties compared with those of H chondrites that have fallen elsewhere in the world. Recent noble gas data of Schultz et al. (1991) show that this difference is displayed most dramatically by meteorites with cosmic-ray exposure ages less than 20 Ma, and they confirm that the differences cannot be attributed to weathering or to the presence of a great many fragments of an unusual Antarctic meteorite. Annealing experiments on an H5 chondrite, and other measurements on a variety of ordinary chondrites, have shown that induced TL properties are sensitive to the thermal histories of the meteorities. It is concluded that the events(s) that released the less than 20 Ma samples, which are predominantly those with exposure ages of 8 + or - 2 Ma, produced two groups with different thermal histories, one that came to earth several 100,000 years ago and that are currently only found in Antarctica, and one that is currently falling on the earth.
Reprints of Papers from the Past

One of the major characteristics of the solid-state laser that distinguishes it from the more elegant gas laser is its ability to generate almost unbelievably high peak powers. Today you can go out and buy a Q-spoiled ruby laser with a peak power output in excess of 500 MW (and this figure can, of course, be further increased by the use of optical amplifiers). One naturally wonders whether there is an upper limit to the peak power that can be realized with such a laser and, if so, what mechanism is responsible for this limitation.
Purification and Quantification of Neural α-synuclein: Relevance for Pathogenesis and Biomarker Development

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses relevance of purification and quantification of neural α-synuclein for pathogenesis and biomarker development. The chapter introduces novel methods to enrich neural α-synuclein for identifying α-synuclein associated proteins and to use α-synuclein as a biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD), with a sensitive ELISA to detect α-synuclein in a variety of biological specimens. The data presented in this chapter is in support of several findings with relevance to the pathogenesis of PD, to the possible diagnosis of synucleinopathies, and to the development of platforms for possible drug validation in preclinical trials. The chapter provides unequivocal evidence that αS is present in cell-free human CSF, which was collected through an indwelling lumbar drain (LDCSF) from a neurologically healthy adult. The studies demonstrate the development, validation, and application of a sandwich-type ELISA method, which permits—for the first time—the direct quantification of neural αS without preceding processing steps. Results are presented for a first, large cross-sectional pilot study of CSF αS quantification in 165 subjects, which was performed using a 384-well plate ELISA format.
IL-4 alpha chain receptor (IL-4Rα) polymorphisms in allergic bronchopulmonary sspergillosis

Background Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis occurs in 7–10% of cystic fibrosis (CF) and 1–2% of asthmatic patients. HLA-DR restriction and increased sensitivity to IL-4 stimulation have been proposed as risk factors in these populations.
Resonant transfer excitation: Interference effects

Interference effects in RTE (Resonant Transfer Excitation) can be studied for low Z projectiles via Auger electrons emitted from highly ionized fast moving projectile ions following collisions with low Z targets1–18. RTE in ion-atom collisions is closely related to dielectronic recombination’. In the latter case which is of practical interest to the fusion power program an electron with the proper velocity incident on a highly charged ion is resonantly captured and simultaneously interacts with an inner shell electron to excite it, thus forming a doubly excited state which may decay predominantly by x-ray emission for higher Z ions or by Auger electron decay for lower Z ions. The resonant velocity is that of the Auger electron emitted by the ion in the doubly excited state. In RTE the electrons to be captured are in low Z atomic (typically He) or molecular (typically H2) targets and the ions are produced by accelerators in highly charged states with the appropriate resonant velocity. The resonance is much broadened by the velocity distribution of the target electrons. Thus the resonance width as a function of projectile energy is determined by folding the Compton profile of the target electrons with the dielectronic recombination cross sections. This results in a formula valid when the impulse approximation applies:
Salience and similarity in loanword adaptation: a case study from Fijian

Abstract This paper analyzes the corpus of English loanwords into Fijian assembled by Schutz [Schutz, A., 1978. English loanwords in Fijian. In: Schutz, A. (Ed.), Fijian Language Studies: Borrowing and Pidginization. Bulletin of Fiji Museum No. 4, pp. 1–50] from the perspective of Optimality Theoretic faithfulness based on the notions of auditorysalience and similarity [Steraide, D., 2001. Directional asymmetries in place assimilation: a perceptual account. In: Hume, E., Johnson, K. (Eds.), The Role of Speech Perception in Phonology, Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 219–250; Steraide, D., 2001. The Phonology of Perceptibility Effects: the P-map and its Consequences for Constraint Organization. Unpublished UCLA ms]. Four topics are discussed: stress, consonant cluster resolution, variation in the form of the epenthetic vowel, and the adaptation of voiced stops.