cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mannose-binding sites on human spermatozoa and sperm morphology

Objective To verify a possible association between the expression of sperm head mannose-binding sites and sperm morphology. Design Prospective in vitro study. Setting University-based sperm biology and andrology laboratories. Participants Twenty-seven fertile donors and 45 patients consulting for infertility. Interventions D-mannose-binding sites were identified using a fluoresceinated mannose-enriched bovine serum albumin. Hoechst 33258 was included to confirm sperm viability and hypo-osmotic swelling test to assess plasma membrane integrity. Sperm morphology was judged by strict criteria and semen samples were classified into three groups: normal (group N, >10% morphologically normal sperm, n=27), good prognosis (group G, 5% to 10%, n=23), or poor prognosis (group P, ≤4%, n=22). Results Only viable (Hoechst 33258 negative) spermatozoa with intact plasma membrane (hypo-osmotic swelling test positive) were considered in the evaluation of mannose-binding sites. The incidence of spermatozoa showing surface mannose-binding sites was higher in the N group (48.1%±1.9%; mean±SEM) than in the G (17.6%±4.4%) or P (7.6%±2.3%) groups. Total mannose-binding site expression and percentage of morphologically normal sperm showed a high positive correlation ( r =0.80). Conclusion Altered expression of mannose-binding sites, putative zona receptors, may be one of the molecular defects causing decreased fertility in morphologically abnormal human sperm.
A case of mistaken identity, Opuntia abjecta , long-lost in synonymy under the Caribbean species, O. triacantha , and a reassessment of the enigmatic O. cubensis

Opuntia abjecta and O. militaris have been placed in synonymy under the Caribbean species O. triacantha for the past 30 years. Recent molecular phylogenetic evidence has shown, however, that O. abjecta and O. triacantha are actually in two very different clades suggesting that the Floridian endemic O. abjecta should be recognized as a distinct species. Here, we summarize major morphological differences between O. abjecta and O. triacantha. We also include new sequence data from the rare Cuban taxon, O. militaris, in a molecular phylogenetic analysis to determine its relationship to O. triacantha and O. abjecta. We discuss the putative hybrid taxa O. cubensis and O. ochrocentra, which currently are treated as synonyms. We also show through analysis of morphological and molecular characters that these two taxa were derived from two independent origins from divergent maternal progenitors, confirming that O. ochrocentra should not be treated as synonymous with O. cubensis. A key is provided for identifying these taxonomically confusing taxa and their close relatives. This study emphasizes the distinctions among O. abjecta, O. militaris, and O. triacantha and illustrates that extreme caution must be employed when using herbarium specimens for identifying species of Opuntia. It also indicates that broad phytogeographic assumptions regarding species’ relationships in Opuntia may sometimes be misleading. Hybridization and polyploidy are common in Opuntia and have played a role in the formation of new species in this group as well. A neotype is here designated for O. triacantha.
The Overpath Method

We saw in Chapter XII that the cohomology group H 2 (S, G) can be computed by means of functions of two variables in S, namely, symmetric 2-cocycles. The overpath method computes H 2 (S, G) by means of functions of one variable, one for every defining relation of S in any suitable presentation of S. This makes the computation of H 2 (S, G) a finite task whenever S is finitely generated.
Determination of external quantum efficiency in semiconductors using pulsed power-dependent photoluminescence

External quantum efficiency (EQE) is a parameter widely used in various photonic devices. In laser refrigeration of solids, materials with high EQE are essential for achieving net cooling. Pulsed power-dependent photoluminescence measurement is developed and demonstrated to be a rapid and efficient tool to determine the EQE and screen the sample quality before the fabrication process for the application of laser cooling in semiconductors. EQE values obtained from this technique are shown to be consistent with results from other more precise, but time-consuming measurements for various samples at different temperatures.
How to study the impact of sex and gender in medical research: A review of resources

There is a growing appreciation by the biomedical community that studying the impact of sex and gender on health, aging, and disease will lead to improvements in human health. Sex- and gender-based comparisons can inform research on disease mechanisms and the development of new therapeutics as well as enhance scientific rigor and reproducibility. This review will assist basic researchers, clinical investigators, as well as epidemiologists, population, and social scientists by providing an annotated bibliography of currently available resource tools on how to consider sex and gender as independent variables in research design and methodology. These resources will assist investigators applying for funding from the National Institutes of Health since all grant applicants will be required (as of January 25, 2016) to address the role of sex as a biological variable in vertebrate animal and human studies.
Outcomes of levator advancement and Müller muscle-conjunctiva resection for the repair of upper eyelid ptosis.

Both the Muller muscle-conjunctiva resection (MMCR) and levator advancement (LA) procedures can be used to manage ptosis in patients with good levator function. The aim of this article is to evaluate the efficacy and cosmetic outcomes of the two procedures. The clinical records of 29 consecutive eyelids of 26 patients undergoing MMCR and 30 eyelids of 23 patients undergoing LA were analysed. Eleven (42%) in the LA group and 9 (39%) in the MMCR group were male. The preoperative eyelid measurements were significantly different in the LA compared to the MMCR groups, in terms of palpebral aperture (PA) (6.3 vs 7.4, p = 0.01), marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1) (-0.1 vs 1.5, p < 0.001) and levator function (LF) (12.1 vs 13.4, p = 0.03). The MRD1 1 month post-surgery was slightly less in the LA group compared to the MMCR group (2.6 vs 3.18 mm, p = 0.047) but not significantly different at months 3 and 6. The final change in MRD1 was significantly higher in the LA group (2.93 vs 1.76, p = 0.004). The MMCR group had a lower incidence of lid contour abnormalities (0% vs 20%, p = 0.01) and overcorrection (0% vs 13%, p = 0.04). There was no statistically significant difference in the rates of undercorrection in either group. Both the MMCR as well as LA procedures are effective for mild to moderate ptosis in patients with good levator function. Patients undergoing MMCR had higher success rates, better preservation of the natural lid contour, and a lower incidence of overcorrection than patients undergoing LA.
Abstract 306: Murine Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Demonstrate Heterogeneous Growth and Remodelling by High-frequency Ultrasound

In vivo imaging of vascular disease models has been largely underutilized, but it can greatly benefit cardiovascular research. An improved understanding of the development of the angiotensin II (AngII) apolipoprotein E knockout model of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) could help patients with this life-threatening disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the early hemodynamic, biomechanical, and volumetric changes in AngII AAAs using high-frequency ultrasound. Five male apolipoprotein E-deficient C57BL/6J mice were subcutaneously implanted with AngII-loaded miniosmotic pumps (1000 ng/kg/min) and screened for appearance of AAAs. We acquired imaging data of the morphology, pulsatility, and blood flow profiles in newly formed AAAs over 7 days. We found that biomechanical and hemodynamic changes occurred during initial AAA formation alongside an increase in AAA volume. Average AAA volume increased by 140±24% between baseline and AAA diagnosis, while true lumen volume decreased by 46±12% due to formation of a focal dissection. The resulting intramural thrombus evolved in shape and volume but with variability between animals. Regional differences in blood flow velocity were apparent down the length of the largest AAAs and mean blood flow velocity significantly increased by 150±42% upon initial aortic expansion and true lumen narrowing. Mean velocity decreased over 7 days as the total AAA volume increased. Circumferential cyclic strain also significantly decreased upon initial aortic expansion and remained reduced, indicating the AAAs had stiffened vessel walls with initial aortic expansion. We are also exploring the heterogeneity of this AAA development using computational pulsatile flow models built from these ultrasound datasets. These models can provide information on site-specific changes in wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index, which are potentially predictive metrics for intramural thrombus formation and AAA growth.
Effects of phonological and phonetic factors on cross-language perception of approximants

Past research suggests that the degree of difficulty adults have with discriminating non-native segmental contrasts varies considerably across contrasts and languages. According to a recent proposal, this variation may be explained by differences in how the non-native phones are perceptually assimilated into native phoneme categories [Best, McRoberts & Sithole (1988) Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 14, 345-360]. The present study examined that proposal by testing identification and discrimination of three synthetic series of American English approximant contrasts, presented to American English-speaking subjects and native Japanese-speaking learners of English. The English approximants differ with respect to their phonemic status in Japanese, as well as in the phonetic details of the most similar Japanese phonemes. The perceptual assimilation hypotheses were strongly upheld in cross-language comparisons. Moreover, on the assumption that perceptual assimilation may be modified by learning the second language (L2), we also evaluated differences between subgroups of the Japanese subjects who had two different levels of English conversation experience. Those with intensive English conversation experience showed identification and discrimination patterns that were more similar (but not identical) to the Americans’ performance than did those who had had little English experience.
High-performance coarse operators for FPGA-based computing

Les FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) constituent un type de circuit reprogrammable qui, sous certaines conditions, peuvent avoir de meilleures performances que les microprocesseurs classiques. Les FPGA utilisent le circuit comme paradigme de programmation, ce qui permet d'effectuer des calculs paralleles propres a l'application visee. Ils permettent aussi d’atteindre l’efficacite arithmetique: un bit ne doit etre calcule que s'il est utile dans le resultat final. Pour ce faire, l’arithmetique utilisee par les FPGA ne peut se limiter qu’a des fonctions concues pour les microprocesseurs. Cette these se propose d’etudier les methodes pour l’implementation des fonctions gros-grain pour les FPGA a travers trois voies. De nouvelles methodes pour evaluer des fonctions trigonometriques, telles que le sinus, cosinus et arc tangente ont ete developpes dans cette these. Chaque methode est optimisee dans son contexte, de la maniere la plus flexible et la plus souple possible. Pour que les methodes aboutissent a leur efficacite arithmetique, il est necessaire de proceder a une analyse d'erreurs, ainsi qu’a un choix attentif des parametres de la methode et a une fine comprehension des algorithmes utilises. Les filtres numeriques constituent une famille importante d’operateurs arithmetiques qui rassemble des fonctions elementaires. Ils peuvent etre specifies a un niveau eleve d'abstraction, a travers une fonction de transfert avec des contraintes sur le rapport signal/bruit. Ils peuvent etre ensuite implementes comme des chemins de donnees bases sur des additions et des multiplications. Le principal resultat est donc une methode qui transforme une specification de haut niveau en une implementation d’une facon automatique. La premiere etape se rapporte au developpement d'une methode pour le calcul des produits par des constantes. Des filtres FIR et IIR peuvent etre construits a l'aide de cette brique de base. Pour que les operateurs arithmetiques atteignent leur performance maximale, on a besoin d’un pipeline correspondant au contexte donne. Meme si les connaissances du developpeur s’averent d’un grand avantage pendant le processus de creation d'un pipeline d'un chemin de donnees, cette etape demeure complexe et facilement susceptible a des erreurs. Une methode automatique, controlee par le developpeur a dont ete developpee. Cette these fournit un generateur des operateurs arithmetiques de haute qualite pres a l'emploi, et qui propagent le domaine des calculs sur des FPGA a un pas plus proche de l’adoption generale. Les cœurs arithmetiques font partie d'un generateur open-source, ou les fonctions peuvent etre decrites par une specification de haut niveau, comme par exemple une formule mathematique.
Vertical and torsional vibrations of an embedded rigid circular disc in a transversely isotropic multilayered half-space

Abstract In this paper, we present a fundamental solution to the mixed boundary-value problem of vertical and torsional vibrations of a rigid circular disc embedded in a transversely isotropic multilayered half-space. We first introduce the cylindrical system of vector functions to express displacements and stresses of the layered half-space induced by the time-harmonic vertical and torsional loads acting within the half-space. We then derive the recursive relation of the expansion coefficients of the displacement and traction vectors from one layer to any other layer via the dual variable and position (DVP) method. Finally, by virtue of the boundary/interface and internal loading conditions, the expansion coefficients of the displacements and tractions are determined, which are integrated back to the physical domains. To satisfy the mixed boundary conditions at the embedded rigid-disc level, we divide the load disc area into many annular load-rings with the corresponding solutions being superposed together via an integral least-square approach. Based on the derived fundamental solutions, various numerical examples on the vertical and torsional dynamic compliances are presented to demonstrate the influence of the embedment depth of the disc, material layering, anisotropy, and input frequency. Furthermore, the derived fundamental solution is applied to a homogeneous half-space with a thin coating to investigate the suitability of two effective boundary conditions on the half-space.
Intraprocedural direct left atrial and wedge pressure correlation during transcatheter mitral valve repair: Results from a single center registry.

OBJECTIVES This study investigates the correlation of occlusive wedge pressure (WP) with direct left atrial (LA) pressure in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) with MitraClip. BACKGROUND There is interest in acquiring objective hemodynamic parameters for intraprocedural guidance in patients undergoing MitraClip. METHODS The study included 94 patients with severe MR at prohibitive surgical risk who underwent MitraClip at the University of California Davis Medical Center between 2014 and 2016. RESULTS An average of 1.8 ± 0.7 clips were used to achieve MR grade of 2+ or less in 99% of patients. Correlation analysis of all (n = 236) pre-clip, inter-clip, and final-clip WP and LA pressures yielded a Pearson's R (r) of 0.85 and 0.79 for mean WP vs mean LA and WP V vs LA V, respectively. Median LA V to mean LA ratio (LAV:mLA) was 1.75 (IQR 1.5-1.9). 79% (n = 74) of patients had LAV:mLA ratio ≥ 1.5 with associated WP V vs LA V correlation (r) of 0.83. In patients with LAV:mLA ratio < 1.5, the correlation (r) was 0.69. Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between patients with LAV:mLA ratio ≥ 1.5 and patients with LAV:mLA ratio < 1.5. Post-procedure, median LA V: mean LA ratio decreased from 1.75 to 1.4, P = 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS Correlation between WP and direct LA pressure in patients with severe MR undergoing Mitraclip is modest. Caution is advised when using WP to approximate LA pressure intraprocedurally, especially in patients with baseline low LAV:mLA ratios.
Empathy versus evidence: Does perspective-taking for a discrimination claimant bias judgments of institutional sexism?:

We examined whether perspective-taking increased people’s recognition of institutional sexism in cases where evidence was in favor or against a woman’s claim. In Experiment 1, participants who took...
One Size Doesn't Fit All: A Project Designing Small-Scale Economic Development Projects.

AbstractThe authors describe an innovative active learning strategy for a course on the economics of developing countries—a project designing a small-scale economic development project. Student tea...
The 100 Most Influential Contemporary Social Work Faculty as Assessed by the H-Index

The names of faculty employed by the 76 member social work programs of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work were retrieved via a web-search. This resulted in a list of...
Affinity Maturation of the Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody Paratope Drives Epitope Spreading and Polyreactivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While epitope spreading of the serum ACPA response is believed to contribute to RA pathogenesis, little is understood regarding how this phenomenon occurs. This study was undertaken to analyze the antibody repertoires of individuals with RA to gain insight into the mechanisms leading to epitope spreading of the serum ACPA response in RA. Methods Plasmablasts from the blood of 6 RA patients were stained with citrullinated peptide tetramers to identify ACPA-producing B cells by flow cytometry. Plasmablasts were single-cell sorted and sequenced to obtain antibody repertoires. Sixty-nine antibodies were recombinantly expressed, and their anticitrulline reactivities were characterized using a cyclic citrullinated peptide enzyme-linked immuosorbent assay and synovial antigen arrays. Thirty-six mutated antibodies designed either to represent ancestral antibodies or to test paratope residues critical for binding, as determined from molecular modeling studies, were also tested for anticitrulline reactivities. Results Clonally related monoclonal ACPAs and their shared ancestral antibodies each exhibited differential reactivity against citrullinated antigens. Molecular modeling identified residues within the complementarity-determining region loops and framework regions predicted to be important for citrullinated antigen binding. Affinity maturation resulted in mutations of these key residues, which conferred binding to different citrullinated epitopes and/or increased polyreactivity to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the different somatic hypermutations accumulated by clonally related B cells during affinity maturation alter the antibody paratope to mediate epitope spreading and polyreactivity of the ACPA response in RA, suggesting that these may be key properties that likely contribute to the pathogenicity of ACPAs.
Security-Aware Synthesis of Human-UAV Protocols

In this work, we synthesize collaboration protocols for human-unmanned aerial vehicle (H-UAV) command and control systems, where the human operator aids in securing the UAV by intermittently performing geolocation tasks to confirm its reported location. We first present a stochastic game-based model for the system that accounts for both the operator and an adversary capable of launching stealthy false-data injection attacks, causing the UAV to deviate from its path. We also describe a synthesis challenge due to the UAV’s hidden-information constraint. Next, we perform human experiments using a developed RESCHU-SA testbed to recognize the geolocation strategies that operators adopt. Furthermore, we deploy machine learning techniques on the collected experimental data to predict the correctness of a geolocation task at a given location based on its geographical features. By representing the model as a delayed-action game and formalizing the system objectives, we utilize off-the-shelf model checkers to synthesize protocols for the human-UAV coalition that satisfy these objectives. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of the H-UAV protocol synthesis through a case study where the protocols are experimentally analyzed and further evaluated by human operators.
Assessing Facial Asymmetry in Postoperative Patients With Unilateral Coronal Craniosynostosis.

BACKGROUND Despite surgical correction of unilateral craniosynostosis (ULC), complex cranial base angulation can result in partial reversion to preoperative deformity with growth and time. Using 3-dimensional imaging, dysmorphic facial features of ULC in school-age patients were quantified and related to how they contribute to overall facial asymmetry and patient-reported outcomes. METHODS Children who underwent surgical correction of ULC were recruited from Yale University and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The 3D photographs were analyzed utilizing a Procrustes analysis of shape. Pearson's correlation was used to determine dysmorphic features' impact on overall asymmetry. Patients were stratified into "moderate" and "severe" asymmetry. Finally, asymmetry was correlated to patient-reported outcome scores. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS-25 with P < 0.05 as statistically significant. RESULTS Twenty-one patients were included with average age at analysis of 12.3 years. Fifty-seven percent of patients had right-sided fusion. The overall Procrustes analysis indicated a root mean square difference of 2.21 mm. Pearson's correlation indicated that the facial middle 3rd (P ≤ 0.001), orbital dystopia (P < 0.001), chin point deviation (P = 0.011), and nasal root angulation (P = 0.019) contributed most to overall asymmetry. Patients in the severe asymmetry cohort had greater facial middle-third asymmetry (P < 0.001) and orbital dystopia (P < 0.001). Asymmetry did not correlate with patient-reported outcomes. CONCLUSION Patients with ULC have persistent facial asymmetry at school-age with the greatest levels of asymmetry in the facial middle-third, orbit, and nasal root. Beyond the cranial dysmorphology, initial skull base angulation in unilateral coronal craniosynostosis manifests in long-term mid and lower-third facial asymmetry.
Null Lagrangians and Invariance of Action: Exact Gauge Functions

Null Lagrangians and their gauge functions are derived for given standard and non-standard Lagrangians. The obtained standard null Lagrangians generalize those previously found but the non-standard null Lagrangians are new. The gauge functions are used to make the action invariant and introduce the exact null Lagrangians, which form a new family of null Lagrangians. The conditions required for the action to be invariant are derived for all null Lagrangians presented in this paper, thus, making them exact. As a specific application, the exact null Lagrangians are derived for a second-order ordinary differential equation. The application shows that the exact null Lagrangians can be obtained for any ordinary differential equation with known Lagrangian.
Lessons Learnt from Accelerated Pavement Testing of Full-Depth Recycled Material Stabilized with Portland Cement

Accelerated pavement testing of full-depth recycled material stabilized with portland cement (FDR-PC) was recently completed at the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC). The goal of the experiment was to develop guidelines and mechanistic-empirical models for in-place pavement recycling in California. A four-lane test track, each lane with a different recycling strategy, was constructed. Recycling depth was 250 mm and the FDR-PC lane had a design seven-day unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of 3.1 MPa. Heavy Vehicle Simulator testing followed a conventional UCPRC test plan, with all testing done at a constant temperature of 30 °C at 50 mm pavement depth, and one test done in the dry state, and a second test done wet. Post-test forensic investigation of the FDR-PC layer revealed extensive cracking in both wet and dry sections, attributed to a combination of material, environmental, and trafficking effects. The locations of the cracks correlated with structural deterioration assessed using backcalculated stiffness from falling weight and road surface deflectometer test results. The results emphasized the difference in structural capacities of the FDR-PC layer in areas with drying shrinkage and fatigue cracks compared to areas without these. The study findings also highlighted potential challenges in selecting representative test sections on pavements with cement stabilized layers and emphasized the importance of forensic investigations.
Windowed Integration Sampling in Bio-Signal Front-End Design

The application of closed-loop windowed integration sampling (WIS) to the design of a CMOS closed-loop, low-noise, low-power front-end circuit for bio-signal acquisition is described. The inherent anti-aliasing of the WIS scheme enables direct sampling and amplification of input signals from sensors with minimal aliasing. The resulting signals are further conditioned by a switched-capacitor filter (SCF) prior to digitization. Consequently, the overall closed-loop transfer function is determined by precision capacitor ratios. The concepts are validated via a peripheral nerve signal (PNS) recording front-end designed and fabricated in a TSMC 180nm CMOS process. The circuit draws 17.3 µA from V DD = 1.8 V, achieves an input-referred noise of 1.68 µV rms (integrated from 10 Hz - 50 kHz) and a noise efficiency factor (NEF) of 2.84. The bandwidth extends from 220 Hz to 9.1 kHz with an overall mid-band gain of 56.9 dB. The die area is 0.24 mm2 including the clock generator.
The Demod Squad: A Tutorial on the Utility and Methodologies for Using Modulated Signals in Feedback Loops

This paper is a brief tutorial on methods for using modulated signals in feedback loops, and especially of the different methods and trade offs used for demodulating those signals to get information for the control loop. Modulation and demodulation are often understood as being part of communication theory, but the methods used to demodulate control signals can have a dramatic effect on the amount of delay, noise, and nonlinearity that gets passed from the desired control information into the feedback loop itself. In this tutorial, we hope to give a more fundamental understanding of how to properly use demodulation to minimize “sensor noise” before it ever enters into the loop.
System Design Approach to Medical Device Development

Many life saving devices come with significant risk which must be mitigated through a defined system design process. A seamless integration of the design and development process and the safety risk management process will allow devices to be safety used on humans. The development process is described in ISO 13485, the international standard for the development of medical devices. ISO 14971 is the international standard for the evaluation of the safety risk of a medical device. A system engineering approach to the design of medical devices provides a holistic approach to ensuring these devices are safe for their intended use. Universities and companies hoping to use their devices in clinical trials on patients are required to follow a well-defined process incorporating design and development planning, design input, design output, design review, design verification, and design validation. The safety risk management process must be carefully overlaid on top of this standard development process. This paper will describe acceptable development processes, including agile and evolutionary design. It will also describe the methodology used to develop devices intended for clinical trials on patients, prior to commercialization. It will briefly describe the requirements of clinical trials performed on humans and will cover the key elements of the safety risk management process.
Word-Problem-Solving Interventions for Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities: A Selective Meta-Analysis of the Literature:

This meta-analysis assessed the effect of word-problem-solving interventions on the word-problem-solving accuracy of students identified as having a learning disability (LD) or at risk for an LD in...
Underrepresented minority students receive lower grades and have higher rates of attrition across STEM disciplines: A sign of inequity?

Underrepresented minority (URM) students are subjected to historically rooted inequities when pursuing an education, especially in STEM disciplines with little diversity. In order to make STEM educ...
TEM characterization of dislocation loops in proton irradiated single crystal ThO2

Abstract This work focuses on the full characterization of dislocation loops induced by proton irradiation in single-crystal ThO2. Irradiation was performed using 2 MeV H+ ions with sample temperature at 600oC and a dose of up to 0.47 displacements per atom (dpa). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization was performed on a large number of dislocation loops. Burgers vector ( b → ) analysis using standard g → . b → = 0 invisibility criterion revealed different variants of 1 / 3 〈 111 〉 type dislocation loops. TEM analysis of edge-on dislocation loops was used to determine habit planes as { 111 } type. The nature of dislocation loops was revealed using the inside-outside contrast method as interstitial type. Rel-rod dark field images were obtained by selecting streak at g → = 1 / 2 [ 31 1 ¯ ] in diffraction pattern to identify the Frank loops present in the microstructure. Subsequent analysis of a single dislocation loop using atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) confirmed the interstitial nature of the loop with { 111 } habit plane.
Association of the Human Semen DNA Virome with Successful In Vitro Fertilization

ABSTRACT Objective To comprehensively characterize the DNA virome in semen samples collected for in vitro fertilization. Design A descriptive clinical study. Setting Single academic fertility center. Patients 24 male partners from couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Interventions Couples were randomized to receive 1 g of azithromycin (standard of care) or no azithromycin at the time of baseline IVF assessment. Semen samples were collected at the time of the female partners’ egg retrieval, and 100 μL of sample was used for virome analysis. Main Outcome Measures Detection of viruses by ViroCap enrichment of viral nucleic acid and sequencing. Association between the virome, semen parameters, and pregnancy outcomes. Results We detected viruses in 58% of the subjects. Viruses included polyomaviruses, papillomaviruses, herpesviruses, and anelloviruses. Viromes detected in semen had little overlap with the viromes detected in vaginal samples from their female partners collected at time of embryo transfer, which were analyzed in a previous study. Lower viral diversity in semen samples was positively associated with pregnancy (P=0.03, Hodges-Lehmann estimate of difference 1; 95% CI 2 to 0.00003). There was no association between viral diversity and sperm concentration, motility or fertilization rates. Conclusion This comprehensive characterization of the DNA virome in semen reveals an association between virome diversity and pregnancy in couples undergoing IVF. However, no association was found with specific semen parameters or fertilization rates, suggesting viral exposure may negatively affect pregnancy after fertilization. Future studies should be undertaken to evaluate associations between the semen virome with IVF outcomes in larger cohort.
Gene expression of oxidative stress markers and lung function: A CARDIA lung study.

Background Circulating markers of oxidative stress have been associated with lower lung function. Our objective was to study the association of gene expression levels of oxidative stress pathway genes (ALOX12, ALOX15, ARG2, GSTT1, LPO, MPO, NDUFB3, PLA2G7, and SOD3) and lung function forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC) in Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Methods Lung function was measured using spirometry and the Nanostring platform was used to estimate gene expression levels. Linear regression models were used to study association of lung function measured at year 30, 10-year decline in lung function and gene expression after adjustment for center, smoking, and BMI, measured at year 25. Results The 10-year decline of FEV1 was faster in highest NDUFB3 quartile compared to the lowest (difference = -2.09%; p = 0.001) after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The 10-year decline in FEV1 and FVC was nominally slower in highest versus lowest quartile of PLA2G7 (difference = 1.14%; p = 0.02, and difference = 1.06%; p = 0.005, respectively). The other genes in the study were not associated with FEV1 or FVC. Conclusion Higher gene expression levels in oxidative stress pathway genes are associated with faster 10-year FEV1 decline.
Great Depression II

This economist argues that fiscal and monetary stimulus likely saved us from a Great Depression. He explains clearly how and why Keynesian stimulus works, but he also argues that deficit spending cannot go on indefinitely. When the economy strengthens, that is the time to deal with government spending, not before. He offers a plan to do so.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Bacteria of Veterinary Origin

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is an essential tool to the veterinarian for selecting the most appropriate agent for treatment of bacterial diseases of animals. The availability of well-defined methods that incorporate the necessary quality controls coupled to clinical outcome data is foundational in providing relevant test results for clinical decisions. Since 1993, the Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) Subcommittee on Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (VAST) has developed specific test methods and interpretive criteria for veterinary pathogens. This information has allowed for veterinarians to more effectively treat animal diseases thereby protecting both animal welfare and human food security. Moreover, the availability of standardized test methods for veterinary pathogens has allowed for the development of antimicrobial surveillance programs to detect the emergence of resistance among veterinary pathogens. Future work by the VAST and other groups will be critical to expanding the current test methods and interpretive criteria to more pathogen-antibacterial combinations, as well as, the incorporation of genomic information for routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
Preface to 'International Economics: Global Markets and Competition' (2nd Edition)

This text integrates the microeconomics of trade with concepts from open economy macroeconomics. The emphasis is on the powerful forces of international competition and the limitations of government policy. Economics began with a political debate over tariffs and the politics continue. Domestic industries lobby for protection against foreign competitors and for export subsidies. Government policy makers favor their pet industries in return for lobby money and votes. Meanwhile, other industries lobby for free trade. Governments worldwide tentatively negotiate free trade agreements while international financial markets determine the effectiveness of their fiscal and monetary policies. Wages, capital returns, and national income rise and fall with international commerce. The text covers these issues of international trade and finance. The trade theory is based on partial equilibrium market analysis, constant cost and neoclassical general equilibrium, the factor proportions model, and various theories of industrial organization. The text fully integrates concepts from international finance, and a new chapter for the 2nd edition develops the basic models of open economy macroeconomics. The presentation is centered on graphs that use realistic numerical examples making the theory easier for students to grasp, especially when combined with general algebraic and graphic presentations in the classroom. The text does not assume previous courses in intermediate theory or calculus but the theory is completely developed. Numerous exercises that can be presented by students give them confidence in using the theoretical models and concepts. Over 250 boxed examples illustrate the theory, many with visually descriptive charts and plots, making the text excellent for MBA courses. The text is concise in its presentation style. Students enjoy its clear straightforward style and instructors notice the difference on exams.
Switched-On Nickel

The separation of mixtures of chemical compounds is often a laborious task, especially on an industrial scale. In his Perspective, Crabtree highlights a new concept introduced by Wang and Stiefel for the separation of olefins from refinery mixtures. The authors have discovered an electrochemical switch that can selectively separate olefins and is not prone to poisoning by common impurities. The key to the discovery lies in using an unusual complex that is derived more from biological concepts than from the complexes commonly used for olefin binding.
Korean women's attitudes toward pregnancy and prenatal care

A convenience sample of 40 native-born pregnant Korean women receiving prenatal care at a U.S. military facility in a major metropolitan area in Korea completed a questionnaire about attitudes toward pregnancy and prenatal care. Responses revealed a family life characterized by positive maternal and paternal perceptions of the pregnancy and less preference for a male child than we had anticipated. Traditional beliefs in Tae Mong, a conception dream, and Tae Kyo, rituals for safe childbirth, were followed. Food taboos, including protein sources, were reported. Attitudes toward prenatal care services, care providers, and maternal health habits are described.
Impact of non-oncogenic acute viral infection on anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses (TUM5P.938)

Background: Factors dictating clinical emergence of cancer are not fully understood. Specifically, how non-oncogenic acute viral infections affect unrelated anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses (those in uninfected tissues) is unknown. Methods: Therefore, we infected B6 mice with non-lethal Influenza (A/PR/8-OVA, 80,000 EID50, intranasally) 3 days prior to challenge with B16-F10 melanoma (120,000 cells, subcutaneously, right flank). To track self/tumor antigen, virus-expressing antigen, and unrelated foreign antigen CD8+ T cells, we transferred pmel (gp100-specific, Thy1.1+Ly5.1-), OT-I (OVA-specific, Thy1.1+Ly5.1+), and P14 (LCMV gp33, Thy1.1-Ly5.1-) CD8+ T cells, respectively, into Thy1.1-Ly5.1+ B6 mice. Results: Influenza infection significantly worsened normal host anti-tumor responses and decreased host survival with cancer from ~32 to ~15 days (P<0.01). Interestingly, pmel (but not OT-I and P14) CD8+ T cells circulating to the infected lung underwent cell death resulting in their eventual loss from the tumor microenvironment (up to 90%; P<0.001). Similar findings were observed with infections 15 or 30 days before or 7 days after B16 challenge and when Balb/c or humanized NSG mice were challenged with breast cancer or melanoma in the context of LCMV or HIV. Conclusions: Our findings may explain the clinical phenomenon emerging from epidemiologic studies reporting increased unrelated cancer in patients with non-oncogenic viral infections.
Response to Letter by Dr. Wieman

Dear Editor: We thank Dr. Wieman et al. for their interest regarding our Letter to the Editor describing a case of methemoglobinemia detected in a patient who used a chronic lidocaine patch ⇓. They bring attention to a point that raises a question regarding our assertion of an association between the methemoglobinemia and Lidoderm patch. They correctly point out that a methemoglobin level was not obtained prior …
A log-scaling fault tolerant agreement algorithm for a fault tolerant MPI

The lack of fault tolerance is becoming a limiting factor for application scalability in HPC systems. The MPI does not provide standardized fault tolerance interfaces and semantics. The MPI Forum's Fault Tolerance Working Group is proposing a collective fault tolerant agreement algorithm for the next MPI standard. Such algorithms play a central role in many fault tolerant applications. This paper combines a log-scaling two-phase commit agreement algorithm with a reduction operation to provide the necessary functionality for the new collective without any additional messages. Error handling mechanisms are described that preserve the fault tolerance properties while maintaining overall scalability.
Intergovernmental Success in Multi‐Component Flood Mitigation: The Lock Haven Flood Protection Project Experience

The City of Lock Haven is a small community near the geographical center of Pennsylvania. In 1982 Lock Haven had a population of about 8,500; 2,500 of whom were college students at Lock Haven University. The City, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, has experienced severe flooding every seven years on average; most notably in 1936 and 1972. After the 1936 flood a federal protection project was planned but citizens rejected it because of local costs, loss of river access and property, and reductions to the tax base. Flood protection was revisited after the Hurricane Agnes flood of 1972 which wiped out Piper Aircraft and hit Hammermill Paper Company causing a desperate economic situation, even after a $18 million federal/state redevelopment project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) was called in to study flood protection in the area. At the time, Corps reconnaissance studies, alternatives analysis, and preliminary plans did not require local cost-sharing. The city and the county provided the required Letter of Intent and the project moved forward. Costsharing occurred only if the project was constructed. In 1982 the process was stymied by the need for money from federal appropriations. Redevelopment fund remained so Lock Haven used them to incorporate the Lock Haven Flood Protection Planning Board (FPPB) under the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act. Members of the Board represented the city and county, nearby Woodward and Castanea Townships, Hammermill Paper Company, and Piper Aircraft Company. The FPPB hired a director to chase money, work with the Corps and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources on planning and design, and to lobby for necessary legislative action at the state and federal level. In the early 1990’s the Lock Haven Area Flood Protection Authority was created to act as the local sponsor with legal authority to contract, apply eminent domain where necessary, and otherwise accomplish local obligations under a Local Cooperation Agreement (LCA) which was signed in 1992. Constructing the $86 million flood protection project began soon thereafter. By 1995 the project was complete. Floods in 1996 provided the first test, which it passed! In September of 2004, remnants of Hurricane Ivan threatened the City again. Lock Haven’s flood protection prevented over $144 million in damages from these storms, according to the Baltimore District Corps of Engineers. Many elements contributed to Lock Haven’s success, two of which were the project’s design and cooperation among stakeholders at all levels.
Mining Mass Spectrometry Database Search Results--A Rough Set Approach

This paper reports results of experiments on mass spectrometry database search results produced by Keller et al. This data set describes human proteins. Data mining was conducted using the LERS system. First, the data set was discretized by a cluster analysis algorithm based on agglomerative approach. Then the basic rule set was induced by the LEM2 algorithm. Finally, the rule set was refined using changing rule strength methodology and truncation of the rule set. Our results reach the level of sensitivity and specificity of competing methods. However, our results are explainable since they are in a form of rules and, additionally, we can interpret the role of important features.
Ca2+ oscillations induced by hormonal stimulation of individual fura-2-loaded hepatocytes.

Abstract Isolated rat hepatocytes were loaded with the Ca2+ indicator fura-2 to measure cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in individual cells by digital ratio imaging microscopy. Stimulation with 0.1 nM vasopressin, 0.5 microM phenylephrine, or 0.5 microM ATP caused repetitive spikes of high [Ca2+]i in a high percentage of cells, in agreement with Woods et al. (Woods, N. M., Cuthbertson, K. S. R., and Cobbold, P. H. (1986) Nature 319, 600-602), but unlike the results of Monck et al. (Monck, J. R., Reynolds, E. E., Thomas, A. P., and Williamson, J. R. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 4569-4575). Reduction in extracellular [Ca2+] decreased the frequency but not the amplitude of the spikes, suggesting that the spikes result from dumping of intracellular stores and that the entry of extracellular Ca2+ affects only the rate of replenishment of those stores. Membrane depolarization failed to elevate [Ca2+]i and had an effect similar to removal of extracellular Ca2+ in decreasing the frequency of agonist-evoked [Ca2+]i oscillations or inhibiting them altogether, arguing against any significant role for voltage-operated Ca2+ channels.
Asymptotic robust Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing based on moment classes

A robust hypothesis testing framework is introduced in which candidate hypotheses are characterized by moment classes. It is shown that there exists a test sequence that is asymptotically optimal in the min-max sense, and that it is expressed as a comparison of a log-linear combination of the constraint functions to a predetermined threshold.
Critical Lieb-Thirring bounds for one-dimensional Schrodinger operators and Jacobi matrices with regular ground states

This paper has been withdrawn by the author in favor of a stronger result proven by the author with R. Frank and T. Weidl in arXiv:0707.0998