cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Kupffer cells to liposome accumulation in the liver

The liver is a major barrier for site-specific delivery of systemically injected nanoparticles, as up to 90% of the dose is usually captured by this organ. Kupffer cells are thought to be the main cellular component responsible for nanoparticle accumulation in the liver. These resident macrophages form part of the mononuclear phagocyte system, which recognizes and engulfs foreign bodies in the circulatory system. In this study, we have compared two strategies for reducing nanoparticle accumulation in the liver, in order to investigate the specific contribution of Kupffer cells. Specifically, we have performed a comparison of the capability of pegylation and Kupffer cell depletion to reduce liposome accumulation in the liver. Pegylation reduces nanoparticle interactions with all types of cells and can serve as a control for elucidating the role of specific cell populations in liver accumulation. The results indicate that liposome pegylation is a more effective strategy for avoiding liver uptake compared to depletion of Kupffer cells, suggesting that nanoparticle interactions with other cells in the liver may also play a contributing role. This study highlights the need for a more complete understanding of factors that mediate nanoparticle accumulation in the liver and for the exploration of microenvironmental modulation strategies for reducing nanoparticle-cell interactions in this organ.
Dynamic Proportional Sharing: A Game-Theoretic Approach

Sharing computational resources amortizes cost and improves utilization and efficiency. When agents pool their resources, each becomes entitled to a portion of the shared pool. Static allocations in each round can guarantee entitlements and are strategy-proof, but efficiency suffers because allocations do not reflect variations in agents' demands for resources across rounds. Dynamic allocation mechanisms assign resources to agents across multiple rounds while guaranteeing agents their entitlements. Designing dynamic mechanisms is challenging, however, when agents are strategic and can benefit by misreporting their demands for resources. In this paper, we show that dynamic allocation mechanisms based on max-min fail to guarantee entitlements, strategy-proofness or both. We propose the flexible lending (FL) mechanism and show that it satisfies strategy-proofness and guarantees at least half of the utility from static allocations while providing an asymptotic efficiency guarantee. Our simulations with real and synthetic data show that the performance of the flexible lending mechanism is comparable to that of state-of-the-art mechanisms, providing agents with at least 0.98x, and on average 15x, of their utility from static allocations. Finally, we propose the T -period mechanism and prove that it satisfies strategy-proofness and guarantees entitlements for T le 2.
Midbrain puts the pace in mice

![Graphic][1] Once in a while, I spot a mouse on a trail eagerly tiptoeing by before fleeing as I get closer. Sometimes, as the episode unfolds, I wonder how animals, including humans, control whether to walk in a leisurely fashion or to run for it. This question has also occurred to Nicolas
An Alternative Reconceptualization of Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge.

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Can Congress Make You Buy Broccoli? And Why it Really Doesn't Matter

Critics of the individual mandate to purchase health care insurance make a simple but seemingly compelling argument. If the federal government can require people to buy insurance because that would be good for their health, then the government can require people to buy all sorts of things that are good for their health, like broccoli or membership in an exercise club.To avoid the prospect of the ultimate nanny state, U.S. district court judges in Florida and Virginia concluded that while the federal government may regulate economic activity, it may not regulate economic inactivity. To breach the activity-inactivity line, wrote Judge Roger Vinson, would invite all kinds of well-intended, but liberty-destroying, laws.This argument, then, does not rely on problems with the insurance mandate itself. Rather, it rests on the implications for future laws if courts uphold the mandate. We would begin a slide down a slippery slope of officious government, and we would no longer have the federal government of limited powers that the founding fathers envisioned.But the critics and judges have it backwards. If there’s a slippery slope, we would have reached bottom already. Even without blessing the regulation of inactivity, the Supreme Court opened the door decades ago for the federal government to make people buy insurance, broccoli or other things that are good for their health. That this is the first time Congress has done so is actually reassuring. In this essay, I show how the broccoli argument is misguided even when taken on its own terms.
What is the added sensitivity of non-lateral cervical spine radiographs in the evaluation of acute cervical spine trauma?

Plain radiography of the cervical spine is used as a screening test for trauma patients. We evaluated the diagnostic yield of performing anteroposterior (AP), odontoid, and oblique views in addition to the lateral view in the current era when radiographs are performed only on low-risk patients. All imaging reports from cervical spine radiography studies on patients aged 18 years and older in the emergency room of a major academic medical center between November 22, 2003, and January 17, 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. For the clinical workflow employed at the time of study acquisition, radiologists prospectively reviewed the lateral projection and subsequently reviewed the entirety of the images obtained. Exam reports and, when necessary, images were reviewed to determine which patients had fractures and on which projection the fractures were identified. Six fractures were detected in 7218 exams. Three of these fractures were identified on the lateral radiograph, and three of these fractures were visualized on the additional projections (two on oblique and one on odontoid views). The yield of the additional projections is one fracture per 9713 radiographic projections (90% confidence interval of one fracture per 1245–47,946 examinations). For two of the patients with fractures identified on the lateral projection, an additional fracture was seen when CT was then performed. Performing additional radiographs of the cervical spine including AP, odontoid, and bilateral oblique projections in trauma patients with low pretest probability of fracture augments the diagnostic yield of lateral radiographs. Considering the potential for devastating neurological outcomes from missed cervical fractures, addition of AP, odontoid, and oblique projections continues to detect fractures at a low rate.
Impact of multiple co-occurring emotional and behavioural conditions on children with autism and their families.

Background Comorbid conditions are very common in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can affect school performance, adaptive skills and peer relationships. Comorbid conditions place strain on the family as well as the individual with ASD. This project aimed to determine the affect of comorbid conditions over and above child and family characteristics. Methods The present authors examined 3,055 cases of children with ASD who had varying numbers of comorbid conditions (i.e., ADHD, depression, anxiety or behaviour problems). Results Multiple comorbid conditions did have a unique impact on difficulties accessing services. A greater number of comorbid conditions impacted daily activity participation, but not a family's receipt of mental health care or respite, work changes or number of weekly hours dedicated to caring for a child with ASD. Conclusions Families, practitioners, paraprofessionals and educators of children with autism should address comorbid conditions to ensure both child and family well-being.
Exploratory Analysis of Low PEACE Heart Failure Risk Score with Elevated NTproBNP: Insights from the MESA Study

Introduction PEACE heart failure (HF) score is a validated risk prediction score exclusive of NTproBNP. NTproBNP is a sensitive but non-specific biomarker with independent prognostic value for incident HF. We explore discordance between the two using data from the MESA study which enrolled patients devoid of existing cardio-cerebro-vascular disease. Hypothesis Patients with low risk PEACE score but elevated NTproBNP levels would be at elevated risk for incident HF. Methods PEACE HF score was calculated for visit 1 of the MESA study. NTproBNP > 125 pg/mL and eGFR Results 3,294 patients had low PEACE HF score, of which 484 had elevated NTproBNP. Elevated NTproBNP group was older with higher prevalence of hypertension, higher ejection fraction and comparable left ventricle mass index. KM curves showed higher incident HF in the elevated NTproBNP group. NTproBNP retained its incremental value after adjusting for age, race and gender (HR 9.2 [4.9-17.6]) (p Conclusion Among an ambulatory population free of clinical cardio-cerebrovascular disease and preserved renal function, 14% of patients at low risk of incident HF calculated using PEACE HF score had elevated NTproBNP levels which translated to higher risk of incident HF. Cost analysis studies are needed to assess its viability in risk assessment in low-risk PEACE patients.
Integrating ecosystem resilience and resistance into decision support tools for multi-scale population management of a sagebrush indicator species

Imperiled sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems of western North America are experiencing unprecedented conservation planning efforts. Advances in decision-support tools operationalize concepts of ecosystem resilience by quantitatively linking spatially explicit variation in soil and plant processes to outcomes of biotic and abiotic disturbances. However, failure to consider higher trophic-level fauna of conservation concern in these tools can hinder efforts to operationalize resilience owing to spatiotemporal lags between slower reorganization of plant and soil processes following disturbance, and faster behavioral and demographic responses of fauna to disturbance. Here, we provide multi-scale examples of decision-support tools for management and restoration actions that evaluate general resilience mapped to variation in soil moisture and temperature regimes through new lenses of habitat selection and population performance responses for an at-risk obligate species to sagebrush ecosystems, the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). We then briefly describe general pathways going forward for more explicit integration of sage-grouse fitness with factors influencing variation in sagebrush resilience to disturbance and resistance to invasive species (e.g., annual grasses). The intended product of these efforts is a more targeted operational definition of resilience for managers by using quantifiable metrics that help limit chances of spatiotemporal mismatches among restoration responses owing to differences in engineering resilience between sagebrush ecosystem processes and sage-grouse population dynamics. Moreover, spatial resilience can be promoted though explicit consideration of sage-grouse and sagebrush predicted responses to active and passive management treatments across space and time. We describe tools that include multi-scale geospatial overlays and simulation analyses of post-disturbance land cover recovery aimed at prioritizing primary threats to sagebrush ecosystems in the Great Basin in the western portion of sage-grouse range (i.e., grass-fire cycles and conifer expansion), but underlying concepts have broader application to a range of ecosystems.
Prevention of distal embolization during directional coronary atherectomy.

Although directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) is designed to effectively reduce plaque volume by debulking in patients with ischemic heart disease, excision of fibroatheroma has potential to cause distal embolization and periprocedural myocardial infarction. The patients had intravascular ultrasound-derived attenuated plaques in the culprit lesions. A DCA catheter was inserted over a filter-based embolic protection device. After DCA, filter no-reflow phenomenon occurred, and embolized debris was retrieved by the filter device. We describe the novel use of a filter-based embolic protection device during intravascular imaging-guided DCA, particularly in patients at high risk of distal embolization. .
Strategic reconstruction of macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent.

A contrast agent (CA) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now an essential add-on to obtain high-quality contrast-enhanced anatomical images for disease diagnosis and monitoring the treatment response. However, the rapid elimination of CAs by the immune system and excretion by the renal route has limited its application. As a result, the CA dose for effective contrast is ever-increasing, resulting in toxic side effects such as gadolinium (Gd) related nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) toxicity. Considering the widespread application of Gd-based CAs, it is now very important to revisit their formulation in order to improve their local concentration and minimize their dose while achieving clinical goals. Therefore, we have adapted a unique strategy to maximize Gd delivery to the target site using macrophage cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) reconstructed with a Gd-conjugated liposomal system herein called gadolinium infused hybrid EVs (Gd-HEVs). We hypothesize that Gd-HEVs, owing to the presence of immune cell-derived EV protein cargo, can effectively disguise themselves as a biological entity, prolong the retention time for contrast enhancement, and show tumor specificity. Incorporation of Gd into nanoformulations can enhance the longitudinal relaxivity r1 by reducing the tumbling rate of paramagnetic metal complexes. Here, Gd-HEVs showed a higher r1 relaxivity of 9.86 mM−1 s−1 compared to 3.98 mM−1 s−1 of Magnevist® at an equivalent Gd concentration, when measured by clinical 3T MRI. This will allow us to reduce the clinically used Gd concentration about three-fold while maintaining contrast in the clinical window thereby supporting our hypothesis. Furthermore, Gd-HEVs showed a preferential cellular interaction and accumulation towards cancer cells compared to non-cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, Gd-HEVs showed excellent contrast enhancement in the blood vasculature with a higher retention time compared to its counterpart, Magnevist®. Our study successfully showed that the incorporation of Gd in the EV framework can help to enhance the contrast ability, and therefore it can be a platform technology for the development of safer MRI contrast agents.
Detection of Mutations Associated with Variants of Concern Via High Throughput 2 Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 Isolated from NYC Wastewater

Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity is strongly indicated because diversifying selection may lead to the emergence of novel variants resistant to naturally acquired or vaccine-induced immunity. To date, most data on SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity has come from the sequencing of clinical samples, but such studies may suffer limitations due to costs and throughput. Wastewater-based epidemiology may provide an alternative and complementary approach for monitoring communities for novel variants. Given that SARS-CoV-2 can infect the cells of the human gut and is found in high concentrations in feces, wastewater may be a valuable source of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, which can be deep sequenced to provide information on the circulating variants in a community. Here we describe a safe, affordable protocol for the sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology. Our targeted sequencing approach revealed the presence of mutations associated with several Variants of Concern at appreciable frequencies. Our work demonstrates that wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 sequencing can inform surveillance efforts monitoring the community spread of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern and detect the appearance of novel emerging variants more cheaply, safely, and efficiently than the sequencing of individual clinical samples. IMPORTANCEThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused millions of deaths around the world as countries struggle to contain infections. The pandemic will not end until herd immunity is reached, that is, when most of the population has either recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection or is vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. However, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern threatens to erase gains. Emerging new variants may re-infect persons who have recovered from COVID-19 or may evade vaccine-induced immunity. However, scaling up SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequencing to monitor Variants of Concern in communities around the world is challenging. Wastewater-based sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be used to monitor the presence of emerging variants in large communities to enact control measures to minimize the spread of these variants. We describe here the identification of alleles associated with several variants of concern in wastewater obtained from NYC watersheds.
Ecological genetics of Bromus tectorum : I. A hierarchical analysis of phenotypic variation.

An understanding of how genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity may interact to promote the spread of an introduced species requires information on the hierarchical distribution of genetic variation within the species in its new range. For example, a lack of genetic variation within marginal populations of an introduced species may slow its rate of spread into new habitats. In a glasshouse study, we examined the phenotypic variation among populations, among families, within families, and the homogeneity of variances within families for morphological and life history characters of an alien, self-pollinating annual grass, Bromus tectorum. The populations of B. tectorum studied were collected from both large, central populations in steppe habitats and small, peripheral populations in forest sites along a broad temperature-moisture gradient in western North America. Most variation in average flowering time was due to differences among seed source populations; among family variation contributed less than 20% to the total variance for flowering time. Populations from arid steppe habitats were the earliest flowering while the population from the most mesic forest habitat was last to flower. In contrast, the within-family variance was a major contributor to the total variance for plant dry weight, seed number per plant, total seed weight, and individual seed weight. The amount of total variation explained by among-family differences ranged between 18% for average seed weight to 30% for total plant dry weight. There was no consistent difference in within-population genetic variability between large, central populations in steppe habitats and smaller, potentially more isolated populations in forest habitats. Significant heterogeneity in within-family variance in some of the source populations suggest that families differ in the capacity for phenotypic response to environmental variation. Considered independently from source population, there was no consistent trend linking a particular trait to increased heterogeneity of within-family variances.
Domain Adaptation for Pathologic Oscillations

This paper presents a platform to bridge datamining techniques and concepts in the field of neurosciences with state-of-the-art data mining, in particular domain adaptation. In non-clinical environs, once an exhaustive search for a particular item of knowledge seems to be impractical, there is the natural tendency to switch to heuristic methods to expedite the search. Conversely, when neuroscientists are in the same situation, they will trust exhaustive searches rather than heuristics such as clinical decision-support systems CDSS. This is particularly when electroencephalography EEG sequences are used to search for pathologic oscillations in the brain. The purpose of this paper is to promising results illustrating how an intelligent agent can data mine explicit types of pathologic oscillations in the human brain.
Inhibition of regeneration: the ultrastructure of reactive astrocytes and abortive axon terminals in the transition zone of the dorsal root.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study in which regenerating sensory axons have been shown to form abortive terminals in the transition zone of the dorsal roots of the spinal cord after a lesion to the nerve at a distant site. The axons vigorously regenerated in the peripheral nerve, penetrated the basal lamina, and then abruptly ceased to grow as soon as they entered central nervous tissue and met processes of reactive astrocytes. These abortive terminals contained little cytoskeletal material and an abundance of vesicles, endoplasmic reticulum, and abnormal organelles. Membrane specializations indicative of cell–cell interaction were observed. Mechanisms whereby the astrocytic processes might inhibit axonal outgrowth are discussed in the chapter. Astrocytes have long been known to play a major role in the reactive processes that occur following an injury to the central nervous system. One particularly advantageous model for studying the interaction between astrocytes and regenerating sensory axons is provided by the transition zone between peripheral and central portions of the nervous system in the dorsal root of the spinal cord.
Fundamental Algorithms for the Array with Reconfigurable Optical Buses

In this chapter we present a survey of algorithms that have been developed for packet routing, sorting, and selection on the AROB (Array with Reconfigurable Optical Buses) model. The algorithms to be considered are both randomized and deterministic.
Methodological Individualism, Psychological Individualism and the Defense of Reason

Jon Elster believes that methodological individualism is self-evident (Elster 1986, 66). Not finding it so, and being suspicious of philosophers who claim that their views are so obvious as to demand no arguments in their favor, I went back to retrace the outlines of the methodological individualism debate. It turns out that the participants to the debate disagree widely as to what they are arguing about; it is not obvious to them what methodological individualism is. The defenders of methodological individualism agree with their critics much more than those critics acknowledge. Each side ascribes views to the other which its proponents disown explicitly.
Coming to terms with a difficult past: the trauma of the assassination of Hrant Dink and its repercussions on Turkish national identity

This paper takes as its subject the question of why some nations are less willing to acknowledge past atrocities. To answer that question, it focuses on the assassination of Hrant Dink – a Turkish-Armenian journalist – and its repercussions on Turkish national identity. Scrutinising newspaper articles written before and after the assassination (2004–2007), it casts a detailed glance at the struggle between two carrier groups – pro- and anti-acknowledgement groups – and argues that the assassination increased the likelihood of the acknowledgement of the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 by creating a cultural trauma informed by collective guilt. However, the relief generated by the funeral, combined with the strength of the master commemorative narrative regarding the mass killings, decreased that likelihood, and despite the huge public reaction created by the assassination there was no attempt at acknowledgement. As such, the paper contributes to our understanding of the trauma of perpetrators and claims that, in addition to other factors listed by earlier studies, cultural trauma is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for coming to terms with difficult pasts.
Origin and evolution of retroelements based upon their reverse transcriptase sequences.

To study the evolutionary relationship of reverse transcriptase (RT) containing genetic elements, a phylogenetic tree of 82 retroelements from animals, plants, protozoans and bacteria was constructed. The tree was based on seven amino acid domains totalling 178 residues identified in all RTs. We have also identified these seven domains in the RNA-directed RNA polymerases from various plus-strand RNA viruses. The sequence similarity of these RNA polymerases to RT suggests that these two enzymes evolved from a common ancestor, and thus RNA polymerase can be used as an outgroup to root the RT tree. A comparison of the genetic organization of the various RT containing elements and their position on the tree allows several inferences concerning the origin and evolution of these elements. The most probable ancestor of current retroelements was a retrotransposable element with both gag-like and pol-like genes. On one major branch of the tree, organelle and bacterial sequences (e.g. group II introns and bacterial msDNA) appear to have captured the RT sequences from retrotransposons which lack long terminal repeats (LTRs). On the other major branch, acquisition of LTRs gave rise to two distinct groups of LTR retrotransposons and three groups of viruses: retroviruses, hepadnaviruses and caulimoviruses.
Assessing the impact of national guidelines on the management of children hospitalized for acute bronchiolitis.

Summary Background Acute bronchiolitis is a common illness accounting for $500 million annually in hospitalizations. Despite the frequency of bronchiolitis, its diagnosis and management is variable. To address this variability, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an evidence-based practice management guideline for bronchiolitis in 2006. Objective Assess for changes in physician behavior in the management of bronchiolitis before and after publication of the 2006 AAP bronchiolitis guideline. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed at two academic medical centers of children <24 months of age admitted to the hospital with a primary or secondary discharge diagnosis of bronchiolitis. Pre-guideline charts were gathered from 2004 to 2005 and post-guideline charts from 2007 to 2008. Evaluation and therapeutic interventions prior to and during hospitalization were analyzed. Data were analyzed using chi-squared analysis for categorical variables, Mann–Whitney testing for continuous variables. Results One thousand two hundred thirty-three patients met inclusion criteria. Diagnostic laboratory testing rates did not decline after guideline publication. The number of chest X-rays obtained decreased from 72.9% to 66.7% post-guidelines (P = 0.02). Fewer children received a trial of racemic epinephrine (17.8% vs. 12.2%, P = 0.006) or albuterol (81.6% vs. 72.6%, P < 0.0001) post-guidelines, and physicians more often discontinued albuterol when documented ineffective in the post-guidelines period (28.6% vs. 78.9%, P < 0.0001). Corticosteroid use in children without a history of RAD or asthma dropped post-guidelines (26.5% vs. 17.5%, P < 0.0001). Conclusions A modest change in physician behavior in the inpatient management of bronchiolitis was seen post-guidelines. Additional health care provider training and education is warranted to reduce unnecessary interventions and healthcare resources use. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:688–694. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nano-patterned permalloy thin film enabled electrically tunable spiral inductor

Inductors are one of the key components and are widely used in modern RFIC and MMIC systems. With the increasing trend of working frequencies, high performance inductors are greatly demanded and indispensable in current and future communication systems. However, inductors generally take large chip area and play a limiting role in further reducing size and cost. Electrically tunable inductors are highly capable of solving the technical bottlenecks with decreased complexity and size of systems. Tunable inductors become more critical especially when optimum tuning or impedance matching is required in a broad frequency range. Tunable inductors can be widely applied in frequency-agile radios, tunable filters, voltage-controlled oscillators and reconfigurable impedance matching networks. This paper provides a unique design of electrically tunable radio frequency inductor enabled with nano patterned Permaloy (Py) thin films.
California Can Tame Its Crisis

The lesson to be learned from California's exploding electricity prices and the threat of bankruptcy for its utility companies is not, as some have suggested, that electricity deregulation is inherently a bad idea. California's system blew up when the flaws in the way it implemented reform collided with a run of bad luck.
Clinical experience with aspiration of breast abscesses based on size and etiology at an academic medical center

Purpose Our purpose was to review needle aspiration of breast abscesses and identify factors associated with treatment by aspiration alone versus aspiration with surgical incision and drainage (I/D). Methods This Institutional Review Board–approved, retrospective review of the breast ultrasound database from 2008 to 2010 identified 40 patients (41 abscesses) who underwent aspiration, with or without I/D. Demographics, imaging, number of aspirations, and microbiology were reviewed. Results Twenty-two abscesses underwent aspiration only, 16 > 3 cm, 6 ≤ 3 cm (mean 4.3 cm, range 0.9–10 cm). Known risk factors included lactational (11), 3 weeks post partum (1), pregnancy (1), recent biopsy/lumpectomy (5). Nineteen abscesses underwent aspiration and I/D, 15 > 3 cm, 4 ≤ 3 cm (mean 4.1 cm, range 2.2–7.5 cm). Known risk factors included lactational (4), recurrent subareolar abscess (4), diabetes (3), hydradenitis suppuritiva (1), nipple piercing (2), smoking (1), pregnancy (1), HIV (1), and lumpectomy (1). Identified reasons for I/D included lack of improvement/recurrence (12), fistula (3), and one electively after clinical improvement of a recurrent subareolar abscess. Conclusions Abscesses associated with pregnancy and lactation or breast biopsy are effectively managed with aspiration, even when large. Recurrence, chronicity, or fistula may require surgical intervention. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:513–521, 2014
Demographic response to perturbations: the role of compensatory density dependence in a North American duck under variable harvest regulations and changing habitat

Summary 1. Most wild animal populations are subjected to many perturbations, including environmental forcing and anthropogenic mortality. How population size varies in response to these perturbations largely depends on life-history strategy and density regulation. 2. Using the mid-continent population of redhead Aythya americana (a North American diving duck), we investigated the population response to two major perturbations, changes in breeding habitat availability (number of ponds in the study landscape) and changes in harvest regulations directed at managing mortality patterns (bag limit). We used three types of data collected at the continental scale (capture–recovery, population surveys and age- and sex ratios in the harvest) and combined them into integrated population models to assess the interaction between density dependence and the effect of perturbations. 3. We observed a two-way interaction between the effects on fecundity of pond number and population density. Hatch-year female survival was also density dependent. Matrix modelling showed that population booms could occur after especially wet years. However, the effect of moderate variation in pond number was generally offset by density dependence the following year. 4. Mortality patterns were insensitive to changes in harvest regulations and, in males at least, insensitive to density dependence as well. We discuss potential mechanisms for compensation of hunting mortality as well as possible confounding factors. 5. Our results illustrate the interplay of density dependence and environmental variation both shaping population dynamics in a harvested species, which could be generalized to help guide the dual management of habitat and harvest regulations.
Are women with complications of an incomplete abortion more likely to be HIV infected than women without complications

There is limited published evidence about the status of HIV among women who have had abortions or suffered from abortion complications. Understanding this connection is critical for building the evidence base and for guiding strategies to manage the sexual and reproductive health needs of women living with HIV. The purpose of this study is to determine whether women who suffered incomplete abortion complications are more likely to be HIV infected than those without complications. We hypothesized that women with incomplete abortion complications have higher rates of HIV infection than women who attended clinic for other obstetric reasons. The analysis used a secondary dataset from a published case–control study that enrolled 1) 70 women at discharge after receiving in-patient care for complications resulting from induced abortion, and 2) 69 women (the comparison group) who visited the same hospital during the same time period for other obstetric needs. The primary outcome was seeking care for complications of incomplete abortion versus seeking care for other obstetric needs (dichotomous). The primary exposure variable was self-reported HIV status which was categorized into three groups: HIV positive, HIV negative, and HIV unknown. Unadjusted and adjusted associations between being in the abortion complications group, HIV status and other selected population characteristics were estimated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Of 139 women enrolled in this study. Seventy (50.4 %) women had abortion complications and 69 (49.6 %) did not. Of the total study population, 18 (12.9 %) were HIV positive, 50 (36.0 %) were HIV negative, and the HIV status of 71 women (51.1 %) was unknown. Compared to women who were HIV negative, women who were HIV positive had similar odds of being in the abortion complications group in both univariate and multivariate analyses (ρ =0.62 and ρ = 0.76). However, compared to HIV-negative women, those women who did not know their HIV status had greater odds of being in the abortion complications group (OR = 3.8, 95 % CI, 1.88, 8.20) in univariate analysis. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the odds of being in the abortion complications group remained greater among women who did not know their HIV status compared to HIV-negative women (adjusted OR = 2.8, 95 % CI, 1.20, 6.54). This study points to the need for targeted interventions aimed at strengthening the delivery and coverage of HIV-testing programs for pregnant women and post-abortion care. In addition, more research is needed to better understand the relationships between unsafe abortion, abortion complications and unknown HIV status.
On Rebecca Byrkit

THERE IS A CELEBRATION. A party in the desert just beyond our headlights. The pickups have stopped in a ring of Palo Verde trees, fired the barbecue. Dwight Yoakam is cranked on a tape deck. We accelerate to get there, unable to remember if we've been invited, what the party's for, etc. As we slide closer, the party-goers warp, something goes dan gerous with their laughter. Maybe this is the post-funeral bash for our best friend. Maybe it's the fiesta for the Day of the Dead. Either way we still get to dance. People are trying to kiss us. Ghosts hand us beers. This is Rebecca Byrkit's moment of creation, a moment when sensa tion and dread intensify, requiring an astonishing voice to begin speaking. Byrkit's voice is one of the few with enough nerve to take on the overloaded world without going dead. Instead she matches the mo ment with an excessive self, a voice full of eroticism, lyrical beauty, and blood. Michael Palmer talks of shifts in poetry due to the return of impulses repressed by previous avant-garde movements. Byrkit's voice is a full-blown recovery from the flattened poetic surfaces of recent years, a voice driven by musical pleasures and desires it's hard to believe were momentarily regarded as obsolete. It's one of the liveliest voices to ever step in the arena. It recalls Hart Crane in its syntactic and imagistic density, and Cesar Vallejo in its play
N,N,N′‐Trimethyl‐N′‐[2‐[[(1R)‐1‐phenyl‐2‐(1‐piperidinyl)ethyl]amino]ethyl]‐1,2‐ethanediamine

[157303-88-3] C20H36N4 (MW 332.53) InChI = 1S/C20H36N4/c1-22(2)16-17-23(3)15-12-21-20(19-10-6-4-7-11-19)18-24-13-8-5-9-14-24/h4,6-7,10-11,20-21H,5,8-9,12-18H2,1-3H3/t20-/m0/s1 InChIKey = YZWDMCWAEGPHRJ-FQEVSTJZSA-N chiral tetradentate ligand that has been shown to be an effective auxiliary for enantioselective alkylation,1-7 Michael additions,7-9 and aldolization10 in stoichiometric and in some cases catalytic amounts Alternate Name: (R)-(−)-N-{2-[N-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-N-methylamino]ethyl}-1-phenyl-2-piperidinoethylamine; (R)-N′-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-N-methyl-N-[1-phenyl-2-(1-piperidinyl)ethyl]-1,2-ethanediamine; N-[(2R)-6,9-dimethyl-2-phenyl-3,6,9-triazadecyl]piperidine. Physical Data: [α]D25 −57.1 (c 2.0, benzene). Solubility: most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: clear, colorless oil; not commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR; Elemental Analysis. Purification: column chromatography (silica, CHCl3/MeOH 9:1 then CHCl3/i-PrNH2 20:1) followed by bulb-to-bulb distillation (290 °C bath temperature, 0.8 mmHg). Preparative Methods: the original literature11 reports that (R)-(−)-N-{2-[N-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-N-methylamino]ethyl}-1-phenyl-2-piperidinoethylamine 1 can be prepared from (R)-phenylglycine in six steps. Thus, (R)-phenylglycine is first protected as the N-Cbz-amino acid, and is then condensed with piperidine in the presence of diethylphosphorocyanidate (DEPC) and triethylamine to provide the corresponding amide. Removal of the Cbz protecting group under acidic conditions gives amino amide, which is subsequently reduced with LiAlH4. The primary amine is amidated upon treatment with N-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-N-methylglycine and DEPC, and the resulting product is reduced with BH3·THF to afford 1 (eq 1). (1) Handling, Storage, and Precautions: presumably, as with all amines, air-oxidation will occur over time; store in a cool, dry place away from light; avoid oxidizing agents.
From matter to x-matter: Exploring the newfound capacities of information-enhanced materials

Abstract The physical materials and processes used to design and construct the built environment reveal the growing application of information technology enhancements. Such materials and methods effectively represent a kind of expanded matter (x-matter), insofar as their functionality has been augmented with increased capabilities not found in their traditional, unembellished counterparts. Despite the importance of this transformation, which has been fueled by the growth of communications and computing technologies, there is a lack of scholarship concerning a holistic evaluation of this phenomenon and its future implications—particularly from the perspective of material-focused fields such as architecture and product design. This essay therefore offers a concise proposal for a comprehensive framework in which to understand the evolving relationships between matter and information, aimed towards individuals within built environment-related disciplines. Fundamental areas of material-information interaction, or capacities of x-matter, are illustrated by representative examples, in addition to considerations of historical precedents and future opportunities.
Design and Analysis of a Stiffened Composite Structure Repair Concept

A design and analysis of a repair concept applicable to a stiffened thin-skin composite panel based on the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure is presented. Since the repair concept is a bolted repair using metal components, it can easily be applied in the operational environment. Initial analyses are aimed at validating the finite element modeling approach by comparing with available test data. Once confidence in the analysis approach is established several repair configurations are explored and the most efficient one presented. Repairs involving damage to the top of the stiffener alone are considered in addition to repairs involving a damaged stiffener, flange and underlying skin. High fidelity finite element modeling techniques such as mesh-independent definition of compliant fasteners, elastic-plastic metallic material properties and geometrically nonlinear analysis are utilized in the effort. The results of the analysis are presented and factors influencing the design are assessed and discussed.
Surgical treatment of varicocele in oligospermic patients: A re-evaluation

Left varicocele ligation was performed in 64 infertile men seen at our clinic during 1974-1978. High ligation of the left internal spermatic vein was done in all cases. The ages of patients were 23--46 yr. The criteria for operation were: palpatory findings of varicocele, primary or secondary infertility, and abnormal sperm analysis. Statistical analysis of the 3 main sperm parameters before and after surgery shows a significant increase in sperm count (P < 0.005) and motility index (P < 0.005), while the sperm morphology was not improved (P = 0.2). The pregnancy rate was 43.8%.
Nuclear powered satellite design for Shuttle launches

Developing t.echnology and the transition perlo6 of the late 1 9 7 0 ' s from expendable launchers to reusable space shuttles and from single satellite designs to standardized and modulnrizcd confipura: tions represents a strong motivation and unique opportunity to actively investigate new applications of nuclear power for satellites. Recently. the U . S . Energy Research and Development Administration has initiated studies on various aspects of nuclear powered satellite design and mission problems in order to establish the viability of usinp, such power supplies for future space missions. The work reported here deals pricmrily with the 100-2,000 We power range and consists of a many faceted effort. Spacecraft design problems associated with integration of nvilenr power are addressed. Launch constraints and interfaces with respect to the spacc shuttle and those peculiar to nuclear pawrcd vehicles are considered. Design of isotope power generators from an overall mission point of view is considered. A point design exercise i s included tu illustrate a specific application. Three primary aspects of n u c l w r powered satellite philosophy are considered. These include space shuttle capabiiities, spacecraft design, and power supply design.
Pourbaix (E-pH-M) Diagrams in Three Dimensions

E–pH (Pourbaix) diagrams provide an important graphical link between the thermodynamic calculations of potential, pH, equilibrium constant, concentration, and changes in Gibbs energy and the experimentally observed behavior of species in aqueous solutions. The utility of E–pH diagrams is extended with the introduction of an additional variable, X, which is a property of one of the pertinent species such as concentration. By allowing an investigator to visualize the interdependence of three variables, these three-dimensional E–pH–X plots increase interpretive capabilities. The full usefulness of such three-dimensional diagrams is realized when the image is freely rotatable. The reader is taken through the historical development, use, and construction of two-dimensional E–pH diagrams and is then introduced to the methodology for producing the three-dimensional diagrams in detail for magnesium, aluminum, and iron. Supporting information is supplied such that readers can access and use the freely rotatable di...
Molecular Adaptations Underlying Susceptibility and Resistance to Social Defeat in Brain Reward Regions

While stressful life events are an important cause of psychopathology, most individuals exposed to adversity maintain normal psychological functioning. The molecular mechanisms underlying such resilience are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that an inbred population of mice subjected to social defeat can be separated into susceptible and unsusceptible subpopulations that differ along several behavioral and physiological domains. By a combination of molecular and electrophysiological techniques, we identify signature adaptations within the mesolimbic dopamine circuit that are uniquely associated with vulnerability or insusceptibility. We show that molecular recapitulations of three prototypical adaptations associated with the unsusceptible phenotype are each sufficient to promote resistant behavior. Our results validate a multidisciplinary approach to examine the neurobiological mechanisms of variations in stress resistance, and illustrate the importance of plasticity within the brain's reward circuits in actively maintaining an emotional homeostasis.
Editorial [intro. to Guest Editorial by Prof. Raff D'Andrea]

Summary form only given, as follows. The Editor-in-Chief presents a Guest Editorial by Prof. Raff D'Andrea of ETH Zurich. Dr. D'Andrea played a key role in designing and developing the innovative technology behind Kiva Systems, which was acquired by Amazon.com in May 2012 for US$775M. Kiva Systems invented a radical new approach to warehouse automation and logistics based on large numbers of small mobile platforms that move between stations for order fulfillment, where human workers perform recognition, grasping, loading, and unloading of items from the platforms. The systems required many advances in design and engineering to achieve the necessary Quality (with a capital Q: reliability, efficiency, precision) for deployment in major warehouses (if you haven't seen them, there are cool videos showing scores of bright orange platforms in action on the Internet). In the Guest Editorial, Raff summarizes key insights, such as using feedback from low-cost sensing and computation, combined with data analytics and machine learning, to achieve high accuracy and precision from inexpensive mechanical components. Raff also proposes several exciting challenges for future research, such as new algorithms for high-level planning and scheduling that can optimize the number of mobile platforms, and a call for a reliable indoor equivalent to GPS. He argues for new system design tools that apply innovations in formal verification and model uncertainty and information flow. Raff closes with an exciting and characteristically bold Grand Challenge for Robotics and Automation. Kiva Systems is an inspiring success story in our field and Raff is the ideal person to describe it.
Protective effect of an inactivated avian coronavirus vaccine administered by aerosol

The antigenicity and protective effect of 3 strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus inactivated by beta-propiolactone were studied. Chickens administered 2 doses of the inactivated Connecticut strain (IBV-46) vaccine by aerosol at 3-week intervals had significant levels of virus-neutralizing antibodies and were resistant to infection by the Massachusetts strain (IBV-41) as determined by virus isolation attempts. Antibody levels in chickens given inactivated Iowa 33 and Iowa 609 were not significant and they were not resistant to infection by IBV-41.