cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Small Vessels, Big Role: Renal Microcirculation and Progression of Renal Injury.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem. Data from the US Renal Data System Reports show that the number of patients enrolled in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Medicare-funded programs increased to a staggering 60-fold during the last 4 decades1–4 and now consumes a significant portion of the healthcare budget. Despite the magnitude of resources dedicated to treatment of chronic renal disease and the substantial improvements in the quality of dialysis and coadjuvant therapeutic strategies, these patients experience significant reductions in their quality of life, increased morbidity, and higher mortality. Furthermore, a recent projection shows that the incidence and prevalence of CKD may continue to increase in coming decades.5 This somber scenario emphasizes the need for a better understanding of underlying mechanisms of renal injury and the development of novel interventions and strategies to slow the onset and progression of CKD. Microvascular networks are dynamic anatomic units that are tightly balanced to provide nutrition and remove waste products to meet the metabolic and functional demands of each tissue. In the kidney, the glomerular and peritubular capillaries also command glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and recirculation of body fluids, nutrients, hormones, and other substances to the body.6,7 Endothelial dysfunction as well as functional and structural rarefaction8 of the renal microvessels play a prominent role in inducing renal injury associated with major cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, a defective renal microcirculation is a universal pathological feature in CKD that progresses as CKD evolves and compromise both the renal nutrition and renal function.6,7 The current review will focus on the role of microvascular disease in the progression of renal injury. It will discuss the involvement of microvascular disease as both cause and consequence of pathological …
Comparing treatments for children with ADHD and word reading difficulties: A randomized clinical trial.

Objective This trial compared attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment alone, intensive reading intervention alone, and their combination for children with ADHD and word reading difficulties and disabilities (RD). Method Children (n = 216; predominantly African American males) in Grades 2-5 with ADHD and word reading/decoding deficits were randomized to ADHD treatment (medication + parent training), reading treatment (reading instruction), or combined ADHD + reading treatment. Outcomes were parent and teacher ADHD ratings and measures of word reading/decoding. Analyses utilized a mixed models covariate-adjusted gain score approach with posttest regressed onto pretest. Results Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity outcomes were significantly better in the ADHD (parent Hedges's g = .87/.75; teacher g = .67/.50) and combined (parent g = 1.06/.95; teacher g = .36/41) treatment groups than reading treatment alone; the ADHD and Combined groups did not differ significantly (parent g = .19/.20; teacher g = .31/.09). Word reading and decoding outcomes were significantly better in the reading (word reading g = .23; decoding g = .39) and combined (word reading g = .32; decoding g = .39) treatment groups than ADHD treatment alone; reading and combined groups did not differ (word reading g = .09; decoding g = .00). Significant group differences were maintained at the 3- to 5-month follow-up on all outcomes except word reading. Conclusions Children with ADHD and RD benefit from specific treatment of each disorder. ADHD treatment is associated with more improvement in ADHD symptoms than RD treatment, and reading instruction is associated with better word reading and decoding outcomes than ADHD treatment. The additive value of combining treatments was not significant within disorder, but the combination allows treating both disorders simultaneously. (PsycINFO Database Record
Management of Pregnancy in HIV-Infected Women and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission

Although the HIV/AIDS cases worldwide continue to increase, the USA and other developed countries have witnessed an enhanced survival of chronically infected individuals, a decrease in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 infection, and a growing number of medical and behavioral interventions that can decrease new infections. In spite of the amazing progress over the last two decades we still face challenges in empowering our patients to know their HIV diagnosis and that of their partner prior to conception, in the management of HIV-infected pregnant women based on their age, chronic illness, and behavioral risk patterns. We also face the dilemma of how to support discordant or concordant couples who desire to conceive in a financially challenged environment as the demographic profile of this population evolves and long-term survival is feasible.
A case study on the effect of storage systems on a distribution network enhanced by high-capacity photovoltaic systems

Abstract Modern distribution networks with intermittent weather-dependent renewable energy resources may require energy storage to smooth out intermittency in their power generation and balance energy production and demand. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present a case study of analyzing the effect of such storage systems (SSs) on a distribution network enhanced by high-capacity photovoltaic (PV) systems. For this purpose, this study defines two metrics that quantify the effect of SSs on peak load reduction, power, and voltage such as a load factor and a change in total power generation. Then a well-known strategy that charges storage at night and discharges it to distribution networks at peak demand times is modeled in steady-state power systems analysis software, or OpenDSS. Next, as a case study, this study modifies the IEEE 37-bus test feeder enhanced by four photovoltaic systems (PVSs) with a capacity of 15 and 30 percent of total peak power, adds SSs with the same capacity as PVSs and a duration of three hours to the test feeder, and calculates steady-state power flow in 15-min intervals during a week. Finally, it presents the effect of SSs from the following point of views: (a) a reduction in peak load, (b) an increase in over-voltage (e.g., 1.05 p.u.), and (c) intermittency in voltage and total power generation.
The integration of social influence and reward: Computational approaches and neural evidence

Decades of research have established that decision-making is dramatically impacted by both the rewards an individual receives and the behavior of others. How do these distinct influences exert their influence on an individual's actions, and can the resulting behavior be effectively captured in a computational model? To address this question, we employed a novel spatial foraging game in which groups of three participants sought to find the most rewarding location in an unfamiliar two-dimensional space. As the game transitioned from one block to the next, the availability of information regarding other group members was varied systematically, revealing the relative impacts of feedback from the environment and information from other group members on individual decision-making. Both reward-based and socially-based sources of information exerted a significant influence on behavior, and a computational model incorporating these effects was able to recapitulate several key trends in the behavioral data. In addition, our findings suggest how these sources were processed and combined during decision-making. Analysis of reaction time, location of gaze, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data indicated that these distinct sources of information were integrated simultaneously for each decision, rather than exerting their influence in a separate, all-or-none fashion across separate subsets of trials. These findings add to our understanding of how the separate influences of reward from the environment and information derived from other social agents are combined to produce decisions.
Performance of Dividend ETFs During Bull and Bear Markets

This study investigates the performance of Dividend Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) during both bull and bear markets. We compare their performance to a proxy for the U.S. market as measured by the SP they marginally outperformed IVV during two bull markets (January 2004 – September 2007 and April 2009 – December 2014), but also marginally underperformed IVV during the most recent bear market (October 2007 – March 2009), which means that dividend ETFs are more volatile than IVV. Our sample period is limited due to the creation of the first Dividend ETF in late 2003. Investors in Dividend ETFs, who were expecting to receive superior returns during volatile markets, would not have achieved the results that they anticipated.
Approximation mit Polynomen

Es gibt viele Grunde, um eine gegebene Funktion durch eine einfache Funktion, wie etwa ein Polynom, zu approximieren, einige werden wir in den spateren Kapiteln erortern. Ein Vorteil in der Verwendung von Polynomen liegt darin, das sie leicht mit Hilfe der ublichen Rechneroperationen wie Addition (oder Subtraktion) und Multiplikation ausgewertet werden konnen. Auch ist ein Polynom einfach zu integrieren und zu differenzieren, um Approximationen fur das Integral oder die Ableitung der ursprunglichen Funktion zu erhalten. Die Integration wird weiter in Abschnitt 5.1 behandelt. Ein Nachteil der Approximation durch ein Polynom p ist, das |p(x)| ∞ fur x → ∞ geht, so das eine Funktion, die fur |x| ∞ beschrankt ist, fur grose |x| nicht approximiert werden kann. (Solche Funktionen konnen manchmal durch eine rationale Funktion, die der Quotient zweier Polynome ist, approximiert werden.) In vielen Fallen weist die zu approximierende Funktion Eigenschaften auf, wie positiv oder monoton zu sein, die die approximierende Funktion ebenfalls besitzen soll. Dadurch werden Einschrankungen auferlegt, die das Approximationsproblem sehr viel schwieriger machen, und wiederum konnen Polynome nicht geeignet sein.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Unifying Link Between Cardiovascular and Renal Disease

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly common, yet often under recognized, chronic sleep disorder characterized by transient, repetitive partial or complete disruptions of breathing due to upper airway obstruction during sleep. It is usually associated with disturbed sleep pattern, snoring, daytime fatigue, and poor concentration. The full metabolic derangement caused by OSA is unknown, but there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that sleep apnea is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease suggesting interplay between chronic disorders such as coronary artery disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). OSA can result in direct kidney injury through hypoxia. It can also accelerate the deterioration of kidney function in patients with CKD indirectly by increasing systemic blood pressure, producing inflammatory cytokines, inducing endothelial dysfunction and increasing sympathetic activation. Better understanding of etiology and mechanisms is crucial to early diagnosis and aggressive management, as OSA has been associated with worse clinical outcomes and may be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, hypertension, diabetes, left ventricular dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and more recently, sudden cardiac death. The aim of this chapter is to describe and help readers better understand sleep apnea as a systemic disease and elucidate possible pathophysiological interactions between OSA and CKD in predisposing individuals to adverse cardiovascular events.
Digital Fandom: Hamilton and the Participatory Spectator

This chapter discusses the unprecedented scale of the Hamilton phenomenon that has “smash[ed] expectations” artistically and at the box office, forcing the show out of the musical theatre bubble and into mainstream culture. But even for a musical about the founding fathers, Hamilton’s digital presence may stand as its most revolutionary element. Although passionate online fans are not unique to Hamilton, several elements of that phenomenon are particularly compelling and perhaps indicative of the future of Broadway fandom. The Internet’s potential for interactivity has not only intensified the kind of personalization process fans have always had with musicals, but has also fundamentally altered that relationship, enabling a new, postmodern presence through interaction and participation in a mediatized community. Hamilton’s digital footprint can help reveal how and why fans love a particular musical, granting musical theatre new life and leading the form fully into the twenty-first century.
Advances in Pancreatic CT Imaging.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to discuss the advances in CT acquisition and image postprocessing as they apply to imaging the pancreas and to conceptualize the role of radiogenomics and...
The Development of the von Willebrand Syndrome With the Use of Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Cause-and-Effect Relationship

The use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) as a treatment for end-stage heart failure has increased substantially in the past 5 years, due largely to the introduction and now proven superiority of the second generation of VADs. These devices have a totally new design that returns blood to the
Health outcomes, education, healthcare delivery and quality – 3037. Allergy immunotherapy quality of life and perceived efficacy opinion survey

Background The effectiveness of Allergy Immunotherapy is known to subjectively improve quality of life. An opinion survey was designed to elicit the perceived efficacy among immunotherapy patients with regards to the mitigation of symptoms of Allergic rhinitis, Allergic conjunctivitis, Atopic dermatitis and improvement in Asthma control.
Rested-Baseline Responsivity of the Ventral Striatum Is Associated With Caloric and Macronutrient Intake During One Night of Sleep Deprivation.

Background: Sleep loss contributes to obesity through a variety of mechanisms, including neuroendocrine functioning, increased hunger, and increased food intake. Additionally, sleep loss alters functional activation within brain regions associated with reward and behavioral control. However, it remains unknown whether individual differences in baseline neural functioning can predict eating behaviors during total sleep deprivation (TSD). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test the hypothesis that individuals with increased baseline responsiveness within reward regions are more vulnerable to TSD-induced overeating. Methods: N=45 subjects completed several fMRI scans during a single pre-TSD session that included performance on the Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT) and the n-back task. Subjects returned to the laboratory for an overnight TSD session, during which they were given ad libitum access to 10,900 kcal of food. Leftover food and packaging were collected every 6 hours (00:00, 06:00, 12:00) to measure total food consumption. Subjects reported sleepiness every hour and performed a food rating task every 3 hours. Results: Functional activation within the ventral striatum during the MSIT and n-back was positively correlated with total caloric and carbohydrate intake during the final 6 hours (06:00–12:00) of TSD. Activation within the middle and superior temporal gyri during the MSIT also correlated with total carbohydrates consumed. Food consumption was not correlated with subjective sleepiness, hunger, or food desire. Conclusions: Individual differences in neural activity of reward processing areas (i.e., nucleus accumbens) prior to sleep deprivation is associated with an individual’s propensity to overeat during subsequent sleep deprivation. This suggests that individual differences within reward processing pathways are potential key factors in sleep loss related overeating. Sleep loss and obesity are tightly linked. Both phenomena have been associated with increased neural activation in regions associated with reward, inhibitory control, and disrupted dopamine signaling. Elevated baseline reward sensitivity in the ventral striatum appears to be further compounded by sleep deprivation induced dysfunction in the reward neurocircuitry, increasing the likelihood of overeating. Our findings suggest that large individual differences in baseline responsiveness of hedonic reward pathways may modulate the association between sleep loss and obesity.
¿Somos conscientes del racismo? Cómo las categorías étnico-raciales, el color de la piel y el mestizaje inciden en el reconocimiento del racismo en Colombia

This article examines the effect of ethnic-racial categories, skin color, and miscegenation on individuals’ per- ception on racism in Colombia. Utilizing ordered logistic regression models on a national sample from the 2010 and 2011 America’s Barometer, it is found that ethnic-racial self-identification categories and the recognition of racism are not associated, while darker-skinned individuals have a higher probability of recognizing this phe- nomenon. Findings also reveal that desiring to have a lighter skin color, understood as part of the whitening logic of miscegenation, has a strong negative association. This article contributes to the studies on racism in Latin America and calls for rethinking the use of ethnic-racial categories and the role of skin color in the analy- sis of racialized systems.
Infrared and raman spectra, vibrational assignments, normal coordinate analysis, and ab initio calculations of methyltrifluoromethyldisulfide and bis(trifluoromethyl)disulfide

The infrared and Raman (3500-35 cm−1) spectra of gaseous and solid methyltrifluoromethyldisulfide, CF3SSCH3, and bis(trifluoromethyl)disulfide, CF3SSCF3, have been recorded. Additionally, the Raman spectra of the neat liquids have been obtained and qualitative depolarization values have been measured. These vibrational data have been interpreted, for both molecules, on the basis that the C-S-S-C dihedral angle is approximately 90°. Vibrational assignments are given for both molecules and are supported by normal coordinate calculations utilizing ab initio Hartree-Fock gradient calculations with the 3-21G* basis set to obtain the frequencies for the normal modes and potential energy distributions. The CH3 and CF3 torsional modes have been observed at 140 and 48 cm−1, respectively, for CF3SSCH3, from which periodic barriers of 485 cm−1 (1.39 kcal mol−1) and 853 cm−1 (2.44 kcal mol−1), respectively, have been calculated. Complete equilibrium geometries have been determined for both molecules by ab initio calculations employing both 3–21G and 6–31G basis sets. The structural parameters for bis(trifluoromethyl)disulfide are compared to those suggested from electron diffraction studies. The results are compared to corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules.
3D printed fiber reinforced polymer composites - Structural analysis

Abstract In this research, mechanical and structural properties of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Additively Manufactured (CFRAM) components are studied. Structural analysis is performed to understand the failure behavior of CFRAM components. Based on the SEM analysis of the tested parts, correlations between results of the mechanical test and microstructure of the parts have been investigated. CFRAM components are lightweight yet strong materials with a wide range of potential applications in auto industry, aerospace, sport goods, and medical tools. CFRAM components benefit from both cutting-edge 3D printing technology and fiber reinforcement to improve mechanical properties. Produced parts have lightweight compared with metals, strong mechanical properties, and short manufacturing time. In addition, thermoplastic polymer used for CFRAM components makes product recyclable. In this study, samples were printed using Markforged Mark Two printer and the effect of the fiber type, fiber orientations, infill density, and temperatures on tensile, fatigue, and creep properties were investigated. Carbon fiber (CF), fiberglass (FG), and Kevlar were used as reinforcing agents, and nylon as the base material. Microstructural analysis was conducted to investigate the fracture mechanism, morphology, and printing quality of the specimens. It was observed that the main failing mechanisms for CFRAM components are fiber pull-out, fiber breakage, and delamination. Further, it was understood that there is a correlation between the fiber stacking density and mechanical properties. Overall, the information provided in this study reports a unique knowledge base about the mechanical and structural behaviours of the components built with the CFRAM technology.
Choice of FFM Intercorrelations in Meta-Analytic Regression and Path Analysis

Meta-analytic regression and path-analysis techniques are frequently used when studying how the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits relate to various employee outcomes. However, rather th...
On the competition between mixing rate and uniformity in a coaxial hydrodynamic focusing mixer.

Abstract Fast microfluidic mixers for use with line-of-sight integrating detection schemes pose unique challenges. Such detectors typically cannot discriminate signal from slow moving (e.g. near internal walls) and fast-moving portions of the fluid stream. This convolves reaction rate dynamics with fluid flow residence time dynamics. Further, the small cross sections of typical three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing devices lead to lower detection signals. The current study focuses on achieving both small time scales of mixing and homogenous residence times. This is achieved by injecting sample through a center capillary and hydrodynamically focusing using a sheath flow within a tapered second capillary. The current design also features a third, larger coaxial capillary. The mixed stream flows into the large cross-section of this third capillary to decelerate and expand the stream by up to 14-fold to improve line-of-sight signal strength of reaction products. Hydrodynamic focusing, mixing, and expansion are studied using analytical and numerical models and also studied experimentally using a fluorescein-iodide quenching reaction. The experimentally validated models are used to explore trade-offs between mixing rate and uniformity. For the first time, this work presents detailed analysis of the Lagrangian time history of species transport during mixing inside coaxial capillaries to measure mixing nonuniformity. The mixing region enables order 100 μs mixing times and residence time widths of the same order (140 μs).
Living on the edge: Glucocorticoid physiology in desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is predicted by distance from an anthropogenic disturbance, body condition, and population density

Ecological factors, such as habitat quality, influence the survival and reproductive success of free-living organisms. Urbanization, including roads, alters native habitat and likely influences physiology, behavior, and ultimately Darwinian fitness. Some effects of roads are clearly negative, such as increased habitat fragmentation and mortality from vehicle collision. However, roads can also have positive effects, such as decreasing predator density and increased vegetation cover, particularly in xeric habitats due to increased water run-off. Glucocorticoids are metabolic hormones that reflect baseline metabolic needs, increase in response to acute challenges, and may mediate endogenous resource trade-offs between survival and reproduction. Here we examined circulating concentrations of corticosterone (baseline and stress-induced) in desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) in relation to the distance from a major anthropogenic disturbance, a high-traffic road in Palm Springs, CA. Additionally, we analyzed body condition and population density as additional predictors of glucocorticoid physiology. Surprisingly, we found lower baseline CORT levels closer to the road, but no effect of distance from road on stress-induced CORT or stress responsiveness (difference between baseline and stress-induced concentrations). Both population density and body condition were negative predictors of baseline CORT, stress-induced CORT, and stress responsiveness. Given the known effect of roads to increase run-off and vegetation density, increased water availability may improve available forage and shade, which may then increase the carrying capacity of the habitat and minimize metabolic challenges for this herbivorous lizard. However, it is important to recognize that surfaces covered by asphalt are not usable habitat for iguanas, likely resulting in a net habitat loss.
Moving from Humanities to Sciences: A New Model of Wisdom Fortified by Sciences of Neurobiology, Medicine, and Evolution.

“A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.” ― The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha (translated by C...
Does Purpose Grow Here? Exploring 4-H as a Context for Cultivating Youth Purpose:

Most youth development programs strive to promote thriving, but scientific inquiry into how they achieve this aim is rare and often complicated by nuanced program structures and delivery. Across tw...
Identifying Pre-Service Teachers' Conceptions about the NGSS Practices Using a Curriculum Critique and Revision (CCR) Task.

The Next Generation Science Standards articulate a new vision for K-12 science learning that engages students in disciplinary practices to encourage deeper participation in and understandings of sc...
Association of Echocardiographic Parameters and Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction who Have an Implantable Remote Pulmonary Artery Hemodynamic Monitoring System

Background Remote pulmonary artery (PA) hemodynamic monitoring with CardioMEMS device has shown to decrease heart failure (HF) admissions in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between echocardiographic variables that are associated with cardiac remodeling and outcomes in patients with HFrEF who had CardioMEMS device implant. Methods Retrospective data was collected for patients who had transthoracic echocardiography done prior to CardioMEMS device implantation for HFrEF. Favorable outcomes was defined as a decrease in 1-year HF admissions post-CardioMEMS implantation, unfavorable outcomes was defined as no decrease or increase in 1- year HF admissions post-implantation. Echocardiographic parameters were compared between the two groups using the independent t-test. Results We identified 48 patients with HFrEF who had CardioMEMS device during the study period. Pre-echocardiographic parameters like left atrial volume (LAV), LAV index, left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic volume, LV diastolic diameter, LV systolic diameter, LV mass were all greater in patients with unfavorable outcomes. But only difference in LV diastolic diameter between the groups was significant. Conclusion Patient with HFrEF who had favorable outcomes after CardioMEMS device implantation had lower LV end-diastolic diameter compared to patients with unfavorable outcomes.
Preoperative sonographic ulnar nerve mapping in the postoperative elbow

To describe the technique of sonographic ulnar nerve mapping in the postoperative elbow for surgical planning. A retrospective review of a surgical databank identified 24 patients, all aged 18 years and older with a history of orthopedic elbow surgery, who were referred for preoperative sonographic mapping of the ulnar nerve prior to subsequent surgery. All cases were reviewed for patient demographics, clinical presentation, prior surgical interventions, and ultrasound technique. Charts were reviewed for intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, including nerve injury. The cohort included 12 males and 12 females with a mean age of 51 years (range 22–68 years) and a mean BMI of 29 (range 20–48). Preoperative sonographic ulnar nerve mapping occurred following various elbow surgeries including ulnar nerve transposition to assess nerve location prior to subsequent elbow surgery. Of the 24 patients with preoperative sonographic ulnar nerve mapping, subsequent surgery was performed arthroscopically in 14 and open in 10 cases. In 11 of the 24 cases, there was specific mention of a modified approach to joint access which was guided by the ulnar nerve map. There were no perioperative ulnar nerve–related complications, such as nerve transection. Preoperative mapping can facilitate planning of surgical access and ulnar nerve dissection. Sonographic mapping of the ulnar nerve reduces the potential uncertainty of nerve palpation in a complex postoperative elbow following ulnar nerve transposition. This technique may mitigate the risk of ulnar nerve injury.
Metacognitive Experiences: Response to Commentaries

The stimulating commentaries by Huber (2004), Lee (2004), and Pham (2004) raised important questions. This response elaborates on some of their themes by addressing the assessment of naive theories, the role of expectations, the influence of metacognitive experiences on consumer choice, as well as parallels between different metacognitive experiences and moods. Receiving thoughtful and stimulating commentary from three of my favorite consumer researchers, whose work has influenced my own thinking, is a great privilege. In this response, I elaborate on some of the themes of their commentaries (Huber, 2004; Lee, 2004; Pham, 2004), although space constraints do not allow me to do full justice to their thoughts.
Good Recovery Is Possible in Young Patients With Post-Traumatic Coma and Brainstem Microbleeds

Understanding the anatomic and physiologic substrates of consciousness has been a challenge enthralling researchers for centuries. Yet, only recently have we begun to make progress, thanks in great part to technologic advances. Current MRI techniques offer us the possibility of examining brain lesions with great precision and sensitivity. By exploiting these new possibilities, we are starting to learn what makes us and keeps us conscious.
A Novel Single Cell RNA-seq Analysis of Non-Myeloid Circulating Cells in Late Sepsis.

Background With the successful implementation of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines, post-sepsis in-hospital mortality to sepsis continues to decrease. Those who acutely survive surgical sepsis will either rapidly recover or develop a chronic critical illness (CCI). CCI is associated with adverse long-term outcomes and 1-year mortality. Although the pathobiology of CCI remains undefined, emerging evidence suggests a post-sepsis state of pathologic myeloid activation, inducing suboptimal lymphopoiesis and erythropoiesis, as well as downstream leukocyte dysfunction. Our goal was to use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to perform a detailed transcriptomic analysis of lymphoid-derived leukocytes to better understand the pathology of late sepsis. Methods A mixture of whole blood myeloid-enriched and Ficoll-enriched peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four late septic patients (post-sepsis day 14-21) and five healthy subjects underwent Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE-seq). Results We identified unique transcriptomic patterns for multiple circulating immune cell subtypes, including B- and CD4+, CD8+, activated CD4+ and activated CD8+ T-lymphocytes, as well as natural killer (NK), NKT, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in late sepsis patients. Analysis demonstrated that the circulating lymphoid cells maintained a transcriptome reflecting immunosuppression and low-grade inflammation. We also identified transcriptomic differences between patients with bacterial versus fungal sepsis, such as greater expression of cytotoxic genes among CD8+ T-lymphocytes in late bacterial sepsis. Conclusion Circulating non-myeloid cells display a unique transcriptomic pattern late after sepsis. Non-myeloid leukocytes in particular reveal a host endotype of inflammation, immunosuppression, and dysfunction, suggesting a role for precision medicine-guided immunomodulatory therapy.
Quantifying diffusion of organic liquids in a MOF component of MOF/Polymer mixed-matrix membranes by high field NMR

Abstract Confinement of crystals of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in polymers to form MOF/polymer mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) can lead to changes in intra-MOF diffusion. Such changes in intra-MOF diffusion were previously demonstrated for light gases, and attributed to a reduction in MOF framework flexibility. However, to our knowledge, no direct measurements of intra-MOF diffusion in MMMs and of the related MOF confinement effect on diffusion have been reported for organic liquids. In this work, 13C pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR was used to quantify self-diffusion of methanol, ethanol, p-xylene, and o-xylene inside MOF crystals of the type ZIF-71, which were dispersed in a Torlon polymer to form MMMs. The intra-ZIF self-diffusivities in the MMMs were compared with the corresponding self-diffusivities measured in beds of ZIF-71 crystals. The observed self-diffusivity dependencies on diffusion time were explained by crystal boundary effects. The corresponding values of intra-ZIF self-diffusivities not perturbed by such effects were found to be the same, within uncertainty, in the MMMs and ZIF-71 beds. The observed lack of an influence of the ZIF-71 confinement in Torlon on diffusion is explained, and an option to increase diffusion selectivity is discussed.
Cohen-Macaulay Representations

This book is a comprehensive treatment of the representation theory of maximal Cohen-Macaulay (MCM) modules over local rings. This topic is at the intersection of commutative algebra, singularity theory, and representations of groups and algebras. Two introductory chapters treat the Krull-Remak-Schmidt Theorem on uniqueness of direct-sum decompositions and its failure for modules over local rings. Chapters 3-10 study the central problem of classifying the rings with only finitely many indecomposable MCM modules up to isomorphism, i.e., rings of finite CM type. The fundamental material--ADE/simple singularities, the double branched cover, Auslander-Reiten theory, and the Brauer-Thrall conjectures--is covered clearly and completely. Much of the content has never before appeared in book form. Examples include the representation theory of Artinian pairs and Burban-Drozd's related construction in dimension two, an introduction to the McKay correspondence from the point of view of maximal Cohen-Macaulay modules, Auslander-Buchweitz's MCM approximation theory, and a careful treatment of nonzero characteristic. The remaining seven chapters present results on bounded and countable CM type and on the representation theory of totally reflexive modules.
Genetic Algorithms, Efficiency Enhancement, And Deciding Well With Differing Fitness Variances

This study investigates the decision making between fitness function with differing variance and computational-cost values. The objective of this decision making is to provide evaluation relaxation and thus enhance the efficiency of the genetic search. A decision-making strategy has been developed to maximize speed-up using facetwise models for the convergence time and population sizing. Results indicate that using this decision making, significant speed-up can be obtained.
Representing Activity in Collaborative Systems

Awareness is an important concept in coordination and collaboration at large. Based on prior research in awareness for collaboration, this work presents a data model for representing information about user activity. Fine-grained activity information can be an important tool for facilitating awareness in workgroups. Further, unlike some forms of information used for awareness, activity data is easily stored and parsed. This representational model is implemented atop the Intermezzo collaboration framework and provides a systematic approach to capturing information about users spread across a network.
Tools, frameworks and applications for high performance computing: minisymposium abstract

The development of high performance simulation codes is often a demanding process, due to the complexity of the phenomena to be simulated but also to the proliferation and evolution of computer architectures. The success of such efforts is dictated by the time required to achieve a functional prototype code of the application, and then an optimized production version of the code. Simultaneously, achieving an optimal usage of the available, and frequently scarce, computational resources is of major importance to developers and users of simulation codes. To achieve these goals, it is often necessary to develop or integrate algorithms, models, and computational techniques from a group of collaborators with diverse expertise.
A Review of: “The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From a State Hospital, D. Penney, & P. Stastny”

In this day and age it is difficult to be unaware of the plight of the homeless mentally ill. When the laws regarding the rights of persons with mental illness changed, the large state hospitals we...
Squalene synthetase. II. Purification and properties of bakers' yeast enzyme.

Abstract Squalene synthetase, the first enzyme to synthesize a water-insoluble precursor of cholesterol, has been purified from bakers' yeast to near homogeneity. Key steps in purification are the release of this enzyme from particulate fractions of yeast by treatment with 50% sucrose and the stabilization of enzyme activity with 30% glycerol in 100 to 200 mm phosphate buffer. Enzyme activities of 20 to 40 nmoles of squalene formed per min per mg of protein are obtained with the enzyme purified by the procedure reported herein. Squalene synthetase exists in two forms (termed "polymeric" and "protomeric"). The first of these forms synthesizes squalene and presqualene pyrophosphate whereas the latter form synthesizes only presqualene pyrophosphate. An equilibrium mixture of the protomeric and polymeric forms of squalene synthetase exists. However, the ratio of these two forms can be affected markedly by the conditions of treatment. At a low glycerol concentration the polymeric form of the enzyme is converted to the protomeric form. In 100 mm potassium phosphate, pH 7.0, containing 20 mm 2-mercaptoethanol and 10% glycerol, the half-life of the polymer is 11.8 hours. Dissociation of the polymeric form is greatly accelerated by detergents. In 10% glycerol and 100 mm potassium phosphate buffer containing 0.4 mg per ml of Tween 80 and 20 mm 2-mercaptoethanol, the half-life of the polymeric form is approximately 3 hours. At a high glycerol concentration (50%) in 100 mm potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, the protomeric form is partially reassociated to the polymer. However, the specific enzyme activity of the reassociated polymer is lower than that of the original enzyme, thereby suggesting that some of the enzyme is denatured in the process of dissociation and subsequent reassociation. The activities of the protomeric and the polymeric forms are not changed by the presence of sterol carrier protein.
Systematic analysis and evaluation of web privacy policies and implementations

In this research work, we introduce the first metric for systematic analysis and evaluation of a website's entire approach to online privacy. Since the user is the ultimate judge of whether privacy was acceptably maintained, our metric views all aspects of the privacy implementation from the perspective of usability. By examining the privacy policy, technical implementation and customizable features and interface from the perspective of usability, our metric identifies modifications to privacy policies and implementations which would improve user privacy outcomes in practice. Our work is motivated by the potential of improved privacy metrics to help organizations systematically identify and implement improvements in their privacy practices and interfaces. We evaluated ten websites using our metric and reveal potential for improvement in all websites as well as contrasts between websites with similar functions, such as social networking, online shopping and information retrieval.
Reflections of a Culture Broker: A View from the Smithsonian

Reflections of. Culture Broker:. View from the Smithsonian. Richard Kurin. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997. 315 pp.
Dynamics of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Part 2: Forcing by winds and buoyancy

Abstract Recently, Schloesser et al. (2012) explored the dynamics of the descending branch of meridional overturning circulations (MOCs), by obtaining analytic solutions to a variable-density, 2-layer model (VLOM) forced only by a surface buoyancy flux. Key processes involved are the poleward thickening of the upper layer along the eastern boundary due to Kelvin-wave adjustments, the westward propagation of that coastal structure by Rossby waves, and their damping by mixing; the resulting zonal pressure gradient causes the surface MOC branch to converge into the northern basin near the eastern boundary. In this paper, we extend the Schloesser et al. (2012) study to include forcing by a zonal wind stress τx(y). Much of the paper is devoted to the derivation and analysis of analytic solutions to VLOM; for validation, we also report corresponding numerical solutions to an ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Solutions are obtained in a flat-bottom, rectangular basin confined to the northern hemisphere. The buoyancy forcing relaxes upper-ocean density to a prescribed profile ρ∗(y) that increases polewards until it becomes as large as the deep-ocean density at latitude y2; north of y2, then, the ocean is homogeneous (a 1-layer system). The wind stress τx drives Subtropical and Subpolar Gyres, and in our standard solution the latter extends north of y2. Vertical diffusion is not included in VLOM (minimized in the OGCM); consequently, the MOC is not closed by upwelling associated with interior diffusion, but rather by flow through the southern boundary of the basin (into a southern-boundary sponge layer in the OGCM), and solutions are uniquely determined by specifying the strength of that flow or the thermocline depth along the tropical eastern boundary. Solutions forced by τx and ρ∗ differ markedly from those forced only by ρ∗ because water flows across y2 throughout the interior of the Subpolar Gyre, not just near the eastern boundary. In some of our solutions, the strength of the MOC’s descending branch is determined entirely by this wind-driven mechanism, whereas in others it is also affected by Rossby-wave damping near the eastern boundary. Upwelling can occur in the interior of the Subpolar Gyre and in the western-boundary layer, providing “shortcuts” for the overturning circulation; consequently, there are different rates for the convergence of upper-layer water near y 2 , M n , and the export of deep water south of the Subpolar Gyre, M , the latter being a better measure of large-scale MOC strength. When western-boundary upwelling occurs in our solutions, M is independent of the diapycnal processes in the subpolar ocean.
Effect of smoking on blood pressure

The 1971 Public Health Service Report on smoking and health concluded, “Some epidemiological studies have indicated that smokers tend to have lower mean systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure than nonsmokers, while other studies have not found this to be the case.“’ In a separate and more extensive review of blood pressure levels according to smoking habits by Larson and Silvette,2 lower levels of blood pressure among smokers than nonsmokers were indicated in most studies, and ex-smokers tended to have higher blood pressures than current cigarette smokers. Blood pressure differences between smoking and nonsmoking groups have been attributed by some to body weight (adiposity) differentials among the various smoking groups3 Most research on the relationship of cigarette smoking to blood pressure is based on cross-sectional and prevalence data. Longitudinal studies measuring changes in blood pressure over time for subjects with different smoking habits are rare. Even less information is available on blood pressure changes for persons who have recently given up smoking cigarettes. This study will examine the secular changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure according to smoking habits over an interval of five years in a series of healthy white veterans.
Hierarchical multiobjective analysis for large-scale systems: reviews and current status

Abstract Large-scale systems are often characterized by hierarchical structure, and they usually have multiple objectives that are noncommensurable. Two well-known approaches to the analysis of systems—hierarchical system theory and multiobjective optimization—have been developed to deal with these two aspects of large-scale systems. The past decade has seen an increasing concern with the integration of these two approaches into a unified framework for large-scale systems, leading to the emergence of a new field known as hierarchical multiobjective analysis. This paper provides a systematic review of the literature associated with the modeling and optimization of large-scale systems, focusing on research based on the hierarchical multiobjective approach, the overlapping decomposition approach, and the multimodel approach. A large number of recently published papers that fall within these areas are reviewed.
Characterization of protein phosphatases in mouse oocytes.

Abstract Okadaic acid (OA) enhances the resumption of meiosis in mouse oocytes, indicating that serine/threonine protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) and/or PP2A is involved. However, specific identification of PP1 and/or PP2A in mouse oocytes has not been reported. Here we demonstrate that fully grown germinal vesicle-intact (GVI) mouse oocytes contain mRNA corresponding to two isotypes of PP1, PP1αand PP1γ. In addition, the transcript for PP2A was also present. At the protein level only PP1αand PP2A were recognized in fully grown GVI oocytes by Western blot analysis. Neither of the PP1γspliced variant proteins, PP1γ1and PP1γ2, was detectable. Immunohistochemical analysis of ovarian tissue from gonadotropin-stimulated adult mice resulted in subcellular localization of both PP1αand PP2A, but not PP1γ, in oocytes from all stages of folliculogenesis. In primordial oocytes, PP1αand PP2A were present in the cytoplasm. In more advanced stages of oogenesis, PP1α, although still present in the cytoplasm, was highly concentrated in the nucleus, whereas PP2A was predominantly cytoplasmic with a distinct reduction in the nuclear area. Both PP1αand PP2A were immunodetectable in oocytes during the prepubertal period. Eleven-day-old mouse oocytes, considered OA-insensitive and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVB)-incompetent, displayed both PP1αand PP2A predominantly in the cytoplasm. By 15 days of age mouse oocytes, which are beginning to acquire OA sensitivity and GVB competence, showed a relocation of PP1αinto the nucleoplasm while PP2A remained predominantly cytoplasmic. This is the first specific identification of PP1αand PP2A in mouse oocytes. The differential localization of PP1αand PP2A, in addition to the relocation of PP1αduring the acquisition of meiotic competence, suggests that these PPs have distinct regulatory roles during the resumption of meiosis.
A Laboratory Experiment To Measure Henry's Law Constants of Volatile Organic Compounds with a Bubble Column and a Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID)

An undergraduate laboratory experiment is described to measure Henry’s law constants of organic compounds using a bubble column and gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID). This experiment is designed for upper-division undergraduate laboratory courses and can be implemented in conjunction with physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, and toxicology laboratory courses. This experiment can be used to determine solubilities of organic compounds that have important implications in atmospheric chemistry and water pollution and build a useful database through undergraduate experiments.