cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compact design of a gallium phosphide nanobeam cavity for coupling to diamond germanium-vacancy centers

A design for an ultrahigh Q/V nanobeam cavity engineered to interact with Germanium-vacancy (GeV) centers is presented. The nanobeam cavity supports a mode with Q/V>108 with transmission over 70%. The proposed design is based on a new scalable approach developed to reduce the footprint of nanobeam cavities by more than 50% without losing the cavity Q/V value and transmission. Cavity quantum electrodynamics analysis reveals that strong coupling between the zero-phonon line transition of GeV centers and the cavity mode can be achieved for a range of nanobeam dimensions.
Radiolocalization of atypical lesions for intraoperative identification: Technical factors, localization quality, success rates, patient safety, and spectrum of applications

To retrospectively analyze perilesional technetium Tc-99m MAA injection for intraoperative localization of atypical soft-tissue and bone lesions within a single tertiary referral center in order to determine technique, safety, and clinical utility of these procedures. An IRB compliant, retrospective electronic chart review (2010–2017) exploring surgical excision of atypical (non-pulmonary, non-breast, non-sentinel node) lesions guided by Tc-99m MAA perilesional injection. Patient demographics, lesion location, lesion size, radiotracer injection technique, radiotracer injection complications, scintigraphy technique, scintigraphic quality, intraoperative time, lesion identification in surgery, and pathological diagnoses were recorded. Twenty-two atypical radiolocalization exams were identified. Lesion sites included rib (7), lymph node (4), abdominal wall (3), mesenteric (3), gallbladder fossa (1), retroperitoneum (1), parietal pleura (1), anterior mediastinum (1), and iliac bone (1). Average lesion size was 14 mm (range 5–23 mm). Eighteen (82%) radiotracer injections used computed tomography guidance and 4 (18%) used ultrasound guidance. The mean activity of Tc-99m MAA administered was 11.8 MBq (0.32 mCi). A 22-gauge needle was most often used for perilesional injection. No injection complications were reported. The lesions were identified with a hand-held gamma probe during surgery in 100% of cases. Of the samples sent to pathology, 100% were identified and given a diagnosis. Radiolocalization of atypical lesions may be a valuable technique, guiding minimally invasive surgical removal of lesions that would otherwise be difficult to identify intraoperatively such as non-palpable rib, central mesenteric nodal, and abdominal wall lesions.
The gravitropic tomato mutant lazy-2 is altered in signal transduction

Plant gravitropism involves many cell types and several mechanistic steps. One approach to dissecting such complex processes is with the use of genetic mutants. Such an approach has already proven successful in the elucidation of the gibberellin biosynthetic pathway in maize and pea (Reid, 1987) and is currently proving useful in the study of flower development (Bowman et al., 1989). The study of gravitropism in tomato is an especially attractive system due to the existence of three gravitropic mutants whose phenotypes suggest they carry lesions in three distinct components of the gravitropic pathway: lazy-1, an agravitropic mutant which does not contain sedimenting amyloplasts and therefore probably does not perceive gravity (Roberts, 1984), lazy-2, which we postulate in the present paper to be a lesion in the gravitropic mechanism after perception but prior to response, and diageotropica, which is thought to be an auxin-receptor mutant (Kelly and Bradford, 1986; Hicks et al., 1989).
Homologous recombination and DNA repair mutations in patients treated with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Objectives Chemotherapy remains a cornerstone treatment in non-small cell lung cancer either in combination with checkpoint inhibitors or as subsequent therapy. Identifying molecular predictors of response allows for optimal treatment selection. We performed genomic analysis on tumor samples of patients treated with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel as part of a phase II trial to evaluate the prognostic and predictive value of mutations in DNA repair pathway in patients treated with this regimen. Materials and methods Next-generation sequencing libraries were produced using a capture-based targeted panel covering the coding exons of 278 genes on patients treated on clinical trial NCT00729612. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed as part of the clinical outcomes and correlated with mutation analysis. Results Of 63 patients enrolled, 25 patients had sufficient and acceptable DNA isolated from archival tumor samples for targeted sequencing. The most commonly altered pathways included DNA repair (DR) including Fanconi anemia and homologous recombination, JAK-STAT signaling, IGF-1, mTOR, and MAPK-ERK. Four patients with mutations in homologous recombination mutations had a shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.54, 95% CI 1.2, 17.1, p = 0.026) and OS (HR = 6.3, 95% CI 1.8, 21.3, p = 0.003). Conclusion In this analysis of patients with predominantly squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer treated with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel in a phase II trial, patients with mutations in homologous recombination pathways had shorter overall and progression-free survival. Validation on additional datasets of patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy combinations is warranted.
50 Effect of colony-stimulating factor 2 on competence of bovine blastocysts to survive vitrification

Colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) is an important maternal regulator of embryonic development. Treatment of in vitro-produced embryos with CSF2 from Days 5 to 7 after insemination increased competence of embryos to establish pregnancy after transfer. One action of CSF2 is to protect embryos from stress. Treatment with CSF2 reduced heat-shocked induced apoptosis in morulae and regulated expression of multiple genes involved in cellular stress responses in the blastocyst. Here we tested whether CSF2 would promote survival of embryos to another stress: cryodamage caused by vitrification. Ovaries were recovered from an abattoir and used to harvest cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Groups of 10 COCs were matured for 20-22 h. After maturation, COCs were fertilised with 1 × 106 mL−1 isolate-purified spermatozoa from a pool of frozen-thawed semen from 3 bulls. Fertilization proceeded for 20-22 h. Cumulus cells were removed from putative zygotes using 1000 U mL−1 hyaluronidase by agitation and putative zygotes were cultured in groups of 30 in 50-µL drops of synthetic oviducal fluid-bovine embryo 2 (SOF-BE2) medium until Day 7 after insemination. Drops of cultured embryos were randomly assigned to receive either 10 ng mL−1 recombinant bovine CSF2 or vehicle [90% (vol/vol) SOF-BE2 and 10% (vol/vol) Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline containing 1 mg mL−1 bovine serum albumin) on Day 5. Blastocyst-stage embryos were selected for vitrification at Day 7. Blastocysts were vitrified in open-pulled straws and rewarmed according to procedures of Vajta et al. (1996 Theriogenology 45, 683-689). After warming, embryos were cultured for 72 h in groups of 5-12 in SOF-BE2 containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 50 µM dithiothreitol. Blastocysts were assessed for re-expansion (defined as restoration of a reconstituted blastocoele) and hatching (defined as partial or completion exit from the zona pellucida). A total of 11 replicates were performed using 1745 zygotes treated with CSF2 and 1690 zygotes treated with vehicle. The number of blastocysts vitrified were 280 for CSF2 and 289 for vehicle. Data on percent presumptive zygotes becoming blastocysts and on blastocyst re-expansion and hatching after thawing were calculated for each replicate and analysed by analysis of variance using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). The percentage of putative zygotes that became blastocysts was not affected by treatment (21.5 ± 1% for CSF2 vs. 20.9 ± 1% for vehicle). Overall, CSF2 increased (P = 0.021) the percentage of blastocysts that re-expanded (77.8 + 0.05% vs. 73.3 + 0.05%), but there was no effect of CSF2 on the percentage of blastocysts that underwent hatching (39.3 + 0.06% vs. 37.4 + 0.06%). In conclusion, CSF2 increased blastocyst survival following vitrification. Further work will be performed to evaluate whether CSF2 also increases survival of vitrified embryos after embryo transfer. Support was provided by NIH R01 HD088352.
Impact of Medial Meniscotibial Ligament Disruption Compared to Peripheral Medial Meniscal Tear on Knee Biomechanics.

Medial meniscotibial ligament (MTL) lesions may go unrecognized and untreated and have detrimental impact on knee biomechanics and joint pathology. Therefore, this study was designed to compare the biomechanical impact of midbody MTL disruption to corresponding peripheral medial meniscal (PMM) tears in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) intact and ACL-deficient cadaveric knees. Cadaveric knees (n = 12; 6 matched pairs) were tested for laxity and ACL strain under anterior, valgus, and external rotation loading at 0, 30, and 90 degree of flexion. Knees were randomly assigned to ACL-intact (n = 6) or ACL-deficient (n = 6) groups. Large midbody MTL disruption or corresponding PMM tears were created (n = 3/group) and knees retested. PMM tears were repaired arthroscopically with inside-out suturing, and MTL lesions were repaired with suture anchors via an open approach. Knees were retested after repair. Biomechanical testing data were compared for statistically significant differences. Large MTL and PMM lesions were associated with significant increases in ACL strain, anterior laxity at 0, 30, and 90 degrees (p = 0.006), valgus laxity (p = 0.0012), and external rotation laxity (p = 0.0003) compared with intact knees. Repair of each lesion restored knee stability and reduced ACL strain to intact levels. In ACL-deficient knees, there was significantly increased anterior, valgus, and external rotation laxity compared with the ACL-intact state and MTL and PMM lesions further increased laxity at all angles. However, differences were not statistically significant and repair of meniscal lesions alone did not restore stability to ACL-deficient knees. These results highlight the need to recognize medial MTL injury and perform an appropriate repair procedure to restore knee stability and protect against excessive ACL strain.
Efficient light management in narrow-bandgap perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells have made unprecedented efficiency improvements for bandgaps wider than 1.5 eV, but narrow-bandgap perovskites still have low efficiency in single-junction and tandem cells. A significant challenge is the front-surface reflectance inherited from the superstrate device fabrication. In this work, we applied a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) light scattering layer to a 1.22-eV-bandgap perovskite cell and demonstrated 2.6 mA/cm2 increase in short-circuit current density. We further performed optical simulations that confirm the effectiveness of reducing reflection with the PDMS layer, and we show that the parasitic absorption in the front transparent conductive oxide and contact layers are responsible for the other optical losses.
Biochemical Characterization of the Murine Invariant Polypeptide and a 23,000 Dalton Iad Encoded Polypeptide

Murine Ia antigens were originally shown to be comprised of two noncovalently associated polymorphic glycopeptides: a 31,000–34,000 dalton α chain and a 26,000–29,000 dalton β chain (1). Two such structurally and functionally distinct Ia antigens are encoded in the murine I region and have been designated Aα Aβ and Eα Eβ (or Ae). Jones et al. (2) subsequently identified a third polypeptide of 31,500 daltons that was found to be noncovalently associated with both the Aα Aβ and Eα Eβ molecules. This third polypeptide was shown by two dimensional gel analyses to be nonpolymorphic and was designated the invariant chain (Ii). Although it has been demonstrated that the Ii polypeptide is specifically associated with Ia molecules (3,4), little is known about the function or biochemistry of this polypeptide.
Diagnostic accuracy of various EEG changes during carotid endarterectomy to detect 30-day perioperative stroke: A systematic review.

Abstract Objectives We assessed whether significant intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG) changes have predictive value for perioperative stroke within 30 days after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) procedures for carotid stenosis (CS) patients. We also assessed the diagnostic accuracy of various EEG changes in predicting perioperative stroke. Methods We searched databases for reports with outcomes of CS patients who underwent CEA with intraoperative EEG monitoring. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of EEG changes for predicting perioperative stroke. Sensitivity and specificity were presented with forest plots and a summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The meta-analysis included 10,672 patients. Intraoperative EEG changes predicted 30-day stroke with a sensitivity of 46% (95% CI, 38–54%) and specificity of 86% (95% CI, 83–88%). The estimated DOR was 5.79 (95% CI, 3.86–8.69). The estimated DOR for reversible and irreversible EEG changes were 8.25 (95% CI, 3.34–20.34) and 70.84 (95% CI, 36.01–139.37), respectively. Conclusion Intraoperative EEG changes have high specificity but modest sensitivity for predicting perioperative stroke following CEA. Patients with irreversible EEG changes are at high risk for perioperative stroke. Significance Intraoperative EEG changes can help surgeons predict the risk of perioperative stroke for CS patients following CEA.
Preliminary Evaluation of Delay Discounting and Cell Phone Use in the College Classroom

Delay discounting is a behavioral measure of impulsivity in which respondents choose between hypothetical smaller immediate rewards (SIR) or larger delayed rewards (LDR). Delay discounting questionnaires quantify impulsivity by calculating the rate that delayed rewards lose their subjective value for a particular participant or group. The purpose of the present study was to collect additional evidence on the relation of delay discounting and cell phone use in the college classroom. College students at the undergraduate and graduate level (N = 43) completed a brief survey about their cell phone use in the classroom as well as a delay discounting questionnaire. The primary dependent measures were self-reported duration and rate of cell phone use. Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated between participant characteristics and delay discounting rates. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to adjust for basic demographic variables and measure the independent effect of delay discounting rates on cell phone use. Delay discounting rates were correlated with age (r(39) = -.39, p = .012), duration of cell phone use (r(41) = .42, p = .005), and rate of cell phone use per hr (r(40) = .34, p = .026). Delay discounting rate significantly predicted duration of cell phone use after adjusting for age and sex (B = 0.31, SE = 0.13, p = .023). Delay discounting rate did not predict rate of classroom cell phone use in the regression model (p = .14), nor did it alter the predictive utility of the model (p = .14).
Use of plasma-derived factor X concentrate in neonates and infants with congenital factor X deficiency

BACKGROUND Congenital factor X deficiency (FXD) is a rare bleeding disorder that often presents with severe bleeding in the neonatal period. Long-term prophylaxis with infusions of FX-containing products is recommended in patients with FXD and a personal or family history of severe bleeding. A plasma-derived FX concentrate (pdFX) is approved for on-demand and prophylactic therapy in adults and children with FXD. The safety and efficacy of pdFX has been demonstrated in patients <12 years of age, yet limited data exist regarding its use in infants. PATIENTS/METHODS This retrospective case series details clinical experience using pdFX in four neonates with moderate and severe FXD across four institutions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS All four patients presented in the first week of life with severe bleeding. Following treatment of the acute bleed, prophylactic pdFX was initiated at an average of 29 days of life and a dose of 69 IU/kg every 48 hours. Incremental recovery (IR) in three infants averaged 1.42 IU/dL per IU/kg (min-max: 1.06-1.67 IU/dL per IU/kg). One patient experienced thrombotic complications in the setting of sepsis. After a median follow-up of 26.5 months, no patient has experienced breakthrough bleeding episodes. Our study supports the use of pdFX in neonates and infants and suggests that higher pdFX dosing of 70 to 80 IU/kg every 48 hours based on the smallest available vial size is feasible. Because of variability in IR, close monitoring of FX activity should be used to guide dosing in this age group.
Serving in the Master’s House: Legal Protection for In-Home Care Workers in the United States

This essay will focus on the developing forms of legal protection available in the United States to those whose principal place of work is another person’s home and who are paid to do what is broadly referred to as “care work.” The particular services vary widely – from housecleaning, to child care, to companionship and routine health care management for the elderly and the infirm – but the labor market demographics do not. This is low-wage/no-benefit work performed almost exclusively by women and primarily by women of color and of extra-national origin.
Development and validation of the role identity surveys in engineering (RIS-E) and STEM (RIS-STEM) for elementary students

Despite the increasing number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs available, concern continues to grow over the low number of students who choose to study and enter STEM fields. Research suggests that children begin to identify their interests and career aspirations related to STEM as early as elementary school when they begin to shape their personal identities and start making decisions about who they are and could be in the future, their role identities (e.g., scientist, engineer). Existing surveys that assess identity target high school or post-secondary students, with less work on elementary and middle school students. This paper describes the development and validation of survey instruments to assess engineering identity in elementary students and its adaptation to a more general STEM context. The role identity survey in engineering (RIS-E) was developed across four phases of pilot testing where it was administered to 634 students in third–sixth grade enrolled in classrooms in the West, Midwest, and Northeastern United States. Exploratory modeling approaches and scale reliability were used to narrow down items, while confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) approaches were used to examine item performance. The final survey contained four scales that assess aspects of one’s identity (competence, interest, self-recognition, and recognition by others), all of which demonstrated strong psychometric properties. The RIS-E was then adapted to assess STEM identity (RIS-STEM), and it was administered to 678 fourth–fifth grade students enrolled in classrooms in the Southwestern United States. CFA and IRT analyses provided support for use of the RIS-STEM in a more general STEM context. The RIS-E and RIS-STEM appear to produce reliable scores that measure aspects of identity (engineering and STEM) in elementary students. Suggestions are made for future studies to examine how the RIS-E and RIS-STEM function across diverse student populations and the impact on one’s identity as a result of curricula or programs designed to encourage and support identity development in youth, especially in engineering and STEM.
The Cross-Section of Non-Professional Analyst Skill

We examine the cross-section of skill among non-professional analysts (NPAs) on Seeking Alpha, a prominent crowd-sourced investment research platform. We estimate that 60% of NPAs are skilled, and we document substantial dispersion in skill. Even after accounting for bid-ask spreads and allowing for a three-day investment delay, following NPAs in the top quintile of past skill earns annualized abnormal returns of 10%. In contrast, an unconditional strategy that follows all NPAs earns insignificant returns. An examination of retail and institutional order imbalances following NPA recommendations suggests that neither group recognizes the size-able differences in ability across NPAs.
Selling VIX Futures and Options for Portfolio Return Enhancement

The term structure of VIX futures is generally upward sloping. The persistent VIX contango may result in abnormally strong performance for VIX futures selling or VIX call writing strategies. However, the high volatility of volatility and significant jump risk may expose short uncovered VIX positions to extreme tail risk. In this paper we consider the performance of VIX futures and call option selling in a portfolio context in 2008 and 2016 as well as over a 10+ year period beginning in 2006. In addition, we consider alternative strategies including VIX futures spread strategies, and the dynamically de-levering VIX futures selling strategies represented by the VPD and VPN indexes. The VPD Index had annual returns that were much higher than those of the S&P 500 Index in 2009 and 2016 (years without large spikes in VIX), but the VPD returns were lower than those of the S&P 500 in 2008 and 2018, years with significant upward spikes in the VIX Index. While the goal of the study is not to make a particular recommendation for a VIX-based investment strategy, meaningful portfolio return enhancements are possible over particular time periods with small allocations to VIX selling. A large allocation to uncovered selling of VIX instruments could have substantial volatility jump risk exposure which can result in economically meaningful and potentially catastrophic losses. However, the VPN Index - which sells VIX futures, holds money market instruments and buys VIX calls – had lower volatility and less severe maximum drawdowns than the stock and commodity benchmark indexes studied in the period of analysis.
Social capital: The forgotten responsivity factor:

The Risk-Need-Responsivity model of correctional intervention has become the cornerstone of correctional practice in the United States. With a primary focus on building human capital through interv...
The Limits of Belonging in Saudi Arabia

On 25 October 2017, the Saudi Arabian regime granted citizenship to Sophia, a humanoid robot developed in Hong Kong. Sophia became the world's first robot citizen. Some of the globe's wealthiest investors, foreign dignitaries, and foremost economists, journalists, and public relations experts celebrated the conferral firsthand. They were guests of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, where they attended the inaugural Future Investment Initiative. Sponsored by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the forum heralded the regime's renewed commitment to diversify the country's petro-economy, develop its human capital, and increase its global investment competitiveness. The national reform plan, dubbed Vision 2030, dominated the event's discussions. Vision 2030 was an ambitious blueprint that had as its goal nothing short of overhauling everyday life in Saudi Arabia. It entailed revamping bureaucratic capacity, building global gigacities, and opening the country to visitors and investors alike. Developing the tourism and entertainment sectors were key. Through these lucrative socio-technical experiments, the regime hoped to tackle the dire economic, financial, and social challenges it faced. To appeal to the global investor, it framed the reforms in the language of high-tech modernization, sustainable development, and socioreligious tolerance. Sophia, and all the trappings of modernization that “she” embodied, epitomized the ruling class's entrepreneurial vision for a new Saudi Arabia, and in turn, a new global citizen: the naturalized elite as well as the new Saudi Arabian citizen-subject (Fig. 1).
Digital Tools to Support Family-Based Weight Management for Children: Mixed Methods Pilot and Feasibility Study.

Background: Family-based behavioral therapy is an efficacious approach to deliver weight management counseling to children and their parents. However, most families do not have access to in-person, evidence-based treatment. We previously developed and tested DRIVE (Developing Relationships that Include Values of Eating and Exercise), a home-based parent training program to maintain body weight among children at risk for obesity, with the intent to eventually disseminate it nationally alongside SafeCare, a parent support program that focuses on parent-child interactions. Currently the DRIVE program has only been tested independently of SafeCare. This study created the “mHealth DRIVE” program by further adapting DRIVE to incorporate digital and mobile health tools, including remotely delivered sessions, a wireless scale that enabled a child-tailored weight graph, and a pedometer. Telehealth delivery via mHealth platforms and other digital tools can improve program cost-effectiveness, deliver long-term care, and directly support both families and care providers. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine preliminary acceptability and effectiveness of the mHealth DRIVE program among children and parents who received it and among SafeCare providers who potentially could deliver it. Methods: Study 1 was a 13-week pilot study of a remotely delivered mHealth family-based weight management program. Satisfaction surveys were administered, and height and weight were measured pre- and post-study. Study 2 was a feasibility/acceptability survey administered to SafeCare providers. Results: Parental and child satisfaction (mean of 4.9/6.0 and 3.8/5.0, respectively) were high, and children’s (N=10) BMI z-scores significantly decreased (mean –0.14, SD 0.17; P=.025). Over 90% of SafeCare providers (N=74) indicated that SafeCare families would benefit from learning how to eat healthily and be more active, and 80% of providers reported that they and the families would benefit from digital tools to support child weight management. Conclusions: Pediatric mHealth weight management interventions show promise for effectiveness and acceptability by families and providers. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03297541, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03297541.
Peak: Pricing Electronic Access to Knowledge

This paper describes a controlled field experiment to investigate the effects of product bundling and pricing structures for electronic access to scholarly literature. We describe the market economics of the publishing business, and describe some important economic problems facing both research libraries and scholarly journal publishers. We then explain how the opportunity provided by electronic access to use innovative bundling and pricing structures offer some hope of easing the library and publisher problems. In the final section, we describe the main features of the experiment, and the rationale behind the design.
The need for a refined understanding of CYP2D6 in second-generation antipsychotic outcomes in children and adolescents

Tweetable abstract High-quality studies examining the influence of CYP2D6 on the exposure and tolerability of antipsychotics in youth are needed to mitigate the limitations of prior studies.
Caregiver–infant and toddler interactions during diapering: Caregiver responsiveness and child well-being and involvement

The findings of this empirical research provide new information about the importance of caregiver interactions during care routines, specifically diaper changing, in supporting infant and toddler involvement and well-being. This correlational study involved observations of 144 separate diapering cycles by 31 caregivers with 74 infants and toddlers in 30 infant and toddler classrooms in a U.S. Midwest city. Based on these observations, caregiver responsiveness was found to be significantly related to both child involvement and child well-being. Another feature of caregivers' behavior, caregiver encouragement, was significantly associated with child well-being, but not child involvement. The study results suggest that caregivers' behaviors, specifically responsiveness and encouragement, during diapering are vital proximal processes in the moment-to-moment interactions between a caregiver and child. Thus, responsiveness and encouragement in care routines should be emphasized in infant care settings and be a focus for caregiver professional development, including pre- and in-service training. Although training related to diapering is often restricted to health concerns, the findings suggest that specific caregiver-child interactions during this care routine may support or hinder children's well-being and involvement in the moment. Caregiver responsiveness to children's cues in this context may enhance children's opportunities to practice involvement in bidirectional relationships and support children's well-being.
The Cx43 Carboxyl-Terminal Mimetic Peptide alphaCT1 Protects Endothelial Barrier Function in a ZO1 Binding-Competent Manner

The Cx43 CT mimetic peptide, αCT1, originally designed to bind to ZO1 and thereby inhibit Cx43/ZO1 interaction, was used as a tool to probe the role of Cx43/ZO1 association in regulation of epithelial/endothelial barrier function. Using both in vitro and ex vivo methods of barrier function measurement, including Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing(ECIS), a FITC-dextran transwell permeability assay, and a FITC-dextran cardiovascular leakage protocol involving Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts, αCT1 was found to protect the endothelium from thrombin-induced breakdown in cell-cell contacts. Barrier protection was accompanied by significant remodeling of the F-actin cytoskeleton, characterized by a redistribution of F-actin away from the cytoplasmic and nuclear regions of the cell, towards the endothelial cell periphery, in association with alterations in cellular orientation distribution. In line with observations of increased cortical F-actin, αCT1 upregulated cell-cell border localization of endothelial VE-cadherin, the Tight Junction protein Zonula Occludens 1 (ZO1) , and the Gap Junction Protein (GJ) Connexin43 (Cx43). A ZO1-binding-incompetent variant of αCT1, αCT1-I, indicated that these effects on barrier function and barrier-associated proteins, were likely associated with Cx43 CT sequences retaining ability to interact with ZO1. These results implicate the Cx43 CT and its interaction with ZO1, in the regulation of endothelial barrier function, while revealing the therapeutic potential of αCT1 in the treatment of vascular edema.
Endophthalmitis After Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Factor Injections: Outcomes of Eyes Managed Without Microbiologic Cultures.

PURPOSE To evaluate outcomes of eyes that developed endophthalmitis after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections that were managed without microbiologic cultures. DESIGN Retrospective, single-center, comparative cohort study. METHODS We included all eyes with postinjection endophthalmitis from July 1, 2013, to September 1, 2019. Endophthalmitis cases were divided into the culture group if treated with intravitreal antibiotics and a vitreous or aqueous tap sent for microbiologic sampling or into the no culture group if treated with immediate injection of intravitreal antibiotics with an anterior chamber paracentesis that was not sent for microbiologic sampling. The m ain outcome measures were visual acuity, the incidence of retinal detachment, and the need for additional procedures. RESULTS Of 165 endophthalmitis cases identified, 119 (72%) were in the culture group and 46 (28%) were in the no culture group. At endophthalmitis presentation, eyes in the culture group had a mean logMAR VA of 1.98 (∼20/1900) compared with 1.90 (∼20/1600) for eyes in the no culture group (P = .589). At the 6-month follow-up, the mean vision loss was 5.5 lines lost from baseline for the culture group compared with 2.5 lines lost for the no culture group (P = .017). Eyes in the culture group required a subsequent pars plana vitrectomy in 29 of 119 cases (24%) compared with 7 of 46 cases (15%) in the no culture group (P = .29). Six of 119 eyes (5%) in the culture group developed secondary retinal detachments compared with none in the no culture group (P = .143). CONCLUSIONS When access to microbiologic facility is not available, the management of postinjection endophthalmitis using intravitreal antibiotics without microbiologic cultures may be an acceptable treatment strategy.
Concurrent Gaming Disorder/Internet Gaming Disorder and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Dependency in Emerging Adults

A growing proportion of young adults report regularly playing video games and using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Although video gaming is often normative and adaptive, excessive gaming is associated with adverse health outcomes and dependency, as seen in gaming disorder/internet gaming disorder (GD/IGD). Possible additive detrimental effects of ENDS use on the physical outcomes of GD/IGD lend particular concern to these concurrent behaviors. The present study explored group differences in concurrent ENDS and GD/IGD dependency by demographic factors, including age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, racial identity, relationship status, and year in school. The interaction effect of symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the association between ENDS dependency and GD/IGD was also examined. Lastly, group differences in ADHD symptoms for individuals who endorse (1) neither GD/IGD nor ENDS dependency, (2) either GD/IGD or ENDS dependency, or (3) both GD/IGD and ENDS dependency were explored. Data were collected in a large, multi-university sample of college students (N = 1,054). Higher symptoms of GD/IGD were positively associated with greater symptoms of ENDS dependency. Men and individuals with significant symptoms of ADHD were at an increased risk of concurrent GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. These results may be used to identify demographic and psychological associations linked to these comorbidities, ultimately informing future prevention strategies.
Bleeding After LVAD Implant: If Things Do Not Add Up, Take a Look!

A 63-year-old male underwent re-exploration after HVAD implantation due to persistent postoperative bleeding. We present an unusual cause of postoperative bleeding after LVAD implantation for which...
International Climate Change Law and State Compliance

1. Law, Compliance and the Climate Change Regime 2. State Compliance with Rules on National Reporting and Assessment 3. Facilitation and Enforcement of Rules Through the Kyoto Protocol's Compliance Committee 4. State Compliance with Emission-Limitation Obligations 5. Financial Support for Mitigation Actions in Developing Countries 6. Climate Law and 'Optional' Mitigation Mechanisms 7. Compliance Lessons from the Climate Change Regime
Alternatives to Cyber Warfare: Deterrence and Assurance

Deterrence as practiced during the Cold War was largely defined in terms of capabilities to impose punishment in response to an attack; however, with growing concern over the proliferation of cyber technologies, deterrence has evolved to be understood more generally in terms of cost/benefit calculi, viewed from not only a national perspective, but also recognizing the importance of both friendly and adversary perspectives. With this approach, the primary instruments used for deterrence are those which encourage restraint on the part of all affected parties. The use of a multiple lever approach to deterrence offers a path to an integrated strategy that not only addresses the cost/benefit calculus of the primary attacker, but also provides opportunities to influence the calculus of mercenary cyber armies for hire, patriotic hackers, or other groups. For this multiple lever approach to be effective a capability to assess the effects of cyber attacks on operations is needed. Such a capability based on multi-formalism modeling to model, analyze, and evaluate the effect of cyber exploits on the coordination in decision making organizations is presented. The focus is on the effect that cyber exploits, such as availability and integrity attacks, have on information sharing and task synchronization. Colored Petri Nets are used to model the decision makers in the organization and computer network models to represent their interactions. Two new measures of performance are then introduced: information consistency and synchronization. The approach and the computation of the measures of performance are illustrated though a simple example based on a variation of the Pacifica scenario.
Somatic Rearrangement in B Cells: It’s (Mostly) Nuclear Physics

We discuss how principles of nuclear architecture drive typical gene rearrangements in B lymphocytes, whereas translocation hot spots and recurrent lesions reflect the extent of AID-mediated DNA damage and selection.
Understanding Amphibian Declines Through Geographic Approaches

Alisa Gallant, Ph.D. USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Mundt Federal Building Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198 Email: gallant@usgs.gov Growing concern over worldwide amphibian declines warrants serious examination. Amphibians are important to the proper functioning of ecosystems and provide many direct benefits to humans in the form of pest and disease control, pharmaceutical compounds, and even food. Amphibians have permeable skin and rely on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems during different seasons and stages of their lives. Their association with these ecosystems renders them likely to serve as sensitive indicators of environmental change. While much research on amphibian declines has centered on mysterious causes, or on causes that directly affect humans (global warming, chemical pollution, ultraviolet-B radiation), most declines are the result of habitat loss and habitat alteration. Improving our ability to characterize, model, and monitor the interactions between environmental variables and amphibian habitats is key to addressing amphibian conservation. In 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) to address issues surrounding amphibian declines. This map shows the probability of wetland occurrence in Yellowstone National Park. Predictive maps can be developed using satellite and other environmental data. The maps help field biologists locate potential amphibian habitats and assist land managers with making decisions about habitat conservation.
The slow control system of the muon g-2 experiment

The muon g-2 experiment (AGS E-821) will measure a/sub /spl mu//= 1/2 (g-2), the anomalous magnetic dipole moment of the muon, in the world's largest superconducting solenoidal magnet. Since the magnet stores the muons during their lifetime, running the experiment is similar to running an accelerator, though on a much smaller scale and with fewer timing requirements. The slow control system for the experiment will provide real-time monitoring of the experimental parameters by means of industrial subsystems; commercial products comprise both the hardware and its interface. The industrial basis of the control system makes it quite easy to install, and provides a simple way of implementing rudimentary controls for most of the variables. Two independent networks isolate critical control functions from bookkeeping functions, yet still provide a degree of redundancy. Since commercial products form the bulk of the slow control software, there is a minimal programming requirement for tool development.
Intrinsic jejunal propulsion in the guinea pig during parasitism with Trichinella spiralis

The onset and duration of alterations in intrinsic fluid propelling behavior of guinea pig jejunum caused by infection with Trichinella spiralis was determined using an in vitro monitoring system. Isolated intestinal segments from uninfected hosts produced propulsive complexes of approximately 30-s duration at 125-s intervals. The maximum intraluminal pressure produced at the oral and aboral ends of the segments was approximately 25 cmH2O and the maximum rate of fluid ejection in both the oral and aboral directions was approximately 0.28 ml/s. Segments removed from guinea pigs 10 and 15 days after being inoculated with infective parasite larvae ejected significantly more fluid in the aboral as compared with the oral direction. The maximum aboral pressure developed 10 days postinoculation was 45.7 cmH2O and the maximum aboral fluid ejection rate was 0.60 ml/s. Analogous oral values were 29.0 cmH2O and 0.40 ml/s. This net aboral propulsion was not observed on days 7, 20, 30, or 60 postinoculation. We conclude that precise and highly predictable alterations in intrinsic propulsive behavior of the small intestine are induced by primary infection. These changes are expressed by day 10 postinoculation and are reversed upon spontaneous termination of the intestinal phase of parasitism.
Description of a New Species of Parapharyngodon (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae) from Mexico with a List of Current Species and Key to Species from the Panamanian Region

Abstract: Parapharyngodon guerreroensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae) from the large intestine of Lepidophyma smithii from Mexico is described and illustrated. A list of nominal species and a key to species from the Panamanian region are provided. Parapharyngodon guerreroensis n. sp. is the 57th species assigned to the genus and the 10th from the Panamanian region. It differs from other species in the genus in that males possess 3 pairs of caudal papillae, an anterior cloacal lip supporting 4 digitiform processes, and a blunt spicule 67–104 μm in length, while females possess long flexible caudal appendages.
Ethnobiology For A Diverse World Spaces and Natures: Archaeology and the Political Ecology of Modern Cities

Scientific insights are sometimes found in the least likely places. For an ethnobiologist whose research focuses generally on the intersection of culture and biology, the city may seem like the last place to search for answers to complex questions surrounding the relationship between the social and the natural or the material and immaterial. Yet the archaeology of modern cities reveals a complex fabric of spaces whose emergence at the nexus of social and biological forces makes them ideal for examining their interaction. Such investigations are aided by a strong interdisciplinary approach that combines the more traditional study of material culture with the examination of the political ecologies that have shaped the urban landscape. Political ecology informs the work of scholars in a variety of disciplines who seek to transcend the former dichotomous worlds of nature and society in the hopes of forging a new understanding of the intersection of the material and immaterial (e.g., Bennett 2010; Beitl 2012; Collins 2008; Greenberg 2006; Uggla 2010). As the products of human hands, cities are nevertheless an assemblage of hydrologies, soils, animal and plant communities, and landscapes that, over time, develop their own unique ecologies. Using a variety of data sets –historical, material, biological– archaeologists investigating modern cities are able to chronicle both the establishment, and the unfolding changes, that shaped their emergent ecologies. The results provide a provocative comparison with the ideologies and abstract plans that went into the production of these cities. My own research has focused extensively on the production of urban industrial spaces that often involved the purposeful incorporation of natural
Vector averaging in a wave field

Measuring current from a sensor beneath a surface buoy, either attached to the buoy or hung on its mooring cable, subjects the measurement to error from sensor motion due to waves. While vector averaging over many wave periods would remove this error, simple averaging over one wave period is not sufficient because of attitude change in the sensor during passage of the wave. Determining attitude and sensor velocity might be done by sophisticated processing of linear accelerometer and vector magnetic sensor measurements but an inertial sensor with rate gyros, accelerometers, and magnetic sensors can best define attitude and sensor velocity. This solution is being explored along with sophisticated processing of simpler measurements.
Two nows in Korean

This paper presents a study of the two lexical adverbs in Korean, cikum and icey, which are assumed to be synonymous with each other and equivalent in meaning with English now. Because cikum and icey seem to be interchangeable in many instances without significant differences, their distinctive semantic features have been overlooked and not systematically studied. Starting from an overview of previous studies of cikum and icey, which focus on the intra-sentential analysis, this paper claims that, contrary to common assumptions, cikum and icey differ inherently in terms of the viewpoint of perspective taking in narrative discourse. Using examples drawn from a corpus, we argue that cikum simply refers to a time interval that contains the reference point from which the described event is viewed. On the other hand, icey describes a change in situation, showing that the reference point can be perceived as a point that divides the past and the future seen from this vantage point. Subsequently, we show that English now has in fact two functions corresponding to the Korean cikum and icey. The semantic differences between cikum and icey in narrative discourses are represented in discourse representation theory. Cikum preserves the given reference time, elaborating on an event described by the preceding sentence, while icey introduces a new reference time, updating the temporal context with a shifted temporal perspective.
Dissociation Energies of the Cu and Ag Monohalides and of Ni Monofluoride

Gaseous isomolecular equilibria of the type CuX + Ag = Cu + AgX, where X = F, Cl, Br, and I, were studied by effusion-beam mass spectrometry at elevated temperatures, and the differences between th...
Trichomonas transmembrane cyclases result from massive gene duplication and concomitant development of pseudogenes.

BACKGROUND Trichomonas vaginalis has an unusually large genome (approximately 160 Mb) encoding approximately 60,000 proteins. With the goal of beginning to understand why some Trichomonas genes are present in so many copies, we characterized here a family of approximately 123 Trichomonas genes that encode transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (TMACs). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The large family of TMACs genes is the result of recent duplications of a small set of ancestral genes that appear to be unique to trichomonads. Duplicated TMAC genes are not closely associated with repetitive elements, and duplications of flanking sequences are rare. However, there is evidence for TMAC gene replacements by homologous recombination. A high percentage of TMAC genes (approximately 46%) are pseudogenes, as they contain stop codons and/or frame shifts, or the genes are truncated. Numerous stop codons present in the genome project G3 strain are not present in orthologous genes of two other Trichomonas strains (S1 and B7RC2). Each TMAC is composed of a series of N-terminal transmembrane helices and a single C-terminal cyclase domain that has adenylyl cyclase activity. Multiple TMAC genes are transcribed by Trichomonas cloned by limiting dilution. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We conclude that one reason for the unusually large genome of Trichomonas is the presence of unstable families of genes such as those encoding TMACs that are undergoing massive gene duplication and concomitant development of pseudogenes.
Tooth extraction by orthodontic force after radiation therapy: report of case

A therapeutic approach to the extractions of teeth in patients at high risk for the development of osteoradionecrosis is discussed, amalgamating principles of radiation biology, clinical radiation therapy, and biomechanics of tooth movement.