cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implicit 3-D dyadic Green's function using self-adjoint operators for inhomogeneous planar ferrite circulator with vertically layered external material employing mode-matching

Self-adjoint operators are found for the differential equations describing the z-dependent field variation in the medium external to the ferrite microstrip circulator puck. The external medium is, in general, inhomogeneously layered, consisting of media with permittivity properties, magnetic properties, or both. Eigenvalue equations characterizing the radially sectioned medium outside the puck are found, as are the eigenvectors. When the z-dependent parts are multiplied with the radial and azimuthal dependences, the complete three-dimensional (3-D) field expressions are determined. Source-constraint equations (representing microstrip lines) driving the circulator are then combined with the mode-matching technique to obtain in direct space, implicit dyadic Green's function elements. Mode orthogonality is employed to encourage sparsity in matrix system development where appropriate or convenient. The implicit Green's function is particularly useful because field information and s-parameters may be found in real space, completely avoiding typical inverse transformations.
SIMPLIFIED ANALYSIS OF IONOSPHERIC H'(F) RECORDS, USING WAVE REFRACTIVE INDEX

Abstract A new simplified method for the analysis of the ionospheric h'(f) records is developed, using the wave refractive index μ instead of the group refractive index μ'. The average virtual height curves are the required experimental data for this method. The new simplified integral equation applies for the ordinary and the extraordinary waves. The final solution involves expansions of the functions in power series.
Recovery of SRO parameters and pairwise atomic displacements in a Fe{sub 46.5}Ni{sub 53.5} alloy

Resonant (anomalous) x-ray scattering is used to alter the contrast between atoms nearby in the periodic table to recover local pair correlations. Both Warren-Cowley short-range order parameters and chemically specific interatomic distances are recovered from diffusely scattered x-ray intensities measured at three different x-ray energies (3{lambda} method). Analysis of the statistical and systematic errors shows that the average values for the number and kinds of first nearest neighbors are recovered to about one atom in one hundred and their interatomic distances to about {+-}0.002 {angstrom}.
Value of Hay and Rumen Inoculation in an Early-Weaning System for Dairy Calves

Summary Twenty-eight Holstein bull calves were used on a 21-day weaning system to determine the value of cud-inoculation and feeding of hay free-choice or incorporated into the starter. The calves were divided into four groups: Group I, Starter A with hay free-choice from 43rd day; Group II, Starter A with hay free-choice from eighth day; Groups III and IV, Starter B with 32.55% hay incorporated. The first three groups were inoculated at 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days of age. Calves in the four groups gained an average of 1.04, 1.12, 1.09, and 1.00 lb, respectively, during the eight- to 70-day experimental period. The differences were not statistically significant. Starter consumption increased rapidly as milk was withdrawn. Feed intakes and utilization after 21 days of age were adequate for maintenance plus a satisfactory weight gain. The two groups of calves fed hay free-choice consumed 12.4 and 18.2 lb hay during the experiment, compared to 58.9 and 53.8 lb by calves fed hay incorporated in the starter. Calves fed the starter with hay incorporated consumed 28.5 lb less grain and gained 2.2 lb less weight. Thus, hay can not only be force-fed at an early age but it can be utilized by the calf. When hay was offered free-choice, some calves consumed very little. As a consequence, there was less rumen development and, in some cases, hyperkeratosis of the rumen, erosion of the rumen wall, and rumen plaques. Cud-inoculation had little value in the 21-day weaning system.
Revisiting the p-value: a comparison of statistical evidence in clinical and legal medical decision making

While the use of p-values in evidence-based medicine (EBM) is consistent and well-defined, the application of statistical information in health law varies greatly. A comparative literature review of clinical and legal medical decision making using Medline (PubMed) and LexisNexis reveals large disparities in the mode and frequency with which statistical evidence is used in EBM when compared with health law. We present the historical background of the p-value in the statistical literature and legal case law, including several medical malpractice cases, and then compare the use of the p-value as statistical evidence in health law and clinical research. We suggest that health law may consider the establishment of statistical criteria for appropriate applications.
Anticholinergic-neuroleptic antagonism in terms of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia: implications for psychobiological subtyping

In three studies of comparable design, 47 schizophrenics received anticholinergic anti-Parkinsonism (AP) medications for two to four weeks along the course of neuroleptic treatment. Clinical ratings during the AP phase were contrasted against the preceding and following two-week periods on neuroleptic alone, and these changes were analysed for a total of 27 psychopathology dimensions and for clusters of seven positive and seven negative symptoms. Schizophrenics overall exhibited significant exacerbation of total psychopathology, and positive but not negative symptoms. Only those with a predominantly positive syndrome when drug-free were susceptible to AP therapeutic reversal. However, other subgroup analyses revealed worsening of total psychopathology and positive symptoms among catatonic, schizophreniform, chronic, and good outcome cases, but negative symptoms alone were significantly increased among paranoids. The results were not supportive of a positive-negative dichotomy of schizophrenia, but instead suggested a tripartite model: a distinct paranoid group and a division of the non-paranoids into a positive and a negative type.
Introduction to Synchronous State Machine Design and Analysis

Combinational logic devices lack true memory, and, therefore, lack the ability to perform sequential operations. Yet their presence in a sequential machine may be indispensable. This chapter defines that sequential machines, or simply state machines, possess true memory and can issue time-dependent sequences of logic signals controlled by present and past input information. These sequential machines may also be synchronous because the data path is controlled by a system clock. In synchronous sequential machines, input data are introduced into the machine and are processed sequentially according to some algorithm, and outputs are generated—all regulated by a system clock. The chapter also highlights the synchronous sequential machines and their design, analysis, and operation. A sequential machine always has a finite number of states and is therefore called a finite state machine (FSM) or simply a state machine. Thus, if there are N state variables, there can be no more than 2 N states in the FSM and no fewer than 2.
Smart grocery shopper segments

ABSTRACTThis study segments grocery shoppers seeking to maximize shopping value and minimize the investment of time, money, and effort. The literature lacks investigations of grocery shoppers based on shopping activities; therefore, this study aims to fill the gap. Data were obtained from 751 respondents who recently made a smart grocery shopping purchase. The cluster analysis to segment grocery shoppers yielded three types: spontaneous smart shoppers, apathetic smart shoppers, and involved smart shoppers. The segments differ across generational cohorts, consumer characteristics, postpurchase evaluations, and shopping values. Conclusions can assist marketers in tailoring their strategies for each segment.
A Statistical Analysis of Casino Blackjack

(1983). A Statistical Analysis of Casino Blackjack. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 90, No. 7, pp. 431-436.
Locational Dimensions of Urban Highway Impact: An Empirical Analysis

It is widely recognized that the impact of a new highway affects people both positively and negatively. This research examines the attitudes of residents in neighborhoods in an area in which an urb...
Twospotted Spider Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) Infestations on Soybeans: Effect on Composition and Growth of Susceptible and Resistant Cultivars

Effects of feeding of the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, on leaf and seed composition and dry matter accumulation in two soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., cultivars previously found to respond differently to mite infestation were investigated to gain a greater understanding of resistance mechanisms in soybeans to this wide host range plant pest. The two soybean cultivars, ‘Bonus’ and ‘Williams’, were infested with mites at the V3, V6, and R2 stages of development with 0, 10, and 200 mites per first fully expanded trifoliolate leaf. A relatively greater reduction in dry matter accumulation was seen in ‘Williams’ than in ‘Bonus’ at the same mite population level on the foliage. However, mite population increase was significantly lower on ‘Williams’ than on ‘Bonus’. Increasing mite infestation levels caused a slight increase in total soluble sugars and starch and a small decrease in total nitrogen and phosphorus levels of the leaves of both cultivars. Mite infestation had no effect on composition of seeds. Increasing mite damage caused a large reduction (55.26%) in leaf chlorophyll content and an even more dramatic loss (79.3%) in leaf carotenoid content with a greater loss in ‘Williams’ at the low mite infestation level. Results of these studies indicated that at least part of the increased resistance of ‘Williams’ to damage from T. urticae was due to a greater hypersensitive response of ‘Williams’ to mite attack. This response increased oxidizing conditions in the leaves, resulting in an extensive loss of carotenoids and chlorophyll. Increased oxidizing conditions in ‘Williams’ decreased mite population increases to a greater extent than it decreased net photosynthesis (dry matter accumulation).
29 STEROID-RESPONSIVE VIRAL MYOPERICARDITIS: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

A 20-year-old African American male presented with a chief complaint of chest pain. He was asymptomatic until 1 week prior to admission when he developed a headache and neck ache, nausea, rash, and fever. Two days prior to admission he experienced the sudden onset of squeezing, left-sided chest pain that was nonradiating, exacerbated by lying supine, and improved by sitting upright. He denied shortness of breath but did complain of a dry cough and increasing fatigue with exertion. Lung examination revealed diffuse rhonchi and bibasilar crackles and cardiac auscultation demonstrated an S3 gallop. There were erythematous, papular plaques and patches over his trunk and proximal upper and lower extremities bilaterally. Laboratory evaluation revealed WBC count of 10,400 with 29% bands, platelets of 120,000, AST 169, ALT 63, CPK 1,955, CKMB 153, and troponin I 31.5. His ECG demonstrated global ST elevation and a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) revealed an ejection fraction of 15% without evidence of pericardial effusion. Blood cultures, HIV ELISA, HIV PCR, ANA, anti-double-stranded DNA, and West Nile virus, ehrlichia, and RMSF serologies were negative. CSF analysis revealed no RBC or WBC, glucose 72, protein 19, and negative cryptococcal antigen, gram stain, and culture, West Nile IgM, and HSV DNA PCR. He was treated for a presumed viral myopericarditis with Lasix, Lisinopril, Toradol, and Solu-Medrol 40 mg IV every 12 hours. Within 4 days of starting treatment he became afebrile, his headache and neck ache subsided, and his rash and S3 gallop disappeared. His AST and ALT were 36 and 111, respectively, and his platelets rose to 356,000. His CPK was 50, CKMB 1.8, and troponin I 1.73. A repeat TTE revealed a normal heart with an ejection fraction of 55%. Viral infection is the most common cause of myocarditis in developed countries. A reliable, noninvasive diagnostic test for viral myocarditis does not exist. While the presence of a prodrome can aid in the diagnosis of viral myocarditis, it is usually a diagnosis of exclusion, made when all other tests have been unrevealing. Currently, based on small, controlled trials, steroids are not part of the standard of care for these patients. However, our patient made a rapid and complete recovery on intravenous steroids, suggesting a possible role for their use in certain patients with viral myocarditis. Further large, controlled studies should be done to reexamine the effectiveness of steroids in the treatment of viral myocarditis in selected patients.
Apparatus for Measuring Vapor-Liquid Equilibria and Phase Densities of Complex Aqueous Solutions

A new apparatus has been designed and constructed to measure the vapor- liquid equilibria and phase densities of corrosive, complex aqueous solutions containing organic solvents and salts. The apparatus is designed for isothermal operation from ambient temperatures to 400 K. Phase equilibrium measurements at higher temperatures may be achieved without density measurements. This paper presents a detailed description and performance testing of the apparatus. Measurements of the vapor pressures and saturated liquid densities of ethanol and the vapor pressure of an ethanol-water mixture (xethanol=0.6743 mole fraction) from 308 to 385 K at pressures to 15 MPa are used as performance tests.
Estimating Deterioration in the Concrete Tie-Ballast Interface Based on Vertical Tie Deflection Profile: A Numerical Study

In ballasted concrete tie track, the tie-ballast interface can deteriorate resulting in concrete tie bottom abrasion, ballast pulverization and/or voids in tie-ballast interfaces. Tie-ballast voids toward tie ends can lead to unfavorable center binding support conditions that can result in premature concrete tie failure and possible train derailment. Direct detection of these conditions is difficult. There is a strong interest in assessing the concrete tie-ballast interface conditions indirectly using measured vertical deflections.This paper seeks to establish a link between the vertical deflection profile of a concrete tie top surface and the tie-ballast interface condition using the finite element analysis (FEA) method. The concrete tie is modeled as a concrete matrix embedded with prestressing steel strands or wires. The configurations of two commonly used concrete ties, one with 8 prestressing strands and the other with 20 prestressing wires, are employed in this study. All models are three-dimensional and symmetric about the tie center. A damaged plasticity model that can predict onset and propagation of tensile cracks is applied to the concrete material. The steel-concrete interface is homogenized and represented with a thin layer of cohesive elements sandwiched between steel and concrete elements. Strand- or wire-specific elasto-plastic bond models developed at the Volpe Center are applied to the cohesive elements to account for the interface bonding mechanisms. FE models are developed for both original and worn concrete ties, with the latter assuming hypothetical patterns of reduced cross sections resulting from abrasive interactions with the ballast. Static analyses of pretension release in these concrete ties are conducted, and vertical deflection gradients along tie lengths are calculated and shown to correspond well with the worn cross sectional patterns for a given reinforcement type.The ballast is further modeled with Extended Drucker-Prager plasticity, and hypothetical voids are applied toward the tie ends along the concrete tie-ballast interface to simulate center binding support conditions. The distance range over which the concrete tie is supported in the center is variable and yields different center binding severity. Static simulations are completed with vertical rail seat loads applied on the concrete tie-ballast assembly. The influences of various factors on the vertical deflection profile, including tie type, vertical load magnitude, center binding severity, cross sectional material loss and prestress loss, are examined based on the FEA results.The work presented in this paper demonstrates the potential of using the vertical deflection profile of concrete tie top surfaces to assess deteriorations in the tie-ballast interface. The simulation results further help to clarify minimum technical requirements on inspection technologies that measure concrete tie vertical deflection profiles.© 2016 ASME
Identification of linear networks with latent nodes

We study identification of linear networks under the assumption that only a subset of all the nodes in the network can be observed. The observable nodes are called manifest nodes and they form the manifest subnetwork. The unobservable nodes are called latent nodes and the number of latent nodes is unknown. We explore the possibility of identifying the transfer function of the manifest subnetwork and whether an interaction between two manifest nodes is direct or mediated by latent nodes. In particular, we show that if the external inputs are injected into a linear network only through the manifest nodes, then there exists an auto-regressive model whose transfer function is arbitrarily close to the transfer function of the manifest subnetwork in the H∞ norm sense. Moreover, we prove that the least-squares method provides consistent estimate of the auto-regressive model using the measured states of the observed nodes. Finally, we show that if the latent subnetwork is acyclic, then the transfer function of the manifest subnetwork can be perfectly identified using the least-squares auto-regressive method. Various examples illustrate our results.
Antigen presentation by B cells guides programing of memory CD4+ T-cell responses to a TLR4-agonist containing vaccine in mice.

The contribution of B cells to immunity against many infectious diseases is unquestionably important and well characterized. Here, we sought to determine the role of B cells in the induction of T helper 1 (TH1) CD4+ T cells upon vaccination with a tuberculosis (TB) antigen combined with a TLR4 agonist. We used B-cell deficient mice (μMT−/−), tetramer-positive CD4+ T cells, markers of memory ‘precursor’ effector cells (MPECs), and T-cell adoptive transfers and demonstrated that the early antigen-specific cytokine-producing TH1 responses are unaffected in the absence of B cells, however MPEC induction is strongly impaired resulting in a deficiency of the memory TH1 response in μMT−/- mice. We further show that antigen-presentation by B cells is necessary for their role in MPEC generation using B-cell adoptive transfers from wildtype or MHC class II knock-out mice into μMT−/− mice. Our study challenges the view that B-cell deficiency exclusively alters the TH1 response at memory time-points. Collectively, our results provide new insights on the multifaceted roles of B cells which will have a high impact on vaccine development against several pathogens including those requiring TH1 cell-mediated immunity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The Heart and the Island: A Critical Study of Sicilian American Literature

With the volume The Heart and the Island, a Critical Study of Sicilian American Literature, Mazzucchelli adds her voice to the debates and reflections about Italian American literature. She challen...
Development of a propeller driven long range autonomous underwater vehicle (LRAUV) for under-ice mapping of oil spills and environmental hazards: An Arctic Domain Center of Awareness project (ADAC)

The increasing level of commercial marine activity in high latitudes creates an ever growing risk of oil spills. Even in logistically accessible, ice-free oceans, characterizing the extent and nature of a spill can be challenging as highlighted by the Deepwater Horizon incident. We propose to develop an AUV-based approach inspired by an existing small, long-range system, called the Tethys Long-Range AUV (LRAUV), in order to support the Arctic Doman Awareness Center (ADAC) for spill preparedness.
Accuracy of left ventricular ejection fraction by contemporary multiple gated acquisition scanning in patients with cancer: comparison with cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Multiple gated acquisition scanning (MUGA) is a common imaging modality for baseline and serial assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) for cardiotoxicity risk assessment prior to, surveillance during, and surveillance after administration of potentially cardiotoxic cancer treatment. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) obtained by contemporary clinical multiple gated acquisition scans (MUGA) with reference LVEFs from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in consecutive patients with cancer. In a cross-sectional study, we compared MUGA clinical and CMR reference LVEFs in 75 patients with cancer who had both studies within 30 days. Misclassification was assessed using the two most common thresholds of LVEF used in cardiotoxicity clinical studies and practice: 50 and 55%. Compared to CMR reference LVEFs, MUGA clinical LVEFs were only lower by a mean of 1.5% (48.5% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.17). However, the limits of agreement between MUGA clinical and CMR reference LVEFs were wide at −19.4 to 16.5%. At LVEF thresholds of 50 and 55%, there was misclassification of 35 and 20% of cancer patients, respectively. MUGA clinical LVEFs are only modestly accurate when compared with CMR reference LVEFs. These data have significant implications on clinical research and patient care of a population with, or at risk for, cardiotoxicity.
Survival among advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with poor performance status after first-line chemotherapy.

e18144 Background: Evidence-based guidelines recommend chemotherapy for medically fit patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Performance status (PS) is a commonly used fac...
Impulsivity and cue reactivity in smokers with comorbid depression and anxiety: Possible implications for smoking cessation treatment strategies.

ABSTRACTSmoking remains one of the most preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States (1). A number of factors contribute to the initiation and maintenance of smoking behavior, including psychosocial influences (2,3), neurobehavioral traits (4), and genetic susceptibility (5–7). Prevalence rates of tobacco dependence among individuals with mental health issues are strikingly high when compared to the general population, particularly among individuals with depression and anxiety disorders (8). There are well-established relationships between impulsivity, cue reactivity, and tobacco use in the literature (9). However, the interaction between these relationships remains unclear. The primary goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing literature across these domains and explore their interrelationship and subsequent impact on smoking initiation and tobacco dependence. Further, the clinical implications regarding the development of potential targeted smoking cessation stra...
“I was not sick and I didn’t need to recover”: Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) as a refuge from criminalization

Background: Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) in the United States (U.S.) has been undergoing a shift towards conceptualizing the program as recovery-based treatment. Although recovery is seen ...
The Illustrated View: Iconic Explanations and Figurative Metaphors

The style of illustrations used in the popular communication of genetics shifted with the changing research and social context. During the early twentieth-century classical genetics period, illustrations were minimalist depictions of observed realities, easy to access and understand. From the 1950s to the 1980s, illustrations strived to be detailed visual tools that address publics’ knowledge deficit, but in doing so, they disregarded readers’ information needs. Contemporary illustrations are hyper-realistic visual attractions. They are emotionally interesting and promise public engagement, but they also run the risk of conflating artistic inventions and physical realities. Illustrations of DNA, in particular, resort to ambiguous visual metaphors that promote genetic research, satisfy viewer curiosity, and provide superficial familiarity but discourage active questioning and responsible meaning making.
Diffraction Studies of Molecular Organization in Myelin

The nerve myelin sheath is an assembly of stacked membrane pairs arising from the spiral infolding of Schwann or glial cells around axons. The regularity of this membrane array makes myelin well suited for examination of its molecular structure by diffraction techniques. Correlation of results from chemical analysis, electron microscopy, and diffraction of X-rays and neutrons has provided a detailed picture of the average molecular organization in the myelin membrane. This chapter emphasizes the contribution of diffraction analysis to our understanding of myelin structure and surveys the relation of diffraction to other physical and chemical methods. Recent reviews by Levine (1972), Branton and Deamer (1973), Shipley (1973), and Gulik-Krzywicki (1975) on structural studies of biological membranes and their molecular components also discuss physical methods of structure analysis.
Climate and Anthropogenic Controls of Coastal Deoxygenation on Interannual to Centennial Timescales

Understanding dissolved oxygen variability in the ocean is limited by the short duration of direct measurements, however sedimentary oxidation-reduction reactions can provide context for modern observations. Here we use bulk sediment redox-sensitive metal enrichment factors (MoEF, ReEF, and UEF) and scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) records to examine annual-scale sedimentary oxygen concentrations in the Santa Barbara Basin from the Industrial Revolution (AD ~1850) to present. Enrichments are linked to measured bottom water oxygen concentrations after 1986. We reveal gradual intensification of the coastal oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) on the southern California margin coinciding the 20th century anthropogenic warming trend that leads to reduced oxygen solubility and greater stratification. High-frequency interannual oscillations become more prominent over the last three decades. These are attributed to local ‘flushing events’ triggered by the transition from El Nino to La Nina conditions, which further amplify changes in the extratropical southern Californian OMZ.
Doctoral training in clinical psychology across 23 years: Continuity and change.

OBJECTIVE Doctoral training in clinical psychology has undergone substantial changes in recent decades, especially with the increasing heterogeneity of training models and graduate students. To document these changes, we analyzed program, student, and faculty characteristics of American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited clinical psychology programs over a 23-year span. METHOD We surveyed directors of clinical training about their doctoral programs every 2 years from 1991 to 2013, securing 90%-98% response rates. With minimal exceptions, the survey questions remained constant. RESULTS Percentages of female and racial/ethnic minority students continued to grow, such that women now comprise about three quarters of trainees and ethnic minorities about one quarter. There has been a decisive shift in faculty theoretical orientation toward cognitive/cognitive-behavioral and away from psychodynamic/psychoanalytic. Internship match rates were relatively high and stable until the early 2010s but have recently rebounded. CONCLUSION We discuss the limitations of these survey results and their implications for the future of doctoral training in clinical psychology.
CONTACT, CONTEXT, AND COLLOCATION: The Emergence of Sociostylistic Variation in L2 French Learners during Study Abroad

This study uses a mixed-effects model to examine the acquisition of targetlike patterns of phonological variation by 17 English-speaking learners of French during study abroad in France. Naturalistic speech data provide evidence for the incipient acquisition of a phonological variable showing sociostylistic variation in native speaker speech: the elision of /l/ in third-person subject clitic pronouns (il vient [il vjɛ] ∼ [i vjɛ] “he is coming”). Speech data are compared and correlated with the results of a social network strength scale designed for the study abroad learning context. Results demonstrate that phonological variation patterns are acquired in a predictable order based on token type and collocation and that social networks with native speakers are statistically significant predictors of phonological variation patterns.
Populism and Popular Support: Vertical Accountability, Exogenous Events, and Leader Discourse in Venezuela:

As a populist leader, Hugo Chavez famously used emotionally charged populist rhetoric to appeal to a broad base of poor and working-class Venezuelans. Was his choice of linguistic discourse a tool ...
Protecting High-Risk Youth in High-Risk Contexts: Neighborhoods, Parenting, and Victimization

Victimization theories suggest parents can serve as guardians to protect adolescents from victimization, yet findings from studies examining the main effects of parenting variables on adolescent victimization are mixed. Prior research suggests that it is the combination of parental warmth and monitoring that produces the best results across a range of other outcomes. The current study used data collected from a sample of serious adolescent offenders as part of the Pathways to Desistance study (N = 888; 16.1% female; mean age = 15.92). Using the first two waves (baseline and 6-month time points) of data, we estimated a series of negative binomial regression models to observe the main and interactive effects of parental warmth and monitoring on adolescent victimization and the potential moderating influence of neighborhood disorder. The results indicate that the combination of warmth and monitoring reduces adolescent victimization, and that parental warmth may be particularly important for protecting adolescents in neighborhoods with moderate-high levels of disorder.
Cholinergic Neurotransmission in the Autonomic and Somatic Motor Nervous System

Acetylcholine (ACh) is the neurotransmitter at all autonomic ganglia, all postganglionic parasympathetic nerves, postganglionic sympathetic nerves innervating eccrine sweat glands, the neuromuscular junction, and neurons in the central nervous system. ACh is synthesized by the acetylation of choline and acetyl coenzyme A by choline acetyltransferase. Depolarization of cholinergic neurons releases ACh by exocytosis into the various synapses where it acts on muscarinic (M1–M5) metabotropic receptors or nicotinic (Nm or Nn) ionotropic receptors. ACh is inactivated by acetylcholine esterase to acetic acid and choline. Following reuptake into cholinergic neurons, choline is reused for ACh synthesis.
Sensory Integration: Cross-Modal Communication Between the Olfactory and Visual Systems in Zebrafish

Cross-modal sensory communication is an innate biological process that refers to the combination and/or interpretation of different types of sensory input in the brain. Often, this process conjugates with neural modulation, by which the neural signals that convey sensory information are adjusted, such as intensity, frequency, complexity, and/or novelty. Although the anatomic pathways involved in cross-modal sensory integration have been previously described, the course of development and the physiological roles of multisensory signaling integration in brain functions remain to be elucidated. In this article, I review some of the recent findings in sensory integration from research using the zebrafish models. In zebrafish, cross-modal sensory integration occurs between the olfactory and visual systems. It is mediated by the olfacto-retinal centrifugal (ORC) pathway, which originates from the terminalis nerve (TN) in the olfactory bulb and terminates in the neural retina. In the retina, the TNs synapse with the inner nuclear layer dopaminergic interplexiform cells (DA-IPCs). Through the ORC pathway, stimulation of the olfactory neurons alters the cellular activity of TNs and DA-IPCs, which in turn modulates retinal neural function and increases behavioral visual sensitivity.
Development of speech recognition in noise or two-talker speech: Context effects related to response alternatives and sentence meaning

Speech recognition in normal-hearing adults is affected by pragmatic restrictions on the target content. For example, masked sentence recognition is better when target speech is composed of semantically meaningful compared to anomalous sentences. Similarly, masked word recognition is better when assessed in a close-set than an open-set task, even after accounting for changes in chance performance; this effect is most pronounced when the response alternatives in the closed-set task are acoustically distinct. In both the cases, restricting the set of plausible responses reduces the fidelity of acoustic cues necessary to perform the task. Although young school-age children benefit from this type of context, the magnitude of benefit relative to that observed for adults depends on the masker type. The benefit associated with increasingly restricted response alternatives is similar for young children and adults when the masker is noise, but young children derive little or no benefit when the masker is two-talker speech. Children and adults also differ with respect to the benefit of semantic context for sentences presented in noise or two-talker speech. Potential factors responsible for these developmental effects will be discussed, including maturation of auditory stream segregation, working memory, and acoustic/phonetic templates supporting word recognition.
Methanol to high-octane gasoline within a market-responsive biorefinery concept enabled by catalysis

Biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass is hindered by high conversion costs in the generation of high-quality fuels, driving research towards the development of new pathways with less severe conditions, higher yields and higher-quality products. Here, we present a market-responsive biorefinery concept based on methanol as the key intermediate, which generates high-octane gasoline (HOG) and jet fuel blendstocks from biomass. Process models and techno-economic analysis are linked with both fundamental and applied catalyst development research to quantify the impact of catalyst advancements on process economics. By facilitating reincorporation of C4 by-products during dimethyl ether homologation, a Cu-modified beta zeolite catalyst enabled a 38% increase in yield of the HOG product and a 35% reduction in conversion cost compared to the benchmark beta zeolite catalyst. Alternatively, C4 by-products were directed to a synthetic kerosene that met five specifications for a typical jet fuel, with a minor increase in the fuel synthesis cost versus the HOG-only case. The production of high-value fuels from bio-derived methanol requires improvement to become economically viable. Here, process advancements for the production of high-octane gasoline are reported, and the effects that these have on making the process competitive with market rates of fossil fuels are analysed.
Environmental and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination during Simulated Healthcare Activities

Providing care to patients with an infectious disease can result in the exposure of healthcare workers (HCWs) to pathogen-containing bodily fluids. We performed a series of experiments to characterize the magnitude of environmental contamination-in air, on surfaces and on participants-associated with seven common healthcare activities. The seven activities studied were bathing, central venous access, intravenous access, intubation, physical examination, suctioning and vital signs assessment. HCWs with experience in one or more activities were recruited to participate and performed one to two activities in the laboratory using task trainers that contained or were contaminated with fluorescein-containing simulated bodily fluid. Fluorescein was quantitatively measured in the air and on seven environmental surfaces. Fluorescein was quantitatively and qualitatively measured on the personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by participants. A total of 39 participants performed 74 experiments, involving 10-12 experimental trials for each healthcare activity. Healthcare activities resulted in diverse patterns and levels of contamination in the environment and on PPE that are consistent with the nature of the activity. Glove and gown contamination were ubiquitous, affirming the value of wearing these pieces of PPE to protect HCW's clothing and skin. Though intubation and suctioning are considered aerosol-generating procedures, fluorescein was detected less frequently in air and at lower levels on face shields and facemasks than other activities, which suggests that the definition of aerosol-generating procedure may need to be revised. Face shields may protect the face and facemask from splashes and sprays of bodily fluids and should be used for more healthcare activities.
Coil-combined split slice-GRAPPA for simultaneous multi-slice diffusion MRI.

Abstract Objective: To develop a kernel optimization method called coil-combined split slice-GRAPPA (CC-SSG) to improve the accuracy of the reconstructed coil-combined images for simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) data. Methods: The CC-SSG method optimizes the tuning parameters in the k-space SSG kernels to achieve an optimal trade-off between the intra-slice artifact and inter-slice leakage after the root-sum-of-squares (rSOS) coil combining of the de-aliased SMS DWI data. A detailed analysis is conducted to evaluate the contributions of the intra-slice artifact and inter-slice leakage to the total reconstruction error after coil combining. Results: Comparisons of the proposed CC-SSG method with the slice-GRAPPA (SG) and split slice-GRAPPA (SSG) methods are provided using two in-vivo readout-segmented (RS) EPI datasets collected from stroke patients. The CC-SSG method demonstrates improved accuracy of the reconstructed coil-combined images and the estimated diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) maps. Conclusion: CC-SSG strikes a good balance between the intra-slice artifact and inter-slice leakage for rSOS coil combining, and so can yield better reconstruction performance compared to SG and SSG for rSOS reconstruction. The optimal trade-off between the two artifacts is robust to the contrast of SMS data and the choice of the coil combining method.
Study of early warning for desaturation provided by Oxygen Reserve Index in obese patients

Acute hemoglobin desaturation can reflect rapidly decreasing PaO2. Pulse oximetry saturation (SpO2) facilitates hypoxia detection but may not significantly decrease until PaO2 < 80 mmHg. The Oxygen Reserve Index (ORI) is a unitless index that correlates with moderately hyperoxic PaO2. This study evaluated whether ORI provides added arterial desaturation warning in obese patients. This IRB approved, prospective, observational study obtained written informed consent from Obese (body mass index (BMI) kg m-2; 30 < BMI < 40) and Normal BMI (19 < BMI < 25) adult patients scheduled for elective surgery requiring general endotracheal anesthesia. Standard monitors and an ORI sensor were placed. Patient's lungs were pre-oxygenated with 100% FiO2. After ORI plateaued, general anesthesia was induced, and endotracheal intubation accomplished using a videolaryngoscope. Patients remained apneic until SpO2reached 94%. ORI and SpO2 were recorded continuously. Added warning time was defined as the difference between the time to SpO2 94% from ORI alarm start or from SpO2 97%. Data are reported as median; 95% confidence interval. Complete data were collected in 36 Obese and 36 Normal BMI patients. ORI warning time was always longer than SpO2 warning time. Added warning time provided by ORI was 46.5 (36.0-59.0) seconds in Obese and 87.0 (77.0-109.0) seconds in Normal BMI patients, and was shorter in Obese than Normal BMI patients difference 54.0 (38.0-74.0) seconds (p < 0.0001). ORI provided what was felt to be clinically significant added warning time of arterial desaturation compared to SpO2. This added time might allow earlier calls for help, assistance from other providers, or modifications of airway management.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03021551.
A familial case of Blau syndrome caused by dual NOD2 genetic mutations

Objective To provide the diagnostic proof for a suspected Chinese family with BS, and NOD2 gene mutation types and clinical features were analyzed in this study. Methods Nine members (4 males and 5 females) of this family were enrolled.To clarify the genotype, the whole exome sequencing by next-generation sequencing from the proband and his parents was performed, and all members were subjected to Sanger sequencing.For the newly discovered NOD2 missense mutation, its pathological predictions were conducted online by adopting polyphen software.Clinical data of affected cases diagnosed by NOD2 analysis were collected to analyze illustrate the clinical features. Results (1)The proband of the family was a 5-year-old Chinese Han boy, who had the clinical triad of dermatitis, polyarthritis and uveitis.The body temperature and C-reactive protein (CRP) was normal.Besides the proband, 2 members were diagnosed as BS by means of NOD2 analysis.The coexistence of 2 missense mutations was detected.One novel mutation was c. 1981G>C, p.A661P, and another previously reported one was c. 2006A>G, p.H669A.(2)Mutations identified in the male proband were inherited from his father.Tracing the other pedigree members, it was disclosed that his grandmother had the heterozygous dual NOD2 mutations.The proband displayed a phenotype featuring the symptom triad of granulomatous dermatitis, symmetric arthritis, and recurrent uveitis, with normal temperature and CRP level. Conclusions The coexistence of A661P and H669A mutations in NOD2 caused BS in a Chinese pedigree, which derived from the proband′s grandmother.This is the first report of A661P mutation in NOD2 in a Chinese pedigree of this disease.The proband has multi hydatoncus surrounding multi-joints, but no persistent fever and no elevated CRP, which may help to differentiate BS from other inherited autoinflammatory diseases in clinical settings. Key words: Blau syndrome; NOD2 gene; Family; China
In Vivo Mitochondrial ATP Production Is Improved in Older Adult Skeletal Muscle After a Single Dose of Elamipretide in a Randomized Trial

ABSTRACT Background Loss of mitochondrial function contributes to fatigue, exercise intolerance and muscle weakness, and is a key factor in the disability that develops with age and a wide variety of chronic disorders. Here, we describe the impact of a first-in-class cardiolipin-binding compound that is targeted to mitochondria and improves oxidative phosphorylation capacity (Elamipretide, ELAM) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods Non-invasive magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopy provided measures of mitochondrial capacity (ATPmax) with exercise and mitochondrial coupling (ATP supply per O2 uptake; P/O) at rest. The first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle was studied in 39 healthy older adult subjects (60 to 85 yrs of age; 46% female) who were enrolled based on the presence of poorly functioning mitochondria. We measured volitional fatigue resistance by force-time integral over repetitive muscle contractions. Results A single ELAM dose elevated mitochondrial energetic capacity in vivo relative to placebo (ΔATPmax; P=0.055, %ΔATPmax; P=0.045) immediately after a 2-hour infusion. No difference was found on day 7 after treatment, which is consistent with the half-life of ELAM in human blood. No significant changes were found in resting muscle mitochondrial coupling. Despite the increase in ATPmax there was no significant effect of treatment on fatigue resistance in the FDI. Conclusions These results highlight that ELAM rapidly and reversibly elevates mitochondrial capacity after a single dose. This response represents the first demonstration of a pharmacological intervention that can reverse mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo immediately after treatment in aging human muscle.
Excess 30-Day Heart Failure Readmissions and Mortality in Black Patients Increases With Neighborhood Deprivation.

Background: Longstanding racial disparities in heart failure (HF) outcomes exist in the United States, in part, due to social determinants of health. We examined whether neighborhood environment mo...
Understanding Ustilago maydis Infection of Multiple Maize Organs.

Ustilago maydis is a smut fungus that infects all aerial maize organs, namely, seedling leaves, tassels, and ears. In all organs, tumors are formed by inducing hypertrophy and hyperplasia in actively dividing cells; however, the vast differences in cell types and developmental stages for different parts of the plant requires that U. maydis have both general and organ-specific strategies for infecting maize. In this review, we summarize how the maize–U. maydis interaction can be studied using mutant U. maydis strains to better understand how individual effectors contribute to this interaction, either through general or specific expression in a cell type, tissue, or organ. We also examine how male sterile maize mutants that do not support tumor formation can be used to explore key features of the maize anthers that are required for successful infection. Finally, we discuss key unanswered questions about the maize–U. maydis interaction and how new technologies can potentially be used to answer them.
The intermingling of meanings in marketing: semiology and phenomenology in consumer culture theory

This paper explores the construction of meaning in consumer culture through a synthesis of two scholarly streams within the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) body of knowledge: semiology and phenomenology. Semiology represents consumer culture as a web of meanings—studying cultural meanings as socially agreed-upon structures. By contrast, phenomenology represents the interpretation and personalization of cultural meanings by consumers—focusing on meanings that emerge from individual lived experience. Combining these two approaches results in a framework that excavates meanings at both the cultural level and the individual level, inviting them into a figure-ground relationship. This relationship between levels of analysis illuminates how meaning in consumer culture is constructed, and how cultural meanings come to constitute a sense of normalcy in modern societies. As all marketing activity is culturally situated, understanding meaning in consumer culture provides an alternative way to understand value in marketing.
Ecological networks and archaeology

While environmental reconstruction has been a staple in the study of past societies, underused tools from ecology, such as food webs, can enable a more thorough understanding of the human place within ecosystems. Drawing on two recent studies, this article describes the types of questions that can be addressed using this approach. The authors demonstrate how food webs that include archaeological data can provide insights into the effects of extinctions, invasion and ecosystem change on communities, and can address key questions of the structure and dynamics of past societies. This article highlights examples of best practice for the compilation of archaeo-ecological networks, and suggest ways of developing a synthetic understanding of past environments.