cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smartphone-based real-time classification of noise signals using subband features and random forest classifier

This paper presents the real-time implementation and field testing of an app running on smartphones for classifying noise signals involving subband features and a random forest classifier. This app is compared to a previously developed app utilizing mel-frequency cepstral coefficients features and a Gaussian mixture model classifier. The real-time implementation has been carried out on both the Android and iOS smartphones. The field testing results indicate the superiority of this newly developed app over the previously developed app in terms of classification rates.
Detection of spermatozoal antibodies by radioassay: a comparative evaluation.

Antibodies to human spermatozoa were produced in rabbits and a portion of each rabbit antiserum was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation. Fractionated and unfractionated antisera were used to compare a new indirect radioimmunoassay for spermatozoal antibodies with one indirect immunofluorescent, one microagglutination, and one macroagglutination assay. No significant difference in sensitivity was found when comparing the two agglutination assays. The indirect immunofluorescent antibody test appeared to be more sensitive than the agglutination tests, but endpoints were more difficult to interpret. The radioimmunoassay was the most sensitive procedure tested. The radioassay is not difficult to perform, but requires the preparation of a 125 I-labeled antiglobulin reagent.
Emergencies of the biliary tract.

SUMMARY The traditional approach to urgent therapy of biliary tract disease has undergone significant change. Technologic advances now permit a nonoperative approach to acute cholangitis, acute gallstone pancreatitis and hemobilia. Acute cholecystitis continues to be treated surgically in most cases. The clinical use of such nonoperative therapy has been guided mainly by retrospective data. The precise indications and optimal timing for endoscopic and radiologic therapy and their relationship to traditional surgical therapy remains to be defined by careful prospective evaluation.
KSHV encoded LANA recruits Nucleosome Assembly Protein NAP1L1 for regulating viral DNA replication and transcription

The establishment of latency is an essential for lifelong persistence and pathogenesis of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) is the most abundantly expressed protein during latency and is important for viral genome replication and transcription. Replication-coupled nucleosome assembly is a major step in packaging the newly synthesized DNA into chromatin, but the mechanism of KSHV genome chromatinization post-replication is not understood. Here, we show that nucleosome assembly protein 1-like protein 1 (NAP1L1) associates with LANA. Our binding assays revealed an association of LANA with NAP1L1 in KSHV-infected cells, which binds through its amino terminal domain. Association of these proteins confirmed their localization in specific nuclear compartments of the infected cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays from NAP1L1-depleted cells showed LANA-mediated recruitment of NAP1L1 at the terminal repeat (TR) region of the viral genome. Presence of NAP1L1 stimulated LANA-mediated DNA replication and persistence of a TR-containing plasmid. Depletion of NAP1L1 led to a reduced nucleosome positioning on the viral genome. Furthermore, depletion of NAP1L1 increased the transcription of viral lytic genes and overexpression decreased the promoter activities of LANA-regulated genes. These results confirmed that LANA recruitment of NAP1L1 helps in assembling nucleosome for the chromatinization of newly synthesized viral DNA.
A disorder by any other name: excessive computer game playing.

Researchers have attempted to identify excessive Internet use and video game playing and have sought to classify it as an addiction. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A New Equation for Predicting Polyethylene Lifetimes from Thermal Data

A number of applications for polyethylene require its occasional or frequent exposure to temperatures above the usual ambient and in the presence of air. Under these conditions the lifetime of the material may be severely foreshortened. As the oxidation progresses the polyethylene will lose resiliency, develop surface cracks, and ultimately crumble. Even when the particular application for the material does not impose a thermal oxidative stress, the processing of the polymer into its final form by extrusion, injection molding, or other means involves treatment at elevated temperatures and in the presence of oxygen. Accordingly, it is a necessary practice to enhance the stability of polyethylene by incorporation of antioxidants. The determination of the efficacy of these additives and the amount required has subsequently become a matter of wide investigation. In particular there has been a significant effort to utilize existent or develop new accelerated tests for predicting time to failure under conditions of use.
Radiologically Isolated Syndrome: MR Imaging Features Suggestive of Multiple Sclerosis Prior to First Symptom Onset

Remarkable advances in the understanding of the biology of multiple sclerosis have been achieved through the use of conventional and novel MR imaging techniques of the central nervous system. With improvements in access by patients and utilization of MR imaging technology in health care, an increasing number of unanticipated structural anomalies are being appreciated. In certain instances, white matter abnormalities within the brain and spinal cord are discovered in subjects with no prior history of neurologic symptoms supportive of inflammatory demyelinating events.
Nanophotonics for information systems integration

The paper investigates and experimentally demonstrates components and devices based on engineered birefringent materials (space variant and space invariant), photonic crystals and surface plasmon polariton based components. The integration of these components with quantum dots to enhance nonlinear response functionality is also being investigated.
Drude Polarizable Force Field for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Saturated and Unsaturated Zwitterionic Lipids.

Additive force fields are designed to account for induced electronic polarization in a mean-field average way, using effective empirical fixed charges. The limitation of this approximation is cause for serious concerns, particularly in the case of lipid membranes, where the molecular environment undergoes dramatic variations over microscopic length scales. A polarizable force field based on the classical Drude oscillator offers a practical and computationally efficient framework for an improved representation of electrostatic interactions in molecular simulations. Building on the first-generation Drude polarizable force field for the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) molecule, the present effort was undertaken to improve this initial model and expand the force field to a wider range of phospholipid molecules. New lipids parametrized include dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoch...
Stability assessment of utility PV integration to the distributed systems based on D-Q frame impedances and GNC

As negative incremental resistance caused by constant power behavior of power converters may bring stability problem to distributed systems, stability of PV integration to distributed system attracts more and more attention. Compared to the widely used positive impedance method, D-Q Frame impedance matrix method is more accurate for integration of PV generator that has non-symmetrical control in DQ frame including DC voltage loop and phase locked loop (PLL). This paper is to use the D-Q frame impedances of utility scale PV farm in generalized Nyquist Criteria (GNC) to assess the stability of integrating PV to medium voltage distributed system. The results show that instability problem may occur when PV generators are under reactive power control mode of Q = f (V) and voltage constant, as a result of interaction of voltage control of multiple PV inverters in parallel.
Evaluating Changes in Sustainability Culture: A Model for Universities and Other Organizations

Approaches to evaluating built environments are adaptable to environmentally-related programs. This chapter presents an overview of a multi-year project designed to monitor programs aimed at moving toward a culture of sustainability on the University of Michigan (U-M) campus. Culture of sustainability is meant to reflect a set of attitudes, behaviors, levels of understanding and commitment, degrees of engagement, and dispositions among a population within a single entity- a university, a corporation, a city, or a building. The evaluation is intended to inform and provide feedback to U-M administrators, faculty, and others responsible for day-to-day operations of the University including its academic programs. It also is used to assess experiments/trials of new sustainability initiatives. Finally, the evaluation program serves as a model demonstrating how behavioral research can be used to address critical environmental issues within universities generally, and in other settings.
Exploring the Community Pharmacist's Knowledge of Celiac Disease

Objective. To evaluate pharmacists' knowledge of celiac disease, and identify potential areas where additional continuing education may be needed. Methods. A survey was sent to community pharmacists practicing in a national chain pharmacy in one region of New Jersey and New York. Results. There were 418 pharmacists who responded to the survey with a response rate of 38%. Only 27% of all respondents who reported their understanding of celiac disease to be basic or advanced correctly defined celiac disease as both an autoimmune and a chronic lifelong disease. The majority (60%) of respondents correctly stated there are no federal regulations requiring manufacturers to designate medications as gluten-free. Twenty percent of respondents said they often recommended a change in diet to people suspected to have celiac disease before a confirmed diagnosis. Conclusion. Community pharmacists possess some knowledge of the disease and would benefit from and desire additional education about this disorder.
Who Cares? Generativity and the Moral Emotions, Part 1. Advancing the “Psychology of Ultimate Concerns”:

Contemporary thinking in generativity theory and research (de St. Aubin, McAdams, & Kim, 2004) and in the “psychology of ultimate concerns” (Emmons, 1999) posits that Erik Erikson's notion of gener...
A Non-canonical Feedback Circuit for Rapid Interactions between Somatosensory Cortices.

Summary Sensory perception depends on interactions among cortical areas. These interactions are mediated by canonical patterns of connectivity in which higher areas send feedback projections to lower areas via neurons in superficial and deep layers. Here, we probed the circuit basis of interactions among two areas critical for touch perception in mice, whisker primary (wS1) and secondary (wS2) somatosensory cortices. Neurons in layer 4 of wS2 (S2 L4 ) formed a major feedback pathway to wS1. Feedback from wS2 to wS1 was organized somatotopically. Spikes evoked by whisker deflections occurred nearly as rapidly in wS2 as in wS1, including among putative S2 L4 → S1 feedback neurons. Axons from S2 L4 → S1 neurons sent stimulus orientation-specific activity to wS1. Optogenetic excitation of S2 L4 neurons modulated activity across both wS2 and wS1, while inhibition of S2 L4 reduced orientation tuning among wS1 neurons. Thus, a non-canonical feedback circuit, originating in layer 4 of S2, rapidly modulates early tactile processing.
Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership Redesign: Utilizing a Multicriteria Framework

The development of educational leaders, who have a profound influence in shaping a culture of organizational learning; ethical community engagement; advocacy for diversity, equity and inclusion; and theory to practice solutions, is the aim of redesign efforts in one educational leadership (EDLE) program in the United States. These ideas, grounded in a multicriteria framework, are reified in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (CPED) Principles and Design Concepts and reinforced by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) criteria. Yet, right from the beginning, faculty struggled with ideological differences and logistical challenges. Without the dean and department chair’s collaborative, visionary leadership and support of key faculty, efforts to redesign the program would have been stifled. We argue that the multicriteria framework, underscoring the importance of collaborative leadership, is the cornerstone of the education doctorate program redesign. The article’s contributions are intended to inform the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this program redesign and its impact.
Nebulas: using distributed voluntary resources to build clouds

Current cloud services are deployed on well-provisioned and centrally controlled infrastructures. However, there are several classes of services for which the current cloud model may not fit well: some do not need strong performance guarantees, the pricing may be too expensive for some, and some may be constrained by the data movement costs to the cloud. To satisfy the requirements of such services, we propose the idea of using distributed voluntary resources--those donated by end-user hosts--to form nebulas: more dispersed, less-managed clouds. We first discuss the requirements of cloud services and the challenges in meeting these requirements in such voluntary clouds. We then present some possible solutions to these challenges and also discuss opportunities for further improvements to make nebulas a viable cloud paradigm.
High Temperature Polymers For Electronic Devices

In this paper, the potential advantages of polymers as dielectric insulating layers in advanced microelectronic devices are described along with the requirements for their use in chips. Some of the key results obtained from a detailed study of polyimides carried out within IBM are summarized along with efforts aimed at optimizing the polyamic acid precursor to achieve improved processibility. Finally, some preliminary results of work on a new type of high temperature polymer are described that appears to satisfy many of the shortcomings of existing systems.
Chlamydia pneumoniae,Strain TWAR, a New Important Pathogen

We first published findings 4 years ago that the chlamydia organism, which we call TWAR, was an important cause of human respiratory infection, including epidemics of pneumonia (Grayston et al. 1986a; Kuo et al. 1986; Mordhorst et al. 1986; Saikku et al. 1985, 1986; Wang and Grayston 1986). Knowledge about this organism has grown rapidly in the intervening years.
Fundamentals of Fixed-Bed Reactors

This chapter analyzes the performance of fixed-bed reactors and discusses the importance of identifying the resistance controlling the rate of reactant consumption or product formation. The controlling resistance must be identified before designing a fixed-bed reactor or prior to planning an experimental program to support a fixed-bed, catalyzed process. This chapter also discusses the impact of diffusion on the overall rate constant for a catalyzed process. It also discusses the impact of temperature on the overall rate constant.
Effect of variable volume index on performance of single screw compressor

The single screw compressor is widely used in air and water cooled central air conditioning systems for various unique characteristics compared to other compressors. It is possible to control the cooling or heating capacity by adjusting the mechanical slides built inside this type of compressor. However, the efficiency of the compressor is drastically reduced at part load conditions if the capacity is controlled by mechanical slides. We have studied the effect of volume index on performance when the capacity is controlled by varying the speed of the compressor. The volume index is varied by changing the position of the mechanical slides and the optimum volume index is obtained for rated and part load conditions. This paper will present the results of this study and propose the optimum volume index for obtaining best annual performance of the compressor.
Some Formulas for the Energy Functional of a Markov Process

In this paper we shall establish two formulas relating the energy functional of a Markov process to that of a subprocess. Let X be a right Markov process and M an exact multiplicative functional of X. Writing (X, M) for the corresponding subprocess, let L and L M denote the energy functional of X and (X, M) respectively. Suppose that M doesn’t vanish on [0,ζ[, and define an additive functional A by dA t = -dM t /M t- . Then given an X-excessive measure ξ and an X-excessive function u we have $$ {L^M}\left( {\xi, u} \right) = L\left( {\xi, u} \right) + {v^{\xi }}(u) $$ (1.1) where υξ is the Revuz measure of A relative to X and ξ. Formula (1.1) appears as (3.27) in [GSt] in the special case M t = e -qt .
Phenotyping Immune Cells in Tumor and Healthy Tissue Using Flow Cytometry Data

We present an automated pipeline capable of distinguishing the phenotypes of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in healthy and tumor-bearing tissues in mice using flow cytometry data. In contrast to earlier work where samples are analyzed individually, we analyze all samples from each tissue collectively using a representative template for it. We demonstrate with 43 flow cytometry samples collected from three tissues, naive bone-marrow, spleens of tumor-bearing mice, and intra-peritoneal tumor, that a set of templates serves as a better classifier than popular machine learning approaches including support vector machines and neural networks. Our "interpretable machine learning" approach goes beyond classification and identifies distinctive phenotypes associated with each tissue, information that is clinically useful. Hence the pipeline presented here leads to better understanding of the maturation and differentiation of MDSCs using high-throughput data.
Registration, results reporting, and publication bias of clinical trials supporting FDA approval of neuropsychiatric drugs before and after FDAAA: a retrospective cohort study.

Mandatory trial registration, and later results reporting, were proposed to mitigate selective clinical trial publication and outcome reporting. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendments Act (FDAAA) was enacted by Congress on September 27, 2007, requiring the registration of all non-phase I clinical trials involving FDA-regulated medical interventions and results reporting for approved drugs. The association between FDAAA enactment and the registration, results reporting, and publication bias of neuropsychiatric trials has not been studied. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all efficacy trials supporting FDA new drug approvals between 2005 to 2014 for neuropsychiatric indications. Trials were categorized as pre- or post-FDAAA based on initiation and/or completion dates. The main outcomes were the proportions of trials registered and reporting results in ClinicalTrials.gov, and the degree of publication bias, estimated using the relative risks pre- and post-FDAAA of both the publication of positive vs non-positive trials, as well as of publication of positive vs non-positive trials without misleading interpretations. Registration and results reporting proportions were compared pre- and post-FDAAA using the two-tailed Fisher exact test, and the degrees of publication bias were compared by calculating the ratio of relative risks (RRR) for each period. The FDA approved 37 new drugs for neuropsychiatric indications between 2005 and 2014 on the basis of 142 efficacy trials, of which 101 were pre-FDAAA and 41 post-FDAAA. Post-FDAAA trials were significantly more likely to be registered (100% vs 64%; p < 0.001) and report results (100% vs 10%; p < 0.001) than pre-FDAAA trials. Pre-FDAAA, positive trials were more likely to be published (relative risk [RR] = 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17–1.99; p = 0.002) and published without misleading interpretations (RR = 2.47; CI = 1.57–3.73; p < 0.001) than those with non-positive results. In contrast, post-FDAAA positive trials were equally likely to have been published (RR = 1; CI = 1–1, p = NA) and published without misleading interpretations (RR = 1.20; CI = 0.84–1.72; p = 0.30). The likelihood of publication bias pre-FDAAA vs post-FDAAA was greater for positive vs non-positive trials (RRR = 1.52; CI = 1.16–1.99; p = 0.002) and for publication without misleading interpretations (RRR = 2.06, CI = 1.17–3.61, p = 0.01). The enactment of FDAAA was followed by significantly higher proportions of trials that were registered and reporting results on ClinicalTrials.gov and significantly lower degrees of publication bias among trials supporting recent FDA approval of drugs for neuropsychiatric indications.
The Yoga Sutra of librarianship: Towards an understanding of holistic advocacy:

This article discusses the creation of a new philosophical model of librarian-patron interaction. Directly influenced by the classical Indian text The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the authors have cre...
IMMERSION IN TRICAINE METHANESULFONATE (MS-222) IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR EUTHANASIA OF SMOKEY JUNGLE FROGS (LEPTODACTYLUS PENTADACTYLUS)

Although tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) immersion has historically been standard of care for fish and anuran euthanasia, recent research has proven it insufficient for euthanasia of goldfish. To assess appropriateness for humane euthanasia of anurans, this study evaluated the efficacy of MS-222 in Smokey Jungle Frogs (Leptodactylus pentadactylus). Eighteen frogs (21–33 g) were exposed to one of three MS-222 concentrations via partial immersion: 2.5 g/L for 90 min (M2.5/90), 5 g/L for 60 min (M5/60), or 10 g/L for 60 min (M10/60). Physiologic parameters and times to loss of spontaneous movement, righting reflex, and noxious stimulus response were recorded. Following exposure, frogs were rinsed with dechlorinated water, and time to cessation of heart beat was recorded. Survival in M2.5/90, M5/60, and M10/60 was one of six, zero of six, and zero of six, respectively. In M2.5/90, three of six frogs had continued purposeful, spontaneous movement throughout exposure. In M5/60 and M10/60, median (range) time to initial loss of movement was 14.3 (5.5–30.0) and 7.6 (4.8–19.7) min, respectively. Twelve of 18 frogs among all groups demonstrated a median (range) of two (one to six) episodes of regained consciousness with purposeful, spontaneous movement following loss of noxious stimulus response. Median (range) time to heart beat cessation in M2.5/90, M5/60, and M10/60 was 150 (135–210), 157.5 (60–225), and 90 (75–210) min, respectively. Although death was achieved in 17 of 18 frogs, given the repeated events of regained consciousness, MS-222 immersion when used at concentrations ≤10 g/L did not result in rapid and distress-free death and is not sufficient for humane euthanasia in this species.
Effects of Depressant Drugs on Sodium-Calcium Exchange in Resealed Synaptic Membranes

Many drugs that act on the central nervous system (CNS) to produce neuronal depression may do so through alterations in the regulation of Ca2+ fluxes across neuronal membranes [17]. Such actions could involve decreases in either the amount of Ca2+ that is bound to the neuronal plasma membrane or enters the neuronal compartment through activation of volt- age-sensitive channels [4,18,21,25,26,28,42]. Decreases in depolarization-induced Ca2+ conductance produced by anionic or neutral drugs such as barbiturates or alcohols [25,26] would be expected to cause decreased neurotransmitter release and, secondarily, a failure in synaptic transmission. This assumption is based on the involvement of Ca2+ in the initiation of exocytotic release of certain transmitters. Such decreases in neurotransmitter release have indeed been observed following acute administration of these depressant drugs in vivo or following the in vitro application of these agents to neuronal preparations [14,20,34,41]. Yet, in certain preparations such as isolated striatal nerve endings, the neuromuscular junction, or the hippocampal slice preparation, an agent such as ethanol increases the release of endogenous transmitter substance [11,13,22,39]. This apparent discrepancy in the actions of a depressant drug such as ethanol may be due to the existence of multiple targets for its actions, and these may include cellular entities which maintain intracellular free calcium ion concentrations ([Ca2+]i) at a very low level (10-7 M).
Technical Perspective: Efficient Signal Reconstruction for a Broad Range of Applications

When problems are scaled to "big data," researchers must often come up with new solutions, leveraging ideas from multiple research areas - as we frequently witness in today's big data techniques and tools for machine learning, bioinformatics, and data visualization. Beyond these heavily studied topics, there exist other classes of general problems that need to be rethought at scale. One such problem is that of large-scale signal reconstruction [4]: taking a set of observations of relatively low dimensionality, and using them to reconstruct a high-dimensional, unknown signal. This class of problems arises when we can only observe a subset of a complex environment that we are seeking to model - for instance, placing a few sensors and using their readings to reconstruct an environment's temperature, or monitoring multiple points in a network and using the readings to estimate end-to-end network traffic, or using 2D slices to reconstruct a 3D image.
Low-Lying Excited States of Na 22

Using the singly and doubly ionized helium beams as well as a ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ beam from our electrostatic generator, we have studied the low-lying level structure of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ in the ${\mathrm{F}}^{19}(\ensuremath{\alpha}, n\ensuremath{\gamma}){\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ and ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}({\mathrm{He}}^{3}, p\ensuremath{\gamma}){\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ reactions, respectively. We found one excited state at 666\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4 kev in addition to most other states previously discovered in the self-conjugate reaction ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}(d, \ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ which presumably yields only states having $T=0$. We believe this state to be the ${0}^{+}$ analog of the ground states of the two neighboring even-even nuclei forming the $T=1$ triplet at $A=22$. By various coincidence experiments, this state is found to decay by a 73-kev transition, having a probable half-life of 0.014 \ensuremath{\mu}sec, to the first-excited state of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ at 593 kev, which in turn decays to the ${3}^{+}$ ground state with a half-life of 0.266\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010 \ensuremath{\mu}sec. With the plausible assignment of ${1}^{+}$ for the 593-kev state (${0}^{+}$ being completely ruled out by the half-life) this would represent a pure $M1$---pure $E2$ cascade, whose strengths would be 0.0045 and 0.0077 single-particle units, respectively. The location of the first $T=1$ state occurs exactly as expected from a systematic study of the $A=4n+2$ series Coulomb-energy differences, lending additional support to the $I={0}^{+}$, $T=1$ assignment.We observed proton groups to most previously known states, and one new one at 3.75 Mev. A number of higher energy gamma rays were found in coincidence with those already mentioned which we can interpret within the framework of known excited states.
Simulating profit loss in behavioral newsvendor problems

The newsvendor problem is one of the classic models in inventory management. Although the optimal order quantity can be calculated, experiments reveal that decision makers often do not select the optimal quantity. These decision biases have been well studied, but analysis of the financial risk associated with these suboptimal decisions is limited. This paper examines the impact on profit by comparing the expected profit of suboptimal decisions with that of optimal decisions. We first conduct a literature review of behavioral results in the newsvendor setting. We use the results reported in the literature to determine parameters in a model for behavioral newsvendor decision making. We then build a Monte Carlo simulation that incorporates the behavioral decision making model, heterogeneity of decision makers, and parameters of the newsvendor decision to calculate the expected profit loss. The simulation results shed light on the financial risk associated with these inventory decisions.
Creating a Palliative Care Inpatient Response Plan for COVID-19-The UW Medicine Experience.

Abstract Context The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is stressing health care systems throughout the world. Significant numbers of patients are being admitted to the hospital with severe illness, often in the setting of advanced age and underlying comorbidities. Therefore, palliative care is an important part of the response to this pandemic. The Seattle area and UW Medicine have been on the forefront of the pandemic in the U.S. Methods UW Medicine developed a strategy to implement a palliative care response for a multihospital health care system that incorporates conventional capacity, contingency capacity, and crisis capacity. The strategy was developed by our palliative care programs with input from the health care system leadership. Results In this publication, we share our multifaceted strategy to implement high-quality palliative care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that incorporates conventional, contingency, and crisis capacity and focuses on the areas of the hospital caring for the most patients: the emergency department, intensive care units, and acute care services. The strategy focuses on key content areas, including identifying and addressing goals of care, addressing moderate and severe symptoms, and supporting family members. Conclusion Strategy planning for delivery of high-quality palliative care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic represents an important area of need for our health care systems. We share our experiences of developing such a strategy to help other institutions conduct and adapt such strategies more quickly.
Fibrinolysis induced clinical improvement in a patient with multiple sclerosis exacerbation.

Abstract Background : Recently, extravascular fibrinogen leakage has emerged as a potential trigger of local neuroinflammation in the CNS. In the animal models of MS, fibrin depletion decreased neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The role of fibrinolytic therapy in patients with MS has not been studied. Objective : To describe a unique case of rapid clinical improvement after fibrinolytic therapy in a patient with MS and symptomatic acute demyelinating lesion. Methods : The MS patient with acute right-sided weakness was thought to have a stroke and received intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). Serial neurological exams and MRI were performed. Results/Conclusion : In 5.4 hours after rtPA administration, NIH Stroke Scale score improved from 9 to 1, and this improvement persisted until 21 hours from symptom onset, approximate duration of rtPA action. Brain MRI revealed a symptomatic acute demyelinating lesion with restricted diffusion. We suggest that fibrin may serve as a potential therapeutic target in a subset of people with MS.
Flow Augmentation in the Myocardium by Ultrasound Cavitation of Microbubbles: Role of Shear-Mediated Purinergic Signaling.

Background Ultrasound-mediated cavitation of microbubble contrast agents produces high intravascular shear. We hypothesized that microbubble cavitation increases myocardial microvascular perfusion through shear-dependent purinergic pathways downstream from ATP release that is immediate and sustained through cellular ATP channels such as Pannexin-1. Methods Quantitative myocardial contrast echocardiography perfusion imaging and in vivo optical imaging of ATP was performed in wild-type and Pannexin-1-deficient (Panx1-/-) mice before and 5 and 30 minutes after 10 minutes of ultrasound-mediated (1.3 MHz, mechanical index 1.3) myocardial microbubble cavitation. Flow augmentation in a preclinical model closer to humans was evaluated in rhesus macaques undergoing myocardial contrast echocardiography perfusion imaging after high-power cavitation in the apical four-chamber plane for 10 minutes. Results Microbubble cavitation in wild-type mice (n = 7) increased myocardial perfusion by 64% ± 25% at 5 minutes and 95% ± 55% at 30 minutes compared with baseline (P Conclusions Cavitation of microbubbles in the myocardial microcirculation produces an immediate release of ATP, likely from cell microporation, as well as sustained release, which is channel dependent and responsible for persistent flow augmentation. These findings provide mechanistic insight by which cavitation improves perfusion and reduces infarct size in patients with myocardial infarction.
Characterization of Asphaltenes and Heavy Oils Using Hydrodynamic Property Measurements

Heavy oils and residua are characteristically more difficult to process catalytically than lighter petroleum fractions because of their large molecular size, polarity and heteroatom and metals content. The component of these materials which is generally accepted to be the most refractory is the asphaltenes, which are defined as a solubility class, typically the n-pentane or n-heptane insoluble fraction. There have been extensive efforts focused on developing an understanding of the chemical and the physical characteristics of entire resids as well as the asphaltene fraction.
Direction of gas vehicle development in Japan

Founded in 1916, Isuzu Motors Limited (ISUZU) has the longest history among existing Japanese vehicle manufacturers, with capital of 338,33 million EUR, consolidated 17.91 billion EUR in sales, and 37,263 employees, as of March 2019.
Origin of Myofibroblasts in Lung Fibrosis

In this brief review, we will highlight important observational and experimental data in the literature that address the origin of scar-forming cells in lung fibrosis. Several cellular sources of activated scar-forming cells (myofibroblasts) have been postulated including alveolar epithelial cells; circulating fibrocytes; and lung stromal cell subpopulations including resident fibroblasts, pericytes, and resident mesenchymal stem cells. Recent advances in lineage-tracing models, however, fail to provide experimental evidence for epithelial and fibrocyte origins of lung myofibroblasts. Resident mesenchymal cells of the lung, which include various cell types including resident fibroblasts, pericytes, and resident mesenchymal stem cells, appear to be important sources of myofibroblasts in murine models of lung injury and fibrosis. Lung myofibroblasts likely originate from multiple sources of lung-resident mesenchymal cells. Their relative contributions may vary depending on the type of injury. Although lineage-tracing experiments have failed to show significant contribution from epithelial cells or fibrocytes, they may play important functional roles in myofibroblast activation through paracrine signaling.
1,3‐Diethyl­benzimidazolium iodide

The title salt, C11H15N2+·I−, crystallizes with two formula units in the asymmetric unit. The two crystallographically unique cations form alternating columns along the a axis, linked by protruding ethyl groups and interspersed with iodide counter-ions. Cations in a given column stack in centrosymmetrically related pairs with interionic C⋯C and C⋯N distances consistent with substantial π–π bonding. One of the iodide ions appears to form a weak hydrogen bond with the most acidic proton in one of the cations.
Musculoskeletal Surgery for Nontraumatic Pain: Not a Great Analgesic.

Musculoskeletal surgery is invaluable for unintentional injury. But for conditions associated with chronic pain (e.g., knee, shoulder, wrist, neck, back pain), even patients with objective changes on imaging that need intervention will not have better long-term pain relief with surgery compared with no surgery.
A Mediation Analysis of the Association between Fundamental Motor Skills and Physical Activity during Middle Childhood.

The purposes of the study were: (1) to investigate the associations between fundamental motor skills (FMS), health-related fitness (HRF) and physical activity (PA) during middle childhood; and (2) to examine whether HRF serves as a mediator in these pathways. The participants were 342 children (156 girls; Mage = 8.40, SD = 0.50) recruited in Texas. Children’s FMS (locomotor and ball skills) were assessed. School-based PA that included light, moderate, and vigorous PA was captured by accelerometers. The FITNESSGRAM battery was used to measure children’s HRF, including body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular fitness. Structural equation models were used to evaluate two proposed models (model-1 = FMS»HRF»PA; model-2 = PA»HRF»FMS). Both locomotor and ball skills were associated with all components of HRF (p < 0.01), but not PA. The SEM analyses supported associations between FMS, HRF and PA, with sound goodness-of-fit indices: (1) model-1: CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.072; and (2) model-2: CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.071, respectively. The relationship between FMS and PA was fully mediated by the HRF in both directions. The behavioral mechanism (e.g., maintaining appropriate levels of HRF) provides meaningful insights to understand the obesity trajectory during middle childhood.
At the Intersection of Corporate Governance and Environmental Sustainability

Most boards of public companies have learned to live comfortably with audit committees, nominating committees, and compensation committees. An increasing number of companies are now also creating risk-management committees. This Essay explores the early stages of development of yet another board-level committee: the sustainability committee. The Essay posits several advantages to having a board-level sustainability committee and identifies possible sources of pressure for the creation of more such committees. It also suggests some of the disadvantages of sustainability committees and cautions against cosmetic governance reform. By examining what we know today (and can imagine tomorrow) about sustainability committees, this Essay sets a baseline for future research. ∗ James Goold Cutler Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School. Thanks to Pat Devero, Class of 2011, for his research assistance on this project. An earlier version of this paper was prepared for presentation at the Eighth International Conference on Corporate Governance, Birmingham University (UK), July, 2010. 208 WILLIAM & MARY BUSINESS LAW REVIEW [Vol. 2:207
Black Beans, Fiber, and Antioxidant Capacity Pilot Study: Examination of Whole Foods vs. Functional Components on Postprandial Metabolic, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) contain bioactive components with functional properties that may modify cardiovascular risk. The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate the ability of black beans to attenuate postprandial metabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses and determine relative contribution of dietary fiber and antioxidant capacity of beans to the overall effect. In this randomized, controlled, crossover trial, 12 adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) consumed one of three meals (black bean (BB), fiber matched (FM), and antioxidant capacity matched (AM)) on three occasions that included blood collection before (fasting) and five hours postprandially. Insulin was lower after the BB meal, compared to the FM or AM meals (p BB > FM. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) was not different by meal, although a trend for declining oxLDL was observed after the BB and AM meals at five hours compared to the FM meal. Triglycerides and interleukin-6 (IL-6) increased in response to meals (p < 0.0001). Inclusion of black beans with a typical Western-style meal attenuates postprandial insulin and moderately enhances postprandial antioxidant endpoints in adults with MetS, which could only be partly explained by fiber content and properties of antioxidant capacity.
Thermostability of temperature-sensitive folding mutants of the P22 tailspike protein.

Temperature-sensitive folding mutations (tsf) of the thermostable P22 tailspike protein prevent the mutant polypeptide chain from reaching the native state at the higher end of the temperature range of bacterial growth (37–42 °C). At lower temperatures the mutant polypeptide chains fold and associate into native proteins. The melting temperatures of the purified native forms of seven different tsf mutant proteins have been determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Under conditions in which the wild type protein had a melting temperature of 88.4 °C, the melting temperatures of the mutant proteins were all above 82 °C, more than 40 °C higher than the temperature for expression of the folding defect. Because the folding defects were observed in vivo,the thermostability of the native protein was also examined with infected cells. Once matured at 28 °C, intracellular tsf mutant tailspikes remained native when the cells were transferred to 42 °C, a temperature that prevents newly synthesized tsf chains from folding correctly. These results confirm that the failure of tsf polypeptide chains to reach their native state is not due to a lowered stability of the native state. Such mutants differ from the class of ts mutations which render the native state thermolabile. The intracellular folding defects must reflect decreased stabilities of folding intermediates or alteration in the off-pathway steps leading to aggregation and inclusion body formation. These results indicate that the stability of a native protein within the cells is not sufficient to insure the successful folding of the newly synthesized chains into the native state.
Decoding strategies for turbo product codes in frequency-hop wireless communications

Alternative decoding methods are described and evaluated for use with a commercial turbo product code chip that is employed for error control on slow-frequency-hop spread spectrum wireless communications. One strategy is based on parallel decoding in two independent decoders, and another employs a single encoder with adaptive scaling of the sift decisions at its input. Performance results for such decoding strategies are compared for packet transmissions over channels with partial-band interference. When coupled with the development and use of side information in the frequency-hop receiver, these decoding strategies greatly enhance the performance of turbo product codes and make them competitive with parallel-concatenated turbo convolutional codes.
A rapid approach to isolating nitro-explosives from imidazolium and pyrrolidinium ionic liquid solutions using solid phase extraction (SPE)

Ionic liquids have received considerable attention as ideal green solvents for synthesis and extraction applications. Ionic liquids, because of their unique set of properties such as low volatility, high stability, excellent solvation ability, ionic strength, and tunable structure, are frequently utilized as alternate environmentally friendly solvents to conventional solvents. It is these same properties, however, that present analytical challenges, particularly with liquid chromatography (LC) or gas chromatography (GC) analysis of compounds of interest dissolved in ionic liquid media. A simple solid phase extraction (SPE) sample preparation method is described for isolating nitro-explosive compounds from solutions containing 1,2-dimethyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (DMPIm-NTf2) or 1-methyl-3-butylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPy-NTf2) prior to analysis. High recoveries of the compounds of interest are achieved with substantial removal of the ionic liquid, thus avoiding significant interferences and time-consuming and costly instrumental problems.
Dynamic control of dichlorocarbene addition to cyclopropene

The addition of dichlorocarbene to cyclopropene has been studied with direct dynamics quasiclassical trajectories using B3LYP/6-31G*. The trajectories yielded 1,1-dichlorobicyclo[1.1.0]butane and 1,1-dichloro-1,3-butadiene in a ratio of 4.7:1, which is consistent with the experimental ratio of 4:1. The large majority of trajectories formed products within 100 fs of the start of the trajectory and proceeded in a concerted manner to the bicyclobutane or butadiene; no zwitterion or biradical intermediate was observed. Eight trajectories generated bicyclobutane and subsequently dissociated chloride to form an ion pair, which recombined to form 2,3-dichlorocyclobutene. The lifetime of the ion pair averaged 95 fs, which was too short to be considered an intermediate, consistent with previous calculations that characterized the ion pair as a transition state. This study lends strong support to the previous proposition that the addition of CCl2 to cyclopropene is controlled by dynamic effects. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Medullary inspiratory activity during opossum development

Discharge properties of medullary neurons associated with inspiration were assessed during opossum development. Location of these neurons and projections to the spinal cord were also evaluated. Studies were performed on suckling opossums, from 15-20 days of age to weaning (approximately 100 days), as well as adult animals, anesthetized with Inactin. Most cells either discharged during inspiration (I cells) or were phase-spanning between late expiration and inspiration (EI cells). Number of spikes per breath for I and EI cells significantly increased as the animal matured. For younger opossums (up to approximately 60 days of age), bulbospinal I and EI cells discharged an average of 1.9 spikes per breath, with a minimum interspike interval of 59 ms. Their conduction velocities, determined by use of antidromic stimulation, were in the unmyelinated range (less than 2 m/s). The occurrence of few spikes per breath with long interspike interval, in bulbospinal cells of the younger opossums, suggests that inspiration is not subject to fine feedback control and that rate of high-frequency motor bursts is relatively slow.
Characterization of the 5' regulatory region of the human sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter, hSMVT.

Abstract We cloned and functionally characterized the 5′ regulatory region of the human sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (hSMVT) gene, a remarkably versatile carrier responsible for uptake of biotin, pantothenic acid and lipoate. Two potential transcriptional start sites were determined by 5′-RACE and found to be at −4603, and −4303. Two distinct promoters (P1 and P2) were identified. Both putative promoter sequences were TATA-less, CAAT-less, contained highly GC-rich sites, and had multiple putative regulatory cis-elements (e.g., AP1, AP2, C/EBP, SP1, NF1, and GATA). The activities of the putative promoters were confirmed using a firefly luciferase reporter gene assay system following transient transfection into three cultured human cell lines: Caco-2, HEK293, and vascular smooth muscle cells. The minimal region required for basal activity of the hSMVT promoter was also determined by generating a series of deletion constructs and found to be encoded by a sequence between −5846 to −5313 for P1 and between −4417 to −4244 for P2 relative to the translation initiation codon. These results demonstrate the first molecular characterization of the regulatory region of this important human gene.
Methylmercury is a potent inhibitor of membrane adenyl cyclase

THE toxicity of methylmercury has taken on added importance since it was discovered that inorganic mercury can be converted to methylmercury by bacteria in bottom sediments of lakes and homogenates of rotting fish1,2. The mechanism for methylation of inorganic mercury by bacteria has been described in some detail3,4. Although there have been several documented incidents involving the toxicity of alkylmercury derivates5–7, the basis for methylmercury toxicity has not been defined unambiguously. One possible target site for methylmercury—the plasma membrane—is described in this communication.