cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in delayed antiretroviral therapy initiation among adolescents and young adults living with HIV in DR Congo

Abstract Background In DR Congo, adolescent girls are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV. Nonetheless, females are often more engaged in the health-care system, including during antenatal care, when women enrolled on Option B+ for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART). We aimed to understand the extent of delayed ART initiation among adolescents and young adults newly enrolled in HIV care, and to assess whether there were any sex differences. Methods Aggregate data from 365 ICAP-supported sites in Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces in DR Congo from April 2016 to May 2017 were reviewed to describe delayed ART uptake among adolescents and young adults aged 15–24 years. Delayed uptake was defined as not beginning treatment within 1 month of enrolling in care among those eligible for ART. Pregnant and non-pregnant women were combined since available data did not disaggregate by pregnancy status. DR Congo began implementing "test and start" during the study period. All analyses used group-level data and were conducted using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for setting and age group. Findings Between April 2016 and May 2017, 861 adolescents and young adults (128 male and 733 female) enrolled in HIV care and treatment services. 21 (16%) males and 58 (8%) females had not begun treatment within 1 month of enrolling in care, despite eligibility for ART (odds ratio [OR] 2·28, 95% CI 1·33–3·92). The male predominance remained after controlling for setting (urban vs rural) and age group (15–19 years vs 20–24 years) (adjusted OR 2·03, 95% CI 1·17–3·53). Aggregate data did not allow for analysis of individual explanations, but reasons for delayed ART may include the need to stabilise patients before starting treatment and patients' preferences. Interpretation Despite being more vulnerable to HIV, female adolescents and young adults have faster ART initiation than males after enrolling in HIV treatment. It is likely that Option B+ expedites ART initiation for females. Going forwards, ICAP will strengthen its adolescent package of support with community-based adolescent-friendly interventions targeting males, with the goal to enrol all adolescents and young adults on ART in accordance with DRC's test and start guidelines. Funding CDC/PEPFAR.
Adaptive Demodulation for Wireless Systems in the Presence of Frequency-Offset Estimation Errors

Carrier frequency offset (CFO) arises from the intrinsic mismatch between the operating frequencies of the transmitter and the receiver, as well as their relative speeds (i.e., Doppler effect). Despite advances in CFO estimation techniques, estimation errors are still present. Residual CFO creates time-varying phase error. Modern wireless systems, including WLANs, 5G cellular systems, and satellite communications, use high-order modulation schemes, which are characterized by dense constellation maps. Accounting for the phase error is critical for the demodulation performance of such schemes. In this paper, we analyze the post-estimation probability distribution of residual CFO and use it to develop a CFO-aware demodulation approach for a set of modulation schemes (e.g., QAM and APSK). For a given distribution of the residual CFO, symbols with larger amplitudes are less densely distributed on the constellation map. We explore one important application of our adaptive demodulation approach in the context of PHY-layer security, and more specifically modulation obfuscation (MO) mechanisms. In such mechanisms, the transmitter attempts to hide the modulation order of a frame's payload from eavesdroppers, which could otherwise exploit such information to breach user privacy or launch selective attacks. We go further and complement our CFO-aware demodulation scheme by optimizing the design of a low-complexity MO technique with respect to phase errors. Our results show that when combined, our CFO-aware demodulation and optimized MO techniques achieve up to 5 dB gain over conventional demodulation schemes that are not obfuscated and are oblivious to residual CFO.
Efficiency of Transluminal Angioplasty of Hepatic Venous Outflow Obstruction in Pediatric Liver Transplantation.

Abstract Background Our aim in this study was to evaluate long-term efficiency of hepatic venous balloon angioplasty (BA) and stent placement (SP) for hepatic venous outflow obstruction (HVOO) in pediatric liver transplantation (LT). Methods From January 1999 to September 2016, 262 pediatric patients underwent LT at our hospital. Ten were diagnosed with HVOO, which included 8 living donor grafts and 2 split liver grafts. BA and SP were used in management of these 10 patients with HVOO. After intervention, Doppler ultrasound (DUS) was the major follow-up modality for comparing efficiency of BA and SP. Results The incidence of HVOO was 3.8% (10 of 262) in our pediatric LTs. Of the 10 HVOO cases, 5 had SP, 3 had BA once, 1 had BA twice, and 1 had BA twice along with SP. The patent hepatic vein was maintained after a mean follow-up of 7.4 (range, 0.04–17) years. Recurrent rate of HVOO after BA was 42%. Neither recurrent HVOO nor stent migration occurred after SP and throughout long-term follow-up. Conclusion Hepatic venous SP was found to be more effective and safe than BA for treatment of HVOO in pediatric LT for long-term follow-up.
Multifunction Radio Frequency Photonic Array With Beam-Space Down-Converting Receiver

A multifunction photonic beam-space array processor is shown to generate the beam space of an X -band array. Subsequent down-conversion of desired beams is performed via introduction of an optical local oscillator and high-speed photodetectors at the processor output. A separate optical path is used to “image” the full field of view of the input array for real-time angle-of-arrival estimation. Finally, experimental results showing simultaneous processing of output beams for a radar waveform and an in-band communications signal are presented. The recovery of a 10-MHz bandwidth, quaternary phase-shift keying communications signal with a nominal error vector magnitude of 15.5% is performed via a vector signal analyzer, whereas a custom digital beam-space beam-forming processor is shown to process the same beam data to recover a 100-MHz chirp radar waveform while simultaneously canceling the in-band communications signal by approximately 20 dB via an adaptive spatial null.
Habitat Selection and a Liapunov Function for Competition Communities

Game theory, though it was invented with human economic behavior in mind, has provided valuable insights in the field of population biology. For example, Trivers (1971) has investigated the evolution of “altruistic” behavior by a game theoretic argument. And Maynard Smith (1972) has similarly analyzed the tactical possibilities of agonistic encounters.
The Creation of Perceptual Meanings in Cortex Through Chaotic Itinerancy and Sequential State Transitions Induced by Sensory Stimuli

Recent advances in mathematics and EEG research have opened a new field in neuropsychology modeling brain dynamics, as distinct from modeling behavior. The brain as a dynamic system is unlike any other, so it must be described in its own terms, not by analogy or metaphor. The description should have the forms that describe other dynamic systems, namely sets of differential equations or their equivalents, which describe and predict the transformations that systems apply to their inputs to give their outputs. Brain dynamics that is based on measuring and modeling brain activity reveals that memory stores are not invariant, as learning, recall and recognition proceed. The results give the picture that perceptual transactions with the environment are initiated within the limbic system through emergent patterns that are continually constructed by an evolutionary dynamics. Sensory input that is sought out by the limbic system constrains its dynamics into pre-formed basins of attraction, which provide for the construction of new patterns in an ordered sequence of behavior that is in harmony with the environment.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of the antioxidant features of substituted phenol and aniline model compounds

Although natural polyphenols have attracted extended attention as antioxidants, there is only limited information available on their structure-activity relationship (SAR). In addition, while often having significant antioxidant activity, amino group-containing compounds have only been sporadically studied. Often, the complex structure makes studying the individual contribution of aromatic OH or NH2 groups on the activity of these antioxidants difficult. In this work, several substituted simple phenols and anilines were selected as model compounds. Both the experimental radical scavenging activity and major structural descriptors have been determined to gain more insights into the potential SAR. Physicochemical properties pertaining to energetic and structural parameters were determined and experimental data gathered from three antioxidant assays to identify fundamental features with reasonable effect on antioxidant activity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level to determine the N–H and O–H bond distances, dipole moments, logP values, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) orbital energies, HOMO-LUMO gaps, radical spin densities, proton affinities, and ionization potentials. The compounds were screened for activity against the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and peroxyl (ORAC assay) radicals. Based on the results, ABTS antioxidant activity was selected for further investigations to observe correlations with the calculated properties. The HOMO energies, bond-dissociation energy values, HOMO-LUMO gap energies, dipole moment, proton affinity, and the Hammett constants appear to show meaningful correlation with the experimental data.
Bio-inspired Stochastic Growth and Initialization for Artificial Neural Networks

Current initialization methods for artificial neural networks (ANNs) assume full connectivity between network layers. We propose that a bio-inspired initialization method for establishing connections between neurons in an artificial neural network will produce more accurate results relative to a fully connected network. We demonstrate four implementations of a novel, stochastic method for generating sparse connections in spatial, growth-based connectivity (GBC) maps. Connections in GBC maps are used to generate initial weights for neural networks in a deep learning compatible framework. These networks, designated as Growth-Initialized Neural Networks (GrINNs), have sparse connections between the input layer and the hidden layer. GrINNs were tested with user-specified nominal connectivity percentages ranging from 5–45%, resulting in unique connectivity percentages ranging from 4–28%. For reference, fully connected networks are defined as having 100% unique connectivity within this context. GrINNs with nominal connectivity percentages \(\ge \)20% produced better accuracy than fully connected ANNs when trained and tested on the MNIST dataset.
The use of communication technology in private practice: Ethical implications and boundary dilemmas in therapy

This study investigates the use of communication technology (CT) by therapists in private practice. CT has exploded in the last decade and therapists have begun to implement this technology in their work. It is important to understand better the types of technology therapists are using and how they decide which devices are most useful for clinical practice. Additionally, the availability of the therapist has long been debated and CT provides media to make therapists readily available. Results show that therapists have boundary concerns and ethical dilemmas regarding CT and often feel unprepared to handle inappropriate out-of-session contacts when they occur.
CA 19-9 Response: A Surrogate to Predict Survival in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine the features of carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 decline that correlates best with survival benefit in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Methods This is a retrospective study of 225 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving first-line therapy. Analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox-proportional hazards ratios. CA 19-9 decline was grouped into quartiles within different CA 19-9 baseline groups. Time to nadir and CA 19-9 decline at month-2 (M2) of therapy were evaluated for patients with a baseline level ≥1000 U/mL. Results No significant trend in survival was observed across baseline CA 19-9 levels. The greatest survival benefit was seen with a ≥75% decline to nadir. Among those with a ≥75% decline and baseline ≥1000 U/mL, 43 of 57 patients had a >50% decline at M2 of therapy and additional survival benefit was observed with a slower decline to nadir. Small sample sizes limited analysis of other baseline groups. CA 19-9 decline at M2 was not predictive. Conclusions In patients with a CA 19-9 ≥1000 U/mL, serial CA 19-9 levels may be considered as a surrogate for serial imaging to evaluate treatment response, with a ≥75% decline indicating the greatest survival benefit. Survival was improved further in the setting of a slower decline to nadir with the highest benefit seen in patients with a nadir occurring at 4 months or longer.
A 56-Gb/s Long-Reach Fully Adaptive Wireline PAM-4 Transceiver in 7-nm FinFET

This letter presents a 56-Gb/s PAM-4 transceiver which achieves a bit error rate of $2\times 10^{-9}$ through −33 dB of channel insertion loss while consuming 500-mW receiver and 90-mW transmitter power. Its compact 0.31-mm2 area is achieved by rigorously applying a digital design style to exploit the high logic density offered by the 7-nm technology node. This is realized by an all-digital PLL, source-series-terminated transmitter, and synthesized DSP section for the majority of the receiver signal processing. Receiver analog signal conditioning is limited to 8-dB of peaking provided by a low-distortion analog frontend that feeds a 28-GS/s 8-bit ADC implemented as an 8-way time-interleaved SAR-ADC array. Digital receiver signal equalization, as well as timing recovery, relies on adaptive filtering which eliminates the need for training sequences, a concept extended to ADC calibration. Here, signal distortion caused by sampling clock skew and SAR-ADC array mismatch is removed by fully adaptive feedback loops.
Centralized Lung Nodule Management at A Veterans Hospital Using A Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Evaluation Team (LNET).

Background Lung nodules are frequently identified on imaging studies and can represent early lung cancers. We instituted the Lung Nodule Evaluation Team (LNET) to optimize management of these nodules by a lung specialist physician. All lung nodules identified by a radiologist prompted a direct consultation to this service. We report our initial experience with this process. Methods This is a retrospective review of patients with lung nodules at a single institution from 2008 to 2015. Since October 2014, lung nodules >3 mm identified on computed tomography (CT) scanning of the chest generate an automatic consult to LNET from the radiology service. Demographic, nodule and follow up data was entered into a surveillance database and summarized. Results There were 1,873 patients identified in the database. Of these, 900 patients were undergoing active surveillance. Consults increased from 5.5 to 93 per month after the start of the new consult program. Lung nodules were identified on 64% of chest CT scans. Prior to the direct radiology consult the average size of a nodule was 1.7 cm and 0.7 cm after. The overall time from initial nodule imaging to initiating a management plan by a thoracic specialist physician was 3.7 days. Conclusions Assessment of lung nodules by a specialist physician is important to ensure appropriate long term management and optimize utilization of diagnostic interventions. A direct radiology consult to a specialized team of chest physicians decreased the time in initiating a management plan, identified smaller nodules and may lead to a more judicious use of health care resources in the management of lung nodules.
Non-GAAP Reporting and Investment

Managers’ incentives depend on their firms’ stock prices, which are often determined by investors using earnings. When investors use GAAP earnings, managers’ investment decisions into internally generated intangible assets become sensitive to the transitory items in these earnings. Non-GAAP earnings can remove these transitory items, and thus improve investment efficiency, but also introduce opportunistic bias, and thus hide inefficient investment. We quantify this trade-off by estimating a dynamic model in which a manager makes investment and non-GAAP disclosure decisions and where investors rationally anticipate his incentives. We find the manager’s ability to distort non-GAAP earnings creates inefficient investment choices and destroys firm value. We estimate the magnitude of the loss in the average firm value at just under 1%.
Estimation of the crude protein requirement for juvenile yellow perch Perca flavescens

Recommended dietary crude protein (CP) requirements (210 to ≥360 g/kg) for optimal growth of juvenile yellow perch Perca flavescens (YEP) vary. This study determined the optimal CP requirement for YEP using semi‐purified diets containing essential amino acid ratios of YEP whole body. Six diets were formulated to contain 337, 379, 415, 453, 495 and 540 g/kg CP, but similar gross energy (~20 MJ/kg). Eighteen fish (~5.3 ± 0.5 g each) were stocked per 110‐L tank of a 30‐tank recirculating system, providing five replicates per treatment. Fish were fed sinking feeds at 3% body weight per day, and feed amounts were adjusted every 21 days. After 15 weeks, weight gain increased with increasing CP up to 415 g/kg. Relative growth (RG) and specific growth rate (SGR) increased up to 453 and 415 g/kg, respectively. Feed conversion ratios improved with increasing CP up to 453 g/kg. Protein efficiency ratios decreased with increasing CP. Whole‐body composition did not differ with increasing CP. Protein deposition did not differ beyond 415 g/kg, and apparent net protein utilization of 540CP was the lowest. Broken‐line non‐linear regression of RG conservatively estimated optimal dietary CP to be 457 g/kg, which is supported by the peak (CP456) in SGR.
PRKAR1A deficiency impedes hypertrophy and reduces heart size.

Protein kinase A (PKA) activity is pivotal for proper functioning of the human heart, and its dysregulation has been implicated in a variety of cardiac pathologies. PKA regulatory subunit 1α (R1α, encoded by the PRKAR1A gene) is highly expressed in the heart, and controls PKA kinase activity by sequestering PKA catalytic subunits. Patients with PRKAR1A mutations are often diagnosed with Carney complex (CNC) in early adulthood, and may die later in life from cardiac complications such as heart failure. However, it remains unknown whether PRKAR1A deficiency interferes with normal heart development. Here, we showed that left ventricular mass was reduced in young CNC patients with PRKAR1A mutations or deletions. Cardiac-specific heterozygous ablation of PRKAR1A in mice increased cardiac PKA activity, and reduced heart weight and cardiomyocyte size without altering contractile function at 3 months of age. Silencing of PRKAR1A, or stimulation with the PKA activator forskolin completely abolished α1-adrenergic receptor-mediated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Mechanistically, depletion of PRKAR1A provoked PKA-dependent inactivating phosphorylation of Drp1 at S637, leading to impaired mitochondrial fission. Pharmacologic inhibition of Drp1 with Mdivi 1 diminished hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, PRKAR1A deficiency suppresses cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and impedes heart growth, likely through inhibiting Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission. These findings provide a potential novel mechanism for the cardiac manifestations associated with CNC.
Cancer associated fibroblasts confer shear resistance to circulating tumor cells during prostate cancer metastatic progression

Previous studies have demonstrated that CTCs do not travel in the bloodstream alone, but rather are accompanied by clusters of stromal cells such as cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Our laboratory has confirmed the presence of CAFs in the peripheral blood of prostate cancer (PC) patients. The observation that CAFs disseminate with CTCs prompts the examination of the role of CAFs in CTC survival under physiological shear stress during the dissemination process using a clinically relevant, three-dimensional (3D) co-culture model. In this study, we found that "reactive CAFs" induce shear resistance to prostate tumor cells via intercellular contact and soluble derived factors. In addition, these reactive CAFs conserve the proliferative capability of tumor cells in the presence of high magnitude fluid shear stress (FSS). This reactive CAF phenotype emerges from normal fibroblasts (NF), which take on the CAF phenotype when co-cultured with tumor cells. The reactive CAFs showed higher expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) compared to differentiated CAFs, when co-cultured with PC cells at the same experimental conditions. Together, we found that the activation mechanism of NF to CAF comprises different stages that progress from a reactive to quiescent cellular state in which these two states are differentiated by the fluctuation of intensity in CAF markers. Here we determined that a reactive state of CAFs proved to be important for supporting tumor cell survival and proliferation. These findings suggest the use of CAFs as a marker for cancer progression and a potential target for novel cancer therapeutics to treat metastatic disease.
Reflection rounds to facilitate resilience in hematology/medical oncology fellows.

11019Background: Given the prevalence of burnout among medical oncologists (40-60% in the literature), education on burnout risk factors, recovery, and prevention are needed urgently in training cu...
A Rare Case of T-Cell Lymphoma Presenting with Bilateral Nephrolithiasis and Acute Renal Failure

We present the rare case of a young boy who was found to have T-cell lymphoma after presenting with flank pain and bilateral nephrolithiasis. He initially underwent bilateral ureteral stent placement but returned with oliguria and acute renal failure. His subsequent workup revealed lymphoma involving both kidneys. He was started on chemotherapy for his lymphoma and dialysis for his renal failure. His stones ultimately dissolved with aggressive hydration and correction of serum uric acid levels. In this report, we discuss the identification and management of this rare condition.
Guidelines for Quantitative Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Organophosphate Pesticides from Water

A systematic approach for the development of quantitative analysis of organophosphate pesticides from water is presented. Information is presented on the different steps of aqueous pesticide residue analysis including liquid-liquid extraction, water and solvent phase separation, solvent drying, and a two-step evaporation of the extract which permits solvent volume reduction to 0.5 ml for recovery at low levels. The p-value method of approach is used as a guide to optimize the liquid-liquid extraction step. The p-value determined in distilled water is shown to be applicable to other types of water including river water, sea water, and secondary sewage effluent. Recovery studies are presented at nanogram/liter concentrations where the solvent evaporation procedure is shown to be critical.
Calibrating Police Activity Across Hot Spot and Non-Hot Spot Areas:

Maximizing crime prevention through large-scale implementation of hot spot policing requires a more refined understanding of how to calibrate police activity across high and low-risk areas. This st...
Urban aerosol chemistry at a land–water transition site during summer – Part 1: Impact of agricultural and industrial ammonia emissions

Abstract. This study characterizes the impact of the Chesapeake Bay and associated meteorological phenomena on aerosol chemistry during the second Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study (OWLETS-2) field campaign, which took place from 4 June to 5 July 2018. Measurements of inorganic PM 2.5 composition, gas-phase ammonia (NH 3 ), and an array of meteorological parameters were undertaken at Hart-Miller Island (HMI), a land–water transition site just east of downtown Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay. The observations at HMI were characterized by abnormally high NH 3 concentrations (maximum of 19.3 µg m−3 , average of 3.83 µg m−3 ), which were more than a factor of 3 higher than NH 3 levels measured at the closest atmospheric Ammonia Monitoring Network (AMoN) site (approximately 45 km away). While sulfate concentrations at HMI agreed quite well with those measured at a regulatory monitoring station 45 km away, aerosol ammonium and nitrate concentrations were significantly higher, due to the ammonia-rich conditions that resulted from the elevated NH 3 . The high NH 3 concentrations were largely due to regional agricultural emissions, including dairy farms in southeastern Pennsylvania and poultry operations in the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware–Maryland–Virginia). Reduced NH 3 deposition during transport over the Chesapeake Bay likely contributed to enhanced concentrations at HMI compared to the more inland AMoN site. Several peak NH 3 events were recorded, including the maximum NH 3 observed during OWLETS-2, that appear to originate from a cluster of industrial sources near downtown Baltimore. Such events were all associated with nighttime emissions and advection to HMI under low wind speeds ( 1 m s−1 ) and stable atmospheric conditions. Our results demonstrate the importance of industrial sources, including several that are not represented in the emissions inventory, on urban air quality. Together with our companion paper, which examines aerosol liquid water and pH during OWLETS-2, we highlight unique processes affecting urban air quality of coastal cities that are distinct from continental locations.
2D titanium and vanadium carbide MXene heterostructures for electrochemical energy storage

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructured electrodes built from vertical stacking of different 2D materials are among the most promising electrode architectures for electrochemical energy storage devices. These materials offer interesting opportunities for energy storage applications such as versatility in the structural design of electrode, and the possibility to integrate individual 2D building blocks with different properties into heterostructures. These features can potentially enable new materials with improved or new electrochemical features. Here, we report on large-scale liquid phase self-assembly of 2D heterostructures built from two different 2D transition metal carbides (MXenes), Ti3C2Tx and V2CTx. A cation-driven self-assembly process was used to assemble the negatively-charged flakes of the two MXenes into heterolayered flakes. The freestanding and binder-free MXene heterostructure films could deliver a high volumetric capacitance of ~1473 F cm−3 and showed no capacitance loss after 50,000 charge-discharge cycles in 3 M H2SO4 electrolyte. Due to coupling of redox reactions of Ti3C2Tx and V2CTx, the heterostructure electrodes showed a nearly constant current over their entire potential window, which is reminiscent of traditional pseudocapacitive materials. This electrochemical behavior differs from individual MXene electrodes or most other emerging pseudocapacitive materials whose maximum performance is usually achieved in a narrow potential range.
Electrocardiogram for heart rate evaluation during preterm resuscitation at birth: a randomized trial.

Although electrocardiogram (ECG) can detect heart rate (HR) faster compared to pulse oximetry, it remains unknown if routine use of ECG for delivery room (DR) resuscitation reduces the time to stabilization in preterm infants. Neonates <31 weeks’ gestation were randomized to either an ECG-displayed or an ECG-blinded HR assessment in the DR. HR, oxygen saturation, resuscitation interventions, and clinical outcomes were compared. During the study period, 51 neonates were enrolled. The mean gestational age in both groups was 28 ± 2 weeks. The time to stabilization, defined as the time from birth to achieve HR ≥100 b.p.m., as well as oxygen saturation within goal range, was not different between the ECG-displayed and the ECG-blinded groups [360 (269, 435) vs 345 (240, 475) s, p = 1.00]. There was also no difference in the time to HR ≥100 b.p.m. [100 (75, 228) vs 138 (88, 220) s, p = 0.40] or duration of positive pressure ventilation (PPV) [345 (120, 558) vs 196 (150, 273) s, p = 0.36]. Clinical outcomes were also similar between groups. Although feasible and safe, the use of ECG in the DR during preterm resuscitation did not reduce time to stabilization.
Gyrotactic Buoyant Convection and Spontaneous Pattern Formation in Algal Cell Cultures

Regular convection patters may form spontaneously in isothermal liquids which contain swimming microorganisms. The energy for this dissipative process is supplied by the swimmers. Individual cell trajectories are guided by gravity and vorticity so that cells accumulate toward regions of the liquid where the downstreaming velocity is a maximum. This concentrative mechanism, named “gyro-taxis”, has been proven by the demonstration that swimming cells focus at the axis of a downward cylindrical Poiseuille flow of the cell culture. Since the density of the cells exceeds that of the liquid in which they swim, gyrotaxis reinforces vorticity. This convection pattern producing system has been named “Gyrotactic Buoyant Convection (GBC). At sufficient average cell concentration, GBC can cause localised intermittent concentration pulses.
Neuronal gap junctions: expression, function, and implications for behavior.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews what is currently known and unknown about gap junction expression in neurons. Gap junctions were traditionally identified by their characteristic structural features when viewed with thin section electron microscopy. They appear as a close apposition of thickened plasma membranes separated by a small (2–3 nm) gap of extracellular space. The chapter discusses the composition of neuronal gap junctions, the functions of neuronal gap junctions acting as ‘‘electrical synapses,’’ and highlights some of the many controversies surrounding these issues. The latter portion of the chapter is devoted to modulation and plasticity of junctional communication between neurons, with particular emphasis on the potential consequences of alterations in neuronal coupling for neural function and behavior. This chapter is an attempt to convince neuroscientists who are less familiar with the subject of the importance of direct intracellular communication between neurons in brain function. Often assumed static, the gap-junctional communication is plastic and subject to modulation, and this plasticity is likely to have meaningful consequences for neural activity.
Automated analysis and trending of the raw EEG signal.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment industry has recently been developing systems that display, not only the raw EEG signal, but also a transformed version of the signal that highlights critic...
Cationic and Tissue-Specific Protein Transduction Domains: Identification, Characterization, and Therapeutic Application

Protein transduction domains (PTDs) are small peptides able to transverse plasma membranes, able to carry proteins, nucleic acid, and viral particles into cells. PTDs can be broadly classified into three types; cationic, hydrophobic, and cell-type specific. The cationic PTDs, comprised of arginines, lysines, and ornithines, and hydrophobic PTDs can efficiently transduce a variety of cell types in culture and in vivo. The tissue-specific transduction domains, identified by screening of peptide display phage libraries for peptides able to confer internalization, have more restricted transduction properties. Here we provide a review of PTDs, focusing on methods for identifying and characterizing both cationic and tissue-specific transduction peptides. In particular, we describe the use of screening peptide phage display libraries to identify tissue-specific transduction peptides.
Rethinking Durkheim and his Tradition

Preface and acknowledgements 1. Durkheim and the social character of the categories 2. Historical background: Aristotle and Kant 3. The categories in early nineteenth-century French philosophy 4. The later eclectic spiritualism of Paul Janet 5. The early development of Durkheim's thought 6. Durkheim's sociological theory of the categories 7. Prospects for the sociological theory of the categories Notes Bibliography Index.
Flux Quantization Effects in Disordered Normal Metal Rings and Superconducting Networks.

We study the Aharonov-Bohm effect in single normal-metal rings and show that averaging the transmission coefficient T over disorder gives oscillations with a period of a half-flux quantum. As the elastic scattering gets stronger, the periodicity of oscillation of the conductance, which is related to T, gradually changes to a fullflux quantum, in agreement with recent experiments.
Models of the Venus Ionosphere

Theoretical modeling of the daytime Venus ionosphere can be used to augment the measurements of Mariner V made during the 1967 fly-by mission of Venus. The models discussed here are obtained by solving the equations of heat conduction for the electron, ion, and neutral gases along with the momentum and chemical equations for the charged particle densities [1, 2, 3]. When the model is brought into conformity with as much of the data as is possible, constraints can be placed on some of the unknown parameters such as the electron and ion temperatures, and the strength of the magnetic field in the topside Venus ionosphere.
Evaluation of the recrystallization kinetics of hot-melt extruded polymeric solid dispersions using an improved Avrami equation

AbstractThe recrystallization of an amorphous drug in a solid dispersion system could lead to a loss in the drug solubility and bioavailability. The primary objective of the current research was to use an improved kinetic model to evaluate the recrystallization kinetics of amorphous structures and to further understand the factors influencing the physical stability of amorphous solid dispersions. Amorphous solid dispersions of fenofibrate with different molecular weights of hydroxypropylcellulose, HPC (Klucel™ LF, EF, ELF) were prepared utilizing hot-melt extrusion technology. Differential scanning calorimetry was utilized to quantitatively analyze the extent of recrystallization in the samples stored at different temperatures and relative humidity (RH) conditions. The experimental data were fitted into the improved kinetics model of a modified Avrami equation to calculate the recrystallization rate constants. Klucel LF, the largest molecular weight among the HPCs used, demonstrated the greatest inhibitio...
Prolonged nicotine dependence associated with extended access to nicotine self-administration in rats

Rationale Most nicotine self-administration (NSA) studies in rats are performed under limited-access conditions. Few studies have examined the relationship between nicotine dependence and NSA.
Catalysis of NADH-->NADP+ transhydrogenation by adult Hymenolepis diminuta mitochondria.

Hymenolepis diminuta mitochondria catalyze nonenergy-linked and energy-linked NADH→NADP+ transhydrogenations, with the latter driven by electron-transport dependent NADH oxidation (electron transport-driven, ETD) or ATP hydrolysis (ATP-driven, ATPD). Using submitochondrial particles, NADH→NADP+ transhydrogenations were characterized further. ETD and ATPD reactions were enhanced by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and were inhibited by N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP), and niclosamide. The nonenergy-linked reaction was unaffected by these additives. Except for DCCD inhibition of the ATPD reaction, BSA mitigated inhibitor effects on energy-linked activities. BSA enhanced NADH oxidase (but not ATPase) activity. Although DCCD inhibited NADH oxidase and ATPase, BSA only lessened oxidase inhibition. With protonophores, an increase in NADH oxidase (but not ATPase) activity was suggested. Oxidase inhibition by rotenone was unaffected by BSA. The ATP-hydrolyzed/NADPH-formed for the ATPD reaction was almost unity. A model for H. diminuta energy-linked transhydrogenation is presented.
Assessing the acceptability of Norplant® contraceptive in four patient populations

Abstract The object of this study was to review the experience of Norplant ® implants insertion at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center with specific attention to the potential impact of source of care and/or clinic site of insertion. Norplant ® implants were inserted at four different office sites, namely, adolescent-teen, resident, certified nurse midwife, and faculty physician. The charts of all patients who had Norplant ® implants inserted between April 1991 and September 1992 were reviewed and we attempted to contact each patient by telephone to assess clinical course and acceptability of Norplant ® contraceptive. We were able to contact 254 of 414 women (61%) who had Norplant ® implants inserted. The average length of time since Norplant ® implants insertion was 13.2 months. The only significant demographic difference between groups was that the adolescent-teen patients were younger, of lower parity, less educated, and were more likely to be single than the other three groups. The overall removal proportion was 14.6%, and removal proportions were not significantly different between any of the four groups. The primary reason for removal was unacceptable bleeding (32% of removers). Only 59% of patients returned for follow-up care. Faculty physician patients were significantly more compliant with follow-up compared to adolescentteen and resident patients (p Patient retention of Norplant ® contraceptive is unrelated to age or the clinic setting in which the device was inserted. Since similar side effects are experienced by retainers and removers, it is unclear what other factors prompt women to seek removal. Particularly in the teen and resident groups, follow-up is poor.
Factors Influencing Community Preferences for Retirement

Factors influencing preretirees' community preferences for retirement were determined using datafrom a Western Region Agricultural Experiment Station survey conducted in three western states: Idaho, Oregon, and Utah. Resultsfrom general linear multiple regressions revealed that age, family income, health status of spouse, spousal and children's influence on retirement income, number of years in community, and suitability of home size influenced the likelihood of moving away during retirement. Preference for present community during retirement was affected by age, gender, sources of retirement income, spousal and children's influence, number of years in community, and suitability of home size. Neighborhood preferencefor thefirst 10 years of retirement differed by age, sources of retirement income, status of respondent and spouse's health, and spousal influence on retirement decisions. Gender, marital status, health status of spouse, spousal influence on retirement decisions, and number ofyears in community influenced the neighborhood preference after 10 years of retirement.
The Reception of Ancient Greek Music in the Late Nineteenth Century

During the 1890s such French composers as Erik Satie, Camille Saint-Saens, and Claude Debussy participated in a revival of interest in the music of ancient Greece. The contemporaneous French excavation under the direction of Theophile Homolle unearthed almost the complete assemblage of ashlar blocks that formed the Athenian Treasury at Delphi. More than one dozen of these blocks were inscribed with relatively extensive fragments of two second-century BC paeans to Apollo notated with Greek music. From the summer of 1893 to the winter of 1894 Otto Crusius, Henri Weil, and Theodore Reinach transcribed the Delphic inscriptions and issued a number of publications in journal articles and extractions. Limenios’ “Hymne a Apollon” in particular was promulgated by Theodore Reinach in his capacity as the editor of Revue des etudes grecques. Reinach commissioned the composer Gabriel Faure to compose a modern accompaniment, and in 1894-1895 the hymn received a number of public performances in France, England, and the United States. In his memoires Baron Pierre de Coubertin claimed that the performance of the hymn at the first International Olympic Congress in June, 1895, created an “antique eurythmie” which inspired the international cooperation required for the ultimate success of the Olympic movement.
pH-Computations in terms of the hyperbolic functions

Abstract An equation is derived for the hydrogen ion concentration in a mixture of strong acids and bases and monoprotic weak acids and bases in terms of hyperbolic trigonometric functions. This may be solved by simple iteration and is not subject to the numerical difficulties encountered in solving the usual polynomial equation for hydrogen ion concentration.
The physiology of feeding in the ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus

Ciliary organelles play important roles in many of the locomotory and sensory functions of ctenophores. This paper reviews published work on the physiology and behavior of ciliary-based feeding in Pleurobrachia pileus and presents recent preliminary work on the conduction pathway controlling this behavior. The feeding response can now be described in terms of specific physiological events at most levels of organization.
Photonic microwave-to-digital conversion

In this tutorial, photonic microwave-to-digital conversion architectures and system design issues will be discussed taking full advantage of recent photonic, electronic and signal processing technologies.
Standing Wave-Induced Dynamic Response and Instability of Seabed Under a Caisson Breakwater

The wave-induced dynamic response and instability of the porous seabed and the rubble mound foundation under a composite caisson-type breakwater is studied using finite elements. In this study the focus is on the effect of inertial terms on the dynamic response and instability of the foundation material underneath the breakwater. It is assumed that a fully standing wave condition occurs in front of the caisson under the cyclic wave action and the dynamic response of the seabed and rubble mound is presented in terms of pore pressures and stresses induced around the breakwater. A complete formulation of the fully dynamic (FD) response requires inclusion of the inertial terms associated with both the motion of solid skeleton and that of pore fluid. However, partly dynamic (PD) and quasi-static (QS) idealizations are also possible. The objective of this study is to investigate the standing wave induced dynamic response and instability of seabed-rubble-breakwater system.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Nitride formation by air ignition

It was recently reported that a new barium-niobium oxide, prepared by the ignition in air of a mixture of barium peroxide and niobium metal powders, was superconducting below temperatures of about 20 K. This finding, if true, would be of considerable significance because the highest superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c}) previously found for a niobium-based oxide is 5.5 K. The authors have reproduced this synthesis, and conclude from X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, and magnetic susceptibility studies that the superconducting phase in this product is basically niobium nitride. Ignition of niobium metal powder in air leads only to niobium oxide, but ignition in air of Ta plus BaO{sub 2} leads to the formation of Ta{sub 2}N. Apparently, there have been no previous reports of nitride formation by any ignition reaction in air.
Comparisons, Absolute Values, and How I Got to Go to the Folies Bergères†

If you look at the classic book The Design of Experiments by Fisher or at the multitude of derivative books that followed it, you will find that almost every example is concerned with making compar...
Therapeutic potential of vasopressin receptor antagonists.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide hormone that plays an important role in circulatory and sodium homeostasis, and regulating serum osmolality. Several clinical conditions have been associated with inappropriately elevated levels of AVP including heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver and the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. Three receptor subtypes that mediate the actions of AVP have been identified (V1A, V2 and V1b). Activation of V1A receptors located in vascular smooth muscle cells and the myocardium results in vasoconstriction and increased afterload and hypertrophy. The V2 receptors located primarily in the collecting tubules mediate free water absorption. The V1B receptors are located in the anterior pituitary and mediate adrenocorticotropin hormone release. The cardiovascular and renal effects of AVP are mediated primarily by V1A and V2 receptors. Antagonism of V1A receptors results in vasodilatation and antagonism of V2 receptors resulting in aquaresis, an electrolyte-sparing water excretion. Several non-peptide AVP antagonists (vasopressin receptor antagonists [VRAs]) also termed ‘vaptans’ have been developed and are vigorously being studied primarily for treating conditions characterised by hyponatraemia and fluid overload. Conivaptan is a combined V1A/V2-receptor antagonist that induces diuresis as well as haemodynamic improvement. It has been shown in clinical trials to correct euvolaemic and hypervolaemic hyponatraemia, and has been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of euvolaemic hyponatraemia as an intravenous infusion. Tolvaptan, a selective V2-receptor antagonist, has undergone extensive clinical studies in the treatment of hyponatraemia and heart failure. It has been shown to effectively decrease fluid in volume overloaded patients with heart failure and to correct hyponatraemia. A large outcome study (n = 4133 patients) will define its role in the management of heart failure. Lixivaptan and satavaptan (SR-121463) are other selective V2-receptor antagonists being evaluated for the treatment of hyponatraemia. In addition, a potential role for the vaptans in attenuating polyuria in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and cyst development in polycystic kidney disease is being explored. Ongoing clinical trials should further define the scope of the potential therapeutic role of VRAs.
Proton transfer on 50V via the (3He, d) reaction

Abstract The 50 V( 3 He, d) 51 Cr reaction has been investigated at an incident energy of 7.5 MeV. Angular distributions were measured in the MIT multiple-gap spectrograph and analysed in the distorted-wave Born approximation. The Q -value for the ground state transition was measured to be 4.031±0.015 MeV. Transitions to 44 excited states were observed below 6.0 MeV of excitation. The low-lying part of the 51 Cr level scheme is discussed in terms of the shell model and the Coriolis coupling model.