cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flumazenil preconditions cardiomyocytes via oxygen radicals and KATP channels

We determined whether flumazenil mimics ischemic preconditioning in chick cardiomyocytes and examined the role of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ATP-dependent potassium (K(ATP)) channels in mediating the effect. Chick ventricular myocytes were perfused with a balanced salt solution in a flow-through chamber. Cell viability was quantified using propidium iodide, and ROS generation was assessed using the reduced form of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH). Cells were exposed to 1 h of simulated ischemia and 3 h of reoxygenation. Preconditioning was initiated with 10 min of ischemia followed by 10 min of reoxygenation. Alternatively, flumazenil was added to the perfusate for 10 min and removed 10 min before the start of ischemia. Flumazenil (1 and 10 microM) and preconditioning reduced cell death [54 +/- 5%, n = 3; 26 +/- 4%, n = 6 (P < 0.05); and 20 +/- 2%, n = 6 (P < 0.05), respectively, vs. 57 +/- 7%, n = 10, in controls] and increased DCFH oxidation (an index of ROS production) [0.35 +/- 0.11, n = 3; 2.64 +/- 0.69, n = 8 (P < 0.05); and 2.46 +/- 0.52, n = 6 (P < 0.05), respectively, vs. 0.26 +/- 0.05, n = 9, in controls]. Protection and increased ROS signals with flumazenil (10 microM) were abolished with the thiol reductant N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (2-MPG, 800 microM), an antioxidant (cell death: 2-MPG + flumazenil, 55 +/- 12%, n = 6; ROS signals: 2-MPG + flumazenil, 0.11 +/- 0.19, n = 6). Treatment with 5-hydroxydecanoate (1 mM), a selective mitochondrial K(ATP) channel antagonist, abolished its protection. These results demonstrate that flumazenil mimics preconditioning to reduce cell death in myocytes. ROS signals with the resultant mitochondrial K(ATP) channel activation are important components of the intracellular signaling pathway of flumazenil.
Reimagining Anticoagulation Clinics in the Era of Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Anticoagulation clinics were initially developed to provide safe and effective care for warfarin-treated patients with atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and mechanical valve replacement. Traditionally, these patients required ongoing laboratory monitoring and warfarin dose adjustment by expert providers. With the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban), many have questioned the need for anticoagulation clinic. However, we think that the growing number of oral anticoagulant choices creates an urgent need for expanding the traditional role of the anticoagulation clinic. We outline 3 key purposes that a reimagined anticoagulation clinic would serve: (1) to assist patients and clinicians with selecting the most appropriate drug and dose from a growing list of anticoagulant options (including warfarin), (2) to help patients minimize the risk of serious bleeding complications with careful long-term monitoring and peri-procedural management, and (3) to encourage ongoing adherence to these life-saving medications. We also describe how repurposing anticoagulation clinics as broader medication safety clinics would promote safe and effective care across a range of cardiovascular conditions for high-risk medications (eg, spironolactone, amiodarone). Finally, we highlight a few existing health systems that are overcoming key challenges to implementing a reimagined anticoagulation or medication safety clinic structure.
Revealing the interfacial self-assembly pathway of large-scale, highly-ordered, nanoparticle/polymer monolayer arrays at an air/water interface.

The pathway of interfacial self-assembly of large-scale, highly ordered 2D nanoparticle/polymer monolayer or bilayer arrays from a toluene solution at an air/water interface was investigated using grazing-incidence small-angle scattering at a synchrotron source. Interfacial-assembly of the ordered nanoparticle/polymer array was found to occur through two stages: formation of an incipient randomly close-packed interfacial monolayer followed by compression of the monolayer to form a close-packed lattice driven by solvent evaporation from the polymer. Because the nanoparticles are hydrophobic, they localize exclusively to the polymer–air interface during self-assembly, creating a through thickness asymmetric film as confirmed by X-ray reflectivity. The interfacial self-assembly approach can be extended to form binary NP/polymer arrays. It is anticipated that by understanding the interfacial self-assembly pathway, this simple evaporative procedure could be conducted as a continuous process amenable to large a...
Determination of Ascorbic Acid in Feces. Its Excretion in Health and Disease

Conclusions1. A method for the estimation of ascorbic acid in feces is described, and by its use, the fecal content of the normal individual on an adequate but unsupplemented diet is shown to average about 5 mg daily. 2. The plasma, urinary and fecal ascorbic acid contents have been followed in a normal individual after administration of varying amounts of 1-ascorbic acid by mouth. Large variations in the dietary intake were shown to affect the fecal excretion only slightly. 3. Patients suffering from certain gastrointestinal disorders excreted larger quantities of ascorbic acid in the feces than normal individuals.
Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Nano Composite Fibers–A Review

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are regarded as ideal filler materials for polymeric fiber reinforcement due to their exceptional mechanical properties and 1D cylindrical geometry (nanometer-size diameter and very high aspect ratio). The reported processing conditions and property improvements of CNT reinforced polymeric fiber are summarized in this review. Because of CNT polymer interaction, polymer chains in CNTs’ vicinity (interphase) have been observed to have more compact packing, higher orientation, and better mechanical properties than bulk polymer. Evidences of the existence of interphase polymers in composite fibers, characterizations of their structures, and fiber properties are summarized and discussed. Implications of interphase phenomena on a broader field of fiber and polymer processing to make much stronger materials are now in the early stages of exploration. Beside improvements in tensile properties, the presence of CNTs in polymeric fibers strongly affects other properties, such as thermal stabi...
Scalable Adaptive Spintronic Reconfigurable Logic Using Area-Matched MTJ Design

Spin-transfer torque (STT) random access memory has been researched as a promising alternative for static random access memory in reconfigurable fabrics, particularly in lookup tables (LUTs), due to its nonvolatility, low standby and static power, and high integration density features. In this brief, we leverage physical characteristics of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) to design a unique reference MTJ which has a calibrated resistance matching the STT-based LUT (STT-LUT) circuit requirements to provide optimal reading operation. Results obtained show 42% and 70% power–delay product (PDP) improvement over previous MTJ-based LUT designs. Moreover, a four-input adaptive STT-based LUT (A-LUT) is proposed based on the developed STT-LUT, which is configurable to function in seven independent modes. An $n$ -input A-LUT exhibits PDP which can be a fraction of $n$ -input STT-LUT PDP, when performing two-input to $(n-1)$ -input Boolean logic functions.
Abstract B2-10: Systems biology reveals role of cholesterol homeostasis in breast cancer metastasis

New therapeutic targets that can inhibit cancer metastasis are desperately needed. To address this issue, we have leveraged a computational approach and performed an unbiased screen for therapies that can inhibit an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene expression profile, a phenotype that is believed to promote metastases. This yielded predictions of drugs that can both promote and inhibit an EMT transcriptional profile. Following up on these predictions, we confirmed experimentally that these drugs can induce or repress an EMT in a range of breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we discovered that they do so by altering the fluidity of the plasma membrane. An increase in plasma membrane fluidity is necessary and sufficient to induce and maintain an EMT state, increased motility, and increased mammosphere forming ability. Finally, we found that human cancers can regulate their membrane fluidity through cholesterol homeostasis pathways. Human breast tumors with altered cholesterol profiles have a significantly shorter time to metastasis. These data demonstrate that an unbiased systems approach can be used to discover novel pathways that underlie metastasis. Our multidisciplinary approach combining computational, cell biology, and mouse models reveal that plasma membrane fluidity is a cellular attribute that is leveraged by human tumors to increase metastatic capacity, and that it can, in principle, be targeted by therapeutics to prevent metastasis. Citation Format: Weina Zhao, Prijic Sara, Bettina Urban, Michael Tisza, Sendurai A. Mani, Jeffrey T. Chang. Systems biology reveals role of cholesterol homeostasis in breast cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Computational and Systems Biology of Cancer; Feb 8-11 2015; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(22 Suppl 2):Abstract nr B2-10.
Molecular genetic analysis of a hybrid gene encoding Sta glycophorin of the human erythrocyte membrane

Sta is an antigen of the human MNSs blood group system carried by a variant glycophorin residing in the erythrocyte membrane. We examined the structure, organization, and inheritance of Sta gene identified in genomic DNA from an Oriental family. Southern blotting detected a useful genetic marker tightly linked to the Sta gene. Differential hybridization and secondary restriction analyses showed that Sta gene is a fusion hybrid of delta and alpha glycophorin genes. Genomic mapping by extensive use of synthetic oligonucleotides, with overlapping sequence specificity, allowed us to define the delta-alpha junction site and disclose the organization of the variant gene. The junction point of Sta hybrid gene is encompassed by an unexpressed exonlike sequence of the delta gene at the 5' site, and an expressed sequence of the alpha gene spanning codons 59 through 71, at the 3' site. Dosage quantification demonstrated the occurrence of Sta gene as a single copy in the genome. Blood group inheritance, evaluated by DNA typing, established the tight linkage of Sta to the alpha M and delta S genes. The data support a single unequal crossing-over event between misaligned delta and alpha genes on the homologous chromosomes as the mechanism for the origin of Sta gene. The Sta gene is similar in overall structure to another delta-alpha hybrid gene, Dantu, but differs from it in junction structure, copy number, gene linkage, and antigen specificity.
Media Genealogy| An Archive for the Future: Paul N. Edwards on Technology, Historiography, Self and World

In this conversation between Paul N. Edwards, professor in the School of Information and the Department of History at the University of Michigan, and Alexander Monea, doctoral candidate in the Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media program at North Carolina State University, Edwards addresses several concerns related to the history and critical analysis of media and technology. In particular, Edwards discusses archival methodology and interdisciplinarity in media studies, theories of technological momentum and infrastructural innovation, the political stakes of historiographic inquiry in terms of media and technology, the importance of the work of Michel Foucault, and the production of the self or subjectivization. He also discusses the contemporary implications of his earlier work on the history of computation and more recent work on climate science.
Enhancing Gelation of Doubly Thermosensitive Hydrophilic ABC Linear Triblock Copolymers in Water by Thermoresponsive Hairy Nanoparticles

A method is reported for enhancing the gelation of doubly thermosensitive hydrophilic linear ABC triblock copolymers in water using thermoresponsive polymer brush-grafted nanoparticles (hairy NPs). A linear ABC triblock copolymer (ABC-Q) composed of a hydrophilic, charged middle block, and two thermosensitive outer blocks with different LCSTs, LCSTA of the lower LCST A block and LCSTC of the higher LCST C block, and two batches of hairy NPs with distinct thermoresponsive properties were prepared. When the temperature was raised from 0 °C to above the LCSTA but below the LCSTC, ABC-Q self-assembled into micelles in water with the lower LCST A block forming the core; further heating to above the LCSTC triggered the collapse of the C block, producing a two-compartment 3-D network micellar hydrogel when the polymer concentration was sufficiently high. Rheological studies showed that adding thermoresponsive hairy NPs with a LCST similar to the LCSTC of ABC-Q led to a significant increase in dynamic storage mod...
Potential of selected dietary oils in azoxymethane induced colon cancer

B11 Dietary fat, depending on the source, (i.e. Animal or vegetable), quantity and fatty acid composition (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), may have implications in colon cancer. The objective of this study was to compared the inhibitory effects of red palm oil (RPO), wheat germ oil (WGO), rice bran oil (RBO), flaxseed oil (FSO), corn oil (CO) and soybean oil (SBO) at 7% (normal fat level ) and 14% (high fat level) on Azoxymethane (AOM) induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF). We also determined the long term effects (end point tumor study (EPT)) of dietary fat from the above sources on colon cancer in F344 male rats. >In the ACF study 2 groups of F344 rats (4wks old) (n=6) received AIN-93G control (C) diet containing 7% and 14% soybean oil (SBO), respectively. The remaining groups were assigned treatment diets consisting of 7% and 14% RPO, WGO, RBO, FSO and CO, respectively. The rats remained on their respective diets for 13wks. The rats in the EPT study were fed a control (AIN-93G) diet consisting with 7% SBO, while the treatment groups were fed diets containing 7% RPO, WGO, RBO, FSO and CO, respectively. At 20wk of age rats in the EPT study were switched to AIN-93M diets. All rats received 2 S/c injections of AOM at 7 and 8 wk of age @ 16 mg/kg body weight in saline. At 45 wk of age all rats were killed by CO2 asphyxiation. >Total ACF in the colon of rats fed SBO, WGO, RPO, RBO, FSO and CO at 7 and 14% levels ranged from 46 to 189. In the EPT study, all the rats fed 7% SBO and CO developed tumors (100% incidence) while tumor incidence in the groups fed WGO, RBO, FSO ranged from 39% to 79%. Tumor size (mm) ranged from 1.77 to 6.50. >Our results indicate that the type and constituents (such as n-3 PUFA, carotenoids, vitamin E, phytosterols) in dietary fat plays a significant role in the incidence of AOM induced colon tumors in Fisher 344 rats. Dietary fats rich in phytochemicals may have implications in colon cancer.
Panic attack history and smoking topography.

Abstract Background Little is known about panic attacks and puffing topography, a behavioral index of the value of smoking reinforcement. This study examined smoking style during the course of smoking of a single cigarette among adult daily smokers with and without a history of panic attacks. Method Participants (n = 124, Mage = 43.9, SD = 9.7; 44.4% female) were non-treatment seeking daily smokers. Lifetime panic attack history was assessed via diagnostic assessment; 28.2% (n = 35) of the sample had a panic attack history. Participants smoked one cigarette during an ad libitum smoking trial. Puff volume, duration, and inter-puff interval were measured using the Clinical Research Support System (CReSS) pocket device. Results Regression analyses revealed that panic attack status was not associated with significant differences in average puff volume, duration, or inter-puff interval. Multi-level modeling was used to examine puffing trajectories. Puff-level data revealed that there was a significant quadratic time x panic effect for puff volume and duration. Those with a panic attack history demonstrated relatively sustained levels of both puff volume and duration over time, whereas those without a history of panic attacks demonstrated an increase followed by a decrease in volume and duration over time. These effects were not accounted for by the presence of general psychopathology. Discussion Smokers with a panic attack history demonstrate more persistent efforts to self-regulate the delivery of nicotine, and thus may be at risk for continued smoking and dependence. Tailored treatment may be needed to address unique vulnerabilities among this group.
Developing collective capacity to improve mathematics instruction: Coaching as a lever for school-wide improvement ☆

Abstract Mathematics coaching, as typically practiced in US schools tends to be responsive and individually focused work in which coaches respond to invitations from individual teachers to help them improve their teaching. But what does the work of coaching look like if it is organized instead to engage teachers collectively in service of school-wide improvement? This is the question we take up in this paper through examining the case of one school-based elementary mathematics coach whose work more closely aligned with emerging findings in the field of instructional improvement about the power of coaching for school-wide reform. The coach helped to dramatically transform a recent history of poor performance and deficit-oriented narratives pertaining to the school and its children. Through a fine-grain analysis, we illustrate the coach’s work implicated in supporting groups of teachers to come to mutual understanding around and further development of shared high-quality instructional practices. The components of coaching that help support collective capacity are discussed.
Error Bounds for Smooth Correlations

In this Chapter we derive upper bounds on the error introduced by restricting to a finite-volume, and show that they decay to zero faster than any inverse power of the volume. The error bounds derived here are relevant for the finite-temperature correlation functions, which in general involve only the smooth functional calculus with the Hamiltonian. In these cases, the fast convergence to the thermodynamic limit of the numerical algorithms is not conditioned by the localized or delocalized character of the energy spectrum. This is important, for example, when studying the metal-insulator transition, where inherently the character of the spectrum changes.
Micromorphology of a Cambrian paleosol developed on granite: Llano Uplift region, Central Texas, U.S.A.

Abstract Capo, R.C., 1994. Micromorphology of a Cambrian paleosol developed on granite: Llano Uplift region, Central Texas, U.S.A., In: A.J. Ringrose-Voase and G.S. Humphreys (Editors), Soil Micromorphology: Studies in Management and Genesis. Proc. IX Int. Working Meeting on Soil Micromorphology, Townsville, Australia, July 1992. Developments in Soil Science 22, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 257–264.
Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Morbidly Obese Individuals Seeking Bariatric Surgery

AIM: An increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome has been reported in obese individuals. Factors important in weight loss after bariatric surgery are incompletely understood, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus is a potential risk factor. Our aims are to examine whether the increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery is associated with diabetes mellitus and whether weight loss after bariatric surgery is altered by irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective study performed in a large, urban community teaching hospital. Individuals seen in gastrointestinal bariatric clinic prior to bariatric surgery from 2010 to 2013 completed a Manning symptom criteria questionnaire prior to their medical evaluation; ≥3 Manning criteria is accepted as diagnostic of irritable bowel syndrome. Percent excess weight loss at 6-, 12-, and 24-months after bariatric surgery is recorded. RESULTS: Thirty percent of 278 individuals seeking bariatric surgery have ≥3 Manning criteria. There is no relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and the presence of ≥3 Manning criteria (p>.05), nor is body mass index a significant risk factor for irritable bowel syndrome (p>.05). At 6-, 12-, and 24-months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or vertical sleeve gastrectomy, there is no difference in percent excess weight loss in individuals with ≥3 Manning criteria compared to individuals with ≤2 Manning criteria (for both surgical procedures: p>.05). CONCLUSION: A diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or body mass index do not explain the high prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome identified in individuals with obesity seeking bariatric surgery, and irritable bowel syndrome does not alter weight loss after bariatric surgery.
Disparities in Access and Regionalization of Care in Testicular Cancer

Abstract Introduction Timely mobilization of specialized resources are needed to achieve optimal outcomes in testicular cancer. We used the National Cancer Database to investigate the hospital and demographic features driving disparity. Patients and Methods We identified adult men with testicular tumors diagnosed from 2004 to 2013. We a priori examined the association among race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), travel burden, hospital characteristics, and indicators of delays in testicular cancer care. The outcomes included large primary tumor, stage III at diagnosis, orchiectomy delay, and mortality. The analyses included multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression for time-dependent outcomes and logistic regression for categorical outcomes. Results Of 31,964 men, 29% had a large primary tumor, 17% presented with stage III disease, 10% experienced an orchiectomy delay, and 6% died. Black race or Hispanic ethnicity, low SES, and underinsurance were associated with poorer outcomes (P Conclusion Nonwhite race/ethnicity, low SES, and underinsurance were associated with diminished access to testicular cancer care. Insurance status, a marker of SES, had the most consistent association with poor outcomes. This finding highlights the oncologic imperative to improve access to adequate health insurance. Regionalization of subspecialty care might, paradoxically, improve outcomes but also create additional barriers in the form of an added travel burden.
Acute kidney injury predicts mortality in emergency general surgery patients

Abstract Background Patients undergoing Emergency General Surgery (EGS) have increased risk of complications and death. The risk of AKI in patients undergoing EGS, along with associated outcomes, is unknown. Methods This two-institution observational study included adults admitted to intensive care units between 1997 and 2012. EGS was defined by 7 procedures occurring within 48 hours of ICU admission. The main outcome studied was AKI within 5 days, along with 90-day mortality. Results In our cohort of 59,604 patients, 1758 (2.9%) underwent EGS. Risk of AKI in EGD patients was significantly increased relative to non-EGS patients, with adjusted odds of 1.7 (95%CI 1.40–1.94; P Conclusions EGS is a robust risk factor for AKI in critically ill patients, the development of which is strongly predictive of increased 90-day mortality.
Neural encoding and production of functional morphemes in the posterior temporal lobe

Morphemes are the smallest meaning-carrying units in human language, and are among the most basic building blocks through which humans express specific ideas and concepts. By using time-resolved cortical stimulations, neural recordings, and focal lesion evaluations, we show that inhibition of a small cortical area within the left dominant posterior–superior temporal lobe selectively impairs the ability to produce appropriate functional morphemes but does not distinctly affect semantic and lexical retrieval, comprehension, or articulation. Additionally, neural recordings within this area reveal the localized encoding of morphological properties and their planned production prior to speech onset. Finally, small lesions localized to the gray matter in this area result in a selective functional morpheme-production deficit. Collectively, these findings reveal a detailed division of linguistic labor within the posterior–superior temporal lobe and suggest that functional morpheme processing constitutes an operationally discrete step in the series of computations essential to language production. Functional morphemes allow us to express details about objects, events, and their relationships. Here, authors show that inhibiting a small cortical area within left posterior superior temporal lobe selectively impairs the ability to produce functional morphemes but does not impair other linguistic abilities.
Laboratory Setup and Management

To this point we have worked in a laboratory, probably our major professor’s. Soon we will probably become the lab manager. It looks easy when an underling. It becomes a much bigger deal when it is all of our responsibility. We most likely will be taking over an existing laboratory. This transition is the easiest one in the short-term, but it is frequently the most constricting long-term. We will definitely want to add some of our personality to the lab. We may be involved in renovating an existing laboratory. This opportunity will delay our ability to get up and running quickly, but it will provide us with more flexibility later if we plan well. Sometimes in our career, we may have the opportunity to design a new laboratory. It is a great experience if we know what we want, but it can become a real drag on our time during the process. Finally, we may be involved in designing a new laboratory as part of the design of a new building. Again, a new building is exciting but very time consuming. Detailed descriptions of laboratory design and all the things we need to consider are provided by Dahan (2000) and DiBerardinis et al. (2001).
Transferred Electron Devices (TED) — Gunn Devices

It is possible, in principle at least, to have structures which are much smaller in one dimension than the other two, and which exhibit negative resistance, and thus give AC power at frequencies comparable to the reciprocal of the small dimension. W. Shockley (1954), with permission, Bell System Techn. Journal.
Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a debilitating fibrosing disorder that has been observed almost exclusively among patients with compromised renal function following exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast agents. It presents with brawny hyperpigmentation and tethering of skin, predominantly on the extremities, and fixed flexion contractures of the knees, ankles, elbows, and fingers. Yellow scleral plaques with capillary dilatation may be evident on the eyes and visceral involvement can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A deep skin biopsy demonstrating increased numbers of spindle-shaped fibroblast-like cells with dual CD34- and procollagen I-positive immunohistochemical staining in the dermis and thickened collagen bundles separated by adjacent clefts confirms the diagnosis of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in a patient with characteristic clinical features. Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors may reverse existing fibrosis and prevent progression of disease.
Exploring teacher and school variance in students’ within-year reading and mathematics growth

ABSTRACTMuch research has evaluated teacher- or school-level variance in students’ achievement as a proxy for teacher or school effects. These effects have almost exclusively been estimated across ...
Supply and Demand of Fake News: Review and Implications for Business Research

‘Fake news’ aims to shake society’s understanding of what the truth is and cast doubts on whether the truth even matters, threatening to erode democracy and destroy the fabric of society and business. This paper investigates this phenomenon and positions it in the broader business research context by reviewing the fake news literature from a variety of disciplines; proposing suggestions for future business research on the supply and demand of fake news; and raising the awareness of what fake news is, how dangerous it can be, how easily it can go viral, and how it can be curtailed or managed.
War in the city: Urban ethnic geography and combat effectiveness

How does the urban environment, and the ethnic geography at its heart, influence the combat effectiveness of democracies conducting counterinsurgency operations? We argue that the city’s ethnic geo...
Re-envisioning the Toxic Sublime: National Park Wilderness Landscapes at the Anthropocene

The Anthropocene concept stimulates much debate among geographers. This wider conversation often neglects the role that visual imagery plays in shaping geographical imaginations of the Anthropocene...
Neonatal Immune Hemolytic Anemia

Of all neonatal anemias, immune hemolytic anemia is a significant cause of morbidity and even mortality when appropriate management is not available. With the creation of guidelines for evaluation and management of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), the devastating effects of neonatal immune hemolytic anemia have significantly declined, especially in the developed world. Understanding of the pathophysiology and natural history of HDFN are key elements for the proper evaluation and management of infants affected by this condition.
Trends in Outcomes of Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in the United States (2012-2017).

As the use of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) expands to varying patient populations, impacting the landscape of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), this study sought to assess volume and performance trends of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in the United States during 2012–2017. The Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried for patients who underwent endovascular/transapical TAVI, isolated SAVR, or complex aortic valve surgery between 2012 and 2017. Temporal trends in annual case volume, admission costs, in-hospital outcomes, and 30-day readmission were evaluated. Of 624,303 patients (median age 72 years) who received AVR, 387,011 (62%) were men. Among these patients, 170,521 (27%) underwent TAVI and 453,782 (73%) underwent SAVR with 299,398 isolated and 154,384 complex aortic valve surgery. TAVI patients were significantly older and higher risk compared with SAVR patients. From 2012 to 2017, the annual number of TAVI increased from 8,295 to 55,168 whereas SAVR volume remained remarkably stable. Patients who underwent AVR demonstrated significant improvements in mortality, stroke, duration of hospitalization, and 30-day readmission. In conclusion, this large contemporary analysis reports the considerable growth of AVR in the United States. It remains unequivocal that the treatment of aortic stenosis is improving overall with reduced mortality following AVR, highlighting the effectiveness of various process improvements such as newer valves, enhanced patient selection, and the interdisciplinary Heart Team approach.
A deep learning approach for lower back-pain risk prediction during manual lifting

Occupationally-induced back pain is a leading cause of reduced productivity in industry. Detecting when a worker is lifting incorrectly and at increased risk of back injury presents significant possible benefits. These include increased quality of life for the worker due to lower rates of back injury and fewer workers' compensation claims and missed time for the employer. However, recognizing lifting risk provides a challenge due to typically small datasets and subtle underlying features in accelerometer and gyroscope data. A novel method to classify a lifting dataset using a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN) and no manual feature extraction is proposed in this paper; the dataset consisted of 10 subjects lifting at various relative distances from the body with 720 total trials. The proposed deep CNN displayed greater accuracy (90.6%) compared to an alternative CNN and multilayer perceptron (MLP). A deep CNN could be adapted to classify many other activities that traditionally pose greater challenges in industrial environments due to their size and complexity.
On the foundation of active disturbance rejection control

Prof. Han Jingqing's milestone paper of 1989: ‘Control theory: the doctrine of model or the doctrine of control'showed his deep understanding and complete grasp of the science and engineering of control and it laid the foundation for active disturbance rejection control(ADRC). It is both the origin and the gateway through which ADRC is to be truly understood. To take his critical reflection further, this paper strives to clarify and reflect on the paradigm and foundation of the "the doctrine of control", and to continue to explore the essence and significance of ADRC, for the purpose of facilitating further development of ADRC, in theory and in technology.
Ionic liquid stationary phase coating optimization for semi-packed microfabricated columns.

Abstract This work highlights the effect of the stationary phase coating process on the separation efficiency of gas chromatography microcolumns. The stationary phase coating quality was characterized by three different bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf2) anion based ionic liquids. The ionic liquids containing NTf2 anion are used for gas chromatography due to their high temperature stability. In this work, the chemical and physical approaches of column deactivation as well as the temperature treatment were evaluated by separating a mixture of 20 organic components and saturated alkanes. The results show that higher oven temperature treatment provides higher efficiency while losing a bit of peak symmetry. The thermal treated 1-butylpyridinum bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide [BPY][NTf2] stationary phase at 240°C demonstrated as high as 8300 plates per meter for naphthalene. This was a 5-fold increase in separation efficiency in comparison to those of the columns treated at 200°C. Albeit being within acceptable ranges, the peak tailing degraded from 1.17 to 1.46 for naphthalene when the processing temperature for coating increased. Both chemical and physical deactivation process increased separation efficiencies and peak resolution.
Parallel Deep Neural Networks Have Zero Duality Gap

Training deep neural networks is a well-known highly non-convex problem. In recent works, it is shown that there is no duality gap for regularized two-layer neural networks with ReLU activation, which enables global optimization via convex programs. For multi-layer linear networks with vector outputs, we formulate convex dual problems and demonstrate that the duality gap is non-zero for depth three and deeper networks. However, by modifying the deep networks to more powerful parallel architectures, we show that the duality gap is exactly zero. Therefore, strong convex duality holds, and hence there exist equivalent convex programs that enable training deep networks to global optimality. We also demonstrate that the weight decay regularization in the parameters explicitly encourages low-rank solutions via closed-form expressions. For three-layer non-parallel ReLU networks, we show that strong duality holds for rank-1 data matrices, however, the duality gap is non-zero for whitened data matrices. Similarly, by transforming the neural network architecture into a corresponding parallel version, the duality gap vanishes.
Interaction of transition metal ions with ribonuclease A. II. The selective effects of Mn2+, Zn2+, Cd2+ and Hg2+ on the histidine magnetic resonance.

Abstract Zn2+, Cd2+ and Hg2+ inhibit ribonuclease but Mn2+ does not except at very high concentrations. By high resolution NMR one can detect in the pH range 5–8 the C-2 protons of histidines 105, 12, and 119. The inhibiting ions produce large shifts of the resonance of His-12 but not of His-105. On the other hand Mn2+ broadens the C-2 proton of His-105 much more than it does those of His-12 and 119. The selective shifts suggest that the mechanism of inhibition is binding at or near the active site of which His-12 and 119 are a part. The selective broadening is a consequence of binding of the Mn2+ to a site very far from the active site but closer to His-105.
Neurotrophic effects of steroids on lesion-induced growth in the hippocampus. II. Hormone replacement.

Abstract The mediation of lesion-induced sprouting in the nervous system is a complex interaction of local membrane factors and circulating hormones. This series of studies examines the reactivity of the sprouting response of both male and female subjects under different hormonal conditions. Young adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats which were gonadectomized (GDX) and adrenalectomized (ADX) underwent a unilateral entorhinal cortex lesion, which partially denervates the molecular layer of the ipsilateral hippocampal dentate gyrus. At the time of the lesion, each animal received hormonal therapy. Fifteen days post-ERC-ab-lation the brains were analyzed for changes in reactive fiber outgrowth in the hippocampal commissural/associational afferents. Fiber outgrowth in females in the “asteroidal” ( GDX ADX ) condition was unaffected. Asteroidal males demonstrated a decreased response. Gonadal steroid replacement, estrogen or testosterone, enhanced outgrowth in both asteroidal males and females. Glucocorticoid replacement suppressed outgrowth in both asteroidal males and females. Gonadal steroids clearly have neurotrophic activity which is interactive with glucocorticoid activity. Glucocorticoids under the GDX ADX conditions in vivo have a negative impact on fiber outgrowth in both sexes. The effect of glucocorticoids is most dramatic when compared to the outgrowth of asteroidal animals without additional hormonal supplementation.
Changes in tibiofemoral forces due to variations in muscle activity during walking

Muscles induce large forces in the tibiofemoral joint during walking and thereby influence the health of tissues like articular cartilage and menisci. It is possible to walk with a wide variety of muscle coordination patterns, but the effect of varied muscle coordination on tibiofemoral contact forces remains unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of varied muscle coordination on tibiofemoral contact forces. We developed a musculoskeletal model of a subject walking with an instrumented knee implant. Using an optimization framework, we calculated the tibiofemoral forces resulting from muscle coordination that reproduced the subject’s walking dynamics. We performed a large set of optimizations in which we systematically varied the coordination of muscles to determine the influence on tibiofemoral force. Model-predicted tibiofemoral forces arising with minimum muscle activation matched in vivo forces measured during early stance, but were greater than in vivo forces during late stance. Peak tibiofemoral forces during late stance could be reduced by increasing the activation of the gluteus medius, uniarticular hip flexors, and soleus, and by decreasing the activation of the gastrocnemius and rectus femoris. These results suggest that retraining of muscle coordination could substantially reduce tibiofemoral forces during late stance.
SERUM ASSAY FOR CYTOPLASMIC CANDIDA ANTIGEN (CA) IN CHILDREN WITH SYSTEMIC (SC) OR MUCOSAL SURFACE (MS) CANDIDAL INFECTION

SERUM ASSAY FOR CYTOPLASMIC CANDIDA ANTIGEN (CA) IN CHILDREN WITH SYSTEMIC (SC) OR MUCOSAL SURFACE (MS) CANDIDAL INFECTION
Immunological responsiveness to Escherichia coli during pregnancy.

Abstract To determine whether immunological responsiveness to a bacterial antigen is altered during pregnancy and lactation, Swiss mice (gestation, 19 to 21 days) were studied during early, middle, and late pregnancy and in the early postpartum period. Pregnant and nursing mice, each along with a virgin female littermate control, were injected with 2 × 106 heat-killed Escherichia coli and sacrificed 4 days later for the enumeration of splenic anti-E. coli plaque-forming cells (PFC). For 72 4- to 10-day pregnant and control mice ranked together, total PFC per spleen ranged from 0 to 312,650, with 61% of the counts from pregnant animals ranking above the median of 12,700. The mean number of PFC for the pregnant animals was greater than for sister controls in 19 of 23 litters studied (P = 0.001). Responsiveness was also increased for 72 mice tested in later pregnancy. Counts of PFC of 72% of mice 11 to 18 days pregnant were above the median when ranked with those of their controls (P < 0.001). In 18 of 21 litters studied, pregnant animals responded better than littermate controls (P = 0.001). Responses of mice at term (19 to 21 days) were depressed when compared with those of controls, but nursing animals 6 to 9 postpartum responded like virgin animals. Previous studies suggested that low concentrations of estradiol stimulate the mitosis of PFC. To determine if progesterone also increases numbers of PFC, concentrations in a range physiological for pregnancy were added to cultures of spleen cells from male mice injected with E. coli 3 days before. After 24 h of incubation, numbers of PFC in these suspensions were compared to those of the same suspensions incubated without hormone. In 19 of 25 and 48 of 68 suspensions tested at concentrations of 500 pg and 50 ng of progesterone per ml, the numbers of PFC were increased over those of the same suspensions without hormone (P < 0.01). Geometric mean number of PFC for progesterone-treated cells was 45% greater than that for the controls. Findings suggest that female sex hormones, important for the normal growth and differentiation of fetal cells, may also enhance division and/or maturation of immunocompetent cells in the mother.
The Political Determinants of Women’s Descriptive Representation in Cities

Why is the descriptive (or numerical) representation of women in policy-making positions higher in some cities than in others? Despite a strong body of work on the descriptive representation of women in state government, research on the presence of women in municipal government is limited in empirical scope and theoretical development. This study is different. First, the authors employ an original data set of 239 cities with populations of 100,000 or more to update and extend the empirical reach of scholars’ knowledge. Second, the authors develop and test hypotheses to explain how the urban political context affects women’s descriptive representation. The analysis reveals that the election of women as council members and mayors are interdependent phenomena. The authors also find that political characteristics of local communities are consequential for predicting the presence of women as municipal policy makers—just as consequential as electoral structures and other institutional features.
Neural and dietary modulation of proline-rich protein and 4β-galactosyltransferase biosynthesis in rat parotid glands

Abstract Maintenance of rats on a bulk diet (50 per cent inert cellulose and 50 per cent laboratory chow) before or after the removal of the submandibular-sublingual glands resulted in hypertrophy of the parotid gland, and the induction of basic proline-rich proteins in that gland with apparent molecular weights similar to those found after chronic administration of isoproterenol. Surgical removal of either the sympathetic or parasympathetic nerve, or of both, impeded both gland hypertrophy and the gene expression for proline-rich protein in the denervated gland. Rats fed normal chow did not have induction of these proteins in the innervated control parotid nor in the denervated contralateral gland. The experimental regimen also showed in-vitro translation of mRNA with electrophoretic protein patterns similar to those with isoproterenol treatment. There was also increased synthesis of the enzyme 4β-galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.38).
A structured approach to edge clustering and extrapolation

In applications related to object recognition and image understanding it is essential that preprocessing of image data yield meaningful edges and closed contours. An edge extraction and extrapolation approach using both bottom-up and top-down analyses is presented. This approach vectorizes initial edge data and extrapolates the vectors, based on a predefined cost function, in order to link edge data. After the initial clusters of edge vectors are obtained through the linking process, a top-down analysis is initiated to test the validity of the clustering. As a result of this analysis, the extrapolation of edge vectors is modified based on the support of additional edge data. Such a low-level processor provides a logical and systematic method of clustering incomplete edge data, and would be well suited for a cooperative or neural-network-based system which could provide higher level top-down feedback for further analysis. >
Leks and hilltopping in insects

Insects of many groups form mating aggregations on hilltops. Males of some hilltopping species behave like certain classic lekking vertebrates, notably in their defense of territories that are devoid of resources useful to females but which are visited by females solely for mating. But even within a sample of 11 hilltopping insects found in the same habitat in central Arizona, there is considerable diversity with respect to resources transferred to mates by males, the degree to which males are aggregated and territorial, and the extent to which females can choose freely among hilltopping males. Thus ‘hilltopping’ is not a single mating system type; although some species conform closely to the traditional definition of a lek, others are very different. The ecological basis for the diversity in the behaviour of male hilltopping insects appears linked to differences in population density, which affect the costs of territoriality, and differences in the nature of female choice, which are little understood as yet.
Soccer and the (Tri‐) Color of the Ecuadorian Nation: Visual and Ideological (Dis‐) Continuities of Black Otherness from Monocultural Mestizaje to Multiculturalism

As evidenced by the series of commentaries that followed the good performance of the Ecuadorian soccer team at the 2006 Mundial, which I discuss in the last section of this essay, the place of blackness within/outside Ecuadorian national identity continues to be ambiguous despite the multicultural turn formally officialized with the adoption of the 1998 Constitution. Through the analysis of visual representations of Afro-Ecuadorian men, I sketch the long history of black exclusion from the dominant Ecuadorian understanding of the nation during monocultural mestizaje, and the metamorphosis of this exclusion into multiculturalism. This provides a genealogy for today's spontaneous representations of Ecuadorian black athletes found on the internet and on the daily press. As indicated by the essay's title, I conclude that even though notable changes have occurred since the “multicultural turn,” there are also profound ideological continuities. I argue that in fact with multiculturalism, mestizaje—as an ideological technology of the state and as a project of the Ecuadorian elites—has not disappeared from the political landscape but instead continues to do its work both within and around multiculturalism. Thus, for Afro-Ecuadorians, the passage of the official or national stance from “monocultural mestizaje” to “multiculturalism” has not been accompanied by the transformations that the change of vocabulary might suggest. Instead, it has reinscribed the prevalent racial order in a “new” narration of the nation.