cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who Should I Follow? Recommending People in Directed Social Networks

A variety of social networks feature a directed attention or "follower" network. In this paper, we compare several methods of recommending new people for users to follow. We analyzed structural patterns in a directed social network to evaluate the likelihood that they will predict a future connection, and use these observations to inform an intervention experiment where we offer users of this network new people to connect to. This paper compares a variety of features for recommending users and presents design implications for social networking services. Certain types of structural closures significantly outperform recommendations based on traditional collaborative filtering, behavioral, and similarity features. We find that sharing an audience with someone is a surprisingly compelling reason to follow them, and that similarity is much less persuasive. We also find evidence that organic network growth is very different from how users behave when they are prompted to connect to new people.
Latest developments in the x-ray based characterization of thin-film solar cells

We present the latest developments in the characterization of thin-film solar cells based on the combination of elemental mapping from fluorescence measurements using synchrotron x-rays, with beam induced current from electron and x-ray beams. This is a powerful method to directly correlate compositional variations with charge collection efficiency. We compare different approaches for mapping solar cells both in cross-section and in plan view on CIGS and CdTe solar cells. Based on examples from our latest research, we discuss the experimental approaches and highlight the advantages and limitations of each technique. Finally, we present an outlook to experiments that will allow x-ray based characterization to enter new fields of research that were not accessible before.
Nonlocal elliptic equations in bounded domains

In this paper we survey some results on the Dirichlet problem for nonlocal operators of the form. We start from the very basics, proving existence of solutions, maximum principles, and constructing some useful barriers. Then, we focus on the regularity properties of solutions, both in the interior and on the boundary of the domain. In order to include some natural operators L in the regularity theory, we do not assume any regularity on the kernels. This leads to some interesting features that are purely nonlocal, in the sense that they have no analogue for local equations. We hope that this survey will be useful for both novel and more experienced researchers in the field.
An Oak Is an Oak Is an Oak Is an Oak: The Disappointing Entrenchment in Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund of the Implied Private Right of Action Under Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5

On June 23, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its opinion in Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund, which has become known as Halliburton II. In that opinion, the Court reaffirmed the existence of an implied private right of action under section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 and the use of a “fraud-on-the-market” presumption of reliance for purposes of allowing class action certification under that private right of action. The Court also offered a clarification regarding the procedures to be used in class action proceedings.In a certain regard, the Court gets it right in Halliburton II. Although the private right of action and the presumption of reliance under the “fraud-on-the-market” theory should not have been imagined into existence, Congress has repeatedly acquiesced to this presumption by failing to address it in subsequent legislation. The Court also acted sensibly in holding that this presumption can be rebutted at the class certification stage upon a showing that an alleged misrepresentation did not create a price impact because this serves as a check against strike suits and other nuisance litigation. The private right of action under section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 is a necessary component of policing securities markets in the United States, and it should continue to exist in some fashion.The problem is that the Court has forgotten that the implied private right of action should never have existed in the first place, and the Court has come to excitedly embrace legislating the contours of that right, rather than demanding that Congress do its job and codify the private right of action. This Essay argues that the continued existence and modification of the implied private right of action under section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 is an affront to Article I, section 7 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to pass laws, not courts. This Essay also argues that every opinion by the Supreme Court should include a direct call for Congress to address the implied private right of action under section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 and either codify or extinguish it. In short, further entrenchment of the private right is not desirable and should not be permitted.
Measurements of anisotropic elastic constants of type 308 stainless-steel electroslag welds

In austenitic-stainless-steel weld metal, mechanical anisotropy is caused by preferred local orientation of elongated subgrains and preferred crystallographic orientation. Ultrasonic and static tensile-test methods used to determine elastic stiffness and compliance matrices, respectively, demonstrated that orthotropic symmetry exists. Inversion of this compliance matrix gave a stiffness matrix which showed general agreement between the two methods. It is suggested that the data can be used directly in finite-element analyses of weldments containing Type 308 stainless steel.
Toward the Growth of an Aligned Single-Layer MoS2 Film

Molybdenum disulfide (molybdenite) monolayer islands and flakes have been grown on a copper surface at comparatively low temperature and mild conditions through sulfur loading of the substrate using thiophenol (benzenethiol) followed by the evaporation of Mo atoms and annealing. The MoS2 islands show a regular Moire pattern in scanning tunneling microscopy, attesting to their atomic ordering and high quality. They are all aligned with the substrate high-symmetry directions providing for rotational-domain-free monolayer growth.
Cities Where Women Rule: Female Political Incorporation and the Allocation of Community Development Block Grant Funding

While individual women representatives in government have been found to behave differently than men, the causal connection between the increased presence of women in elected offices and the production of women-friendly policies is tenuous at best. This study leverages the variation in women's office holding, government structures, and policy outputs found in American cities to address that puzzle. It argues that when women obtain leadership positions in municipal government and when the positions they hold have greater power relative to other municipal positions, cities will be more likely to produce policy outputs that are often associated with women's interests and needs. Utilizing an original city-level dataset and modeling women's presence as mayors and policy outputs endogenously, the results reveal that empowered female executives in municipal governments influence expenditure decisions made as part of the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The findings suggest that political scientists should consider not only the presence of an underrepresented group, but also the relative amount of power that group has when assessing the effects on substantive representation.
Re-engineering for dramatic improvement in the medication-use process

Planning for re-engineering the medication-use process at a university hospital is described. In summer 1992 the University of Cincinnati Hospital hired a consultant on quality to help with work-process improvement and re-engineering. By early 1993, re-engineering for patient-focused care was under way. Within a year of the implementation of patient-focused care in a pilot unit, it was realized that all departments that provided direct and indirect care would also have to undergo re-engineering. In August 1994 a retreat was held to begin the re-engineering effort in the pharmacy department. The retreat participants set as goals of the re-engineering (1) support of the hospital's strategic initiatives, (2) getting the right drug to the right patient at the right time, (3) improved patient outcomes, and (4) reducing the pharmacy labor and drug budget. Pharmacy activities for re-engineering were identified, and two planning teams were created, a pharmacy production team and a pharmacy knowledge-transfer team. The production team was made responsible for re-engineering dispensing, inspecting, producing, storing, and transporting, and the knowledge-transfer team was assigned teaching, recording, treating, and monitoring. A detailed plan was prepared for each team to follow using a framework provided by the consultant and consisting of strategy, technology, process, and personnel. Careful planning and a consultant helped a university hospital prepare for organizationwide re-engineering.
Low birth weight and air pollution in California: Which sources and components drive the risk?

Abstract Introduction Intrauterine growth restriction has been associated with exposure to air pollution, but there is a need to clarify which sources and components are most likely responsible. This study investigated the associations between low birth weight (LBW, Methods Complementary exposure models were used: an empirical Bayesian kriging model for the interpolation of ambient pollutant measurements, a source-oriented chemical transport model (using California emission inventories) that estimated fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM0.1, respectively) mass concentrations (4 km × 4 km) by source and composition, a line-source roadway dispersion model at fine resolution, and traffic index estimates. Birth weight was obtained from California birth certificate records. A case-cohort design was used. Five controls per term LBW case were randomly selected (without covariate matching or stratification) from among term births. The resulting datasets were analyzed by logistic regression with a random effect by hospital, using generalized additive mixed models adjusted for race/ethnicity, education, maternal age and household income. Results In total 72,632 singleton term LBW cases were included. Term LBW was positively and significantly associated with interpolated measurements of ozone but not total fine PM or nitrogen dioxide. No significant association was observed between term LBW and primary PM from all sources grouped together. A positive significant association was observed for secondary organic aerosols. Exposure to elemental carbon (EC), nitrates and ammonium were also positively and significantly associated with term LBW, but only for exposure during the third trimester of pregnancy. Significant positive associations were observed between term LBW risk and primary PM emitted by on-road gasoline and diesel or by commercial meat cooking sources. Primary PM from wood burning was inversely associated with term LBW. Significant positive associations were also observed between term LBW and ultrafine particle numbers modeled with the line-source roadway dispersion model, traffic density and proximity to roadways. Discussion This large study based on complementary exposure metrics suggests that not only primary pollution sources (traffic and commercial meat cooking) but also EC and secondary pollutants are risk factors for term LBW.
Increase of plasma methionine-enkephalin levels in patients at the acute stage of cerebral infarction.

We investigated the participation of endogenous opioid peptide in cerebral ischaemia. In 13 patients with supratentorial infarction, the plasma immunoreactive methionine-enkephalin concentration at the acute stage (30.77 ± 3.54 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that at the chronic stage (20.37 ± 2.07 pg/ml) or that of the control subjects (19.64 ± 1.71 pg/ml). However; it was unrelated to infarct size or patient severity. The increased methionine-enkephalin, which appears to originate from the sympatho-adrenal system or infarcted brain, may play a role in the evolution of cerebral ischaemia.
Efficient Analysis and Detection of Edges Through Directional Multiscale Representations

The analysis and detection of edges and interface boundaries is a fundamental problem in applied mathematics and image processing. In the study of the wave equation, for example, one is interested in the evolution of moving fronts; in image processing and computer vision, the detection and analysis of edges is an essential task for applications such as shape recognition, image enhancement, and classification. Multiscale methods and wavelets have been very successful in this area, due to a combination of useful micro-analytical properties and fast numerical implementations. The continuous wavelet transform in particular has the ability to signal the location of the singularities of functions and distributions through its asymptotic decay at fine scales. However, this approach is unable to provide additional information about the geometry of the singularity set, such as the edge orientation. This limitation can be overcome by using the continuous shearlet transform, an approach combining the analytical power of multiscale analysis and high directional sensitivity. This chapter gives an overview of the microlocal properties of the shearlet transform and illustrates its ability to provide a precise geometric characterization of edges and interface boundaries in images and other multidimensional data. These results provide the theoretical groundwork for innovative applications in problems of edge detection, feature extraction, and geometric separation.
Molecular Modeling of Carbohydrates with No Charges, No Hydrogen Bonds, and No Atoms

We review the M3B coarse grain model for glucans and their aqueous mixtures that we show is able to describe the helical structures of oligo- and polysaccharides, experimental glass transition temperatures, and the dynamics of water in supercooled and glassy malto-oligosaccharide mixtures. M3B involves no electrostatic interactions, no hydrogen bonds, and no other directional nonbond interaction. Indeed M3B has no atoms, just three connected beads per monomer. M3B permits coarse grain simulations ~7000 faster times than atomistics, yet provides at the end a mapping back to the full atomistic description.
Measurement and simulation of moisture induced die stresses in Quad Flat Packages

In this study, an investigation has been performed on effects of moisture on die stresses in 240 pin Quad Flat Packs (QFPs). Stress sensing test chips were used to experimentally measure the complete state of stress at the die surface. The samples were exposed to a harsh high temperature and high humidity environment (85 C, 85% RH) for various time durations, and allowed to adsorb moisture. Both the sample weight gain and transient die stresses were monitored as a function of the exposure time in the high humidity environment. In addition, the moisture-exposed samples were subsequently baked in a dry atmosphere to drive the moisture back out of the samples and to see whether the effects of moisture absorption were reversible. Finite element numerical simulations were then performed to predict the moisture dependent deformations, stresses, and strains in the QFP components. Unlike traditional methods based on using the moisture-thermal analogy, an advanced multi-physics approach was used to perform coupled simulations of the moisture diffusion process without the limitations that can be present using conventional techniques. To insure accurate results, the hygrothermal properties of the molding compound were characterized experimentally including the diffusivity, saturated concentration, and coefficient of moisture expansion. The die stress time histories found with the simulations were compared to the experimental stress measurements, and good correlations were obtained. Using these measurements and numerical simulations, valuable insight has been gained on moisture induced failure phenomena in Quad Flat Packs.
Altered Mineral Metabolism as a Mechanism Underlying the Expression of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Rats

Ethanol (EtOH) intake during pregnancy can cause birth defects in humans and is referred to as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The exact mechanism(s) underlying the teratogenic effects of EtOH are unknown. One hypothesis is that EtOH functions as a teratogen by inducing a state of maternal and/or fetal Zn deficiency. Zn has been shown to be required for DNA and protein synthesis, microtubule polymerization, membrane stabilization and protection from free radical damage (1). Because of the similar characteristics of FAS and Zn deficiency, we have investigated the interaction of Zn and EtOH with regard to fetal outcome in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Spasmus Nutans A Long-term Follow-up

Purpose Nystagmus, head nodding, and anomalous head position are symptoms of spasmus nutans. This disorder appears in early childhood and is thought to be self-limited. However, the visual outcome of patients with spasmus nutans is unclear. The resolution of nystagmus has not been proven with quantitative eye movement recordings. The purpose of this study was to perform long-term follow-up examinations (mean, 5.5 years) of patients with spasmus nutans. Methods Ten patients with spasmus nutans were followed up clinically until a mean age of 7 years. Included were quantitative eye and head movement recordings. Results At their last examination (mean age, 7.1 years), visual acuity in four patients was 20/20 in both eyes, in five patients it was 20/30 or better in at least one eye, and in one patient it was 20/50 in each eye. Three patients had orthotropia with normal stereo acuity. The remaining patients had esotropia, dissociated vertical deviation, amblyopia, or latent nystagmus. All patients had fine, intermittent asymmetric, pendular nystagmus on eye movement recordings. Conclusions Good visual acuity can be expected in patients with spasmus nutans; one third have normal stereo acuity. However, subclinical nystagmus persists until at least 5 to 12 years of age.
The Image of Judaism in Seventeenth Century Europe

The image of Jews, ancient and modern, underwent most substantial changes in the late 17th century in the eyes of Western intellectuals. Extremely negative views about Jews had been pervasive in the late middle ages and during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Jews were seen as most dangerous menaces to Christian society, but were also expected to play a critical role in the culmination of the Christian historical drama. On the first score, Jews, in denying that Jesus was the Messiah and denying the divinity of Jesus, could undermine the faith of Christians. Jews seen in this light were the sworn enemies of Christendom, who would go to any extremes to hurt Christians and Christianity, through usury, attacks on religious objects, blasphemies, kidnapping and killing Christian children, poisoning Christians through medical trickery etc. etc. etc. The negative images conjured up from all of this justified driving the Jews out of most of Western Europe, enclosing them in ghettoes and placing severe restrictions on their activities, especially vis-a-vis Christians.
Inhibition of Mold Growth and Mycotoxin Production in High-Moisture Corn Treated with Phosphates.

Mold growth and mycotoxin production were studied in high-moisture (20%) corn treated with tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP); acid and alkaline sodium polyphosphate, glassy (SPG), also known as sodium hexametaphosphate; sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP); and tricalcium phosphate. Six mold cultures belonging to the genera Aspergillus , Fusarium , and Penicillium were tested in corn varieties highly resistant or highly susceptible to mold infection in the field, and in a mixture of five other varieties of corn. The acidic SPG, as well as TSPP and STPP totally prevented or reduced mold growth when added in powder form to corn at 1.0% or 2.0% (w/w), regardless of corn variety and high moisture content. Phosphates afforded protection in whole and damaged kernels. Similar results were obtained with 2.0% acidic SPG and TSPP when added in spray form. Whenever mold growth occurred, treatment of corn with 1.0% or 2.0% (w/w) TSPP and acidic or alkaline SPG inhibited (P<0.01) aflatoxin production by aspergilli.
ATRIAL THROMBUS IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS: PREVALENCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPY

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) creates a low flow state that may predispose patients to forming atrial thrombi. We sought to define the prevalence of left and right atrial thrombi in patients with CA. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of consecutive TEEs in patients with known
Mechanisms of beat-to-beat variability in the heart rate of the neonatal lamb. II. Effects of hypoxia.

Abstract The effects of acute hypoxia on the resting arterial pressure as well as on heart rate and its beat-to-beat variability were studied in chronically instrumented, unanesthetized newborn lambs at 2 to 8 weeks of neonatal life. Lung ventilation with a gas mixture containing 10% oxygen and 3% carbon dioxide decreased arterial blood P o 2 by about 50% in all animals regardless of age without significantly altering blood pH and PC o 2. This degree of hypoxia produced a mild pressor response, accompanied by a significant tachycardia; the pattern of these changes, however, differed somewhat according to neonatal growth. The impact of hypoxia on beat-to-beat variability of the neonatal heart rate also varied with age. When the lambs were 2 to 3 weeks old, both the long- and short-term variabilities decreased progressively during hypoxia and the decrement reached a maximum at 10 minutes of oxygen deprivation. As the lambs became older, however, there was some inital and transient increase in the long- and short-term variabilities in the early period of hypoxia but thereafter the changes were inconsistent. The significance of these observations is discussed in terms of our knowledge of the pathophysiologic alterations in the cardiovascular system produced by acute hypoxia.
Thumb Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries (Gamekeeper’s and Skier’s Thumb)

Thumb ulnar collateral ligament injuries can be acute (skier’s thumb) or chronic (gamekeeper’s thumb) and result in valgus laxity of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint. Acute, complete ruptures and tears complicated by an interposed Stener lesion often require operative treatment. Surgical management involves repair, reconstruction, or, in salvage cases, arthrodesis.
Abstract 650: Statins Modulate Rac-dependent IL-1 beta Expression to Influence Calcium Composition

Coronary artery disease caused by atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Calcification of atherosclerotic plaque has predictive value in terms of cardiovascul...
Introduction to Cytogenetics

Cytogenetics is the study of normal chromosomes and chromosome aberrations. From the time it was first recognized that chromosome aberrations, either in number or structure, could be the cause of human disease, cytogenetics has been an important specialty discipline in the field of pathology. Chromosome aberrations can be either constitutional (present from birth) or acquired (as in cancer). Constitutional chromosome aberrations can be benign, cause multiple congenital anomalies, both physical and intellectual, or be the cause of infertility or repeated pregnancy losses. Acquired chromosome anomalies are observed in many types of neoplasms and affect both the diagnosis and prognosis of a variety of leukemias, lymphomas, and solid tumors.
Secularization: Challenges for Catholic Schools in Uruguay

This chapter will analyze the characteristics and the impact that secularization has made on a young Catholic schooling system. It proposes that secularization has represented a huge challenge for the Catholic Church worldwide since it began during the Enlightenment, but at the same time, it offers a major opportunity if school systems become aware of it and work hard for the spread of the Gospel with renewed energy and realistic goals. It presents the case of a young country that became independent less than 200 years ago, whose society was built due to the input of thousands of European immigrants, and which has become an exception in Latin America, because it has no native population since the last Indians were killed in the 19th century. It certainly is a peculiar society in the context of a highly religious continent, due to an early institutional separation between the Church and the State that took place a century ago, an event that has strongly shaped its society, culture, and specially, its education. The chapter is organized in three sections. In the fi rst one, some contemporary challenges Catholic schools face today in the country are presented and analyzed, with a special focus on the impact and consequences of secularization; in the second one, some responses to these challenges are reviewed, in the context of the limitations Catholic schooling faces in this particular society; and in the third one, some research studies of Catholic schools are discussed.
Core-mantle fractionation of carbon in Earth and Mars: The effects of sulfur

Abstract Constraining carbon (C) fractionation between silicate magma ocean (MO) and core-forming alloy liquid during early differentiation is essential to understand the origin and early distribution of C between reservoirs such as the crust-atmosphere, mantle, and core of Earth and other terrestrial planets. Yet experimental data at high pressure ( P )-temperature ( T ) on the effect of other light elements such as sulfur (S) in alloy liquid on alloy-silicate partitioning of C and C solubility in Fe-alloy compositions relevant for core formation is lacking. Here we have performed multi-anvil experiments at 6–13 GPa and 1800–2000 °C to examine the effects of S and Ni on the solubility limit of C in Fe-rich alloy liquid as well as partitioning behavior of C between alloy liquid and silicate melt ( D C a l l o y / s i l i c a t e ). The results show that C solubility in the alloy liquid as well as D C a l l o y / s i l i c a t e decreases with increasing in S content in the alloy liquid. Empirical regression on C solubility in alloy liquid using our new experimental data and previous experiments demonstrates that C solubility significantly increases with increasing temperature, whereas unlike in S-poor or S-free alloy compositions, there is no discernible effect of Ni on C solubility in S-rich alloy liquid. Our modelling results confirm previous findings that in order to satisfy the C budget of BSE, the bulk Earth C undergoing alloy-silicate fractionation needs to be as high as those of CI-type carbonaceous chondrite, i.e., not leaving any room for volatility-induced loss of carbon during accretion. For Mars, on the other hand, an average single-stage core formation at relatively oxidized conditions (1.0 log unit below IW buffer) with 10–16 wt% S in the core could yield a Martian mantle with a C budget similar to that of Earth’s BSE for a bulk C content of ∼0.25–0.9 wt%. For the scenario where C was delivered to the proto-Earth by a S-rich differentiated impactor at a later stage, our model calculations predict that bulk C content in the impactor can be as low as ∼0.5 wt% for an impactor mass that lies between 9 and 20% of present day Earth’s mass. This value is much higher than 0.05–0.1 wt% bulk C in the impactor predicted by Li et al. (Li Y., Dasgupta R., Tsuno K., Monteleone B., and Shimizu N. (2016) Carbon and sulfur budget of the silicate Earth explained by accretion of differentiated planetary embryos. Nat. Geosci. 9 , 781–785) because C-solubility limit of 0.3 wt% in a S-rich alloy predicted by their models is significantly lower than the experimentally derived C-solubility of ∼1.6 wt% for the relevant S-content in the core of the impactor.
Randomized phase II trial of a DNA vaccine encoding prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) versus GM-CSF adjuvant in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.

TPS3114Background: We have previously reported the results from a phase I trial using a PAP-encoding DNA vaccine (pTVG-HP) in men with PSA-recurrent, non-metastatic, non-castrate, prostate cancer (...
Annals On Call - Is This How It Is Supposed to Be?

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the unintended consequences of the U.S. health care delivery and payment system on quality of care, physician wellness, patient satisfaction,...
Volatile production by buds and corollas of two sympatric, confamilial plants, Ipomopsis aggregata and Polemonium foliosissimum.

We used solid-phase microextraction of headspace samples followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the major volatile compounds produced by the buds and corollas of Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae), and we compared them to a sympatric, confamilial plant species, Polemonium foliosissimum. The two species have distinct floral morphologies and pollinators, but share a common predispersal seed predator that oviposits under the calyces of buds. Ipomopsis aggregata buds emitted fewer compounds than the corollas. The buds of I. aggregata were dominated by α-pinene and, to a lesser extent, β-pinene. The corollas of I. aggregata emitted a mixture of 10 compounds. Like the buds, I. aggregata corollas produced relatively high concentrations of α-pinene as well as caryophyllene. In addition, the emission of four terpenoids, three esters, and one ketone added to the volatile bouquet of the corollas. Polemonium foliosissimum buds also emitted fewer compounds than the corollas. The buds of P. foliosissimum were dominated by β-pinene and, to a lesser extent, α-pinene. The corollas of P. foliosissimum were also dominated by β-pinene along with three terpenoids, three alcohols, one ester, and two aldehydes. Comparing I. aggregata and P. foliosissimum, bud samples from both species produced considerable amounts of α- and β-pinene. Ipomopsis aggregata emitted more α-pinene than β-pinene, while P. foliosissimum emitted more β-pinene. The corollas of the two species, however, differed in their volatile bouquet. The partition of volatiles between I. aggregata and P. foliosissimum buds and corollas and differences in volatile production between I. aggregata and P. foliosissimum are consistent with selection pressures exerted by organisms interacting with these plants.
Chronic Low Dose Oral Exposure to Microcystin-LR Exacerbates Hepatic Injury in a Murine Model of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Microcystins are potent hepatotoxins that have become a global health concern in recent years. Their actions in at-risk populations with pre-existing liver disease is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) established in healthy mice would cause exacerbation of hepatic injury in a murine model (Leprdb/J) of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Ten-week-old male Leprdb/J mice were gavaged with 50 μg/kg, 100 μg/kg MC-LR or vehicle every 48 h for 4 weeks (n = 15–17 mice/group). Early mortality was observed in both the 50 μg/kg (1/17, 6%), and 100 μg/kg (3/17, 18%) MC-LR exposed mice. MC-LR exposure resulted in significant increases in circulating alkaline phosphatase levels, and histopathological markers of hepatic injury as well as significant upregulation of genes associated with hepatotoxicity, necrosis, nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogenicity and oxidative stress response. In addition, we observed exposure dependent changes in protein phosphorylation sites in pathways involved in inflammation, immune function, and response to oxidative stress. These results demonstrate that exposure to MC-LR at levels that are below the NOAEL established in healthy animals results in significant exacerbation of hepatic injury that is accompanied by genetic and phosphoproteomic dysregulation in key signaling pathways in the livers of NAFLD mice.
Effects of urbanization of coastal watersheds on growth and condition of juvenile alewives in New England

Alosa pseudoharengus (alewife) has declined throughout New England. A factor that may be responsible for such stock reductions is urbanization of watersheds discharging into alewife nursery ponds. ...
Enhanced laser-plasma interactions using non-imaging optical concentrator targets

Picosecond-scale laser–matter interactions using compound parabolic concentrators have demonstrated strongly relativistic ponderomotive effects with $\sim{10} \times $∼10× increase in x-ray source brightness, positron production and multi-MeV proton acceleration versus flat targets, using a marginally relativistic intensity laser.
Effective Pricing Strategies: Investigating the Contrast Between Theory and Practice: An Abstract

Anecdotal evidence suggests that companies tend to charge women a “gender tax” and women’s products often cost more than comparable men’s products. An important question arises: Is charging women a price surcharge conducive to higher revenues? In five studies, this paper shows that charging women price premiums could backfire and lower companies’ revenues and profits because on average women are more price-sensitive than men. This paper used diverse sources of data and myriad statistical analyses to make several substantive theoretical and practical contributions. First, using the population data set of 184,216 unique products, study 1 offered unambiguous evidence that Amazon.com charges men higher prices than women for selling them comparable products. Study 2 utilized a longitudinal sample of 424,000 products/day observations to show that Amazon’s gender-based price discrimination is likely to be the product of women’s higher price sensitivity. Studies 3 and 4 provided evidence that men are more likely to associate higher prices with higher levels of quality and value, and this is the likely underlying reason for the effect of gender on price elasticity. Finally, study 5 investigated the gender differences in thinking style as an alternative reason for gender differences in price elasticity.
Doxycycline has Distinct Apicoplast-Specific Mechanisms of Antimalarial Activity

Doxycycline (DOX) is a key antimalarial drug that is thought to kill Plasmodium falciparum parasites by blocking protein translation in the essential apicoplast organelle. Although parasite resistance to DOX has not emerged, clinical use is primarily limited to prophylaxis due to delayed second-cycle parasite death at 1-3 μM, the DOX concentration readily achieved in human plasma at current dosing. Slow antiparasitic activity is thought to be a fundamental limitation of DOX and other antibiotics that target apicoplast maintenance. We report that slightly higher 8-10 μM DOX concentrations kill parasites with first-cycle activity that blocks apicoplast biogenesis. This faster activity is rescued by exogenous isopentenyl pyrophosphate, an essential apicoplast product, confirming an apicoplast-specific target. Exogenous iron rescues first- but not second-cycle activity by 1 or 10 μM DOX, revealing that first-cycle activity involves a metal-dependent mechanism that is distinct from the canonical delayed-death mechanism. These results provide a new paradigm for understanding fundamental antiparasitic mechanisms of DOX and suggest the possibility of repurposing DOX as a faster-acting antimalarial at higher dosing, which remains well tolerated. Multiple mechanisms of DOX activity would be expected to limit parasite resistance.
Cationic amphiphilic alternating copolymers with tunable morphology

A series of ionic amphiphilic alternating copolymers were characterized via SAXS, TEM and DLS to help understand factors that could potentially affect self-assembly, including the degree of polymerization, the length of hydrophobic spacers between ionic units, the distance between charged groups and polymer backbone, solvent envrioment and counterions.
The Mutational Signature Comprehensive Analysis Toolkit (musicatk) for the discovery, prediction, and exploration of mutational signatures

Mutational signatures are patterns of somatic alterations in the genome caused by carcinogenic exposures or aberrant cellular processes. To provide a comprehensive workflow for preprocessing, analysis, and visualization of mutational signatures we created the Mutational Signature Comprehensive Analysis Toolkit (musicatk) package. musicatk enables users to select different schemas for counting mutation types and easily combine count tables from different schemas. Multiple distinct methods are available to deconvolute signatures and exposures or to predict exposure in individual samples for a pre-existing set of signatures. An extensive set of visualizations are provided to facilitate exploratory analysis of signatures and exposures. These include a comparison of discovered signatures to those in the COSMIC database, using UMAP to embed tumors in two dimensions, and plotting of exposure distributions across user-defined annotations. Overall, musicatk will enable users to gain novel insights into the patterns of mutational signature observed in cancer.
On the Atlantic pelagic Sargassum's role in carbon fixation and sequestration

Abstract The extensive blooms of the pelagic Sargassum in the Atlantic raised the question of whether this brown seaweed may play an important role in climate change mitigation through carbon fixation and carbon sequestration, as argued in several recent papers. Using simple calculations and published values on Sargassum coverage, biomass density, carbon/biomass ratio, primary productivity, and carbon sequestration efficiency, we show that the total carbon stock in pelagic Sargassum of the entire Atlantic, even during the peak month, is unlikely to exceed 3.61 × 10−3 Pg C, and carbon fixation cannot exceed 6.0 million tons C month−1. While the carbon fixation estimate represents an upper bound, it is still
Nitric oxide-associated chondrocyte apoptosis in trauma patients after high-energy lower extremity intra-articular fractures

Background The primary goal of this study was to identify nitric oxide (NO)-induced apoptosis in traumatized chondrocytes in intra-articular lower extremity fractures and the secondary goal was to identify the timeline of NO-induced apoptosis after injury.
On Algorithmic Discovery and Computational Implementation of the Opposing Scripts Forming a Joke

The paper deals with the notion of 'script'. Scripts have been essential for the dominant formal theories of verbal humor since their inception in the late 1970s, and the formal theories gave rise to meaningful computational humor a decade or so later. Recent developments in computational semantics and computational humor have required a tighter definition of 'script' as a computational entity.
Abstract 17165: Impact of Physical Activity Levels on Death or Heart Failure Related Hospitalizations in Patients with Heart Failure: a Sub study of the HART Trial (NCT00018005)

Background: It is agreed that aerobic exercise can improve the outcome of patients with heart failure (HF). However, the impact of sedentary life style on HF outcome among patients not participating in a regimented aerobic exercise program is unknown. Methods: We analyzed data from Heart failure Adherence and Retention Trial (HART) which enrolled NYHA class II and III HF patients. Questionnaire was used to assess self-reported weekly physical activity levels. Patients were divided into 3 groups: sedentary (walking Results: HART enrolled 902 patients. Data on physical activity were available on 673 patients. There were 246 primary outcome events. Median follow up was 30 months. After adjusting for univariate predictors of outcome, there was no difference in outcome between sedentary and partially active patients (HR 1.12; P=0.48). There was a non-statistically significant trend towards worse outcomes in sedentary patients compared to active patients (HR 1.43, P=0.09) (Figure 1). Conclusion: Regular physical activity appears to be associated with lower risk of death or HF hospitalization in patients with HF who are not participating in a regimented aerobic exercise program, consistent with the “on-treatment” analysis of the HF-ACTION trial. Sedentary life style does not seem to be associated with increased risk of death or HF hospitalization as compared to partially active life style.
Detection of Helicobacter pylori in sewage and water using a new quantitative PCR method with SYBR green.

Aims To demonstrate the application of a new quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique for the determination of Helicobacter pylori concentrations in water, and to use this method to investigate the occurrence of the bacteria in sewage. The other aim was to study the survival capacity and detectability of the bacteria in artificially contaminated groundwater at different temperatures of 4 and 15 degrees C. Methods and results The detection of H. pylori in water was aided by PCR using specific primers designed for the amplification of a fragment within the major vacuolating cytotoxin gene. Conventional culture was compared with conventional PCR and the new real-time (RT) qPCR approach for the quantification of the bacterium. Helicobacter pylori remained culturable for 120 h at 4 degrees C as opposed to only 24 h at 15 degrees C. RT qPCR demonstrated a 100-fold greater sensitivity for the detection of H. pylori DNA in comparison with conventional PCR. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation showed that the normal spiral form changed to a coccoid form after 24 and 72 h at 15 and 4 degrees C, respectively. Helicobacter pylori was found at 2-28 cells ml(-1) in sewage, of the 23 sewage samples - 84% were positive for H. pylori species-specific vacuolating cyctotoxin gene (vacA) by RT qPCR, but were negative by conventional PCR. Conclusions The RT qPCR assay provided a specific, sensitive and rapid method for the quantitative detection of H. pylori in sewage. This molecular method would be valuable in studying the prevalence of H. pylori as required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Contaminant Candidate List, particularly in nondisinfected ground waters, in sewage as a source of contamination, and for addressing the possible presence of viable but nonculturable of H. pylori. Significance and impact of the study The quantitative detection of H. pylori by rapid and less-expensive methods than the TaqMan Assay using SYBR green could be an important tool to monitor infection in community by measuring the concentrations in sewage and to meet the new regulatory and risk-based frameworks for water supplies.
Acquiring 4D Thoracic CT Scans Using Ciné CT Acquisition

One method for acquiring 4D thoracic CT scans is to use cine acquisition. Cine acquisition is conducted by rotating the gantry and acquiring x-ray projections while keeping the couch stationary. After a complete rotation, a single set of CT slices, the number corresponding to the number of CT detector rows, is produced. The rotation period is typically sub second so each image set corresponds to a single point in time. The cine image acquisition is repeated for at least one breathing cycle to acquire images throughout the breathing cycle. Once the images are acquired at a single couch position, the couch is moved to the abutting position and the acquisition is repeated. Post-processing of the images sets typically resorts the sets into breathing phases, stacking images from a specific phase to produce a thoracic CT scan at that phase. Benefits of the cine acquisition protocol include, the ability to precisely identify the phase with respect to the acquired image, the ability to resort images after reconstruction, and the ability to acquire images over arbitrarily long times and for arbitrarily many images (within dose constraints).
Helicobacter hepaticus sp. nov., a microaerophilic bacterium isolated from livers and intestinal mucosal scrapings from mice.

A bacterium with a spiral shape and bipolar, single, sheathed flagella was isolated from the livers of mice with active, chronic hepatitis. The bacteria also colonized the cecal and colonic mucosae of mice. The bacterium grew at 37 degrees C under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions, rapidly hydrolyzed urea, was catalase and oxidase positive, reduced nitrate to nitrite, and was resistant to cephalothin metronidazole. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the organism was classified as a novel helicobacter, Helicobacter hepaticus. This new helicobacter, like two other murine Helicobacter species, H. muridarum and "H. rappini," is an efficient colonizer of the gastrointestinal tract, but in addition, it has the pathogenic potential to elicit persistent hepatitis in mice. Images
Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Approach in Colon Surgery.

This study sought to compare outcomes of patients who underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic (HAL) colectomy with open and laparoscopic colectomy (LP). The NSQIP databases were used to examine the clinical data of patients who underwent elective colectomy during 2012–2013. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to compare the three surgical approaches. We sampled a total of 21,090 patients who underwent colectomy. Of these, 7480 (35.5 %) had open colectomy (OC), 8751 (41.5 %) had a laparoscopic colectomy, 2860 (13.6 %) had a HAL colectomy, and 1999 (9.5 %) had an open procedure converted from LC or HAL. Multivariate regression analysis revealed HAL colectomy had a similar mortality (AOR 0.53, P = 0.07) and a lower morbidity (AOR 0.37, P < 0.01) compared to OC. LC had lower mortality (AOR 0.58, P = 0.02) and morbidity (AOR 0.43, P < 0.01) compared to OC. Mortality of patients who underwent HAL was not significantly different from LC (AOR 0.90, P = 0.79); however, morbidity of such patients was significantly higher than for patients who underwent LC (AOR 1.29, P < 0.01). HAL colectomy is a safe approach with significant advantages compared to open colectomy. Although the morbidity of patients who underwent HAL is higher than patients who underwent LC, the morbidity rate is still lower than OC.
A new approach to obtaining a 3D shear wave velocity model of the crust and upper mantle: An application to eastern Turkey

article i nfo We present a new approach to the joint inversion of surface wave dispersion data and receiver functions by utilizing Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking to reconcile the different sampling domains of the two datasets. Utilizing CCP stacking allows us to suppress noise in the data by waveform stacking, and correct for backazimuthal variations and complex crustal structure by mapping receiver functions back to their theoretical location. When applied to eastern Turkey, this approach leads to a higher resolution image of the subsurface and clearly delineates different tectonic features in eastern Turkey that were not apparent using other approaches. We observe that theslow seismic velocities near the Karliova Triple Junction correlate to moderate strain rates and high heat flow, which leads to a rheologically weak crust that has allowed for the upward propagation of Miocene and younger volcanics near the triple junction. We find seismically fast, presumably rigid blocks located in the southeastern Anatolian Plate and Arabian Plate are separated by a band of low shear wave velocities that correspond to the East Anatolian Fault Zone, which is consistent with the presence of fluids in the fault zone. We observe that the Arabian Plate has underthrust the Eurasian Plate as far as the northern boundary of the Bitlis Massif, which can explain the high exhumation rates in the Bitlis Massif as a result of slab break-off of the Arabian oceanic lithosphere. We also find a shallow (~33 km) anomaly beneath eastern Turkey that we interpret as a localized wedge of mantle that was underthrust by a crustal fragment during the collision of Arabia and Eurasia. These observations are possible because of the high-resolution images obtained by combining common conversion point receiver function stacks with ambient noise dispersion data to create a data-driven three-dimensional shear wave velocity model.