cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Red-Light Initiated Decomposition of α-Hydroxy Methylperoxy Radical in the Presence of Organic and Inorganic Acids: Implications for the HOx Formation in the Lower Stratosphere.

Theoretical calculations have been carried out to investigate the gas-phase decomposition of α-hydroxy methylperoxy (HOCH2(OO)) radical in the absence and presence of formic acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. The HOCH2(OO) radical decomposition represents a new source of the HOx radical in troposphere. The results suggest that sulfuric acid will be more effective than other acids in catalyzing the peroxy radical decomposition. However, the significant stability of prereaction and postreaction complexes in all the bimolecular reactions implies a new photomechanism for the acid-mediated decomposition of the HOCH2(OO) radical that involves the visible or near IR overtone excitation of the OH stretching modes or electronic excitation of the O–O peroxy moiety in the acid-bound radical. This new overtone or electronic excitation-based photomechanism for the peroxy radical decomposition may provide useful insight into the missing photolytic source of the HOx at high solar zenith angles correspond...
Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Stroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial

Study Objectives:Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) predicts poor functional outcome after stroke and increases the risk for recurrent stroke. Less is known about continuous positive airway pressure (CP...
Zanthoxylum bungeanum Cultivation Technology in Qinghai

Zanthoxylum bungeanumis a cash plant in the Hehuang Valley,east of Qinghai.Due to the unique conditions of plateau climate,Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles is fully filled and in charming red color,aromatic and of high oil content.The key technologies in Qinghai concerning orchard establishment,water and fertilization management,pruning and training,pest control,product collection and drying were elaborated.
P1: CHOLINERGIC RECEPTOR FUNCTION IN CARDIAC ISCHEMIC PRECONDITIONING

Purpose of Study Cardiac acetylcholine (ACh) signaling is protective, but the role of ACh in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) remains largely unknown. We studied the effect of selective alpha-7 nicotinic ACh receptor (a7nAChR) antagonism by methyllycaconitine (MLA) on the functional benefits of IPC and the effects of this on mitochondrial complexity and inner mitochondrial membrane potential (ψM). Methods Used Male Sprague Dawley rats (n=17, 322±17 g) were heparinized and anesthetized with 80 mg/kg pentobarbital IP, and their hearts excised and perfused at constant pressure with a non-circulating Langendorff apparatus. Left ventricular (LV) pressure (LVDP) and heart rate (HR) were continually measured with a fluid filled latex balloon attached to a pressure transducer. Treatment groups were: ischemia-reperfusion (IR)(n=6): 20 min. perfusion, 30 min. of global ischemia, 45 min. of reperfusion; IPC (n=5): 10 min. perfusion, 3 min. ischemia with 2 min. reperfusion repeated 3 times prior to IR protocol, IPC+MLA (n=6): 6 min. perfusion, 4 min. of infusion of MLA at 233 nM, IPC with MLA during reperfusion periods, then IR. Mitochondria were isolated from the LV free wall, stained for ψM and for size, and examined by Flow Cytometry with a BD LSRFortessa. Controls (C) (n=4) were freshly excised hearts from similar animals with identical anesthesia. Summary of Results IPC increased LV work product (LVDP times HR) as a percent of pre-ischemia (%P) during reperfusion compared to IR control, and this effect was attenuated by MLA pretreatment (IR=24.1±4.5%P, IPC=49.8±2.8%P, IPC+MLA=33.8±3.5%P, p Conclusions Signaling through the a7nAChR is necessary for the effect of IPC on maintaining ψM and cardiac contractile function after IR injury.
Risk-Sharing as a Long-Term Motivation to Franchise: Role of Franchising Experience

This study aimed to examine a long-term motivation for franchising by considering the influence of experience franchisors gain through conducting the franchising strategy. The study mainly investigates the moderating effect of franchising experience on the relationship between three main motivations for franchising (derived from agency theory, resource scarcity theory, and risk-sharing theory) and firms' degree of franchising in the restaurant context. Dynamic panel data model was employed and the findings suggest that not only do restaurant companies' franchising experience positively affect firms' degree of franchising, but also that those experiences positively moderate the relationship between risk-sharing motivation and the degree of franchising. The findings lead to theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for future research.
An open letter to Magic Johnson.

The last installment in this series dealt with post-test counseling of a person whose HIV test was negative. The plan was to provide counseling for an HIV-infected person in this installment. NBA basketball star Magic Johnson's surprise announcement on November 7, 1991, of his infection with HIV has provided an unexpected opportunity to counsel a well-known person through an "open letter."
Sporozoite transmission by Anopheles freeborni and Anopheles gambiae experimentally infected with Plasmodium falciparum

A micro-membrane feeding technique was used to evaluate sporozoite transmission for Anopheles freeborni and An. gambiae experimentally infected with Plasmodium falciparum. From cohorts of infected mosquitoes with equivalent sporozoite loads, 75.9% of 29 An. freeborni transmitted a geometric mean (GM) of 4.9 sporozoites and 80% of 30 An. gambiae transmitted a GM of 11.3 sporozoites. Ingested sporozoites, in the blood meal immediately after feeding, were detected in 86.2% of 29 An. freeborni (GM = 9.0) and in 70% of 30 An. gambiae (GM = 44.1). Overall, sporozoites were transmitted and/or ingested by 90% of both species. Most infective mosquitoes transmitted < 1% of the total sporozoites in the salivary glands, and only up to 30% of the variation in transmission, ingestion, or total sporozoite output was related to sporozoite loads. The demonstration that An. gambiae transmitted more than twice as many sporozoites as An. freeborni is the first indication that vector species of anopheline mosquitoes differ in their innate potential for sporozoite transmission.
Silences and Shadows: The Racial Contract and the Tasks of Critical Race Theory in Political Philosophy

In this essay, I read Charles Mills’ The Racial Contract as inaugurating a larger endeavor at the intersection of political philosophy and critical race theory. I argue that Mills uses the critical construct of the “racial contract” to (1) elaborate a hermeneutics capable of guiding our readings of canonical philosophers and foundational political documents, (2) generate a critique of contemporary philosophy (especially liberalism) for its inability to, and disinterest in, properly treating questions of racial justice, and (3) re-found, or at least gesture toward, new foundations for contractarianism on “heretical” or “radical” ideas of racial egalitarianism. Despite a deep appreciation for Mills’ contributions to critical race theory and Africana philosophy, I express skepticism about this pathway as the best avenue for critical race theory in political philosophy. Firstly, I contend that Mills’ critical race theory involves a hermeneutics of suspicion that relies too heavily on what he calls the “evidence of silence” to make judgments about theorists’ complicity with racial domination. The burdens that this places on his interpretive stratagem become particularly untenable when dealing with contemporary philosophers who not only disavow the explicit racism of much 18th and 19th century philosophy, but who also treat struggles against racial injustice as exemplary of some of their key arguments and ideals. Secondly, I argue that focusing on “silence” and its cognates precludes us from recognizing the ways in which questions of race feature in many philosophical texts, often as a central theme in critical historical examples meant to secure the force of particular arguments through a subtle interplay between argument, exemplarity, narrative, and imagination. Lastly, I conclude by sketching a defense of this alternative interpretive approach emphasizing both its hermeneutic merits and its ability to avoid the pitfalls of contractarianism that Mills’ “subversive” refounding of contract theory remains subject to.
Process Development and Micro-Machining of MARBLE Foam-Cored Rexolite Hemi-Shell Ablator Capsules

Machined CH hemi-shell ablator capsules have been successfully produced by the MST-7 Target Fabrication Team at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Process development and micro-machining techniques ha...
Updates in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Provide an overview of the current understanding of the pediatric rheumatic diseases with a discussion of the pathogenesis, clinical features and criteria for diagnosis. Review the current standards of treatment, including new therapeutic modalities, in the pediatric rheumatic diseases. Review the cytokines and intracellular pathways that are involved in inflammation in autoimmune diseases and discuss the subsequent biologic therapies that have been developed to treat the pediatric rheumatic diseases. Discuss the gastrointestinal microbiome and its potential role in autoimmune diseases. Discuss bone health and Vitamin D in the pediatric rheumatic diseases.
Case Study: Use of statistics to quantify the magnitude of errors in the sorting of pigs for marketing in 3 finishing barns

ABSTRACT The objectives were to use actual data to evaluate methods to quantify the amount of error in the estimation of BW for market pigs and its effect on several statistics including the SD in carcass weight (CW). Data from 3 wean to finish barns were obtained that included slaughter dates, CW, sort loss, date ractopamine feeding was initiated, and birth dates. Pigs were sold in 3 marketing cuts (MCUT) with multiple marketing days for each MCUT. The BW of each pig was estimated from CW. The BW data were fitted to a generalized Michaelis-Menten equation with the values for K and C fixed at 191.5 d and 2.221, respectively. The BW for each pig at each marketing day was estimated using the generalized Michaelis-Menten equation including the random effect of each pig. Three marketing error rates for BW were evaluated: with no error and actual and random sorting. Statistics were calculated including mean and SD for BW and CW, sort loss, and percentage of pigs sold correctly, for each MCUT. The barn means for CW were 95.7, 100.9, and 91.2 and SD of 7.6, 8.8, and 7.4 kg. With no error, the estimated means were 95.5, 100.7, and 91.0 kg with SD of 4.6, 4.6, and 4.3 kg. Percentages of pigs sold correctly for the first 2 MCUT were 56, 48, and 52%, and differences in sort loss (estimated versus actual $/pig) were 1.22, 5.74, and 0.56 for each barn. The accuracy in which pigs were sorted for market can be evaluated from currently available data.
Wavelet-Based Compression

This chapter introduces the concept of wavelets and describes how to use wavelet-based decompositions in compression schemes. Wavelets are being used in a number of different applications. Depending on the application, different aspects of wavelets can be emphasized. The practical implementation of wavelet compression schemes is very similar to that of subband coding schemes. As in the case of subband coding, one decomposes the signal (analysis) using filter banks. The outputs of the filter banks are down sampled, quantized, and encoded. The decoder decodes the coded representations, up samples, and recomposes the signal using a synthesis filter bank. One of the most popular applications of wavelets has been to image compression. The joint photographic experts group (JPEG) 2000 standard is designed to update and replace the current JPEG standard; one can use wavelets instead of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) to perform decomposition of the image.
Interplay Between IL-1, IL-6 and IL-17 in IL-1 Receptor Antagonist (IL-1Ra) Treated Multiple Myeloma Patients

Abstract Abstract 1874 In early stage myeloma, IL-6 is a central myeloma growth factor and we have shown that abnormal production of IL-1 in the myeloma microenvironment stimulates the generation of IL-6 in a paracrine fashion. IL-1 has also been shown to be a crucial factor in the induction of IL-17 producing T-cells in vivo. IL-1Ra is a specific blocker of IL-1 activity. We have previously reported on a Phase II trial using IL-1Ra and dexamethasone, in patients with smoldering/indolent MM (SMM/IMM), showing that IL-1Ra targets the myeloma proliferative component which parallels a decrease in the C-reactive protein (CRP), a surrogate for IL-6 production. These patients are the individuals most likely to benefit from anti-cytokine therapy in an attempt to delay/prevent the development of active myeloma. Patients that had > 10% bone marrow plasma cells and/or an IgG or IgA M-spike > 3 g/dL and did not require immediate chemotherapy were eligible. All patients received 100 mg of Anakinra (IL-1Ra) SQ qd for 6 months. Patients with evidence of reduction in M-protein levels continued receiving IL-1Ra alone. Patients with stable disease at 6 months or those with a rising M-protein before 6 months received low dose dexamethasone (20 mg qweek) in addition; the dose was adjusted based on response/toxicity. Data were available on 47 patients based on intent to treat, and patients were classified as smoldering (72%) vs. indolent (28%). All 47 patients received IL-1Ra initially and 25/47 subsequently received IL-1Ra/Dex. Myeloma cell growth rate (PCLI), C-reactive protein (an in vivo marker of IL-6 levels) and IL-17 were measured in patients on trial. Seven patients had a decrease in the plasma cell labeling index (PCLI) on IL-1Ra alone which paralleled a decrease in the C-reactive protein in all cases. Three patients achieved a minor response to IL-1Ra alone and 9 patients achieved a PR/MR after addition of dexamethasone. When patients were grouped into whether they exhibited a reduction in the C-reactive protein from baseline after 6 months of therapy, the median PFS for patients without (21 patients) or with (26 patients) a greater than one-third reduction in baseline CRP was 1 year vs more than 8 years (p 10 pg/ml versus 60% of those without a CRP decrease. Although not statistically significant do to the small sample size, the median PFS in the IL-17 10 pg/ml group. In conclusion, the above results suggest that agents such as IL-1Ra that specifically inhibit IL-1 induced paracrine IL-6 production are effective at targeting the proliferative myeloma component and warrant further investigation in combination with standard myeloma therapies. Elevated IL-17 levels may suggest that the inflammatory process is too far advanced in some individuals to respond to IL-1 blockade. Biomarkers such as CRP and IL-17 may be useful to predict those patients that are most likely to benefit from IL-1 treatment. Disclosures: Off Label Use: IL-1Ra in myeloma.
Endocrinology of Male Infertility

Understanding reproductive physiology is pivotal in the evaluation and therapy of endocrine abnormalities. Although an endocrinological cause of male infertility is uncommon (less than 2%) (1) identification is important, as specific hormonal therapy is often successful. The human testis is an organ of dual function: spermatogenesis, occuring in the seminiferous tubules, and secretion of steroid hormones (androgens) by the Leydig cells, present in the interstitial tissue. These testicular functions are intimately related, because testosterone synthesis is required not only for sperm production, but also for the development of secondary sexual characteristics and normal sexual behavior. The anterior pituitary controls both these functions through the secretion of gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In turn, the anterior pituitary is regulated by the hypothalamic secretion of gonadotropinreleasing hormone (GnRH). The extrahypothalamic central nervous system then influences the hypothalamus. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis consists of a closed-loop feedback control mechanism directed at maintaining normal reproductive function (Fig. 1) (2–5). Open image in new window Fig. 1. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. LH, luteinizing hormone; FSH, follicle stimulating hormone; T, testosterone; DHT, dihydrotestosterone; E2, estradiol; GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone; PR, prolactin; +, positive influence; −, negative influence.
GaSb-based single-mode distributed feedback lasers for sensing (Conference Presentation)

GaSb-based tunable single-mode diode lasers can enable rapid, highly-selective and highly-sensitive absorption spectroscopy systems for gas sensing. In this work, single-mode distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes were developed for the detection of various trace gases in the 2-3.3um range, including CO2, CO, HF, H2S, H2O and CH4. The lasers were fabricated using an index-coupled grating process without epitaxial regrowth, making the process significantly less expensive than conventional DFB fabrication. The devices are based on InGaAsSb/AlGaAsSb separate confinement heterostructures grown on GaSb by molecular beam epitaxy. DFB lasers were produced using a two step etch process. Narrow ridge waveguides were first defined by optical lithography and etched into the semiconductor. Lateral gratings were then defined on both sides of the ridge using electron-beam lithography and etched to produce the index-grating. Effective index modeling was used to optimize the ridge width, etch depths and the grating pitch to ensure single-lateral-mode operation and adequate coupling strength. The effective index method was further used to simulate the DFB laser emission spectrum, based on a transfer matrix model for light transmission through the periodic structure. The fabricated lasers exhibit single-mode operation which is tunable through the absorption features of the various target gases by adjustment of the drive current. In addition to the established open-path sensing applications, these devices have great potential for optoelectronic integrated gas sensors, making use of integrated photodetectors and possibly on-chip Si photonics waveguide structures.
Health Information Literacy as a Tool for Addressing Adolescent Behaviors, Knowledge, Skills, and Academic Trajectories

Health education and information outreach programs, implemented through in-school and afterschool settings, can positively impact adolescent functioning at a variety of levels. This chapter reviews research connecting health knowledge to health behavior and outcomes, while claiming that personal health is only one desirable outcome of health education. Viewing health as situated in a community context and largely determined by social and cultural factors, the chapter discusses the impact of scientifically sound, socially oriented health education on leadership, informed citizenship, community advocacy, and career interests. It also addresses the role of technology and health informatics in delivering effective health education by providing quality content as well as tools for adolescents’ creative endeavors. Finally, the chapter reviews four broad-impact health information projects at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) targeting adolescents in primarily minority, low-income communities.
New method for motion planning for non-holonomic systems using partial differential equations

We present in this paper a novel approach to the long-standing problem of motion planning for non-holonomic systems. Our method is built upon a parabolic partial differential equation that arises in the study of Riemannian manifold. We show how it can be brought to bear to provide a solution to a non-holonomic motion planning problem. We illustrate the method on canonical examples, namely the unicycle, the non-holonomic integrator, and the parallel parking task for a non-holonomic car model. We also brie#y address computational issues pertinent to solving this particular partial differential equation, and point out the existence of fast algorithms and the fact that the problem is easily parallelizable.
Distant Emotion Recognition

Distant emotion recognition (DER) extends the application of speech emotion recognition to the very challenging situation that is determined by variable speaker to microphone distances. The performance of conventional emotion recognition systems degrades dramatically as soon as the microphone is moved away from the mouth of the speaker. This is due to a broad variety of effects such as background noise, feature distortion with distance, overlapping speech from other speakers, and reverberation. This paper presents a novel solution for DER, addressing the key challenges by identification and deletion of features from consideration which are significantly distorted by distance, creating a novel, called Emo2vec, feature modeling and overlapping speech filtering technique, and the use of an LSTM classifier to capture the temporal dynamics of speech states found in emotions. A comprehensive evaluation is conducted on two acted datasets (with artificially generated distance effect) as well as on a new emotional dataset of spontaneous family discussions with audio recorded from multiple microphones placed in different distances. Our solution achieves an average 91.6%, 90.1% and 89.5% accuracy for emotion happy, angry and sad, respectively, across various distances which is more than a 16% increase on average in accuracy compared to the best baseline method.
Groundwater Connectivity of Upland-Embedded Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region

Groundwater connections from upland-embedded wetlands to downstream waterbodies remain poorly understood. In principle, water from upland-embedded wetlands situated high in a landscape should flow via groundwater to waterbodies situated lower in the landscape. However, the degree of groundwater connectivity varies across systems due to factors such as geologic setting, hydrologic conditions, and topography. We use numerical models to evaluate the conditions suitable for groundwater connectivity between upland-embedded wetlands and downstream waterbodies in the prairie pothole region of North Dakota (USA). Results show groundwater connectivity between upland-embedded wetlands and other waterbodies is restricted when these wetlands are surrounded by a mounding water table. However, connectivity exists among adjacent upland-embedded wetlands where water–table mounds do not form. In addition, the presence of sand layers greatly facilitates groundwater connectivity of upland-embedded wetlands. Anisotropy can facilitate connectivity via groundwater flow, but only if it becomes unrealistically large. These findings help consolidate previously divergent views on the significance of local and regional groundwater flow in the prairie pothole region.
Critical-mode-based soft-switching modulation for three-phase inverters

In this paper, a new critical-conduction-mode (CRM)-based modulation is proposed for three-phase inverters. With this modulation, soft switching is achieved and the efficiency of the inverter is improved, especially for high frequency operation with SiC MOSFET. In three-phase string PV inverter applications, by operating at switching frequency above 300 kHz, power density of the inverter is estimated to be at least three times higher than commercial products, while peak efficiency is estimated to be about 99%. Good performance of this proposed modulation is verified with simulation analysis. The results are also experimentally verified on a 25 kW SiC-based three-phase inverter prototype with 80W/in3 power density, and 98.9% peak efficiency is achieved with non-interleaved operation.
Communication Roles, Perceived Effectiveness, and Satisfaction in an Environmental Management Program

Earlier research has shown a relationship between various forms of structural centrality and perceived leadership and role satisfaction in small experimental groups. The limited amount of research on this topic in naturally occurring social networks has yielded results that often conflict with one another. Different results have generally been attributed to possible differences in task environments. This paper examines the relationship between two types of structural centrality and perceived influence, role satisfaction, and perceived effectiveness in an environmental resource management program. Findings in this paper suggest that the observed differences in relationships between the network and other variables is partly a function of global network properties (e.g., marginality of subgroups) and related task environments.
The Up operator of Atkin on modular functions of level 2 with growth conditions

Let p be an odd prime, p ≠ 3, and let g be the polynomial defined by $$ ( - 1)^{{{(p - 1)} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{(p - 1)} 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} g(\lambda ) = \sum\limits_{j = 0}^{{{(p - 1)} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{(p - 1)} 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} {({{(\frac{1} {2})_j } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{(\frac{1} {2})_j } {j!}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {j!}})^2 } \lambda ^j $$ (1) so that g(λ) is the standard formula for the Hasse invariant of the elliptic curve $$ Y^2 = X(X - 1)(X - \lambda ). $$ (2) We shall follow in general the notation of our article [3]. In terms of q-expansions, Atkin [1] has defined the transformation $$ U_p :\sum a_m q^m \to \sum a_{mp} q^m $$ but without the imposition of growth conditions one may construct eigenvectors with quite arbitrary eigenvalues; indeed formally, for any field element γ, $$ \theta _j = \sum\limits_{S = 0}^\infty {\gamma ^S q^{p^S } } $$ is trivially eigenvector for eigenvalue γ. Thus to obtain an interesting theory we impose the restriction that Up be applied to functions satisfying certain growth conditions. To explain these conditions for each pair of positive real numbers b1,b2, let L(b1,b2) be the space of all functions holomorphic and bounded on the set M\( M_{b_1 ,b_2 } \) consisting of all λ such that $$ \begin{gathered} b_1 > ord g(\lambda ) \hfill \\ b_2 > Max(ord \lambda , ord(1 - \lambda ), ord \lambda ^{ - 1} ). \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ (3)
Divergent Indicator Bacteria Standards and Criteria for Water Quality Related to Public Health

Bacterial indicators of water quality have been developed over previous decades as tools to be used in decision-making processes for the protection of public health. These indicators serve the purpose of relating the degree of risk that a particular body of water holds regarding human contact, to the ingestion of the water or consumption of food species taken from the water. For the most part, they only suggest that pathogenic organisms may be present. In total, all of these can be considered “aquatic toxicants as biodeteriogens affecting human health.” If present in high numbers the water may be judged to be unfit for its designated use. Nevertheless, no indicator group in use today can yield information with absolute certainty as to the sanitary quality of the water. To complicate matters further, there are several criteria and/or standards for assessing fresh water and marine water quality, depending on specific preestablished uses.
The Dynamics of Scientific Knowledge

The body of scientific knowledge changes all the time. Sometimes the changes are incremental, whereas other times the changes are fundamental. What is the structure of scientific knowledge as a whole? How does it evolve over time? Are there telltale signs when revolutionary changes take place? We set the stage for a broad range and critical review of how these issues have been addressed in the past and how information and computational approaches may help.
Design of a translating field-reversed configuration reactor

A compact fusion reactor design with magnetic confinement based on a field-reversed configuration is described. The reactor is linear and operates in a pulsed mode where the plasma moves as a translating ''plasmoid'' through the burn chamber. The plasma physics model incorporates recent theoretical and experimental results on confinement. The design is compact and its power output is limited by first-wall and blanket technology. A helium-cooled solid breeder blanket is used for tritium breeding and thermal energy removal. A graphite thermal shield is included to reduce the energy generation and resulting first-wall stresses during pulsed operation. These studies indicate that attractive designs in the range of 300 to 1000 MW(electric) are possible, provided that currently understood scaling laws extrapolate favorably into the reactor regime. Multidimensional neutronics analysis indicates tritium breeding ratios >1.0.
A novel MFN2 mutation causes variable clinical severity in a multi-generational CMT2 family.

Abstract Dominant mutations in MFN2 cause a range of phenotypes, including severe, early-onset axonal neuropathy, “classical CMT2”, and late-onset axonal neuropathy. We found a novel MFN2 mutation - c.283A>G (p.Arg95Gly) - that results in an axonal neuropathy with variable clinical severity in a multigenerational family. In affected family members, electromyography showed moderate to severe, chronic denervation in distal muscles. Such variable clinical severity highlights the need to do careful assessments of at risk individuals when assessing MFN2 variants.
The smallest chimera: Periodicity and chaos in a pair of coupled chemical oscillators

Symmetrically coupled identical oscillators were once believed to support only totally synchronous or totally asynchronous states. More recently, chimera states, in which a subset of oscillators behaves coherently while the other subset exhibits disorder, have been found in large arrays of oscillators, coupled either locally or globally. We demonstrate for the first time the existence of a chimera state with only two diffusively coupled identical oscillators, one behaving nearly periodically (coherently) and the other chaotically (incoherently). We attribute this behavior to a "master-slave" interaction, which arises via a symmetry-breaking canard explosion.
How large are temporal representativeness errors in paleoclimatology

Abstract. Ongoing work in paleoclimate reconstruction prioritizes understanding the origins and magnitudes of errors that arise when comparing models and data. One class of such errors arises from assumptions of proxy temporal representativeness (TR), i.e., how accurately proxy measurements represent climate variables at particular times and time intervals. Here we consider effects arising when (1) the time interval over which the data average and the climate interval of interest have different durations, (2) those intervals are offset from one another in time (including when those offsets are unknown due to chronological uncertainty), and (3) the paleoclimate archive has been smoothed in time prior to sampling. Because all proxy measurements are time averages of one sort or another and it is challenging to tailor proxy measurements to precise time intervals, such errors are expected to be common in model–data and data–data comparisons, but how large and prevalent they are is unclear. This work provides a 1st-order quantification of temporal representativity errors and studies the interacting effects of sampling procedures, archive smoothing, chronological offsets and errors (e.g., arising from radiocarbon dating), and the spectral character of the climate process being sampled. Experiments with paleoclimate observations and synthetic time series reveal that TR errors can be large relative to paleoclimate signals of interest, particularly when the time duration sampled by observations is very large or small relative to the target time duration. Archive smoothing can reduce sampling errors by acting as an anti-aliasing filter but destroys high-frequency climate information. The contribution from stochastic chronological errors is qualitatively similar to that when an observation has a fixed time offset from the target. An extension of the approach to paleoclimate time series, which are sequences of time-average values, shows that measurement intervals shorter than the spacing between samples lead to errors, absent compensating effects from archive smoothing. Nonstationarity in time series, sampling procedures, and archive smoothing can lead to changes in TR errors in time. Including these sources of uncertainty will improve accuracy in model–data comparisons and data comparisons and syntheses. Moreover, because sampling procedures emerge as important parameters in uncertainty quantification, reporting salient information about how records are processed and assessments of archive smoothing and chronological uncertainties alongside published data is important to be able to use records to their maximum potential in paleoclimate reconstruction and data assimilation.
Optical coherence tomography guided artery-vein classification in retinal OCT angiography of macular region

Differential artery-vein analysis is valuable for early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and other eye diseases. As a new optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging modality, emerging OCT angiography (OCTA) provides capillary level resolution for accurate examination of retinal vasculatures. However, differential artery-vein analysis in OCTA, particularly for macular region in which blood vessels are small, is challenging. In coordination with an automatic vessel tracking algorithm, we report here the feasibility of using near infrared OCT oximetry to guide artery-vein classification in OCTA of macular region.
Truthful Data Quality Elicitation for Quality-Aware Data Crowdsourcing

Data crowdsourcing has found a broad range of applications (e.g., environmental monitoring and image classification) by leveraging the “wisdom” of a potentially large crowd of “workers” (e.g., mobile users). A key metric of crowdsourcing is data accuracy, which relies on the quality of the participating workers’ data (e.g., the probability that the data are equal to the ground truth). However, the data quality of a worker can be its own private information (which the worker learns, e.g., based on its location) that it may have incentive to misreport, which can, in turn, mislead the crowdsourcing requester about the accuracy of the data. This issue is further complicated by the fact that the worker can also manipulate its effort made in the crowdsourcing task and the data reported to the requester, which can also mislead the requester. In this paper, we devise truthful crowdsourcing mechanisms for quality, effort, and data elicitation (QEDE) , which incentivize strategic workers to truthfully report their private worker quality and data to the requester, and make truthful effort as desired by the requester. The truthful design of the QEDE mechanisms overcomes the lack of ground truth and the coupling in the joint elicitation of the worker quality, effort, and data. Under the QEDE mechanisms, we characterize the socially optimal and the requester's optimal (RO) task assignments, and analyze their performance. We show that the RO assignment is determined by the largest “virtual quality” rather than the highest quality among workers, which depends on the worker's quality and the quality's distribution. We evaluate the QEDE mechanisms using simulations that demonstrate the truthfulness of the mechanisms and the performance of the optimal task assignments.
HIV infection and age effects on striatal structure are additive

The age of the HIV-infected population is increasing. Although many studies document gray matter volume (GMV) changes following HIV infection, GMV also declines with age. Findings have been inconsistent concerning interactions between HIV infection and age on brain structure. Effects of age, substance use, and inadequate viral suppression may confound identification of GMV serostatus effects using quantitative structural measures. In a cross-sectional study of HIV infection, including 97 seropositive and 84 seronegative, demographically matched participants, ages 30–70, we examined serostatus and age effects on GMV and neuropsychological measures. Ninety-eight percent of seropositive participants were currently treated with anti-retroviral therapies and all were virally suppressed. Gray, white, and CSF volumes were estimated using high-resolution T1-weighted MRI. Linear regression modeled effects of serostatus, age, education, comorbidities, and magnetic field strength on brain structure, using both a priori regions and voxel-based morphometry. Although seropositive participants exhibited significant bilateral decreases in striatal GMV, no serostatus effects were detected in the thalamus, hippocampus, or cerebellum. Age was associated with cortical, striatal, thalamic, hippocampal, and cerebellar GMV reductions. Effects of age and serostatus on striatal GMV were additive. Although no main effects of serostatus on neuropsychological performance were observed, serostatus moderated the relationship between pegboard performance and striatal volume. Both HIV infection and age were associated with reduced striatal volume. The lack of interaction of these two predictors suggests that HIV infection is associated with premature, but not accelerated, brain age. In serostatus groups matched on demographic and clinical variables, there were no observed differences in neuropsychological performance. Striatal GMV measures may be promising biomarker for use in studies of treated HIV infection.
Microstructural defects in γ-Fe2O3 particles

The microstructure of three different types of γ-Fe 2 O 3 particles were examined using transmission electron microscopy. These included pure γ-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 that had been surface modified using Co, and γ-Fe 2 O 3 that had been doped with Co. The major internal microstructural defects found in the particles in all of the samples were pores and antiphase boundaries. Some particles also had a very high density of dislocations and low-angle boundaries. In general, the particles could be described as single crystals with symmetric cross section. The structure is based on a tetragonal unit cell, and each particle is divided into antiphase domains in which the c axis is oriented at 90°with respect to adjoining domains. The particles often exhibited very irregular shapes. No effect of Co modification was seen on the internal or surface structure of the particles. The Co-doped particles were found to be smaller in size and contained a lower density of internal defects. The effect of the microstructural defects and morphological irregularities in these particles on magnetic behavior is discussed.
Radiogenomics of breast cancer using dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and gene expression profiling.

Imaging techniques can provide information about the tumor non-invasively and have been shown to provide information about the underlying genetic makeup. Correlating image-based phenotypes (radiomics) with genomic analyses is an emerging area of research commonly referred to as “radiogenomics” or “imaging-genomics”. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential for using an automated, quantitative radiomics platform on magnetic resonance (MR) breast imaging for inferring underlying activity of clinically relevant gene pathways derived from RNA sequencing of invasive breast cancers prior to therapy. We performed quantitative radiomic analysis on 47 invasive breast cancers based on dynamic contrast enhanced 3 Tesla MR images acquired before surgery and obtained gene expression data by performing total RNA sequencing on corresponding fresh frozen tissue samples. We used gene set enrichment analysis to identify significant associations between the 186 gene pathways and the 38 image-based features that have previously been validated. All radiomic size features were positively associated with multiple replication and proliferation pathways and were negatively associated with the apoptosis pathway. Gene pathways related to immune system regulation and extracellular signaling had the highest number of significant radiomic feature associations, with an average of 18.9 and 16 features per pathway, respectively. Tumors with upregulation of immune signaling pathways such as T-cell receptor signaling and chemokine signaling as well as extracellular signaling pathways such as cell adhesion molecule and cytokine-cytokine interactions were smaller, more spherical, and had a more heterogeneous texture upon contrast enhancement. Tumors with higher expression levels of JAK/STAT and VEGF pathways had more intratumor heterogeneity in image enhancement texture. Other pathways with robust associations to image-based features include metabolic and catabolic pathways. We provide further evidence that MR imaging of breast tumors can infer underlying gene expression by using RNA sequencing. Size and shape features were appropriately correlated with proliferative and apoptotic pathways. Given the high number of radiomic feature associations with immune pathways, our results raise the possibility of using MR imaging to distinguish tumors that are more immunologically active, although further studies are necessary to confirm this observation.
A novel rat model of foreign body osteomyelitis for evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy

The most common organism-type causing orthopedic foreign body infection is the staphylococci, of which Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are especially common. These organisms form biofilms on orthopedic foreign body surfaces, rendering such infections challenging and time consuming to treat. Our group evaluates novel therapeutics for orthopedic foreign body infection in animal models. A current limitation of most animal models is that that they only allow for the removal of one sample per animal, at the time of sacrifice. Herein, we describe a novel rat model of foreign body osteomyelitis that allows removal of foreign bodies at different time points, from the same infected animal. We demonstrate that this model can be used for both S. aureus and S. epidermidis orthopedic foreign body infection, with 3.56, 3.60 and 5.51 log10 cfu/cm2 S. aureus recovered at four, five and six weeks, respectively, after infection, and 2.08, 2.17 and 2.62 log10 cfu/cm2 S. epidermidis recovered at four, five and six weeks, respectively, after infection We evaluated the model with S. aureus infection treated with rifampin 25 mg/kg twice daily for 21 days. Using quantitative cultures, we were no longer able to detect bacteria as of the 14th day of treatment with bacteria becoming detectable again 7 days following die discontinuation of rifampin a period. This novel model allows monitoring of evolution of infection at the infection site in the same animal.
Beams, Bones and Giants

During the second day of Galileo’s Dialogues, Salviati, Sagredo and Simplicio discussed how successfully a solid beam, which is projecting horizontally from a wall, can withstand a transverse force applied to its far end. Although this transverse force may be caused by an external agent, such as a weight suspended from the beam, there is always a transverse force caused by the weight of the beam itself. With this in mind, Salviati demonstrated that as the scale of such a beam increases, its tendency to fracture under its own weight increases, too. This is because the ability of the beam to support itself does not increase at the same rate as the breaking moment caused by its own weight. The subsequent discussion, presented below, picks up at this point.
Experimental investigation and modeling of moving bed to moving dunes transition

Abstract Solid particles are encountered in oil and gas pipelines when producing from unconsolidated reservoirs. Solid accumulation can lead to increase in pressure loss, erosion, corrosion, production decline etc. The stratified flow regime is most vulnerable to particle deposition, owing to low phase velocities that occur in this regime. Various sand flow regimes may occur, whereby particles can stop moving and accumulate along the pipe either as stationary dunes or a stationary bed. The objective of this paper is to investigate experimentally and theoretically the transition boundary between two of the regimes, namely, concentrate solid flow (moving bed) and moving dunes. Experimental data were acquired in a 10 cm (4 in.) ID pipe, using air and water. Spherical glass beads with specific gravity of 2.65, 45–90 μm and 125–250 μm in diameter, at concentration up to 10,000 PPM, were utilized. Acquired data include the effect of superficial velocities, particle size and particle concentration on the different sand flow regimes, including the moving bed and the moving dunes. The acquired data showed that the transition between the moving dunes and the moving bed is strongly dependent on the above mentioned parameters. A mechanistic model was developed for the prediction of the transition between the moving dunes and the moving bed, based on a rolling mechanism for particles located between two sand piles. When the particles rolled up on a pile, transition to the separated moving dunes occurred, otherwise, the moving bed was formed along the pipe. Comparison between the acquired data and the model predictions showed a discrepancy of 15%.
2035 – AGE-RELATED DOWNREGULATION OF LMNA IMPACTS HUMAN HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL FUNCTION

Hematopoietic stem cells, essential for the production of blood cells, decline in function with aging. Among these changes with aging are increased frequency of mutations in epigenetic modifiers. We analyzed the epigenetic landscape of Lineage-CD34+CD38- human HSC-enriched fraction (HSCe) from young (18-30 years), middle-aged (45-55 years), and aged (65-75 years) individuals by comparing changes in gene expression by RNA sequencing and histone marks (H3K4me3, H3K4me1, H3K27ac, H3K27me3) by ChIP sequencing. Integrative analysis of the histone profiles by k-means clustering identified 12 clusters of genes defined by their specific pattern of age-associated epigenetic changes, which were accompanied by changes in gene expression affecting 1,133 genes between young and aged HSCe. The LMNA gene, which encodes the nuclear lamina protein Lamin A/C, was one of the most downregulated genes with aging (7.9-fold, p=1.9 × 10−13). This downregulation was mediated by loss of active histone marks H3K4me3 at the LMNA gene promoter, as well as loss of H3K27ac at two putative enhancer regions. ShRNA-mediated knockdown of LMNA in young, CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) resulted in an increase in myeloid colony formation (n=7 biological replicates with an average of 33% in total colony increase), consistent with the aging phenotype. Moreover, knockdown of LMNA in CD34+ cells impaired myeloid differentiation in liquid culture as determined by persistence of CD34 expression (n=5, p≤0.0001) with a delay in CD11b expression (n=5, p≤0.05). Initial results by STORM super resolution imaging show loss of LMNA leads to enlarged nuclear size and changes in chromatin localization. In conclusion, loss of LMNA recapitulates features of HSC aging, and restoring LMNA levels may be important for restoring normal function in aged HSCs.
Factors Associated with Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Objective To identify factors associated with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Study design We identified 151 patients with moderate to severe BPD from 2010 to 2014 with complete Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) scores at 24 months corrected age. We defined NDI as any diagnosis of cerebral palsy or ≥1 BSID composite scores of Results The mean corrected age at BSID was 23 ± 1 months; 18% had a cognitive score of Conclusions In our cohort of patients with moderate to severe BPD, the majority had no NDI, and low birth weight and length of hospital stay were associated with increased risk of developing NDI. This finding suggests that there are potentially modifiable factors associated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes in patients with BPD that deserve further study.