cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shadow WIM: a multi-touch, dynamic world-in-miniature interface for exploring biomedical data

Advances in high-performance (supercomputer) simulations are revolutionizing biomedical research. Figure 1 shows a visualiazation of data from a cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of blood flow through a replacement heart valve. Our collaborators in medical device design hope to use these data as part of a new approach to redesigning the valve hinging mechanism, ultimately improving the longevity of these devices. Biomedical engineers face significant challenges in exploring and understanding these data.
Anticancer activity of purine antagonists and their ribosides. I. Comparative studies with 6-mercaptopurine and 6-mercaptopurine riboside.

Summary(1) 6-Mercaptopurine riboside has been assayed for inhibitory activity against Adenocarcinoma 755 in mice and has been found to be of approximately the same activity as 6-mercaptopurine. (2) Lines of S. faecalis resistant to 6-mercaptopurine have been found to be cross-resistant to 6-mercaptopurine riboside. (3) A line of Adenocarcinoma 755 selected for resistance to 6-mercaptopurine showed cross-resistance to 6-mercaptopurine riboside.
Research about Beijing's Valley Regional Industry Development Strategy

Valley region is an important carrier mountainous areas economic growth.Valley regional economic has a great significance to urban and rural economic development.Industrial structure adjustment and optimization is the domain core of the valley regional economic construction.Using methods of SWOT qualitative and quantitative,it fully analyzes the internal and external key factors of valley industrial development and describes the communication valley industry competitive situation and market position.Finally,generalize tactics strategy and propose industry selection and strategic measures of valleys.
Do beta-blockers prolong survival in chronic heart failure? A review of the experimental and clinical evidence.

The results of both experimental studies and clinical trials indicate that prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system can adversely affect the course of heart failure, and that this deleterious effect can be attenuated with the use of beta-blocking agents. Studies with beta-1 selective agents such as metoprolol and bisoprolol, have demonstrated that beta-blockers can reduce the risk of worsening heart failure but have shown little or equivocal effect on survival. In contrast, recent trials with non-selective vasodilating beta-blockers (i.e. carvedilol) have reported a reduction in the risk of both death and hospitalization. It is uncertain, however, whether these survival effects represent a class effect of beta-blockers or a specific effect of carvedilol. Carvedilol antagonizes several biological mechanisms (not blocked by metoprolol or bisoprolol) that may be important in mediating the progression of heart failure. In three meta-analyses, the survival effects of non-selective vasodilating beta-blockers (primarily carvedilol) were greater than those of beta-1 selective non-vasodilating beta-blockers. A clear answer to the question as to whether mortality reduction is a class effect of beta-blockers will be provided by several large-scale survival trials, which are currently in progress.
Recent advances in the understanding of how neuropeptide Y and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone function in adipose physiology

Communication between the brain and the adipose tissue has been the focus of many studies in recent years, with the "brain-fat axis" identified as a system that orchestrates the assimilation and usage of energy to maintain body mass and adequate fat stores. It is now well-known that appetite-regulating peptides that were studied as neurotransmitters in the central nervous system can act both on the hypothalamus to regulate feeding behavior and also on the adipose tissue to modulate the storage of energy. Energy balance is thus partly controlled by factors that can alter both energy intake and storage/expenditure. Two such factors involved in these processes are neuropeptide Y (NPY) and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH). NPY, an orexigenic factor, is associated with promoting adipogenesis in both mammals and chickens, while α-MSH, an anorexigenic factor, stimulates lipolysis in rodents. There is also evidence of interaction between the 2 peptides. This review aims to summarize recent advances in the study of NPY and α-MSH regarding their role in adipose tissue physiology, with an emphasis on the cellular and molecular mechanisms. A greater understanding of the brain-fat axis and regulation of adiposity by bioactive peptides may provide insights on strategies to prevent or treat obesity and also enhance nutrient utilization efficiency in agriculturally-important species.
Rate dependence, polarization, and light sensitivity of neutron-irradiated scCVD diamond sensors

Abstract We study the dependence of the charge-collection-efficiency, or CCE, on the rate of charged particles impinging on neutron-irradiated single-crystal Chemical-Vapor-Deposition (scCVD) diamond sensors. These effects are not observed in un-irradiated high quality scCVD sensors. The rate dependence appears to be associated with the build-up of an electric field opposing the applied charge-collection field in the sensor. We find that exposure of the detector to red or near-IR light reverses this effect on the CCE during operation.
Histopathological Insights Into Choroidal Vascular Loss in Clinically Documented Cases of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Importance Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease with genetic and environmental factors contributing to risk. Histopathologic changes underlying AMD are not fully understood, particularly the relationship between choriocapillaris (CC) dysfunction and phenotypic variability of this disease. Objective To examine histopathologic changes in the CC of eyes with clinically documented AMD. Design, Setting, and Participants The study was designed in 2011. Tissues were collected post mortem (2012-2016), and histopathological images were obtained from participants enrolled in AMD studies since 1988. Clinical records and images were collected from participants as standard protocol. Eyes without AMD (n = 4) and eyes with early (n = 9), intermediate (n = 5), and advanced stages of AMD (geographic atrophy, n = 5; neovascular disease, n = 13) were evaluated. Choroidal vasculature was labeled using Ulex europaeus agglutinin lectin and examined using confocal microscopy. Main Outcomes and Measures A standardized classification system was applied to determine AMD stage. Ocular records and images were reviewed and histopathologic analyses performed. Viability of the choroidal vasculature was analyzed for each AMD stage. Results All participants were white. Fourteen were male, and 16 were female. The mean age was 90.5 years among AMD patients and 88.5 years among control participants. Submacular CC dropout without retinal pigment eipthelial (RPE) loss was observed in all cases with early stages of AMD. Higher vascular area loss for each AMD stage was observed compared with control participants: 20.5% in early AMD (95% CI, 11.2%-40.2%; P P = .01), 39.0% loss in GA (95% CI, 32.1%-45.4%; P P Conclusions and Relevance Retinal pigment epithelial atrophy preceded CC loss in geographic atrophy, but CC loss occurred in the absence of RPE atrophy in 2 of 9 eyes with early-stage AMD. Given the cross-sectional nature of this study and the small number of eyes evaluated, definitive conclusions regarding this progression cannot be determined with certainty. We speculate that neovascular buds may be a precursor to neovascular disease. Hypoxic RPE resulting from reduced blood supply might upregulate production of vascular endothelial growth factor, providing the stimulus for neovascular disease.
ETO light multilevel inverter for STATCOM

This paper presents a 10 MVA multilevel inverter for the application of static synchronous compensator (STATCOM). Emitter turn-off (ETO) thyristors are used as active switching devices in the inverter. The cascade multilevel inverter is based on ETO light H-bridge building block (HBBB). The technology innovations of ETO simplify the HBBB construction. Air-cooled heat pipes also decrease the cost and increase the reliability. Large turn-off SOA and self-power of ETO, modular design and multi-layer protection fatherly enhance the reliability. The optimal combination modulation strategy is used to optimize the tradeoff between switching frequencies and harmonic constraints. Finally, the paper presents the complete control strategy, including the new control for balancing individual dc capacitor voltages, and multi-layer protection as well. Experimental results are given to verify the performance.
The Clinical Educator Track for Medical Students and Residents

Every physician must be equipped with the skills requisite to that of an educator. The physician’s ability to teach effectively and communicate information to others is tested constantly through numerous interactions with patients, medical students, residents, and fellow practitioners, usually under a variety of circumstances. This role as “teacher” ironically begins as a student in one’s clinical years of medical school and continues to develop further during one’s postgraduate training. Such an integral skill set, however, is not innate; rather, it must be learned and frequently improved upon. It is clear that competency in education or the ability to educate others effectively should be incorporated into any physician-training program. While the benefits of resident-as-teacher and educator mentoring programs have been well documented, the utilization of a simulation education program as the site for the development of faculty and medical educators has not been explored. This chapter will review the history and literature on resident and medical student educator mentoring, citing the benefits, differing modes of implementation, and integration of models for adult learning while identifying the role for simulation in regard to the mentoring of medical educators.
Plantarflexor passive-elastic properties related to BMI and walking performance in older women.

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of BMI on the passive-elastic properties of the ankle plantarflexors in older women. Twenty-three women, 65–80 yr, were separated into normal weight (NW, BMI < 25.0 kg m−2, n = 11) and overweight-obese (OW, BMI ≥ 25.0 kg m−2, n = 12) groups. Resistive torque of the ankle plantarflexors was recorded on an isokinetic dynamometer by passively moving the ankle into dorsiflexion. Stiffness, work absorption, and hysteresis were calculated across an ankle dorsiflexion angle of 10–15°. Maximal plantarflexor strength was assessed, then participants walked at maximal speed on an instrumented gait analysis treadmill while muscle activation (EMG) was recorded. Plantarflexor stiffness was 34% lower in OW (26.4 ± 12.7 Nm rad−1) than NW (40.0 ± 15.7 Nm rad−1, p = 0.032). Neither work absorption nor hysteresis were different between OW and NW. Stiffness per kg was positively correlated to strength (r = 0.66, p < 0.001), peak vertical ground reaction force during walking (r = 0.72, p < 0.001), weight acceptance rate of force (r = 0.51, p = 0.007), push-off rate of force (r = 0.41, p = 0.026), maximal speed (r = 0.61, p = 0.001), and inversely correlated to BMI (r = −0.61, p = 0.001), and peak plantarflexor EMG (r = −0.40, p = 0.046). Older women who are OW have low plantarflexor stiffness, which may limit propulsive forces during walking and necessitate greater muscle activation for active force generation.
Predictors of Unintentionally Severe Harm During Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

This study aimed to identify predictors of unintentionally severe injury during nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). The authors examined 3 potential predictors in a sample of 102 college students: addictive qualities of NSSI, impulsivity, and dissociation. Both impulsivity and addictive qualities of NSSI were associated with unintentionally severe injury during NSSI. In a logistic regression, only addictive qualities of NSSI emerged as a significant predictor of unintentionally severe injury during NSSI. Implications for counseling and research are discussed.
Dealing With the poor: institutional change and linked fields

This paper explores the establishment of the scientific charity movement and uses the concept of linked fields to explain this case of institutional change. Specifically, it examines how institutio...
Mammoth Cave Microbiology

Microorganisms are a diverse group of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes with their very small size in common. Microbes make up the majority of organisms in numbers, biomass, and metabolic diversity and are critical component of the biosphere through geochemical cycling. Caves are models for the study of astrobiology: life on other planets. This chapter reviews intraterrestrial (inside Earth) microbes in Mammoth Cave. Despite the great size and complexity of Mammoth Cave, few microbial studies have been carried out. Great changes in methods from culture-dependent to molecular genomic studies have provided new information. Geomicrobiology is at the intersection of microbial activities and geologic processes, including sulfur-based ecosytems, formation of carbonate speleothems, saltpeter mining, and manganese oxide deposits. Microorganisms also include infectious agents like tuberculosis, and parasites of humans and cave crickets, and the devastating invasive fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats. Microbial nature preserves could protect communities of native cave microbes adapted to low-nutrient conditions. There are many ecological and evolutionary questions to be studied along with basic research and inventory of microorganisms in Mammoth Cave.
Radiographic Cobb Angle: A Feature of Congenital Lumbar Spine Stenosis.

Abstract Purpose: A low cost, reproducible radiographic method of diagnosing congenital lumbar spinal stenosis (CLSS) is lacking. We hypothesized that the Cobb angle for lumbar lordosis would be smaller in patients with CLSS, based on observations in our spine clinic patient population. Here, we compared lumbar lordosis Cobb angles with the radiographic ratio method in patients with normal spine imaging, degenerative spinal stenosis, and with CLSS. Materials and Methods Orthopedic surgeons categorized patients with low back pain as “Normal,” “Degenerative spinal stenosis,” and “CLSS” based on clinical presentation and findings on lumbar magnetic resonance imaging. We included 30 patients from each cohort who had undergone lateral lumbar spine radiographs and lumbar magnetic resonance imaging. For each lateral radiograph, 2 measurement methods were used (1) 4-line lumbosacral Cobb angle between L2-S1 and (2) the ratio of the anteroposterior vertebral body diameter and spinal canal anteroposterior diameter at the L3 level. We performed logistic regression analyses of CLSS prediction by Cobb angle vs the ratio method in all three cohorts. Covariates included age, gender, and body mass index. Results The radiographic Cobb angles were smaller in CLSS patients when compared to the degenerative disease and normal cohorts: a smaller radiographic Cobb angle showed higher odds ratio (OR) of predicting CLSS diagnosis compared to the radiographic ratio when compared with degenerative disease (OR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.11-0.78, P = 0.01) and when compared with the normal cohort (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.24-0.92, P = 0.03). Radiographic ratio measurements showed no difference between the three cohorts (P = 0.12). CLSS was associated with male gender (P = 0.04), younger age (P = 0.01), and higher body mass index (P = 0.01). Conclusion The radiographic Cobb angle method for lumbar lordosis may be useful for raising the possibility of CLSS as the diagnosis.
Refugee Theatre in the (Inter)medial Matrix: Die Schutzbefohlenen and the Limits of Theatre as Public Sphere

Using Niklas Stemann’s production of the Elfriede Jelinek text Die Schutzbefohlenen, shown at The Berlin Theatertreffen 2015, as a point of departure, the chapter surveys recent German and European productions that respond variously to the current refugee situation and the political crisis arising from it. Increasingly, the German theatre has worked with the introduction of actual refugees on stage as a way of breaking down the borders of mere representation. The chapter argues that because of the irreducibly mediated presence of refugees, such a strategy quickly leads to an aesthetic impasse, an impasse already reflected but unresolved in the Jelinek text.
Cellular aspects of muscle growth: myogenic cell proliferation

Summary Muscle differentiation and growth are accomplished by two fundamental sets of cellular processes, protein accretion and cell proliferation. This review is restricted to a discussion of the role of cell proliferation in the growth of muscle during prenatal and postnatal life. More specifically, the discussion is divided into three topic areas, which include the role of muscle precursor cell proliferation in prenatal and postnatal development and a review of factors that may be regulating the proliferation of myogenic cells. The proliferation of embryonic myogenic cells and their differentiation into multinucleated fibers, as well as the proliferation of myogenic ceils in postnatal muscle (satellite cells) are major factors determining the ultimate mass of muscle that can be produced by an animal.
BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT EXPRESSION OF GENETICALLY DETERMINED MALATE DEHYDROGENASE ISOZYMES IN MAIZE.

ABSTRACT. Genetic and biochemical studies suggest that both soluble and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH) isozymes in maize are genetically determined, and are not different conformational forms derived from the same primary structure. Results of the genetic analysis also show that the five commonly observed mitchondrial malate dehydrogenase (m-MDH) isozymes are under the control of two groups of loci residing on two different chromosomes. Biochemical properties for each of the soluble and mitochondrial MDH isozymes in the highly inbred strain W64A were examined. Not only the soluble malate dehydrogenases(s-MDHs) and m-MDHs differ in most of their physical and kinetic properties, the MDH isozymes within the same subcellular location may also differ significantly in several of these properties examined. Developmental expression of the multiple genes controlling MDH isozymes has been studied in the young maize seedlings. It is found that both s-MDHs and m-MDHs in the scutellum of developing maize seedlings are de novo synthesized. The increase of both classes of MDHs are inhibited by cycloheximide, but not by chloramphenicol. These results indicate that the nuclear gene controlled mitochondrial MDH isozymes are synthesized in the cytoplasm and then become associated with the mitochondria.
Discussion of Dielectronic Recombination and Radiative Recombination

This evening session focused initially on the effects produced by what was referred to during the workshop as environmental knobs, that is, external parameters which modify recombination cross sections. These include both static and time-dependent external electric and magnetic fields, plasma effects and collisions. An understanding of the role played by these effects, which overlap in many circumstances, is far from complete, with only fragmentary experimental data available.
Laser diffraction analysis of aggregate stability and disintegration in forest and grassland soils of northern Minnesota, USA

Abstract A method for characterizing aggregate stability with repeated laser diffraction measurements was tested on soils spanning the prairie-forest ecotone in northern Minnesota, USA. These soils formed in similar parent material but display a wide range of upper horizon morphology, organic carbon content, and chemistry, allowing assessment of the method's performance over a wide range of aggregate stability and its utility in identifying factors influencing aggregate behavior. Equations representing fine material release through breakdown of two aggregate populations as first-order processes were fit to experimental data. The best-fit parameters for these equations, and an additional index of persistent water-stable aggregate content, indicated distinct differences in aggregate behavior among the major horizons of Mollisols and Alfisols. Linear models were developed to explore the relationships between these parameters and soil physicochemical characteristics for the dataset as a whole and for subsets corresponding to four zones with different vegetation history, soil orders, and major soil horizons. The relationships identified were relatively weak (R2 = 0.30 to 0.70). The best predictors for the parameters representing early disintegration of less stable aggregates were cation exchange capacity (CEC) and effective CEC (ECEC) for the whole dataset, although organic carbon and nitrogen contents also emerged as predictors for forest and Alfisol subsets. The best predictors for the index of persistent water-stable aggregate content were organic carbon content, base saturation, or exchangeable Ca/Mg ratio, depending on the particular subset and fine material size fraction used in the analysis. The relatively weak explanatory power of organic carbon content as a predictor of aggregate behavior in these experiments was somewhat surprising, given prior work on aggregate stability. Both CEC and ECEC may serve as proxies for the various combinations of organic matter and clay content that influence aggregate stability in these samples, explaining their importance as predictors. It is likely that other factors not examined in this research contributed to aggregate stability, including carbonate content, clay mineralogy, and differing frequency and types of pedoturbation under grassland and forest. The results of this study are relevant to reconstructing the development of texture-contrast profiles as forest invaded grassland over the past 4000 in the study area, as documented by paleoecological research. In particular, loss of organic matter below a thin A horizon may have facilitated initial development of an E horizon in which weak aggregation favored clay eluviation; loss of clay would then have weakened aggregate stability still further. We suggest this new method for assessing aggregate stability can also be applied to research on soil erosion and runoff potential as affected by land use and management.
Learning Paths and Learning Supports for Conceptual Addition and Subtraction in the US Common Core State Standards and in the Chinese Standards

The results of the Fuson and Li (ZDM Math. Educ. 41:793–808, 2009) analysis of the major early numerical aspects and learning supports for single-digit and multi-digit adding and subtracting in a representative Chinese textbook series and a US textbook series (Math Expressions) are related to the Chinese standards and to the US Common Core State Standards for these topics. Similar learning paths and visual-quantitative supports for mathematical thinking were identified in the textbooks from both countries, the US standards, and the experimental Chinese standards (2001). The new Chinese standards (2011) were less specific about learning paths and supports, though these appeared in examples. Criteria for judging the best variations of the multi-digit adding and subtracting variations were proposed and used. This analysis identified the best variations as the “New Groups Below” for adding and the “Ungroup First” for subtracting. The somewhat different levels in the adding and subtracting learning paths for East Asia and the US are summarized.
Ionic Direct Current Modulation for Combined Inhibition/Excitation of the Vestibular System

Objective: Prosthetic electrical stimulation delivered to the vestibular nerve could provide therapy for people suffering from bilateral vestibular dysfunction. Common encoding methods use pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) to stimulate the semicircular canals of the vestibular system. We previously showed that delivery of ionic direct current (iDC) can also modulate the vestibular system. In this study, we compare the dynamic range of head velocity encoding from iDC modulation to that of PFM controls. Methods: Gentamicin-treated wild-type chinchillas were implanted with microcatheter tubes that delivered ionic current to the left ear vestibular canals and stimulated with steps of anodic/cathodic iDC or PFM. Evoked vestibulo-ocular reflex eye velocity was used to compare PFM and iDC vestibular modulation. Results: Cathodic iDC steps effectively elicited eye rotations consistent with an increased firing rate of the implanted semicircular canal afferents. Anodic iDC current steps elicited eye rotations in the opposite direction that, when paired with an adapted cathodic offset, increased the dynamic range of eye rotation velocities in comparison to PFM controls. Conclusion: Our results suggest that iDC modulation can effectively modulate the vestibular system across a functional range of rotation vectors and velocities, with a potential benefit over a PFM stimulation paradigm. Significance: In conjunction with a safe dc delivery system, iDC modulation could potentially increase the range of simulated head rotation velocities available to neuroelectric vestibular prostheses.
Making content caching policies 'smart' using the deepcache framework

In this paper, we present Deepcache a novel Framework for content caching, which can significantly boost cache performance. Our Framework is based on powerful deep recurrent neural network models. It comprises of two main components: i) Object Characteristics Predictor, which builds upon deep LSTM Encoder-Decoder model to predict the future characteristics of an object (such as object popularity) - to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose LSTM Encoder-Decoder model for content caching; ii) a caching policy component, which accounts for predicted information of objects to make smart caching decisions. In our thorough experiments, we show that applying Deepcache Framework to existing cache policies, such as LRU and k-LRU, significantly boosts the number of cache hits.
Chronic Thromboembolic Disease: Underdiagnosis and Nonsurgical Options

Chronic thromboembolic disease (CTED) remains an impor- tant exclusion in patients presenting with pulmonary hyper- tension. As illustrated by this case, however, exclusion must be rigorous with or...
Metabolic characterization of the chitinolytic bacterium Serratia marcescens using a genome-scale metabolic model.

Serratia marcescens is a chitinolytic bacterium that can potentially be used for consolidated bioprocessing to convert chitin to value-added chemicals. Currently, S. marcescens is poorly characterized and studies on intracellular metabolic and regulatory mechanisms would expedite development of bioprocessing applications. In this study, our goal was to characterize the metabolic profile of S. marcescens to provide insight for metabolic engineering applications and fundamental biological studies. Hereby, we constructed a constraint-based genome-scale metabolic model (iSR929) including 929 genes, 1185 reactions and 1164 metabolites based on genomic annotation of S. marcescens Db11. The model was tested by comparing model predictions with experimental data and analyzed to identify essential aspects of the metabolic network (e.g. 138 essential genes predicted). The model iSR929 was refined by integrating RNAseq data of S. marcescens growth on three different carbon sources (glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and glycerol). Significant differences in TCA cycle utilization were found for growth on the different carbon substrates, For example, for growth on N-acetylglucosamine, S. marcescens exhibits high pentose phosphate pathway activity and nucleotide synthesis but low activity of the TCA cycle. Our results show that S. marcescens model iSR929 can provide reasonable predictions and can be constrained to fit with experimental values. Thus, our model may be used to guide strain designs for metabolic engineering to produce chemicals such as 2,3-butanediol, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and n-butanol using S. marcescens.
Nerve Growth Factor Pathobiology During the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

The current review summarizes the pathobiology of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its cognate receptors during the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both transcript and protein data indicate that cholinotrophic neuronal dysfunction is related to an imbalance between TrkA-mediated survival signaling and the NGF precursor (proNGF)/p75NTR-mediated pro-apoptotic signaling, which may be related to alteration in the metabolism of NGF. Data indicate a spatiotemporal pattern of degeneration related to the evolution of tau pathology within cholinotrophic neuronal subgroups located within the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM). Despite these degenerative events the cholinotrophic system is capable of cellular resilience and/or plasticity during the prodromal and later stages of the disease. In addition to neurotrophin dysfunction, studies indicate alterations in epigenetically regulated proteins occur within cholinotrophic nbM neurons during the progression of AD, suggesting a mechanism that may underlie changes in transcript expression. Findings that increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of proNGF mark the onset of MCI and the transition to AD suggests that this proneurotrophin is a potential disease biomarker. Novel therapeutics to treat NGF dysfunction include NGF gene therapy and the development of small molecule agonists for the cognate prosurvival NGF receptor TrkA and antagonists against the pan-neurotrophin p75NTR death receptor for the treatment of AD.
The Sleep Health Index: Correlations with standardized stress and sleep measures in a predominantly Hispanic college student population.

Abstract Objectives The Sleep Health Index was developed to address limitations with existing sleep scales, particularly in the measurement of healthy sleep in non-clinical populations. The purpose of the current study was to examine this measure in relation to two widely-used sleep scales and two standardized stress scales. Methods A sample of 416 undergraduate students completed an online survey that included the Sleep Health Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, Insomnia Severity Index, Perceived Stress Scale, and Index of College Students' Recent Life Events. Results Sleep health was negatively correlated with self-perceived stress and life-events (−.41 and− .45, respectively), insomnia severity (−.59), and poor sleep quality (−.58). Conclusions Although other measures assessing sleep health exist, there is a paucity of data-driven support for their validity. Our findings provide support for the Sleep Health Index as a measure of healthy sleep and demonstrate an association between psychological stress and sleep health in an undergraduate student population.
Sex-Based Differences in Patient-Reported Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair:

Background:Rotator cuff repair is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on the shoulder. Previous studies have indicated that pain and disability can vary significantly between patie...
Is there a role for specialized geriatric centers in treating geriatric cancer patients

As the population with colorectal cancer ages, the tailored approach required to manage older patients becomes all the more important for all providers and institutions treating colorectal cancer to adopt and improve the outcomes and well-being of this important and increasingly prevalent population. Joint guidelines from the American College of Surgeons and American Geriatric Association should be followed. Older cancer patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery should be referred to centers with expertise in minimally invasive surgery. Likewise, older rectal cancer patients should be referred to centers with expertise in treating rectal cancer.
Abstract 267: National Comparison of Prior Authorization and Utilization of Sacubitril/valsartan in Medicare and Commercial Plans in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background: Sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto®) reduces mortality and heart failure (HF) admissions in NYHA Class II/III HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, uptake in practice has been...
A Low-Cost Vertically Integrated Antenna Array at 60 GHz With 85% Efficiency

Although the 60 GHz band meets the higher data rate demands for various wireless applications, large path losses and small size of 5 mm free-space wavelength makes the design, fabrication, packaging, and measurement of 60 GHz antenna arrays challenging. In this letter, we present a low-cost and high-efficiency patch antenna array fabricated using a printed circuit board (PCB) process. As the mini-connector size is larger than unit-cell at 60 GHz, it poses challenges for separate feeding for each array element. This optimized configuration not only addresses the mini-connector assembly shortcoming for off-chip antenna measurements in a laboratory environment but also permits future direct flip-chip integration on a transceiver. Embedded thin-film resistors are first used to fabricate 50 Ω termination and calibration elements on the same board, thus removing associated lossy and bulky external loads and calibration kit. Next, a highly precise robotic antenna measurement system is used to complete the challenging task of measuring far-field pattern at 60 GHz. The proposed 5×5 antenna array is matched at 60 GHz with the −10 dB bandwidth of 3.6 GHz (6%). The peak realized gain of the 5×5 array is 18.5 dBi, and the measured boresight efficiency is 85% at 60 GHz. Furthermore, the simulated maximum scanning volume is ±40° in the E -plane and ±45° in the H -plane. Therefore, the proposed 60 GHz antenna array maintains a low-cost, high-efficiency moderate scanning range with a potential for easy on-chip integration for future communication and sensing applications.
Inflammation is associated with future depressive symptoms among older adults.

Abstract Inflammation has been reliably associated with depression. However, the directionality of this association is poorly understood, with evidence that elevated inflammation may promote and precede the development of depression, as well as arise following its expression. Using data from older adults (N ​= ​1,072, ages 60–73) who participated in the ongoing longitudinal St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study, we examined whether inflammatory markers (interleukin-6: IL-6, C-reactive protein: CRP, and tumor necrosis factor α: TNFα) and depression were prospectively predictive of one another. Fasting serum samples and self-reports of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II) were obtained from participants at 2 sessions approximately 2 years apart. Structural equation models as well as regressions that accounted for a host of potentially confounding covariates and depression at baseline revealed that baseline IL-6 and CRP, but not baseline TNFα were associated with elevated depressive symptoms at the follow-up session (IL-6: β ​= ​0.080, p ​= ​0.036; CRP: β ​= ​0.083, p ​= ​0.03; TNFα: β ​= ​0.039, p ​= ​0.314). However, there was no association between baseline depressive symptoms and follow-up inflammatory markers (βs ​= ​−0.12 to −0.006, all ps ​> ​0.05). Collectively, these data suggest that inflammation prospectively predicts depression, but depression does not predict inflammation in older age. These data add to a growing literature suggesting that inflammatory signaling may plausibly promote the development of depression.
dSPRINT: predicting DNA, RNA, ion, peptide and small molecule interaction sites within protein domains

Domains are instrumental in facilitating protein interactions with DNA, RNA, small molecules, ions and peptides. Identifying ligand-binding domains within sequences is a critical step in protein function annotation, and the ligand-binding properties of proteins are frequently analyzed based upon whether they contain one of these domains. To date, however, knowledge of whether and how protein domains interact with ligands has been limited to domains that have been observed in co-crystal structures; this leaves approximately two-thirds of human protein domain families uncharacterized with respect to whether and how they bind DNA, RNA, small molecules, ions and peptides. To fill this gap, we introduce dSPRINT, a novel ensemble machine learning method for predicting whether a domain binds DNA, RNA, small molecules, ions or peptides, along with the positions within it that participate in these types of interactions. In stringent cross-validation testing, we demonstrate that dSPRINT has an excellent performance in uncovering ligand-binding positions and domains. We also apply dSPRINT to newly characterize the molecular functions of domains of unknown function. dSPRINT's predictions can be transferred from domains to sequences, enabling predictions about the ligand-binding properties of 95% of human genes. The dSPRINT framework and its predictions for 6503 human protein domains are freely available at http://protdomain.princeton.edu/dsprint.
Investigating the relationship of schools reopening to increases in COVID-19 infections using event study methodology: The case of the Delta variant.

Background Hypothesis: School reopening had a significant impact on COVID-19 infection rates across USA states. Methods Eight states with fully reopened public schools were studied. States who did not previously have stay-at-home orders for a minimum of 30 days were excluded from the study so that increases in infection rates would be solely due to the economies of reopening. This study used event study methodology with a 30-day estimation window. This allowed us to determine if increases in COVID-19 infection rates were significant following schools reopening. Results Eight states were analyzed, and seven of the states had positive and significant COVID-19 infection increases. The other state's increase was negative and significant. Conclusions This study found that reopening of schools had an initial 5-day increase in COVID-19 infections in seven of eight states whose data were examined. With schools being re-opened nationwide in Fall 2021, this indicates that with the Delta variant there is an expected significant increase in infections.
Weak low frequency electromagnetic fields and chick embryogenesis: failure to reproduce positive findings.

Abstract Fertilised chicken eggs were incubated for 48 hours while exposed to pulsed trains of magnetic fields having a duration of 0-5 ms, a rise time of 42 microsecond, and a pulse repetition rate of 100 at a magnetic field flux density of 1 microT. Some eggs were exposed to 1,552 rad X-rays as a positive control. After exposure the embryos were scored blind for a variety of morphological features. X-irradiated eggs displayed highly significant and repeatable anatomical alterations. There were no differences between magnetic field-exposed, sham-exposed and control eggs.
Hierarchical clustering-merging for multidimensional index structures

The R-tree family index structures are among the most common index structures used in multidimensional databases. To improve the search performance it is very important to reduce the overlap between bounding regions in the R-tree. However the arbitrary insertion order in the tree construction procedure might result in tree structures inefficient in the search operations. In this paper we propose a new technique called Hierarchical Clustering-Merging (HCM) to improve the tree construction procedure of the R-tree family index structures. With this technique we can take advantage of the data distribution information in the data set to achieve an optimized tree structure and improve the search performance.
DESIGN AND PHYSIOLOGY OF ARTERIES AND VEINS | Physiology of Capacitance Vessels

The venous system is an often ignored, yet vital component of the cardiovascular system. Besides conducting blood from the capillaries back to the heart, either active regulation of venous tone through its own vascular smooth muscle or passive events often associated with contraction of adjacent skeletal muscle have profound effects on cardiac output and therefore arterial blood pressure. These vessels, as their name implies, also store most of the blood volume in the circulatory system of fishes.
An examination of opportunistic action within research alliances: Evidence from the biotechnology industry

Abstract Like a photographer trying to take a perfect picture, an entrepreneur trying to increase the odds of survival must learn very quickly that focus is everything. And what demands an entrepreneur’s immediate focus is the development of new products. Entrepreneurial ventures depend on the rapid creation of new products to gain access to early cash flows, create legitimacy, grab early market share, and increase their odds of survival (Schoonhoven, Eisenhardt, and Lymman 1990) . However, the increasing costs and complexity of new product development are making it difficult for entrepreneurial ventures to contain the assets needed for successful R&D within their boundaries, forcing them to reach beyond their borders to access resources. Barley et al. (1992) document the use of more than 900 contractual research agreements within the biotechnology industry alone. Recent research has also found a positive relationship between the use of alliances in the R&D process and the rate of new product development Deeds and Hill 1996 , Shan, Walker, and Kogut 1994 . This particular study focuses on the use of relational contracts in the R&D process and extends the prior work on relational contracts to create an explanatory model of the deterrents to opportunism within a relational contract. The article begins with a discussion of the traditional modes of deterring opportunism and of modes of deterring opportunism based on the development of a strong cross-boundary relationship. From this discussion, hypotheses are derived that relate certain characteristics of the alliance (frequency of communication, strength of contractual deterrents, hostage investments, age of the relationship, etc.) to the level of opportunism within the relationship. These hypotheses are then tested on a sample of 109 research alliances in the biotechnology industry. We found significant evidence that a strong relationship between the partners serves as a much more effective deterrent to opportunistic action than the creation of hostage investments or contingent claims contracts. In particular, the results for frequency of communication and the background of the firm highlight the importance of the top management team’s understanding and involvement in the management of research alliances. The strong results for background congruence indicates the importance of shared expectations and understandings between the partners. The strong empirical results for the hypothesized U-shaped relationship between age and opportunism provide support for the existence of both a honeymoon period in the relationship and a liability of adolescence among research alliances. The data also suggest that the honeymoon period for an alliance will last about 4.6 years. We also find that the honeymoon period for alliances that are of little importance to the future of the firm is only 4.1 years, and in our sample of alliances that were important to the future of the firm, the honeymoon period extended from 4.6 years to 6.1 years.
ROLE OF NITRIC OXIDE IN TUBULOGLOMERULAR FEEDBACK: EFFECTS OF DIETARY SALT

SUMMARY 1. The tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) response operates primarily by vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole and a fall in glomerular capillary pressure (PGC) and single-nephron glomerular nitration rate (SNGFR) during increased NaCl reabsorption in the macula densa (MD). Numerous studies have suggested that nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized by the MD and acts to suppress TGF. As a high-salt (HS) diet has been found to blunt TGF, we tested the effects of salt intake on NO-dependent changes in TGF. 2. In the first series of experiments, values of SNGFR were contrasted from samples of tubular fluid taken from the proximal tubule (PT; MD delivery interrupted) and the distal tubule (DT; MD delivery intact). Compared with HS rats, the difference between PT and DT values of SNGFR was increased in low-salt (LS) diet rats (4.3 ± 0.4 vs 10.3 ± 1.2 nL/min, respectively; P < 0.001). Intravenous infusion of iVG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), in pressor doses increased the difference between PT and DT values of SNGFR of HS rats (4.3 ± 0.4 vs 9.5 ± 1.2 nL/min before and during L-NMMA, respectively; P < 0.001) without significantly affecting values in LS rats (10.3 ± 1.2 vs 12.3 ± 1.4 nL/min before and during L-NMMA, respectively; NS). 3. A second series of experiments assessed TGF responses directly. Changes in stop-flow pressure (PSF; an index of PGC) were measured in response to graded perfusion of the loop of Henle (LH) with artificial tubular fluid. Loop perfusion with 10-3 mol/1. L-NMMA did not affect the PSF responses of LS rats but did reduce (P < 0.01) the PSF of HS rats during perfusion at 20 nL/min (-1.5±0.4mmHg; P<0.01), 30nL/min (-1.8 ± O.5 mmHg; P < 0.01) and 40 nL/min (-2.2 ± 0.5 mmHg; P < 0.001). 4. We conclude that the TGF response is increased by suppression of NOS activity during HS but not LS intake.
Automated nautical data and charting development

The National Ocean Service (NOS) is beginning the development and implementation of an automated system of nautical data evaluation, database administration, and nautical chart production. This system, the Automated Nautical Charting System II (ANCS II), represents NOS' next generation of automation of the cartographic processes involving nautical data. The ANCS II will be utilized to evaluate and select data from the many types and forms of source information received and to interactively apply those data to a geographic, product-independent database. Data will be drawn from this database and applied to a logically separate database which will be used to produce approximately 1000 NOS paper nautical charts. In addition, the system must support requests for digital chart products. A functional overview of ANCS II is given, and hardware and software features are described. >
Projected morbidity and mortality from missed diagnoses of coronary artery disease in the United States

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, and cardiac stress testing is the principal clinical tool used to evaluate stable patients with symptoms suggestive of myocardial ischemia.1 In the United States alone, more than 6 million cardiac stress tests were performed on Medicare beneficiaries in 2008, and the growth rate of stress tests with nuclear imaging exceeded 300% from 1999–2008.2 Although these numbers have raised concerns for possible overuse,1 an equally concerning problem is raised by recent literature suggesting that, despite its wide diffusion, cardiac stress testing has poor sensitivity for obstructive CAD (> 50% luminal coronary artery stenosis),3,4 a finding with implications for the number of patients with missed diagnoses of obstructive CAD each year. These findings have been reported in several recent head-to-head comparisons with cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography, and in a meta-analysis that adjusted exercise echocardiography and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) performance for cardiac catheterization referral rates.3–5 In total, this body of literature suggests that up to half of patients with CAD referred for cardiac stress testing receive falsely negative results—and are therefore at risk for missed diagnoses and suboptimal therapy.