cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Geometry of the Full Kostant-Toda Lattice

The equations for the (finite, nonperiodic) Toda lattice can, as is well known, be written in Lax form, $$\dot X(t) = [X(t),\Pi X(t)]$$ Here X is a symmetric tridiagonal matrix and Π is the projection onto the skew-symmetric summand in the decomposition of X into skew-symmetric plus upper triangular. The eigenvalues of X are constants of motion of (1), and the Toda lattice turns out to be a completely integrable Hamiltonian system.
Fashion and Shopping Perceptions, Demographics, and Store Patronage:

Rural (n = 320) and urban (n = 278) female consumers were studied to determine if the psychographic dimension of perceptioms of fashion and perceptions of apparel shopping was related to store patronage as well as to demographic characteristics. The 20 comrumer perception items were reduced to five factors by factor analysis: Shopping Involvement, Importance of Clothing Image, Fashion Commitment, Quality Conscious, and Fashion Aversion. An analysis of variance revealed that rural and urban consumers held similar perceptions offashion and of apparel shopping as measured by the five factors. Significant differences in the factor scores that measured perceptions of fashion and of apparel shopping were noted in ANOVA with type of stores patronized, shopping locales favored, time spent shopping for apparel for self and family, ethnicity, age, marital status, education, work status, and total family income. Implications for retailers and educators are discussed.
Kristin Andrews: The animal mind: an introduction to the philosophy of animal cognition

The Animal Mind is a concise and comprehensive overview of the increasingly burgeoning philosophical discourse surrounding animal cognition. In it, Andrews takes the reader topically through the science of nonhuman minds, consciousness, beliefs, communication, social cognition, and morality. While the book is set up to function primarily as a text for use in the classroom, the depth with which Andrews treats each topic warrants its use as a research tool for anyone seeking to broaden their understanding or undertake a project pertaining to animal cognition. One of the most striking merits of The Animal Mind is its uniqueness and novelty. To be sure, countless books pertaining to cognitive ethology and animal behavior are available, and there have been several attempts at a genuine philosophy of animal cognition anthology. What sets Andrews’manuscript apart from these, however, is that the book is accessible to students just as much as it is to researchers. Indeed, as noted above, the book would work quite well in a class devoted to the philosophy of animal minds, or as a supplement to a traditional philosophy of mind, cognitive science, or philosophy of biology class. Animal studies programs – interdisciplinary degree plans that allow students to take science, philosophy, anthropology, and art classes all pertaining to nonhuman animals and their relationships to humans – are on the rise in U.S. colleges, and thus, Andrews’ book is a timely addition to this growing interest in a multi-disciplined approach to studying animal minds. Phenom Cogn Sci (2016) 15:475–481 DOI 10.1007/s11097-015-9442-y
Dietary plant phenolic improves survival of bacterial infection in Manduca sexta caterpillars

Plant phenolics are generally thought to play significant roles in plant defense against herbivores and pathogens. Many plant taxa, including Solanaceae, are rich in phenolic compounds and some insect herbivores have been shown to acquire phenolics from their hosts to use them as protection against their natural enemies. Here we demonstrate that larvae of an insect specialist on Solanaceae, the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta L. (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), acquire the plant phenolic chlorogenic acid (CA), and other caffeic acid derivatives as they feed on one of their hosts, Nicotiana attenuata L. (Solanaceae), and on artificial diet supplemented with CA. We test the hypothesis that larvae fed on CA-supplemented diet would have better resistance against bacterial infection than larvae fed on a standard CA-free diet by injecting bacteria into the hemocoel of fourth instars. Larvae fed CA-supplemented diet show significantly higher survival of infection with Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes & Horder) Schleifer & Kilpper-Balz, but not of infection with the more virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula. Larvae fed on CA-supplemented diet possess a constitutively higher number of circulating hemocytes than larvae fed on the standard diet, but we found no other evidence of increased immune system activity, nor were larvae fed on CA-supplemented diet better able to suppress bacterial proliferation early in the infection. Thus, our data suggest an additional defensive function of CA to the direct toxic inhibition of pathogen proliferation in the gut.
Immunotherapy in Melanoma: Recent Advances and Promising New Therapies

The incidence and mortality of melanoma are on the rise. Historically, patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma were faced with a grim prognosis, with survival rates of 15% at 5 years. Prior to 2011, no drug or therapeutic regimen had been shown to improve overall survival (OS) in metastatic melanoma. Chemotherapeutic agents, such as dacarbazine or temozolomide, are often given to patients for palliative purposes; high-dose interleukin 2 and biochemotherapy are immunotherapeutic options that could be offered to patients with a good performance status at specialized centers. Neither has been shown to impact OS, but durable complete responses are seen in a minority of patients. Since 2011, 4 new drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, all of which improve survival. Three of these agents (vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and trametinib) are targeted therapies, with ipilimumab being the only new immunotherapy. With a focus on immunotherapeutic agent...
Equipment for Simultaneous Processing of Groups of Slides for Radioautography

The equipment consists of commercially available 5-slide plastic grips (obtained from Lipshaw Manufacturing Co., 7446 Central Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48210) and specially designed lightproof exposure boxes to hold the grips. After deparaffinization and hydration, slides are inserted into the grips, dipped in liquid emulsion, drained, and sealed in the exposure box. After exposure, the 5-slide units are removed from the box (in darkness) and inserted into specially made Plexiglas racks that hold four 5-slide units (20 slides). Photographic developing, fixing, and washing are performed by immersing the 20-slide group in fluids contained in 30-slide glass staining dishes (Lipshaw No. 122 dishes). The equipment simplifies darkroom operations and provides means for standardizing the preparation of radioautographs.
Game teleporter: A development tool for everyone

The Game Teleporter is an application that translates one file format to another without any user intervention. The application itself is made up of different combinations of input plug-ins and output plug-ins. For example, the application can take an Adobe Flash file as an input and then output a Playstation Portable binary that can be run on the specified target platform and have the same functionality as the original Adobe Flash file. Flash is a file format commonly used by Web developers to create animated and interactive Websites. Using Flash as an input opens up development to people who might have great ideas for games, but cannot display them on the desired target as they do not know how to write programs for it. This tool is applicable at all levels of education. A very simple input/output plug-in combination allows elementary school children to create a game simply by drawing pictures. This can enhance their interest in learning computer programming. As shown in this paper, students used this tool with a customized graphical input plug-in to create a basic game that will run on both Microsoft Windows and on a Sony Playstation Portable. College students can also utilize this application by creating and modifying the plug-ins to adapt to whatever the current technology requires. This paper lays out how the Game Teleporter functions, and how it can be used in education at all levels to generate better computer programmers for the future.
Correlation of 3-Dimensional Shoulder Kinematics to Function in Subjects With Idiopathic Loss of Shoulder Range of Motion

Background and Purpose. People with idiopathic loss of shoulder range of motion (ROM) have difficulty completing activities of daily living. This investigation was performed to determine the association between active glenohumeral ROM and function and to develop a multiple regression equation to explain variation in function in people with idiopathic loss of shoulder motion. Subjects and Methods. This was a comparative study of 21 subjects (18 female, 3 male), using measurements of shoulder kinematics and administration of the Shoulder Rating Questionnaire (SRQ). Electromagnetic tracking sensors monitored the 3-dimensional position of the scapula and humerus throughout active shoulder motions. Correlations were performed between the active ROMs of interest and various demographic factors and the SRQ. A multiple regression equation was generated. Results. A multiple regression equation including scapular-plane abduction, external rotation at the side, external rotation at 90 degrees of abduction, and weight explained 69% of the variation in the SRQ scores. Discussion and Conclusion. The results suggest that active ROM can be used to predict function in people with idiopathic loss of shoulder ROM.
Morphological features and signature gene response elicited by inactivation of FtsI in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Methods: Cefalexin and piperacillin were used to block cell division, and microscopy was used to evaluate the effects on bacterial morphology and ultrastructure. Global transcriptional analysis was performed to determine the impact of FtsI inhibition on cell cycle processes and to identify molecular markers. Results: Inhibition of FtsI with cefalexin and piperacillin resulted in filamentous cells with multiple concentric rings and occasional branching as visualized by light and electron microscopy. Whole genome microarray-based transcriptional profiling and transcriptional mapping allowed the evaluation of cell cycle processes in response to inhibition of FtsI and characterization of transcriptional response and cell cycle processes. Conclusions: This study substantiated that FtsZ-ring constriction and septal resolution require the transpeptidase activity of FtsI, making FtsI essential for cell division in M. tuberculosis .T herefore, FtsI is a target for drug discovery, and these studies provided a molecular signature of FtsI inactivation that can be applied to screening strategies for novel FtsI inhibitors.
Giant Left Circumflex Coronary Fistula to the Right Atrium

A 49-year-old man with multiple coronary risk factors, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, was referred for coronary angiography for evaluation of mild dyspnea on exertion and atypical chest pains. An exercise nuclear stress test demonstrated mild, reversible ischemia in the mid and distal inferior wall. The patient subsequently underwent cardiac catheterization, which demonstrated a giant coronary arterial-venous (A-V) fistula arising from a markedly dilated and tortuous circumflex artery (Figure 1). The vessel course could not be well delineated because of its tortuosity and the inability to fully opacify this structure with contrast. The other primary epicardial coronary arteries were angiographically normal. A small left-to-right shunt was detected, with Qp/Qs=1.29. Figure 1. Coronary angiography (anteroposterior view) showing severely dilated left circumflex artery in loops with poor contrast opacification. The patient was referred …
Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Sensitivity During Sodium Restriction and Converting Enzyme Inhibition

Adding converting-enzyme inhibitors to the salt depleted state is marked by a reduction in blood pressure despite compensatory increases in heart rate and plasma norepinephrine. This study investigated whether this increase in sympathetic function is also accompanied by an increase in beta-adrenergic receptor function. Ten subjects were studied following two separate five day hospitalizations on 10 mEq sodium diets while receiving either placebo or captopril. During low sodium with captopril, blood pressure and angiotensin II decreased, while heart rate, renin, norepinephrine and isoproterenol-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in lymphocytes increased. The results indicate that enhanced beta-adrenergic receptor function does accompany sympathetic activation during sodium restriction and converting enzyme inhibition and further support studies showing that the renin-angiotensin system plays the dominant role in blood pressure regulation in the sodium depleted state.
The frequency of aganglionosis associated with imperforate anus.

1 he incidence of imperforate anus is generally quoted as being 1 in 5,000 newborn infants.3 The incidence of Hirschsprung’s disease, as estimated by Bodian and Carter,’ is about 1 in 10,000 live births in England; Althoff,l in Bremen, gives an incidence of 1 in 12,000; and Madsen4 gives an estimate of 1 in 4,700 in Denmark. The combination of the two lesions would be expected to be less frequent than either of the single lesions alone. The association of aganglionosis and imperforate anus is indeed rare, as evidenced by the fact that Ragins and Van Prohaska’ reported an isolated case of this combination in 1957. However, Parkkulainen, Hjelt, and Sulumaae from Finland reported detailed studies of 25 patients with imperforate anus in 1959, in which 15 of these infants had absence of ganglion cells at the terminal end of the gut for varying distances. Because of the widely divergent opinion of the frequency of this association, we felt it would be worthwhile to report our own experience at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and to summarize a survey made of the experience of other American and Canadian pediatric surgeons.
East-West Orientation of Historical Empires and Modern States

Jared Diamond (1997) hypothesized that if environment is important in limiting the spread of cultures, cultural units would also tend to extend more broadly along lines of latitude than along lines of longitude. We test this hypothesis by studying the range shapes of (a) historical empires and (b) modern states. Our analysis of the 62 largest empires in history supports this conjecture: there is a statistically significant tendency to expand more east-west than north-south. Modern states also show this trend, although the results are not statistically significant.
Towards a bioecological model of bilingual development

At its best, the field of bilingualism is a dynamic discipline informed by diverse perspectives. Carroll's critical review – situated within a linguistics framework – contends that current research on bilingual exposure and language development suffers from a lack of theoretical clarity, and makes little contribution to our understanding of bilingual acquisition. Carroll's push (Carroll) towards greater precision in our thinking about the relation between input and outcomes is an important and welcome challenge. However, it is also critical to keep in mind the social context that motivates much of the current research on bilingual development, and to leave room for studies whose main goal is to provide answers to societally important questions about bilingual children's health and development.
CFD/CSD Coupled Simulations for Helicopter Rotors in Forward and Maneuver Flights

CFD/CSD coupled simulations are presented for a Bell M427 main rotor in both forward and maneuvering flight. The unstructured CFD code UNCLE is coupled with the CSD code DYMORE2.0 to perform rotor aeroelastic analysis. Two CFD/CSD coupling strategies are evaluated and demonstrated: loose coupling for rotors in a steady level forward flight and tight coupling for rotors undergoing a maneuver. A Fluid-Structure Interface (FSI) handles the information exchange and directs operation of the CFD and CSD codes required to perform tight coupling analysis. The loose coupling results are assessed with the forward flight test data, and the tight coupling method is verified by comparing to the results obtained with the loose coupling method in forward flight where fixed control settings are used. For a maneuvering flight, user-prescribed control variations drive the collective pitch angle to a ±2 doublet profile superimposed on the loose coupling control settings. The coupled simulations demonstrate the feasibility of performing aeromechanical analysis for realistic helicopter rotors.
pH-Programmable Sequential Dissolution of Multilayer Stacks of Hydrogen-Bonded Polymers

We report that the interlayer diffusion of polymer chains within heterostructured hydrogen-bonded multilayer films depends on the stacking order: polymers diffuse more when high pH stability polymer pairs are assembled on top of low pH stability polymer pairs. By varying the stacking sequence, the fraction of the film that is released from the substrate can be tuned to achieve sequential pH-programmed release of the multilayer film. Also, we show that a multifunctional freestanding film with tunable film thickness can be generated by appropriate stacking and subsequent thermal cross-linking.
The Japan–South Korea identity clash: East Asian security and the United States

There is a rift between Japan and South Korea despite their sharing of similar values, global interests, levels of development, a common regional rival, and a mutual alliance partner. Their relatio...
Airport Emergency Evacuation Planning: An Agent-Based Simulation Study of Dirty Bomb Scenarios

Emergency evacuation from airports is an important consideration given the continuing occurrence of both natural and human caused disasters. Unfortunately, the traditional evacuation-drill approach to prepare for emergency situations presents several practical challenges at the scale and magnitude required for airports. In this paper, we present an agent-based model (ABM) called exitus which is capable of determining the extent to which collective behavior and overall evacuation time of passenger groups is affected by changes in the built environment for large, complex structures. The model is unique because it explicitly considers the physical and psychological characteristics of individuals with disabilities. In our first experiment, several bomb simulation scenarios were conducted at an international airport using exitus. Several important findings were revealed including: 1) the importance of stairway and exit configurations; 2) the inherent weaknesses of the pier airport design in affecting timely evacuations; 3) who the most vulnerable groups of people are; 4) the particular risk engendered from crowded or complex building interiors for individuals with disabilities; and 5) the potential problems caused by locating explosive detection system machines near passenger processing areas. The results of a second exploratory experiment also revealed the importance of realistically modeling psychological attributes of individuals with disabilities and their potential impact on collective evacuation performance. Overall the findings demonstrated the model’s ability to generate a common operational picture capable of guiding preparedness efforts for both public and private organizations encompassing a wide variety of professional endeavor.
Associations of environmental factors with health and mortality among Chinese elderly: A sample survey in 22 provinces in China

We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 15,973 elderly residents from 866 counties and cities in 2002 and followed up in 2005 with multilevel logistic regression models to investigate how social,economical environmental factors are associated with health outcomes and mortality risk. After control individual-level factors,we found that air pollution increased the odds of disability in activities of daily living( ADLs),cognitive impairment,and health deficits index. More rainfall was protective,reducing the odds of ADL disability and cognitive impairment. Extremely low seasonal temperatures increased the odds of ADL disability and mortality. Extremely high seasonal temperatures increased the odds of cognitive impairment and health deficit index. Living in a mountain area decreasedthe odds of ADL disability and health deficits. The conclusion is that efforts to reduce pollution and improve socioeconomic conditions could significantly improve the health and survival of the elderly.
Orientation sensing using backscattered phase from multi-antenna tag at 5.8 GHz

Object localization is one of the most important applications of RFID technology. In this paper, we demonstrate how fine-scale orientation can be estimated from a multi-antenna backscatter tag. Three basic orientation changes — tag roll, pitch and yaw — were considered, where roll and pitch maneuvers were successfully identified from the direction of phase rotation. Moreover, an inclination of 5° in roll and pitch maneuvers was successfully identified by measuring the phase difference with 15% and 8% error respectively. The analysis can be extended to any amount of inclination.
Grundprinzipien der Robotersteuerung

Dieser Abschnitt gliedert sich in die Schwerpunkte: Mechanik Koordinatensysteme und Transformationen Roboterbewegung und Steuerungsarten Programmierung Reale Welt und Modellwelt Am Beginn jedes dieser Teile steht eine Zusammenfassung. Um einen ersten Einblick in die Inhalte dieses grundlegenden Abschnitts und eine gewisse Vertrautheit mit den Begriffen und der Problematik zu gewinnen, wird zunachst ein Lesen dieser Zusammenfassungen empfohlen. Dem nur am Prinzipiellen interessierten Leser mag dies genugen — der Detailinteressierte erleichtert sich den Zugang.
Stimulation for the Return of Hearing

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the use of electrical stimulation at the auditory nerve for returning a person from total deafness or a severe hearing loss to useful hearing. The principal cause of hearing loss is damage to or complete destruction of the sensory hair cells. Therefore, the function of a cochlear prosthesis is to bypass the missing hair cells by stimulating directly the surviving neurons in the auditory nerve. The essential components in a cochlear prosthesis system include a microphone for sensing sound in the environment, a speech processor to transform the microphone input into a set of stimuli for the implanted array of electrodes, and a transcutaneous link for the transmission of power and stimulus information across the skin. The direct stimulation of the nerve is produced by currents delivered through electrodes placed in the scala tympani (ST), which is one of three fluid-filled chambers along the length of the cochlea. Different electrodes in the implanted array stimulate different subpopulations of neurons. The spatial specificity of stimulation with an ST electrode depends on a variety of factors, including the orientation and geometric arrangement of the electrodes, the proximity of the electrodes to the target neural structures, and the condition of the implanted cochlea in terms of nerve survival and ossification. Variability in outcomes is high, with some subjects achieving scores at or near 100% correct and with other subjects scoring close to zero.
Dynamic Coupling of Boltzmann Plasma Model to Surface Erosion Model for Kinetic Treatment of Plasma-Material Interactions

We present an innovative coupled Boltzmann–binary collision approximation (BCA) method for the simulation of the near-wall plasma in the presence of a material-releasing wall. The method is based o...
Abstract P367: Association of Risk Factor Exposure Patterns Through Young Adulthood With Left Ventricular Structure/Function in Middle Age: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Background: Data are sparse regarding associations of risk factors (RF) across young adulthood with development of adverse left ventricular (LV) structure and function by middle age, and it is unclear whether baseline, cumulative, or longitudinal RF exposure patterns best represent that risk. Methods: We included up to 2335 CARDIA participants (ppts) who had echocardiographic data from exam year (Y)5, Y25, and Y30, and RF data from at least 3 exams including Y0 and Y25. Echo outcomes included Y30 indexed LV end-systolic (ESD/ht) and -diastolic (EDD/ht) dimensions, and LV mass (M/ht2.7), septal and posterior wall thickness, ejection fraction (EF), and incident adverse geometry (defined as LV concentric remodeling [CR], concentric hypertrophy [cLVH], or eccentric hypertrophy [eLVH]). We used multivariable linear, logistic or polytomous regression (as appropriate to endpoint) to examine associations of RF exposures measured as: 1) baseline (Y0); 2) change from Y0 to Y25; 3) cumulative exposure from Y0 to Y25 (e.g., pack-yrs, mmHg-yrs); or 4) latent class trajectories (using PROC TRAJ) from Y0 to Y25, with adjustment for demographics and relevant Y5 echo measures. Results: At Y30, ppts were 55±4 yrs, 56% women and 44% black; 12% smoked, mean BMI was 30.4±7, 37% had hypertension, and 17% diabetes; 20.5% had incident LVH; 4.5% EF<50%; and 37.2% adverse LV geometry. Models representing cumulative RF exposures tended to have the highest adjusted R2 and lowest AIC for continuous and categorical Y30 LV outcomes. The table shows associations of cumulative RFs from Y0 to Y25 with incident LVH, EF<50%, and adverse LV geometry at Y30. Few RFs were consistently associated with Y25-Y30 change in echo measures, but they included education and SBP. Conclusions: Among initially healthy young adults, cumulative risk factor exposures (often within clinically normative ranges) over 25 years are significantly associated with continuous LV echo measures and adverse LV outcomes by middle age, suggesting the importance of primordial prevention. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
A 0.8∼1.3 GHz multi-phase injection-locked PLL using capacitive coupled multi-ring oscillator with reference spur suppression

This paper presents an inductor-less injection-locked PLL (IL-PLL) using capacitive coupled multi-ring oscillator (MRO) implemented in a 0.13 um CMOS technology. The multi-ring coupled oscillator with capacitive coupling achieves improved phase noise by minimizing noise injection from tail current sources and adjacent rings. The 1.1 GHz triple-ring coupled ring oscillator (TRO) achieved measured phase noise of − 110.4 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz offset, showing 7 dB phase noise reduction comparing to its single-ring oscillator (SRO) counterpart. When a reference signal is injected into the main ring, the output signals in auxiliary rings maintain the same low phase noise, yet achieve 12 dB lower reference spur. With a 50MHz reference, the MRO based IL-PLL generates 24 multi-phase outputs covering 800 MHz to 1.3 GHz with reference spur reaching −63 dBc. The proposed IL-PLL achieves an in-band phase noise of −121 dBc/Hz @ 1MHz offset and 513fs jitter at 1.1 GHz output frequency with 13.5 mW power.
Modelling of noise reduction in complex multistream jets

The paper presents a low-order prediction scheme for the noise change in multistream jets when the nozzle geometry is altered from a known baseline. The essence of the model is to predict the changes in acoustics due to the redistribution of the mean flow as computed by a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver. A RANS-based acoustic analogy framework is developed that addresses the noise in the polar direction of peak emission and uses the Reynolds stress as a time-averaged representation of the action of the coherent turbulent structures. The framework preserves the simplicity of the Lighthill acoustic analogy, using the free-space Green’s function, while accounting for azimuthal effects via special forms for the space–time correlation combined with source–observer relations based on the Reynolds stress distribution in the jet plume. Results are presented for three-stream jets with offset secondary and tertiary flows that reduce noise in specific azimuthal directions. The model reproduces well the experimental noise reduction trends. Principal mechanisms of noise reduction are elucidated.
A Call to Exploration

Algorithmic improvements will be essential to time series analysis in the coming years. This might surprise those who marvel at the technology trends in which processor speed improvements of several orders of magnitude will occur in the coming decades. But there is no contradiction. Improvements in processors speed up existing algorithms, to be sure. But they also make detectors far more capable.
Spontaneous Labyrinthine Hemorrhage: A Case Series.

ObjectivesTo describe patient characteristics, audiometric outcomes, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal patterns in patients with suspected labyrinthine hemorrhage.Study DesignRetrospectiv...
Role of Neurotrophins in the Formation and Maintenance of Synapses

During development, the establishment of precise synaptic connections between neurons and specific target cells is critical for normal function of the nervous system. Several attributes of neurotrophins, particularly their activitydependent expression and secretion, render these secreted proteins excellent extracellular signals that regulate the formation of synapses. Here we review experimental evidence for the potential role of neurotrophins in synapse formation. Members of the neurotrophin family have been shown to regulate the maturation of both excitatory and inhibitory synapses and also have been demonstrated to impact refinement of synaptic connections. Here, we discuss the multitude of signaling cascades that allow neurotrophins to achieve such diverse effects on CNS development and elaborate on the neurotrophin functions in the regulation of synaptogenesis in several important regions of the mammalian brain.
Chapter 1 Formation of the Aqueous Humor: Transport Components and Their Integration

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the aqueous humor, its inflow from the blood and outflow from the eye into the venous circulation, especially on the first step in establishing that flow—the secretion of the aqueous humor by the ciliary epithelium. The major aim is to present the underlying transport components and regulatory elements of that secretion and to introduce relatively recent changes in thinking concerning the regulatory role of the circulation, functional topography, and species variation in forming the aqueous humor. One major function of aqueous humor inflow is to maintain inflation of the globe, thereby stabilizing its optical properties. A second major function is to deliver oxygen and nutrients and to remove metabolic waste products from the avascular anterior segment consisting of the lens, cornea, and trabecular meshwork. Other functions ascribed to aqueous humor inflow have been less clearly defined and include the delivery of antioxidants such as ascorbate and participation in local immune responses.
Effects of Organized Colorectal Cancer Screening on Cancer Incidence and Mortality in a Large Community-Based Population

Background & Aims Little information is available on the effectiveness of organized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening on screening uptake, incidence, and mortality in community-based populations. Methods We contrasted screening rates, age-adjusted annual CRC incidence, and incidence-based mortality rates before (baseline year 2000) and after (through 2015) implementation of organized screening outreach, from 2007 through 2008 (primarily annual fecal immunochemical testing and colonoscopy), in a large community-based population. Among screening-eligible individuals 51–75 years old, we calculated annual up-to-date status for cancer screening (by fecal test, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy), CRC incidence, cancer stage distributions, and incidence-based mortality. Results Initiation of organized CRC screening significantly increased the up-to-date status of screening, from 38.9% in 2000 to 82.7% in 2015 (P Conclusions Implementing an organized CRC screening program in a large community-based population rapidly increased screening participation to the ≥80% target set by national organizations. Screening rates were sustainable and associated with substantial decreases in CRC incidence and mortality within short time intervals, consistent with early detection and cancer prevention.
The Impact of Gender on Postoperative Complications after Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis, often treated by total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Complications can arise after TKAs, which may necessitate revision TKAs and further treatments. However, there remains a paucity of literature regarding influence of gender on postoperative complication rates after revision TKA. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients who received revision TKAs between 2007 and 2014 were identified and recorded as male or female. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the incidence of multiple adverse events within 30 days of revision TKA. This study included 9,914 patients who underwent revision TKA (females = 5,728 [57.8%]; males = 4 186 [42.2%]). Male patients were shown to be at greater risk for developing 7 of 17 complications compared with female patients, and female patients were shown to be at greater risk for urinary tract infection (UTI) development. Multivariate analysis showed males as an independent risk factor for four complications and females as an independent risk factor for UTI development. Male patients were more likely to develop more complications postoperatively than female patients. Although the possibility of developing complications is relatively low, orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of increased postoperative complication rates when counseling patients who undergo revision TKA.
Functional effects of blocking VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling in the rat urinary bladder in acute and chronic CYP-induced cystitis.

High expression of VEGF is associated with immature angiogenesis within the urinary bladder wall and bladder afferent nerve sensitization, leading to visceral hyperalgesia and pelvic pain. Research...
Mexicans and Colombians at Home and Abroad: A Comparative Study of Political Engagement

Although a large number of democracies have extended political rights to expatriates, relatively little is known about the depths of transnational political engagement. How attentive are expatriates to politics in the country of origin? When expatriates judge leaders “back home,” are their evaluations based on the same ideological considerations as those of citizens in the country of origin? Drawing from original surveys conducted during presidential elections in Mexico (2006) and Colombia (2010), in which both emigrants and citizens within the country were sampled, this study addresses these questions. The results indicate that for each nationality group, living abroad is not associated with a drop in political attentiveness, and time abroad does not in and of itself depress attention to politics from a distance. Moreover, emigrants and individuals in the country of origin do not vary in the extent to which ideological preferences are used to judge presidents, which is a key marker of political sophistication. These results suggest that in the context of Mexican and Colombian politics, living abroad does not markedly diminish the potential for effective democratic engagement. Resumen Si bien gran numero de democracias han extendido derechos politicos a los emigrantes, se sabe relativamente poco sobre el compromiso politico transnacional. ?Que tan atentos son los emigrantes a la politica del pais de origen? ?Cuando se juzga a los lideres de este pais, la evaluacion que les hacen los emigrantes se basa en las mimas consideraciones que los ciudadanos del pais de origen? Este estudio aborda estas preguntas utilizando encuestas originales realizadas durante las elecciones presidenciales en Mexico (2006) y en Colombia (2010) y donde ambos, emigrantes y ciudadanos dentro del pais de origen, fueron parte del muestreo. El resultado indica que en los dos casos de Mexico y Colombia el vivir fuera del pais no esta asociado con una baja de la atencion a lo politico, y que el tiempo vivido por fuera no reduce por si solo esta atencion desde la distancia. Aun mas, emigrantes e individuos en el pais de origen no difieren en la forma de usar las preferencias ideologicas para juzgar a los presidentes, lo que es una marca clave de sofisticacion politica. Estos resultados sugieren que en el contexto de la politica de Mexico y Colombia, vivir afuera no disminuye el potencial de compromiso politico democratico.
Leveraging Positive Psychology to Support Smoking Cessation in Nondaily Smokers Using a Smartphone App: Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

Background: Nondaily smoking is an increasingly prevalent smoking pattern that poses substantial health risks. Objective: We tested the feasibility of using a smartphone app with positive psychology exercises to support smoking cessation in nondaily smokers. Methods: In this prospective, single-group pilot study, nondaily smokers (n=30) used version 1 of the Smiling Instead of Smoking (SiS) app for 3 weeks while undergoing a quit attempt. The app assigned daily happiness exercises, provided smoking cessation tools, and made smoking cessation information available. Participants answered surveys at baseline and 2, 6, 12, and 24 weeks after their chosen quit day and participated in structured user feedback sessions 2 weeks after their chosen quit day. Results: App usage during the prescribed 3 weeks of use was high, with an average 84% (25.2/30) of participants using the app on any given day. App use was largely driven by completing happiness exercises (73%, 22/30) of participants per day), which participants continued to complete even after the end of the prescribed period. At the end of prescribed use, 90% (27/30) of participants reported that the app had helped them during their quit attempt, primarily by reminding them to stay on track (83%, 25/30) and boosting their confidence to quit (80%, 24/30) and belief that quitting was worthwhile (80%, 24/30). Happiness exercises were rated more favorably than user-initiated smoking cessation tools, and 80% (24/30) of participants proactively expressed in interviews that they liked them. App functionality to engage social support was not well received. Functionality to deal with risky times was rated useful but was rarely used. Within-person changes from baseline to the end of prescribed use were observed for several theorized mechanisms of behavior change, all in the expected direction: confidence increased (on a 0-100 scale, internal cues: b=16.7, 95% CI 7.2 to 26.3, P=.001; external cues: b=15.8, 95% CI 5.4 to 26.1, P=.004), urge to smoke decreased (on a 1-7 scale, b=−0.8, 95% CI −1.3 to −0.3, P=.002), and perceptions of smoking became less positive (on a 1-5 scale, psychoactive benefits: b=−0.5, 95% CI −0.9 to −0.2, P=.006; pleasure: b=−0.4, 95% CI −0.7 to −0.01, P=.03; on a 0-100 scale, importance of pros of smoking: b=−11.3, 95% CI −18.9 to −3.8, P=.004). Self-reported abstinence rates were 40% (12/30) and 53% (16/30) of participants 2 and 24 weeks post quit, respectively, with 30% (9/30) biochemically validated as abstinent 2 weeks post quit. Conclusions: A smartphone app using happiness exercises to aid smoking cessation was well received by nondaily smokers. Given the high nonadherence and dropout rates for technology-delivered interventions reported in the literature, the high engagement with positive psychology exercises is noteworthy. Observed within-person changes and abstinence rates are promising and warrant further development of this app.
CANDIDIASIS IN THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF BEST PRACTICES

Candidiasis is a common infection in humans and one of the more common oral alterations in the pediatric population. The incidence of candidiasis in this population is highest in neonates, with 8.7% experiencing the infection. Children up to 12 months of age experience candidiasis at a frequency of 2-5%, while the pediatric population in general has an incidence of 0.8-3.7%. The most easily recognizable form is pseudomembranous candidiasis, which presents as non-adherent, white, plaque-like lesions. Erythematous candidiasis has a variety of presentations; lesions are typically asymptomatic and chronic. Treatment options vary based on the child's preference of medication type (oral suspension, lozenges, or tablet). We present a case of cheilocandidiasis in a 20 month old patient and review the best practices for treatment and follow-up when candidiasis is encountered in a pediatric patient.
Results of Ion Cyclotron Heating Experiments on Proto-MPEX Utilizing a Movable Stainless Steel Target

Ion cyclotron heating (ICH) at a frequency in the 6- to 9-MHz range with electron heating in the 28- to 105-GHz range will be used in the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) to greatly incre...
Regulated equity returns: A puzzle

Abstract Based on a database of U.S. electric utility rate cases spanning nearly four decades, the returns on equity authorized by regulators have exhibited a large and growing premium over the riskless rate of return. This growing premium does not appear to be explained by traditional asset-pricing models, often in direct contrast to regulators’ stated intent. We suggest possible alternative explanations drawn from finance, public policy, public choice, and the behavioral economics literature. However, absent some normative justification for this premium, it would appear that regulators are authorizing excessive returns on equity to utility investors and that these excess returns translate into tangible profits for utility firms.
Creatinine Assessment in Non–Steady-State Conditions: A Critical Review:

Objectives:To discuss methods for the assessment of creatinine clearance (Clcr) when serum creatinine (SCr) is not at steady state in order to estimate kidney function and apply the estimate to kid...
The replica-symmetric free energy for Ising spin glasses with orthogonally invariant couplings.

We study the mean-field Ising spin glass model with external field, where the random symmetric couplings matrix is orthogonally invariant in law. For sufficiently high temperature, we prove that the replica-symmetric prediction is correct for the first-order limit of the free energy. Our analysis is an adaption of a "conditional quenched equals annealed" argument used by Bolthausen to analyze the high-temperature regime of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. We condition on a sigma-field that is generated by the iterates of an Approximate Message Passing algorithm for solving the TAP equations in this model, whose rigorous state evolution was recently established.
Challenges and needs for system-level electrochemical lithium-ion battery management and diagnostics

The desire for energy-dense and fast-charged battery technology in consumer electronics, electric vehicle, grid, and aviation applications is pushing the envelope from materials to cell and pack designs. However, some approaches could inherently decrease safety of the battery—thus requiring the development of advanced management and diagnostics. Safety of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), particularly in multicell configurations, is highly variable and could evolve with use. Existing works primarily focus on cell life and safety diagnostics without considering module and pack-level uncertainties and sometimes imply that cell-level electrochemical diagnostics would work in modules or packs, a naive oversimplification. Using example case studies, we highlight the potential and challenges associated with extending single-cell diagnostics to multiple cells, note the existing gaps, and motivate the research, development, and support communities to devote efforts to fill the gap by developing diagnostics at these levels for current- and future-generation LiBs.
Individualistic culture increases economic mobility in the United States.

Where an individual grows up has large implications for their long-term economic outcomes, including earnings and intergenerational mobility. Even within the United States, the “causal effect of place” varies greatly and cannot be fully explained by socioeconomic conditions. Across different nations, variation in growth and mobility have been linked to more individualistic cultures. We assess how variation of historically driven individualism within the United States affects mobility. Areas in the United States that were isolated on the frontier for longer periods of time during the 19th century have a stronger culture of “rugged individualism” [S. Bazzi, M. Fiszbein, M. Gebresilasse, Econometrica 88, 2329–2368 (2020)]. We combine county-level measures of frontier experience with modern measures of the causal effect of place on mobility—the predicted percentage change in an individual’s earnings at age 26 y associated with “growing up” in a particular county [R. Chetty, N. Hendren, Q. J. Econ. 133, 1163–1228 (2018)]. Using commuting zone fixed effects and a suite of county-level controls to absorb regional variation in frontier experience and modern economic conditions, we find an additional decade of frontier experience results in 25% greater modern-day income mobility for children of parents in the 25th percentile of income and 14% for those born to parents in the 75th percentile. We use mediation analysis to present suggestive evidence that informal manifestations of “rugged individualism”—those embodied by the individuals themselves—are more strongly associated with upward mobility than formal policy or selective migration.
Post-Legalization Drug Communication: Examining a Colorado Cannabis Campaign

Colorado legalized marijuana use for recreational purposes by adults over 21 in 2012. Our goal is to examine the first major communication campaign (called Good-To-Know) mounted by the state government with the objective of informing the public regarding regulatory and safety precautions surrounding newly legal use. Methods: We assess the content of campaign's central messaging qualitatively by comparing its major themes in terms of criteria developed from the literature and the campaign's own goals. Results: With minor exceptions (lack of audience segmentation; limiting the focus to generating knowledge) Colorado's Good-To-Know campaign rates well when assessed against specific criteria for effective drug communication campaigns as well as its own goals. Conclusions: We conclude that although there were minor limitations to this campaign, policy makers and activists should think proactively about messaging content in states where legalization is imminent. And that more research on legal drug use messaging needs to occur.
Evaluation of machine learning models for proteoform retention and migration time prediction in top-down mass spectrometry

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) are two popular proteoform separation methods in mass spectrometry (MS)-based top-down proteomics. The prediction of proteoform retention time in RPLC and migration time in CZE provides additional information that can increase the accuracy of proteoform identification and quantification. Whereas existing methods for retention and migration time prediction are mainly focused on peptides in bottom-up MS, there is still a lack of methods for the problem in top-down MS. We systematically evaluated 6 models for proteoform retention and/or migration time prediction in top-down MS and showed that the Prosit model achieved a high accuracy (R2 > 0.91) for proteoform retention time prediction and that the Prosit model and a fully connected neural network model obtained a high accuracy (R2 > 0.94) for proteoform migration time prediction.