cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Astaxanthin inhibits inflammation and fibrosis in the liver and adipose tissue of mouse models of diet-induced obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

The objective of this study was to determine if astaxanthin (ASTX), a xanthophyll carotenoid, can prevent obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities, inflammation and fibrosis in diet-induced obesity (DIO) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse models. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat (6% fat, w/w), a high-fat/high-sucrose control (HF/HS; 35% fat, 35% sucrose, w/w), or a HF/HS containing ASTX (AHF/HS; 0.03% ASTX, w/w) for 30 weeks. To induce NASH, another set of mice was fed a HF/HS diet containing 2% cholesterol (HF/HS/HC) a HF/HS/HC with 0.015% ASTX (AHF/HS/HC) for 18 weeks. Compared to LF, HF/HS significantly increased plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose, which were lowered by ASTX. ASTX decreased hepatic mRNA levels of markers of macrophages and fibrosis in both models. The effect of ASTX was more prominent in NASH than DIO mice. In epididymal fat, ASTX also decreased macrophage infiltration and M1 macrophage marker expression, and inhibited hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α and its downstream fibrogenic genes in both mouse models. ASTX significantly decreased tumor necrosis factor α mRNA in the splenocytes from DIO mice upon lipopolysaccharides stimulation compared with those from control mice fed an HF/HS diet. Additionally, ASTX significantly elevated the levels of genes that regulate fatty acid β-oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscle compared with control obese mice, whereas no differences were noted in adipose lipogenic genes. Our results indicate that ASTX inhibits inflammation and fibrosis in the liver and adipose tissue and enhances the skeletal muscle's capacity for mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in obese mice.
Commentary on: The Rise of Technology in Plastic Surgery Education: Is the Textbook Dead on Arrival (DOA)?

This truly is the information age. At any given moment, we can hold a super computer in the palm of our hands, allowing us to access a vast corpus of human knowledge and link with our peers and colleagues instantaneously. Social media in particular helps keep us up-to-date on new developments in our fields. Each week, new applications (apps) and programs attempt to distill the large amount of available knowledge into high-yield learning points that are applicable to our practices. Navigating this ever-changing abundance of knowledge has proven challenging. The study by Waltzman et al confirms what we have long suspected: smart phones and tablets are ubiquitous and their potential should be harnessed effectively.1 The authors of this study also ask, “Is the textbook dead on arrival?”1 Although textbooks are not as pervasive a part of education as they were in prior generations, this medium should not be discounted as a teaching tool just yet. In fact, the printed page may have some benefits over tablets and smart phones that may help us optimize learning. Smart phone and smart tablets have only really begun to revolutionize education in the last several years. Although a review published in 2009 found that residents used personal digital assistants for pharmacological prescribing apps and medical calculators,2 the release of the iPad and similar tablet devices brought medical app use to the forefront of patient care. The first version of the iPad was released …
Electroprecipitin test for hepatitis--associated antigen and antibody.

A rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive electroprecipitin (EP) test for detecting hepatitis-associated antigen (HAA) in sera of patients who have hepatitis has been developed. The method is based on a dual electrophoresis in which soluble antigen overtakes and migrates through an antiserum which moves more slowly under electric current. A positive test is indicated by a sharp U- or V-shaped arc at the point where the more rapidly moving antigen migrates through the gamma-globulin. The test has been evaluated and standarized with three pairs of reference sera confirmed to contain HAA or anti-HAA. Also, the EP test has been compared with the agar-gel double-diffusion (AGDD) technic and the complement-fixation (CE) test for detecting HAA in 100 sera from hepatitis patients. The EP test requires only 0.005 ml. of a standard antiserum to detect antigen in the same volume of the patient’s serum. The total procedure, which requires 1½ hr. to complete is more sensitive than the AGDD. Once the EP test is standardized, it can easily be adapted for testing blood donor sera for the hepatitis-associated antigen by most conventional laboratories.
CEO Overconfidence and the Effects of Equity-Based Compensation on Strategic Risk-Taking in the U.S. Restaurant Industry

The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the moderating effect of CEO overconfidence on the relationship between equity-based compensation and strategic risk-taking and (b) the relationship...
Dexamethasone on Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Nitrite/Nitrate Production in Myocardial Infarction

The effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on the activation of the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and its relation to the formation of oxidation products of nitric oxide (NO2-+ NO3-, NOx) in infarcted heart muscle of rabbits was investigated. Myocardial infarction was produced by ligation of the first anterior branch of the left circumflex coronary artery. NOx was determined by chemiluminescence and iNOS by conversion of L-[14C]-arginine to L-[14C]-citrulline. The rise in myocardial iNOS production, which followed onset of myocardial ischemia, was suppressed by DEX. In addition, following coronary artery ligation, coronary arterial venous differences of NOx increased markedly; this effect was also partially abolished by DEX. Cardiac origin of NOx was confirmed by the linear relationship between coronary A-V NOx difference and myocardial formation of iNOS. This relationship was preserved after administration of DEX. Therefore glucocorticoids interfere with the myocardial NO production and thus diminish the concentration of its oxidative products in plasma.
IMPACT OF FONTAN CONVERSION ON EXERCISE CAPACITY IN ADULT FONTAN PATIENTS

There are no data evaluating the impact of Fontan conversion (FC) on exercise capacity (EC) as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Retrospective study comparing CPET performed pre and post FC at Mayo Clinic, 1994-2014. Only symptom-limited maximal exercise CPET performed within 24
Generalized Frequency Domain Modeling and Analysis For A Flexible Rotating Spacecraft

A flexible rotating spacecraft is modeled as a three body hybrid system consisting of a rigid hub a flexible appendage following the Euler-Bernoulli beam assumptions and a tip mass and inertia. Hamilton’s extended principle is used to derive the equations of motion and the boundary conditions of the system. This work compares the frequency domain accuracy provided by series approximation methods versus analytical models. Applying the Laplace transform to the integro-partial derivation equations of motion model, leads to a generalized state space model for the frequency domain representation of the system. Both approximate and exact transfer function models are developed and compared. Eigen decomposition is used to solve the flexible appendage sub-problem and then to find the solution for the full system of equations. The analytic frequency domain model is manipulated by introducing a spatial domain state space, where a standard convolution integral representation is used to invoke the boundary conditions that act at the tip mass for the free end of the beam. Closed-form solutions are obtained for the convolution integral forcing terms. The closed form solution is used to generate transfer functions for both the rigid and the flexible modes of the system in terms of the input torque. A numerical example is presented to compare the frequency response of the closed form solution transfer function to the numerical assumed modes solution. The difference resulting from in the natural frequencies resulting from the series truncation is highlighted and discussed. The closed form solution proves to be more accurate with no truncation errors and is suitable for control design iterations.
The Sonographic Evaluation and Management of Simple Renal Cysts in Children

AbstractAlthough simple cysts of the kidney are common in adults such lesions are seldom reported in children. The wider application of improving pediatric uroradiology and the increasing diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound allow more frequent recognition and better definition of these lesions.We evaluated the results of non-operative management of simple renal cysts in 7 children between 7 and 13 years old, seen at this hospital during the last 3 years. A review of the world literature indicates that management of simple renal cysts is predominantly surgical. A non-operative form of diagnosis and followup evaluation of simple renal cysts, using specific ultrasonographic techniques and criteria, are offered as the method of choice for this condition.
Locomotion and Posture in Ancestral Hominoids Prior to the Split of Hylobatids

Torso-orthograde (TO)-positional behavior and an associated suite of postcranial morphological specializations, both of which are often linked to the evolution of large body size, are considered hallmarks of hominoid evolution. These features are thought to have played an important role in the Old World monkey-ape divergence and the development of upright bipedal locomotion in our own lineage. Compared to early theorists, who considered hylobatids an appropriate model for investigating the initial stages of hominoid evolution, more recent reconstructions of the last common ancestor of hominoids have advocated a larger-bodied, more generalized ape very different from hylobatids as the most likely morphotype. While field observations from the large-bodied non-human hominids (i.e., Asian and African apes) confirm that they do in fact utilize an expansive TO-positional repertoire, no detailed data from hylobatids has been available until now to fully evaluate this hypothesis in light of all hominoid taxa. Using recently published positional behavior data from a population of adult white-handed gibbons ( Hylobates lar ) from Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, and integrating these data with a diverse anthropoid primate comparative sample, we reevaluate differences in positional behavior of extant cercopithecoids and hominoids. The comparative dataset agrees with recent suggestions that all living apes share a diverse TO-positional repertoire, relative to that of cercopithecoid monkeys. The question, whether or not TO-anatomical specializations and behavior among the Hominoidea represent homologous or homoplastic traits or both, could not yet be answered conclusively, despite the fact that homologous evolution is the more parsimonious explanation, due to a lack of support from the fossil record. Nevertheless, an upright (TO) and enhanced exploitation of the arboreal tree canopy by our ape ancestors were likely key evolutionary novelties that helped to shape the origin of hominins. Only an expansive understanding of the diversity of both extant and extinct apes will help to comprehensively unravel our enigmatic origins.
How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications

We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the ‘programmable programming language’. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology.
Plating of pilon fractures based on the orientation of the fibular shaft component: A biomechanical study evaluating plate stiffness in a cadaveric fracture model.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate mechanically superior method of pilon fracture fixation by comparing axial stiffness between anterolateral and medial tibial locking plates in a cadaveric fracture model. Methods Eight matched pairs of fresh frozen cadaver specimens (lower limb after through-knee disarticulation) were used to eliminate confounder of bone quality. Simulated pilon fractures were created so that each pair represented either varus or valgus fracture pattern (AO 43-A2) with associated fibular fractures (transverse or comminuted). Specimens were plated with DePuy anterolateral or medial locking plate and axial load applied, measuring displacement at the fracture site. Each lower extremity was tested with a fracture wedge in place and removed to mimic comminution. Average force at which failure occurred was compared between the two fixation methods, for varus and valgus fracture pattern respectively, with the use of a Mann-Whitney U test. Results On average, medial plate fixation of varus fractures resulted in 2.27 times (range of 1.6–3.9) greater load prior to failure as compared to anterolateral plate. Similarly, valgus simulated fractures tolerated 1.6 times (range 1.12–2.34) higher force prior to failure if anterolateral plate was applied versus medial plate. Analysis utilizing the Mann-Whitney U test for fracture patterns vs plate configuration approached statistical significance (p = 0.081 varus failure and p = 0.386 valgus failure). Conclusions Lateral plate fixation is biomechanically superior for pilon fractures resulting from valgus force as evident by comminuted fibular fracture. Similarly, medial plate location resulted in improved stiffness in compression for varus type fractures, evident by transverse fibular fracture. We approached statistical significance, however our lack of power regarding adequate sample size is an issue that is consistent with other biomechanical studies in this area.
Abstract SY28-01: Stromal contributions of adipocytes to cancer

The past few years have provided substantial evidence for the vital role of the local tumor microenvironment in various aspects of tumorigenesis. With obesity and its pathophysiologic sequelae still on the rise, the adipocyte is increasingly moving to center stage in the context of tumor stroma-related studies. To date, we have limited insights into how systemic changes associated with obesity and altered adipokine secretion influence the incidence and progression of obesity-associated cancers. Adipocytes are the major constituents of adipose tissue and play a key role in whole body metabolism. They not only fulfill an important role as a buffer for excess triglycerides, but they also secrete many lipid and protein factors and are therefore considered major endocrine cells that influence metabolism of other tissues, including liver, muscle, brain, and pancreatic β-cells. With chronic excess of energy intake, adipocytes develop hypertrophy and face various physiologic insults, such as hypoxia, oxidative stress, and disruptions in the protein secretory pathway due to ER stress. As a result, adipocytes become dysfunctional and less efficient at fulfilling their primary function of storing and neutralizing potentially toxic free fatty acids. Adipocyte dysfunction has been widely appreciated as a major cause underlying obesity-related metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, and cancers due to inappropriate release of mitogenic and inflammatory factors. As a result, these dysfunctional adipocytes also support the growth of infiltrating transformed ductal epithelial cells in the mammary gland, at the level of secretion of critical growth factors, proinflammatory cytokines, increased ECM production, and support of tumor lesion growth through release of critical metabolites. Therefore, the adipocyte with its paracrine influence on the microenvironment as well as its endocrine functions is an important area of research for both primary and metastatic tumor growth. Citation Format: Philipp E. Scherer. Stromal contributions of adipocytes to cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY28-01. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-SY28-01
Using climate models to estimate urban vulnerability to flash floods

Abstract Climate change will impact urban infrastructure networks by changing precipitation patterns in a region. This study presents a novel vulnerability assessment framework for infrastructure networks against extreme rainfall-induced flash floods, with a specific application to transportation. The framework combines climate models, network science, geographical information systems (GIS), and stochastic modeling to compile a vulnerability surface (VS). Daily precipitation simulations for 2006–2100 from the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4), are used to produce a stochastic simulation of extreme flash flood events in five U.S. cities—that is, Boston, Massachusetts; Houston, Texas; Miami, Florida; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—under two different climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). To assess the impact of these events, percentage drops in static (i.e., overall properties and robustness topological indicators) and dynamic (i.e., GIS accessibility and travel dem...
Insolation Regime of the Warm to Cold Transitions

Warm to cold global climate transitions of the past 130 thousand years took place while insolation was rapidly increasing in low latitudes in February, March and April, and decreasing in the high and middle latitudes of both hemispheres in August, September and October. Among the elements potentially affected by the changes in insolation were the heating of the tropical oceans, seasonal changes of atmospheric water vapor greenhouse forcing, surface albedo in the high latitudes, including sea ice melt in the Southern Hemisphere, and deep water formation and circulation in the North Atlantic. Drawing parallels with the contemporary seasonal cycle, we propose that as a result of the increased meridional insolation gradient, the transport of warm water from the low latitudes to the northern middle latitudes and the transfer of water vapor from the middle to the high northern latitudes increased enough to support the build-up of glaciers. Our conceptual model of glacial onset requires no lag in the climate response to insolation changes and both hemispheres operate in phase.
Testing fast reactor fuels in a thermal reactor

Abstract The present lack of a domestic fast neutron flux irradiation capability combined with continued development of fast reactor fuels in the U.S. motivated an innovative engineering solution to utilize a unique neutron flux tailoring capability in the Advanced Test Reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. To achieve the objectives of the fast reactor fuel irradiation tests, the incident neutron flux was hardened substantially by placing fueled irradiation capsules inside specially designed cadmium shrouds. Use of cadmium prevents thermal neutrons from reaching the fuels being tested and alleviates the plutonium self-shielding that would normally arise during irradiations of high density, highly enriched fuels in a thermal neutron spectrum. The present paper illustrates the profound effect this engineered solution has on the efficacy of the experiments. Based on the comparison of post-irradiation measurements of the columnar grain region in fast reactor mixed-oxide fuels with fuel performance calculations, it is demonstrated that thermal conditions achieved in these cadmium-shrouded fuel experiments are substantially prototypic of a sodium fast reactor and are suitable for concept-screening tests supporting development of new fast reactor fuels. It is also shown that if the experiments were conducted in an unmodified ATR neutron spectrum, gross plutonium self-shielding would cause a strong depression of the fission power at the fuel centerline preventing fuel restructuring, a hallmark feature of mixed oxide fuel behavior under fast reactor conditions. Recognizing the need for testing metallic fuels for fast reactors, the impact of neutron flux energy spectrum on the radial temperature distribution in metallic fuel is investigated. It is shown that the use of Cd shrouds allows to attain radial temperature distributions nearly identical to those that exist in an SFR.
Conclusion: Close Encounters of the Third Space Kind

In this concluding chapter, I present pedagogical implications for teacher educators in enacting critical literacy pedagogy. As instructors in teacher education programs and university-level courses continue to grapple with diversity issues for preservice teachers’ growth, they must incorporate social identity and academic literacies of prospective teachers into their curriculum and instruction that can lead teachers early in their career to view teaching as a process of critical inquiry rather than a pre-defined assemblage of techniques. This approach will provide contingent possibilities rather than prepackaged solutions to counter inequalities and prejudices inherent in varying academic contexts. In addition to pedagogical implications, this chapter provides theoretical implications for researchers in the fields of applied linguistics, critical pedagogy, and teacher education.
Anomalous electrical bistability in lateral grain rich polycrystalline molybdenum disulfide thin films

Abstract Lateral-grain- rich polycrystalline MoS 2 films have been prepared using sulfurization of the Mo-coated glass substrate. The goal of such synthesis is to achieve electrical bistability without fabricating a sandwiched structure that generally utilizes other materials, such as graphene or N-vinylcarbazole. These films show a symmetrical three-stage electrical behavior that follows a different charge transport mechanism. In a single voltage sweep, both on and off stages appear. The intermediate stage obeys a trap-controlled space charge limited current mechanism, whereas the ON stage follows a Schottky emission model. The overall charge transport mechanism was explained on the basis of contributions from dangling bonds, stoichiometric defects, atmospheric adsorbates, s-vacancies, and free charge carriers. Under an assumption of the high contribution of the leakage current, the simulated I-V curve shows two different sections. Such a trend was observed in the experimental I-V curves.
Quantification of genetic components of population differentiation in UK Biobank traits reveals signals of polygenic selection

The genetic architecture of most human complex traits is highly polygenic, motivating efforts to detect polygenic selection involving a large number of loci. In contrast to previous work relying on top GWAS loci, we developed a method that uses genome-wide association statistics and linkage disequilibrium patterns to estimate the genome-wide genetic component of population differentiation of a complex trait along a continuous gradient, enabling powerful inference of polygenic selection. We analyzed 43 UK Biobank traits and focused on PC1 and North-South and East-West birth coordinates across 337K unrelated British-ancestry samples, for which our method produced close to unbiased estimates of genetic components of population differentiation and high power to detect polygenic selection in simulations across different trait architectures. For PC1, we identified signals of polygenic selection for height (74.5+-16.7% of 9.3% total correlation with PC1 attributable to genome-wide genetic effects; P = 8.4x10-6) and red hair pigmentation (95.9+-24.7% of total correlation with PC1 attributable to genome-wide genetic effects; P = 1.1x10-4); the bulk of the signal remained when removing genome-wide significant loci, even though red hair pigmentation includes loci of large effect. We also detected polygenic selection for height, systolic blood pressure, BMI and basal metabolic rate along North-South birth coordinate, and height and systolic blood pressure along East-West birth coordinate. Our method detects polygenic selection in modern human populations with very subtle population structure and elucidates the relative contributions of genetic and non-genetic components of trait population differences.
What Every Student Should Know About the Bill of Rights

In June of 1789, Representative James Madison fulfilled a campaign promise to his Virginia constituents by asking colleagues in the House of Representatives to consider a group of constitutional amendments designed to secure basic individual liberties. By December of 1791, ten of these were ratified by the necessary number of states, becoming the first amendments to the new Constitution—the U.S. Bill of Rights. Despite the bicentennial “burnout” which some individuals are experiencing, the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights—which we begin in earnest this spring—should be a most meaningful occasion for every American. The Declaration of Independence made the nation a possibility; the Constitution created the structure of public authority in the nation; but the Bill of Rights has done nothing less than define the very quality of public and private life in the United States. If the Constitution is a “living document,” then surely the Bill of Rights is about daily living and the freedom we have to experience life. This makes the Bill of Rights America's most important “founding” document.The Bill of Rights has been variously described as “a shield to every American citizen,” “the one guarantee of freedom to the American people,” “fetters against doing evil which no honest government should decline,” and “the foundation of liberty against the encroachments of government.” However, even as we prepare to celebrate its bicentennial, ignorance, indifference, intolerance, ideology, and perhaps even modernity threaten the viability of its guarantees. Historian Michael Kammen (1986: 336-356) calls it a “subtle attack” while others see it as a direct frontal assault.
The impact of imperfect user rating strategies on Health-related Laymen-evaluated Platforms

Health-related Laymen-evaluated Platforms (HLEPs) are online health-related Q&A platforms (OHQPs), and have become a dominant unofficial channel for patients seeking medical advice in China. This r...
Understanding China's Transition to Capitalism: The Contributions of Victor Nee and Andrew Walder

Over the last 2 decades, the field of sociological research on the transformation of Chinese society has changed dramatically. Where past scholarship in the sociology of China was epitomized by the China-watcher area specialist, the field today is more disciplinarily bounded and less tied to area studies, more theoretical and less concerned with the microlevel details and thick description of life in China.2 These changes have had positive consequences for scholarship on Chinese society, and in this review essay I consider the work of two scholars who have played central roles in this transformation. Victor Nee and Andrew Walder have cast long shadows over the field of the sociology of China.3 They have, for better or for worse, shaped the field in the image of their own ideas. I choose to focus this
Adopting New-to-the-World Products

In this chapter, we will look at what can be learned from the theory of the diffusion of innovation, from cognitive learning theory, and from anthropological and organizational behavior studies of culture change in organizations. The theoretical presentation is kept to a minimum (but with lots of references) so that we can move on to the theories’ practical implications for (i) why there are barriers to customers accepting innovative products, and (ii) how sellers — and buyers — can overcome these barriers.
Rapid formation of polymer frits in fused silica capillaries using spatially defined thermal free-radical initiated polymerization

Column preparation in capillary chromatography commonly relies upon the generation of on-column porous frits. Here, we report a simple, robust and low-cost approach for preparing polymer frits on-column, in a rapid and spatially controlled manner using thermal free-radical initiated polymerization. In this approach, a simple, temperature-controlled heating apparatus is positioned adjacent to a 100 μm i.d. fused-silica capillary for a defined duration. Frits were synthesized in 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate modified capillaries using a monomer solution of 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile, glycidyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and decanol. Frit length and stability were investigated as a function of polymerization time and temperature. Frit length was easily controlled via a combination of polymerization time and temperature and position was readily controlled using a simple mechanical placement jig. Thermal initiated frits were stable throughout column packing and did not require removal of the capillary polyimide coating. The thermal initiation approach offers higher throughput, with polymerization times of < 2 min compared to ≥ 30 min for UV-initiated polymerization and significantly reduces the cost, enabling broader access to on-column frit technology for a variety of capillary separation applications.
Hepatitis C Virus Neutralizing Antibodies: Is a Vaccine Still Possible?

Many hurdles have plagued the development of an effective vaccine for hepatitis C virus. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Kinchen et al. (2018) and Flyak et al. (2018) report on the characterization of neutralizing antibodies from individuals that spontaneously cleared infection, providing insights that promise to propel vaccine design forward.
Subseasonal Weather Prediction in a Global Convection-Permitting Model

AbstractAlthough accurate weather and climate prediction beyond one to two weeks is of great value to society, the skill of such extended prediction is limited in current operational global numeric...
A compact and robust handheld frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) endoscope for clinical label-free metabolic imaging of oral cancer (Conference Presentation)

We present our 2nd generation handheld simultaneous multispectral frequency-domain FLIM endoscopic system for label-free metabolic imaging of oral cancer, with enhanced optical performance and system usability. Our custom-designed and 3D-printed handheld endoscope consists of an enclosure (6 x 3 x 3 cm3) with a rigid probe (1 cm diameter, 9 cm length) that weighs less than 125 g with all the system components, which, compared to our previous system, is significantly smaller and lighter, and has improved ergonomics and usability. The enclosure has mounts for a dual axes bi-directional MEMS scanner and a dichroic mirror, and plug-and-play ports for excitation, emission collection and rigid probe optics. The rigid probe used for oral mucosa imaging contains a three-lens imaging system that, compared to our previous system, has: an increased field of view (FOV) (6 x 6 mm2 vs. 16 x 16 mm2), improved lateral resolution (36 μm in the center and 65 μm at the edge, diffraction-limited performance across a central ± 5.5 mm field), and an extended working distance (10 mm vs. 40 mm). A 375 nm CW laser is used as the excitation source, and fluorescence emission is spectrally divided into three emission bands (405±10 nm, 440±20 nm, and 525±25 nm) targeting collagen, NADH, and FAD, which are relevant for early detection of oral cancer. Fluorescence emission is then detected by three APDs and further processed onboard an FPGA. Our clinically compatible handheld endoscope allows for noninvasive and fast in situ clinical metabolic imaging of the oral mucosa.
A flexible and robust method for assessing conditional association and conditional concordance.

When analyzing bivariate outcome data, it is often of scientific interest to measure and estimate the association between the bivariate outcomes. In the presence of influential covariates for one or both of the outcomes, conditional association measures can quantify the strength of association without the disturbance of the marginal covariate effects, to provide cleaner and less-confounded insights into the bivariate association. In this work, we propose estimation and inferential procedures for assessing the conditional Kendall's tau coefficient given the covariates, by adopting the quantile regression and quantile copula framework to handle marginal covariate effects. The proposed method can flexibly accommodate right censoring and be readily applied to bivariate survival data. It also facilitates an estimator of the conditional concordance measure, namely, a conditional C index, where the unconditional C index is commonly used to assess the predictive capacity for survival outcomes. The proposed method is flexible and robust and can be easily implemented using standard software. The method performed satisfactorily in extensive simulation studies with and without censoring. Application of our methods to two real-life data examples demonstrates their desirable practical utility.
Competing Risks Analysis of Cancer-associated Recurrent Thrombosis, Major Bleeds, and Death in a Geriatric Cohort

**Background:** Individuals with cancer are at an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). There is a continued increased risk of recurrent VTE after the initial event as well as increased bleed risk related to VTE treatment. **Objectives:** This study sought to observe the incidence of recurrent VTE, major bleeding, and death in a geriatric oncology population during treatment for a cancer-associated VTE. **Methods:** We utilized an insurance claims database of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries 65 and older. The index VTE was identified and individuals were followed up to 180 days to observe an outcome event. Treatment groups were classified among those receiving warfarin, low-molecular weight heparins (LMWH), vena cava (VC) filters with or without anticoagulation, or no treatment. Treatment groups were compared on baseline demographic and clinical characteristics and an inverse probability of treatment weight was used to balance these factors between the groups. A competing risks, time-to-event analysis was performed including treatment only models as well as adjusted models with additional covariates. Causespecific hazards ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals were reported. **Results:** Treatment groups differed on baseline variables including age, comorbidities, and tumor sites. After balancing the treatment groups on baseline characteristics, those receiving LMWHs had no difference in recurrent VTE compared to warfarin but had less than half the risk of major bleeding (HR=0.48 [0.27-0.85]). Those receiving VC filters had increased risk of all outcome events relative to warfarin. **Conclusions:** Patients over the age of 65 with cancer are at a high risk of experiencing recurrent VTE and major bleeding during treatment for a cancer-associated VTE. These results are consistent with United States guidelines which recommend LMWHs over warfarin for treatment and secondary prevention of VTE.
Editor's note: 'Getting closer to the truth-together'.

Dear Colleagues, I am deeply honored to become the next editor in chief for Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine ( RAPM ). I would like to first and foremost extend my deep gratitude to Dr Marc Huntoon for his distinguished service to both RAPM and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain
IGF-1 treatment causes unique transcriptional response in neurons from individuals with idiopathic autism.

Research evidence accumulated in the past years in both rodent and human models for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have established insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) as one of the most promising ASD therapeutic interventions to date. ASD is phenotypically and etiologically heterogeneous, making it challenging to uncover the underlying genetic and cellular pathophysiology of the condition; and to efficiently design drugs with widespread clinical benefits. While IGF-1 effects have been comprehensively studied in the literature, how IGF-1 activity may lead to therapeutic recovery in the ASD context is still largely unknown. In this study, we used a previously characterized neuronal population derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from neurotypical controls and idiopathic ASD individuals to study the transcriptional signature of acutely and chronically IGF-1-treated cells. We present a comprehensive list of differentially regulated genes and molecular interactions resulting from IGF-1 exposure in developing neurons from controls and ASD individuals. Our results indicate that IGF-1 treatment has a different impact on neurons from ASD patients compared to controls. Response to IGF-1 treatment in neurons derived from ASD patients was heterogeneous and correlated with IGF-1 receptor expression, indicating that IGF-1 response may have responder and non-responder distinctions across cohorts of ASD patients. Our results suggest that caution should be used when predicting the effect of IGF-1 treatment on ASD patients using neurotypical controls. Instead, IGF-1 response should be studied in the context of ASD patients’ neural cells. The limitation of our study is that our cohort of eight sporadic ASD individuals is comorbid with macrocephaly in childhood. Future studies will address weather downstream transcriptional response of IGF-1 is comparable in non-macrocephalic ASD cohorts. The results presented in this study provide an important resource for researchers in the ASD field and underscore the necessity of using ASD patient lines to explore ASD neuronal-specific responses to drugs such as IGF-1. This study further helps to identify candidate pathways and targets for effective clinical intervention and may help to inform clinical trials in the future.
The Interaction of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resiliency on the Outcome of Depression Among Children and Youth, 8-17 year olds.

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common among children. Little is known on how resilience factors and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) may moderate the relationship between ACEs and childhood depression. Objective Our study fills this gap by providing recent, nationally representative estimates of ACE and PCE exposure for ages 8-17 and examines the associations between ACE exposure and PCEs on the outcome of depression. Participants and setting Data were drawn from the nationally representative 2016-2017 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) and included a total sample of 40,302 children and adolescents. Methods Chi square analysis and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess associations of depression with 9 ACE and 6 PCE exposures. Additive and multiplicative interactions were examined between ACE exposure and PCEs (resiliency measures) on depression. Survey sampling weights and SAS survey procedures were used. Results Our study found that 4% of children had current depression and those with an ACE count greater than four had increased odds (aOR: 2.29; CI: 1.74-3.02). Multivariate regressions demonstrated associations between depression and low resiliency as well as significant interactions between ACE exposure and three PCEs. Children who were exposed to greater than four ACEs and did not exhibit resilience had 8.75 higher odds of depression (CI: 5.23-14.65) compared to those with less than four ACEs and some resilience. Conclusions These findings illustrate the need for the promotion of PCEs and the building of resiliency for combatting depression and reducing the impact of trauma in children and adolescents.
Standardization of Handoff from the Transport Team to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A Quality Improvement Project

Background: The handoff or transfer of patient care from one team to another has been associated with communication failures. Handoff failures affect patient outcome, increase the cost of medical care and affect patient, family and healthcare provider satisfaction. The risk of handoff failure increases as the number of providers and institution increases, this places transported patients at an specially high risk. Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) has a 100 bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). All patients are outborn and are transported almost exclusively by the ACH transport team. …
Steady-state stomatal responses of C3 and C4 species to blue light fraction: Interactions with CO2 concentration.

Blue-light-induced stomatal opening has been studied by applying a short pulse (~5 to 60 s) of blue light to a background of saturating photosynthetic red photons, but little is known about steady-state stomatal responses. Here we report stomatal responses to blue light at high and low CO2 concentrations. Steady-state stomatal conductance (gs ) of C3 plants increased asymptotically with increasing blue light to a maximum at 20% blue (120 µmol m-2 s-1 ). This response was consistent from 200 to 800 µmol mol-1 atmospheric CO2 (Ca ). In contrast, blue light induced only a transient stomatal opening (~5 min) in C4 species above a Ca of 400 µmol mol-1 . Steady-state gs of C4 plants generally decreased with increasing blue intensity. The net photosynthetic rate of all species decreased above 20% blue because blue photons have lower quantum yield (moles carbon fixed per mole photons absorbed) than red photons. Our findings indicate that photosynthesis, rather than a blue-light signal, plays a dominant role in stomatal regulation in C4 species. Additionally, we found that blue light affected only stomata on the illuminated side of the leaf. Contrary to widely held belief, the blue light-induced stomatal opening minimally enhanced photosynthesis and consistently decreased water use efficiency. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Molecular dynamics study of the shock response of polyurea

Abstract We leverage the phase segregated microstructure of polyurea to study its shock response using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The two phase segregated domains, the hard and the soft domains, are investigated separately. The shock response of the domains is studied using a multiscale shock-simulation approach that allows simulation of low pressure shocks. Both domains exhibit an unconventional behavior at low shock velocities that is typically associated with polymers. The shock response of the hard domain is marked by energy dissipation due to hydrogen bond breaking. Moreover, the radial distribution function suggests a severe distortion in the ring structure of aromatic moieties in the hard domain at high shock pressure. Finally, the shock Hugoniot of polyurea, obtained by combining the response of the two domains using a mixing rule, shows excellent match with experimental data.
Reducing detection limits of porous silicon thin film optical sensors using signal processing

We present a signal processing method capable of significantly lowering the detection limit of thin film optical biosensors. This signal processing method, which we term LAMP, is based on Morlet wavelet filtering and extracting phase information. LAMP drastically reduces noise contributions typically encountered in sensor measurements. The noise immunity, sensitivity and linearity of LAMP is benchmarked against several other signal processing methods by applying the different techniques to a large set of simulated porous silicon thin film optical spectra that contain various types of noise signatures. The LAMP signal processing technique opens up new applications in disease detection and environmental monitoring for thin film sensors previously precluded by insufficient detection limits.
Cyanocobalamin prevents cardiomyopathy in type 1 diabetes by modulating oxidative stress and DNMT-SOCS1/3-IGF-1 signaling

Patients with long-standing diabetes have a high risk for cardiac complications that is exacerbated by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We found that feeding cyanocobalamin (B12), a scavenger of superoxide, not only prevented but reversed signs of cardiomyopathy in type 1 diabetic Elmo1H/H Ins2Akita/+ mice. ROS reductions in plasma and hearts were comparable to those in mice treated with other antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine or tempol, but B12 produced better cardioprotective effects. Diabetes markedly decreased plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 levels, while B12, but not N-acetyl-L-cysteine nor tempol, restored them. B12 activated hepatic IGF-1 production via normalization of S-adenosylmethionine levels, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)-1/3a/3b mRNA, and DNA methylation of promoters for suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1/3. Reductions of cardiac IGF-1 mRNA and phosphorylated IGF-1 receptors were also restored. Thus, B12 is a promising option for preventing diabetic cardiomyopathy via ROS reduction and IGF-1 retrieval through DNMT-SOCS1/3 signaling.
An investigation of causal relationships among barriers that delay post-hurricane recovery of human communities

Abstract In the aftermath of hurricanes, the priority of decision makers is to return the affected community to its pre-disaster level of functioning. Recovery is a complex process, however, and is subject to several factors that might affect its timeliness. Therefore, understanding the barriers to timely post-hurricane recovery and determining the interrelations among them are highly important to planning for the recovery. This study investigates the causal relationships among the barriers that lead to delays in the process of recovery after hurricanes and determines the strength of those relationships. The barriers were identified by a thorough literature review, and the causal relationships were determined by implementing a social network analysis (SNA). The barriers that historically receive less attention in developing the mitigating frameworks and mathematical models were also identified. The results of this study show that misalignment among the policies, insufficient local government revenue, and lack of experience cause the most significant delays in recovery process; many other barriers, such as rate of employment, diversity of culture and languages, and damage to commercial buildings historically have not been adequately implemented in frameworks and models and deserve more consideration. The findings of this study will help the decision makers understand how the interactions of the barriers impact the timeliness of the recovery activities and will enable them to develop more reliable plans and frameworks for the recovery process.