cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stepping Out of the Left Ventricle’s Shadow: Time to Focus on the Left Atrium in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is not one single disease but a syndrome composed of multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms.1,2 The assortment of underlying causes of HFpEF and its consequential phenotypic diversity is what makes this syndrome so unique and, unfortunately, so difficult to treat. Despite the heterogeneity of HFpEF, a common thread exists. Regardless of the predominate subtype of HFpEF, the left atrium (LA) plays a central role in the underlying disease process and the symptoms that result from it. See Article by von Roeder et al Multiple studies have shown the diagnostic and prognostic importance of LA size and pressure in HFpEF.3–6 Beyond these parameters, echocardiographic speckle-tracking strain has made it possible to noninvasively measure the functional components of the LA, including reservoir, conduit, and contractile (booster) strain. LA reservoir strain, in particular, has strong prognostic value in HFpEF, and outperforms left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular longitudinal strain in this regard.7 The mechanistic insight gained from evaluating LA mechanics in patients with HFpEF has created a paradigm shift in our thinking of this chamber. It appears that the LA is not simply being a passive marker of disease severity—it is a critical, active component of the HFpEF syndrome. Indeed, in the setting of HFpEF, reduced LA strain (indicative of intrinsic LA mechanical dysfunction) is a major driver of both elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and decreased peak oxygen consumption (Vo2) on cardiopulmonary exercise testing, which leads to exercise intolerance and adverse outcomes (Figure 1).7 Figure 1. The central role of the left atrium (LA) in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, LA fibrosis, atrial fibrillation, and primary LA myopathy can all contribute to abnormal LA mechanics in HFpEF, which can …
Mechanisms of AZO workfunction tuning for anode use in OLEDs: Surface dipole manipulation with plasma treatments versus nanoscale WOx and VOx interfacial layers

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) are potential low cost alternative anodes to indium tin oxide (ITO) for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, their smaller workfunctions compared to ITO lead to higher hole injection barriers, and methods of tuning their workfunctions are of significant technological interest. Ultraviolet and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies together with density functional theory based first principles calculations indicate that with CFx plasma treatments, increased workfunction can be achieved by -CF3 or -F adsorption on ZnO surfaces, due to creation of a surface dipole moment with electron transfer to F. Modification of AZO surfaces with nanoscopic (∼3 nm) VOx and WOx layers yielded workfunction increases due to the larger workfunction of the add-layers. Deviations from stoichiometry (oxygen vacancies) result in reduced metal cations (W5+, W4+, V4+, and V3+), leading to partial filling of the metal d band, and formation of associated gap states. Current-...
Full-length cDNA synthesis for long-distance RT-PCR of large mRNA transcripts.

Reverse transcription of mRNA often leads to the synthesis of partial, non-fulllength cDNAs. Methods to facilitate reverse transcription across RNA regions of secondary structure, as well as enzyme...
Dislocation nucleation from symmetric tilt grain boundaries in body-centered cubic vanadium

Abstract We perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with two interatomic potentials to study dislocation nucleation from six symmetric tilt grain boundaries (GB) using bicrystal models in body-centered cubic vanadium. The influences of the misorientation angle are explored in the context of activated slip systems, critical resolved shear stress (CRSS), and GB energy. It is found that for four GBs, the activated slip systems are not those with the highest Schmid factor, i.e., the Schmid law breaks down. For all misorientation angles, the bicrystal is associated with a lower CRSS than their single crystalline counterparts. Moreover, the GB energy decreases in compressive loading at the yield point with respect to the undeformed configuration, in contrast to tensile loading.
Through-Wall Human Pose Estimation Using Radio Signals

This paper demonstrates accurate human pose estimation through walls and occlusions. We leverage the fact that wireless signals in the WiFi frequencies traverse walls and reflect off the human body. We introduce a deep neural network approach that parses such radio signals to estimate 2D poses. Since humans cannot annotate radio signals, we use state-of-the-art vision model to provide cross-modal supervision. Specifically, during training the system uses synchronized wireless and visual inputs, extracts pose information from the visual stream, and uses it to guide the training process. Once trained, the network uses only the wireless signal for pose estimation. We show that, when tested on visible scenes, the radio-based system is almost as accurate as the vision-based system used to train it. Yet, unlike vision-based pose estimation, the radio-based system can estimate 2D poses through walls despite never trained on such scenarios. Demo videos are available at our website.
Quantitative Studies of the Growth of Metals on GaAs(110) Using RHEED

Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) has enjoyed a recent period of significant expansion of interest, due in large measure to its compatibility with molecular-beam epitaxy. Because of the favorable geometry (grazing angles of incidence and exit) it is easy to observe a diffraction pattern and thus to investigate qualitatively aspects of the growth in real time. The major use of RHEED in this sense has been to observe layer-by-layer growth in MBE and thus to calibrate the flux from the effusion source. It is evident from other papers in this volume[1] that a considerable amount of information can be extracted about MBE growth. Most of this work has been restricted to A-on-A systems (e.g. Si-on-Si, Ge-on-Ge, GaAs-on-GaAs) where layer-by-layer growth is the rule rather than the exception. Whereas in principle LEED can as well be used to study layer-by-layer growth in real time by using a grazing geometry (and is then as powerful as RHEED, or even more so[2]), there are overlayer systems in which RHEED is clearly the preferred technique. These are generally B-on-A systems in which the growth does not necessarily proceed by layers, but in which three-dimensional (3-D) crystallite growth and 2-D to 3-D transitions can occur. The ability of RHEED to give a transmission as well as a reflection pattern is the important feature in such measurements [3].
Kinetics of homogeneous nucleation in large molecular clusters

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the results of nucleation experiments carried out on rapidly cooled clusters generated in supersonic flow in a newly designed apparatus. Electron diffraction monitors the time evolution of phase changes in clusters and detects any significant temperature dependent structural changes in a given phase. The chapter discusses the isomeric differences in nucleation rates of hydrocarbons. The nucleation of ice in greatly supercooled microdrops of water is the primary focus of the chapter. New experimental results for nucleation rates in freezing include those for water and the globular hydrocarbon 2,2,3-trimethyl butane. The latter was of interest because it showed that differences in molecular structure between isomers strongly affect nucleation rates. Normal alkanes nucleate at particularly low supercoolings, apparently because nucleation can begin with the association of small segments of the flexible chains whereas, the more rigid globular molecules associate as a whole. Nevertheless, the interfacial free energy between the liquid and solid is approximately twice as high for the linear hydrocarbons as for the globular. The case of water is more significant for the science of atmospheric aerosols.
The Optical Model

Aside from its intrinsic interest, the optical model of the scattering of neutrons from nuclei has a number of practical uses. It allows one to correlate large amounts of data on elastic scattering, absorption and total cross sections and hence to predict by extrapolation the cross sections for targets or energies as yet unmeasured. Through the introduction of the Hauser-Feshbach and/or direct interaction formalism, this predictive power may be extended to inelastic scattering and other reactions.
N-Look Ahead Routing and Scheduling (N-LARS) for DTN Space Networks

Humans' deep space exploration missions have attracted great interest in the past decade. The Interplanetary Network (IPN), hence, has to undergo many structural changes, as the traffic loads and types will drastically increase. In this paper, we propose N-Look Ahead Routing and Scheduling (N-LARS), a novel scheduling and routing technique for DTN-based IPNs with these new challenges. Our N-LARS model for Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN)-based IPNs provides scheduling of bundles (also called requests or messages) and efficient routing across the overall network. We develop a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for N-LARS problem and solve it using CPLEX. We further derive a heuristic that scales better than the MILP for large networks. We run experiments on networks mimicking the proposed Mars project by the European Space Agency. Finally, we compare the performance of the network using our scheduling model to its performance using the usual routing technique such as the Contact Graph Routing (CGR). Our simulation results show that the overall performance of the network using N-LARS for bundle scheduling and routing is four times better than CGR, in terms of delivered bundles, and 13.8% closer to the sub- optimal schedule generated by the CPLEX solver.
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy

More than half of patients with sepsis show features of sepsis-associated encephalopathy, which may be the first manifestation of sepsis before admission to hospital and the intensive care unit (ICU).[1][1] Mortality rates rise with increasing severity of sepsis-associated encephalopathy, reaching
Motor Dynamics Underlying Cargo Transport by Pairs of Kinesin-1 and Kinesin-3 Motors.

Abstract Intracellular cargo transport by kinesin family motor proteins is crucial for many cellular processes, particularly vesicle transport in axons and dendrites. In a number of cases, the transport of specific cargo is carried out by two classes of kinesins that move at different speeds and thus compete during transport. Despite advances in single-molecule characterization and modeling approaches, many questions remain regarding the effect of intermotor tension on motor attachment/reattachment rates during cooperative multimotor transport. To understand the motor dynamics underlying multimotor transport, we analyzed the complexes of kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 motors attached through protein scaffolds moving on immobilized microtubules in vitro. To interpret the observed behavior, simulations were carried out using a model that incorporated motor stepping, attachment/detachment rates, and intermotor force generation. In single-molecule experiments, isolated kinesin-3 motors moved twofold faster and had threefold higher landing rates than kinesin-1. When the positively charged loop 12 of kinesin-3 was swapped with that of kinesin-1, the landing rates reversed, indicating that this “K-loop” is a key determinant of the motor reattachment rate. In contrast, swapping loop 12 had negligible effects on motor velocities. Two-motor complexes containing one kinesin-1 and one kinesin-3 moved at different speeds depending on the identity of their loop 12, indicating the importance of the motor reattachment rate on the cotransport speed. Simulations of these loop-swapped motors using experimentally derived motor parameters were able to reproduce the experimental results and identify best fit parameters for the motor reattachment rates for this geometry. Simulation results also supported previous work, suggesting that kinesin-3 microtubule detachment is very sensitive to load. Overall, the simulations demonstrate that the transport behavior of cargo carried by pairs of kinesin-1 and -3 motors are determined by three properties that differ between these two families: the unloaded velocity, the load dependence of detachment, and the motor reattachment rate.
Mitigating Pandemic Risk with Influenza A Virus Field Surveillance at a Swine-Human Interface

Working overnight at a large swine exhibition, we identified an influenza A virus (IAV) outbreak in swine, nanopore-sequenced 13 IAV genomes from samples collected, and in real-time, determined that these viruses posed a novel risk to humans due to genetic mismatches between the viruses and current pre-pandemic candidate vaccine viruses (CVV). We developed and used a portable IAV sequencing and analysis platform called Mia (Mobile Influenza Analysis) to complete and characterize full-length consensus genomes approximately 18 hours after unpacking the mobile lab. Swine are important animal IAV reservoirs that have given rise to pandemic viruses via zoonotic transmission. Genomic analyses of IAV in swine are critical to understanding pandemic risk of viruses in this reservoir, and characterization of viruses circulating in exhibition swine enables rapid comparison to current seasonal influenza vaccines and CVVs. The Mia system rapidly identified three genetically distinct swine IAV lineages from three subtypes: A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and A(H1N2). Additional analysis of the HA protein sequences of the A(H1N2) viruses identified >30 amino acid differences between the HA1 portion of the hemagglutinin of these viruses and the most closely related pre-2009 CVV. All virus sequences were emailed to colleagues at CDC who initiated development of a synthetically derived CVV designed to provide an optimal antigenic match with the viruses detected in the exhibition. In subsequent months, this virus caused 13 infections in humans, and was the dominant variant virus in the US detected in 2018. Had this virus caused a severe outbreak or pandemic, our proactive surveillance efforts and CVV derivation would have provided an approximate 8 week time advantage for vaccine manufacturing. This is the first report of the use of field-derived nanopore sequencing data to initiate a real-time, actionable public health countermeasure.
Temperature Sensitivity Coefficients of Heat Transfer Processes in Myocardium, with Special Reference to the Determination of Tissue Perfusion

One of the most important tasks in physiology and medicine is the estimation of tissue blood perfusion rate and heat generation rate due to metabolism and other sources. This information is required for experimental studies as well as for clinical purposes and has been the subject of numerous ingenious efforts. The difficulties in performing these measurements are mainly due to: (a) the complex anatomical structure of the tissue and interwoven blood supply network of vessels of various sizes , and (b) the lack of non-invasive techniques which are capable of directly measuring these quantities. As a result indirect methods have been devised in which the required information is inferred from measurements of related physical and physiological parameters. Due to these difficulties, the time and spatial resolution of the estimated parameters is comprised and one must accept lower accuracy and precision with these methods.
Factors Contributing to Fentanyl Pharmacokinetic Variability Among Diagnostically Diverse Critically Ill Children.

The objective of this study was to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of fentanyl and identify factors that contribute to exposure variability in critically ill pediatric patients. We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study using electronic record data and remnant blood samples in the setting of a mixed medical/surgical intensive care unit (ICU) at a quaternary children’s hospital. Children with a predicted ICU length of stay of at least 3 days and presence of an indwelling central venous or arterial line were included. Serum fentanyl measurements were performed for 278 unique remnant samples from 66 patients. Both one- and two-compartment models were evaluated to describe fentanyl disposition. Covariates were introduced into the model in a forward/backward, stepwise approach and included age, sex, race, weight, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A5 genotype, and the presence of CYP3A4 or CYP3A5 inducers or inhibitors. Simulations were performed using the successful model to depict the influence of inducers on fentanyl concentrations. A two-compartment base model best described the data. There was good agreement between observed and predicted concentrations in the final model. The typical fentanyl clearance for 70 kg (reference weight) and 20.1 kg (median weight) patients were 34.6 and 13.6 L/h, respectively. The magnitude of the unexplained random inter-individual variability was high for both clearance (60.7%) and apparent volume of the central compartment (V1) (107.2%). Coadministration of the known CYP3A4/5 inducers fosphenytoin and/or phenobarbital was associated with significantly increased fentanyl clearance. Simulations demonstrate that the effect of inducer administration was most pronounced following discontinuation of a fentanyl infusion. In this study we show the feasibility and utility of using electronic record data and remnant blood samples to successfully construct population pharmacokinetic models for a heterogeneous cohort of critically ill children. A clinically relevant effect of concomitant CYP3A4/5 inducers was identified. Scaling this population pharmacokinetic approach is necessary to craft precision approaches to fentanyl administration for critically ill children.
Financial Burden of Liver Transplant vs Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Abstract Background Liver transplant and liver resection are surgical treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) performed with curative intent. While liver transplant provides longer survival when compared to resection, the financial burden on patients and payors is significantly greater. With the increase in health care costs and the emergence of high deductible insurance policies that increase out of pocket deductibles for patients, assessment of value-based treatment is warranted. Methods We compiled total billable events from diagnosis of HCC through resection (N = 20) or transplant (N = 24) to death or last reported encounter from January 2011 to December 2012. Results Patients with HCC receiving resection had a model of end stage liver disease of 10.2 ± 1.2, survival 652 days (3–1, 167 days), and billable encounters of $316,873 ($2904/day). HCC patients receiving a liver transplant had a greater liver injury (model of end stage liver disease of 19.2 ± 3.7), longer survival (1579 days), and higher billable encounters, $740,714 ($2889/day). The surgical procedure represented the largest cost category (28% and 26% resection vs transplant, respectively). The cost effectiveness of treatment was directly proportional to length of survival. In resection, patients who survived >30 days (85%) cost per day dropped to $432. Transplant patients who survived >2 years (75%) saw the cost per day drop to $462. Conclusion The relative financial burdens of liver resection vs liver transplant for treating HCC are comparable in patients who survive beyond a certain threshold. Transplant patients survived longer, and survival beyond 2 years makes this approach cost effective. In a health care climate aiming to contain costs and evaluate value-based treatment paradigms, expected survival and financial burden should be included in the treatment decision analysis.
Political Ideology and Accuracy of Information

Understanding our nation’s government and the politics involved is essential, but political issues are sometimes considered too sensitive to discuss in educational settings. Without classroom-based discussions, how accurate are students in judging the accuracy of political statements, especially in in today’s “fake news” climate? To generate a possible answer to this question, we examined students’ accuracy in judging political claims regarding events occurring in President Trump’s first year in office, as well as the relationship between political ideology and accuracy of non-political judgements. Results showed that a higher percentage of students in a southeastern state university identified themselves as liberals than was the case in our past research with students at this particular university. The principal finding of the study we report in this article was that conservative students were less accurate in judging false political statements than were liberal and independent students. Political ideology was not related to the accuracy of academic judgments. Both critical thinking scores and political ideology predicted accuracy in judging false political statements.
Psychological inflexibility moderates the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and disordered eating.

Internalizing ideals of thinness has been related to disordered eating. Thus, it is important to identify potential protective factors that may allow someone to internalize this belief without developing an eating disorder. In this study, we explored psychological flexibility and inflexibility as potential moderators of the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and disordered eating. College women (N = 201) completed the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory, the thin-ideal internalization subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Eating Attitudes Test. Psychological inflexibility, but not psychological flexibility, was found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and disordered eating. Further analyses found that the specific subscales which moderated this relationship were Fusion, Lack of Present Moment Awareness, Lack of Values, and Inaction. Contrary to our hypothesis, disordered eating was positively related to Acceptance. The results suggest that being psychologically inflexible is particularly problematic in the context of thin-ideal internalization. Additionally, increasing acceptance may not be effective if the accepted thoughts are about the importance of thinness.
Gene Transfer to Macrophages with Nanoparticle-Loaded Platelets.

Abstract Hemorrhagic fever, traumatic brain injury, and inflammatory bowel syndrome are among a wide range of pathologies involving inflammation that results in bleeding. The vascular injury that occurs in these conditions is closely associated with macrophage activation. An inherent function of macrophages is to phagocytose platelets that have adhered to sites of vascular injury, and thus platelets are an ideal vehicle for site-specific delivery of anti-inflammatory genes to macrophages at wound sites. Here we report the preparation of reporter gene nanoparticle-platelet conjugates and gene transfer to macrophages. Plasmid-containing nanoparticles were prepared by condensing cDNA for β-galactosidase, green fluorescent protein, or luciferase with polyethyleneimine. Scanning electron microscopic analysis showed that this anion/cation agglomeration reaction yields spherical particles with diameters of 100 to 300 nm. Plasmid-containing nanoparticles were then incubated with platelets that were isolated from human blood by differential centrifugation. Flow cytometric and transmission electron microscopic analysis demonstrated that the nanoparticles associated with the surface-connected canalicular system with most platelets containing one or more particles. The ability of the nanoparticle-loaded platelets to transfer the reporter genes to macrophages was tested in tissue culture using monocyte-derived macrophages incubated with the nanoparticle-loaded platelets. Subsequent fluorescent microscopic, luminescent and histological analysis demonstrated that the macrophages readily phagocytosed the nanoparticle-loaded platelets and expressed the reporter genes. This result provides the basis for studies to deliver anti-inflammatory genes to macrophages in animal model systems.
Recursion and Nonmonotone Induction in a Quantifier

Abstract With each (monotone) quantifier Q we associate a new functional F∩Q and develop its recursion theory. We establish that if Q is an ω-complete filter, then recursion in F∩Q, can be characterized in terms of simple and natural nonmonotone inductions involving the quantifier Q.
Stallion: video adaptation algorithm for low-latency video streaming

As video traffic continues to dominate the Internet, interest in near-second low-latency streaming has increased. Existing low-latency streaming platforms rely on using tens of seconds of video in the buffer to offer a seamless experience. Striving for near-second latency requires the receiver to make quick decisions regarding the download bitrate and the playback speed. To cope with the challenges, we design a new adaptive bitrate (ABR) scheme, Stallion, for STAndard Low-LAtency vIdeo cONtrol. Stallion uses a sliding window to measure the mean and standard deviation of both the bandwidth and latency. We evaluate Stallion and compare it to the standard DASH DYNAMIC algorithm over a variety of networking conditions. Stallion shows 1.8x increase in bitrate, and 4.3x reduction in the number of stalls.
The Nutritional Quality of Food Purchases at SNAP-Authorized and Unauthorized Non-Traditional Retailers

This study examined the nutritional quality of shopping trips at non-traditional retailers by SNAP-authorization status. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using National Household ...
Measuring Gentrification’s Association With Perceived Housing Unaffordability: A Philadelphia Case Study

Gentrification, the growing presence of middle- and upper-income residents in previously low-income communities, is associated with unaffordable housing. However, there is a lack of research examin...
Fitness and competitive ability of field isolates of Phytophthora capsici resistant or sensitive to fluopicolide

Phytophthora blight, caused by Phytophthora capsici, is one of the most destructive diseases in the production of solanaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetable crops. Fluopicolide has been used to control the disease; however, reduced efficacy of the fungicide was observed in Georgia. P. capsici isolates were collected from commercial vegetable fields in Georgia in 2018 and 2019 to determine sensitivity to fluopicolide, which were phenotyped to have 43.1% of the isolates as resistant. The fitness of resistant (R) and sensitive (S) isolates was assessed through mycelial growth and sporulation assays exposed to the fungicide (0 or 50 µg/ml). Fluopicolide did not reduce mycelial growth, sporangial production, and zoospore germination of the R isolates. In the absence of fluopicolide, there was no significant difference between the R and S isolates in sporangial production but mycelial growth and zoospore germination of the R isolates was greater than the S isolates (P = 0.01 and 0.001, respectively). The R isolates had an ability similar to that of the S isolates to induce disease on Aristotle bell pepper, and most of the R and S isolates caused the same level of disease on Paladin. Inoculating squash fruit using different R:S ratios and recovering R and S isolates after five cycles of inoculation resulted in similar trends in changes of R versus S isolate ratios. Overall, it appeared that fitness and competitive ability of the R isolates were not reduced compared with the S isolates. This is the first report of the occurrence of field isolates of P. capsici resistant to fluopicolide in the world. The results have significant implications in providing guidance for growers to avoid or limit use of this fungicide in vegetable production.
Compulsory Voting: The View from Canada and the United States

This chapter examines past and present debates over compulsory voting in Canada and the United States. It also considers the likelihood of the adoption of compulsory voting in both countries, paying particular attention to their legal environments and federal political structures. It then goes on to examine mass attitudes toward compulsory voting in both countries, and considers the potential consequences of the adoption of compulsory voting in Canada and the United States, beyond the almost certain increase in their relatively anemic turnout rates. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the prospects for higher voter turnout in Canada and the US, with or without compulsory voting.
Inter-Subject Correlation during New Music Listening: A Study of Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses to Steve Reich`s Piano Phase

Abstract Musical minimalism utilizes the temporal manipulation of restricted collections of rhythmic, melodic, and/or harmonic materials. One example, Steve Reich’s Piano Phase, offers listeners readily audible formal structures containing unpredictable events at local levels. Pattern recurrences may generate strong expectations which are violated by small temporal and pitch deviations. A hyper-detailed listening strategy prompted by these minute deviations stands in contrast to the type of listening engagement typically cultivated around functional tonal Western music. Recent research has suggested that the inter-subject correlation (ISC) of electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to natural audio-visual stimuli objectively indexes a state of “engagement”, demonstrating the potential of this approach for analyzing music listening. But can ISCs capture engagement with minimal music, which features less obvious expectation formation and has historically received a wide range of reactions? To approach this question, we collected EEG and continuous behavioral (CB) data while 30 adults listened to an excerpt from Steve Reich’s Piano Phase, as well as three controlled manipulations and a popular-music remix of the work. Our analyses reveal that EEG and CB ISC are highest for the remix stimulus and lowest for our most repetitive manipulation. In addition, we found no statistical differences in overall EEG ISC between our most musically meaningful manipulations and Reich’s original piece. We also found that aesthetic evaluations corresponded well with overall EEG ISC. Finally we highlight co-occurrences between stimulus events and time-resolved EEG and CB ISC. We offer the CB paradigm as a useful analysis measure and note the value of minimalist compositions as a limit case for studying music listening using EEG ISC. We show that ISC is less effective at measuring engagement with this minimalist stimulus than with popular music genres and argue that this may be due to a difference between the type of engagement measured by ISC and the particular engagement patterns associated with minimalism. Declarations of interest None
Long-term survival in patients with post-LVAD right ventricular failure: multi-state modelling with competing outcomes of heart transplant.

BACKGROUND Multicenter data on long term survival following LVAD implantation that make use of contemporary definitions of RV failure are limited. Furthermore, traditional survival analyses censor patients who receive a bridge to heart transplant. Here we compare the outcomes of LVAD patients who develop post-operative RV failure accounting for the transitional probability of receiving an interim heart transplantation. METHODS We use a retrospective cohort of LVAD patients sourced from multiple high-volume centers based in the United States. Five- and ten-year survival accounting for transition probabilities of receiving a heart transplant were calculated using a multi-state Aalen Johansen survival model. RESULTS Of the 897 patients included in the study, 238 (26.5%) developed post-operative RV failure at index hospitalization. At 10 years the probability of death with post-op RV failure was 79.28% vs 61.70% in patients without (HR 2.10; 95% CI 1.72 - 2.57; p = < .001). Though not significant, patients with RV failure were less likely to be bridged to a heart transplant (HR 0.87, p = .4). Once transplanted the risk of death between both patient groups remained equivalent; the probability of death after a heart transplant was 3.97% in those with post-operative RV failure shortly after index LVAD implant, as compared to 14.71% in those without. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Long-term durable mechanical circulatory support is associated with significantly higher mortality in patients who develop post-operative RV failure. Improving outcomes may necessitate expeditious bridge to heart transplant wherever appropriate, along with critical reassessment of organ allocation policies.
STAT4 is expressed in neutrophils and promotes antimicrobial immunity

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) is expressed in hematopoietic cells and plays a key role in the differentiation of T helper 1 cells. Although STAT4 is required for immunity to intracellular pathogens, the T cell-independent protective mechanisms of STAT4 are not clearly defined. In this report, we demonstrate that STAT4-deficient mice were acutely sensitive to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. We show that STAT4 was expressed in neutrophils and activated by IL-12 via a JAK2-dependent pathway. We demonstrate that STAT4 was required for multiple neutrophil functions, including IL-12-induced ROS production, chemotaxis, and production of the neutrophil extracellular traps. Importantly, myeloid-specific and neutrophil-specific deletion of STAT4 resulted in enhanced susceptibility to MRSA, demonstrating the key role of STAT4 in the in vivo function of these cells. Thus, these studies identify STAT4 as an essential regulator of neutrophil functions and a component of innate immune responses in vivo.
Periparturient Neutrophil Function Suppression is Associated with Endometritis and Fever in Lactating Dairy Cows

Endometritis and fever are common health disorders that affect dairy cows during the immediate postparturient period and are temporally associated with periparturient immune suppression. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that endometritis and fever in dairy cows are associated with suppressed neutrophil functions during the periparturient period.
Fluorapatite and fluorohydroxyapatite apatite surfaces drive adipose-derived stem cells to an osteogenic lineage.

Abstract Purpose Hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds are common replacement materials used in the clinical management of critical-sized bone defects. This study was undertaken to examine the potential benefits of fluoridated derivatives of hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite (FA), and fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA) as bone scaffolds in conjunction with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). If FHA and FA surfaces could drive the differentiation of stem cells to an osteogenic phenotype, the combination of these ceramic scaffolds with ADSCs could produce materials with mechanical strength and remodeling potential comparable to autologous bone. This study was designed to investigate the ability of the apatite surfaces HA, FA, and FHA produced at different sintering temperatures to drive ADSCs toward osteogenic lineages. Methods: HA, FHA, and FA surfaces sintered at 1150 °C and 1250 °C were seeded with ADSCs and evaluated for cell growth and gene and protein expression of osteogenic markers at 2 and 10 days post-seeding. Results: In vitro, ADSC cells were viable on all surfaces; however, differentiation of these cells into osteoblastic lineage only observed in apatite surfaces. ADSCs seeded on FA and FHA expressed genes and proteins related to osteogenic differentiation markers to a greater extent by Day 2 when compared to HA and cell culture controls. By day 10, HA, FA, and FHA all expressed more bone differentiation markers compared to cell culture controls. Conclusion: FA and FHA apatite scaffolds may promote the differentiation of ADSCs at an earlier time point than HA surfaces. Combining apatite scaffolds with ADSCs has the potential to improve bone regeneration following bone injury.
On-device lead-absorbing tapes for sustainable perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells are an emerging technology that could accelerate the energy transition to a sustainable future. However, the presence of toxic but inevitable lead poses environmental and health risks. Here we introduce on-device layers that could capture over 99.9% of leaked lead without compromising performance and operation. Perovskite solar cells are an emerging energy technology but their sustainability is jeopardized by the presence of Pb. Here the authors introduce on-device layers that could capture over 99.9% of leaked Pb.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Government Loans

A neglected area of cost-benefit theory is the evaluation of federal government loans Abstract to finance private investment. This article builds on a model by Feldstein (1973) which disaggregated public investment decisions into two parts; one is the expenditure on the good to be purchased by the loan, and the other is the loan itself. The main new result is that distributional considerations can be divorced from economic efficiency in making the first (expenditure) decision. Distributional factors are used to help determine the second (financing) decision. The two-decision framework is applied to FmHA loans made in New York State.
Uncovering Xenobiotics in the Dark Metabolome using Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Mass Defect Analysis and Machine Learning

The identification of xenobiotics in nontargeted metabolomic analyses is a vital step in understanding human exposure. Xenobiotic metabolism, excretion, and co-existence with other endogenous molecules however greatly complicate nontargeted studies. While mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms are commonly used in metabolomic measurements, deconvoluting endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics is often challenged by the lack of xenobiotic parent and metabolite standards as well as the numerous isomers possible for each small molecule m/z feature. Here, we evaluate the use of ion mobility spectrometry coupled with MS (IMS-MS) and mass defect filtering in a xenobiotic structural annotation workflow to reduce large metabolomic feature lists and uncover potential xenobiotic classes and species detected in the metabolomic studies. To evaluate the workflow, xenobiotics having known high toxicities including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were examined. Initially, to address the lack of available IMS collision cross section (CCS) values for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 88 PFAS standards were evaluated with IMS-MS to both develop a targeted PFAS CCS library and for use in machine learning predictions. The CCS values for biomolecules and xenobiotics were then plotted versus m/z, clearly distinguishing the biomolecules and halogenated xenobiotics. The xenobiotic structural annotation workflow was then used to annotate potential PFAS features in NIST human serum. The workflow reduced the 2,423 detected LC-IMS-MS features to 80 possible PFAS with 17 confidently identified through targeted analyses and 48 additional features correlating with possible CompTox entries.
Experimental Manipulations of the Development of Ordered Projections in the Mammalian Brain

The ordered representation of the retina in the tectum of hamsters can be influenced by experimental manipulation of factors intrinsic to the developmental process, such as the direction and timing of arrival of retinal fibers. The orientation of the retinotopic map in the tectum with respect to the neural axes, the amount of representation of retinal subareas on the tectal surface, and the laminar specificity of retinal terminals in tectum are differentially affected by these developmental factors.
Algebras, lattices, varieties

Introduction. Preliminaries. Basic concepts. Lattices. Unary and binary operations. Fundamental algebraic results. Unique factorization. Bibliography. Table of notation. Index.
MIAT: Modular R-wrappers for flexible implementation of MaxEnt distribution modelling

Abstract The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method has gained widespread use for distribution modelling, mostly because of the practical simplicity offered by the maxent.jar software. Whilst MaxEnt was originally described as a machine learning method, recent studies have shown that the method can be explained in terms of maximum likelihood estimation. This opens for using MaxEnt with new settings and options, such as new model selection and model assessment criteria, and improved user control of the variable selection process. New practical tools are needed to explore the new opportunities and assess if they enhance model performance and ecological interpretability of the models. We present a new conceptual framework, the Modular and functionally Integrated component-based Approach (MIA) framework for practical distribution modelling by which the core components of the DM process are decoupled and then wrapped together more flexibly into component-based functional modules. Computational object-oriented and workflow approaches are integrated with ecological, statistical and modelling theory in order to handle the complexity associated with the full modelling process in a practical way. Objects (variables, functions, results, etc.) are defined according to specific modelling parameters. Properties (e.g., identities and content) are inherited between objects and new objects are created in a flexible and automated, yet traceable way. We operationalise this framework for MaxEnt by the MIA Toolbox (MIAT), a set of flexible, modular R-scripts (available in supplementary appendices) wrapped around maxent.jar and existing R-functions. MIAT covers the full range of options and settings for the maximum likelihood implementation of MaxEnt and provide flexible guidance of users through the DM process. A trail of models of increasing complexity is built to enhance traceability and interpretability, and to suit different modelling purposes. We briefly outline research questions that can be addressed by the MIAT.
CITRATE TRANSPORT SYSTEM OF STREPTOCOCCUS DIACETILACTIS

Harvey, R. J. (University of California, Davis) and E. B. Collins. Citrate transport system of Streptococcus diacetilactis. J. Bacteriol. 83:1005–1009. 1962.—The uptake of citrate by Streptococcus diacetilactis is mediated by a transport system that was distinguished from passive diffusion by inducibility and kinetics of uptake. In these characteristics the system is similar to the β-galactoside permease of Escherichia coli. The citrate transport system of S. diacetilactis differs from β-galactoside permease by requiring metabolic energy for operation under conditions that do not permit intracellular accumulation of the substance transported.
Differences in spirometry values between U.S. children 6-11 years and adolescents 12-19 years with current asthma, 2007-2010.

Background National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines recommend that periodic spirometry be performed in youth with asthma. NAEPP uses different spirometry criteria to define uncontrolled asthma for children (6–11 years) and adolescents (12+ years). Objective To describe differences in spirometry between US children and adolescents with current asthma. Methods We examined cross-sectional spirometry data from 453 US youth with current asthma age 6–19 years from the 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The main outcomes were percentage predicted forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1%) ≤80 and the ratio of FEV1 to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ≤0.80. We also examined the prevalence of youth with spirometry values consistent with uncontrolled asthma, using NAEPP age-specific criteria, defined for children aged 6–11 years as FEV1% ≤80 or FEV1/FVC ≤0.80, and for adolescents aged 12–19 years as FEV1% ≤80. Results Children 6–11 years and adolescents 12–19 years did not differ in prevalence of FEV1% ≤80 (10.1% vs. 9.0%) or FEV1/FVC ≤0.80 (30.6% vs. 29.8%). However, based on the NAEPP age-specific criteria, 33.0% of children 6–11 years and 9.0% of adolescents 12–19 years had spirometry values consistent with uncontrolled asthma (P < 0.001). Conclusion Children 6–11 years and adolescents 12–19 years with current asthma did not differ in the percentage with FEV1% ≤80 or FEV1/FVC ≤0.80. However, the percent of children and adolescents with spirometry values consistent with uncontrolled asthma did differ. The difference appears to stem mainly from the different spirometry criteria for the two age groups.
Iron Removal using Magnesium Oxide

The calcined magnesite-diatomaceous earth process is currently being used for the removal of iron from ground water supplies. However, information from controlled laboratory studies describing the mechanism of the reaction and the kinetics of iron removal has been lacking. The addition of finely divided MgO in dry form to waters of various pH reactions and alkalinities results in the gradual solution of MgO with approximately 3/4 dissolving in 10 min. Laboratory studies indicate that the rate of solution is not strongly influenced by the initial pH. Ferrous iron precipitation is incomplete within 10 min unless abundant oxygen is present, indicating that MgO accelerates the oxygenation of ferrous iron. Some adsorpiton of ferrous iron occurs on the MgO particle in the absence of oxygen. This appears to lower the rate of MgO solution. It is hypothesized that the gradual solution of MgO results in the formation of diffuse regions of high pH around the MgO particle surface where iron oxidation is greatly accelerated.
c̄c purity of ψ(3770) and ψ ' challenged

It is suggested that the resonance {psi}(3770) may contain a sizeable (O(10%) in terms of the probability weight factor) four-quark component with the up- and down-quarks and antiquarks in addition to the cc pair, which component in itself has a substantial part with isospin I=1. Furthermore such a four-quark part of the wave function should also affect the properties of the {psi}{sup '} charmonium resonance through the {psi}(3770)-{psi}{sup '} mixing previously considered in the literature. It is argued that an admixture of extra light quark pairs can explain a possible discrepancy between the theoretical expectations and the recent data on the non-DD decay width of the {psi}(3770) and the ratio of the yield of charged and neutral D meson pairs in its decays, as well as on the extra rate of the {psi}{sup '} direct decay into light hadrons and the rate of the decay {psi}{sup '}{yields}{pi}{sup 0}J/{psi}. It is further argued that the suggested four-quark component of the wave function of the {psi}(3770) should give rise to a measurable rate for the decays {psi}(3770){yields}{eta}J/{psi} and {psi}(3770){yields}{pi}{sup 0}J/{psi}.