cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of skeletal muscle perfusion dynamics with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL): Assessment of relative labeling efficiency at rest and during hyperemia, and comparison to pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL).

Purpose To compare calf skeletal muscle perfusion measured with pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) and pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) methods, and to assess the variability of pCASL labeling efficiency in the popliteal artery throughout an ischemia-reperfusion paradigm. Materials and methods At 3T, relative pCASL labeling efficiency was experimentally assessed in five subjects by measuring the signal intensity of blood in the popliteal artery just distal to the labeling plane immediately following pCASL labeling or control preparation pulses, or without any preparation pulses throughout separate ischemia-reperfusion paradigms. The relative label and control efficiencies were determined during baseline, hyperemia, and recovery. In a separate cohort of 10 subjects, pCASL and PASL sequences were used to measure reactive hyperemia perfusion dynamics. Results Calculated pCASL labeling and control efficiencies did not differ significantly between baseline and hyperemia or between hyperemia and recovery periods. Relative to the average baseline, pCASL label efficiency was 2 ± 9% lower during hyperemia. Perfusion dynamics measured with pCASL and PASL did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). Average leg muscle peak perfusion was 47 ± 20 mL/min/100g or 50 ± 12 mL/min/100g, and time to peak perfusion was 25 ± 3 seconds and 25 ± 7 seconds from pCASL and PASL data, respectively. Differences of further metrics parameterizing the perfusion time course were not significant between pCASL and PASL measurements (P > 0.05). Conclusion No change in pCASL labeling efficiency was detected despite the almost 10-fold increase in average blood flow velocity in the popliteal artery. pCASL and PASL provide precise and consistent measurement of skeletal muscle reactive hyperemia perfusion dynamics. J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2016;44:929-939.
Multilayer Microfluidic Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate Hydrogels

Development of robust, in vivo like tissues in vitro holds the potential to create regenerative medicine-based therapeutics, provide more physiologically significant preclinical models and supply a pharmacological and toxicological screening platform that reflects in vivo systems in both complexity and function. This protocol describes a simple, robust, multilayer replica molding technique in which poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) are serially replica molded to develop microfluidic PEGDA hydrogel networks embedded within independently fabricated PDMS housings, using a combination of soft and photo-lithography. This work has direct applications toward the development of robust, complex, cell-laden hydrogels for in vitro diagnostics and regenerative medicine applications.
Acute renal failure secondary to ureteral obstruction by a gravid uterus.

Abstract We report a case of acute renal failure secondary to left ureteral obstruction by a gravid uterus. Marked atrophy of the right kidney and lower pole of the left kidney had been documented before pregnancy. Radiographic, laboratory and operative evidence of the diagnosis is offered.
Is Anybody Home? Inferring Activity From Smart Home Network Traffic

As smart home devices are introduced into our homes, security and privacy concerns are being raised. Smart home devices collect, exchange, and transmit various data about the environment of our homes. This data can not only be used to characterize a physical property but also to infer personal information about the inhabitants. One potential attack vector for smart home devices is the use of traffic classification as a source for covert channel attacks. Specifically, we are concerned with the use of traffic classification techniques for inferring events taking place within a building. In this work, we study two of the most popular smart home devices, the Nest Thermostat and the wired Nest Protect (i.e. smoke and carbon dioxide detector) and show that traffic analysis can be used to learn potentially sensitive information about the state of a smart home. Among other observations, we show that we can determine, with 88% and 67% accuracy respectively, when the thermostat transitions between the Home and Auto Away mode and vice versa, based only on network traffic originating from the device. This information may be used, for example, by an attacker to infer whether the home is occupied.
Structure and Communication of Knowledge

The knowledge domain is more encompassing than that of wealth and materials. For dealing with knowledge utility, all factors (its scarcity, its total utility, its marginal utility, its utilitarian value, its exchange value, etc.) that influence its evaluation must be considered. From a communication perspective, knowledge can be traced backward and extrapolated forward, much like scientific parameters. From a structural perspective, we propose that processing of knowledge be based on the most basic and fewest truisms. These truisms are based on reality and permit characterization of information and knowledge. To this extent, computational processing does not depend on the philosophic writings of earlier economists. However, the truisms are validated from a longer-term philosophic interpretation of how these truisms have survived so that they can be expanded and reused in computational environments. This approach permits machines to process knowledge based on content of a piece of information and to enhance content.
Forebrain Circuits Controlling Whisker Movements

Abstract The forebrain circuits involved in coordinating the bilateral movements of the whiskers have been elucidated by a series of neuronal tracing studies aimed at characterizing the interhemispheric connections of the pri-mary motor (MI) cortex. In some experiments, different anterograde tracers were placed in the MI whisker region of each hemisphere. In other experiments, an anterograde tracer injection in one MI whisker region was paired with a retrograde tracer injection in the opposite hemisphere. In the last study, a retrograde tracer was placed in one of the forebrain targets of MI, thereby revealing the bilateral distribution of MI neurons that project to the injected target. The relative strengths of the interhemispheric connections of MI cortex were quantified by a variety of methods. In addition to measuring the density and spatial extent of terminal and somal labeling, we analyzed the amount of tracer overlap produced when different tracers are injected in the MI regions of both hemispheres.
Electrochemical and Spectroscopic Studies of Molybdenumcatechol Complexes: Models for Molybdoenzymes and Biological Transport

The chemistry of molybdenum is important because of its involvement in a variety of biological processes. Although present in trace quantities, molybdenum is cru cial for..the activity of at2least five enzymes:3 xanthine oxidase,4 aldehyde oxidase, nitrate reductase, sulphite oxidase, and nitrogenase.5 All of these enzymes catalyze redox-type chemical reactions which involve the transfer of two or more electrons per substrate molecule. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies1–3,6–8 indicate that, in all but nitrogenase, the molybdenum undergoes oxidation state changes during the catalytic process. Also, the resting state of these enzymes appears to have molybdenum in the +6 oxidation state and molybdenum oxidation state changes are observed only when reducing agents are added to the enzyme.1 All of the enzymes contain two atoms of molybdenum, and in the cases of xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase. and nitrate reductase, two molecules of flavin as well.4 Some researchers believe9 that molybdenum alternates between the +6 and +5 oxidation states during enzyme activity. However, there is evidence10 that the +4 oxidation state also may be involved.
Keeping Them Out, Letting You In: Fighting Academons Through Critical Queer Reflexivity, Performative Poetics, and Uncovering a Scholar of Color Identity

As a first-year doctoral student in my first quarter, I expected to be challenged, not rocked to my core. I entered the program with what I would have described as a strong, salient, and clear understanding of who I am and how I move in the world. At the end of my first year, I can say with conviction that I have more to learn. There were four critical moments that shifted/altered/jolted my learning forward. This article is structured around each of these moments and is an exploration of the themes and questions that emerged.
Abnormal Detrusor Function Precipitating Hydronephrosis Identified by Extended Voiding Cystometry

AbstractExtended voiding cystometry was performed to elucidate the true detrusor function in a patient originally misdiagnosed during standard fill cystometry. This methodology allows for observation of an extended period of bladder activity and eliminates the artifacts of classical fill cystometry, which are detrusor instability and noncompliance. A chronically elevated intravesical pressure between contractions (inter-contraction pressure) representing high pressure residual urine, as well as frequent, high amplitude, long duration detrusor contractions during the storage phase and a large post-void residual urine volume were documented. These urodynamic abnormalities are known to precipitate hydroureteronephrosis in the absence of vesicoureteral reflux.
Inflammation, ageing, and bone regeneration.

Summary Bone healing involves complex biological pathways and interactions among various cell types and microenvironments. Among them, the monocyte–macrophage–osteoclast lineage and the mesenchymal stem cell–osteoblast lineage are critical, in addition to an initial inflammatory microenvironment. These cellular interactions induce the necessary inflammatory milieu and provide the cells for bone regeneration and immune modulation. Increasing age is accompanied with a rise in the basal state of inflammation, potentially impairing osteogenesis. The translational potential of this article: Translational research has shown multiple interactions between inflammation, ageing, and bone regeneration. This review presents recent, relevant considerations regarding the effects of inflammation and ageing on bone healing.
Is IOT a Threat to Consumer Consent? The Perils of Wearable Devices’ Health Data Exposure

The ubiquitous diffusion of wearable Internet of Things (IOT) devices is leading to growing concerns regarding the privacy, security, and potential misuse of the large volume of generated data. In this manuscript, we examine how wearable IOT devices and related businesses can violate or bypass protections of sensitive personal data. We discuss the IOT-Healthcare-Wearable Ecosystem, identify roles played by different entities, explain wearables’ connectivity with other entities like employers and insurance companies, illustrate related HIPAA regulations, factors driving health data exposure and develop a taxonomy that indicates varying levels of end-user vulnerability for different use-case scenarios. The implications of this research are relevant to lifestyle technologies, healthcare providers, pharma-retailers, application developers, hardware manufacturers, market researchers, and policy makers who are involved in facilitating manufacture, endorsement distribution and regulation of instruments that aid in collection, mining, access, storage and redistribution of data. Finally, we offer recommendations for different ecosystem entities to contain health data exposure.
Tunable Semiconductors: Control over Carrier States and Excitations in Layered Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites.

For a class of 2D hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite semiconductors based on $\ensuremath{\pi}$-conjugated organic cations, we predict quantitatively how varying the organic and inorganic component allows control over the nature, energy, and localization of carrier states in a quantum-well-like fashion. Our first-principles predictions, based on large-scale hybrid density-functional theory with spin-orbit coupling, show that the interface between the organic and inorganic parts within a single hybrid can be modulated systematically, enabling us to select between different type-I and type-II energy level alignments. Energy levels, recombination properties, and transport behavior of electrons and holes thus become tunable by choosing specific organic functionalizations and juxtaposing them with suitable inorganic components.
Learning Discrete Structures Interactively With Alloy: (Abstract Only)

This workshop presents a novel approach to teaching the mathematical foundations of computing commonly known as Discrete Structures. Following the common model of the programming lab, we provide interactive learning experiences in relational algebra, predicate logic, and graph theory that are both human- and computer-mediated. Students use the Alloy language and analyzer to express constraints in formal mathematical notation and search for models that satisfy the constraints. Alloy is an industrial-strength tool, but with careful scaffolding even students in introductory discrete structures can benefit from highly interactive and visual guided explorations mediated through Alloy code. We design exercises carefully to take students from observers of Alloy program behavior to tweakers of established code and later to builders of their own code. We find that the feedback provided by the Alloy Analyzer eliminates common misconceptions among students. Compared to a traditional approach where students simply submit written answers to homework problems, students working on Alloy problems get immediate critique of the well-formedness and satisfiability of their responses. The interactive nature of Alloy allows them to explore, discover new concepts, and challenge their assumptions with unexpected corner cases. After an introduction to Alloy, teams of workshop participants will engage in learning activities in discrete structures, using the Alloy tool for exploration and application of concepts. Teams will reflect on their experiences and comment on the applicability of this socio-technical learning approach in their own teaching contexts. A laptop is recommended for participation in the workshop.
Enabling vendor independent photoacoustic imaging systems with asynchronous laser source

Channel data acquisition, and synchronization between laser excitation and PA signal acquisition, are two fundamental hardware requirements for photoacoustic (PA) imaging. Unfortunately, however, neither is equipped by most clinical ultrasound scanners. Therefore, less economical specialized research platforms are used in general, which hinders a smooth clinical transition of PA imaging. In previous studies, we have proposed an algorithm to achieve PA imaging using ultrasound post-beamformed (USPB) RF data instead of channel data. This work focuses on enabling clinical ultrasound scanners to implement PA imaging, without requiring synchronization between the laser excitation and PA signal acquisition. Laser synchronization is inherently consisted of two aspects: frequency and phase information. We synchronize without communicating the laser and the ultrasound scanner by investigating USPB images of a point-target phantom in two steps. First, frequency information is estimated by solving a nonlinear optimization problem, under the assumption that the segmented wave-front can only be beamformed into a single spot when synchronization is achieved. Second, after making frequencies of two systems identical, phase delay is estimated by optimizing the image quality while varying phase value. The proposed method is validated through simulation, by manually adding both frequency and phase errors, then applying the proposed algorithm to correct errors and reconstruct PA images. Compared with the ground truth, simulation results indicate that the remaining errors in frequency correction and phase correction are 0.28% and 2.34%, respectively, which affirm the potential of overcoming hardware barriers on PA imaging through software solution.
Mechanisms Underlying Spinal Neuromodulation of the Exercise Pressor Reflex

Spinal neurotransmitters or neuromodulators can affect the afferent arm of the reflex cardiovascular response to muscle contraction (Hill and Kaufman, 1990; Hill and Kaufman, 1991) [i.e. the exercise pressor reflex]. Potentially important neuromodulators may be vasopressin, oxytocin and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Both oxytocin and vasopressin have been located in the spinal dorsal horn where primary sensory afferent input is received and processed (Milan et al, 1984). The origin of this oxytocin and vasopressin is cell bodies of neurosecretory neurons located in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (Nilaver et al, 1980). These neurons project to the substantia gelatinosa (lamina II) of the dorsal horn (Nilaver et al, 1980). This area is known for processing information from group III and IV afferent nerves associated with nociception (Jessel and Jahr, 1985). A portion of these sensory fibers may also serve as ergoreceptors that evoke the exercise pressor reflex (McCloskey and Mitchell, 1972).
Spouse Abuse by Black and White Offenders in the U.S. Army

Black soldiers are overrepresented in the U.S. Army Central Registry of spouse abuse cases. For each year between 1989 and 1997, the number of black offenders outnumbers white offenders, while the white population outnumbers the black population. When age-specific rates per 1000 were computed, the rates for blacks were greater than those for whites in every age group. The highest rates for both races were in the 18- to 21-year age group. Age-specific rate ratios between blacks and whites for 1997 ranged from 3.4 for the 18- to 21-year-old group to 1.9 for the 42- to 46-year age group. All of the rate ratios except the one for the 42 to 46-year age group were statistically significant. Socioeconomic status (SES) is an unlikely explanation for these findings as SES was reasonably controlled. Culturally specific longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the reasons for differences in black and white spouse abuse incidents.
Closing the Gap between Private Letter Rulings and Regulations

This article summarizes and comments on regulations that would redefine real property for purposes of the real estate investment trusts rules; and it argues that there should be more guidance on these and similar issues to close the gap between private letter rulings and published guidance affecting REITs and publicly-traded partnerships in the natural resources sector.
Antiaging and Neuroprotective Properties of Mediterranean Diet Components in Humans

Mediterranean diet consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, olive oil, garlic, and red wine. Levels of saturated fats are very low in Mediterranean diet. Among Mediterranean diet components, fresh fruits and vegetables provide various vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, fiber, and metal ions (potassium, magnesium, and calcium). Fish provides eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids; olive oil is enriched in polyphenols (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, and oleuropein); red wine contains resveratrol; and garlic is enriched in sulfur compounds (alliin, allicin, S-allyl cysteine, and diallyl trisulfide). High levels of free radicals and neuroinflammation play an important role in cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and neurological disorders. Mediterranean diet-derived metabolites are known to block free radical damage and retard neuroinflammation in above pathological conditions. Collectively, these studies indicate that the consumption of Mediterranean diet from the childhood to the old age not only leads to decrease in cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and many types of cancers but also slows the onset of neurological disorders.
Nietzsche vagabundus or, the Good European in transitu

Nietzsche, however “bad” a German he was, prided himself on being “a good European.” The present piece argues that Nietzsche’s travels throughout Europe—and more than his travels, his dwelling and writing in many different locales within Europe—justify his pride. The piece tries to demonstrate the importance of Nietzsche’s transits and transitions by reflecting on the production of a book titled The Good European, published back in 1997, which reports on Nietzsche’s work sites in Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy.
Embedding Formative Assessment: A Peek Inside the Black Box

This chapter uses case studies of three secondary biology teachers to describe how context and timing are important in implementing formative assessment strategies in an appropriate manner. Putting theory into practice is a complex and illusive task, and we would be remiss if we did not look deeply at the context in which teachers work. All three teachers taught in the same school under similar conditions, but the environment seemed to have little effect over each teacher’s use of formative assessment. Rather, it was how they responded to environmental pressures, guided by their instructivist or constructivist leanings derived from internal constructs that seemingly had a profound influence on their practice. These case studies highlight the tendencies of teachers to make learning visible, their degree of responsiveness, and the degree to which they prompted students to take responsibility for their own learning and that of their peers. The narrative illuminates how traditional instruction leaves little time or space to implement the processes of formative assessment, thus the need for new instructional frameworks to support it.
CHAPTER 26 – Calcium Release from Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

In mammalian cells, the release of Ca 2+ from the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) occurs through two large Ca 2+ channel protein complexes, a ryanodinesensitive Ca 2+ release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) and the related inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) Ca 2+ channel. The RyR ion channel is activated by a surface membrane excitatory electrical signal, known as excitation–contraction (E-C) coupling. The IP3R ion channel releases Ca 2+ in response to a chain of voltage-independent events that involve the hormone-induced formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Mammalian tissues express three structurally and functionally related RyRs—RyR1, RyR2, RyR3, also known as skeletal, cardiac, and brain RyRs. The cardiac RyR2 isoform has been isolated as a large protein complex of four 560-kDa (RyR polypeptide) and four 12.6-kDa (FK506-binding protein) subunits, which are regulated by multiple endogenous effectors, including Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , H + , and ATP. In ischemic hearts, a change in each of these parameters affects SR Ca 2+ release. The cardiacRyR contains phosphorylation sites and reactive thiols, which suggests that protein kinases and phosphatases and reactive nitrogen and oxygen species may influence channel activity in normal, ischemic, and postischemic hearts.
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) larval pheromones regulate gene expression related to foraging task specialization

Abstract Background Foraging behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera) is a complex phenotype which is regulated by physiological state and social signals. How these factors are integrated at the molecular level to modulate foraging behavior has not been well-characterized. The transition of worker bees from nursing to foraging behavior is mediated by large-scale changes in brain gene expression, which are influenced by pheromones produced by the queen and larvae. Larval pheromones can also stimulate foragers to leave the colony to collect pollen, but the mechanisms underpinning this rapid behavioral plasticity are unknown. Furthermore, the mechanisms through which foragers specialize on collecting nectar or pollen, and how larval pheromones impact these different behavioral states, remains to be determined. Here, we investigated the patterns of gene expression related to rapid behavioral plasticity and task allocation among honey bee foragers exposed to two larval pheromones, brood pheromone (BP) and (E)-beta-ocimene (EBO). Results We hypothesized that both pheromones would alter expression of genes in the brain related to foraging and would differentially impact expression of genes in the brains of pollen compared to nectar foragers. Combining data reduction, clustering, and network analysis methods, we found that foraging preference (nectar vs. pollen) and pheromone exposure are each associated with specific brain gene expression profiles. Furthermore, pheromone exposure has a strong transcriptional effect on genes that are preferentially expressed in nectar foragers. Representation factor analysis between our study and previous landmark honey bee transcriptome studies revealed significant overlaps for both pheromone communication and foraging task specialization. Conclusions Social signals (i.e. pheromones) may invoke foraging-related genes to upregulate pollen foraging at both long and short time scales. These results provide new insights into how social signals integrate with task specialization at the molecular level and highlights the important role that brain gene expression plays in behavioral plasticity across time scales.
Women surgeons and the emergence of acute care surgery programs.

Abstract Background In parallel to women entering general surgery training, acute care surgery (ACS) has been developing as a team-based approach to emergency general surgery (EGS). We sought to examine predictors of women surgeons in EGS generally, and ACS particularly. Methods From our national survey, we determined the proportion of women surgeons within EGS hospitals. We compared the proportion of women surgeons based on hospitals characteristics using chi-squared tests, then used regression models to measure odds of ACS relative to the proportion of women. Results 779 (50.4%) hospitals had zero women surgeons. These hospitals were more likely non-ACS and non-teaching with Conclusion Our study highlights the dearth of women representation within EGS hospitals nationally and illuminates some of the underlying characteristics of ACS that may draw women: urban, academic, and staffed by more recently trained surgeons. Summary Using a national survey of Emergency General Surgery (EGS) hospitals, we sought to examine predictors of women surgeons in EGS generally, and acute care surgery (ACS) particularly. We found that 779 (50.4%) hospitals had zero women surgeons. Women were more likely to be among EGS surgeons at hospitals with ACS models. Our study highlights the dearth of women representation within EGS hospitals nationally and illuminates some of the underlying characteristics of ACS that may draw women: urban, academic, and staffed by a higher proportion of newly trained surgeons.
Emerging Novel Therapeutics in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

The mortality from breast cancer has steadily decreased due in part to early detection and advances in therapy. The treatment options for breast cancer vary considerably depending on the histological subtype. There are a number of very effective targeted therapies available for estrogen receptor-positive disease and for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive disease. However, triple-negative breast cancer is a particularly aggressive subtype. This subtype represents an unmet need for improved therapies. TNBC is a heterogenous subtype of breast cancer that is beginning to be refined by its molecular characteristics and clinical response to a targeted therapeutic approach. Here we review the recent advances in the treatment of TNBC with emphasis on the many emerging novel targeted therapies.
Fitting into Our Genes: Evolutionary Theory of the Health Benefits of Physical Activity

ABSTRACTThere is ample evidence that regular physical activity can prevent or delay a large number of chronic health conditions in humans, and the evolutionary theory of the health benefits of phys...
Conclusions from the Consumer Goods Industry

Despite the fact that Johnson & Johnson and Altria are classified as belonging to the consumer goods industries, their divergent business profiles made it impossible to compare their communication strategies. Consequently, this chapter discusses the main implications of the results that emerged for each company, without making analogies or drawing conclusions across the industry.
Regulatory B cells require antigen recognition for effective allograft tolerance induction.

Through multiple mechanisms, regulatory B cells (Breg) have been shown to play an important role in the development of allograft tolerance. However, a careful understanding of the role of antigen-specificity in Breg-mediated allograft tolerance has remained elusive. In experimental models of islet and cardiac transplantation, it has been established that Bregs can be induced in vivo by anti-CD45RB ± anti-TIM1antibody treatment, resulting in prolonged, Breg-dependent allograft tolerance. The importance of Breg antigen recognition has been suggested but not confirmed through adoptive transfer experiments, using tolerant WT C57BL/6 animals challenged with either BALB/c or C3H grafts. However, the importance of receptor-specificity has not been formally tested. Here, we utilize the novel ovalbumin-specific B cell receptor transnuclear (OBI) mice in multiple primary tolerance and adoptive transfer experiments to establish that Breg-dependent allograft tolerance relies on antigen recognition by B cells. Additionally, we identify that this Breg-dependent tolerance relies on the function of transforming growth factor-β. Together, these experiments mark important progress toward understanding how best to improve Breg-mediated allograft tolerance.
Electrocatalytic Alcohol Oxidation with Iron-Based Acceptorless Alcohol Dehydrogenation Catalyst.

Electrochemical and chemical studies reveal that the amido complex (PNHxP)Fe(CO)(H)(X) (FeN 1, x = 0, X = 0; Fe(H)(NH) 2, x = 1, X = H; PNHP = bis[2-(diisopropylphosphino)ethyl]amine) is active for the electrocatalytic oxidation of isopropanol. At room temperature, the amido FeN 1 dehydrogenates isopropanol to form acetone. The resulting amino hydride complex Fe(H)(NH) 2 is subsequently oxidized by one electron at a low potential (-0.74 V versus ferrocene/ferrocenium, Fc0/+) in tetrahydrofuran. In the presence of strong base (phosphazene base P2-Et, Et-N = P2(dma)5, P2), this oxidation process becomes a two-electron, two-proton process that regenerates FeN 1. FeN 1 is active for the electrooxidation of isopropanol in the presence of strong base (i.e., P2) with an onset potential near -1 V versus Fc0/+. By cyclic voltammetry, fast turnover frequencies of 1.7 s-1 for isopropanol oxidation are achieved with FeN 1. Controlled potential electrolysis studies confirm that the product of isopropanol electrooxidation is acetone, generated with high Faradaic efficiency (∼100%).
Critical role of protein kinase G in the long-term balance between defensive and appetitive behaviors induced by aversive stimuli in Aplysia.

Abstract This study investigated the signaling cascades involved in the long-term storage of the balance between defensive and appetitive behaviors observed when the mollusk Aplysia is exposed to aversive experience. In Aplysia, repeated trials of aversive stimuli induce concurrent sensitization of defensive withdrawal reflexes and suppression of feeding for at least 24 h. This long-term storage of the balance between withdrawal reflexes and feeding is sustained, at least in part, by increased excitability of the tail sensory neurons (SNs) controlling the withdrawal reflexes, and by decreased excitability of feeding decision-making neuron B51. Nitric oxide (NO) is required for the induction of both long-term sensitization and feeding suppression. At the cellular level, NO is also required for long-term decreased B51 excitability but not for long-term increased SN excitability. Here, we characterized the signaling cascade downstream of NO contributing to the long-term storage of the balance between withdrawal reflexes and feeding. We found protein kinase G (PKG) necessary for both long-term sensitization and feeding suppression, indicating that a NO-PKG cascade governs the long-term storage of the balance between defensive and appetitive responses in Aplysia. The role of PKG on feeding suppression was paralleled at the cellular level where a cGMP-PKG pathway was required for long-term decreased B51 excitability. In the defensive circuit, the cGMP-PKG pathway was not necessary for long-term increased SN excitability, suggesting that other cellular correlates of long-term sensitization might depend on the GMP-PKG cascade to sustain the behavioral change.
A Novel Horizontal Copper Pattern Plating System with High Throughput

Horizontal copper plating processes have been used in high volume production to produce PCB’s for MLB, Flex-rigid, IC substrates and HDI applications. As the lines and spaces (L/S) requirements have become more and more challenging over the years, panel plating technology has hit the barrier in the range of L/S 35/35 μm in combination with a request for rectangular shape of the traces. Pattern plating mode and the use of (a)mSAP processes becomes a must to achieve L/S in the range of 20/20 μm. So far these kind of applications were difficult to be produced in standard horizontal equipment because of following aspects:1st. The panel thickness for these applications is usually in the lower range less than 60 + 2 × 9 μm Copper clad and it was difficult to transport these thin panels in horizontal mode in all cases.2nd. The solution flow arrangement is not sufficient for thin panel transportation and pattern plating.3rd. The former horizontal copper electrolytes have not been designed for pattern plating.4th. Dry film damages in pattern plating mode.
Rotational Outlier Identification in Pose Graphs using Dual Decomposition

In the last few years, there has been an increasing trend to consider Structure from Motion (SfM, in computer vision) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM, in robotics) problems from the point of view of pose averaging (also known as global SfM, in computer vision) or Pose Graph Optimization (PGO, in robotics), where the motion of the camera is reconstructed by considering only relative rigid body transformations instead of including also 3-D points (as done in a full Bundle Adjustment). At a high level, the advantage of this approach is that modern solvers can effectively avoid most of the problems of local minima, and that it is easier to reason about outlier poses (caused by feature mismatches and repetitive structures in the images). In this paper, we contribute to the state of the art of the latter, by proposing a method to detect incorrect orientation measurements prior to pose graph optimization by checking the geometric consistency of rotation measurements. The novel aspects of our method are the use of Expectation-Maximization to fine-tune the covariance of the noise in inlier measurements, and a new approximate graph inference procedure, of independent interest, that is specifically designed to take advantage of evidence on cycles with better performance than standard approaches (Belief Propagation). The paper includes simulation and experimental results that evaluate the performance of our outlier detection and cycle-based inference algorithms on synthetic and real-world data.
Li-O2 batteries for high specific power applications: A multiphysics simulation study for a single discharge

Abstract Commercialization of lithium-oxygen batteries faces many challenges, such as electrolyte decomposition, short cycle life, low energy and power density, and high cell mass. However, the commercialization of Li O2 batteries for aeronautics is more challenging due to additional safety constraints on cyclability and performance (high specific-power and specific-energy). In this paper, we perform experiments and use the results to calibrate a 1-D finite element model to simulate discharge profiles up to 5 mA cm-2. The calibrated model is used to perform parametric studies of geometrical, microstructural, transport, and material properties for different discharge times, and discharge current densities. Next, a simulation-based optimization study shows optimal cell designs for various electrolytes for high specific-power. Results show that a high specific-power Li O2 cell needs to have a cathode with a thickness equal to oxygen diffusion length, thin separator, optimized anode, and other components with low mass. The specific-power is sensitive to discharge time, discharge current density, and microstructural and geometrical properties. Also, in some cases, electrolytes with high oxygen solubility or high external partial pressure can compensate for electrolytes with low oxygen diffusivity. However, reducing the cell mass is the most straight forward path to improving specific-power.
COVID-19 in Solid Organ Transplantation: Disease Severity and Clinical Update.

ABSTRACT Background Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are a complex, immunocompromised population in whom greater coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality has been reported compared with the general population. Methods We examined a retrospective cohort of 58 SOT recipients with first-wave COVID-19, comparing patients with severe and nonsevere illness. Additionally, SOT recipients are compared with general patients with first-wave COVID-19. Results Organs transplanted included 38 kidneys, 8 livers, 5 hearts, and 3 pancreases. Average SOT recipient age was 57.4 years; 62% were male; 46.6% were African American 36.2% were white. Comorbidities included hypertension (86%), chronic kidney disease (86%), diabetes mellitus (50%), coronary artery disease (26%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (14%). Twenty patients had severe COVID-19 (34.5%) and 38 had nonsevere disease (65.5%). Severe disease was more common in older SOT recipients with comorbidities and was associated with cough, dyspnea, pneumonia, C-reactive protein >10 mg/L, and platelet count Conclusions The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has greatly impacted SOT recipients. One-third of our SOT recipients seen during the first wave had severe illness with associated standard risk factors for poor outcome. Compared with general first-wave patients, more SOT recipients were hospitalized, although inpatient COVID-19 mortality did not significantly differ.
Preoperative Weight Loss as a Predictor of Bariatric Surgery Postoperative Weight Loss and Complications

The association between preoperative weight loss and bariatric surgery outcomes remains unclear. We explored the utility of preoperative weight loss as a predictor of postoperative weight loss success. Additionally, we examined the association of preoperative weight loss with perioperative complication rates. Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent primary sleeve gastrectomy or primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for weight loss at a single institution between January 2003 and November 2017. Additional follow-up was obtained by a postoperative standardized patient questionnaire. Statistical analysis consisted of bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Our study included 427 patients. Majority were female (n = 313, 73.3%) and underwent sleeve gastrectomy (n = 261, 61.1%). Average age was 45.6 years, and average follow-up was 6.3 years. Greater preoperative weight loss was associated with decreased length of stay (1.8 vs 1.3 days) in patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that preoperative weight loss was not associated with postoperative weight loss. Preoperative weight loss is not predictive of postoperative weight loss success after bariatric surgery. Greater preoperative weight loss was associated with a mild decreased in length of stay but was not associated with a reduction in operative time, overall complication rates, ICU admissions, or intraoperative complications. The inconclusive literature and our findings do not support the medical necessity of weight loss prior to bariatric surgery for the purpose of reducing surgical complications or predicting successful postoperative weight loss success.
Using Conventional Bibliographic Databases for Social Science Research: Web of Science and Scopus are not the Only Options

Although large citation databases such as Web of Science and Scopus are widely used in bibliometric research, they have several disadvantages, including limited availability, poor coverage of books and conference proceedings, and inadequate mechanisms for distinguishing among authors. We discuss these issues, then examine the comparative advantages and disadvantages of other bibliographic databases, with emphasis on (a) discipline-centered article databases such as EconLit, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and SocINDEX, and (b) book databases such as Amazon.com , Books in Print, Google Books, and OCLC WorldCat. Finally, we document the methods used to compile a freely available data set that includes five-year publication counts from SocINDEX and Amazon along with a range of individual and institutional characteristics for 2,132 faculty in 426 U.S. departments of sociology. Although our methods are time-consuming, they can be readily adopted in other subject areas by investigators without access to Web of Science or Scopus (i.e., by faculty at institutions other than the top research universities). Data sets that combine bibliographic, individual, and institutional information may be especially useful for bibliometric studies grounded in disciplines such as labor economics and the sociology of professions. Policy highlights While nearly all research universities provide access to Web of Science or Scopus, these databases are available at only a small minority of undergraduate colleges. Systematic restrictions on access may result in systematic biases in the literature of scholarly communication and assessment. The limitations of the largest citation databases influence the kinds of research that can be most readily pursued. In particular, research problems that use exclusively bibliometric data may be preferred over those that draw on a wider range of information sources. Because books, conference papers, and other research outputs remain important in many fields of study, journal databases cover just one component of scholarly accomplishment. Likewise, data on publications and citation impact cannot fully account for the influence of scholarly work on teaching, practice, and public knowledge. The automation of data compilation processes removes opportunities for investigators to gain first-hand, in-depth understanding of the patterns and relationships among variables. In contrast, manual processes may stimulate the kind of associative thinking that can lead to new insights and perspectives.
White, Steven. World War II and American Racial Politics: Public Opinion, the Presidency, and Civil Rights Advocacy

In this slim volume, Steven White takes on three broad topics—public opinion, the presidency, and civil rights policy—and uses World War II as “an explanatory variable” to shed light on U.S. racial...
The DairyCHAMP program, a micro-computer based health and management program for dairy herds

In a paper first presented at a conference on Dairy Herd Health Programming (University of Minnesota, USA, June 1989), the DairyCHAMP microcomputer-based dairy health and management system is described. The program allows herd monitoring, problem diagnosis and provides aids to management. The program should run on any PC-DOS or compatible computer. The dairy farm processes which this program may be applied to are control of reproduction, mastitis, nutrition, disease, herd replacement and herd inventory management. The program deals with system control, animal records, herd test records, milk production and feed use records, education, financial management and interfacing with other programs. Data entry is through programs selected via menus. These allow selection of information for recording from on-screen lists in English which are stored in the computer as code. Results may be viewed on-screen interactively or printed. They consist of periodic reports which allow key indices of milk production, disease, reproduction and heifer growth to be monitored. An evaluation report may be used to analyse clinical trials and in comparative analysis of herd performance. It lists observations such as means, s.d., the number of observation ranges and confidence intervals for performance indices. Diagnostic reports allow performance to be analysed so as to enable causes of inadequate performance to be identified. The program has been designed to fit the operational needs of all types of dairy production systems.
Polygenic sex determination produces modular sex polymorphism in an African cichlid fish

For many vertebrates, a single genetic locus initiates a cascade of developmental sex differences in the gonad and throughout the organism, resulting in adults with two, phenotypically distinct sexes. Species with polygenic sex determination (PSD) have multiple interacting sex determination alleles segregating within a single species, allowing for more than two genotypic sexes, and scenarios where sex genotype at a given locus can be decoupled from gonadal sex. Here we investigate the effects of PSD on secondary sexual characteristics in the cichlid fish Metriaclima mbenjii, where one female (W) and one male (Y) sex determination allele interact to produce siblings with four possible sex classes: ZZXX females, ZWXX females, ZWXY females, and ZZXY males. We find that PSD in M. mbenjii produces an interplay of sex-linkage and sex-limitation resulting in modular variation in morphological and behavioral traits. Further, the evolution or introgression of a novel sex determiner creates additional axes of phenotypic variation for varied traits, including genital morphology, craniofacial morphology, gastrointestinal morphology, and home tank behaviors. In contrast to single-locus sex determination, which broadly results in sexual dimorphism, polygenic sex determination can induce higher-order sexual polymorphism. The modularity of secondary sexual characteristics produced by PSD provides novel context for understanding the evolutionary causes and consequences of maintenance, gain, or loss of sex determination alleles in populations. Significance Statement Sex differences in traits can occur when those traits are modified by genetic factors inherited on sex chromosomes. We investigated how sex differences emerge in a species with more than one set of sex chromosomes, measuring a variety of morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits. Rather than exhibiting sexual dimorphism associated with primary sex, the species has higher-order sexual polymorphism in secondary sexual characteristics, or more than two phenotypic sexes. Variation in secondary sexual characteristics is modular, involving the interplay of sex-linked and sex-limited traits. Our findings provide novel implications for how sex determination systems and whole-organism fitness traits co-evolve, including that significant creation or loss of variation in diverse traits can occur during transitions among sex chromosome systems.
Mucopolysaccharide Vascular Coating Relationship to Environmental Factors

The lumen of blood vessels is coated with an acid mucopolysaccharide (AMPS) which is sensitive to environmental factors, i e., radiation, endotoxin, breathing 100% oxygen and aging. Loss of the AMPS results in hypercoagulability as shown by blockage of the femoral artery. Biochemical examination of trypsin treated blood vessels identified mannose, glactose, glucosamine and neuramic acid. The presence of these sugars in the perfusate almost doubled after 800 rads of X-rays. Attempts to use the stainable coating as a marker for radiation failed. The non-irradiated areas were equally effected. However, this proved the radiation was not the primary cause of the coating loss, but was due to a radiation by-product carried in the blood. The coating is quite sensitive to the effects of radiation. Twenty four hours after 10 rads of X-rays 23% of the coating was removed and 48 hours later 45% was missing, 200 rads removes 85–90%. Experiments for prediction of AMPS loss on long term space flights and its effects should be planned.