cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro Physiology of Frog Photoreceptor Membranes

Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying visual excitation and adaptation might be greatly simplified if purified suspensions of visual receptor outer segments could be made to function in vitro. The roles of cofactors, regulating molecules, and pharmacologically active agents might then be studied with a precision impossible to obtain in living and intact visual receptor cells. We would like to summarize experiments which demonstrate that purified Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) photoreceptor membranes can perform excitation and adaption in vitro in a cycle which utilizes ATP and cyclic AMP. A light dependent phosphorylation of rhodopsin (1, 2), possibly a part of dark adaptation mechanisms, will also be discussed.
The Supreme Court Justice and 'Boring' Cases

This is a short essay discussing the phenomenon of boring cases at the Supreme Court. It examines two letters written by Supreme Court Justices to sick colleagues - a 1903 letter from Chief Justice E.D. White to William Day, and a 1941 letter from William O. Douglas to Hugo Black. The essay argues that one true and underappreciated measure of the worth of a Supreme Court Justice is not merely their ability to be (or at least appear to be) brilliant in the once-a-decade blockbuster cases. Instead, in selecting Supreme Court Justices, we should look just as much at their ability to work diligently on the vast majority of the cases which make up the Supreme Court's docket - including boring ones.
Interest Rate Policy Based on Hyperbolic Rational

Interest rate movement is discussed and a single variable predictor forwarded for future Interest rate movements.
From Hash House to Family Restaurant: The Transformation of the Diner and Post-World War II Consumer Culture

George Yonko was a regular patron of the small diner across the street from the Continental Foundry and Machine factory in East Chicago, Indiana. Yonko worked in the factory's machine tool shop during World War II, and every evening at the end of their shift, he and some buddies stopped at the diner for a hamburger. After the war, Yonko noticed an abandoned dining car beside Route 6 in Gary. Aware that this thoroughfare carried hundreds of workers to and from Gary's steel mills each day, Yonko bought the dining car and prepared to develop a business that would replicate his old haunt in East Chicago. It was the archetypical workingman's diner. With a very limited menu that featured chili, hamburgers, french fries, soup, pie, coffee, and milk shakes, the Chuck Wagon Diner quickly developed a regular following among shift workers from the steel mills and people from the neighborhood. Years later, the owner recalled that during peak hours he often had twelve people sitting at the counter, twelve people standing against a ledge by the back wall, and another twelve waiting to get inside. The overwhelming majority of the customers were men.' Business was so good that within seven years, Yonko decided to trade in his tiny wooden lunch car for a larger stainless steel unit. He was shrewd enough to realize that to make the new operation profitable he would be wise to diversify his clientele by catering to the burgeoning family market. Observation persuaded him that this was a reasonable proposition. Although most customers at his roadside diner were steelworkers, some patronage came from men and women returning from the movies or other social outings at night. These observations were buttressed by American Restaurant Association seminars he attended, where he learned about the nationwide trend toward families' dining out together.
Management of a pilomatrixoma with atypical features

In this case we report a 54-year-old man presenting with a large fungating mass that had been identified as a pilomatrixoma on a biopsy from an outside hospital. Based on the atypical clinical and radiographic findings we were concerned that the lesion may have aggressive features and decided to perform a wide local excision with 2 centimeter margins to manage this patient’s risk of recurrence. On surgical pathology, the lesion did have characteristics that were concerning for progression to a pilomatrix carcinoma, however, a definitive invasive component was not identified. This case emphasizes the preferred management in pilomatrixoma with atypical features is a wide local excision.
Introduction to Biomaterials

Abstract This brief introductory chapter provides a broad overview of materials, biomaterials and the need to understand different techniques to characterize biomaterials. From this chapter, the reader can gain a perspective on how the rest of the topics in different chapters are divided to fully comprehend this inherently multidisciplinary field. Application of appropriate characterization tools can not only save time to fully evaluate different biomaterials, it can also make commercial biomedical devices safer. In the long run, safer biomedical devices can only reduce the pain and suffering of mankind, a dream that resonates with every biomedical researcher.
Rapid Detection of Cyprinid Herpesvirus 3 in Latently Infected Koi by Recombinase Polymerase Amplification

Since the emergence of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), outbreaks have been devastating to Common Carp Cyprinus carpio and koi (a variant of Common Carp), leading to high economic losses. Current diagnostics for detecting CyHV-3 are limited in sensitivity and are further complicated by latency. Here we describe the detection of CyHV-3 by recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). The RPA assay can detect as low as 10 copies of the CyHV-3 genome by an isothermal reaction and yields results in approximately 20 min. Using the RPA assay, the CyHV-3 genome can be detected in the total DNA of white blood cells isolated from koi latently infected with CyHV-3, while less than 10% of the latently infected koi can be detected by a real-time PCR assay in the total DNA of white blood cells. In addition, RPA products can be detected in a lateral flow device that is cheap and fast and can be used outside of the diagnostic lab. The RPA assay and lateral flow device provide for the rapid, sensitive, and specific amplification of CyHV-3 that with future modifications for field use and validation could lead to enhanced surveillance and early diagnosis of CyHV-3 in the laboratory and field. Received September 14, 2015; accepted April 9, 2016.
A coded-feedback construction of locally minimum-cost multicast network codes

There are two common network models for network coded traffic: one is the fractional rate model (the primary model for non-coded communication) and the other is the integer rate model used for detailed coding analysis on packet-by-packet behaviors. The existing approach of finding minimum-cost multicast network codes is based on the fractional rate model and solves the corresponding linear-programming (LP) problem. The LP-based network optimization generally converges slowly due to the small step size and does not take care of the packet-by-packet coding behavior of network coding. This paper develops a minimum-cost multicast scheme based on the integer rate model. The new scheme exploits a new concept of coded feedback, takes full advantages of the forward network-coded traffic, and possesses many practical advantages for efficient implementation. The complexity and performance of the coded-feedback scheme are studied both analytically and through simulations.
The science of value: Economic expertise and the valuation of human life in US federal regulatory agencies.

This article explores efforts to apply economic logic to human life. To do so, it looks at federal regulatory agencies, where government planners and policy makers have spent over a century trying ...
Transcriptional Networks and the Spinal Cord

The ventricular zone of the developing neural tube contains dividing multipotential cells that produce a wide array of specialized progeny with distinct functional and phenotypic properties. At caudal levels of the embryo, the neural tube develops into the spinal cord composed of motor neurons, relay and local interneurons, and glia. The specification of cell types within the developing spinal cord is initiated by signaling molecules that activate gene expression regulatory programs. This article describes (1) the role of cross-repressive transcription factors in converting graded signals into specific genetic instructions, (2) the sequential nature of neuronal specification from multipotential progenitors and the regulatory factors involved at each stage, and (3) a description of how one neuronal type, cholinergic motor neurons, is further subdivided by the combinatorial actions of LIM and Hox transcription factors.
3-Dimensional Device Fabrication: A Bio-Based Materials Approach

In the previous chapter, we defined the evolution and advancement of 3-dimensional printing technologies and the transformation of these devices from rather primitive machines to highly adaptable modular apparatuses.
Graphics and Learning: A Study of Learner Characteristics and Comprehension of Programming Languages

This paper reports empirical research supporting the intuition that visual representation can make at least some abstract concepts easier to comprehend. A study of novices’ comprehension of computer programs was conducted using two programming languages, FPL (a graphically represented language) and Pascal (a textually represented language). The study focused on whether some identifiable subset of learners performs more quickly and/or more accurately on comprehension tasks when reading program segments coded in the graphically represented language than when reading their equivalent in a textual language. The findings support the intuition that graphical representation results in more rapid and accurate comprehension than does textual representation. This bias is even more marked for the visually apt learner. The findings are of importance to educators at all levels, suggesting that, in the design of learning materials, the graphic capabilities of computing ought to be more fully exploited to meet the differing needs and learning profiles of students.
Bidirectional Text Messaging to Improve Adherence to Recommended Lipid Testing.

Author(s): Baldwin, Laura-Mae; Morrison, Caitlin; Griffin, Jonathan; Anderson, Nick; Edwards, Kelly; Green, Jeff; Waldren, Cleary; Reiter, William | Abstract: BackgroundSynergies between technology and health care in the United States are accelerating, increasing opportunities to leverage these technologies to improve patient care.MethodsThis study was a collaboration between an academic study team, a rural primary care clinic, and a local nonprofit informatics company developing tools to improve patient care through population management. Our team created a text messaging management tool, then developed methods for and tested the feasibility of bidirectional text messaging to remind eligible patients about the need for lipid testing. We measured patient response to the text messages, then interviewed 8 patients to explore their text messaging experience.ResultsOf the 129 patients the clinic was able to contact by phone, 29.4% had no cell phone or text-messaging capabilities. An additional 20% refused to participate. Two thirds of the 28 patients who participated in the text messaging intervention (67.9%) responded to at least 1 of the up to 3 messages. Seven of 8 interviewed patients had a positive text-messaging experience.ConclusionsBidirectional text messaging is a feasible and largely acceptable form of communication for test reminders that has the potential to reach large numbers of patients in clinical care.
Fish, Stress in*

The physiological responses of fishes to stressful situations are very similar to those of the other vertebrates, including humans. Perception of a threat is followed by a neuroendocrine cascade involving catecholamines and the corticosteroid cortisol. Together, these result in secondary stress responses that can be categorized as those concerned with provision of energy, hydromineral balance, the immune system, and pathways that affect behaviors. The psychogenically induced responses tend to be similar, irrespective of the stressful agent; specific stressors can also induce specific responses.
Synthesis and structural studies of 1-amino-1-deoxy-α-L-xylo-hexulopyranose: L-Sorbosamine

Ketosamines are an important class of glycoconjugates widely employed in clinical diagnostics and implicated in development of diabetic complications, intestinal infections, or advanced cancer, as ...
Role of FDG PET/CT scan in preoperative pancreatic cancer staging.

511Background: Guidelines do not recommend routine FDG PET/CT (PET) as preoperative staging for pancreatic cancer, although many single center series have demonstrated that PET can lead to changes ...
The Block Cipher Keeloq and Algebraic Attacks

The purpose of this chapter is to supply a (relatively) new, feasible, and economically relevant example of algebraic cryptanalysis. The block cipher “Keeloq”1 has been used in the remote keyless-entry system of many automobiles. It has a secret key consisting of 64 bits, takes a plaintext of 32 bits, and outputs a ciphertext of 32 bits. The cipher consists of 528 rounds. In this chapter, we define the cipher.We also show some “frontal assaults” that are not effective. In the next chapter, we describe a successful attack from the author’s dissertation [31, Ch. 2]. Our attack is faster than brute force by a factor of around 214:77 as shown in Section 3.5 on Page 24.
Metastases to Bone

Over 100,000 patients per year in the United States have newly recognized metastases to bone [1]. Usually the primary tumor has been identified, but occasionally a metastasis will be the first clinical indication of cancer. These lesions may be a major source of pain, neurologic deficit, and hypercalcemia and may compromise skeletal integrity with potentially disastrous results in weight-bearing bone. The most frequent sources of metastases to bone are cancers of the breast, prostate, and lung [2, 3]. Metastases from other primary sites, including kidney, thyroid, endometrium, cervix, bladder, and gastrointestinal tract account for less than 20% of patients known to have bone metastases [4]. Although the ultimate prognosis is poor, many patients, particularly those with cancers of the kidney, breast, and prostate, may survive for many months or even years. Consequently, nearly all will need treatment to relieve the symptoms and signs caused by cancer for the remainder of their lives.
Phenomenology and the Natural Attitude

At first glance it would appear that Husserlian phenomenology and ordinary language analysis have little in common. At second glance, however, it seems that these positions are so violently opposed to each other that their representatives do not even share a universe of discourse. In a recent and provocative article entitled “Is There a World of Ordinary Language ?,”1 John Wild has taken a third glance at these rivals and has come forth with the suggestion that there are some fundamental points of contact between them, that, in fact, they have a good deal in common. I wish to take some of his remarks as a point of departure for considering the relationship between phenomenology and analytic philosophy. The focus for discussion will be Husserl’s conception of the “natural attitude,” the fundamental belief in the existence and validity of our common sense experience. The point is to clarify what I take to be the differences that set apart the philosophical enterprises being carried on by analysts and phenomenologists. Such a clarification is the necessary condition for meaningful contact between what is happening now in Anglo-American philosophy and what is happening on the Continent.
Separation and Intersection in the Plane

This chapter presents applications of the combinatorial results in Part I and the computational results in Part II to separation and intersection problems in Euclidean spaces. A typical problem in this category, which will not be discussed in this chapter, however, is the linear separability of two point sets in E d . This is the question whether or not there is a hyperplane such that two given point sets are contained in different closed half-spaces defined by the hyperplane. This problem has been briefly discussed in Chapter 10, and we have seen that there is an algorithm which finds a separating hyperplane in time linear in the total number of points, if it exists.
Case study of a preschool transition: an example of building resilience in times of uncertainty

Transitions in early childhood can create unease for young children, which may be reflected in their internalizing or externalizing behaviors. It is important to ensure that any large or small tran...
Neurogenetic determinants and mechanisms of addiction to nicotine and smoked tobacco

The single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States is tobacco use. Decades of study show that the risk of becoming addicted to smoked cigarettes varies greatly amongst individuals and is heritable, yet environmental factors are also important contributors. In this review, we consider a wide range of methodologies and key published reports that have defined the inheritance of different stages of nicotine-dependent smoking behavior, including preference, initiation, regular use, withdrawal and dependence as well as cessation and relapse. Major findings from both animal and human studies are discussed. Current findings converge primarily on the role of nicotinic cholinergic receptor subunits, although other neurotransmitter systems as well as nicotine metabolism enzymes are implicated. Various stages of nicotine addiction may share common genetic mechanisms, yet several lines of evidence indicate that each stage also has its own unique genetic determinants. Studies on the heritability of smoking initiation demonstrate substantial evidence for gene-environment interaction, although the precise molecular genetic mechanism(s) remains unknown. Considering the relatively few genes identified so far and the small to modest fraction of the variance in risk for a particular smoking phenotype (e.g., smoking initiation in late adolescence) attributable to these genes, a large gap remains to be filled in order to account for the heritability of key phenotypes involved in each stage of addiction to smoked tobacco. Looking forward, new research strategies involving both human and animal studies will produce the fundamental genetic insights that are the foundation for the precision medical treatment of individuals addicted to smoked tobacco.
James Wilson as the Architect of the American Presidency

For decades, James Wilson has been something of a “forgotten founder.” The area where commentators generally recognize Wilson’s influence at the Convention is with respect to Article II, which establishes the executive and defines its powers. Most scholars characterize him as a resolute advocate of an independent, energetic, and unitary presidency, and a particularly successful one at that. In this regard, some scholars have generally characterized Wilson’s thinking as overly rigid. Yet a close examination of the Convention reveals Wilson to be more flexible than sometimes characterized. With respect to many aspects of the presidency, including the appointment power, the use of an advisory council, the veto power, and presidential selection, he adopted a more pragmatic approach than generally recognized. The most dramatic example of this is an event that is almost entirely overlooked in the historical record: Wilson’s break late in the Convention from his consistent support for a unitary executive by proposing an advisory council to advise the president on appointments. While initially seeming like something of a puzzle, the reasons for Wilson’s change of heart become clearer when debates over presidential power are placed in the context of the larger controversies that dominated the Convention, such as the Great Compromise and presidential re-eligibility and selection. This broader frame suggests that Wilson held a more pragmatic, less doctrinaire vision of executive power than is commonly recognized.
Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease: Emerging Opportunities for Psychology

Sleep disturbances and disorders have been implicated in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Converging evidence suggests that psychosocial factors that confer risk or resilience to cardiovascular disease (CVD) are also related to sleep. Profound differences in sleep among racial/ethnic minorities compared with non-Hispanic Whites in the United States suggest that sleep, and its interplay with psychosocial factors, may contribute to observed disparities in CVD and in health and functioning more broadly. Less understood is the extent to which sleep and psychosocial factors interact to influence the pathophysiology and clinical course of CVD. This article reviews observational and experimental evidence linking short sleep duration and insomnia, both modifiable sleep disturbances, to CVD, including key physiological mechanisms. Also reviewed is evidence of significant interrelationships among sleep, race/ethnicity, and psychosocial factors known to confer risk or resilience to CVD, including depression, psychological stress, and close interpersonal relationships. It is proposed that a transdisciplinary research framework that integrates knowledge, methods, and measures from the fields of psychology and sleep research may be used to catalyze advances in the prevention and treatment of CVD. Also discussed are promising new directions, expected challenges, and the importance of training in transdisciplinary science and research approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Investigation of Shock Motion in Transonic Flow Using an Oscillating, Straked, Delta Wing

A computational analysis was performed on a straked, delta wing undergoing pitch motion in order to investigate the influence of shock-induced, trailing-edge separation (SITES) on simulated limit-c...
A Case Study: Percutaneous Lung Biopsy and Symptomatic Arterial Air Embolus

Abstract Air emboli are rare complications of computed tomography–guided lung biopsies. This case study discusses current recommendations on patient positioning and supportive treatment until an air embolus is reabsorbed or extracted. A plan of action aimed at mitigating the harmful or even fatal effects of air emboli should be developed and reviewed with all staff participating in these types of procedures.
Correction to: Effects of average uncertainty and trial-type frequency on choice response time: A hierarchical extension of Hick/Hyman law

In Mordkoff (2017), the intention was to exclude from the analyses all trials that immediately followed an error.
UVM Based Verification for HPSBC-FPGA of the Dream Chaser's Fault Tolerant Flight Computer

Sierra Nevada Corporation's flagship Dream Chaser spacecraft will use a Fault Tolerant Flight Computer (FTFC)for its missions to the International Space Station. One of the integral components of the FTFC is a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)that provides the mission critical redundancy management function. As this function is both mission and safety critical, the FPGA has been the focus of an ASIC-like verification effort. To implement the functional verification we chose to use the Universal Verification Methodology (UVM). In this paper we provide details of the main features of the FPGA as well as the verification architecture and strategies. We explore how we are able to achieve 100% functional and code coverage of the design's intended functionality and state transitions in order to thoroughly vet the capabilities of the system.
Validation of the chemotherapy-induced neuropathy assessment scale.

9140 Background: Many of the assessment tools used to assess peripheral neuropathy in clinical trials focus on painful neuropathy. However, some chemotherapy agents cause both painful and non-painf...
A Continuum of Competency Restoration Services Need Not Include Jail

Competency restoration in jails has grown steadily over the past decade, driven primarily by cost considerations and long wait times for inpatient restoration programs. Although jail-based programs may offer an attractive temporary solution to the shortage of beds, a longer-term solution involves enhancing the continuum of competency restoration services available outside of the correctional system. Such a continuum includes inpatient, supportive residential, and outpatient services. If these services were adequately funded and managed, jail-based competency restoration services would provide no additional benefit to patients, mental health professionals, or the criminal justice system.
Window-Based Feature Extraction Method Using XGBoost for Time Series Classification of Solar Flares

Solar flare prediction is an increasingly important concern in spaceweather prediction. Major solar flares have potentially catastrophic consequences for human life and infrastructure, both in space and on earth. The current lack of highly predictive models for these events saw the heliophysics community turn to data driven approaches. In this paper, we describe a novel two-step regularised gradient boosted classification tree model approach to the analysis of large multivariate time series. Applied to the prediction of major flaring events, we demonstrate that along with high performance, the critical feature selection steps increase interpretability of otherwise complex models to offer insights that could help identify physical mechanisms giving rise to solar flares. This method was developed for the IEEE BigData Cup 2019 “Solar Flare Prediction from Time Series of Solar Magnetic Field Parameters”
Beam Squint Correction for Phased Array Antennas Using the Tansec Waveform

A phased array antenna controls its beam steering direction by phase differences between signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements. These phase differences are determined by antenna geometry and carrier frequency. Radars with phased array antennas, operating with frequency-modulated waveforms, suffer from beam steering direction errors, denoted as squint. This phenomenon and the resulting squint errors are especially significant in wide-band radars. This work proposes to utilize the nonlinear frequency-modulated Tansec waveform to compensate for the carrier frequency variation and thus, to mitigate beam squint. A method for Tansec waveforms selection is derived and its ability to mitigate beam squint is demonstrated via simulations.
High flow bypass for right giant cavernous internal carotid artery aneurysm with fibromuscular dysplasia of cervical internal carotid artery: microsurgical 2-D video.

Background It is well known that intracranial aneurysms can be associated to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). Nevertheless, it is not clear the best treatment strategy when there is an association of giant symptomatic cavernous carotid aneurysm with extensive cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) FMD. Case description We present the case of 63 year-old right-handed female with hypothyroidism, 1 month history of right-sided pulsatile headache and visual disturbances with feeling of fullness sensation and blurry vision. Her neurological exam showed partial right oculomotor nerve palsy with mild ptosis, asymmetric pupils (right 5 mm and left 3mm, both reactive), and mild exotropia, normal visual acuity. Computed tomography angiogram and conventional angiogram showed 2.5 × 2.6 × 2.6 cm non-ruptured aneurysm arising from cavernous segment of the right ICA. She had right hypoplastic posterior communicant artery, and collateral flow through anterior communicant artery during balloon test occlusion and the presence of right cervical ICA FMD. The patient was started on aspirin. After lengthy discussion of treatment options in our neurovascular department, between observations, endovascular treatment with flow diverter device, or high flow bypass, recommendation was to perform high flow bypass and patient consented for the procedure. We performed right-sided pterional trans-sylvian microsurgical approach and right neck dissection at common carotid bifurcation under electrophysiology monitoring (somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalography); while vascular surgery department assisted with the radial artery graft harvesting. The radial artery graft was passed through preauricular tunnel, cranially was anastomosed at superior trunk of middle cerebral artery, and caudally at external carotid artery (Video). Intraoperative angiogram showed adequate bypass patency and lack of flow within aneurysm. The patient was extubated postoperatively and discharged home with aspirin in postoperative day 5. Improvement on oculomotor deficit was complete 3 weeks after surgery. Conclusion Nowadays, endovascular therapy can manage small to large cavernous ICA aneurysms even if associated to FMD, although giant symptomatic cavernous carotid aneurysms impose a different challenge. Here, we present the management for the association of symptomatic giant cavernous ICA aneurysm and cervical ICA FMD with high flow bypass. We consider important to keep the skills in the cerebrovascular neurosurgeon armamentarium for the safe management of these lesions.
Amici Curiae Brief of 66 Law, Economics, Business, and Medical Professors in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellants

A company collects more than 100 patents on a drug. It then aggressively asserts this “patent thicket” and enters into settlements with each of the competitors that could enter the market, paying them to delay their entry for years. The company admits that its strategy is to “make it more difficult” for rivals forced to “contend with [its] extensive patent estate.” Does this violate antitrust law? That presents a nuanced issue. But at least it deserves consideration, which could ultimately involve the weighing of the thicket’s benefits against the anticompetitive harms of abusing this collection. In this litigation, involving the biologic Humira, the district court never allowed this critical debate to play out. In particular, it short-circuited the analysis by making fundamental errors on how to (1) analyze settlements, (2) assess sham conduct, and (3) determine causation. Because of these errors, the brief requests that the Seventh Circuit reverse.
Exercise During the First Trimester of Pregnancy and the Risks of Abnormal Screening and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE To estimate the effects of exercise during the first trimester on the risks of abnormal screening and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data come from PETALS, a prospectively followed pregnancy cohort (n = 2,246, 79% minorities) receiving care at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. A Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess exercise. Glucose testing results for screening and diagnostic tests were obtained from electronic health records. Inverse probability of treatment weighting and targeted maximum likelihood with data-adaptive estimation (machine learning) of propensity scores and outcome regressions were used to obtain causal risk differences adjusted for potential confounders, including prepregnancy BMI, exercise before pregnancy, and gestational weight gain. Exercise was dichotomized at 1) the cohort’s 75th percentile for moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise (≥13.2 MET-h per week or ≥264 min per week of moderate exercise), 2) current recommendations (≥7.5 MET-hours per week or ≥150 min per week of moderate exercise), and 3) any vigorous exercise. RESULTS Overall, 24.3% and 6.5% had abnormal screening and GDM, respectively. Exercise meeting or exceeding the 75th percentile decreased the risks of abnormal screening and GDM by 4.8 (95% CI 1.1, 8.5) and 2.1 (0.2, 4.1) fewer cases per 100, respectively, in adjusted analyses. CONCLUSIONS Exercise reduces the risks of abnormal screening and GDM, but the amount needed to achieve these risk reductions is likely higher than current recommendations. Future interventions may consider promoting ≥38 min per day of moderate-intensity exercise to prevent GDM.
Sarah Silverman goes digital: feminine satire in the age of Trump

Women comedians working to influence politics in the United States are presented with a new challenge in the age of Trump. While comedians are increasingly influential (Day 2011, p. 43), satire now...
Coherent solutions and transition to turbulence in two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Optimal, exact coherent solutions have been shown to tightly bound the scaling of heat transport in two-dimensional turbulent Rayleigh-B\'enard convection. These optimal solutions are unstable, but it is of interest to detect their signature in turbulent flow fields. Here, a direct link is established between the exact coherent solutions that optimize heat transport and transition to turbulence in two-dimensional Rayleigh-B\'enard convection.
Nanoscale organization of Actin Filaments in the Red Blood Cell Membrane Skeleton

Abstract Red blood cell (RBC) shape and deformability are supported by a planar network of short actin filament (F-actin) nodes interconnected by long spectrin molecules at the inner surface of the plasma membrane. Spectrin-F-actin network structure underlies quantitative modelling of forces controlling RBC shape, membrane curvature and deformation, yet the nanoscale organization of F-actin nodes in the network in situ is not understood. Here, we examined F-actin distribution in RBCs using fluorescent-phalloidin labeling of F-actin imaged by multiple microscopy modalities. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and Zeiss Airyscan confocal microscopy demonstrate that F-actin is concentrated in multiple brightly stained F-actin foci ∼200-300 nm apart interspersed with dimmer F-actin staining regions. Live cell imaging reveals dynamic lateral movements, appearance and disappearance of F-actin foci. Single molecule STORM imaging and computational cluster analysis of experimental and synthetic data sets indicate that individual filaments are non-randomly distributed, with the majority as multiple filaments, and the remainder sparsely distributed as single filaments. These data indicate that F-actin nodes are non-uniformly distributed in the spectrin-F-actin network and necessitate reconsideration of current models of forces accounting for RBC shape and membrane deformability, predicated upon uniform distribution of F-actin nodes and associated proteins across the micron-scale RBC membrane.
Multiple Brain Abscesses Due to Nocardia otitidiscaviarum: Case Report and Treatment Implications.

Nocardia infections typically present in immunocompromised hosts. Brain abscesses caused by species such as Nocardia asteroides, farcinica, and abscessus are well-documented in the literature. We present a rare case of an immunocompetent patient with multiple brain abscesses due to Nocardia otitidiscaviarum requiring a decompressive fronto-temporoparietal craniectomy due to symptomatic intracranial hypertension. The patient was treated with intrathecal amikacin in addition to standard antibiotics with the resolution of the disease and good neurologic outcome. This is one of few case reports overall involving this species within the brain, and the second to report favorable outcomes. This case describes implications for treatment and adds to sparse literature regarding this particular pathogen.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Infective Endocarditis - Survey of Current Practice Amongst Pediatric Cardiology Providers

Background: The 2007 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines significantly restricted antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) for infective endocarditis (IE) to fewer patients with predisposing cardiac conditions (PCC) at highest risk of adverse outcomes. Several studies have since attempted to look at the impact on incidence of IE over the following years with conflicting results. In this context, we sought to study the current prescribing practices of pediatric cardiology providers and adherence to the current AHA guidelines. Methods: A survey of pediatric cardiology providers was conducted via emails sent to the AAP section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (SOCCS) and to PediHeartNet. The survey provided different clinical scenarios that would be commonly encountered in general cardiology practice and asked if the provider would or would-not prescribe AP. The cases …
On the Thermal Efficiencies of Cascading Heat Exchangers: An Experimental Approach - I

The thermal efficiency of cascading crossflow heat exchangers (HEX), networked in a parallel fashion to a cold plate, is investigated experimentally and computationally. A microcontroller is connected to the manifold system that dynamically branches coolant flow to multiple heat exchangers based on package power and its consequential junction temperature rise (Tj rise ) feedback from the heat dissipating device. Branching the recirculating coolant flow dynamically to multiple heat exchangers on a single cold plate for a heater dissipating 1kW of power, yielded a temperature reduction of 16°C compared to recirculating the coolant to just one HEX. Efficiency (η) of HEXs are characterized and a new efficiency parameter (T eff ) is proposed for characterizing heat exchanger efficiencies as an alternate to conventional HEX efficiency methods. Experimental data for a 1kW scenario on one HEX yields a system efficiency (η) of 67% and for 4 HEXs at identical power, it results in a system efficiency of 92.7%, which is a remarkable 25.7% improvement in the overall thermal efficiency of the system. A new efficiency parameter (T eff ) for HEX is introduced in this research not just to characterize the efficiency of HEX but is also proposed as an efficient compact modeling tool that reduces mesh count in the model as well. This has been adequately explained in this paper. A plug and play, adaptive, coolant flow branching system that removes human intervention and dynamically optimizes thermal efficiency based on real-time changing power conditions and achieving a junction temperature target is implemented and presented in this research. When implemented in data centers, this is projected to optimize TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) at the rack level and for large scale deployment & adoption. This method consequentially improves the overall Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of a data center. There have been numerous ways proposed to characterize heat exchanger efficiency specific to the design and analysis of how it is built. The proposed method is novel to the design of cascading network of crossflow heat exchangers where efficiency is shown to be closer to 100% compared to other methods.
Hip Range of Motion and Strength Predict 12-Month Physical Function Outcomes in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: The Delaware Spine Studies.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate whether poor hip range of motion (ROM) and strength predict 12-month physical function decline among older adults with chronic low back pain (LBP) and whether hip osteoarthritis modifies those relationships. METHODS At baseline, passive ROM and strength measurements were taken for hip flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation; ultrasound images and self-reported symptoms were used to evaluate hip osteoarthritis presence (eg, osteophytes and hip pain). At baseline and 12 months, performance-based (repeated chair rise, self-selected gait speed, 6-minute walk test [6MWT]) and self-reported (Quebec LBP Disability Questionnaire, Late-Life Function & Disability Instrument [LLFDI] basic and advanced lower extremity scales) physical function outcomes were assessed. Regression models were constructed for each outcome predicted by baseline hip ROM and strength measures, with adjustment for potential covariates. To avoid collinearity, hip ROM and strength measures with the strongest unadjusted correlations were included in final models. The hip osteoarthritis presence by hip ROM/strength interaction was also explored. RESULTS Hip abduction strength predicted repeated chair rise (β = -0.297, P < 0.001), gait speed (β = 0.160, P = 0.003), 6MWT (β = 0.159, P ≤ 0.001), Quebec LBP Disability Questionnaire (β = -0.152, P = 0.003), and LLFDI basic lower extremity scale (β = 0.171, P = 0.005) outcomes. Regarding hip ROM, extension predicted repeated chair rise (β = -0.110, P = 0.043) and LLFDI advanced lower extremity scale (β = 0.090, P = 0.007) outcomes, external rotation predicted gait speed (β = 0.122, P = 0.004) outcomes, and abduction predicted LLFDI basic lower extremity scale (β = 0.114, P = 0.026) outcomes. The hip osteoarthritis interaction was not significant for any model. CONCLUSION Reduced hip strength and ROM predict physical function decline; hip osteoarthritis presence may not modify these relationships.
Walking in the Ivory Tower: Differential Belonging and the Architexture of Home:

Deploying Carrillo Rowe’s concept of differential belonging and extending McCune’s notion of architexture to encompass transnational sensory registers, affective valences and intensities, relationa...
Upregulated PD-1 Signaling is an Important Antagonist to Glomerular Health in Aged Kidneys

Kidney aging and its contribution to disease and its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. With an aging population, kidney health becomes an important medical and socioeconomic factor. We previously showed that podocytes isolated from aged mice exhibit increased expression of Programed Cell Death Protein 1 (PD-1) surface receptor and its two ligands (PD-L1, PD-L2). PDCD1 transcript increases with age in micro-dissected human glomeruli, which correlates with lower eGFR, and higher segmental glomerulosclerosis and vascular arterial intima to lumen ratio. In vitro studies in podocytes demonstrate a critical role for PD-1 signaling in cell survival and induction of a Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP). To prove PD-1 signaling is critical to podocyte aging, aged mice were injected with anti-PD-1 antibody (aPD-1ab). Treatment significantly improved the aging phenotype in both kidney and liver. In the glomerulus, it increased the life-span of podocytes, but not parietal epithelial, mesangial or endothelial cells. Transcriptomic and immunohistochemistry studies demonstrate that anti-PD-1 treatment improved the health-span of podocytes. It restored the expression of canonical podocyte genes, transcription factors and gene regulatory networks, increased cellular metabolism signatures and lessened SASPs. These results suggest a critical contribution for increased PD-1 signaling towards both kidney and liver aging.
In situ indentation behavior of bulk multi-layer graphene flakes with respect to orientation

Abstract In situ indentation is performed on bulk multi-layer graphene flakes (MLG) consolidated by spark plasma sintering to study the effect of orientation on the deformation behavior and associated energy dissipation capabilities of MLG. Spark plasma sintering of MLG aligns them into a uniformly oriented, densely packed pellet. With respect to the 2D surface of consolidated MLG, indentation is carried out on the surface (out-of-plane MLG orientation) and in the orthogonal direction (in-plane MLG orientation). The combination of instrumented indentation and imaging provided evidence of deformation and failure mechanisms in real-time, as well as a quantitative comparison of energy dissipation. Indentation performed in the orthogonal direction resulted in a work of indentation 270% greater than indentation performed on the surface. The prevalent energy dissipation mechanisms observed when indenting in the orthogonal direction are compressive reinforcement, bending, push-out, and pop-out while the prevalent mechanisms observed in the surface indent are sliding, bending, kinking, and MLG pull-out.
NOURISH-C: Implementing a family based weight loss intervention in a church community

NOURISH-C: IMPLEMENTING A FAMILY BASED WEIGHT LOSS INTERVENTION IN A CHURCH COMMUNITY By Jacqueline D. Woods, M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Major Directors: Suzanne Mazzeo, Ph.D. Professor Department of Psychology Virginia Commonwealth University Marilyn Stern, Ph.D. Professor Department of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling University of South Florida Affiliate Professor Department of Psychology Virginia Commonwealth University Increasing rates of obesity across all race, ethnic, gender, and age groups over the past thirty years have generated significant public health concern. Black children face disproportionately higher risk for overweight and obesity compared with their White peers. Substantial evidence suggests that parent involvement improves pediatric obesity treatment outcomes. Moreover, churches are feasible and culturally congruent places to host health promotion interventions within the Black community. The current study examined the feasibility of disseminating an existing pediatric obesity intervention, NOURISH, in Black church communities. Twenty-five families participated in baseline assessment of the NOURISH-C. Five churches hosted the intervention and eight individuals were trained to lead the sessions. It was hypothesized that parent participation in NOURISH-C would be associated with improvements in child dietary intake, quality of life, and physical activity. Significant increases in quality of life were found, but no other hypotheses related to child health outcomes were supported. Nonetheless, this study offers a unique contribution to the pediatric obesity literature through its focus on implementing a community based intervention in a primarily Black sample. Outcomes from the primary aim, which assessed feasibility, provide important guidance for future research. Specifically, barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of NOURISH-C are reviewed to inform future church based health promotion interventions. Additionally, current findings provide a framework for future community based iterations of NOURISH.
Approximation Results for Parameter Estimation in Nonlinear Elastomers

In this paper we present an approximation framework and theoretical convergence results for a class of parameter estimation problems for general abstract nonlinear hyperbolic systems. These systems include as a special case those modeling a large class of nonlinear elastomers.
Effect of vascular lesions on cognition in Alzheimer's disease: a community-based study.

Objectives: To investigate whether clinical and neuropathological differences exist between Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases with and without vascular lesions neuropathologically diagnosed using Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) criteria. Design: Descriptive observational study. Setting: A community-based registry that identified incident dementia cases. Participants: Of the 124 subjects with available clinical and neuropathological assessments, 30 had AD lesions alone, and 18 had AD with vascular lesions. Patients with other neuropathological findings were excluded. Measurements: Dependent measures included demographic, clinical, and neuropathological characteristics. Neuropathological diagnoses were made using the CERAD criteria and Braak and Braak staging. Results: Of the 124 autopsied cases, 85 cases were diagnosed with neuropathological AD. Of these, 30 had pathology consistent with “pure” AD, whereas 18 had AD pathology with significant vascular lesions (AD/V). There were no differences in age, sex, or education between groups. AD/V cases had higher baseline and final Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores than pure AD cases, but after adjusting for education, differences in MMSE scores were not statistically significant. The AD/V group had significantly lower Braak staging than the pure AD group, after adjusting for education and final MMSE scores. Conclusion: In this comparison study of AD cases with and without vascular lesions, AD/V cases had less severe AD pathology than those with AD alone, indicating that cerebrovascular disease likely contributes to the severity of cognitive impairment in those with AD. Controlling for vascular risk factors in patients with AD may have a significant effect on severity of dementia.