cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visit Duration Does Not Correlate with Perceived Physician Empathy.

Background Perceived physician empathy is a strong driver of patient satisfaction. We assessed the influence of wait time, time spent with the surgeon, and surgeon stress level on the way patients rated surgeon empathy. Methods One hundred and fourteen patients visiting 1 of 6 participating surgeons were prospectively enrolled in the study. We recorded patient demographics and assessed the patient rating of perceived physician empathy. Time waiting for the surgeon and time spent with the surgeon were measured with use of ambulatory tracking systems and by research assistants with stopwatches outside the patient rooms. Patient ratings of surgeon empathy were assessed with use of the Jefferson Scale of Patient's Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE), and surgeon stress level was assessed with use of the Perceived Stress Score short form. The mean wait time was 30 ± 18 minutes, and the mean time spent with the surgeon was 8.7 ± 5.3 minutes. Two separate multilevel linear regression models were used to compare factors associated with the JSPPPE and time spent with the surgeon. Results Neither time spent with the surgeon nor wait time was independently associated with perceived physician empathy; being male, having at least a post-college graduate degree, and higher self-reported surgeon stress levels were independently associated with less perceived empathy. More time spent with the surgeon was independently associated with lower self-reported surgeon stress levels; follow-up visits and visits for a traumatic condition were independently associated with less time spent with the surgeon. Conclusions The results of the present study show that improved communication strategies, rather than shorter wait time or increased time spent with the patient, may increase patient satisfaction. This should be a focus of future research.
Diagnostic utility of clinical and laboratory test parameters for differentiating between sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome and pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To identify discriminating factors, using clinical ophthalmic examination findings and routine laboratory testing, that differentiate dogs with early sudden acquired retinal degeneration (SARDS; vision loss 0.343), and urine specific gravity (>1.030). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE We have identified significant discriminators between SARDS and PDH. This work provides the basis for future studies that could identify and examine dogs with SARDS prior to vision loss, which may extend the potential therapeutic window for SARDS.
Simultaneous Two- and Three-Photon Imaging of Multilayer Neural Activities with Remote Focusing

We present a novel remote focusing and demultiplexing scheme that allows simultaneous two- and three-photon imaging of two-layer neural activities, featuring large axial separation, independent foci tunability and large imaging depth enabled by three-photon microscopy. © 2019 The Author(s)
Glucocorticoids, male sexual signals, and mate choice by females: Implications for sexual selection.

Abstract We review work relating glucocorticoids (GCs), male sexual signals, and mate choice by females to understand the potential for GCs to modulate the expression of sexually selected traits and how sexual selection potentially feeds back on GC regulation. Our review reveals that the relationship between GC concentrations and the quality of male sexual traits is mixed, regardless of whether studies focused on structural traits (e.g., coloration) or behavioral traits (e.g., vocalizations) or were examined in developmental or activational frameworks. In contrast, the few mate choice experiments that have been done consistently show that females prefer males with low GCs, suggesting that mate choice by females favors males that maintain low levels of GCs. We point out, however, that just as sexual selection can drive the evolution of diverse reproductive strategies, it may also promote diversity in GC regulation. We then shift the focus to females where we highlight evidence indicating that stressors or high GCs can dampen female sexual proceptivity and the strength of preferences for male courtship signals. Hence, even in cases where GCs are tightly coupled with male sexual signals, the strength of sexual selection on aspects of GC physiology can vary depending on the endocrine status of females. Studies examining how GCs relate to sexual selection may shed light on how variation in stress physiology, sexual signals, and mate choice are maintained in natural populations and may be important in understanding context-dependent relationships between GC regulation and fitness.
Assessing Characteristics of Unplanned School Closures that Occurred in the United States in Response to Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Objective:Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall in Texas on August 24, 2017, caused catastrophic damage that resulted in the closure of many schools and school districts across 4 states. We evaluated the underlying reasons and characteristics of the unplanned school closures to gain insight on how communities may cope with recommended preemptive closures as an intervention for pandemic influenza.Methods:Information was extracted from news articles, school websites, and Twitter and Facebook posts previously collected through daily systematic searches of Google, Google News, and Lexis-Nexis. This information was sorted into predefined categories describing the characteristics that may be associated with unplanned school closures that occur during a natural disaster.Results:Across Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, there were 3026 unplanned closures. Sixty-three percent of the closures occurred in Texas. The main reasons for the closures were flooding, power outages, and structural damage. The closed schools in Texas were sometimes used as shelters or as locations for providing food or other resources.Conclusion:School closures associated with Hurricane Harvey were attributed to both the effects of the hurricane and use for resource allocation. These findings can help inform preparedness planning and response for future hurricane seasons and other large-scale emergencies.
Pregnancy outcomes associated with chorioamnion membrane separation severity following fetoscopic laser surgery for twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Objective We tested the hypothesis that increasing severity of chorioamnion membrane separation (CAS) after fetoscopic laser surgery (FLS) for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is associated with worse pregnancy outcomes. Methods Prospective cohort of patients undergoing FLS for TTTS between 2011 and 2018. CAS was defined as separation of fetal membranes from the uterine wall on post-operative ultrasound. Patient groups were defined: Group 1: No CAS; Group 2: CAS lower than 50th centile; Group 3: CAS upper than 50th centile or complete CAS. Comparative analysis was performed. Results Of 387 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 29 (7.5%) had CAS (median 9.8 mm [4.9-30.8 mm]). Group 1 patients were more likely to undergo FLS at later gestational age, had increased recipient maximum vertical pocket, and higher amnioreduction volume than Group 3. Group 3 had higher rates of preterm premature rupture of membrane, delivered earlier and were more likely to terminate than Group 1. Group 2 had fewer neonatal survivors than Group 1. Survival analysis for gestational age at delivery and Cox proportional hazards model indicated increased risk for early delivery in Groups 2 and 3 compared with Group 1. Conclusions Patients with CAS ≥9.8 mm or complete CAS after FLS for TTTS had worse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.
Exploring a Taxonomy of Interaction in Interactive Sonification Systems

This paper explores a variety of existing interactive sonification systems in the context of interactive sound art. In design of interactive sonification from technological standpoint, the stress is put on studying the usability and functionality of the systems. We explore the focus towards creative aspects of interaction in both technology development and sound creation stages. In some artistic sonifications, the control is in the hand of the technology creators, in some others in the hand of the artists, and sometimes in the hand of the performers or the audience members. The numerous relations and interactions between performers, composers, technologists, data domain scientists, environment and audiences make it difficult to classify the complex phenomenon of interactive sonification. Some challenges in such systems are the ownership of technical and aesthetic components, balancing engagement and interaction among different stakeholders (domain scientist, designer, composer, spectator, etc.) and encouraging audience engagement.
White Women and Latina Readers’ Ambivalence Toward Fifty Shades of Grey

The consumption of erotic literature by women has been largely unexamined by sociologists. This article analyzes 36 Latina and 47 White women readers’ evaluations of Fifty Shades of Grey and offers important insights on how women interact with the themes of romance and eroticism as they reflect on the text. We identify three types of reactions to the text: categorization of the relationship as abusive, an appreciation for the power of the woman protagonist to change her lover for the “better,” and a focus on the gendered inequities in the romantic relationship, yet simultaneously feeling aroused by the sexual content. In theorizing the third reaction, we introduce the concept of erotic ambivalence to explain how even as some women seek to escape into the world of the erotic, they must often balance this desire within the gendered inequities featured in storylines. Our findings suggest that women are critical of sexist tropes in fiction, and these critiques might vary ethnoracially.
'Civilizing' the Next Generation: A Response to Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy by Stephen L. Carter

This article considers how an increased emphasis on "civility," especially when grounded in religion, can disadvantage children. It suggests that civil religion is a more appropriate vehicle for instilling morality, and any resulting civility, in children. The argument is made in the context of responding to Stephen L. Carter's book, Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy.
Intestinal inflammation breaks established immune tolerance to a skin commensal

Author(s): Merana, Geil Ramvielle | Advisor(s): Lowell, Clifford | Abstract: The gut and skin are major barrier tissues that house microbial communities capable of influencing host immunity. Under homeostatic conditions, resident microbes at each of these two sites are thought to have a dominant impact on local immune cell function. However, the prevalence of neutrophilic skin disorders among patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease suggests that this compartmentalized control may not hold under disease conditions. We hypothesized that an altered immune response to gut-resident microbes during colitis may facilitate excessive inflammation directed at skin commensals. Using an established model, wherein neonatal colonization by Staphylococcus epidermidis facilitates development of adaptive immune tolerance and enrichment in S. epidermidis-specific CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), we asked whether this tolerance to skin bacteria can be perturbed in the context of gut inflammation. Induction during adulthood of either chemically or genetically-mediated colitis, but not systemic inflammation alone, led to reduced percentages of S. epi-specific Tregs in skin and skin-draining lymph nodes (LN) and an increase in skin neutrophils. Intestinal presence of S. epidermidis and reduced percentages of S. epidermidis-specific Tregs at this site during colitis suggested initiation of this altered response in the gut. Consistent with this, adoptive transfer and photoconversion experiments revealed a colitis-induced increase in CD4+ T cell trafficking from gut-draining LN to skin-draining LN. Recovery in the percentage of S. epidermidis-specific Tregs in colitic Cd4creIl1r1fl/fl mice further indicated a role for circulating IL-1 cytokines in shifting the CD4+ skin commensal response during colitis. Collectively, these results identify a context in which there is breakdown in homeostatic separation of skin and gut host-microbe interactions and provide mechanistic insight into observed connections between inflammatory skin and intestinal diseases.
Immunogenic SARS-CoV2 Epitopes Defined by Mass Spectrometry

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 infections elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses. For the prevention and treatment of COVID19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, T cell responses are important in mediating recovery and immune-protection. The identification of immunogenic epitopes that can elicit a meaningful T cell response can be elusive. Traditionally, this has been achieved using sophisticated in silico methods to predict putative epitopes; however, our previous studies find that ‘immunodominant’ SARS-CoV-2 peptides defined by such in silico methods often fail to elicit T cell responses recognizing SARS-CoV-2. We postulated that immunogenic epitopes for SARS-CoV-2 are best defined by directly analyzing peptides eluted from the peptide-MHC complex and then validating immunogenicity empirically by determining if such peptides can elicit T cells recognizing SARS-CoV-2 antigen-expressing cells. Using a tandem mass spectrometry approach, we identified epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 derived not only from structural but also non-structural genes in regions highly conserved among SARS-CoV-2 strains including recently recognized variants. We report here, for the first time, several novel SARS-CoV-2 epitopes from membrane glycol-protein (MGP) and non-structure protein-13 (NSP13) defined by mass-spectrometric analysis of MHC-eluted peptides, provide empiric evidence for their immunogenicity to induce T cell response. Significance Statement Current state of the art uses putative epitope peptides based on in silico prediction algorithms to evaluate the T cell response among COVID-19 patients. However, none of these peptides have been tested for immunogenicity, i.e. the ability to elicit a T cell response capable of recognizing endogenously presented peptide. In this study, we used MHC immune-precipitation, acid elution and tandem mass spectrometry to define the SARS-CoV-2 immunopeptidome for membrane glycol-protein and the non-structural protein. Furthermore, taking advantage of a highly robust endogenous T cell (ETC) workflow, we verify the immunogenicity of these MS-defined peptides by in vitro generation of MGP and NSP13 peptide-specific T cells and confirm T cell recognition of MGP or NSP13 endogenously expressing cell lines.
Barriers to abortion care and incidence of attempted self-managed abortion among individuals searching Google for abortion care: A national prospective study.

OBJECTIVE Studies on self-managed abortion conducted at abortion clinics may exclude those facing the greatest barriers to care. We aimed to assess association of attempted self-managed abortion with reported barriers to abortion care. STUDY DESIGN We used data from the Google Ads Abortion Access Study, a prospective cohort study that recruited people searching for abortion care on Google between August 2017 and April 2018. We used a stratified sampling design recruiting by state to ensure representation from all 50 states. Participants completed an online baseline survey and follow-up 4 weeks later. We modeled the adjusted odds of attempting self-managed abortion using multivariable logistic regression, with random effects for state of residence. We assessed attempted self-managed abortion at follow-up by asking: "Did you take or try to do any of the following to try to end this pregnancy?" with a closed-ended list of methods. RESULTS Among 856 participants with follow-up data, 28% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 25%-31%) reported attempting self-managed abortion. Most common methods used were: herbs, supplements, or vitamins (52%); emergency contraception or many contraceptive pills (19%); mifepristone and/or misoprostol (18%); and abdominal or other physical trauma (18%). Participants still seeking abortion at 4 weeks were more likely to attempt self-management (33%) than those planning to carry to term (20%, p < 0.001). Reporting having to keep the abortion a secret, fearing for one's safety/well-being, needing to gather money for travel or the abortion, or living further from an abortion facility as barriers were associated with higher odds of attempts. CONCLUSIONS Attempted self-managed abortion is higher among people facing barriers to abortion care. IMPLICATIONS Reducing financial and distance barriers, such as by removing legal restrictions on abortion, could help reduce attempted self-managed abortion. Additionally, removing restrictions on telehealth for abortion could reduce attempted self-managed abortion. Efforts are needed to permanently remove United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and state policies prohibiting telehealth for medication abortion, thereby allowing individuals to end their pregnancies without a clinic visit.
Ovotesticular Disorder of Sex Development: Approach and Management of an Index Case in the Dominican Republic.

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a group of congenital conditions associated with anomalous development of internal and external genital organs. Ovotesticular disorder of sex development (OT-DSD) is a condition in which a child is born with both testicular tissue (that possesses variable fertility potential within seminiferous tubules) and ovarian tissue (with primordial follicles). These tissues may be co-existent in the same gonad (ovotestis) or independently in separate gonads. Here, we report the clinical case of a 21-month-old boy that we met during a humanitarian surgical mission performed at Hospital Dr. Francisco Moscoso Puello, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The child was referred for management of hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and symptomatic right inguinal and umbilical hernias. With further chromosomal evaluation, the diagnosis of SRY-negative OT-DSD was made, and shared decision-making was used to determine the timing of gender assignment, reconstruction, and the child’s long-term care team. OT-DSD is an uncommon condition with unclear causes. Once a DSD condition is suspected at birth, a complete investigation should be performed, encompassing a descriptive examination, a basic electrolyte and hormonal profile, genetic assessment, and pelvic ultrasound. Consultation with a multidisciplinary team is warranted, including pediatric urology or pediatric surgery with urologic training, endocrinology, genetics, psychology, pathology, and the patient’s pediatrician at minimum before surgical reconstruction. It is crucial to involve the patient and their family with shared decision-making before surgery or gender assignment.
A Stress Testing Framework For Autonomous System Verification And Validation (V&V)

Autonomous cyber-physical systems are prone to error and failure. Verification and validation (V&V) is necessary for their safe, secure and resilient operations. Methods to detect faults in aerospace engineering (fault trees) and later adapted for security (attack trees) could capture a wide array of critical risks and we argue how stress testing could be a pragmatic approach to evaluating the assurance of autonomous cyber-physical systems.
Low-Boom Demonstrator Near-Field Summary for the Third AIAA Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop

A summary and statistical analysis of the near-field computational fluid dynamics (CFD) submissions for the Third AIAA Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop is provided with a focus on the C608 Low Boom F...
Design and fabrication of ceramic beads by the vibration method

Abstract The purpose of this of study was to investigate the confined vibration method to produce alumina beads for the study of stress wave propagation in granular media. The method produces beads with desirable shape (i.e. oblate, prolate, and tri-axial ellipsoid), microstructure (level of porosity), and size (5 mm to 3 cm in diameter). This environmentally friendly approach to process beads involves preparing a slurry with a small amount of PVA binder and dispersant. After drying, the pre-formed material is a shear-reversible soft-solid, which flows under applied stress with limited strain recovery. This rheological behavior is sufficient for the alumina paste to be processed into rounded shapes with a confined shaker table and to maintain the shape for sintering of the alumina beads.
On the Improvement of Suicide Determination

Simply stated, suicide is intentional self-destruction. It is tempting to think of it as a clear-cut phenomenon with discrete borders. But every medical examiner and coroner knows the problem of deciding intent when the blood alcohol level is high and the barbiturate level low. The presence of a suicide note, verified to be in the victim's handwriting, may be accepted as reliable proof of suicide. But a note is found in no more than one third of cases judged to be suicide [1,2]. The criteria employed in the remainder of cases are unstated, although physical circumstances at the scene and toxicologic findings must be assumed to carry much weight. No set of established criteria or indices exists to guide the decision.
Weighted Unidirectional Transducer SAW Filter at 328 MHz

The first UHF, finger withdrawal weighted, unidirectional transducer surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter is reported in this paper. It has only 4.5 dB insertion loss at 328 MHz and a 1percent bandwidth. The fiIter has -48 dB sidelobes and greater than -50 dB triple transit suppression.
Craniofacial variations in the tricho-dento-osseous syndrome.

Tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant trait characterized by curly kinky hair at birth, enamel hypoplasia, taurodontism, thickening of cortical bones and variable expression of craniofacial morphology. Genetic studies have identified a 4-bp deletion in the DLX3 gene that is associated with TDO; however, phenotypic characterization and classification of TDO remains unclear in the literature. This study compares the craniofacial variations between 53 TDO-affected subjects and 34 unaffected family members. Standardized cephalograms were obtained and digitized. Cephalometric measurements were analyzed using a general linear model with family as a random effect. Numerous craniofacial measurements from both groups showed marked variability. TDO-affected subjects showed a Class III skeletal pattern (smaller SNA and ANB angles), longer mandibular corpus length (GoGn) and shorter ramus height (p < 0.05).
Multi-Dimensional Measurement of Antibody-Mediated Heterosubtypic Immunity to Influenza

The human immune response to influenza vaccination depends in part on preexisting cross-reactive (heterosubtypic) immunity from previous infection by, and/or vaccination with, influenza strains that share antigenic determinants with the vaccine strains. However, current methods for assessing heterosubtypic antibody responses against influenza, including the hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) assay and ELISA, are time and labor intensive, and require moderate amounts of serum and reagents. To address these issues we have developed a fluorescent multiplex assay, mPlex-Flu, that rapidly and simultaneously measures strain specific IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies against influenza hemagglutinin (HA) from multiple viral strains. We cloned, expressed and purified HA proteins from 12 influenza strains, and coupled them to multiplex beads. Assay validation showed that minimal sample volumes (<5 μl of serum) were needed, and the assay had a linear response over a four Log10 range. The assay detected nanogram levels of anti-influenza specific antibodies, had high accuracy and reproducibility, with an average percentage coefficient of variation (%CV) of 9.06 for intra-assay and 12.94 for inter-assay variability. Pre- and post-intramuscular trivalent influenza vaccination levels of virus specific Ig were consistent with HAI titer and ELISA measurements. A significant advantage of the mPLEX-Flu assay over the HAI assay is the ability to perform antigenic cartography, determining the antigenic distances between influenza HA’s, without mathematical correction for HAI data issues. For validation we performed antigenic cartography on 14 different post-influenza infection ferret sera assayed against 12 different influenza HA’s. Results were in good agreement with a phylogenetic tree generated from hierarchical clustering of the genomic HA sequences. This is the first report of the use of a multiplex method for antigenic cartography using ferret sera. Overall, the mPlex-Flu assay provides a powerful tool to rapidly assess the influenza antibody repertoire in large populations and to study heterosubtypic immunity induced by influenza vaccination.
Bayesian group latent factor analysis with structured sparse priors

Latent factor models are the canonical statistical tool for exploratory analyses of low-dimensional linear structure for an observation matrix with p features across n samples. We develop a Bayesian group factor analysis (BGFA) model that extends the factor model to multiple coupled observation matrices. Our model puts a structured Bayesian hierarchical prior on the joint factor loading matrix, which achieves shrinkage effect at both a local level (element-wise shrinkage) and a factor level (column-wise shrinkage) with non-parametric behavior that removes unnecessary factors. With two observations, our model reduces to Bayesian canonical correlation analysis (BCCA). We exploit the shrinkage behavior in the BGFA model to recover covariance structure across all subsets of the observation matrices where this signal exists. We validate our model on simulated data with substantial structure and compare recovered factor loadings against results from related methods. We then show the results of applying BGFA to two genomics studies for different analytic aims: identifying gene co-expression networks specific to one of two conditions, and recovering sets of genetic variants that jointly regulate transcription of a collection of genes. We illustrate the unique ability of BGFA to use multiple observations of the same samples to guide linear projection of the data onto a latent space, producing meaningful and robust low-dimensional representations, as compared with `unsupervised' projections from traditional factor analysis or principal components analysis.
Automated Logic Synthesis

It is unlikely that we will be able to utilize the full potential of VLSI without major improvements in designer productivity. One approach is to design at a higher functional level and to generate acceptable implementations automatically from such functional specifications. Previous attempts at automatic logic generation have usually produced results that were much more expensive than manual implementation and have relied on exponential 2-level minimization algorithms which will not scale to VLSI designs. We are exploring an approach based on local transformations with nearly linear run times. A system using these ideas has been built and used to synthesize several gate-array chips with encouraging results. This system has been extended to remap implementations to a different technology and to generate alternative PLA and gate networks for different performance requirements.
Global carbon export from the terrestrial biosphere controlled by erosion

Particulate organic carbon export from the terrestrial biosphere is primarily controlled by physical erosion, and tectonic and climatic forcing of physical erosion may favour biospheric particulate organic carbon sequestration over silicate weathering as a long-term atmospheric carbon dioxide sink. The nature and efficiency of riverine export of particulate organic carbon to the ocean, including the balance between particulate organic carbon derived from the terrestrial biosphere and from rock-derived organic carbon, affects the atmospheric carbon inventory on many different timescales. The fluxes of biospheric and petrogenic organic carbon and the mechanisms controlling particulate organic carbon export, however, remain poorly understood. This paper provides global estimates for biospheric and petrogenic particulate organic carbon fluxes based on data from a suite of river systems. The study also reveals that particulate organic carbon export is primarily controlled by physical erosion and that tectonic and climatic forcing of physical erosion may favour biospheric particulate organic carbon sequestration over silicate weathering as a long-term atmospheric carbon dioxide sink. Riverine export of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the ocean affects the atmospheric carbon inventory over a broad range of timescales1,2,3,4,5. On geological timescales, the balance between sequestration of POC from the terrestrial biosphere and oxidation of rock-derived (petrogenic) organic carbon sets the magnitude of the atmospheric carbon and oxygen reservoirs6,7. Over shorter timescales, variations in the rate of exchange between carbon reservoirs, such as soils and marine sediments, also modulate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels1. The respective fluxes of biospheric and petrogenic organic carbon are poorly constrained, however, and mechanisms controlling POC export have remained elusive, limiting our ability to predict POC fluxes quantitatively as a result of climatic or tectonic changes. Here we estimate biospheric and petrogenic POC fluxes for a suite of river systems representative of the natural variability in catchment properties. We show that export yields of both biospheric and petrogenic POC are positively related to the yield of suspended sediment, revealing that POC export is mostly controlled by physical erosion. Using a global compilation of gauged suspended sediment flux, we derive separate estimates of global biospheric and petrogenic POC fluxes of and megatonnes of carbon per year, respectively. We find that biospheric POC export is primarily controlled by the capacity of rivers to mobilize and transport POC, and is largely insensitive to the magnitude of terrestrial primary production. Globally, physical erosion rates affect the rate of biospheric POC burial in marine sediments more strongly than carbon sequestration through silicate weathering. We conclude that burial of biospheric POC in marine sediments becomes the dominant long-term atmospheric carbon dioxide sink under enhanced physical erosion.
Cholesterol β-d-glucoside-6'-O-palmitate, a metabolite of Pythium sylvaticum

Cholesterol beta-D-glucoside-6'-O-palmitate has been identified as a polar metabolite in the mycelium of mated cultures of Pythium sylvaticum grown in the presence of cholesterol. The structure was confirmed by synthesis of the metabolite. Similar steroid beta-D-glucoside-6'-O-palmitates were obtained from beta-sitosterol and campesterol when these sterols were added to cultures of P-sylvaticum. Corresponding esters of myristic and stearic acids were also detected.
Soil Failure Modes in Undrained Cyclic Loading

The failure modes of saturated sand in undrained cyclic loading are explored. A typical soil element subject to dynamic load exists initially under a nonhydrostatic state of stress. Anisotropically-consolidated samples in triaxial tests with a superimposed cyclic deviator stress represent such elements, except for the rotation of principal stress directions during cycling. The response of these samples depends on the degree of anisotropy and whether shear stress reversal occurs. For isotropically-consolidated undrained tests on saturated sand samples, the pore pressure increases with each cycle, thus decreasing the effective confining stress. The axial cyclic strain also increases as the effective stresses approach the failure state. However, the static axial strain should remain close to zero. For anisotropically-consolidated undrained tests with no shear stress reversal, the pore pressure generally, but not always, increases. In this case, the static axial strain will increase with each cycle, and the cyclic strain will remain smaller than the static strain.
Wada Receives 2013 Jason Morgan Early Career Award: Citation

The AGU Tectonophysics section is pleased to present the fifth Jason Morgan Early Career Award to Ikuko Wada for her research using numerical modeling coupled with geochemical and geophysical observations to understand processes associated with subduction. It is often stated that there is need for interdisciplinary approaches to advance the state of knowledge in subduction zone structure, dynamics, and island arc geochemistry, and Ikuko's research exemplifies how interdisciplinary research advances understanding.
Vegetarian dietary practices and endurance performance

Confounding influences of varying fat, protein, and carbohydrate (CHO) levels, training habits, and lifestyle patterns make the interpretation of specific influences of the diet on endurance performance unclear. In general, exhaustion during prolonged, hard endurance exercise is tied to low muscle glycogen stores. Athletes in heavy training are urged to consume 70% of calories as CHO to maximize body CHO stores. A deemphasis in animal products with an emphasis in high-CHO plant foods would facilitate athletes in conforming to nutritional recommendations. Some female athletes may increase their risk of iron deficiency and/or amenorrhea if a restrictive vegetarian diet is adopted. In general, the high-CHO nature of the vegetarian diet can help the endurance athlete in heavy training maximize body glycogen stores and thus the ability to perform. The balanced vegetarian diet provides the athlete with added reduction in coronary risk factors while meeting all known nutritional needs.
Extension Arm Facilitated Pegylation of αα-Hemoglobin with Modifications Targeted Exclusively to Amino Groups: Functional and Structural Advantages of Free Cys-93(β) in the PEG-Hb Adduct

Cys-93(β) of hemoglobin (Hb) was reversibly protected as a mixed disulfide with thiopyridine during extension arm facilitated (EAF) PEGylation and its influence on the structural and functional properties of the EAF-PEG-Hb has been investigated. Avoiding PEGylation of Cys-93(β) in the EAF-PEG-Hb lowers the level of perturbation of heme pocket, α1β2 interface, autoxidation, heme loss, and the O2 affinity, as compared to the EAF-PEG-Hb with PEGylation of Cys-93(β).The structural and functional advantages of reversible protection of Cys-93(β) during EAF PEGylation of oxy-Hb has been compared with Euro PEG-Hb generated by EAF PEGylation of deoxy Hb where Cys-93(β) is free in the final product. The αα-fumaryl cross-linking and EAF PEGylation targeted exclusively to Lys residues has been combined together for generation of second-generation EAF-PEG-Hb with lower oxygen affinity. The PEG chains engineered on Lys as well as PEGylation of Cys-93(β) independently contribute to the stabilization of oxy conformation ...
Interview: Future of immunotherapy for colorectal cancer

John Marshall speaks to Ruth Williamson, Commissioning Editor: John Marshall is a global leader in the research and development of drugs for colon cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. He is the clinical director of oncology for Georgetown University Hospital (Washington, DC, USA), associate director for clinical care of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (Washington, DC, USA) and chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology, Georgetown University Hospital. He is widely published in the field of clinical oncology, and is the principal investigator of over 150 clinical trials, at both local and national levels. In 2009, Marshall became the founding director of the Otto J Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer (Washington, DC, USA) and for over a decade he has directed Lombardi’s Developmental Therapeutics Program, while also maintaining his regular clinical practice. His own research focuses on the development of a novel vaccine for the treatment of advanced colon cancer.
Effect of nitroglycerin and papaverine on coronary flow in man

Abstract Blood flow has been measured in 28 aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass grafts performed for chronic angina pectoris using the electromagnetic flowmeter. Nitroglycerin, 0.4 mg. intravenously or 0.1 mg. into the graft, and papaverine 30 mg. intravenously or 15 mg. into the graft, were studied. Intravenous nitroglycerin increased coronary flow a maximum of 4 per cent for 20 seconds followed by 23 per cent decline as mean arterial pressure fell 23 per cent. Intra-arterial nitroglycerin increased coronary flow 74 per cent in 15 seconds with return to control by 90 seconds. Intravenous papaverine elevated coronary flow 76 per cent at 30 seconds with stabilization of flow 15 to 20 per cent above control. Intra-arterial papaverine achieves a maximum flow of 215 per cent at 45 seconds with return to control at five minutes. Although nitroglycerin produces a small but significant rise in coronary flow it is doubtful whether this increase occurs with oral administration in the presence of coronary disease. Thus, the therapeutic effect of nitroglycerin lies in its systemic effects rather than in its coronary effect.
Real-time sonar beamforming on high-performance distributed computers

Abstract Rapid advancements in acoustical beamforming techniques for array signal processing are producing algorithms with increased levels of computational complexity. Concomitantly, autonomous arrays capable of performing most or all of the processing in situ have become a focus for mission-critical applications. To address these changes, future sonar systems will take advantage of parallel in-array processing by coupling transducer nodes with low-power processing devices to achieve higher performance and fault tolerance at lower cost. This paper explores parallel algorithms for conventional beamforming (CBF) designed for an in-array processing system. The parallel algorithms presented offer scaled speedup and provide the basis for adaptations in advanced beamforming algorithms.
The effect of clulstering of galaxies on the statistics of gravitational lenses

It is examined whether clustering of galaxies can significantly alter the statistical properties of gravitational lenses? Only models of clustering that resemble the observed distribution of galaxies in the properties of the two-point correlation function are considered. Monte-Carlo simulations of the imaging process are described. It is found that the effect of clustering is too small to be significant, unless the mass of the deflectors is so large that gravitational lenses become common occurrences. A special model is described which was concocted to optimize the effect of clustering on gravitational lensing but still resemble the observed distribution of galaxies; even this simulation did not satisfactorily produce large numbers of wide-angle lenses.
The Role of Low-Energy Ion/Surface Interactions During Crystal Growth From the Vapor Phase

Low-energy (often < 100 eV) ion bombardment during thin film deposition is commonly used in such diverse application areas as microelectronics, optical coatings. magnetic recording layers. and hard wear resistant coatings to modify the microstructure and microchemistry of films deposited by a variety of techniques (e.g. sputtering, primary ion deposition, plasma-assisted CVD, and accelerated-beam MBE). Ion irradiation has been shown to affect every phase of deposition including nucleation and growth kinetics, crystal structure and phase stability, the average grain size and degree of preferred orientation of polycrystalline films, the epitaxial temperature of single-crystal films, defect concentrations, elemental incorporation probabilities, surface segregation, and, hence, film properties. As discussed in this brief review, a detailed understanding of many of these processes is beginning to emerge. Effects such as trapping, preferential sputtering, enhanced diffusion, and collisional mixing have been used to interpret and, in some cases, model experimental results. Nevertheless, there are still large gaps in our knowledge of the role of ion bombardment on fundamental processes such as nucleation kinetics.
Superoxide Destroys the [2Fe-2S]2+ Cluster of FNR from Escherichia coli†

The oxygen sensing ability of the transcription factor FNR depends on the presence of a [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster. In the presence of O2, conversion of the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster to a [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster inactivates FNR, but the fate of the [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster in cells grown under aerobic conditions is unknown. The present study shows that the predominant form of FNR in aerobic cells is apo-FNR (cluster-less FNR) indicating that the [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster, like the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster, is not stable under these conditions. By quantifying the amount of [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster in 2Fe-FNR in vitro in the presence of various reductants and oxidants (GSH, DTT, cysteine, O2, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide), we found that superoxide, a byproduct of aerobic metabolism, significantly destabilized the [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster. Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to monitor the effects of superoxide on 2Fe-FNR in vivo; under cellular conditions that favored superoxide production, we observed the disappearance of the signal representative of the [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster. We conclude that the [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster of FNR is labile to superoxide both in vitro and in vivo. This lability may explain the absence of the [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster form of FNR under aerobic growth conditions.
Individual electrostatic particle interaction in pneumatic transport

Abstract Electrostatic charging and discharging of particles in pneumatic transport has been experimentally investigated under a variety of conditions. The basic system consisted of flowing glass beads 75 μm and 150 μm in diameter at dilute loadings up to 1.0 with varying relative humidities from 25 to 65%. A series of five nickel electrodes 228 μm in diameter measured particle interactions with the wall along the flow path. The charge and currents transferred were measured by an electrometer-based recording system. Different types of particle—wall interaction were noted and contact frequencies were measured. Analogy of the particle hit was made with the penetration theory. At constant loadings, greater electrostatic effects were seen for small particles over large particles due to the high particle number density and thus increased interactions for the smaller particles. Higher loadings at low relative humidities also produced increased electrostatic effects.
The effects on schedule-induced attack of covarying meal size and spacing.

Abstract Pigeons were exposed to fixed-time food schedules of 30, 120, and 480 sec with two reinforcer magnitudes at each. Attack behavior against a rear-projected conspecific image was assessesd at each interfood/reinforcer magnitude combination. For seven of eight subjects, attack rate was related to interfood interval by an inverted-U or bitonic function. The larger reinforcer magnitude typically induced more attack than the smaller.
A proteomics grade electron transfer dissociation-enabled hybrid linear ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometer.

Here we detail the modification of a quadrupole linear ion trap-orbitrap hybrid (QLT-orbitrap) mass spectrometer to accommodate a negative chemical ionization (NCI) source. The NCI source is used to produce fluoranthene radical anions for imparting electron transfer dissociation (ETD). The anion beam is stable, robust, and intense so that a sufficient amount of reagents can be injected into the QLT in only 4−8 ms. Following ion/ion reaction in the QLT, ETD product ions are mass-to-charge (m/z) analyzed in either the QLT (for speed and sensitivity) or the orbitrap (for mass resolution and accuracy). Here we describe the physical layout of this device, parametric optimization of anion transport, an evaluation of relevant ETD figures of merit, and the application of this instrument to protein sequence analysis. Described proteomic applications include complex peptide mixture analysis, post-translational modification (PTM) site identification, isotope-encoded quantitation, large peptide characterization, and ...
ARE GENERIC PREDICTIONS ENOUGH

Predictive success is a necessary accomplishment of any discipline that claims to provide knowledge of a sort relevant to policy. Neoclassical economic theory does not provide much of this sort of knowledge, and this raises a serious problem, one which can be expressed in several different ways: What sort of a discipline is economics, if not a policy relevant science? How are we to interpret economic theory if we wish both to preserve it and absolve it of defects, in the light of its predictive poverty? Can the theory be revised or improved in ways that both retain its character, and make for predictive improvement? What form should a policy relevant predictively successful science of economic behavior look like?
Nicotine nasal spray for smoking cessation : Pattern of use, side effects, relief of withdrawal symptoms, and cotinine levels

• Objective To determine the extent of side effects during the initial use of nicotine nasal spray for smoking cessation. • Design We performed a one-sample, noncomparative, open-label evaluation of the pattern of use, side effects, relief of withdrawal symptoms, and cotinine levels with nicotine nasal spray. • Material and Methods Adult smokers were recruited to use the nicotine nasal spray for smoking cessation at a dosage of 1 to 2 mg/h. Subjects completed daily diaries, which included an assessment of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, previously reported irritant effects of the nicotine nasal spray, and symptoms of nicotine toxicity. A plasma cotinine level was measured at baseline and at day 7 for calculation of percentage replacement. • Results The mean age of the 50 study subjects was 43.7 years, 46% were women, and the mean baseline smoking rate was 28.5 cigarettes per day. We found an increase in five symptoms (runny nose, nasal irritation, throat irritation, watering eyes, and sneezing) that had been essentially absent before initiation of use of the nicotine nasal spray. All but throat irritation decreased significantly during days 0 through 7 of the study. The mean daily frequency of nicotine nasal spray use for the first week was 15.0 doses. Use of the nasal spray decreased significantly (P • Conclusion Although nicotine nasal spray causes substantial irritant side effects during the first few days of use, these adverse effects decrease significantly within the first week. Despite these side effects, subjects continued to use the nicotine nasal spray and experienced a high rate of initial abstinence from smoking.
Markov-Huffman coding of LPC parameters

The methods of Markov modeling and Huffman coding are combined to reduce the data rate of LPC-coded speech without any effect on the speech quality. A Markov model is applied to the quantization levels of the LPC parameters, and the transition probabilities are then used to generate Huffman coding tables. This procedure does not have any impact on speech quality since it affects only the representation of the quantized parameters. It is demonstrated that Markov-Huffman coding can lead to average savings of more than 20 percent in bit rate. A suboptimal scheme is also investigated, which can facilitate the implementation of the method on currently available signal processing chips.