cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The interplay among cardiac ultrastructure, metabolism and the expression of oxygen-binding proteins in Antarctic fishes

We examined heart ventricle from three species of Antarctic fishes that vary in their expression of oxygen-binding proteins to investigate how some of these fishes maintain cardiac function despite the loss of hemoglobin (Hb) and/or myoglobin (Mb). We quantified ultrastructural features and enzymatic indices of metabolic capacity in cardiac muscle from Gobionotothen gibberifrons, which expresses both Hb and Mb, Chionodraco rastrospinosus, which lacks Hb but expresses Mb, and Chaenocephalus aceratus, which lacks both Hb and Mb. The most striking difference in cellular architecture of the heart among these species is the percentage of cell volume occupied by mitochondria, V(v)(mit,f), which is greatest in Chaenocephalus aceratus (36.53+/-2.07), intermediate in Chionodraco rastrospinosus (20.10+/-0.74) and lowest in G. gibberifrons (15.87+/-0.74). There are also differences in mitochondrial morphologies among the three species. The surface area of inner mitochondrial membrane per volume of mitochondria, S(v)(imm, mit), varies inversely with mitochondrial volume density so that S(v)(imm,mit) is greatest in G. gibberifrons (29.63+/-1.62 microm(-)(1)), lower in Chionodraco rastrospinosus (21.52+/-0.69 microm(-)(1)) and smallest in Chaenocephalus aceratus (20.04+/-0.79 microm(-)(1)). The surface area of mitochondrial cristae per gram of tissue, however, is greater in Chaenocephalus aceratus than in G. gibberifrons and Chionodraco rastrospinosus, whose surface areas are similar. Despite significant ultrastructural differences, oxidative capacities, estimated from measurements of maximal activities per gram of tissue of enzymes from aerobic metabolic pathways, are similar among the three species. The combination of ultrastructural and enzymatic data indicates that there are differences in the density of electron transport chain proteins within the inner mitochondrial membrane; proteins are less densely packed within the cristae of hearts from Chaenocephalus aceratus than in the other two species. High mitochondrial densities within hearts from species that lack oxygen-binding proteins may help maintain oxygen flux by decreasing the diffusion distance between the ventricular lumen and mitochondrial membrane. Also, high mitochondrial densities result in a high intracellular lipid content, which may enhance oxygen diffusion because of the higher solubility of oxygen in lipid compared with cytoplasm. These results indicate that features of cardiac myocyte architecture in species lacking oxygen-binding proteins may maintain oxygen flux, ensuring that aerobic metabolic capacity is not diminished and that cardiac function is maintained.
Removing concurrency for rapid functional verification

VLSI systems are commonly specified using sequential executable functional specifications, but implemented in a highly concurrent manner. Alhough the methods to transform between the sequential specification and concurrent implementation have been well-studied, there are still substantial difficulties in verifying that the concurrent implementation corresponds to the sequential specification after low-level optimization. The majority of methods for doing this verification have focused on strong semantic models for reasoning about systems and their specifications, but these models can add significant unnecessary complexity. In this paper, we explore a weak but effective method for reasoning about implementation relations. We show how a sequential embedding of a concurrent program can be generated, and how that embedding can be used to dramatically reduce the reachable state space of the verification problem while maintaining the semantic model of interest.
Environment and evolutionary history determine the global biogeography of phytoplankton temperature traits

Aim Ecological and evolutionary forces shape the functional traits of species within and across environments, generating biogeographical patterns in traits. We aimed to: (1) determine the extent to which temperature traits of phytoplankton are adapted to their local environment, and (2) detect and explain differences in patterns of adaptation between functional groups (reflecting evolutionary history) and across ecosystems (freshwater versus marine). Location We used laboratory-measured data on phytoplankton strains isolated from marine (76° N to 75° S) and freshwater ecosystems (80° N to 78° S). Methods We studied variation in five temperature traits: optimum temperature for growth (Topt), maximum and minimum persistence temperature (Tmax, Tmin), temperature niche width and maximum growth rate, estimated in 439 strains from over 200 species. We tested whether these traits change along environmental temperature gradients (across latitude and ecosystems) and also investigated differences in trait–environment relationships related to evolutionary history (functional group identity). We used mixed models to evaluate our hypotheses while accounting for intraspecific variation. Results We identified three patterns caused by adaptation and community assembly: (1) Topt, Tmax and Tmin decline sharply with latitude; (2) Topt, Tmax and Tmin are similar across all functional groups at the equator, where temperature variation is low; and (3) Topt and Tmax are higher in freshwater locations than marine locations at similar latitudes. Additionally, evolutionary history explained substantial variation in all traits: functional groups differ strongly in their niche widths and maximum growth rates, as well as their Topt, Tmax, and Tmin relationships with latitude. Main conclusions Globally, phytoplankton temperature traits are well adapted to local conditions, changing across ecosystems and latitude. Functional groups differ strongly in their patterns of adaptation: traits are similar in hot tropical environments, but diverge at temperate latitudes. These differences reflect two possible evolutionary constraints: cyanobacterial inability to adapt to low temperatures and differences in nutrient requirements between groups.
Using Statistical Process Control Charts to Identify the Steroids Era in Major League Baseball: An Educational Exercise.

This article presents an educational exercise in which statistical process control charts are constructed and used to identify the Steroids Era in American professional baseball. During this period (roughly 1993 until the present), numerous baseball players were alleged or proven to have used banned, performance-enhancing drugs. Also observed during this period was an increase in offensive performance. In this exercise, students are given the opportunity to construct trial control limits from historical data, consider the presence of random and assignable cause variation, and analyze offensive performance for the 1993 to 2008 baseball seasons. From this analysis, students can consider the potential impact of performance-enhancing drugs on offensive performance in Major League Baseball.
An end-to-end approach to host mobility

We present the design and implementation of an end-to-end architecture for Internet host mobility using dynamic updates to the Domain Name System (DNS) to track host location. Existing TCP connections are retained using secure and efficient connection migration, enabling established connections to seamlessly negotiate a change in endpoint IP addresses without the need for a third party. Our architecture is secure—name updates are effected via the secure DNS update protocol, while TCP connection migration uses a novel set of Migrate options—and provides a pure end-system alternative to routing-based approaches such as Mobile IP.Mobile IP was designed under the principle that fixed Internet hosts and applications were to remain unmodified and only the underlying IP substrate should change. Our architecture requires no changes to the unicast IP substrate, instead modifying transport protocols and applications at the end hosts. We argue that this is not a hindrance to deployment; rather, in a significant number of cases, it allows for an easier deployment path than Mobile IP, while simultaneously giving better performance. We compare and contrast the strengths of end-to-end and network-layer mobility schemes, and argue that end-to-end schemes are better suited to many common mobile applications. Our performance experiments show that hand-off times are governed by TCP migrate latencies, and are on the order of a round-trip time of the communicating peers.
Supramolecular Assemblies and Localized Regulation of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels

This review addresses the localized regulation of voltage-gated ion channels by phosphorylation. Comprehensive data on channel regulation by associated protein kinases, phosphatases, and related re...
Regional Systems of Care for Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Being at the Right Place at the Right Time

ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presents a true medical emergency, where the relationship between treatment (reperfusion) and mortality is measured in minutes. Fortunately, when administered early in properly selected patients, both fibrinolytic therapy and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been associated with significant reductions in mortality.1,2 Unfortunately, it has become increasingly clear that only a minority of STEMI patients receive fibrinolytic therapy within 30 minutes from door-to-needle or receive primary PCI within 90 minutes from door-to-balloon as recommended by the guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (AHA).3 Articles pp 721 and 729 Moreover, as enthusiasm for primary PCI as the preferred reperfusion modality has escalated, the importance of time to treatment has gained increased recognition. Door-to-balloon time is now included as 1 of the core quality measures collected and reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and The Joint Commission. Furthermore, although the performance of primary PCI has increased from 18% to 53% worldwide during the past 7 years (with an expected decrease in use of fibrinolytic therapy from 50% to 28%), nearly 30% of patients still do not receive either form of therapy even in the absence of contraindications.4 It is these realities of the current status of reperfusion therapy that have fostered the concept of systems and centers of care for STEMI patients and interest in the exploration of the feasibility of establishment of regional STEMI networks. It is not surprising that healthcare systems and hospitals across the country are examining their standards of care and organizing quality improvement initiatives to decrease time to treatment and increase adherence to evidence-based therapies for patients with STEMI.5,6 In this issue of Circulation , 2 pioneering model regional approaches that use integrated systems of care to increase the number of STEMI patients with …
Simple Economies: Complete and Incomplete Markets

Financial contracts are usually traded in financial markets, which are part of a broader economy. An economy is quite a complicated object to comprehend, even more so to attempt to describe mathematically, and the situation is most complicated if the ambition is not just to describe it but also to be able to provide quantitative answers to many relevant financial and economic questions.
A paradigm for skeletal strength homeostasis.

This article integrates engineering principles with skeletal biology to describe skeletal strength homeostasis. Skeletal strength revolves around its perceived mechanical usage. Mass, geometric properties, and fatigue damage burden are the principal determinants of structural strength. Bone cells form sensor and effector systems that monitor usage and adjust strength and stiffness by changing mass, geometric properties, and fatigue damage burden. The bone lining cell-osteocyte complex is the sensor; the bone modeling and remodeling systems are the effectors. Deformation and fatigue damage in bone are the signals received by the sensor. Accumulated energy in the sensor's cytoskeleton determines the rate at which the sensor sends messages to the effectors
Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Simple Anatomic Prostatectomy

Management options for men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia have increased in recent years. Surgery is recommended for patients who have renal insufficiency secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), who have recurrent urinary tract infections, bladder stones or gross hematuria caused by BPH, and those who have lower urinary tract symptoms refractory to other therapies. Technology is improving, and the use of endoscopic techniques with lasers has gained popularity. The use of robotics overcomes the limitations of pure laparoscopy. Robotic assistance helps in quicker skills acquisition. This article describes techniques for robotic-assisted laparoscopic simple anatomic prostatectomy in a step-by-step manner.
High-speed driver for switching power MOSFETs

A simple circuit of a very fast driver for switching power MOSFETs is proposed and verified experimentally. It is a push-pull inverter composed of a complementary pair of transistors which operate in the common-emitter configuration. The driver is suited for high-frequency operation in the megahertz range and is compatible with digital integrated circuits. >
Campaigns and the Court: The U.S. Supreme Court in Presidential Elections

1. The Constitution, Politics, and the Supreme Court 2. The Election of 1800: Partisan Beginnings 3. The Election of 1832: Partisanship Revived 4. The Election of 1860: Limits of Partisanship 5. The Elections of 1896, 1912, and 1924: Partisanship Redirected 6. The Election of 1936: A Constitutional Divide 7. The Election of 1968: Partisanship Destabilized 8. The Elections of 1980 and 1984: Whose Constitution? 9. Presidential Campaigns and the Supreme Court Appendix 1. The Presidency and Congress, by 1789-1998 Appendix 2. Presidents and Justices
Particle Dynamics of Inlet Flowfields with Swirling Vanes

The particle trajectories are investigated for the inlet flowfield of a helicopter engine with swirling vanes and particle separator. The flowfield resulting from the swirling vanes is first computed on a hub-shroud midchannel stream surface. The trajectories of the solid particles are then determined in this flowfield, including particle impacts with the hub, tip, and vane surfaces. The particle rebounding velocity and direction after each impact is determined using empirical correlations derived from experiments conducted in a special tunnel. Different particle sizes are considered, and the resulting trajectories and separator effectiveness are presented.
Effects of low and moderate exercise intensity on postprandial lipemia and postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity in physically active men.

This study was designed to assess differences in the intensity of exercise to attenuate postprandial lipemia (PPL). Thirteen healthy men (age 23.8 ± 0.9 yr) participated in three random-ordered tri...
Active antitumor components in a decomposed amino sugar I: Effect of sugar structure on activity.

While pure methyl 5‐(2‐chloroethylamino)‐5‐deoxy‐2,3‐O‐isopropylidene‐β‐D‐ribofuranoside hydrochloride has no L‐1210 leukemia activity, a decomposed sample was found to be very active. One of several approaches taken to determine the nature of the active component involved a study of how sugar structure affects antitumor activity. A number of aminoribose derivatives were prepared and tested against the murine L‐1210 and P‐388 leukemia and the B‐16 melanoma tumor systems. Compounds were tested as pure materials and as synthetically degraded mixtures. Both the β‐haloethyl group and a secondary amine were required for highest activity.
Soil microorganisms of a native shrub and exotic grasses along a nitrogen deposition gradient in southern California.

Both anthropogenic nitrogen deposition and exotic annual grass invasion are occurring in the coastal sage scrub vegetation (CSS) of southern California. A study was carried out to determine the effects of these changes on soil microbial communities. Soils were sampled under exotic grasses and the native shrub Artemisia californica along an urban-to-rural N deposition gradient, and in N-fertilized plots in a rural site with low deposition. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization of A. californica was highest in lowN soils, but annual grasses (mainly Bromus madritensis) were colonized primarily by a fine endophyte that showed no pattern of response to soil N level. In addition, annual grasses generally had higher colonization by nonmycorrhizal, primarily septate, fungi in high N soils, while nonmycorrhizal colonization of A. californica was low in all soils. Spore density declined in the rhizosphere of A. californica with elevated N, but not of B. madritensis. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were extracted from soil and their profiles were used to describe the soil microbial communities. Principal components analysis of FAME profiles showed a significant but weak relationship with levels of soil N. At the low N-deposition site that received N fertilizer, host plant was more important than soil N in determining FAME profiles. The most abundant fatty acids were the biomarkers for AM fungi. The different microbial communities of the two species, especially the predominance of fine endophyte and nonmycorrhizal fungi in roots of B. madritensis, warrant further research on functional responses to understand how these microorganisms may be involved in the invasion of native shrubland by exotic grasses. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The search for low energy conformational families of small peptides: Searching for active conformations of small peptides in the absence of a known receptor

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Tamoxifen is the preferred drug for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer treatment, yet many of these cancers are intrinsically resistant to tamoxifen or acquire resistance during treatment. Therefore, scientists are searching for breast cancer drugs that have different molecular targets. Previous work revealed that 8-mer and cyclic 9-mer peptides inhibit breast cancer in mouse and rat model systems, interacting with an unknown receptor, while peptides smaller than eight amino acids did not inhibit breast cancer. We have shown that the use of replica exchange molecular dynamics predicts structure and dynamics of active peptides, leading to the discovery of smaller peptides with full biological activity. These simulations identified smaller peptide analogs with a conserved turn, a β-turn formed in the larger peptides. These analogs inhibit estrogen-dependent cell growth in a mouse uterine growth assay, a test showing reliable correlation with human breast cancer inhibition. We outline the computational methods that were tried and used with the experimental information that led to the successful completion of this research. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007
Getting into grad school

Over the course of 2 years, Julie Posselt sat through admissions processes in 10 top Ph.D. programs, gaining a firsthand look into admissions decisions in disciplines from astrophysics to classics to economics. In Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping, Posselt shows how the process of offering admission at selective Ph.D. programs is chock-full of assumptions that are seldom made explicit or challenged.
Analysis and Simulation of Gain Control and Precision in Crayfish Visual Interneurons

Impulse trains in sustaining and dimming fibers of crayfish optic lobe (in situ) were elicited with sinusoidal extrinsic current and sine-wave illumination. Extrinsic currents and currents derived from postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) were used to compute the time course of the spike train with an adaptive integrate-and-fire model. The neurons exhibit variations in gain and spike timing precision related to the frequency of stimulation. These phenomena are influenced by spike-frequency adaptation and nonlinearities in the PSP. Dimming fibers exhibit relatively strong spike-frequency adaptation and an associated increase in gain with the frequency of sinusoidal extrinsic current and sine-wave illumination. The dimming fiber IPSP promotes spike train rectification, and rectification contributes to spike timing precision. Sustaining fibers exhibit weaker spike-frequency adaptation and the gain of the current-elicited response is less sensitive to stimulus frequency. The sustaining fiber excitatory PSP, however, exhibits a strong frequency-dependent nonlinearity that influences the frequency response. Spike timing precision is a function of stimulus frequency in all cells and it is enhanced by rectification of the discharge and/or resonance. In rectified responses the jitter in spike times is closely related to the variance in the times the membrane potential reaches spike threshold. These gain and spike timing results are well approximated by the simulated responses. Because the nonlinearity of the sustaining fiber PSP entails a high rate of depolarization, the PSP can increase the precision of spike timing by 10- to 100-fold compared with the response to pure sine-wave stimuli. This enhanced precision has implications for crayfish oculomotor reflexes that are driven by sustaining fibers and highly sensitive to impulse timing during transient excitation.
The home literacy and numeracy environment in preschool: Cross-domain relations of parent-child practices and child outcomes.

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that home literacy and numeracy environments are predictive of children's literacy and numeracy skills within their respective domains. However, there is limited research on the relations between the home literacy environment and numeracy outcomes and between the home numeracy environment and literacy outcomes. Specifically, there is limited information on relations between the home numeracy environment and specific literacy outcomes (e.g., vocabulary). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relations of the home literacy and numeracy environments to children's literacy and numeracy outcomes both within and across domains. Participants were 114 preschool children and their parents. Children ranged in age from 3.01 to 5.17 years (M = 4.09 years) and were 54% female and 72% Caucasian. Parents reported the frequency of parent-child literacy (code-related practices and storybook reading) and numeracy practices. Children were assessed in the fall and spring of their preschool year on their literacy (definitional vocabulary, phonological awareness, and print knowledge) and numeracy skills. Four mixed-effects regression analyses were conducted to predict each of the child outcomes. Results indicate that although code-related literacy practices and storybook reading were not broadly predictive of children's literacy and numeracy outcomes, the home numeracy environment was predictive of numeracy and definitional vocabulary outcomes. These findings demonstrate a relation between the home numeracy environment and children's language development and contribute to the growing body of research indicating the important relations between early numeracy and language development.
Surveillance on suspected adverse reaction following immunization in Xiaogan( 2008-2012)

Objective To analyze the features of suspected adverse reaction following immunization( AEFI) in Xiaogan county from 2008 ~ 2012,and evaluate the implementation of AEFI information management system,the quality of immunization services,and safety of vaccines. Methods The AEFI data of Nanning during the period of 2008 ~ 2012 were collected through the National AEFI Information System. Descriptive methodology was used in this study. Results A total of 804 AEFI cases were reported during the period of 2008 ~ 2012,AEFI incidence rate was 10. 71 /100000,Among them,652 cases with general reaction( 81. 09%),134 cases with adverse vaccine reaction,serious reaction( 16. 67%),10 cases with coincidental illness( 1. 24%),8 cases with unknown reason( 1. 0%),No vaccine quality accident,no accidents caused by errors,and psychogenic response. There were 435 cases of ≤2-year-old children,which accounted for 54. 10%. Most cases occurred during the period from March to June,and September to October. 25 kinds of vaccines were involved in AEFI cases. Conclusions According to the data of surveillance,the AEFI surveillance system of Xiaogan was operating normally,safety of vaccines and quality of immunization service were fine. AEFI cases were mainly distributed in the lowage children,first-dose and in the early period of vaccination.
HIV Infection Care and Viral Suppression Among People Who Inject Drugs, 28 U.S. Jurisdictions, 2012-2013.

Objectives Assess outcomes along the care continuum for HIV-infected people who inject drugs (PWID), by type of facility and stage of infection at diagnosis. Methods Data reported by 28 jurisdictions to the National HIV Surveillance System by December 2014 were used to identify PWID aged ≥13 years, diagnosed with HIV infection before December 31, 2013. Analyses used the CDC definition of linkage to care (LTC), retention in care (RIC), and viral suppression (VS), and are stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and type of facility and stage of HIV infection at diagnosis. Results Of 1,409 PWID diagnosed with HIV in 2013, 1,116 (79.2%) were LTC with the lowest percentages among males (78.4%); blacks (77.5%) ages 13-24 years (69.0%); those diagnosed in early stage infection (71.6%); and at screening, diagnostic, or referral agencies (60.0%). Of 80,958 PWID living with HIV in 2012, 40,234 (49.7%) were RIC and 34,665 (42.8%) achieved VS. The lowest percentages for RIC and VS were among males (47.1% and 41.3% respectively); those diagnosed with late stage disease (47.1% and 42.4%); and young people. Whites had the lowest RIC (47.0%) while blacks had the lowest VS (41.1%). Conclusion Enhanced LTC activities are needed for PWID diagnosed at screening, diagnostic or referral agencies versus those diagnosed at inpatient or outpatient settings, especially among young people and blacks diagnosed in early stage infection. Less than half of PWID are retained in care or reach viral suppression indicating the need for continued engagement and return to care activities over the long term.
Unpacking racial identities: the salience of ethnicity in Southeast Asian-American youth’s schooling experience

AbstractThis article reconceptualizes white teachers’ notion of their Asian-American students’ racial identity. Forty urban Southeast Asian-American (SEAA) students and seven of their white European-American teachers were examined to determine how the students responded to the white teachers’ assumptions about their identity. This study provides an overview of the U.S. historical and political contexts that shape the positionality of Southeast Asian-American youth in the black–white racial discourse. It found that despite the fact that the teachers lumped the SEAA students into one category, the students highlighted the salience of ethnicity in their lives. One implication of this study is for teacher education programs to train new teacher candidates to move beyond simple racial categorization or race-blind approaches. Instead, teachers should be taught to acknowledge the importance of ethnicity to their students; to examine their own positionalities; and to incorporate more culturally relevant pedagogie...
Improving De Novo Nanopore Sequencing by Stretching DNA

Nanopore DNA sequencing is an emerging sequencing technology capable of long read lengths with minimal sample prep and low overhead costs. We report improvement of the accuracy of de novo sequencing with biological nanopore MspA. We control the motion of the DNA within the pore using a DNA helicase and a variable voltage simultaneously, which allows us to identify enzyme missteps and resolve otherwise indistinguishable base sequences. This addresses the primary error modes limiting the accuracy of de novo nanopore sequencing.
Allergic reactions related to benzalkonium chloride : case study

Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a preservative commonly found in different medications and disinfectants used in clinical practice. Allergic and pseudoallergic adverse reactions have been reported in both patients and healthcare workers and are supported by data in various studies. We present a case of a 15-year-old female who was admitted with a severe asthma exacerbation and clinically deteriorated to a life-threatening exacerbation presumed to be due to BAC contained in the salbutamol nebulisations.
Discontinuities in effective permeability due to fracture percolation

Abstract Motivated by a triaxial coreflood experiment with a sample of Utica shale where an abrupt jump in permeability was observed, possibly due to the creation of a percolating fracture network through the sample, we perform numerical simulations based on the experiment to characterize how the effective permeability of otherwise low-permeability porous media depends on fracture formation, connectivity, and the contrast between the fracture and matrix permeabilities. While a change in effective permeability due to fracture formation is expected, the dependence of its magnitude upon the contrast between the matrix permeability and fracture permeability and the fracture network structure is poorly characterized. We use two different high-fidelity fracture network models to characterize how effective permeability changes as percolation occurs. The first is a dynamic two-dimensional fracture propagation model designed to mimic the laboratory settings of the experiment. The second is a static three-dimensional discrete fracture network (DFN) model, whose fracture and network statistics are based on the fractured sample of Utica shale. Once the network connects the inflow and outflow boundaries, the effective permeability increases non-linearly with network density. In most networks considered, a jump in the effective permeability was observed when the embedded fracture network percolated. We characterize how the magnitude of the jump, should it occur, depends on the contrast between the fracture and matrix permeabilities. For small contrasts between the matrix and fracture permeabilities the change is insignificant. However, for larger contrasts, there is a substantial jump whose magnitude depends non-linearly on the difference between matrix and fracture permeabilities. A power-law relationship between the size of the jump and the difference between the matrix and fracture permeabilities is observed. The presented results underscore the importance of fracture network topology on the upscaled properties of the porous medium in which it is embedded.
Electrowetting on polyimide and silicon substrates with high hysteresis

Electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) with atypical liquid-substrate combinations has growing utility for a range of microfluidic devices. However, there are challenges to understanding and utilizing the EWOD behavior on rougher substrates with potentially heterogeneous wetting conditions that cause high contact angle (CA) hysteresis. Accurate and consistent EWOD responses can be obtained for these substrates by measuring advancing and receding CAs at constant applied potential. This method was used to characterize the EWOD (DC) responses of two ionic liquids and an aqueous solution on several conductive polyimide and silicon substrates coated with Parylene C/Teflon AF. The results showed Lippmann–Young behavior with liquid-dependent zero-voltage CAs and 13°–40° control authority, 11° average hysteresis, and CA saturation at approximately 80° for all liquids and substrates. Surface roughness and substrate material had little effect on EWOD response and CA hysteresis. The hysteresis was surprisingly high for a Teflon AF-coated substrate. O2 plasma etching of the Parylene prior to Teflon coating may have contributed to the high hysteresis conditions by forming Teflon AF islands or embedding charges into the substrate that affected wetting through the thin Teflon AF layer. CA “ratcheting” was observed during advance corresponding to stick–slip of the droplet triple-line. The stick–slip behavior occurred with all liquid-substrate combinations at sufficiently high voltages and on previously polarized surfaces at lower voltages. Experiments with smooth (“ideal”) Si substrates showed ratcheting only at saturation-level voltages suggesting a link between ratcheting and saturation.
CD34+ progenitor cells from asymptomatic patients are not a major reservoir for human immunodeficiency virus-1

Controversy exists as to whether hematopoietic progenitor cells are infected by human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) in vivo. Most studies have focused on patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)/AIDS-related complex, and little data are available on asymptomatic patients with well preserved CD4+ T-cell counts. To determine if CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells are infected early in the course of HIV-1 disease, we evaluated 10 asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive (HIV-1+) patients. The CD34+ cell fraction was purified by a two-step procedure consisting of both affinity chromatography and fluorescence-activated cell sorting that resulted in a median purity of over 99%. Using conventional and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, we evaluated the presence and frequency of HIV-1 proviral DNA. Both bone marrow mononuclear cells and CD34- cells from all 10 patients were strongly positive for the HIV-1 pol and/or gag gene sequences. In contrast, sorted CD34+ cells from only two of 10 patients were positive, and the number of copies of proviral DNA in these samples was estimated to be from 2 to 5 per 250,000 cells. To test the in vitro functional capacity of CD34+ progenitors, these cells were assayed in both methylcellulose and long-term stromal culture. We found no significant reduction in the number of colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E), burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), or colony-forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) colonies, or in the frequency of cobblestone area forming cells from limit dilution analysis in HIV-1+ asymptomatic patients. Pooled methylcellulose colonies generated from CD34+ cells were HIV-1- in nine of 10 samples. All progeny from long-term cultures of CD34+ cells were HIV-1-. We conclude that the CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor compartment is not infected in the majority of asymptomatic HIV-1+ patients, and that these cells may represent a suitable target for strategies designed to protect developing CD4+ T cells from infection.
Absence of Cis Delta Chain Synthesis in (δ β) Thalassemia (F-thalassemia)

(δ β) thalassemia or F-thalassemia is characterized by a thalassemic blood picture, elevated hemoglobin F, and normal hemoglobin A2. A family with (δ β) thalassemia is reported in which the propositus was a mixed heterozygote for (δ β) thalassemia and hemoglobin B2. There was complete absence of hemoglobin A2, indicating that this (δ β) thalassemia mutation completely suppressed the cis delta gene. The remaining normal delta gene was capable of increasing delta chain synthesis sufficiently to bring the hemoglobin A2 to within normal range. These findings account for the absence of elevated hemoglobin A2 in this form of thalassemia and demonstrate that (δ β) thalassemia is an entity genetically distinct from A2 thalassemia. The possible genetic mechanisms of (δ β) thalassemia are discussed.
The impact of the tax system on health insurance coverage.

A central question in health economics is the extent to which this tax subsidization matters for the health insurance coverage of the U.S. population. I assess the impact of taxes on health insurance by using the considerable existing variation in tax subsidies, both at a point in time and across time. I do so by putting together data from more than a decade of Current Population Survey (CPS) data sets, and matching to workers in those data sets their tax subsidies to health insurance coverage. I find that the elasticity of insurance eligibility of workers is at least −0.6, and that the elasticity of own insurance coverage is roughly similar; the results imply that most of the impact of taxes on insurance coverage arise through firm offering and eligibility decisions. I also find that higher tax rates induce more private coverage through other sources, but less public coverage, so that overall there is a reduction in the rate of uninsurance that is comparable to the change in own employer-provided insurance coverage.
Calcium and vitamin D. Diagnostics and therapeutics.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium metabolism and bone health. The major source of vitamin D is from exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults and exacerbates osteoporosis. Vitamin D is metabolized to 1,25-dihyroxyvitamin D3, which is responsible for regulating calcium absorption and cellular proliferation. Vitamin D may not only be important for bone health, but may also be important in decreasing risk of colon, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.
The Association Between Postpartum Healthcare Encounters and Contraceptive Use among Rhode Island Mothers, 2012-2015.

Unintended pregnancies account for nearly 50% of all pregnancies. Compared to those conceived intentionally children born of unintended pregnancies have worse outcomes in nutrition abuse and overall mortality. Mothers with unintended pregnancies report lower levels of happiness health and mother-child relationships. We hypothesize that unwanted childbearing affects mother-child relationships in part because of the physical and mental health consequences of unwanted childbearing. Impaired mental health hampers women’s interaction with their infants and these poor neonatal relationships translate into poor mother-adult child relationships. Using the Intergenerational Panel Study of Mothers and Children – a 31-year longitudinal survey of a probability sample of 1113 mother-child pairs begun in 1961 – we demonstrate that mothers with unwanted births have lower quality relationships with their children from late adolescence (age 18 and higher rates of anxiety. Thus postpartum contraception is important in preventing these harms. Contraceptive-specific counseling by healthcare workers increases both general contraception use and use of highly effective contraception raising the question as to which encounters offer opportune times to discuss postpartum contraception. To date the literature has indicated that home visits during pregnancy and postpartum check-ups are associated with increased postpartum contraception use. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between encounters with health care workers after pregnancy and the use of any postpartum contraception method and specifically highly effective methods in Rhode Island.
The fecal microbiome and serum concentrations of indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol sulfate in cats with chronic kidney disease.

Background Intestinal dysbiosis has been documented in humans with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is thought to contribute to production of the uremic toxins indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresol sulfate (pCS). Characteristics of the fecal microbiome in cats with CKD and correlation to serum concentrations of uremic toxins are unknown. Objectives To characterize the fecal microbiome and measure serum IS and pCS concentrations of cats with CKD in comparison to healthy older cats. Animals Thirty client-owned cats with CKD (International Renal Interest Society stages 2-4) and 11 older (≥8 years) healthy control cats. Methods Prospective, cross-sectional study. Fecal samples were analyzed by sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and Escherichia coli quantitative PCR (qPCR). Serum concentrations of IS and pCS measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results Cats with CKD had significantly decreased fecal bacterial diversity and richness. Escherichia coli qPCR showed no significant difference in bacteria count between control and CKD cats. Cats with stage 2 (P = .01) and stages 3 and 4 (P = .0006) CKD had significantly higher serum IS concentrations compared to control cats. No significant difference found between stage 2 and stages 3 and 4 CKD. The pCS concentrations were not significantly different between CKD cats and control cats. Conclusions and clinical importance Decreased fecal microbiome diversity and richness is associated with CKD in cats. Indoxyl sulfate concentration is significantly increased with CKD, and cats with stage 2 CKD may suffer from a similar uremic toxin burden as do cats with later stage disease.
Structural studies and physical properties of hexagonal-YbFeO3 thin films

We present structural, magnetic, and optical properties of multiferroic hexagonal YbFeO3 thin films, deposited on single crystal (001) Al2O3 and (111) ysz substrates by a magnetron sputtering system. Interestingly, the thermal stress affects YbFeO3 films on Al2O3 and ysz very differently. Although hexagonal-YbFeO3/Al2O3 films changed from a hexagonal to an orthorhombic phase due to annealing above 1000 °C, hexagonal-YbFeO3/ysz films remained mostly unaffected even after annealing at 1200 °C. The electronic excitations of the YbFeO3 thin films are dominated by Fe3+ d to d on-site electronic excitations as well as O 2p to Fe 3d, Yb 6s, and 5d charge-transfer excitations, and these excitations for hexagonal-YbFeO3 and orthorhombic-YbFeO3 thin films are distinctly different, consistent with the crystal field environments in the hexagonal and orthorhombic phases of YbFeO3. The room temperature energy band gaps of the hexagonal-YbFeO3 and orthorhombic-YbFeO3 thin films were measured to be ∼1.95 ± 0.05 eV and ∼2.40 ± 0.05 eV, respectively.
Fate of Glyphosate during Production and Processing of Glyphosate-Resistant Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris)

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide in commercial crop production for both conventional and herbicide-resistant crops. Herbicide-resistant crops, like glyphosate-resistant sugar beet, are often exposed to multiple applications of glyphosate during the growing season. The fate of this herbicide in resistant crops has not been publicly documented. We investigated the fate of glyphosate and main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid in glyphosate-resistant sugar beet grown in northern Colorado. Glyphosate residues were measured via directed ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of sugar beet shoots and roots throughout the growing season, from samples collected at various steps during sugar beet processing, and from flow-through samples of greenhouse-grown beets. Sugar beet rapidly absorbed glyphosate after foliar application, and subsequently translocated the herbicide to its roots, with between 2 and 3 μg/g fresh weight measured in both tissue types within 1 week of application. However, only trace amounts of glyphosate remained in either the shoots or the roots 2 weeks after application. Analysis of irrigation flow-through in pot assays confirmed that the herbicide readily exuded out of the roots. Processing of the beets removed glyphosate and herbicide levels were below the limit of detection in the crystalline sugar final product.
Hot Water Epilepsy

Hot water epilepsy (HWE) is a type of reflex epilepsy in which seizures are precipitated by pouring water at a higher temperature during bathing onto the head or body. The etiology is still not known and is presumably both genetic and environmental. Focal seizures with impaired awareness are the most common seizure types and generalized tonic-clonic seizures are the second common type of seizures. The diagnosis is clinical. Interictal electroencephalography and neuroimaging are usually normal. Treatment consists of avoidance of the triggering factor. However, in cases where this option is not effective, antiepileptics can be used. Clobazam appears to be the most effective therapy, particularly for pure HWE. This is an up-to-date review of the literature.
Quantitative phenotype scan statistic (QPSS) reveals rare variant associations with Alzheimer's disease endophenotypes.

Current sequencing technologies have provided for a more comprehensive genome-wide assessment and have increased genotyping accuracy of rare variants. Scan statistic approaches have previously been adapted to genetic sequencing data. Unlike currently-employed association tests, scan-statistic-based approaches can both localize clusters of disease-related variants and, subsequently, examine the phenotype association within the resulting cluster. In this study, we present a novel Quantitative Phenotype Scan Statistic (QPSS) that extends an approach for dichotomous phenotypes to continuous outcomes in order to identify genomic regions where rare quantitative-phenotype-associated variants cluster. We demonstrate the performance and practicality of QPSS with extensive simulations and an application to a whole-genome sequencing (WGS) study of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Using QPSS, we identify regions of rare variant enrichment associated with levels of AD-related proteins, CSF Aβ1–42 and p-tau181P. QPSS is implemented under the assumption that causal variants within a window have the same direction of effect. Typical self-contained tests employ a null hypothesis of no association between the target variant set and the phenotype. Therefore, an advantage of the proposed competitive test is that it is possible to refine a known region of interest to localize disease-associated clusters. The definition of clusters can be easily adapted based on variant function or annotation.
Oncogenic H-Ras Signaling Differentially Targets Replicative and Specialized DNA Polymerases for Depletion

Oncogene activation significantly alters DNA replication dynamics, causing replication stress and genome instability. However, little is known about DNA polymerase expression and regulation during oncogene-induced replication stress. We discovered that the Pol α (catalytic subunit), Pol δ, Pol η, and Pol κ are all depleted in response to H-RasG12V overexpression in multiple human cell lines. Distinct transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms mediate replicative and specialized DNA polymerase regulation, respectively, and include both MEK-dependent and -independent pathways. Moreover, Pol η depletion is sufficient to induce a senescence-like growth arrest in non-transformed cells. We provide evidence that H-RasG12V-induced polymerase depletion contributes not only to oncogene-induced replication stress, but also to cell cycle checkpoint enforcement. Polymerase degradation is a protective response, associated with improved cell survival in the face of oncogene-induced stress. Our findings significantly impact our understanding of oncogene-induced cellular transformation and suggest that imbalanced polymerase levels may contribute to neoplastic progression.
Sprawcy i sprawczynie Zagłady a podejście do sprawiedliwości w NRD w latach 1949–1963

Drawn from archives of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), and mainly the files of the Ministry for State Security (Stasi) and regional court records, this essay analyzes two lesser-known trials of Nazi perpetrators of the Holocaust in wartime Galicia. One case features a typical German gendarme convicted but released from prison in the 1950s; the other features a married couple who shot Jews and others on an SS agricultural estate. Both cases highlight East German investigation methods and prosecutors’ use of evidence, while the second affords an opportunity to consider gendered aspects of wartime crimes and postwar trials. On the basis of these cases the author examines how evolving political considerations in the 1950s and 1960s shaped investigations, judicial process s, and sentences against Nazi perpetrators