cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Macromer Molecular Weight and Chemistry on Poly(β-amino ester) Network Properties and Initial Cell Interactions

A library of photocrosslinkable poly(β-amino ester)s (PBAEs) was recently synthesized to expand the number of degradable polymers that can be screened and developed for a variety of biological applications. In this work, the influence of variations in macromer chemistry and macromer molecular weight (MMW) on network reaction behavior, overall bulk properties, and cell interactions were investigated. The MMW was controlled through alterations in the initial diacrylate to amine ratio (≥1) during synthesis and decreased with an increase in this ratio. Lower MMWs reacted more quickly and to higher double bond conversions than higher MMWs, potentially due to the higher concentration of reactive groups. Additionally, the lower MMWs led to networks with higher compressive and tensile moduli that degraded slower than networks formed from higher MMWs due to an increase in the crosslinking density and decrease in the number of degradable units per crosslink. The adhesion and spreading of osteoblast-like cells on polymer films was found to be dependent on both the macromer chemistry and the MMW. In general, the number of cells was similar on networks formed from a range of MMWs, but the spreading was dramatically influenced by MMW (higher spreading with lower MMWs). These results illustrate further diversity in photocrosslinkable PBAE properties and that the chemistry and macromer structure must be carefully selected for the desired application.
Individual and Practice Characteristics Associated With Physician Provision of Recommended Care for Children With Special Health Care Needs

Objective. To examine physician and practice characteristics associated with recommended care practices for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Methods. A survey of primary care physicians (PCPs) in Arkansas with a Medicaid caseload of ≥100 children was conducted. Predictor variables included physician specialty field, demographics, practice type, and percentage of patients with public insurance. Multivariate regression analyses described predictors associated with recommended care practices informed by literature. Results. Of 565 mailed surveys, 203 (36%) were returned. Solo/2-person practice was associated with recommended care practices, including written care plan (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.61-35.8), providing extra time (AOR = 3.52, 95% CI = 1.47-8.43), and providing community referrals (AOR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.33-7.02). Female gender was associated with extra time (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.07-4.78) and providing community referrals (AOR = 2.83, 95% ...
Learning curves for LMS and regular Gaussian processes

Uses methods due to Guo, Ljung, and Wang (1997) to obtain explicit bounds on the error of the LMS algorithm used in a linear prediction of a signal using previous values of that signal. The signal is assumed to be a mean-zero Gaussian regular stationary random process. The bounds are then used to construct learning curves for the LMS algorithm in situations where the statistics of the process are only partially known.
Vitamin E supplementation prevents spatial learning deficits and dendritic alterations in aged apolipoproteinE‐deficient mice

Recent studies have suggested that altered function of apolipoprotein E might lead to Alzheimer's disease via oxidative stress. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine if antioxidative treatment with vitamin E was neuroprotective in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. For this purpose, 1-month-old control and apolipoprotein E-deficient mice received dietary vitamin E for 12 months. We showed that, compared to apolipoprotein E-deficient mice who received a regular diet, mice treated with vitamin E displayed a significantly improved behavioural performance in the Morris water maze. This improved performance was associated with preservation of the dendritic structure in vitamin E-treated apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. In addition, whilst untreated apolipoprotein E-deficient mice displayed increased levels of lipid peroxidation and glutathione, vitamin E-treated mice showed near normal levels of both lipid peroxidation and glutathione. These results support the contention that vitamin E prevents the age-related neurodegenerative alterations in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
Conformation of the antifreeze glycoprotein of polar fish.

Abstract High-field proton and 13 C NMR spectroscopy has been used to test and refine the recent proposal, based on vacuum uv circular dichroism results, of a threefold left-handed helical conformation for antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP). Partial assignment of the protons of the glycotripeptide repeating unit has been made by comparison with spectra of model compounds, by selective decoupling, and by measurements of nuclear Overhauser effect (nOe). At 40 °C, AFGP fraction 8 ( M r 2600) shows 2-Hz linewidths which broaden at lower temperature. Neither 1 H nor 13 C chemical shifts depend strongly on temperature, suggesting no abrupt conformational transition. The nOe between alanine α and β protons vary with temperature and with field strength, from small positive enhancements at 50 °C and 80 MHz to large negative effects at 3 °C and 300 MHz, indicating a substantial change of rotational correlation time with temperature. The higher-molecular-weight fraction 1–4 shows negative nOe at all temperatures. The CD spectra of fraction 1–4 show bands characteristic of the polyproline II structure at both 3 and 50 °C, while those bands in fraction 8 are weaker at 50 than 3 °C. The 1 H nOe, the 13 C T 1 , and CD data are interpreted as indicating that AFGP fraction 8 is an extended “rod-like” conformation at low temperature which becomes a flexible coil at high temperature, while fraction 1–4 is a flexible rod with sufficient segmental mobility to eliminate any long-range order.
Effect of supplemental trace minerals from injection on health and performance of highly stressed, newly received beef heifers

Injectable trace minerals administered on arrival to highly stressed beef calves may improve health and performance during the critical receiving period. Crossbred beef heifers (n = 90; initial BW = 199 ± 6.4 kg) were obtained from auction markets, blocked by BW, and assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) s.c. injection of trace mineral solution containing Zn (20 mg/mL), Mn (20 mg/mL), Cu (10 mg/mL), and Se (5 mg/mL) (TM1; 1 mL/45.5 kg); 2) s.c. injection of trace mineral solution containing Zn (48 mg/mL), Mn (10 mg/ mL), Cu (16 mg/mL), and Se (5 mg/ mL) (TM2; 1 mL/45.5 kg); or 3) negative control (CON). Calves were offered ad libitum access to a common diet and were evaluated daily for clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease. Overall ADG was greater (P < 0.01) for calves receiving either trace mineral injection compared with CON; however, ADG did not differ (P = 0.59) between the 2 mineral treatments. Total DMI was greater (P = 0.01) for TM1 and TM2 than for CON. Total G:F was also improved (P = 0.02) for the 2 trace mineral treatments. Calves receiving TM1 and TM2 gained 0.18 and 0.19 kg, respectively, per kilogram of feed consumed; CON gained 0.16 kg per kilogram of feed consumed. Calves administered TM1 had reduced (P = 0.02) bovine respiratory disease morbidity rates compared with CON, with TM2 being intermediate. Antibiotic treatment cost was greater (P = 0.03) for CON than for TM1 or TM2. Administration of a trace mineral injection during initial processing of highly stressed, newly received heifers improved ADG, feed efficiency, bovine respiratory disease morbidity, and antibiotic treatment cost.
Synthetic studies toward citrinadin A: construction of the pentacyclic core

This manuscript describes the preparation of an advanced intermediate toward the total synthesis of citrinadin A, featuring a [3+2] cycloaddition employing in situ generation of the dipole.
Gentamicin versus Staphylococcus aureus

der defined, uniform conditions, exposing identical inocula simultaneously to equimolar quantities of 20 antimicrobial agents. the courtesy of Dr. E. Jack Benner (University of California, Davis). Each antimicrobial agent was incorporated in agar culture medium (modified Columbia formula [3] compounded with lonagar no. 2);1 inocula of 10"3 ml, taken from 48-hr cultures in broth (modified Columbia formula), were ap-
Biological characterisation of Cladosporium cladosporioidesisolated from giant panda

Cladosporium cladosporioides isolated from giant panda was incubated in different media,at different temperatures or pH,in czapek dox agar(CZA) media with different carbon sources or nitrogen sources to study the influence factors on C.cladosporioides growth by using cross method.The optimal media for C.cladosporioides were potato dextrose agar and sabouraud dextrose agar,poor ones were modified rice grain agar and corn meat agar.Ascospore agar and CZA were not suitable for C.cladosporioides.The optimal temperature for C.cladosporioides growth was 25 ℃,poor ones were 15 ℃ and 20 ℃,and it could not grow at 30 ℃ and 35 ℃.The optimal pH values for C.cladosporioides growth were pH5 and pH6,poor ones were pH4 and pH8 to pH11,and the worst was pH7.There was no significant difference in the CZA media with different carbon sources.The optimal nitrogen source for C.cladosporioides growth was sodium nitrate.C.cladosporioides growing in oxalate and ammonium sulfate was bad.And it could not grow in carbamide.The present study identified the optimal growth in vitro factors for C.cladosporioides,and provided references for prophylaxis and diagnosis of phaeohyphomycosis.
International Situation Related Access,Exploitation and Property System of Genetic Resources

By means of investigating the international pattern of access,exploitation and benefit sharing of genetic resources under economic and technological globalization background,the necessity and urgency of forming a mechanism of rational access and fair benefit sharing of genetic resources were recognized.The national sovereignty principle and property rights of genetic resources with international recognition were construed and institutional arrangements for establishing and coordinating the mechanism of genetic resources access and benefit sharing were also analyzed.
The Abradability of Layer of 40CrNiMoA Steel Strengthened by Transient Electric-energy

40CrNiMoA steel was strengthened by transient electric-energy surface-strengthening machine. Electrodes were graphite, CrWMn, YG-8 and Cr12MoV of diameter 3mm. The strengthened parameters were: 1.63mm/s moving speed of electrode on the surface, voltage 40-60V, capacity 180μF. Surface topography of strengthened layer was observed by SEM. Abrasion test was conduct with type MM-200 abrasion machine. Wear-resisting property of sample processed by Cr12MoV electrode was the best with a wear rate being one sixth of that of untreated sample, followed by that processed by graphite electrode with a wear rate being one fifth of that of untreated sample. After surface layer of 40CrNiMoA steel was strengthened by transient electric-energy with graphite as electrode, the average value of friction coefficient was between 0.15～0.3 at earlier stage of abrasion, 0.3～0.7 at later stage. While that of untreated sample was within 0.85～0.9. Grain wear and fatigue wear were the main wear styles in the process of abrasion of all surface-strengthened samples. Comparing with other surface treatment methods, the transient state electrical energy surface strengthens is more easy and feasible, and its cost is lower. It would be applied in surface strengthen of other materials.
CHARMM-GUI PDB Manipulator for Advanced Modeling and Simulations of Proteins Containing Nonstandard Residues

CHARMM-GUI, http://www.charmm-gui.org, is a web-based graphical user interface to prepare molecular simulation systems and input files to facilitate the usage of common and advanced simulation techniques. Since it is originally developed in 2006, CHARMM-GUI has been widely adopted for various purposes and now contains a number of different modules designed to setup a broad range of simulations including free energy calculation and large-scale coarse-grained representation. Here, we describe functionalities that have recently been integrated into CHARMM-GUI PDB Manipulator, such as ligand force field generation, incorporation of methanethiosulfonate spin labels and chemical modifiers, and substitution of amino acids with unnatural amino acids. These new features are expected to be useful in advanced biomolecular modeling and simulation of proteins.
Management of a type II nasoethmoid orbital fracture and near-penetration of the intracranial cavity with transnasal canthopexy:

Nasoethmoid orbital fractures are perhaps the most complicated aspect of craniomaxillofacial trauma. Involvement of the medial canthal tendon markedly increases the complexity of the repair. We report a case of type II nasoethmoid orbital fracture in a 32-year-old man that was managed without formal medial canthal tendon repair; instead, we used open reduction and internal fixation of the central fragment and the nasoethmoid complex. However, during the immediate postoperative period, we noted anterior and inferior displacement of the medial canthus. We took the patient back to the operating room to address the detachment. Revision surgery was successful, and at the 6-month follow-up, his medial canthi were completely symmetrical in all dimensions. We describe our intraoperative technique and measures to prevent complications that can help the surgeon intraoperatively. We also discuss an important point that has not been adequately addressed in the literature to date--that is, the fact that the use of the frontoethmoid suture line and the anterior ethmoid artery as a guide to the skull base can be inaccurate. Problems associated with this inaccuracy can be avoided by carefully reviewing preoperative computed tomography, which can help keep the surgeon from entering the intracranial cavity while fixing the medial canthal tendon during transnasal canthal repair.
Leiomyosarcoma of the small intestine; report of four cases.

Summary Four cases of leiomyosarcoma of the small intestine are reported and are analyzed along with 26 additional cases from the recent literature. We have attempted to point out certain clinical and roentgenologic features of interest. The propensity of these lesions to bleed, often massively, is discussed. The point is made that a combination of recurrent intestinal obstruction and gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage is strongly suggestive of leiomyosarcoma or of certain other small bowel tumors. In particular would we emphasize the use of x-ray studies in aiding the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma and urge the employment of a small bowel series in all cases of otherwise unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding.
Comparison of two surface-wave magnitude scales: M of Gutenberg and Richter (1954) and MS of “Preliminary determination of epicenters”

Abstract The Prague formula (Vanek et al. , 1962), which is used for Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE) magnitudes, exceeds that of Gutenberg (1945) by 0.19 unit of M S , leading to the false assumption that mean M S of PDE are inherently 0.19 larger than Gutenberg and Richter (1954) magnitudes, M GR . Recomputation of M S using Gutenberg9s methods and Gutenberg-Richter (G-R) notepad data shows that M S values in the G-R notepads are ∼0.1 unit of M S too large on average, while M GR values are 0.05 larger still. Total inflation of M GR over recomputed M S values is 0.16 on average. M S for the same events recomputed with the Prague formula are thus only 0.03 unit of M S higher on average than M GR . Thus, PDE values of M S are on average directly comparable to M GR . This relationship probably is a consequence of the Prague formula having been calibrated to Gutenberg9s revised magnitudes and M GR values. Surface-wave magnitude residuals summed over many events appear to fit a normal Gaussian distribution with a standard deviation of 0.28 unit-of- M S for two large independent samples. Thus, anomalous single-station M S values can be excluded from averaging, using probabilistic criteria rather than the ad hoc criteria used currently, and standard deviations of M S from the mean are valid estimates of error.
Using the Free Program MEGA to Build Phylogenetic Trees from Molecular Data

Building evolutionary trees can be an excellent way for students to see how different gene sequences or organisms are related to one another. Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software is a free package that lets anyone build evolutionary trees in a user-friendly setup. There are several options to choose from when building trees from molecular data in MEGA, but the most commonly used are neighbor joining and maximum likelihood, both of which give good estimates on the relationship between different molecular sequences. In this article, we describe how to collect data from GenBank, insert the data into a text editor, import the data into MEGA, and use the dataset to create phylogenetic trees.
Constrained Vector Quantization

There is no better way to quantize a single vector than to use VQ with a codebook that is optimal for the probability distribution describing the random vector. However, direct use of VQ suffers from a serious complexity barrier that greatly limits its practical use as a complete and self-contained coding technique
Elucidating the “Gravome”: Quantitative Proteomic Profiling of the Response to Chronic Hypergravity in Drosophila

Altered gravity conditions, such as experienced by organisms during spaceflight, are known to cause transcriptomic and proteomic changes. We describe the proteomic changes in whole adult Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) but focus specifically on the localized changes in the adult head in response to chronic hypergravity (3 g) treatment. Canton S adult female flies (2 to 3 days old) were exposed to chronic hypergravity for 9 days and compared with 1 g controls. After hypergravity treatment, either whole flies (body + head) or fly-head-only samples were isolated and evaluated for quantitative comparison of the two gravity conditions using an isobaric tagging liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry approach. A total of 1948 proteins from whole flies and 1480 proteins from fly heads were differentially present in hypergravity-treated flies. Gene Ontology analysis of head-specific proteomics revealed host immune response, and humoral stress proteins were significantly upregulated. Proteins related to...
Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Cyclization of Carboxylic Acids.

A method for converting C–H to C–O bonds through oxidative cyclization of carboxylic acids to generate lactone products is described. The reaction employs catalytic amounts of Cu(OAc)2 and potassium persulfate as the terminal oxidant and is performed open to air in an aqueous acetic acid solvent system. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that substrate oxidation likely proceeds by sulfate radical anion and that the Cu catalyst has no influence on the product-determining step. These conclusions differ from related investigations that propose the intermediacy of a carboxylate radical.
Economic Breakdown and Collective Action

While social movement scholarship has emphasized the role of activists in socially constructing grievances, we contend that material adversity is a reoccurring precondition of anti-state mobilization. We test the effect of economic decline on the count of large-scale, anti-government demonstrations and riots. Using multiple sources of newspaper reports of contentious events across 145 countries during the period 1960-2006, we find a statistically significant negative relationship between economic growth and the number of contentious events, controlling for a variety of state-governance, demographic, and media characteristics. We find that the effect is strongest under conditions of extreme economic decline and in non-democracies. These findings highlight the need for social movement scholars to take seriously the role of economic performance as an important factor that enables mobilization.
A Gaussian process regression approach to model aircraft engine fuel flow rate

The problem of building statistical models of cyber-physical systems using operational data is addressed in this paper, using the case study of aircraft engines. These models serve as a complement to physics-based models, which may not accurately reflect the operational performance of systems. The accurate modeling of fuel flow rate is an essential aspect of analyzing aircraft engine performance. In this paper, operational data from Flight Data Recorders are used to model the fuel flow rate. The independent variables are restricted to those which are obtainable from trajectory data. Treating the engine as a statistical system, an algorithm based on Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) is developed to estimate the fuel flow rate during the airborne phases of flight. The algorithm propagates the uncertainty in the estimates in order to determine prediction intervals. The proposed GPR models are evaluated for their predictive performance on an independent set of flights. The resulting estimates are also compared with those given by the Base of Aircraft Data (BADA) model, which is widely used in aircraft performance studies. The GPR models are shown to perform statistically significantly better than the BADA model. The GPR models also provide interval estimates for the fuel flow rate which reflect the variability seen in the data, presenting a promising approach for data-driven modeling of cyber-physical systems.
Minimal geometry for valley filtering in graphene

The possibility to effect valley splitting of an electronic current in graphene represents the essential component in the new field of valleytronics in such two-dimensional materials. Based on a symmetry analysis of the scattering matrix, we show that if the spatial distribution of multiple potential scatterers breaks mirror symmetry about the axis of incoming electrons, then a splitting of the current between two valleys is observed. This leads to the appearance of the valley Hall effect. We illustrate the effect of mirror-symmetry breaking in a minimal system of two symmetric impurities, demonstrating the splitting between valleys via the differential cross sections and nonvanishing skew parameter. We further discuss the role that these effects may play in transport experiments.
Rural versus urban compliance in the management of cryptorchidism: is there a difference?

The authors compared the age and referral patterns of pediatric patients undergoing surgical intervention for cryptorchidism at a rural, West Virginia University, versus urban, Johns Hopkins University, tertiary center. A retrospective review of patients undergoing surgical evaluation for cryptorchidism was performed. Patients treated for reasons unrelated to cryptorchidism or referred for multiple urologic diagnoses were excluded. The patients at each institution were then divided into four groups based on their corrected gestational age at time of surgery. Referral times and provider specialties were also obtained. A total of 131 cases at the urban center and 100 cases at the rural center were identified. At the rural center, the average age of referral and surgery were 48.3 and 53.8 months, respectively, compared to 59.6 and 65.2 months at the urban center. Only 40% of patients at the rural site and 29% at the urban institution underwent intervention at less than 18 months of age. There was no significant difference in time of referral to surgery between the institutions. The majority of referrals were made by private practice pediatricians. Conclusion: In this study, a pattern of delayed referral and intervention was observed at both institutions despite differing geographic regions and heterogeneous patient populations. It is important that referring providers realize that scrotal U/S does not change management of UDT and should not delay prompt referral.
Biotin tagging of MeCP2 in mice reveals contextual insights into the Rett syndrome transcriptome

Mutations in MECP2 cause Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked neurological disorder characterized by regressive loss of neurodevelopmental milestones and acquired psychomotor deficits. However, the cellular heterogeneity of the brain impedes an understanding of how MECP2 mutations contribute to RTT. Here we developed a Cre-inducible method for cell-type-specific biotin tagging of MeCP2 in mice. Combining this approach with an allelic series of knock-in mice carrying frequent RTT-associated mutations (encoding T158M and R106W) enabled the selective profiling of RTT-associated nuclear transcriptomes in excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons. We found that most gene-expression changes were largely specific to each RTT-associated mutation and cell type. Lowly expressed cell-type-enriched genes were preferentially disrupted by MeCP2 mutations, with upregulated and downregulated genes reflecting distinct functional categories. Subcellular RNA analysis in MeCP2-mutant neurons further revealed reductions in the nascent transcription of long genes and uncovered widespread post-transcriptional compensation at the cellular level. Finally, we overcame X-linked cellular mosaicism in female RTT models and identified distinct gene-expression changes between neighboring wild-type and mutant neurons, providing contextual insights into RTT etiology that support personalized therapeutic interventions.
Trends and Patterns of Differences in Infectious Disease Mortality Among US Counties, 1980-2014.

Importance Infectious diseases are mostly preventable but still pose a public health threat in the United States, where estimates of infectious diseases mortality are not available at the county level. Objective To estimate age-standardized mortality rates and trends by county from 1980 to 2014 from lower respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, meningitis, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. Design and Setting This study used deidentified death records from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and population counts from the US Census Bureau, NCHS, and the Human Mortality Database. Validated small-area estimation models were applied to these data to estimate county-level infectious disease mortality rates. Exposures County of residence. Main Outcomes and Measures Age-standardized mortality rates of lower respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, meningitis, hepatitis, and tuberculosis by county, year, and sex. Results Between 1980 and 2014, there were 4 081 546 deaths due to infectious diseases recorded in the United States. In 2014, a total of 113 650 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 108 764-117 942) deaths or a rate of 34.10 (95% UI, 32.63-35.38) deaths per 100 000 persons were due to infectious diseases in the United States compared to a total of 72 220 (95% UI, 69 887-74 712) deaths or a rate of 41.95 (95% UI, 40.52-43.42) deaths per 100 000 persons in 1980, an overall decrease of 18.73% (95% UI, 14.95%-23.33%). Lower respiratory infections were the leading cause of infectious diseases mortality in 2014 accounting for 26.87 (95% UI, 25.79-28.05) deaths per 100 000 persons (78.80% of total infectious diseases deaths). There were substantial differences among counties in death rates from all infectious diseases. Lower respiratory infection had the largest absolute mortality inequality among counties (difference between the 10th and 90th percentile of the distribution, 24.5 deaths per 100 000 persons). However, HIV/AIDS had the highest relative mortality inequality between counties (10.0 as the ratio of mortality rate in the 90th and 10th percentile of the distribution). Mortality from meningitis and tuberculosis decreased over the study period in all US counties. However, diarrheal diseases were the only cause of infectious diseases mortality to increase from 2000 to 2014, reaching a rate of 2.41 (95% UI, 0.86-2.67) deaths per 100 000 persons, with many counties of high mortality extending from Missouri to the northeastern region of the United States. Conclusions and Relevance Between 1980 and 2014, there were declines in mortality from most categories of infectious diseases, with large differences among US counties. However, over this time there was an increase in mortality for diarrheal diseases.
Effect of Dietary Carbohydrate Type on Serum Cardiometabolic Risk Indicators and Adipose Tissue Inflammatory Markers

Context and Objective Direct comparisons between types of dietary carbohydrate in terms of cardiometabolic risk indicators are limited. This study was designed to compare the effects of an isocaloric exchange of simple, refined, and unrefined carbohydrates on serum cardiometabolic risk indicators, adipose tissue inflammatory markers, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fractional cholesterol efflux. Design, Participants, and Measures Participants [postmenopausal women and men (N = 11), 65 ± 8 years, body mass index 29.8 ± 3.2 kg/m2, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ≥2.6 mmol/L] were provided with diets (60% energy from total carbohydrate, 15% from protein, 25% from fat) for 4.5 weeks in a randomized crossover design, with 2-week washout periods. The variable component was an isocaloric exchange of simple, refined, or unrefined carbohydrate-containing foods. Serum lipoprotein, glucose, insulin, and inflammatory marker concentrations were measured. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was aspirated to assess macrophage and inflammatory marker gene expression and ex vivo cytokine secretion, and PBMCs were isolated to assess ex vivo fractional cholesterol efflux. Results Fasting serum LDL and non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations were higher after the refined compared with simple or unrefined carbohydrate-enriched diets (P < 0.01). Other serum measures, ex vivo fractional cholesterol efflux and adipose tissue gene expression and ex vivo cytokine secretion, were similar between diets. Conclusions Diets enriched in refined compared with simple or unrefined carbohydrate resulted in higher fasting serum LDL and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations but had little effect on other cardiometabolic risk indicators. This small study raises the intriguing possibility that refined carbohydrate may have unique adverse effects on cardiometabolic risk indicators distinct from simple and unrefined carbohydrate.
Multiple Speed: An Additional Parameter in Secure Sequence Generation

The classical means to drive key stream generators are linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs). Usually the feedback taps of these driving LFSRs are predetermined (e.g. hardwired) and the key resides in the initial contents of the LFSRs and possibly in the nonlinear combinations of these LFSRs. Additional flexibility and security could be provided if the feedback connections of the driving LFSRs were also controlled by the key. To the cryptanalyst it is clearly of advantage to know the exact recursion the driving sequences have to obey; he is then confronted with the problem of determining the actual state of the LFSRs (in the last chapter we saw that exactly this complete knowledge about the driving LFSRS made the correlation attack feasible when the nonlinear combining function was chosen carelessly). But to control the feedback connections is in general a difficult task. A driving LFSR usually has a primitive or irreducible connection polynomial such that all nonzero initial states result in the same linear complexity of the produced sequence. So first one has to find some primitive or irreducible polynomials of degree equal to the desired length of the driving LFSR. Then the coefficients of the possible feedback polynomials have to be stored which might consume a considerable amount of storage.
Traveling the Tenure Track

Zora Neale Hurston (1928), in her powerful essay, “How it Feels to be a Colored Me,” examines her own individuality through a series of arresting metaphors that serve to illustrate the vastness with which she embraces her racial identity. Further, she demonstrates a level of confidence and defiance that provides a view of Black womanhood that is not only inspiring, but instructive.
Control of Energy Storage in Home Energy Management Systems: Non-Simultaneous Charging and Discharging Guarantees

In this paper we provide non-simultaneous charging and discharging guarantees for a linear energy storage system (ESS) model for a model predictive control (MPC) based home energy management system (HEMS) algorithm. The HEMS optimally controls the residential load and residentially-owned power sources, such as photovoltaic (PV) power generation and energy storage, given residential customer preferences such as energy cost sensitivity and ESS lifetime. Under certain problem formulations with a linear ESS model, simultaneous charging and discharging can be observed as the optimal solution when there is high penetration of PV power. We present analysis for a proposed HEMS optimization formulation that ensures non-simultaneous ESS charging and discharging operation for a linear ESS model that captures both charging and discharging efficiency of the ESS. The energy storage system model behavior guarantees are shown for various electricity pricing schemes such as time of use (TOU) pricing and net metering. Simulation results demonstrating desirable ESS behavior are provided for each electricity pricing scheme.
Medicaid, Marijuana and Opioids: Is Prescription Access to Blame?

Is the opioid epidemic attributable to prescription painkillers becoming more accessible? I find that, for an average county, Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act caused approximately 175,000 more opioid units to be prescribed per year, and 4 additional opioid-related deaths per year. Medicaid expansions explain nearly a third of the overall death toll. These results are driven largely by deaths of white men, and vary by local access to marijuana (an opioid substitute). After estimating the interactive impact of Medicaid expansions and marijuana legalization on opioid-related deaths, I conclude that opioid mortality can be reduced without restricting opioid access.
Sleep apnea and kidney transplant outcomes: findings from a 20-year (1997-2017) historical cohort study.

Abstract Objective/background A historic cohort single-center study of kidney transplant recipients with graft loss examined the associations between sleep apnea and two transplant outcomes, death with a functioning graft (DWFG), and graft survival time. Patient/methods Adult patients who received transplants and experienced graft failure or DWFG from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2017 constituted the cohort (n = 322). Data for the study were obtained by merging two secondary data sources: the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database and the transplant center's medical records. A Cox regression modeled the association of diagnosed sleep apnea, stratified by year-of transplant surgery, with graft survival time. Using backward elimination, this model was adjusted for recipient age, race/ethnicity, gender, functional status, donor age, and antigen mismatch. Results No statistically significant differences were found for proportions of DWFG in those with, versus without, sleep apnea, informing our censoring approach. When examining graft survival time, the Cox regression model was stratified given a sleep apnea and year-of-transplant interaction (p Conclusions In a cohort of transplant recipients with graft loss, sleep apnea increased the risk of graft loss nearly three-fold among patients transplanted between 2009 and 2017. Similar DWFG proportions by sleep apnea presence indicate this risk is likely driven by renal failure, not mortality. Further research on whether treatment of sleep apnea can improve graft survival is warranted.
The Effect of Oblique Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Surgical Decision Making for Patients Undergoing an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Cervical Radiculopathy.

ABSTRACT Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if oblique magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences affect the surgical treatment recommendations for patients with cervical radiculopathy. Methods: In this cohort study consecutive clinical cases of persistent cervical radiculopathy requiring surgical intervention were randomized, blinded, and reviewed by 6 surgeons. Initially each surgeon recommended treatment based on the history, physical examination, and axial, coronal and sagittal preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) images; when reviewing the cases the second time, the surgeons were provided oblique MR images. This entire process was then repeated after 2 months. Change in surgical recommendation, interobserver and intraobserver reliability and the average number of levels fused was determined. Results: The addition of the oblique images resulted in the surgical recommendation being altered in 49.2% (59/120) of cases; however, the addition of oblique images did not substantially improve the interobserver reliability of the treatment recommendation (κ = .57 versus.57). Similarly, the overall intraobserver reliability using only traditional MRI sequences (κ = .64) was only slightly improved by the addition of oblique images (κ = .66). Lastly, the addition of oblique images did not change the average number of levels fused (traditional MRI = 1.38, oblique MRI = 1.41, P = .53), or the total number of 3-level fusions recommended (6 versus 6, P = 1.00) Conclusions: The additional oblique images resulted in a change to the surgical plan in almost 50% of cases; however, it had no substantial effect on the reliability of surgical decision making. Further studies are needed to see if this alteration in treatment affects clinical outcomes. Level of Evidence: 3
Circulating adhesion molecules and subclinical interstitial lung disease: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Adhesion molecules may contribute to the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and have been proposed as prognostic biomarkers in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Our objective was to determine whether the circulating adhesion molecules soluble intracellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1 and P-selectin are associated with subclinical ILD in community-dwelling adults. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis enrolled males and females aged 45–84 years from six communities in the United States in 2000–2002. High attenuation areas were defined as the percentage of imaged lung volume with attenuation −600–−250 HU on cardiac computed tomography (CT). Interstitial lung abnormalities were visually assessed on full-lung CT. Spirometry was performed on a subset of individuals. ILD hospitalisations and deaths were adjudicated. In fully adjusted analyses, higher levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and P-selectin were associated with greater high attenuation areas (2.94%, 95% CI 1.80–4.07%; 1.24%, 95% CI 0.14–2.35%; and 1.58%, 95% CI 0.92–2.23%, respectively), and greater rate of ILD hospitalisations (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.03–1.80; 1.40, 95% CI 1.07–1.85; and 2.03, 95% CI 1.16–3.5, respectively). sICAM-1 was associated with greater prevalence of interstitial lung abnormalities (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.13–1.71). sICAM-1 and P-selectin were associated with lower forced vital capacity (44 mL, 95% CI 12–76 mL and 29 mL, 95% CI 8–49 mL, respectively). sVCAM-1 and P-selectin were associated with increased risk of ILD death (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.26–3.64 and 3.61, 95% CI 1.54–8.46, respectively). Higher levels of circulating sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and P-selectin are independently associated with CT and spirometric measures of subclinical ILD, and increased rate of adjudicated ILD events among community-dwelling adults.
Pressure dependence of the laser-metal interaction under laser powder bed fusion conditions probed by in situ X-ray imaging

Abstract Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing and laser welding are powerful metal processing techniques with broad applications in advanced sectors such as the biomedical and aerospace industries. One common process variable that can tune laser-material interaction dynamics in these two techniques is adjustment of the composition and pressure of the atmosphere in which the process is conducted. While some of the physical mechanisms that are governed by the ambient pressure are well known from the welding literature, it remains unclear how these mechanisms extend to the distinct process conditions of LPBF. In situ studies of the differences in subsurface structure and behavior are essential for understanding the effects of gas pressure and composition on the LPBF processes. This article reports the use of in situ X-ray imaging to directly probe the morphological evolution of the liquid-vapor interface during laser melting as a function of ambient pressure and oxygen partial pressure under LPBF conditions in 316 L steel, Ti-64, aluminum 6061, and Nickel 400. We observe significant changes in melt pool morphology as a function of pressure. Furthermore, similar changes in morphology occur due to an increase in oxygen partial pressure in the process atmosphere. Temperature- and composition-dependent changes in surface tension of the liquid metal drive this change in behavior, which has the potential to influence defect creation and final morphology in LPBF parts.
Effects of standard and modular psychotherapies in the treatment of youth with severe irritability.

OBJECTIVE To examine the preliminary effectiveness of a modular, transdiagnostic, behavioral/cognitive-behavioral intervention (MATCH) compared with standard manualized treatments (SMT) and usual care (UC) for treating youth with severe irritability. METHOD We analyzed data from an effectiveness trial in which treatment-referred youths (N = 174; Mage = 10.6 years; 70% boys) were randomized to receive MATCH, SMT, or UC (ns = 53-62). Masked assessments of irritability, diagnoses, impairment, and internalizing, externalizing, total, and top problems were collected from caregivers and youths at pre- and posttreatment, weekly during treatment, and quarterly through 2-year follow-up. Baseline measures of irritability and impairment were used to identify a subsample characterized by severe irritability and mood dysregulation (SIMD; n = 81; Mage = 10.2 years; 69% boys; ns = 24-31 across conditions). Longitudinal multilevel models and ANOVAs were estimated to examine numerous clinical outcomes within and between conditions. RESULTS Among youth with SIMD, MATCH produced faster improvements than UC and SMT, with medium or large effect sizes in two thirds of all comparisons tested (Mdn ES = 0.60). Although SIMD youths in all conditions showed reductions in DSM diagnoses, only MATCH predicted significantly fewer posttreatment diagnoses than UC (averaging 1.0 fewer; ES = 0.93). Finally, among the entire sample, MATCH and SMT equivalently outperformed UC in reducing irritability (ES = 0.49) and the effects of each treatment condition on other outcomes were not moderated by baseline irritability. CONCLUSIONS Extant behavioral/cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies-already well-established and widely used-may be helpful for treating youths with severe irritability. A transdiagnostic, modular format showed the most consistently favorable pattern of results across multiple outcomes, informants, and measurement schedules. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Microbiome and biological blood marker changes in hens at different laying stages in conventional and cage free housings

Abstract With the majority of conventional cage (CC) laying facilities transitioning into cage-free (CF) systems in the near future, it is important to characterize biological markers of health in layers housed in commercial housings for sustainable production. The objectives of this study were to compare i) blood markers, that is heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L) ratios and susceptibility to avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and ii) lung and ceca microbiome between hens at different maturity stages in commercial CC and CF farms. Laying hens at 3 maturity stages were randomly sampled (N = 20 per maturity and per farm). Blood was tested for H:L ratios and APEC killing ability using microscopy and in vitro assay, respectively. Microbiomes were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing and QIIME2 analysis. Data show H:L ratios did not differ between maturities in both farms. Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli killing was only different in CC hens, where χ7122 level was higher (P
Investigation of red blood cell partitioning in an in vitro microvascular bifurcation.

There is a long history of research examining red blood cell (RBC) partitioning in microvasculature bifurcations. These studies commonly report results describing partitioning that exists as either regular partitioning, which occurs when the RBC flux ratio is greater than the bulk fluid flowrate ratio, or reverse partitioning when the RBC flux ratio is less than or equal to that of the bulk fluid flowrate. This paper presents a study of RBC partitioning in a single bifurcating microchannel with dimensions of 6 to 16 μm, investigating the effects of hematocrit, channel width, daughter channel flowrate ratio, and bifurcation angle. The erythrocyte flux ratio, N*, manifests itself as either regular or reverse partitioning, and time-dependent partitioning is much more dynamic, occurring as both regular and reverse partitioning. We report a significant reduction in the well-known sigmoidal variation of the erythrocyte flux ratio (N*) versus the volumetric flowrate ratio (Q*), partitioning behavior with increasing hematocrit in microchannels when the channel dimensions are comparable with cell size. RBCs "lingering" or jamming at the bifurcation were also observed and quantified in vitro. Results from trajectory analyses suggest that the RBC position in the feeder channel strongly affects both partitioning and lingering frequency of RBCs, with both being significantly reduced when RBCs flow on streamlines near the edge of the channel as opposed to the center of the channel. Furthermore, our experiments suggest that even at low Reynolds number, partitioning is affected by the bifurcation angle by increasing cell-cell interactions. The presented results provide further insight into RBC partitioning as well as perfusion throughout the microvasculature.