cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective Association with Golgi of ADP-Ribosylation Factors, 20-kDa Guanine Nucleotide-Binding Protein Activators of Cholera Toxin

ADP-ribosylation factors are 20-kDa GTP-binding proteins initially identified as factors required for cholera toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of G9, the stimulatory GTP-binding protein of the adenylyl cyclase system (Kahn and Gilman, 1984; Bobak et al., 1990). The GTP-dependent ARFs enhance activity of the toxin with all of its substrates, and are believed physiologically to participate in protein transport by Golgi (Tsai et al., 1988; Donaldson et al., 1991).
Proton pump inhibitors and vascular function: A prospective cross-over pilot study

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly used drugs for the treatment of gastric reflux. Recent retrospective cohorts and large database studies have raised concern that the use of PPIs is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, there is no prospective clinical study evaluating whether the use of PPIs directly causes CV harm. We conducted a controlled, open-label, cross-over pilot study among 21 adults aged 18 and older who are healthy (n=11) or have established clinical cardiovascular disease (n=10). Study subjects were assigned to receive a PPI (Prevacid; 30 mg) or a placebo pill once daily for 4 weeks. After a 2-week washout period, participants were crossed over to receive the alternate treatment for the ensuing 4 weeks. Subjects underwent evaluation of vascular function (by the EndoPAT technique) and had plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA, an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial function previously implicated in PPI-mediated risk) measured prior to and after each treatment interval. We observed a marginal inverse correlation between the EndoPAT score and plasma levels of ADMA (r = -0.364). Subjects experienced a greater worsening in plasma ADMA levels while on PPI than on placebo, and this trend was more pronounced amongst those subjects with a history of vascular disease. However, these trends did not reach statistical significance, and PPI use was also not associated with an impairment in flow-mediated vasodilation during the course of this study. In conclusion, in this open-label, cross-over pilot study conducted among healthy subjects and coronary disease patients, PPI use did not significantly influence vascular endothelial function. Larger, long-term and blinded trials are needed to mechanistically explain the correlation between PPI use and adverse clinical outcomes, which has recently been reported in retrospective cohort studies.
Rimming Flow of a Power-Law Fluid: Qualitative Analysis of the Mathematical Model

Rimming flow of the non-Newtonian fluid on the inner surface of a horizontal rotating cylinder is investigated. Simple lubrication theory is applied since the Reynolds number is small and liquid film is thin. For the steady-state flow of a power-law fluid the mathematical model reduces to a simple algebraic equation regarding the thickness of the liquid film. The qualitative analysis of this equation is carried out and the existence of two possible solutions is rigorously proved. Based on this analysis qualitative analysis, different regimes of the rimming flow are defined and analyzed analytically.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The status and the state of the human epididymis

As far as can be determined now, the general organization of the human epididymis, the regional character of its epithelium and luminal environment, and the maturation changes that spermatozoa undergo there are quite similar in many respects in both animals and man. None the less, the outcomes of some clinical procedures aimed at overcoming duct obstruction (high epididymovasostomy or microaspiration of some fertile spermatozoa from the caput or vasa efferentia) suggest a flexibility in the sperm/epididymal relationship that may cast an element of doubt as to the essential place of the epididymis in the chain of human conception. While such clinical results make it difficult yet to be quite sure that the epididymis has the same essential sperm maturation role in man that it does in the few animals tested, they raise intriguing questions as to the potential ability of the human vas deferens, and even the vasa efferentia, to contribute in that respect. The human epididymis possesses other traits which collectively seem to resemble the suppressive effects of subjecting animal epididymides to body temperature. In that regard, it is a real possibility that the elevation of scrotal temperature imposed by clothing may be affecting in an adverse manner several aspects of epididymal function, especially those concerned with the storage and viability of spermatozoa, and thereby the quality of the ejaculate.
Multimodal Warnings: Curve-Warning Design

This proof-of-concept study evaluated appropriate modalities and respective stimuli for a curvewarning application. Objective and subjective measurements were collected in a simulator environment t...
In search of a battle: Dreux, 1562

“AVEC INFINY REGRET” Though they loom large in the contemporary accounts and early histories of the wars of religion, the number of major standup battles fought by the royal army was actually quite few. In the nine years from 1562 to 1570 the main army fought only seven major battles: Dreux, Saint-Denis, Jazeneuil, Jarnac, La Roche-L'Abeille, Moncontour, and Arnay-le-Duc. That there were few ranged battles, however, was not always for lack of trying — in the first three civil wars, especially, campaigns usually revolved around attempts by one or both sides to bring the other's army to battle. On perhaps a dozen other occasions before 1570 there were also near battles, that is, times when the opposing armies or major components of them were actually in sight of one another but one or both held back from battle, as at Talcy, or were unable to come to grips because of the weather, as at Loudon, or successfully sought to disengage, as at Notre-Dame-L'Epine. And on many other occasions the armies were close enough to one another for there to be skirmishes between cavalry outriders, but no battle or near battle developed. After 1570, however, battle almost completely disappeared from the major campaigns.
Proton pump inhibitor-responsive oesophageal eosinophilia: too early to change clinical practice

We read the article by Molina-Infante et al 1 with great concern as it proposes a major change in the current practice guidelines for managing patients presenting for care by gastroenterologists worldwide. Proton pump inhibitor-responsive oesophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE)1 is characterised by an eosinophilic infiltrate of the oesophageal epithelium that is responsive to PPI therapy alone. The authors suggest that endoscopies should be performed prior to a therapeutic trial of PPI, so as not to miss this subtype of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). We maintain that these two entities not only have yet to be proven to be the same pathophysiological process, but also that performing an initial endoscopy with biopsy would not change the current practice of first using a PPI before or after the …
Prevalence of restless legs syndrome during detoxification from alcohol and opioids

Abstract Background and Aims Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder associated with adverse health outcomes and decreased quality of life. Small case series suggest that symptoms of RLS occur during opioid withdrawal. However, the prevalence is unknown. Methods We conducted an observational study to determine the prevalence of RLS among inpatients patients receiving buprenorphine detoxification from opioids. To assess the specificity of RLS to opioid detoxification, we also evaluated patients receiving detoxification from alcohol as a comparison group. The diagnosis of RLS was established using a validated questionnaire. Results The sample consisted of 124 adults with primary opioid use disorder and 180 with primary alcohol use disorder. In the total sample, 33.6% met a likely RLS diagnosis: 50.8% of those with opioid use disorder and 21.7% of those with alcohol use disorder (χ 2 = 27.96[1,304] p Conclusions Approximately half of patients undergoing inpatient opioid detoxification exhibited the symptoms characteristic of RLS. We believe that these data support the existence of a secondary form of RLS associated with opioid withdrawal.
EFFECT OF INSECTICIDE RESIDUES ON GROWTH AND FERMENTATION ABILITY OF LACTIC CULTURE ORGANISMS1

Sterile whole milks containing from <0.1 to 100 ppm of dieldrin and heptachlor were inoculated with Streptococcus lactis A254, S. lactis A62, Streptococcus cremoris E-8, S. lactis var. diacetilactis 1816 and Lactobacillus casei and incubated for 48 hr at appropriate temperatures. In addition, milks containing similar amounts of methoxychlor and malathion were inoculated with S. lactis A254 and L. casei and incubated 48 hr at 32 C. Samples removed at 0, 24 and 48 hr were examined for number of viable organisms, pH, and titratable acidity. The insecticides had little or no effect on the growth or fermentation ability of the organisms.
Adipokines induce catabolism of newly synthesized matrix in cartilage and meniscus tissues.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Altered synovial levels of various adipokines (factors secreted by fat as well as other tissues) have been associated with osteoarthritis (OA) onset and progression. However, the metabolic effects of adipokines on joint tissues, in particular the fibrocartilaginous menisci, are not well understood. This study investigated effects of several adipokines on release of recently synthesized extracellular matrix in bovine cartilage and meniscus tissue explants. Materials and methods: After labeling newly synthesized proteins and sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs) with 3H-proline and 35S-sulfate, respectively; bovine cartilage and meniscus tissue explants were cultured for 6 days in basal medium (control) or media supplemented with adipokines (1 µg/ml of leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, or resistin) or 20 ng/ml interleukin-1 (IL-1). Release of radiolabel and sGAG to the media during culture and the final explant water, DNA, sGAG, and retained radiolabel were measured. Matrix metalloproteinase (MM...
Correlation of Transcranial Doppler Breath Holding Test and Acetazolamide SPECT Scan for Anterior Circulation Steno-Occlusive Disease (P6.019)

Objective:To compare the results of TCD Reactivity (TCD-R) to acetazolamide SPECT scan, which is a more widely available study. Background:Symptomatic extracranial and intracranial steno-occlusive disease is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. Physicians often rely on cerebral reserve studies to assess the future stroke risk. TCD-R is a simple and non-invasive test to assess the future stroke risk. Methods:A retrospective chart review of patients that underwent TCD-R at our institution was performed. Clinical characteristics and imaging data, including results of acetazolamide SPECT, were collected. Poor cerebral reserve was defined as a BHI Disclosure: Dr. Parikh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cerejo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Raber has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thompson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Uchino has nothing to disclose. Dr. Katzan has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer, Genetech, Inc., and Cardionet, Inc. as a member of the advisory board, consultant, and speaker.
Iron-regulated small RNA expression as Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA 1090 transitions into stationary phase growth

For most pathogens, iron (Fe) homeostasis is crucial for maintenance within the host and the ability to cause disease. The primary transcriptional regulator that controls intracellular Fe levels is the Fur (ferric uptake regulator) protein, which exerts its action on transcription by binding to a promoter-proximal sequence termed the Fur box. Fur-regulated transcriptional responses are often fine-tuned at the post-transcriptional level through the action of small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs). Consequently, identifying sRNAs contributing to the control of Fe homeostasis is important for understanding the Fur-controlled bacterial Fe-response network. In this study, we sequenced size-selected directional libraries representing sRNA samples from Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain FA 1090, and examined the Fe- and temporal regulation of these sRNAs. RNA-seq data for all time points identified a pool of at least 340 potential sRNAs. Differential analysis demonstrated that expression appeared to be regulated by Fe availability for at least fifteen of these sRNAs. Fourteen sRNAs were induced in high Fe conditions, consisting of both cis and trans sRNAs, some of which are predicted to control expression of a known virulence factor, and one SAM riboswitch. An additional putative cis-acting sRNA was repressed by Fe availability. In the pathogenic Neisseria species, one sRNA that contributes to Fe-regulated post-transcriptional control is the Fur-repressible sRNA NrrF. The expression of five Fe-induced sRNAs appeared to be at least partially controlled by NrrF, while the remainder was expressed independently of NrrF. The expression of the 14 Fe-induced sRNAs also exhibited temporal control, as their expression levels increased dramatically as the bacteria entered stationary phase. Here we report the temporal expression of Fe-regulated sRNAs in N. gonorrhoeae FA 1090 with several appearing to be controlled by the Fe-repressible sRNA NrrF. Temporal regulation of these sRNAs suggests a regulatory role in controlling functions necessary for survival, and may be important for phenotypes often associated with altered growth rates, such as biofilm formation or intracellular survival. Future functional studies will be needed to understand how these regulatory sRNAs contribute to gonococcal biology and pathogenesis.
Leveraging 3D Technology for Students with Autism: An innovative university-community collaboration for skill development and vocational exploration

This article describes a university-community collaboration in which an inter-professional team partnered to provide students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) a paid job opportunity to apply 3D modelling skills for a local construction company. Providing meaningful vocational opportunities to improve the transition to adulthood for individuals with ASD is imperative, as individuals with ASD have unemployment rates that are some of the highest of all disabilities. This novel evidence-supported educational program was designed to develop 3D technology skills, explore vocational careers and promote social engagement through shared interests for transition-age youth with ASD. Both parents and students reported many successful outcomes, including increase in student self-confidence, social and technology skill development and the opportunity for vocational exploration by these young people. Implications of the case study are reported in relation to university-community partnerships and the critical role of community collaboration in addressing the high rates of unemployment in individuals with autism.
Esfenvalerate Residues on Pepper and Pumpkin Following Application for Control of Cucumber Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Esfenvalerate was sprayed on green pepper and pumpkin plants at 7.0 g (AI)/ha to control adult striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (Fabricius), and spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (Barber). Following spraying, residues of esfenvalerate on the two crops were determined and adult insects were swept and counted. Esfenvalerate was extracted using n-hexane from representative plant samples collected at different time intervals following spaying for residue analysis. Determination of residues using gas chromatography (GC-ECD) indicated initial deposits of 3.34 and 1.18 ppm on pumpkin and pepper leaves, respectively. Only trace levels were detected on pepper fruits on day 21 (0.0001 ppm). Half-life values were 1.11 and 2.79 d on pumpkin and pepper fruits, respectively, whereas the values were 1.92 and 3.38 d on pumpkin and pepper leaves, respectively. Periodic sweep-net collections from treated and untreated plots revealed mean beetle reductions of nearly 100% 1 h post-treatmen...
Social Support in Seventh-Day Adventists and Their Neighbors

Certain structural and functional aspects of social networks and support were compared among 157 middle-aged male Seventh-day Adventists and male neighbors of the same age range. The Adventist men were 11.2% more likely to be married (p<0.05), had 15% more trusted friends (p<0.10) and 31% more trusted relatives (p<0.005) than their neighbors. Of the Adventists and neighbors, 74% and 52% respectively reported feeling frequently cared for by others (p<0.001). At least weekly church attendance was practiced by 84% of the Adventists and 30% of the neighbors (p<0.001). It is speculated that some of the favorable mortality experience of Adventists may be causally related to these increased levels of social support.
Electronic energy transfer through non-adiabatic vibrational-electronic resonance. I. Theory for a dimer

Non-adiabatic vibrational-electronic resonance in the excited electronic states of natural photosynthetic antennas drastically alters the adiabatic framework, in which electronic energy transfer has been conventionally studied, and suggests the possibility of exploiting non-adiabatic dynamics for directed energy transfer. Here, a generalized dimer model incorporates asymmetries between pigments, coupling to the environment, and the doubly excited state relevant for nonlinear spectroscopy. For this generalized dimer model, the vibrational tuning vector that drives energy transfer is derived and connected to decoherence between singly excited states. A correlation vector is connected to decoherence between the ground state and the doubly excited state. Optical decoherence between the ground and singly excited states involves linear combinations of the correlation and tuning vectors. Excitonic coupling modifies the tuning vector. The correlation and tuning vectors are not always orthogonal, and both can be asymmetric under pigment exchange, which affects energy transfer. For equal pigment vibrational frequencies, the nonadiabatic tuning vector becomes an anti-correlated delocalized linear combination of intramolecular vibrations of the two pigments, and the nonadiabatic energy transfer dynamics become separable. With exchange symmetry, the correlation and tuning vectors become delocalized intramolecular vibrations that are symmetric and antisymmetric under pigment exchange. Diabatic criteria for vibrational-excitonic resonance demonstrate that anti-correlated vibrations increase the range and speed of vibronically resonant energy transfer (the Golden Rule rate is a factor of 2 faster). A partial trace analysis shows that vibronic decoherence for a vibrational-excitonic resonance between two excitons is slower than their purely excitonic decoherence.
Computational transport analysis of antibody-drug conjugate bystander effects and payload tumoral distribution: implications for therapy

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have a proven clinical record with four FDA approved drugs and dozens more in clinical trials. However, a better understanding of the relationship between delivery and efficacy of ADCs is needed to improve the rate of successful clinical development. Recent evidence indicates that heterogeneous distribution can play a large role in the efficacy of these drugs. However, the impact of the drug payload, particularly the ability of the payload to diffuse outside of the original targeted cell into adjacent cells (the bystander effect), is not completely understood. Given the challenges in directly measuring the payload distribution within tumors, we developed a predictive computational model to study payload distribution as a function of antibody dose, payload dose, and payload properties. The computational results indicate that: 1) the heterogeneous tumoral distribution of ADCs impacts efficacy, and increasing the antibody dose improves penetration and efficacy. 2) The increased penetration of payloads with bystander effects can partially compensate for poor antibody penetration, but larger antibody doses still result in further improvement. This occurs because of the higher efficiency of direct cell killing than bystander killing. 3) Bystander effects are important for killing antigen negative cells, and an optimum in physicochemical properties exists. Payloads with a balance in cellular uptake versus tissue diffusion enter cells fast enough to avoid tumor washout but slow enough to reach distant cells. Therefore, optimizing the antibody dose, payload dose, and payload physicochemical properties results in ideal delivery to the site of action and maximum efficacy.
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act: Implications and Predictions.

* Abbreviation: FCA — : False Claims Act On June 30, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the 2016 Open Payments data, which (as required by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of the Affordable Care Act) disclose payments and any other “transfers of value” to physicians from commercial entities (https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov). This was the third complete year of the availability of this information. It now includes payment information from over 2000 companies that have made ∼40 million payments to over 900 000 physicians for a total of nearly 25 billion dollars. The vast majority of these payments are for relatively small dollar amounts (<$100) related to the provision of food and beverages. Each year, before the release of the information, physicians have the opportunity to refute their own personal data; however, relatively few corrections have been requested or made. At its inception, the Sunshine Act (named in honor of Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, who famously wrote, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants…”1) was expected to better inform the public about their physicians’ financial dealings with pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. For example, in an analysis of payments accepted by pediatricians in 2014, it was discovered that most payments were associated with medications that treat attention-deficient/hyperactivity disorder and vaccinations.2 This may lead parents and child advocates to question the true intent of these types of prescriptions. But, despite this original intention, there has been no indication that the lay public is prepared … Address correspondence to Ronald S. Litman, DO, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104. E-mail: litmanr{at}email.chop.edu
Characteristics and outcome of chronic myeloid leukemia patients with E255K/V BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations.

Kinase domain (KD) mutations of ABL1 represent the most common resistance mechanism to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in CML. Besides T315I, mutations in codon 255 are highly resistant mutations in vitro to all TKI. We aimed to study the incidence, prognosis, and response to treatment in patients with E255K/V. We evaluated 976 patients by sequencing of BCR–ABL1 fusion transcript for ABL1 KD mutations. We identified KD mutations in 381 (39%) patients, including E255K/V in 48 (13% of all mutations). At mutation detection, 14 patients (29%) were in chronic phase (CP), 12 (25%) in accelerated phase (AP), and 22 (46%) in blast phase (BP). 9/14 CP patients responded to treatment (best response complete hematologic response—CHR-4; complete cytogenetic response—CCyR-1; major molecular response—MMR-4); only 4/12 AP patients (CHR 3; MMR 1) and 7/22 BP patients responded (CCyR 2; MMR 2; partial cytogenetic response—PCyR-3). After a median follow-up of 65 months from mutation detection, 36 patients (75%) died: 9/14 (64%) in CP, 9/12 (75%) in AP, and 18/22 (82%) in BP (p = 0.003); median overall survival was 12 months. Patients with E255K/V mutation have a poor prognosis, regardless of the stage of the disease at detection.
A Timelapse Camera Dataset and Markov Model of Dust Devil Activity at Eldorado Playa, Nevada, USA

Abstract We report a May-June 2015 survey of dust devil activity on a Nevada desert playa using an inexpensive digital timelapse camera. We discuss techniques for exploiting the large volume of data (∼32,700 images, made publicly-available) generated in these observations, similar to imaging from Mars landers and rovers, noting the diurnal image filesize variations as a useful quick-look metric of weather conditions. We present results from a semi-automated image classification: this classification is available to other workers, for example for benchmarking automated procedures. The acquisition of images at 1/min for some 36 days permits study of the diurnal variation of dust devil activity (e.g. 85% of the dust devil images [i.e. those images manually classified as showing dust devils] occur between 12:00 and 17:00; during the period of peak activity 13:00–15:00 about 7% of images contain well-defined dust devils of several meters diameter or larger). The data also permit the dependence of dust devil characteristics on ambient conditions. We construct a simple two-state Markov model for the occurrence and persistence of dust devils (a few per cent chance that new dust devil activity appears in the next image; and a ∼45% chance that activity stops) which may help inform strategies for acquiring and interpreting field observations.
Treatment of congenital cricoid stenosis.

Congenital stenosis of the cricoid is a rare malformation which has generally proved fatal up to now. Excessive cartilage causes narrowing of the lumen of the larynx, which leaves only a hairlike canal posteriorly. In severe congenital cricoid stenosis the child usually develops respiratory distress shortly after birth. In the case of a slight occlusion of the larynx, this may only become apparent on exertion or during an upper airway infection. In most cases an emergency tracheostomy has to be performed because of acute infection of the upper airway. Diagnosis is confirmed with the aid of direct laryngoscopy and laryngography.
Exploring the Optimal Platform Configuration for Power-Constrained HPC Workflows

In high-performance computing (HPC) workflows, data analytics is typically utilized to gain insights from scientific simulations. Approaching the era of exascale, online analysis is gaining popularity due to the savings of I/O to persistent storage. As computing capability keeps growing, power consumption is becoming critical to HPC facilities. Enforcing power limits is emerging as a practical trend for power-constrained HPC facilities. However, it remains unclear how to choose the appropriate power limits for various HPC workflows and how to distribute the power limit of a workflow between simulation and analysis. In addition, given a power limit, it is unclear what the optimal scales and power capping levels are for various workflows, especially when taking reliability into account. In order to resolve these issues in power-constrained HPC, in this paper, we propose a reliability-aware model to determine the aforementioned platform configurations for HPC workflows. We also validate our model and present model-driven studies for a wide range of real-system scenarios. Our study reveals interesting insights about how platform configuration affects the performance and energy efficiency of HPC workflows under power constraints.
Liraglutide pharmacotherapy reduces body weight and improves glycaemic control in juvenile obese/hyperglycaemic male and female rats.

AIMS To examine whether the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide could be used in juvenile male and female rats as an anti-obesity/diabetic pharmaceutical to prevent not only adolescent obesity/hyperglycaemia, but also early-adult onset obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Pregnant dams were fed either standard chow or a high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFSD) from gestational day 2, throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were weaned onto the respective maternal diet. Juveniles received daily subcutaneous injection of liraglutide (50 μg/kg, from postnatal day [PND]30 to PND40 and 200 μg/kg from PND40 to PND60) or vehicle. Food intake, body weight and glycaemic levels were evaluated across the experimental period. RESULTS Chronic liraglutide administration in juveniles prevented body weight gain in males and retained a normoglycaemic profile in both male and female rats. CONCLUSION These preclinical data suggest that maternal and early-life consumption of an HFSD increases caloric intake, body weight gain and hyperglycaemia, a collective set of unwanted metabolic effects that appear to be treatable in juveniles with liraglutide pharmacotherapy intervention.
Cell Cycle: Abrogating Interphase/M Phase Bistability.

Summary A new study reports the ability to generate cells caught in a ‘no-man’s land’ between interphase and M phase by simultaneously disrupting feedback loops controlling the activities of the main mitotic driver Cdk1–cyclin B and its counteracting phosphatase PP2A-B55.
A Top-Ten List for 50-50

SIGCSE addresses gender issues in computing year after year. At DePauw University, we learned from SIGCSE's lessons - and those taught by ACM's Council on Women in Computing - and recently awarded 47% of our computer science undergraduate degrees to women. This talk provides a rapid-fire countdown of ten of our most effective strategies that created our 47% class.
Analysis of shot noise in the detection of ultrashort optical pulse trains

We present a frequency domain model of shot noise in the photodetection of ultrashort optical pulse trains using a time-varying analysis. Shot-noise-limited photocurrent power spectral densities, signal-to-noise expressions, and shot-noise spectral correlations are derived that explicitly include the finite response of the photodetector. It is shown that the strength of the spectral correlations in the shot noise depends on the optical pulsewidth, and that these correlations can create orders-of-magnitude imbalance between the shot-noise-limited amplitude and phase noise of photonically generated microwave carriers. It is also shown that only by accounting for spectral correlations can shot noise be equated with the fundamental quantum limit in the detection of optical pulse-to-pulse timing jitter.
Mitochondrial transplantation enhances murine lung viability and recovery after ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The most common cause of acute lung injury is ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), during which mitochondrial damage occurs. We have previously demonstrated that mitochondrial transplantation is an e...
Endovascular Surgery for Extremity Trauma

This chapter reviews the use of endovascular techniques for injuries to the extremities. After a brief discussion of damage control surgery for vascular extremity injuries, the discussion reviews the relevant literature on endovascular surgery by anatomic regions including lower extremity vascular injury and upper extremity vascular injury. In many ways, the blood vessels of the extremities are least suitable for endovascular repair. Since larger blood vessels are easier to treat in general, most of the reported use of endovascular techniques has been in the femoral and axillo-subclavian arteries. Most of the literature describing endovascular surgery in the tibial and forearm arteries are case reports. Despite these limitations, this chapter aims to review endovascular surgery for extremity vascular injury and discuss current management strategies and associated literature.
Consistent numerical methods for state and control constrained trajectory optimisation with parameter dependency

This paper describes and proves the consistency of a flexible numerical method for producing solutions to state and control constrained control problems with parameter dependencies. This method all...
An Exploratory Study of General Self-Efficacy and Employment in Adults with Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Introduction:In this study, the author examined the association between general self-efficacy (GSE) and employment status in working-age adults with retinitis pigmentosa (RP; N = 183). The author f...
Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy provides sustained relief of symptoms among patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Background Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome type III (CP/CPPS) is associated with pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction and irritative voiding. Sustained symptom relief has proven difficult with alpha blockers, antibiotics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors (PDE5is) have the potential to alleviate bladder urgency, relax the pelvic floor, and correct underlying erectile dysfunction; however, few studies have investigated the application of PDE5i's to CP/CPPS. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of long-term PDE5i therapy on symptoms among patients with diagnosed CP/CPPS. Methods A group of patients older than 18 years diagnosed with CP/CPPS presenting from 2009 to 2018 were followed prospectively while they were being prescribed off-label PDE5i therapy for symptoms. National Institute of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index (CPSI) scores before PDE5i therapy initiation and after at least 3 months were utilized to assess impact on symptoms. Results A total of 25 patients (mean age 44.4±12.9 years) met study criteria. The mean duration of PDE5i therapy was 1.3±1.6 years. Continued use of daily PDE5is was associated with significant decreases in total CPSI, pain, urinary symptom and quality of life scores [total CPSI: -12.8, standard deviation (SD) 9.5; pain: -6.1, SD 4.1; urinary symptoms: -2.4, SD 2.1; quality of life: -4.5, SD 3.9; P<0.001]. Conclusions This prospective data suggests that PDE5i therapy is associated with durable decreases in CP/CPPS symptoms past 3 months.
Unique Transcriptome Changes in Peripheral B Cells Revealed by Comparing Age Groups From Naive or Vaccinated Mice, Including snoRNA and Cdkn2a

Aging is associated with a decline in immune function that is not fully understood including vaccine failure. Here we report transcriptomic analysis on B-cells from naive or influenza vaccinated mice of three ages: young (15-23 weeks), middle-aged (63-81 weeks), and old mice (103-119 weeks). Our goal was expression profiling of B-cells by age and history of vaccination to identify novel changes at the transcriptome level. We observed waning vaccine responses with age. In B-cell transcripts, age and vaccination history were both important with notable differences observed in conducted analyses (e.g., principal component, gene set enrichment, differentially expressed (DE) genes, and canonical pathways). Only 39 genes were significantly DE with age irrespective of vaccine history. This included age-related changes to box C/D small nucleolar (sno) RNAs, Snord123 and Snord1a. Box C/D snoRNAs regulate rRNAs through methylation and are linked to neurodegenerative, inflammatory and cancer diseases but not specifically B-cells or age. Canonical pathway changes implicated with age irrespective of vaccination history included EIF2, mTOR signaling, p53, Paxillin, and Tec kinase signaling pathways as well as Cell cycle checkpoint. Importantly, we identified DE genes and pathways that were progressively altered starting in middle-age (e.g., Signaling by Rho family GTPases) or only altered in middle-age (e.g., Sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling), despite minimal differences in the ability of these mice to respond to vaccination compared to younger mice. Our results indicate the importance of vaccination or immune stimulation and analyses of multiple age ranges for aging B-cell studies and validate an experimental model for future studies.
Controls on subsurface nitrate and dissolved reactive phosphorus losses from agricultural fields during precipitation-driven events.

Abstract The magnitude of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) exported from agricultural fields via subsurface tile drainage systems is determined by site-specific interactions between weather, soil, field, and management characteristics. Here, we used multiple regression analyses to evaluate the influence of 29 controls of precipitation event-driven discharge, nitrate (NO3−-N) load, and dissolved reactive P (DRP) load from subsurface tile drains, leveraging a unique dataset of ~7000 precipitation events observed across 40 agricultural fields (n = 190 site years) instrumented to collect continuous water quality samples. We calculated marginal effects of significant controls and assessed the modifying influence of event rainfall, duration, and intensity, and antecedent precipitation. Tile discharge was strongly and positively influenced by previous 7-day precipitation and total rainfall and negatively influenced by daily temperature and tile spacing. Both tile NO3−-N and DRP loads were positively influenced by transport and source variables, including event discharge and total fertilizer applied as well as soil test P (STP) in the case of tile DRP load; factors with the strongest negative influence on tile NO3−-N and DRP loads were related to time of year. The strength and direction of both positive and negative controls also varied with precipitation characteristics. For example, the positive influence of event discharge on nutrient loads lessened as event duration, event intensity, and previous 7-day precipitation increased, while the positive influence of N and P sources strengthened, particularly in response to extreme (or maximum) events. Results here demonstrate the predominant role of transport and source controls while accounting for interactive effects among site-specific characteristics and underscore the importance of storm dynamics when managing N and P loss from agricultural fields.
Crown ethers having side arms: a diverse and versatile supramolecular chemistry

Lariat ethers are a variant of crown ethers that have pendant side arms. The original design for these molecules included donor groups in the side arms that were envisioned to enhance alkali metal ...
Compositional and phase dependence of elastic modulus of crystalline and amorphous Hf1-xZrxO2 thin films

The elastic moduli of amorphous and crystalline atomic layer-deposited Hf1-xZrxO2 (HZO, x = 0, 0.31, 0.46, 0.79, 1) films prepared with TaN electrodes on silicon substrates were investigated using picosecond acoustic measurements. The moduli of the amorphous films were observed to increase between 211 ± 6 GPa for pure HfO2 and 302 ± 9 GPa for pure ZrO2. In the crystalline films, it was found that the moduli increased upon increasing the zirconium composition from 248 ± 6 GPa for monoclinic HfO2 to 267 ± 9 GPa for tetragonal ZrO2. Positive deviations from this increase were observed for the Hf0.69Zr0.31O2 and Hf0.54Zr0.46O2 compositions, which were measured to have moduli of 264 ± 8 GPa and 274 ± 8 GPa, respectively. These two compositions contained the largest fractions of the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase, as assessed from polarization and diffraction data. The biaxial stress states of the crystalline films were characterized through sin2( ψ) x-ray diffraction analysis. The in-plane stresses were all found to be tensile and observed to increase with the increasing zirconium composition, between 2.54 ± 0.6 GPa for pure HfO2 and 5.22 ± 0.5 GPa for pure ZrO2. The stresses are consistent with large thermal expansion mismatches between the HZO films and silicon substrates. These results demonstrate a device-scale means to quantify biaxial stress for investigation on its effect on the ferroelectric properties of hafnia-based materials.
The Epistemic Value of Testimony

This article brings together two sets of insights about deliberative democracy and uses them to develop a novel epistemic justification for the importance of testimony. Some democratic theorists have argued persuasively that a deliberative process limited to formal argumentation is exclusionary and thus undermines democratic legitimacy; they have made a compelling case for testimony on grounds of democratic inclusion. Others have made the case that deliberation has important epistemic benefits. Those theorists emphasize the give and take of reasons as a means to arrive at well-informed collective decisions. The author’s central claim is that there is an important epistemic value to the inclusion of testimony. It can introduce new information into the deliberative process. It can enable deliberators to grasp connections between the particular and the general. And it can invite them to imaginatively engage with the experiences of others. These epistemic benefits provide a new set of reasons for including testimony in democratic deliberation.
Dynamic Crack Initiation And Growth In Cellulose Nanopaper

Cellulose nanopaper (CNP) made of cellulose nanofibrils has gained extensive attention in recent years for its lightweight and superior mechanical properties alongside sustainable and green attributes. The mechanical characterization studies on CNP at the moment have generally been limited to tension tests. In fact, thus far there has not been any report on crack initiation and growth behavior, especially under dynamic loading conditions. In this work, crack initiation and growth in self-assembled CNP, made from filtration of CNF suspension, are studied using a full-field optical method. Dynamic crack initiation and growth behaviors and time-resolved fracture parameters are quantified using Digital Image Correlation technique. The challenge associated with dynamic loading of a thin strip of CNP has been overcome by an acrylic holder with a wide pre-cut slot bridged by edge-cracked CNP. The ultrahigh-speed digital photography is implemented to map in-plane deformations during pre- and post-crack initiation regimes including dynamic crack growth. Under stress wave loading conditions, macroscale crack growth occurs at surprisingly high-speed (600–700 m/s) in this microscopically fibrous material. The measured displacement fields from dynamic loading conditions are analyzed to extract stress intensity factors (SIF) and energy release rate (G) histories. The results show that the SIF at crack initiation is in the range of 6–7 MPa m1/2, far superior to many engineering plastics. Furthermore, the measured values increase during crack propagation under both low- and high-strain rates, demonstrating superior fracture resistance of CNP valuable for many structural applications.
Abstract CT253: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study of Parsaclisib Plus Ruxolitinib in Patients with Myelofibrosis Who Have Suboptimal Response to Ruxolitinib

Background: Ruxolitinib (JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor) is indicated for the treatment of adults with intermediate (INT) or high-risk myelofibrosis (MF), including primary MF, post-polycythemia vera MF and post-essential thrombocythemia MF, but a subset of patients may exhibit a suboptimal response due to possible persistent PI3K/AKT activation. Targeting PI3K/AKT signaling may therefore have clinically relevant effects on MF disease burden. This phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will determine the effect of add-on parsaclisib, a highly selective PI3Kδ inhibitor, on signs and symptoms of MF in patients with suboptimal or declining response to stable ruxolitinib treatment (INCB 50465-304; NCT04551053). Methods: Eligible patients are aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of at least INT-1-risk category according to the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS; Passamonti. Blood. 2010;115:1703-1708) primary or secondary (post-polycythemia vera or post-essential thrombocythemia) MF, have received ruxolitinib for ≥3 months with a stable dose (5-25 mg twice daily) for ≥8 weeks prior to receiving the first dose of study drug (Day 1), have evidence of suboptimal response to ruxolitinib (palpable spleen ≥5 cm below left subcostal margin, and total symptom score ≥10), and ECOG PS ≤2. Patients are excluded if they received prior therapy with any PI3K inhibitor, experimental or standard drug therapy for MF (except ruxolitinib) within 3 months of starting study drug, or have platelet count Citation Format: Abdulraheem Yacoub, Michael Stouffs, Feng Zhou, Albert Assad. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study of Parsaclisib Plus Ruxolitinib in Patients with Myelofibrosis Who Have Suboptimal Response to Ruxolitinib [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT253.
CROI 2021: Viral Hepatitis and Other Forms of Liver Injury Impacting People with HIV

At the 2021 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, there was a focus on progress toward hepatitis C virus (HCV) microelimination in geographic regions and targeted populations. HCV elimination is facilitated by well-tolerated, highly effective HCV treatment that requires essentially no on-treatment monitoring in most patients, as highlighted by the MINMON (Minimal Monitoring Study or A5360) study, and that should be increasingly available to children with new data supporting feasible treatment in younger patients. Challenges to HCV elimination include HCV reinfection via sexual exposure in men who have sex with men (MSM) and continued barriers to diagnosis and access to HCV treatment. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) suppression may take years in HIV/HBV-coinfected patients. This may have important consequences as the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma was associated in a dose-dependent manner with HBV viral load and was lowest in those with sustained undetectable HBV, highlighting the need for HBV DNA monitoring during therapy. Public health programs should prioritize improving hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination in at-risk populations, including people with HIV, as vaccinations rates for these preventable diseases continue to be suboptimal in many settings. Fatty liver disease, heavy alcohol use, antiretroviral therapy, and COVID-19 infection were also examined as drivers of hepatic disease in HIV infection.
Industry Groups in International Governance: A Framework for Reform

At a time when many international organizations are focusing on bringing companies on board as partners for important goals like climate mitigation and adaptation, but even shareholders of major multinational companies are seeking to discipline pernicious lobbying by trade associations, it is important to evaluate how to maximize the benefit and restrain the harms of business participation in international governance. This article offers a brief history of engagement between international organizations and industry and trade associations, reviews arguments for embracing or restraining the participation of those groups, and develops a five-part framework for regulations to govern their access.
One-Class Meta-Learning: Towards Generalizable Few-Shot Open-Set Classification.

Real-world classification tasks are frequently required to work in an open-set setting. This is especially challenging for few-shot learning problems due to the small sample size for each known category, which prevents existing open-set methods from working effectively; however, most multiclass few-shot methods are limited to closed-set scenarios. In this work, we address the problem of few-shot open-set classification by first proposing methods for few-shot one-class classification and then extending them to few-shot multiclass open-set classification. We introduce two independent few-shot one-class classification methods: Meta Binary Cross-Entropy (Meta-BCE), which learns a separate feature representation for one-class classification, and One-Class Meta-Learning (OCML), which learns to generate one-class classifiers given standard multiclass feature representation. Both methods can augment any existing few-shot learning method without requiring retraining to work in a few-shot multiclass open-set setting without degrading its closed-set performance. We demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of both methods in different problem settings and evaluate them on three standard benchmark datasets, miniImageNet, tieredImageNet, and Caltech-UCSD-Birds-200-2011, where they surpass the state-of-the-art methods in the few-shot multiclass open-set and few-shot one-class tasks.