cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Omega‐3 fatty acid modification of membrane structure and function. II. Alteration by docosahexaenoic acid of tumor cell sensitivity to immune cytolysis

Abstract Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22: 6) is a long‐chain omega‐3 fatty acid abundant in cold water fish; it is the most unsaturated fatty acid found in biologic systems and is reported to alter membrane structure. To explore DHA's effect on membrane function, we have fused tumor cells with synthetic phosphatidylcholine (PC) containing stearic acid in the sn‐1 position and DHA in the sn‐2 position (18: 0, 22: 6 PC) and have found the lipid‐modified tumor cells to be more sensitive to cytolysis by alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Cold target competition experiments suggested that fusion of tumor plasma membranes with 18: 0, 22: 6 PC produced a qualitative change in expression of surface antigens recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. We monitored the expression of various epitopes on tumor cells by complement‐mediated lysis and radioimmu‐noassay with monoclonal antibodies against H‐2 class I antigens. Our results suggest that membrane‐bound DHA increases the expression of some epitopes while decreasi...
Competency to stand trial and the seriousness of the charge.

Authorities disagree as to whether and how the mental capacity required for competence to stand trial should change as the charges against a defendant become more serious. Intuition and practice in other areas of law and psychiatry suggest that the mental capacity required should increase in these circumstances. The reasons relate to our belief that serious mistakes are more to be avoided and to a principle of “proportionality,” according to which the threshold level of capacity required is derived, in part, from the consequences of a person’s being found competent. The article compares two approaches to “proportionality.” The conclusions have implications for the wording of examiners’ conclusions and for the criteria by which patients are regarded as “restored to competence.”
The Influence of Orexin on Sleep and Wakefulness

An exciting recent development in sleep research was the discovery of the importance for vigilance state control and narcolepsy-cataplexy of neurons containing orexin (also known as hypocretin) neuropeptides. Narcolepsycataplexy is a chronic, debilitating sleep disorder that is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, manifested as attacks of daytime somnolence at inappropriate times. 1–3 Narcoleptics also show symptoms that are considered indicative of abnormal REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep expression. These latter symptoms include cataplexy, hypnogogic hallucinations, sleep-onset REM periods, and sleep paralysis. In contrast to daytime sleepiness, the nighttime sleep of narcoleptics is fragmented and of poor quality, typically demonstrating lengthy periods of wakefulness after sleep onset
Optimization of stock management

Inventories occur fast on all places of the logistic chain. The level of inventories influences significantly the efficiency of enterprising and from this reason it is necessary to devote management inventories in the enterprise corresponding attention. The authors deal with management inventories in the enterprise which purchases wooden products, first of all woodsplinter sheets, doors, windows, mounting etc. and supplies them from own warehouse to the building firms and private persons too. There is a problem of high inventory level. The authors proposed application of the ABC method and then a convenient way of management the item A.
Manganese Nodule and Surface Sediment Compositions: DOMES Sites A, B, And C

Manganese nodules and associated sediment from the equatorial North Pacific have been examined to ascertain relations between nodule abundance, texture, and composition, and sediment composition, lithology and acoustic stratigraphy. Nodules are most abundant in areas where the uppermost acoustically transparent layer of sediment is less than approximately 15 m thick. Abundance drops off sharply in areas where this acoustic unit is thicker than 20 m.
Stare Decisis As A Constitutional Requirement

Is the rule of stare decisis a constitutional requirement, or is it merely a judicial policy that can be abandoned at the will of the courts? This question, which goes to the heart of the federal judicial power, has been largely overlooked for the past two centuries. However, a recent ruling that federal courts are constitutionally required to follow their prior decisions has given the question new significance. The ruling, issued by a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, argues that stare decisis was such an established and integral feature of the common law that the founding generation regarded it as an inherent and essential limit on judicial power. Therefore, when the Constitution vested the "judicial Power of the United States" in the federal courts, it necessarily limited them to a decision-making process in which precedent is presumptively binding. This Article challenges that claim. By tracing the history of precedent in the common law, it demonstrates that stare decisis was not an established doctrine by 1789, nor was it viewed as necessary to check the potential abuse of judicial power. The Article also demonstrates that even if stare decisis is constitutionally required, the courts are not obligated to give prospective precedential effect to every one of their decisions. Stare decisis is not an end in itself, but a means to serve important values in a legal system. And those values can be equally well served by a system in which only some of today's decisions will be binding tomorrow.
Certified Nursing Assistants Balancing Family Caregiving Roles: Health Care Utilization Among Double- and Triple-Duty Caregivers

Purpose of the Study: This study examines how cer tified nursing assistants (CNAs) balancing family caregiving roles—child care (double-duty child caregivers), elder care (double-duty elder caregivers), and both child and elder care (triple-duty caregivers)— utilize health care services relative to nonfamily caregiving counterparts (formal-only caregivers). Design and Methods: A sample of 884 CNAs from the Work, Family and Health Study was drawn on to assess the number of acute care (i.e., emergency room or urgent care facility) and other health care (i.e., outpatient treatment or counseling) visits made during the past 6 months. Results: Double-duty elder and triple-duty caregi vers had higher acute care utilization rates than formal-only caregivers. CNAs with and without family caregiving roles had similar rates of other health care visits. Implications: CNAs pro viding informal care for older adults have higher acute care visit rates. Given the increasing need for family caregivers and the vital importance of the health of the nursing workforce for the health of others, future research on how doubleand triple-duty caregivers maintain their health amidst constant caregiving should be a
Stereoselective Ortho Borylation of Pyridylferrocenes

In an effort to develop new routes to planar chiral Lewis acids and Lewis pairs, the borylation of the pyridylferrocenes (pS)-1-stannyl-2-(3,5-dimethylpyrid-2-yl)ferrocene and (pS)-1-mercurio-2-(3,5-dimethylpyrid-2-yl)ferrocene with PhBCl2 was investigated. In both cases, clean conversion to 2-(chlorophenylboryl)-1-(3,5-dimethylpyrid-2-yl)ferrocene, a novel boron–nitrogen heterocycle, was observed. The structures of the products were confirmed by multinuclear and 2D NOESY NMR, high-resolution MS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. While all NMR data proved to be identical, the single-crystal X-ray structures revealed retention of stereochemistry for the mercury precursor but inversion of stereochemistry for the organotin precursor. The opposite chirality of the products was further confirmed by chiral HPLC analyses and optical rotation measurements. These results imply that the reaction of PhBCl2 with 1-mercurio-2-(3,5-dimethylpyrid-2-yl)ferrocene proceeded as expected via an ipso-borodemercur...
Larger Centers May Produce Better Outcomes: Is Regionalization in Congenital Heart Surgery a Superior Model?

Abstract Efforts to correlate outcomes of children undergoing heart surgery with center volume and characteristics are not novel. In the current era, outcomes are defined as, and in many cases limited to, mortality rates. Over the past two decades, several investigators have explored various aspects of the volume–mortality relationship. The association between center volume and mortality, although not uniform, is highly implicated by the current literature. Notwithstanding, varied population densities in the United States makes regionalization of specialized services, such as pediatric cardiac surgery, undeniably challenging. There may be an unfortunate reality that larger centers have some advantage in achieving, at the very least, timely measures. However, as pediatric cardiac surgery progresses as a specialty, the definition of ‘outcomes' must be expanded beyond simplified, dichotomous parameters. While mortality has been our historical primary focus, as it should be, it is reasonable to propose that our focus should be increasingly refined towards patient- and family-centric measures, including morbidity, cost/value ratio, and overall hospital experience.
PhoenixSim: Crosslayer Design and Modeling of Silicon Photonic Interconnects

Silicon Photonics is emerging as a key technology for high-performance computing interconnects. Yet few tools are available to investigate how to best leverage this technology in current or future computer architectures and, furthermore, how this technology will impact real application workloads. In this paper, we present a multi-layer simulation and modeling software solution -- PhoenixSim. PhoenixSim enables integrated and interactive design space exploration over the physical, networking and application layers. In this paper, we report its general organization and constituting models. We show how the different layers of the tool can be utilized to design and analyze an optical interconnect network for supporting the HPCG (High Performance Conjugate Gradient) benchmark.
FLUOROPHOTOMETRIC EVALUATION OF EXPERIMENTAL BLOOD-AQUEOUS BARRIER DISRUPTION IN DOGS

A protocol for performing slit-lamp fluorophotometry of the anterior chamber in dogs was established. The technique was then used to develop a model of blood-aqueous barrier disruption that can be used for comparative testing of ophthalmic anti-inflammatory drugs. It was determined that barrier disruption induced by a slow, controlled paracentesis of a small volume of aqueous humor may provide the most reliable model for drug testing. Additionally, fluorophotometry proved to be a sensitive and accurate means of detecting breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier.
Improved methods for evaluating the environmental impact of nanoparticle synthesis

With the market for products containing nanoparticles growing, improvements in the efficiency of nanoparticle synthesis are poised to have significant positive economic and environmental impacts. While many metrics have been designed for measuring the efficiency of small molecule synthesis, the use of these metrics for evaluating nanoparticle preparation has not been optimized. Here, a critical evaluation of various green chemistry metrics is provided as they are applied to a common set of nanoparticle synthetic methods. The effect of the nanoparticle polydispersity on the relative greenness of different synthetic methods is also examined. Using metrics modified to account for polydispersity, a case study of gold nanoparticle syntheses is provided and three different methods of preparing monodisperse gold nanoparticles are compared. Interestingly, not all of the metrics provide the same rankings for the synthetic methods. And when polydispersity is ignored, the metrics provide a different rank order of the methods, highlighting the importance of clearly defining the desired nanoparticle size range to avoid underestimating the environmental impact.
Techniques to Detect and Quantify Host Defenses

Edward Jenner tested the efficacy of his smallpox vaccine in 1796 by immunizing James Phipps, an 8-year-old boy, with cowpox and subsequently exposing him to smallpox. Phipps survived this challenge. Subsequent assays of host defense mechanisms involved less heroic procedures. Cells of the peripheral blood were described by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in the seventeenth century and by Rudolph Virchow and John Hughes Bennett in the nineteenth century. Methods to measure the number of each cell type evolved during the next 150 years leading to an automated process based on detection of molecules expressed on cell surfaces. In the late 1800s several investigators described antibodies based on their ability to inhibit bacterial growth, agglutinate red blood cells, or precipitate proteins—these methods are still used today to measure antibody levels. Investigators have refined these and other techniques for measuring antibody activity resulting in assays that measure the concentration of antibody in serum with great precision as well as several functions of these molecules. A second component of the immune system that is amenable to quantification is the cells responsible for providing host defenses. Activity of the lymphocytes of the adaptive immune response by incorporation of radiolabeled precursors of DNA and proteins provided additional information for both the clinical and experimental laboratories.
MicroRNA Biomarkers of Toxicity in Biological Matrices

Biomarker measurements that reliably correlate with tissue injury and that can be measured within accessible biofluids offer benefits in terms of cost, time, and convenience when assessing chemical and drug-induced toxicity in model systems or human cohorts. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged in recent years as a promising new class of biomarker for monitoring toxicity. Recent enthusiasm for miRNA biomarker research has been fueled by evidence that certain miRNAs are cell-type specific and are released during injury, thus raising the possibility of using biofluid-based miRNAs as a "liquid biopsy" that may be obtained by sampling extracellular fluids. As biomarkers, miRNAs demonstrate improved stability as compared with many protein markers and sequences are largely conserved across species, simplifying analytical techniques. Recent efforts have sought to identify miRNAs that are released into accessible biofluids following xenobiotic exposure, using compounds that target specific organs. Whereas still early in the discovery phase, miRNA biomarkers will have an increasingly important role in the assessment of adverse effects of both environmental chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs. Here, we review the current findings of biofluid-based miRNAs, as well as highlight technical challenges in assessing toxicologic pathology using these biomarkers.
Modulation of ambient temperature promotes inflammation and initiates atherosclerosis in wild type C57BL/6 mice.

Objectives Obesity and obesity-associated inflammation is central to a variety of end-organ sequelae including atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death worldwide. Although mouse models have provided important insights into the immunopathogenesis of various diseases, modeling atherosclerosis in mice has proven difficult. Specifically, wild-type (WT) mice are resistant to developing atherosclerosis, while commonly used genetically modified mouse models of atherosclerosis are poor mimics of human disease. The lack of a physiologically relevant experimental model of atherosclerosis has hindered the understanding of mechanisms regulating disease development and progression as well as the development of translational therapies. Recent evidence suggests that housing mice within their thermoneutral zone profoundly alters murine physiology, including both metabolic and immune processes. We hypothesized that thermoneutral housing would allow for augmentation of atherosclerosis induction and progression in mice.
Commentary on the regulatory implications of noise-induced cochlear neuropathy.

Objective: A discussion on whether recent research on noise-induced cochlear neuropathy in rodents justifies changes in current regulation of occupational noise exposure. Design: Informal literatur...
Biomechanical Analysis of Retrograde Flexible Intramedullary Nail Constructs in a Simulated Pediatric Femur Fracture Model

Background:Various flexible intramedullary nail (FIMN) constructs for pediatric femur fractures are described; however, no biomechanical study has compared stability of medial-lateral entry versus all-lateral entry retrograde nailing. Our purpose is to compare the rotational and bending stiffness of
A general theory of turbulence-regulated star formation, from spirals to ultraluminous infrared galaxies

We derive an analytic prediction for the star formation rate in environments ranging from normal galactic disks to starbursts and ULIRGs in terms of the observables of those systems. Our calculation is based on three premises: (1) star formation occurs in virialized molecular clouds that are supersonically turbulent; (2) the density distribution within these clouds is lognormal, as expected for supersonic isothermal turbulence; and (3) stars form in any subregion of a cloud that is so overdense that its gravitational potential energy exceeds the energy in turbulent motions. We show that a theory based on this model is consistent with simulations and with the observed star formation rate in the Milky Way. We use our theory to derive the Kennicutt-Schmidt law from first principles and make other predictions that can be tested by future observations. We also provide an algorithm for estimating the star formation rate that is suitable for inclusion in numerical simulations.
A Midwife's Tale, produced by Laurie Kahn-Leavitt and directed by Richard Rogers. (A Blueberry Hill film, 1997, 80 minutes)

A Midwife's Tale , which aired on PBS in January, 1997, as part of the "American Experience" collection, is the documentary based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative of the same name written by historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. The book, based on the diary of Martha Ballard, details her life beginning in 1785, when she was 50, and ending with her death in 1812. Ballard's diary records her work as a midwife and her home life in the Kennebec River region of Maine, and the book contains selections from Ballard's diary followed by explanations and details by Ulrich. The film, directed by Richard P. Rogers and written and produced by Laurie Kahn-Leavitt, follows much the same pattern.
Effect of Reservoirs Conditions on Designing Single-Well Chemical Tracer Tests Under Extreme Brine Conditions

The single-well chemical tracer test (SWCTT) has emerged in the past decades as a method for measuring oil saturation prior to and/or after EOR operations, to measure the recovery performance in-situ. To use this technology, the partition coefficients of the selected tracers are essential for estimating the level of residual oil at the targeted single well. Commonly, injection of short chain alcohols and ethyl acetate, a reactive tracer, is carried out for the tracer slug, mainly based on site-specific reservoir conditions, to accurately determine the level of oil saturation in-situ. However, injection of ethyl formate has been less common due to its fast hydrolysis rate under elevated temperature, which increases the challenges in data interpretation. Therefore, a systematic study for using ethyl formate under mid-range temperature $$(<60\,^{\circ }\hbox {C})$$ , as commonly found in mature oil field in the USA, shows the potential to be applied for SWCTT. As part of the design effort for a series of EOR field tests to manage the project risk, we particularly assessed the relationships between the partition coefficients of reactive tracers and subsurface conditions such as salinity, temperatures, type of electrolytes, and the equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN) of the crude oil experiments was performed under various reservoir conditions as a function of actual site characteristics at the targeted high saline formations. In brief, our data clearly show that the (oil/water) partition coefficient of ethyl formate increases steadily with increasing NaCl concentrations, ranging from 10,000 (0.17 M) to 250,000 mg/L (4.28 M). A similar upward trend was observed for increasing temperature between 25 and $$52\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$$ ; however, the partition coefficient decreases inversely with increasing the crude oil EACN over the range from 8 to 12, which are common for domestic oil samples. It was also showed that brine with high NaCl concentration yielded higher partition coefficients. In contrast, brine with high $$\hbox {CaCl}_{2}$$ and $$\hbox {BaCl}_{2}$$ concentration yielded lower values. And $$\hbox {MgCl}_{2}$$ performed somewhat unusual trend in our tests. These results further indicate that the partition coefficient of the reactive tracer, ethyl formate, is sensitive to change in salinity, temperatures, type of electrolytes and EACN, as observed for other chemical tracers. In addition, based on the hydrolysis rate of ethyl formate under various reservoir conditions, the appropriate window of shut-in time can be pre-determined before initiating the field test. We believe that the ability of better understanding the partition coefficients and predicting the shut-in time beforehand could drastically reduce the risks of SWCTT operations.
Does Sleeve Shape Make a Difference in Outcomes

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is one of the most common procedures performed for weight loss. Many seek the “perfect sleeve” with the notion that the type of calibrating device affects sleeve shape, and this in turn will affect outcomes and complications. Two major concerns after SG are amount of weight loss and acid reflux. Our aim was to determine if the various calibration methods could impact sleeve shape and thereby allow for better outcomes of weight loss and reflux. A retrospective chart review was performed of 210 patients who underwent SG and had postoperative upper gastrointestinal (UGI) study from 2011 to 2015 in a single center by a single (fellowship-trained) bariatric surgeon. Data regarding demographics, calibrating devices and clinical outcomes at 1 year (weight loss and de novo acid reflux) were collected. UGIs were reviewed by two radiologists blinded to the clinical outcomes. Sleeve shape was classified according to a previously described classification as tubular, dumbbell, upper pouch, or lower pouch. The types of calibrating devices used to guide the sleeve size intraoperatively were endoscopy, large-bore orogastric tube, and fenestrated suction tube. One hundred ninety-nine patients met inclusion criteria (11 had no esophagram). Demographics revealed age 45.76 ± 10.6 years, BMI 47 ± 8.6 kg/m2, and 82% female. Calibration devices used were endoscopic guidance (7.6%), large bore orogastric tube (41.4%), and fenestrated suction tube (50.5%). Sleeve shape was reported as 32.6% tubular, 20.6% dumbbell, 39.2% lower pouch, and 7.5% upper pouch (100% interrater reliability). No correlation was seen with type of calibration used. Of patients, 62.0% had > 50% excess weight loss at 1 year. Twenty-three percent of patients remained on PPI at 1 year (of which 43.3% did not have reflux preoperatively). The lower pouch shape showed a trend toward less reflux and more weight loss. This study showed no clear association between uniformity of sleeve shape and the type of calibration device used. The study showed a trend toward decreased reflux and improved weight loss with the lower pouch shape, regardless of calibration device.
Block Level Streaming Based Alternative Approach for Serving a Large Number of Workstations Securely and Uniformly

There are different traditional approaches to handling a large number of computers or workstations in a campus setting, ranging from imaging to virtualized environments. The common factor among the traditional approaches is to have a user workstation with a local hard drive (nonvolatile storage), scratchpad volatile memory, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and connectivity to access resources on the network. This paper presents the use of block streaming, normally used for storage, to serve operating system and applications on-demand over the network to a workstation, also referred to as a client, a client computer, or a client workstation. In order to avoid per seat licensing, an Open Source solution is used, and in order to minimize the field maintenance and meet security privacy constraints, a workstation need not have a permanent storage such as a hard disk drive. A complete blue print, based on performance analyses, is provided to determine the type of network architecture, servers, workstations per server, and minimum workstation configuration, suitable for supporting such a solution. The results of implementing the proposed solution campus wide, supporting more than 450 workstations, are presented as well.
Species interactions through ontogeny: Effects of size-selective predation by red grouper on Caribbean spiny lobster in solution holes of Florida Bay

Abstract Demographic size- or stage-structure can result in significant heterogeneity in species interactions within populations and ontogenetic shifts in the strength or type of these interactions have important consequences for populations. In the case of the Caribbean spiny lobster , Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804), and red grouper , Epinephelus morio (Valenciennes, 1928), both are important fishery species commonly found co-occurring in Florida Bay habitats. Red grouper are known to prey upon juvenile lobsters but karst solution holes excavated by red grouper often host large groups of lobsters. A combination of experiments tested the effect of red grouper on different lobster size classes to determine how this interaction changes through lobster ontogeny : red grouper were excluded from solution holes to test the effect of grouper presence on the abundance of each lobster size class; artificial dens were constructed to test the avoidance behaviors of small lobsters to red grouper; and a tethering experiment tested how lobster survival varied across size classes. Lobster abundance in solution holes with red grouper increased more than in holes where the grouper was removed (126% versus 16.9%), but this effect was strongest on adult and large immature lobsters. Experiments with artificial dens showed no effect of caged grouper presence on the abundance of small lobsters. Survival of tethered lobsters was lowest for small juveniles but again differed significantly between size classes. Overall, the distribution of lobsters in solution holes appears to be driven primarily by asymmetrical predation risk from red grouper through lobster ontogeny. Shifts in this interaction across life stages may play an important role in structuring the Caribbean spiny lobster population in Florida Bay.
Control of Cell Expansion in the Nitella Internode

Members of the giant-celled, freshwater Characeae, particularly the ecorticate species of Chara and Nitella, have figured prominently in classical studies on ion transport, water permeability and cytoplasmic Streaming (see Hope and Walker 1975). These algae are characterized by erect, branched coenocytic filaments, differentiated into nodes and internodes, each node bearing a whorl of specialized lateral internodes (Fig. 1). Since the early work of Green on Nitella (e.g., Green 1954, 1958 a, 1960), the usefulness of this alga as a model system for studying cell expansion has been generally recognized. The plant is derived from divisions of a single apical cell and its immediate progeny. The internode cell, initially a shortened disk 20 microns in length, eventually undergoes dramatic elongation and a small amount of lateral expansion to produce a slender cylinder about 6 cm long and 0.5 mm wide at maturity (Green 1958 a, 1963 a). The two fundamental cytomorphogenetic questions which have been studied most extensively are the determination of cell shape and the regulation of cell elongation.
Determining absolute protein numbers by quantitative fluorescence microscopy.

Biological questions are increasingly being addressed using a wide range of quantitative analytical tools to examine protein complex composition. Knowledge of the absolute number of proteins present provides insights into organization, function, and maintenance and is used in mathematical modeling of complex cellular dynamics. In this chapter, we outline and describe three microscopy-based methods for determining absolute protein numbers—fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, stepwise photobleaching, and ratiometric comparison of fluorescence intensity to known standards. In addition, we discuss the various fluorescently labeled proteins that have been used as standards for both stepwise photobleaching and ratiometric comparison analysis. A detailed procedure for determining absolute protein number by ratiometric comparison is outlined in the second half of this chapter. Counting proteins by quantitative microscopy is a relatively simple yet very powerful analytical tool that will increase our understanding of protein complex composition.
New anti-pseudomonal agents for cystic fibrosis- still needed in the era of small molecule CFTR modulators?

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cystic fibrosis is characterized by bacterial lung infection, a majority of adults being chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Treatment is a major challenge, with frequent courses of antibiotics contributing to antimicrobial resistance. New approaches are clearly required. Over the last few years, a major shift in our approach to treating CF has occurred with the availability of the first drugs targeting the CFTR protein and leading to improvements in lung function, weight gain and frequency of exacerbations.Areas covered: There are emerging, but limited, data exploring the effect these drugs have on airway infections, some studies suggesting a beneficial impact. CFTR modulators probably possess very little direct antimicrobial activity, but both synergy with conventional antibiotics and alternative mechanisms of bacterial killing have been proposed. This article reviews the current published evidence.Expert opinion: The picture is far from clear concerning the impact of...
Insights from the 2018 Biology of Genomes meeting.

A report on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 31st annual meeting on the Biology of Genomes, held at Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA, 8–12 May, 2018. The 2018 Biology of Genomes meeting at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories covered a wide range of topics with research relevant to many aspects of genomics. Here we highlight two areas of research where multiple talks provided new insights.
Anywhere-Anytime Signals and Systems Laboratory: From MATLAB to Smartphones, Third Edition

Abstract A typical undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum incorporates a signals and systems course. The widely used approach for the laboratory component of such courses involves the util...
Parents and the Pupil's Home Work

One of a series of letters which Uncle Sam asked Dr. Myers to write to parents eager to help their children succeed in school.
Responding to Causal Uncertainty in the Twitterverse: When Abstract Language and Social Prominence Increase Message Engagement

Abstract Events that capture the public’s attention are saturated with causal uncertainty (i.e., uncertainty about why things happen). Yet, little is known about the type of language that is favored when communicating such events. We study this issue in the context of social media, as social media platforms are powerful tools for communication in politics and business, especially during times of heightened causal uncertainty. When causal uncertainty is high, people should evaluate more favorably messages that help relieve such uncertainty. Germane to our research, previous work has shown that abstract thinking helps reduce causal uncertainty, and that the goal to reduce causal uncertainty increases the desire for abstract thinking. We extend these findings to better understand the role of causal uncertainty in social interactions and message engagement. Using data from natural social media communications and experiments based on high-profile events, we demonstrate that individuals react more positively to abstract (vs. concrete) messages in situations of heightened causal uncertainty. Importantly, this effect is stronger when the message source is socially prominent, and hence, the message carries greater diagnosticity. Our results indicate that increasing the abstractness of a tweet by a standard deviation increases the average number of likes it receives by 10.25% and retweets by 4.07%. When originating from a source with a standard deviation of more followers than the average user, these messages receive 15.80% and 5.98% more likes and retweets, respectively. Beyond the clear managerial implications of our findings, we provide unique insights into why simplified causal explanations for complex problems may win over an audience during times of causal uncertainty.
Socratic Circles in Professional Development Sessions: Negotiating Peripheral Participation and Membership in Building a Community of Practice.

Effective professional development occurs in learning communities where teachers co-construct knowledge with peers about teaching and learning by engaging in meaningful activities. However, only a ...
LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE CLOSURE IN PATIENTS WITH CONTRAINDICATIONS TO ORAL ANTICOAGULATION THERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND POOLED META-ANALYSIS

Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC), as an alternative stroke prevention strategy, is currently limited mainly to non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who are eligible for oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). However, patients with contraindication to OAT are the biggest potential benefit
The interactive museum: Video games as history lessons through lore and affective design:

This article approaches games from the perspectives of design and analysis in order to describe how games might employ pedagogical strategies that capitalize on their strengths as interactive media...
Karl Linn and the Foundations of Community Design: From Progressive Models to the War on Poverty:

This article focuses on landscape architect Karl Linn’s role in founding the Community Design movement. Acknowledged by his contemporaries as one of the first and most influential community designe...
Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Resection of Uterine Isthmocele

Video Objective Uterine isthmoceles are pouchlike defects in the anterior uterine wall, at the site of a prior cesarean section scar. Its prevalence has increased in direct relation to the increase in cesarean rates worldwide. Isthmoceles cause abnormal uterine bleeding, secondary infertility, and pain. There is no standard treatment for isthmoceles. This video demonstrates a robotic assisted laparoscopic approach to the resection of a uterine isthmocele. Setting The patient is a 36 year old with a history of one cesarean section with abnormal uterine bleeding. She was diagnosed with an isthmocele by transvaginal ultrasound performed in preparation for embryo transfer. The patient was treated at a tertiary care centre in Brooklyn, New York. Interventions The risks, benefits, and alternatives of a robotic assisted laparoscopic resection of a uterine isthmocele were discussed with the patient and consent was obtained. The robot was docked and simultaneous hysteroscopy was performed. The fenestrated bipolar and monopolar scissors were used to perform lysis of adhesions and dissection of the bladder off the uterine isthmus and cervix. Robotic fluorescence imaging was used to identify the isthmocele defect via the “lantern sign” where the hysteroscopic light shines through the tissue similar to a lantern. The isthmocele was excised and the defect was reapproximated with an absorbable monofilament suture. A barbed suture was then used for a second imbricating layer, with excellent hemostasis. Fluorescence imaging was used again and the hysteroscopic light could no longer be identified, as the isthmocele had been resected and repaired. Conclusion Uterine isthmoceles are increasing in relation to the increased rate of cesarean sections. Symptomatic and asymptomatic women who desire future pregnancy should be offered surgical treatment. Robotic assisted laparoscopic management of uterine isthmoceles can be associated with increased patient satisfaction with faster recovery times, and decreased length of hospitalization, and should be considered when possible.
Security Assessment of Wideband Spectrum Sensors

We investigate security vulnerabilities of wideband spectrum sensors to denial of service (DoS) attacks, launched by an adversary with limited power budget. We survey traditional spectrum analysis methods and compressed-sensing (CS) spectrum sensors in terms of their operation principles and system performance metrics. We develop and simulate end-to-end system models of the wideband spectrum sensors to evaluate their detection probabilities and false alarm probabilities in both non-adversarial and adversarial environments. We show that sweeping spectrum scanners are inherently secure against DoS attacks due to their high dynamic range and small instantaneous bandwidth (BW) equal to their resolution bandwidth. Next, we evaluate Nyquist-rate FFT-based spectrum sensors and show that they are only vulnerable to high-power DoS attacks due to their wide instantaneous BW equal to their Span. These traditional spectrum sensors, however, have high energy consumption for wideband RF spectrum sensing either due to their long scan time or high power. Thus, CS spectrum sensors have recently been proposed as an alternative for RF spectrum sensing thanks to their low energy consumption and fast scan time. A major contribution of this paper is to show that CS spectrum sensors are vulnerable to stealthy DoS attacks (i.e., the attacks are hard to detect). For the same attacker power budget, we further show that the attacks become more potent if the adversary uses multiple attack signals with low power rather than a single attack signal with high power. Finally, we discuss possible countermeasures against the attacks.
Towards Automating Adverse Event Review: A Prediction Model for Case Report Utility.

The rapidly expanding size of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System database requires modernized pharmacovigilance practices. Techniques to systematically identify high utility individual case safety reports (ICSRs) will support safety signal management. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a model predictive of an ICSR’s pharmacovigilance utility (PVU). PVU was operationalized as an ICSR’s inclusion in an FDA-authored pharmacovigilance review’s case series supporting a recommendation to modify product labeling. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between PVU and ICSR features. The best performing model was selected for bootstrapping validation. As a sensitivity analysis, we evaluated the model’s performance across subgroups of safety issues. We identified 10,381 ICSRs evaluated in 69 pharmacovigilance reviews, of which 2115 ICSRs were included in a case series. The strongest predictors of ICSR inclusion were reporting of a designated medical event (odds ratio (OR) 1.93, 95% CI 1.54–2.43) and positive dechallenge (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.50–1.87). The strongest predictors of ICSR exclusion were death reported as the only outcome (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.76–4.35), more than three suspect products (OR 2.69, 95% CI 2.23–3.24), and > 15 preferred terms reported (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.90–3.82). The validated model showed modest discriminative ability (C-statistic of 0.71). Our sensitivity analysis demonstrated heterogeneity in model performance by safety issue (C-statistic range 0.58–0.74). Our model demonstrated the feasibility of developing a tool predictive of ICSR utility. The model’s modest discriminative ability highlights opportunities for further enhancement and suggests algorithms tailored to safety issues may be beneficial.
Motivated action: Pupil diameter during active coping.

Abstract Pupil diameter is dynamically modulated by a number of factors, including emotion, motor activity, and attention. Here, pupil modulation was examined as it varies with locus of control during aversive processing. Participants could control aversive exposure either by escape (terminating the event) or avoidance (blocking the event entirely), or they had no control. Highly anxious (n = 19), moderately anxious (n = 23), and less anxious (n = 23) participants saw cues that signaled whether a fast button press would terminate, prevent, or not affect subsequent presentation of an aversive picture. Pupil diameter was measured throughout the cuing interval. Pupil diameter was larger when preparing to escape or avoid compared to anticipating uncontrollable exposure. All participants, regardless of reported anxiety, showed increased pupil diameter in coping, relative to uncontrollable, contexts. Results support hypotheses that pupil diameter reflects action preparation and that differences in trait anxiety do not modulate this aspect of coping behavior in healthy subjects.
Patient-Reported Outcomes and Cosmesis After Once-Weekly Hypofractionated Breast Irradiation in Medically Underserved Patients.

Purpose To evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and cosmesis from a phase 2 trial of once-weekly hypofractionated breast irradiation (WH-WBI) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Methods and Materials Patients had stage 0-II breast cancer treated with BCS and negative margins. WH-WBI was 28.5 to 30 Gy in 5 weekly fractions of 5.7 to 6 Gy delivered with or without a boost. PROs were collected for 3 years after treatment using the Breast Cancer Treatment Outcome Scale (BCTOS) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23). Physicians rated cosmetic outcome with the Global Cosmesis Score. Longitudinal growth models were used to assess changes in BCTOS across time, and baseline values and changes between time points were correlated with patient and treatment factors. Results From 2011 to 2015, 158 women received WH-WBI, and 148 were eligible for analysis after a median follow-up of 39.3 months. Adverse changes (P Conclusions WH-WBI was associated with transient worsening in arm function and breast pain but persistent adverse changes in cosmetic PROs that were typically mild or moderate in severity. Physician-rated cosmetic outcomes were acceptable.
Involving Anthroponomy in the Anthropocene: On Decoloniality

This book introduces the idea of anthroponomy – the organization of humankind to support autonomous life – as a response to the problems of today’s purported "Anthropocene" age. It argues for a specific form of accountability for the redressing of planetary-scaled environmental problems. The concept of anthroponomy helps confront geopolitical history shaped by the social processes of capitalism, colonialism, and industrialism, which have resulted in our planetary situation. Involving Anthroponomy in the Anthropocene: On Decoloniality explores how mobilizing our engagement with the politics of our planetary situation can come from moral relations. This book focuses on the anti-imperial work of addressing unfinished decolonization, and hence involves the "decolonial" work of cracking open the common sense of the world that supports ongoing colonization. "Coloniality" is the name for this common sense, and the discourse of the "Anthropocene" supports it. A consistent anti-imperial and anti-capitalist politics, one committed to equality and autonomy, will problematize the Anthropocene through decoloniality. Sometimes the way forward is the way backward. Written in a novel style that demonstrates – not simply theorizes – moral relatedness, this book makes a valuable contribution to the fields of Anthropocene studies, environmental studies, decolonial studies, and social philosophy.
On the Planarity of Validated Complexes of Model Organisms in Protein-Protein Interaction Networks

Leveraging protein-protein interaction networks to identify groups of proteins and their common functionality is an important problem in bioinformatics. Systems-level analysis of protein-protein interactions is made possible through network science and modeling of high-throughput data. From these analyses, small protein complexes are traditionally represented graphically as complete graphs or dense clusters of nodes. However, there are certain graph theoretic properties that have not been extensively studied in PPI networks, especially as they pertain to cluster discovery, such as planarity. Planarity of graphs have been used to reflect the physical constraints of real-world systems outside of bioinformatics, in areas such as mapping and imaging.
Becoming an Antiracist Neonatal Community.

BACKGROUND There are pervasive and documented disparities in maternal and infant outcomes related to race and ethnicity. Critical awareness is growing in our current cultural environment about strategies to improve health equity, the need to challenge implicit bias, and dismantle racism in healthcare to decrease racial health inequities. METHODS In this article, we provide a summary of health inequities that exist within the perinatal/neonatal population and offer strategies for initiating conversations and improving health equity by challenging bias and increasing diversity. RESULTS Transformative leaders must understand the evidence related to health disparities, understand social drivers of inequity issues, and identify solutions to influence change. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE With heightened awareness and examination of implicit bias, we can improve care for all infants and their families. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH We need to continue research and quality improvement efforts to improve health equity. Furthermore, research is needed that focus on social determinants of health as drivers of preterm delivery and birth complications, rather than biological (eg, racialized) factors.Video Abstract available at:https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Pages/videogallery.aspx?autoPlay=false&videoId=42.
Thin-Coated Fibers for High-Density Optical Interconnects

Thin coated single-mode fibers with coating diameters from 125 to 175 μm are fabricated and characterized. The fibers show excellent coating concentricity and attenuation similar to 250 μm coated fiber on shipping reels.
Differential vulnerability of basal forebrain cholinergic and NADPH diaphorase cells to ibotenate and quisqualate

Central neurons demonstrate a differential vulnerability to the cytotoxic effects of glutamate analogues. The cytotoxicity of agonists such as ibotenate (IBO) or quisqualate (QUIS) depend upon at least three different mechanisms: agonist properties at glutamate receptors, their ability to block a neuronal glutamate/cystine transporter, or their ability to generate nitric oxide. We manipulated the cytotoxicity of IBO and QUIS in the rat basal forebrain by altering their concentration or by coinjecting IBO with specific agents: cystine to overcome the glutamate/cystine exchange blockade; zinc to attenuate IBO’s actions at the receptor; muscimol to attenuate regional excitatory actions; or 2-chloroadenosine to decrease local endogenous glutamate release. Coinjection of IBO with zinc or cystine spared selected populations of basal forebrain cholinergic cells. Injection of QUIS, but not IBO, destroyed NADPH(+) cells. The pattern of cell loss may be related to the ability of different glutamate analogues to produce nitric oxide.
PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES Physicians, Physician's Assistants, and Respiratory Care: Allow Access to Experimental or Nonconventional Methods of Medical Treatment

The Act relates to the licensure of medical practice and provides individuals the right to be provided with any medical treatment desired or authorized under certain conditions. The Act specifically authorizes treatment that is experimental or nonconventional. A person licensed to practice medicine is given immunity from disciplinary actions that involve unprofessional practice or conduct in relation to treatment that complies with this Code section.