cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Thromboxane A2 and Prostacyclin Production in Vivo Following Single-Dose Aspirin Treatment

In recent years considerable attention has focused on the potential usefulness of aspirin (ASA) in the prevention of thromboembolism. Based on the inability of blood platelets to produce new cyclooxygenase enzyme, it has been suggested that low-dose ASA therapy may afford selective inhibition of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) biosynthesis. Thus, it was proposed that endothelial production of prostacyclin (PGI2) may recover more rapidly than platelet production of TxA2 following low-dose ASA treatment. The present study investigated the relative rates of TxA2 cyclooxygenase (CO) and PGI2 CO recovery following ASA inhibition in an in vitro animal model. In this model, measurable and reproducible plasma levels of TxB2 and 6-keto-PGFlα were achieved by the infusion of arachidonic acid (AA), and the effects of ASA on these levels were determined over a period of time. Specifically, 1 mg/kg ASA (or ASA vehicle) was administered to anesthetized Swiss Webster mice (25 g) via cardiac puncture. At various time intervals subsequent to ASA treatment (i.e., 2 to 144 hr), AA (50 mg/kg) was infused, and TxB2/6-keto-PGF1α plasma levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. In animals not treated with ASA, the infusion of AA resulted in an increase in TxB2 from <0.1 ng/ml to 69.8 ± 5.6 ng/ml and an increase in 6-keto-PGF1α from 0.080 ± 0.017 ng/ml to 1214.9 ± 85.9 ng/ml. These values are comparable to our previous results, which demonstrated a dose-response relationship for TxB2/6-keto-PGF1α over the AA concentration range of 5-50 mg/kg infused AA. In animals pretreated with ASA, there was a rapid and marked decrease in TxB2/6-keto-PGF1α production. In this connection it was found that at 2 hr post-ASA, TxB2/6-keto-PGF1α production were inhibited by 77.4 ± 3.9% and 73.4 ± 3.1%, respectively. At 24, 48, and 72 hr post-ASA treatment, there was an equal recovery of TxB2/6-keto-PGF1α production. Only at 96 hr and 144 hr post-ASA did the PGI2 CO appeared to recover at a more rapid rate. Thus, 96 hr following ASA, 6-keto-PGF1α had returned to control levels, whereas TxB2 production remained inhibited. Furthermore, selective inhibition of the TxA2 CO was still evident 144 hr post-ASA, i.e., 76.0 ± 9.3% of preaspirin levels forTxB2 versus 121.5 ± 10.5% of preaspirin levels for 6-keto-PGF1α. These findings indicate that in response to 1 mg/kg ASA there is a gradual and parallel recovery of TxB2/6-keto-PGF1α over 3 days. On the other hand, at 4 and 6 days post-ASA, a divergence in the rates of recovery of these CO products becomes apparent. In summary, the present results suggest that although PGI2 CO appears to recover more rapidly than TxA2 CO, the observed differences in these rates of recovery may not be substantial enough to serve as the basis for selective inhibition of TxA2 production by ASA therapy.
Materialism And The Locus Of The Subject Of Experiences

The paper treats alternative views about a materialist conception of the subject of experiences or the self or person. Some views are that the self is the brain, or the whole person, or that there is no self or subject of experiences. We lay out each view and their advantages and disadvantages.
The Immature Stages of Culicoides Tristriatulus Hoffman (Diptera, Heleidae)

The members of the haemophagous genus Culicoides are of considerable concern to medical entomologists because of their economic and medical importance. Many regions of the world, including arctic regions as well as warmer areas, are rendered almost uninhabitable because of their painful bites. They have been shown to be the probable vectors of several species of filariid worms of man and horses (Buckley, 1934, 1938; Sharp, 1928; Steward, 1933) and may be involved in the transmission of other diseases. The literature concerning adult taxonomy and morphology is relatively voluminous in contrast to the paucity of the treatises pertaining to the morphology of the immature stages. A comprehensive discussion of this subject with full bibliography is presented by Hill (1947) and Fox (1942). It is apparent that there exists very little information concerning the immature forms of species found in the Nearctic realm since little effort has been made to associate these forms with their respective adults.
Reentry programming for opioid and opiate involved female offenders: Findings from a mixed methods evaluation

Abstract Purpose This study examined the effectiveness of Second Chance Act Grant funded reentry program for dually diagnosed female offenders involved in opioid and opiate use. Methods A mixed methods design utilizing qualitative interviews and a quasi-experimental design was used to both determine program effectiveness and explore women's narratives regarding their addiction and incarceration. Results Findings from a quasi-experimental design indicate that program participation significantly reduced recidivism as did marital status. Qualitative interview findings suggest that the licit use of prescription opioid medication preceded heroin dependency in many cases which resulted in related criminality. Focus group interviews also indicated that participants responded positively to programming but had variable levels of self-efficacy. Conclusions Reentry programs designed for male offenders can also reduce recidivism among female offenders. America's burgeoning heroin epidemic has the potential for significant costs for local criminal justice systems as more lower level drug offenders are sentenced to jails instead of state prisons.
Application of a Multidisciplinary Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathway to Improve Patient Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have proven effective in a variety of surgical specialties. Published reports on these pathways within cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology are limited. Invasive aortic valve replacement procedures are increasingly being performed by hybrid groups of interventional cardiologists and surgeons through transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The TAVI patient population is at a higher surgical risk compared with those undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement since they are older, frailer, and have significant co-morbidities which result in an increased risk of perioperative complications. ERAS protocols have the potential to help these patients undergoing TAVI procedures. In conclusion, we propose a TAVI ERAS protocol with a call-to-action for other centers to implement an ERAS protocol to improve hospital and cardiac outcomes.
On the Basic Demands and Contents of the Cultural Development and Prosperity

The development and prosperity of culture should be helpful from a new historical starting point to let the countrymen emancipate the mind more consciously,uphold and promote the reform and opening up more firmly and focus on building institutional mechanisms which are vibrant,highly efficient,more open and conducive to scientific development.The origin of cultural development is based on the conditions of the people and the nation as well as the reality,and is committed to improving the national scientific and cultural qualities;the cultural prosperity placement and the essence is to enhance national "taste" of social civilization,and then to pull the soft power of the state to increase penetration of soft power and appeal;the purpose of cultural development is to enhance the comprehensive national strength and competitiveness,to improve the country's image and global influence,and to make the countrymen happy and satisfied.
Suppression of STN1 enhances the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer cells by elevating DNA damage

DNA damage-inducing agents are among the most effective treatment regimens in clinical chemotherapy. However, drug resistance and severe side effects caused by these agents greatly limit their efficacy. Sensitizing malignant cells to chemotherapeutic agents has long been a goal of chemotherapy. In the present study, suppression of STN1, a gene important for safeguarding genome stability, potentiated the anticancer effect of chemotherapeutic agents in tumor cells. Using multiple cancer cells from a variety of origins, it was observed that downregulation of STN1 resulted in a significant decrease in the half maximal inhibitory concentration values of several conventional anticancer agents. When cells are treated with anticancer agents, STN1 suppression leads to a decline in colony formation and diminished anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, it was additionally observed that STN1 knockdown augmented the levels of DNA damage caused by damage-inducing agents. The present study concluded that suppression of STN1 enhances the cytotoxicity of damage-inducing chemotherapeutic agents by increasing DNA damage in cancer cells.
Human Factor Considerations in the Design of a Teach Pendant

Teach Pendants are extensively used for programming robots. This paper deals with the human factor considerations in the design of a teach pendant. Parameters affecting the human performance and ergonomic design principles are discussed. Some of these parameters include weight, size, location of control, color coding, symbolic coding and frequency of use.
An objective Bayesian estimation in a two-period crossover design

ABSTRACTTwo-period crossover design is one of the commonly used designs in clinical trials. But, the estimation of treatment effect is complicated by the possible presence of carryover effect. It is known that ignoring the carryover effect when it exists can lead to poor estimates of the treatment effect. The classical approach by Grizzle (1965) consists of two stages. First, a preliminary test is conducted on carryover effect. If the carryover effect is significant, analysis is based only on data from period one; otherwise, analysis is based on data from both periods. A Bayesian approach with improper priors was proposed by Grieve (1985) which uses a mixture of two models: a model with carryover effect and another without. The indeterminacy of the Bayes factor due to the arbitrary constant in the improper prior was addressed by assigning a minimally discriminatory value to the constant. In this article, we present an objective Bayesian estimation approach to the two-period crossover design which is also ...
Fabrication of Mechanically Enhanced (Bi, Pb)-2223 Bulk Current Leads by Sinter Forging

The compact body with a nominal composition of Bi1.80Pb0.34Sr1.87Ca2.02Cu3.0Oy was sandwiched between two MgO plates, and was sinter-forged in air at 860 °C, 2.0 MPa for 5 h in the first stage and at 860 °C, 9.8 MPa for 20 h in the second stage. The (Bi, Pb)-2223 body was grain-aligned and densified, and was directly joined with the MgO plates due to the slight chemical reaction. The joined MgO plates were removed by polishing for attaching electrodes. The sample was post-annealed at 400 °C in O2 gas for 50 h.The size of (Bi, Pb)-2223 body was 150 mm long, 14 mm wide and 2.2 mm thick. The critical current was 700 A at 77 K, 0 T. The flexural strength of the sinter-forged (Bi, Pb)-2223 body was 170 MPa at room temperature. This value was higher than that of a sample prepared by CIP-normal sintering technique by more than 2 times.
Quantitative assessment of parent vessel and distal intracranial hemodynamics following pipeline flow diversion.

Background Pipeline embolization devices (PEDs) are commonly used for endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms but can be associated with delayed ipsilateral intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Although intra-aneurysmal hemodynamic changes have been studied, parent vessel and intracranial hemodynamics after PED use are unknown. We examine the impact of flow diversion on parent artery and distal intracranial hemodynamics. Method Patients with internal carotid cerebral aneurysms treated with PED who had flow volume rate, flow velocities, pulsatility index, resistance index, Lindegaard ratio, and wall shear stress (WSS) obtained after treatment using quantitative magnetic resonance angiography were reviewed. Means were compared between ipsilateral and contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) using paired t tests. Results A total of 18 patients were included. Mean flow volume rate was lower in the ipsilateral versus contralateral ICA ( p = 0.04) but tended to be higher in the ipsilateral versus contralateral MCA ( p = 0.08). Lindegaard ratio was higher ipsilateral to the PED in diastole ( p = 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in flow velocities, pulsatility or resistance indices, and WSS, the two cases in our cohort with hemorrhagic complications did display significant changes in MCA flows and MCA WSS. Conclusion PED placement appears to alter the elasticity of the stented ICA segment, with lower flows in the ipsilateral versus contralateral ICA. Conversely, MCA flows and MCA WSS are higher in the ipsilateral MCA among patients with hemorrhage after PED placement, suggesting the role of disrupted distal hemodynamics in delayed ipsilateral intraparenchymal hemorrhage.
Detecting Combustion and Flow Features In Situ Using Principal Component Analysis

This report presents progress on identifying and classifying features involving combustion in turbulent flow using principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means clustering using an in situ analysis framework. We describe a process for extracting temporally- and spatially-varying information from the simulation, classifying the information, and then applying the classification algorithm to either other portions of the simulation not used for training the classifier or further simulations. Because the regions classified as being of interest take up a small portion of the overall simulation domain, it will consume fewer resources to perform further analysis or save these regions at a higher fidelity than previously possible. The implementation of this process is partially complete and results obtained from PCA of test data is presented that indicates the process may have merit: the basis vectors that PCA provides are significantly different in regions where combustion is occurring and even when all 21 species of a lifted flame simulation are correlated the computational cost of PCA is minimal. What remains to be determined is whether k-means (or other) clustering techniques will be able to identify combined combustion and flow features with an accuracy that makes further characterization of these regions feasible and meaningful.
Brains as optimal emergent Turing Machines

The theory and experiments outlined in Weng 2015 [1] modeled brains as naturally emerging Turing Machines (TMs) inside Developmental Networks (DNs) — a new class of brain inspired neural networks. However, TMs originally proposed by Alan Turing 1936 [2] were deterministic. If they involved probability to handle uncertainty, the probability was in the mind of the human programmer for a specific task. Although the task-specific program will run on a Universal TM — a model of the popular Von Neumann Computers — the Universal TM itself had no imbedded probability. Yet, each brain samples from infinitely many stimuli and actions through the real word, unlike a TM that deals with only tape-symbols from a finite and static alphabet. Computationally, is a brain optimal? If the answer is yes, in what sense? This theoretical work reports the overall brain optimality. It shows that a biological brain, modeled by the DN, is optimal in the sense of maximum likelihood, conditioned on (1) the genome program — the Developmental Program (DP) that regulates the development of body, sensors, effectors and the limited computational resource (e.g., brain size and types of neural transmitters), and (2) the incremental lifetime experience — including teaching from the environments and self exploration and discovery through the real world.
Assay for Listeria monocytogenes cells in whole blood using isotachophoresis and recombinase polymerase amplification.

We present a new approach which enables lysis, extraction, and detection of inactivated Listeria monocytogenes cells from blood using isotachophoresis (ITP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). We use an ITP-compatible alkaline and proteinase K approach for rapid and effective lysis. We then perform ITP purification to separate bacterial DNA from whole blood contaminants using a microfluidic device that processes 25 μL sample volume. Lysis, mixing, dispensing, and on-chip ITP purification are completed in a total of less than 50 min. We transfer extracted DNA directly into RPA master mix for isothermal incubation and detection, an additional 25 min. We first validate our assay in the detection of purified genomic DNA spiked into whole blood, and demonstrate a limit of detection of 16.7 fg μL−1 genomic DNA, the equivalent of 5 × 103 cells per mL. We then show detection of chemically-inactivated L. monocytogenes cells spiked into whole blood, and demonstrate a limit of detection of 2 × 104 cells per mL. Lastly, we show preliminary experimental data demonstrating the feasibility of the integration of ITP purification with RPA detection on a microfluidic chip. Our results suggest that ITP purification is compatible with RPA detection, and has potential to extend the applicability of RPA to whole blood.
Apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells in Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells after an asymptomatic period over years. Insulitis activates antigen presenting cells, which trigger activating CD4+ helper-T cells, releasing chemokines/cytokines. Cytokines activate CD8+ cytotoxic–T cells, which lead to β-cell destruction. Apoptosis pathway consists of extrinsic (receptor-mediated) and intrinsic (mitochondria-driven) pathway. Extrinsic pathway includes Fas pathway to CD4+-CD8+ interaction, whereas intrinsic pathway includes mitochondria-driven pathway at a balance between anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and Bcl-xL and pro-apoptotic Bad, Bid, and Bik proteins. Activated cleaved caspse-3 is the converging point between extrinsic and intrinsic pathway. Apoptosis takes place only when pro-apoptotic proteins exceed anti-apoptotic proteins. Since the concordance rate of T1DM in identical twins is about 50%, environmental factors are involved in the development of T1DM, opening a door to find means to detect and prevent further development of autoimmune β-cell destruction for a therapeutic application.
Prosthetically guided bone sculpturing for a maxillary complete-arch implant-supported monolithic zirconia fixed prosthesis based on a digital smile design: A clinical report

A digital smile design was used to create an average smile and to develop a removable interim restoration for an edentulous patient with a high smile line and different bone levels in the maxilla. The interim restoration was used as a guide to perform bone sculpturing to create space for the biological width and to restore a monolithic zirconia implant-supported fixed restoration.
Phase diagrams and free-energy landscapes for model spin-crossover materials with antiferromagnetic-like nearest-neighbor and ferromagnetic-like long-range interactions

We present phase diagrams, free-energy landscapes, and order-parameter distributions for a model spin-crossover material with a two-step transition between the high-spin and low-spin states (a square-lattice Ising model with antiferromagnetic-like nearest-neighbor and ferromagnetic-like long-range interactions) [P. A. Rikvold et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 064109 (2016)]. The results are obtained by a recently introduced, macroscopically constrained Wang-Landau Monte Carlo simulation method [Phys. Rev. E 95, 053302 (2017)]. The method's computational efficiency enables calculation of thermodynamic quantities for a wide range of temperatures, applied fields, and long-range interaction strengths. For long-range interactions of intermediate strength, tricritical points in the phase diagrams are replaced by pairs of critical end points and mean-field critical points that give rise to horn-shaped regions of metastability. The corresponding free-energy landscapes offer insights into the nature of asymmetric, multiple hysteresis loops that have been experimentally observed in spin-crossover materials characterized by competing short-range interactions and long-range elastic interactions.
Temporal Trends in Use of Biologic DMARDs for Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States: A Cohort Study of Publicly and Privately Insured Patients

BACKGROUND: Ten biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are available as treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but relatively little is known about population-level time trends in the use of these agents. OBJECTIVE: To describe time trends in the use of bDMARDs in RA patients with private or public insurance in the United States. METHODS: Claims data from private (Optum Clinformatics, 2004-2015) and public (Medicaid Analytic eXtract [MAX], 2000-2010) insurance programs were used. Patients with RA diagnosis codes and continuous health plan enrollment for 1-year baseline and 1-year follow-up periods were identified into 2 separate cohorts: (1) patients not using any bDMARD or (2) patients using a single bDMARD during the baseline period. Initiation of the first bDMARD from group 1 and switch to a second bDMARD from group 2 was identified as the outcome of interest during the 1-year follow-up period. Using mixed-effects regression models, we calculated yearly rates of initiation and switc...
P129 Dealing with false-positive virtual crossmatch in lung recipients

Aim Virtual crossmatch (VXM) has increased non-local organ utilization and improved clinical outcomes for sensitized lung patients. However, the concordance between VXM and cell-based crossmatch is not absolute because Single Antigen Bead (SAB) assay is prone to both false-negative and false-positive reactions. Since false-positive antibody specificities may unnecessarily deny an organ based on VXM, the goal of this study was to evaluate what additional testing may be warranted to recognize such reactions and to improve virtual crossmatch accuracy. Methods All sera were pre-treated with EDTA to inactivate complement in order to avoid prozon-like effect and were analyzed by SAB. A positive VXM was defined as the presence of donor specific antibodies based on SAB that would result in unacceptably positive Flow Crossmatch (FCXM). FCXM was done using 3-color analysis on a 1024 channel scale. All sera was retrospectively tested by FlowPRA Screen and LSPRA (phenotype bead) assays to rule out antibodies against denatured HLA epitopes detected by SAB. Results Of 58 consecutive VXM performed during July-December 2016 for lung candidates with CPRA > 10%, 28 had no DSAs or had acceptably weak DSAs and were predicted to result in negative or acceptably low positive FCXM. Other 30 VXM had one or more strong DSAs and were predicted to result in unacceptably positive FCXM and the organ offers were refused. Additional antibody testing showed that only 23 out of 30 VMXs should have been called positive. The other 7 VXM were called unacceptably positive due to the presence of antibody against denatured antigens. Three patients had antibodies against class I denatured antigens (MFI ranging 2500–3500) and four patients had antibodies against class II denatured antigens (MFI ranging 2000–14,000). After using LSPRA and FlowPRA Screen assays, the antibody against denatured antigens were removed from the list of UA and 5 out of 7 patients were successfully transplanted. Conclusions We found that at our center 12% VXM are false-positive due to the presence of antibodies against denatured antigens detected by SAB. Multiple antibody testing platforms, including SAB, LSPRA, and FlowPRA Screen, can be used for antibody characterization to avoid erroneous assignment of UA that may lead to an unnecessary organ offer refusal.
Budesonide exerts its chemopreventive efficacy during mouse lung tumorigenesis by modulating gene expressions.

2366 We have performed oligonucleotide array analysis on benzopyrene (B[a]P) induced lung tumors and similar tumors treated with the glucocorticoid budesonide using Affymetrix U74Av2 GeneChips in order to determine gene expression changes associated with budesonide treatment during lung tumorigenesis. Analysis yielded 363 genes with altered expression when comparing control lung tumors and tumors treated with budesonide. 243 genes are overexpressed and 120 genes are underexpressed after budesonide treatment. In addition, 108 genes which were differentially expressed between mouse lung tumors and normal lung parenchyma (50 genes overexpressed and 58 genes underexpressed) were found to be modulated back towards normal levels in budesonide treated tumors. These genes are involved in a broad range of different pathways including control of cell proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle, signal transduction, and apoptosis. Using the pathway visualization tool GenMapp, at least four regulatory pathways were found to contain clusters of differentially expressed genes: Wnt signaling, G protein pathway, MAPK cascade and Apoptosis. Overall, we have determined, for the first time, the expression profiles of genes modulated by budesonide during murine lung tumorigenesis. Our results suggest that budesonide exerts its chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic efficacy during mouse lung tumorigenesis through induction and/or inhibition of certain genes and to some degree to revert the expression of some genes to normal levels. Pluripotent effects of budesonide on many signal pathways involving multiple transcription factors and signaling molecules is considered to play a very important role in budesonide chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic effects in mouse lung tumorigenesis. Certain of these changes might serve as potential biomarkers in Phase II trials of budesonide in humans.
Neck hematoma after major head and neck surgery: Risk factors, costs, and resource utilization.

BACKGROUND Postoperative cervical hematoma after major head and neck surgery is a feared complication. However, risk factors for developing this complication and attributable costs are not well-established. METHODS The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was utilized compare patients with and without postoperative cervical hematoma. Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for hematoma formation and 30-day mortality. Total inpatient length of stay (LOS) and costs were fit to generalized linear models. RESULTS Of 32 071 patients, 1098 (3.4%) experienced a postoperative cervical hematoma. Male sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.38; P < .0001), black race (OR 1.35; P = .010), 4 or more comorbidities (OR 1.66; P < .0001), or presence of a preoperative coagulopathy (OR 6.76; P < .0001) were associated. Postoperative cervical hematoma was associated with 540% increased odds of death (P < .0001). The LOS and total excess costs were 5.14 days (P < .0001) and $17 887.40 (P < .0001), respectively. CONCLUSION Although uncommon, postoperative cervical hematoma is a life-threatening complication of head and neck surgery with significant implications for outcomes and resource utilization.
Punching and Electroporation for Enhanced Transdermal Drug Delivery

Transdermal delivery has made an indispensable impact to medical practice, but often been limited by low efficiency due to the barrier of the outer stratum corneum layer of skin. In Issue 9 of Theranostics, Huang et al. [1] proposed a new design of transdermal gene delivery strategy via the combination of a microneedle roller and a flexible interdigitated electroporation array. With the assistance of the microneedle roller, a deep and uniform electric field in the skin can be formed, accompanying an enhanced transport efficiency even at a low voltage. Furthermore, this combination strategy can promote the gene expression and siRNA transfection in mice skin in a safe and convenient process.
The c Control Chart Under Inspection Error

The effects of inspection errors on the c chart, especially on the OC curves, are considered. Control limits based upon target values and those based upon historical data are both considered. An adjusted c chart is presented which provides OC curves und..
X-Ray and Neutron Diffraction Measurements on Physisorbed Films on Graphite

Abstract Physisorbed films of rare gas atoms and of simple molecules on graphite surfaces are studied with the main purpose of studying the nature of phase transitions in two dimensional systems. Large progress has been made recently both in substrate properties and in diffraction technique. Especially the application of synchrotron X-ray diffraction has been important and has increased the range over which correlations can be measured by almost an order of magnitude. In this paper we show examples of experimental results from X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of melting and commensurate-incommensurate transitions in adsorbed films.
Microscale Flow and Transport Simulation for Electrokinetic and Lab-on-Chip Applications

The proliferation of manufacturing techniques for building micro- and nano-scale fluidic devices has led to a virtual explosion in the development of microscale chemical and biological analysis systems, commonly referred to as integrated microfluidic devices or Labs-on-a-Chip [14]. Application areas into which these systems have penetrated include: DNA analysis [47], separation based detection [10, 36], drug development [59], proteomics [22], fuel processing [31] and a host of others, many of which are extensively covered in this book series. The development of these devices is a highly competitive field and as such researchers typically do not have the luxury of large amounts of time and money to build and test successive prototypes in order to optimize species delivery, reaction speed or thermal performance. Rapid prototyping techniques, such as those developed by Whitesides’ group [11, 44], and the shift towards plastics and polymers as a fabrication material of choice [8] have significantly helped to cut cost and development time once a chip design has been selected.
ONE-M: Modeling the Co-evolution of Opinions and Network Connections.

How do opinions of individuals on controversial issues such as marijuana and gay marriage and their underlying social network connections evolve over time? Do people alter their network to have more like-minded friends or do they change their own opinions? Does the society eventually develop echo chambers? In this paper, we study dynamically evolving networks and changing user opinions to answer these questions. Our contributions are as follows: (a) Discovering Evolution of Polarization in Networks: We present evidence of growing divide among users based on their opinions who eventually form homophilic groups (b) Studying Opinion and Network Co-Evolution: We present observations of how individuals change opinions and position themselves in dynamically changing networks (c) Forecasting Persistence and Change in Opinions and Network: We propose ONE-M to forecast individual beliefs and persistence or dissolution of social ties. Using a unique real-world network dataset including periodic user surveys, we show that ONE-M performs with high accuracy, while outperforming the baseline approaches. Code related to this paper is available at: https://github.com/anigam/ONE-M and Data related to this paper is available at: http://netsense.nd.edu/.
Functional Neurologic Symptom Disorder in Children: Clinical Features, Diagnostic Investigations, and Outcomes at a Tertiary Care Children's Hospital.

Objective:To describe the presenting symptoms and short-term outcomes of children diagnosed with functional neurologic symptom disorder and to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics o...
Selective Utilization of Human Milk Oligosaccharides 2’-FL and 3-FL by Probiotic Bacteria Resulting in Different Metabolite Production by These Bacteria (P20-012-19)

Objectives Human breast milk contains a high quantity of oligosaccharides (HMOs) which are not digested by infants but are selectively utilized by beneficial gut microbes such as Bifidobacterium species. The gut microbiome in breast-fed infants is dominated by Bifidobacterium species, whereas formula-fed infants have a higher representation of Bacteroides and Enterobacteria species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of various potentially pathogenic bacteria and commercially available probiotic strains to grow using the HMOs 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), glucose, lactose or galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) as a sole carbon source. We also compared the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and lactic acid during the fermentation of 2’-FL by B. infantis, B. bifidum and Bacteroides strains.
Applications of Huang–Rhys theory in semiconductor optical spectroscopy

A brief review of Huang–Rhys theory and Albrechtos theory is provided, and their connection and applications are discussed. The former is a first order perturbative theory on optical transitions intended for applications such as absorption and emission involving localized defect or impurity centers, emphasizing lattice relaxation or mixing of vibrational states due to electron–phonon coupling. The coupling strength is described by the Huang–Rhys factor. The latter theory is a second order perturbative theory on optical transitions intended for Raman scattering, and can in-principle include electron–phonon coupling in both electronic states and vibrational states. These two theories can potentially be connected through the common effect of lattice relaxation – non-orthonormal vibrational states associated with different electronic states. Because of this perceived connection, the latter theory is often used to explain resonant Raman scattering of LO phonons in bulk semiconductors and further used to describe the size dependence of electron–phonon coupling or Huang–Rhys factor in semiconductor nanostructures. Specifically, the A term in Albrechtos theory is often invoked to describe the multi-LO-phonon resonant Raman peaks in both bulk and nanostructured semiconductors in the literature, due to the misconception that a free-exciton could have a strong lattice relaxation. Without lattice relaxation, the A term will give rise to Rayleigh or elastic scattering. Lattice relaxation is only significant for highly localized defect or impurity states, and should be practically zero for either single particle states or free exciton states in a bulk semiconductor or for confined states in a semiconductor nanostructure that is not extremely small.
A note on the Hard Lefschetz property of symplectic structures

In (Trans Am Math Soc 368(11), 8223–8248, 2016), Cho has constructed the first known example of a deformation equivalence between a Kahler form and a symplectic non-Hard Lefschetz form. He achieved this in complex dimension 3 by using a principal $$S^{1}$$-bundle P on a K3-surface N and taking a symplectic cut along extremal level sets of a particular Hamiltonian moment map on the tube $$P\times [-1,1]$$. In this note, we explore the analogous construction when N is a hyperKahler Hilbert scheme $$K3^{[2]}$$ of two points on a K3-surface. We take a brief excursion into elementary $$S^{1}$$-equivariant cohomology in order to study the Hard Lefschetz cone of closed simple Hamiltonian-$$S^{1}$$ manifolds of real dimension 10 with vanishing odd cohomology, and we thereupon obtain a criterion that determines when those with diffeomorphic fixed components (of the circle action) of dimension 8 are of Hard Lefschetz type. Using this criterion, we find another deformation equivalence between a Kahler form and a symplectic non-Hard Lefschetz form, thereby successfully extending Cho’s result to the next dimension.
Analysis of Trends in the Selection and Production of U.S. Academic Plastic Surgery Faculty.

In academic plastic surgery, there is a paucity of data examining the relationship between program rank, faculty training history, and production of academic program graduates. The purpose of this study is to determine objective faculty characteristics that are associated with a high program reputation. Methods Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) programs were ranked using Doximity and divided into Top-quartile programs and Other programs. Accredited medical schools were ranked using U.S. News and World Report. Individual faculty profiles were reviewed on program websites for information on prior training. Results Seventy-nine programs with 712 faculty were identified and objectively analyzed. Compared to Other PRS programs, Top-quartile programs had a higher proportion of faculty that trained at Top-quartile residency programs (P < 0.0001) and Top-quartile medical schools (P < 0.0001). Top-quartile programs also had the highest proportion of faculty that trained at the same institution for fellowship (P = 0.0001), residency (P = 0.03), medical school (P = 0.4), or any prior training (medical school, residency, or fellowship) (P = 0.002). Top-quartile programs were associated with the largest total faculty size (P < 0.0001) and the largest number of graduates entering the field of academic plastic surgery (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Program reputation is associated with PRS faculty selection and production. Top-ranked programs are more likely to have faculty that previously trained at the same institution or at top-ranked programs. Top-ranked programs are more likely to graduate residents that will become academic plastic surgeons.
Investigating nature of stresses in extension and compression of glassy polymers via stress relaxation

Abstract Our experiments show for both uniaxial extension and compression that the post-yield stress relaxation can be slower than the pre-yield stress relaxation on all time scales. Such phenomena reveal that high stresses may result from chain tension due to large deformation of the chain networking in glassy polymers. In combination with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we demonstrate that even in the case of compression the stress buildup stems from the mechanical resistance against the lateral expansion of the chain network, which produces bond distortion such as bond stretching. As further evidence of how chain network dictates the mechanical responses, it is shown that significant network deformation produced by large deformation can suppress segmental relaxation in compression. Thus, the present study has made a first combination of experiment and MD simulation to elucidate (a) the remarkable effects that the chain network has in response to large post-yield deformation and (b) the direct (indirect) chain-network contributions to the macroscopic stress in extension (compression).
A Stata Plugin for Estimating Group-Based Trajectory Models

Group-based trajectory models are used to investigate population differences in the developmental courses of behaviors or outcomes . This article demonstrates a new Stata command, traj, for fitting to longitudinal data finite (discrete) mixture models designed to identify clusters of individuals following similar progressions of some behavior or outcome over age or time. Censored normal, Poisson, zero-inflated Poisson, and Bernoulli distributions are supported. Applications to psychometric scale data, count data, and a dichotomous prevalence measure are illustrated
Narrative Identity in a Digital Age: What are the Human Risks?

I am writing this article during the COVID-19 outbreak while working remotely at home. Despite my role as dean of the college and faculty member in the Psychology Department, I have not had a face-...
Evaluating values in creative placemaking: The arts as community development in the NEA’s Our Town program

Arts-based community development practices have received newfound prominence over the past decade under the auspices of “creative placemaking.” In 2010, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) pu...
Did Access to Care Improve Since Passage of the Veterans Choice Act?: Differences Between Rural and Urban Veterans.

BACKGROUND The 2014 Veterans Choice Program aimed to improve care access for Veterans through expanded availability of community care (CC). Increased access to CC could particularly benefit rural Veterans, who often face obstacles in obtaining medical care at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). However, whether Veterans Choice Program improved timely access to care for this vulnerable population is understudied. OBJECTIVES To examine wait times among rural and urban Veterans for 5 outpatient specialty care services representing the top requests for CC services among rural Veterans. RESEARCH DESIGN Retrospective study using VHA and CC outpatient consult data from VHA's Corporate Data Warehouse in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 (October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015) and FY2018 (October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018). SUBJECTS All Veterans who received a new patient consult for physical therapy, cardiology, optometry, orthopedics, and/or dental services in VHA and/or CC. MEASURES Wait time, care setting (VHA/CC), rural/urban status, sociodemographics, and comorbidities. RESULTS Our sample included 1,112,876 Veterans. Between FY2015 and FY2018, mean wait times decreased for all services for both rural and urban Veterans; declines were greatest in VHA (eg, mean optometry wait times for rural Veterans in VHA vs. CC declined 8.3 vs. 6.4 d, respectively, P<0.0001). By FY2018, for both rural and urban Veterans, CC mean wait times for most services were longer than VHA wait times. CONCLUSIONS Timely care access for all Veterans improved between FY15 and FY18, particularly in VHA. As expansion of CC continues under the MISSION Act, more research is needed to evaluate quality of care across VHA and CC and what role, if any, wait times play.
Robust Tracking Control of an Induction Motor

This paper illustrates a robust control approach for an induction motor driving a load. The proposed controller is robust with regard to parametric uncertainties and additive bounded disturbances throughout the entire motor/load model while yielding a global uniform ultimate bounded (GUUB) stability result for the motor position tracking error. Simulation results are validate the performance of the controller.
Chapter 8 Time and evolution

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on time and evolution, which are inextricably linked; once the notion of evolution as the unique result of natural selection acting inexorably on individuals has been abandoned to effect population change as it is evident that the two are not linked in any straightforward way. It is seen in the chapter that evolution results from a variety of agencies that act at different levels. It is doubtful that it is a simple result of “selection pressure” and that it thus relates in a predictable way to time (higher the pressure, faster is the change). Speciation, which gives the results of such accumulated variation historic identity, is a much more haphazard process—one that depends on genetic change unrelated to adaptive modifications. Moreover, its sequel, geographical spread, and species-level competition is subject to environmental fluctuations that occur on a sporadic and unpredictable schedule. Time is essential for evolutionary change, but the result of the system's complexity is that the two are not synonymous.
Do payday loans help the working poor

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to examine the plight of a particular segment of the poor – the working poor – in the USA relative to their exclusion from traditional financial markets and their patronage of the payday loan market; and to propose a framework that offers guidance to law makers in making laws/crafting policies that help the working poor gain better access to credit. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that reviews the literature on the payday loan market and uses its findings to propose a strategy to ameliorate the plight of the working poor. Findings – The study integrates the findings of studies on the payday loan market with theories of corporate social responsibility. Using these findings the authors develop a framework that can guide policy makers in making policies that address the exclusion of the working poor from financial markets. Research limitations/implications – As a conceptual paper based on theories, the study does not provide empirical v...
Optical Rotatory Dispersion and Circular Dichroism of Pepsinogen, Carbamylpepsinogen, and Succinylpepsinogen

Abstract Studies of optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) and circular dichroism (CD) are reported on pepsinogen, carbamyl-, and succinylpepsinogen. From the ORD measurements in the wave length range of 600 to 300 mµ as functions of urea, temperature, and pH, it was shown that the macromolecular conformation of the three proteins differs markedly. On replacing the e-NH2 groups of the lysine residues of pepsinogen by non-polar groups (carbamylpepsinogen) or acidic side chains (succinylpepsinogen), the electrostatic side chain interaction between the basic residues and some dicarboxylic acids which stabilizes pepsinogen is abolished. With all three proteins the changes in [η], particularly when measured as function of pH, parallel those of the specific rotation, [α]366. The ORD spectra below 300 mµ show several peaks and troughs. The principal trough of the three proteins in phosphate buffer of pH 7.7 and 0.1 ionic strength is at 227 mµ and is shifted to 230 mµ if the temperature is raised or the pH of the solutions is altered. The positive maximum is at 202 mµ for pepsinogen, at 200 mµ for carbamylpepsinogen, and at 195 mµ for succinylpepsinogen. The ORD spectra above 260 mµ show a trough at 278 mµ, most likely involving the aromatic side chains. These patterns are very different from those characteristic for α-helical structures. The CD spectra of the three proteins at pH 7.7 are characterized by a strong negative band at 212, 205, and 202 mµ for pepsinogen, the carbamyl, and succinyl derivative, respectively. These are displaced to lower wave lengths in the alkaline pH range. The positive CD band of pepsinogen in the phosphate buffer of pH 7.7 is at 193 mµ. Above 250 mµ, dichroic bands were recorded at 255, 264, 278, 292, and 300 mµ. The band at 278 mµ is pH-dependent and was assigned to the aromatic amino acid residues. As the pH is raised above pH 10.0, the band passes through zero and changes sign. ORD spectra have been calculated from the CD data for pepsinogen, carbamyl-, and succinylpepsinogen by the use of a Kronig-Kramers transform with a computer program. Comparison with the observed ORD data shows excellent agreement with the patterns of the observed troughs and peaks. These results are discussed in the light of ORD and CD spectra of known conformations.
Recursive Function Definition over Coinductive Types

Using the notions of unique fixed point, converging equivalence relation, and contracting function, we generalize the technique of well-founded recursion. We are able to define functions in the Isabelle theorem prover that recursively call themselves an infinite number of times. In particular, we can easily define recursive functions that operate over coinductively-defined types, such as infinite lists. Previously in Isabelle such functions could only be defined corecursively, or had to operate over types containing "extra" bottom-elements. We conclude the paper by showing that the functions for filtering and flattening infinite lists have simple recursive definitions.