cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient Degradation of Lignocellulosic Plant Biomass, without Pretreatment, by the Thermophilic Anaerobe “Anaerocellum thermophilum” DSM 6725

Very few cultivated microorganisms can degrade lignocellulosic biomass without chemical pretreatment. We show here that “Anaerocellum thermophilum” DSM 6725, an anaerobic bacterium that grows optimally at 75°C, efficiently utilizes various types of untreated plant biomass, as well as crystalline cellulose and xylan. These include hardwoods such as poplar, low-lignin grasses such as napier and Bermuda grasses, and high-lignin grasses such as switchgrass. The organism did not utilize only the soluble fraction of the untreated biomass, since insoluble plant biomass (as well as cellulose and xylan) obtained after washing at 75°C for 18 h also served as a growth substrate. The predominant end products from all growth substrates were hydrogen, acetate, and lactate. Glucose and cellobiose (on crystalline cellulose) and xylose and xylobiose (on xylan) also accumulated in the growth media during growth on the defined substrates but not during growth on the plant biomass. A. thermophilum DSM 6725 grew well on first- and second-spent biomass derived from poplar and switchgrass, where spent biomass is defined as the insoluble growth substrate recovered after the organism has reached late stationary phase. No evidence was found for the direct attachment of A. thermophilum DSM 6725 to the plant biomass. This organism differs from the closely related strain A. thermophilum Z-1320 in its ability to grow on xylose and pectin. Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus DSM 8903 (optimum growth temperature, 70°C), a close relative of A. thermophilum DSM 6725, grew well on switchgrass but not on poplar, indicating a significant difference in the biomass-degrading abilities of these two otherwise very similar organisms.
Approval Times For New Drugs: Does The Source Of Funding For FDA Staff Matter?

ABSTRACT: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been criticized for injudicious and excessively rapid approval of new drugs as a result of pharmaceutical industry influence. Many critics focus...
Cellular, molecular, and genetic determinants of tooth eruption.

Tooth eruption is a complex and tightly regulated process that involves cells of the tooth organ and the surround- ing alveolus. Mononuclear cells (osteoclast precursors) must be recruited into the dental follicle prior to the onset of eruption. These cells, in turn, fuse to form osteoclasts that resorb alveolar bone, forming an eruption pathway for the tooth to exit its bony crypt. Some of the molecules possibly involved in the signaling cascades of eruption have been proposed in studies from null mice, osteopetrotic rodents, injections of putative eruption molecules, and cultured dental follicle cells. In particular, recruitment of the mononuclear cells to the follicle may require colony-stimulating factor-one (CSF-1) and/or monocyte chemotactic protein- 1 (MCP-1). Osteoclastogenesis is needed for the bone resorption and may involve inhibition of osteoprotegerin transcription and synthesis in the follicle, as well as enhancement of receptor activator of NFkB ligand (RANKL), in the adjacent alveolar bone and/or in the follicle. Paracrine signaling by parathyroid-hormone-related protein and interleukin -1a, produced in the stellate reticulum adjacent to the follicle, may also play a role in regulating eruption. Osteoblasts might also influence the process of erup- tion, the most important physiologic role likely being at the eruptive site, in the formation of osteoclasts through signaling via the RANKL/OPG pathway. Evidence thus far supports a role for an osteoblast-specific transcription factor, Cbfa1 (Runx2), in molec- ular events that regulate tooth eruption. Cbfa1 is also expressed at high levels by the dental follicle cells. This review concludes with a discussion of the several human conditions that result in a failure of or delay in tooth eruption.
Design of resonant iris filter with dielectric filled cavities

Design of circular waveguide cavity filter with three resonant cavities has been presented using mode matching method. The filter has rectangular waveguides for its input and output. The first and last coupling element is a rectangular iris and other coupling elements are circular irises.
ConSens: Consistency-sensitive opportunistic data access in wireless networks

In order to fulfill the users' insatiable interests in accessing the Internet services and information wirelessly, one of key optimization techniques is caching frequently accessed the data items in a local cache. However, a strong consistency is implicitly assumed in most caching schemes but it may frequently occur a long query delay. In this paper, we propose a consistency-sensitive data access scheme to support applications' diverse consistency requirements, called ConSens, where a user can flexibly set its own consistency level. We also propose a lazy request and opportunistic data access techniques to effectively balance the data accessibility and query delay. Extensive performance studies indicate that the proposed techniques reduce the query delay and increase the number of opportunistic accesses significantly.
Bytecode and Memoized Closure Performance

This article describes a new project to study the memory performance of different closure-implementation strategies in terms of memory allocation and runtime performance. At the heart of the project are four new implementation strategies for closures: three bytecode closures and memoized flat closures. The project proposes to compare the new implementation strategies to the classical strategy that dynamically allocates flat closures as heap data structures. The new bytecode closure representations are based on dynamically creating specialized bytecode instead of allocating a data structure. The first new strategy creates specialized functions by inlining the bindings of free variables. The second uses memoization to reduce the number of dynamically created functions. The third dynamically creates memoized specialized functions that treat free variables as parameters at runtime. The fourth memoizes flat closures. Empirical results from a preliminary byetcode-closure case-study using three small benchmarks are presented as a proof-of-concept. The data suggests that dynamically created bytecode closures in conjunction with memoization can allocate significantly less memory, as much as three orders of magnitude less memory in the presented benchmarks, than a flat closure implementation. In addition to studying the memory footprint of the different closure representations, the project will also compare runtime efficiency of these new strategies with traditional flat closures and flat closures that are unpacked onto the stack.
Capillary Flow Layer-by-Layer: A Microfluidic Platform for the High-Throughput Assembly and Screening of Nanolayered Film Libraries

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (Grant W911NF-07-D-0004)
The Complete Genome Sequence of Proteus mirabilis Strain BB2000 Reveals Differences from the P. mirabilis Reference Strain

ABSTRACT We announce the complete genome sequence for Proteus mirabilis strain BB2000, a model system for self recognition. This opportunistic pathogen contains a single, circular chromosome (3,846,754 bp). Comparisons between this genome and that of strain HI4320 reveal genetic variations corresponding to previously unknown physiological and self-recognition differences.
THE HYPOCRISY OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: RACE AND THE LABOR MARKET

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the concept of Affirmative Action: its conceptualization during the Civil Rights Movement, and its enactment with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is argued that upon President Roosevelt’s establishment of the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) to ensure compliance with Executive Order 8802, which prohibited employment discrimination, based on race, and mandated the use of affirmative action (Executive Order 11246, issued by President Johnson in 1965) in employment, that affirmative action results in hypocrisy in the labor market. This paper questions whether a new narrative for affirmative action toward the rationalization of the Fair Employment Practice would transform issues surrounding race in the labor market.
How Far Have We Come

Although the effects of domestic violence and partner abuse have been known throughout history, the topic has recently begun to receive attention in the research literature. Indeed, it was not until 1986 that two interdisciplinary journals were dedicated exclusively to the study of family violence. Popular lore has frequently cited a connection between substance use (particularly alcohol) and domestic violence; however, this interaction has now begun to be formally recognized and addressed in research and treatment paradigms. This chapter presents some of the research findings regarding the multidimensional relationship between family violence and alcohol and/or drug abuse. Theories and data about the causes of family violence and characteristics of the male batterer and of the substance-abusing men who batter are offered. The final section examines several current models of treatment and their outcome.
Predicting Defined Benefit Pension Returns: The Impact of SFAS 132 Required Disclosure of Asset Allocation Information

We evaluate the impact of Financial Accounting Standard 132 by measuring how well its required asset allocation information predicts next year’s pension returns. We compare the predictive capability of several different models, including Sharpe’s style model and survey data by Pensions & Investments. Predictions based on SFAS 132 data are no better than the empirically based STYLE model predictions and statistically inferior to the SURVEY predictions. We recommend that pension returns be reported quarterly to bolster the power of the STYLE model and that additional asset classes be required, such as international equity, private equity and hedge funds. We also show the importance of reporting exposure to individual securities such as the company’s own stock to enhance predictive capability as well as to inform analysts about the risk profile of pension assets.
Pathophysiology of Malignancy I. Tissue Oxygen Tension of Benign and Malignant Tumors of the Skin.

Summary1. The tissue oxygen tension of a variety of benign and malignant cutaneous tumors was measured in vivo by means of a platinum oxygen cathode. 2. Malignant tumors, and benign lesions characterized by marked cellular infiltration or acanthosis, showed a very low oxygen tension as compared to that of the immediately adjacent normal skin. Benign lesions characterized by little or no increase in cellularity showed normal tissue pO2. 3. The marked decrease of tissue oxygen tension of malignant tumors is probably due to a combination of an abnormality of the vascular system (insufficient oxygen supply) and a relative rise of oxygen consumption (resulting from a marked increase of respiring cell mass as compared to that of the normal skin). In benign cellular lesions, the latter factor is probably of primary importance. 4. The possible relationships of our observations to the hypoxia theory of carcinogenesis and to tumor radiosen-sitivity are discussed.The author is indebted to Dr. Werner Noell of the Dep...
Pelvic exenteration for vulvovaginal carcinoma.

Between 1964 and 1978, 16 pelvic exenterations were performed for advanced and recurrent vulvovaginal carcinoma. Eight patients had Stage III carcinoma and four had recurrent vulvar carcinoma. Ten patients had involvement of the anus/sphincter, and two had involvement of the proximal half of the urethra. There were four patients with vaginal carcinoma. Two patients with recurrent vaginal carcinoma had bladder/urethral involvement; one patient each with primary vaginal carcinoma had rectovaginal and vesicovaginal septal disease. Seven patients are alive and free of disease—six for more than 5 years and one for 4 years and 4 months. Three patients died, free of disease, one each of cerebrovascular accident, traumatic subdural hematoma, and pulmonary embolus. One patient died on the ninth postoperative day of aspiration pneumonitis. The absolute 5-year survival rate is 54%.
DG summary: BEOL discussion

The DG on back-end of the line reliability took place on the evening of Oct. 17, 2012, with attendees ready to discuss challenges in the BEOL field.
Development and Aging of a Brain Neural Stem Cell Niche

In the anterior forebrain, along the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles, a neurogenic stem cell niche is found in a region referred to as the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). In rodents, robust V-SVZ neurogenesis provides new neurons to the olfactory bulb throughout adulthood; however, with increasing age stem cell numbers are reduced and neurogenic capacity is significantly diminished, but new olfactory bulb neurons continue to be produced even in old age. Humans, in contrast, show little to no new neurogenesis after two years of age and whether V-SVZ neural stem cells persist in the adult human brain remains unclear. Here, we review functional and organizational differences in the V-SVZ stem cell niche of mice and humans, and examine how aging affects the V-SVZ niche and its associated functions.
Implementation of distress testing: Lessons learned at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center.

202Background: The Commission on Cancer (CoC) requires accredited facilities to evaluate cancer patients for distress a minimum of one time at a pivotal visit during their cancer journey. Here we describe lessons learned with the implementation of distress testing at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. Methods: The implementation timeframe was April to December 2015. Testing guidelines were created including a definition of pivotal visit. Use of the validated NCCN Distress Thermometer was approved by the East Bay Comprehensive Cancer Committee. A workflow was developed whereby a paper copy of the tool was given to patients at their first cycle of chemotherapy. A RN Case Manager or Social Worker then triaged completed forms. Referrals were made by the case manager, social worker, or attending physician based on patients’ self-reported disposition and level of distress. This information was subsequently entered into patients’ electronic medical record. Completed forms were then entered into an Exc...
Characterization of the two enantiomers of anti-18F-FACPC as PET tumor agents

1516 Objectives (R,S) Anti-1-amino-2-[18F]fluorocyclopentyl-1-carboxylic acid (18F-FACPC) has been reported as a potent tumor-detecting agent for positron emission tomography (PET). Our in vitro and in vivo 9L tumor studies indicated that 18F-FACPC was transported via system L and showed high tumor uptake.1 The goal of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the transport properties of that tracer isolated enantiomers and their suitability for tumor detection. Methods 16 and 17 were prepared from their precursors 14 and 15, by no-carrier-added nucleophilic substitution. A comparison of uptake studies of 18F-FACPC and its enantiomers was performed in 9L gliosarcoma cells. The biological behavior of 16 and 17 was further evaluated in vitro, using human glioma (U87MG) and different types of human breast cancer, MDA mb 231, mb 435, and mb 468. Results 16 and 17 were obtained in an average decay-corrected yield of 25% (n=5) and enantiomeric purity of > 90%. The absolute configurations of 16 and 17 have not been confirmed yet. They will be referred to, as peaks 1 and 2, corresponding to their order of appearance on a chiral column. The in vitro assays performed using 9L gliosarcoma cells in the presence of inhibitors of amino acid transport, BCH, MeAIB, and ACS demonstrated that 16 and 17 are substrates for system L with peak 1 showing higher accumulation in tumor (12%) than peak 2 (7%). The in vitro assays performed using U87MG, MDA mb231, mb 435, and mb 468 cancer cells showed that, in the absence of inhibitors, peak 1 displayed tumor uptakes of 28%, 9%, 4%, and 7% comparing to peak 2, 17%, 6.4%, 2.6%, and 5.3%, respectively. Moreover, these results confirm the transport of 16 and 17 with system L. Conclusions 16 and 17 are useful amino acids for the diagnosis of cancer using PET. Peak 1 shows significantly higher cell uptake and may be a more powerful tool as a tumor-detecting agent for PET, especially for the imaging of a brain cancer. Research Support 1. N. Jarkas, R. V. Voll, V. M. Camp, L. Williams, E. Malveaux, and M. M. Goodman. J. Labelled Cpd. Radiopharm., 2009; Suppl. 1; S19
Potential future consideration for imaging and blood-based biomarkers for precision medicine in lung cancer.

In this issue, we have reviewed the current status of imaging and blood-based biomarkers in translational lung cancer research. Clearly, some small but important initial steps have been made toward realizing precision medicine approaches for this disease, and research in this area has revealed significant opportunities to address unmet needs and validate imaging and blood-based biomarkers in clinical trials.
Photoimmunotherapy for Cancer Metastasis Treatment

Cancer metastasis has caused more than 90% of cancer deaths (Ferlay J et al in Int J Cancer 136:E359–E386, 2015). When the cancer cells have spread throughout the body, limited therapeutic options, such as systemic chemotherapy, are often not quite effective to control the disease.
Gadd45a knockdown alleviates oxidative stress through suppressing the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Abstract Objective Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disease associated with vascular oxidative stress (OS). Besides, cell response to OS triggers growth arrest and DNA damage inducible alpha (Gadd45a). Herein, we investigated the effect of Gadd45a on OS in PE. Methods Umbilical cord tissues and peripheral blood samples were collected from PE patients and normal pregnant women. Immunohistochemistry was applied to identify Gadd45a level and extent of p38 phosphorylation. To verify the effect of Gadd45a on CRL1730 human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) behavior, HUVECs were treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and Gadd45a-siRNA or P79350. OS products were detected using thiobarbituric acid-reactive-substance assay, immune enzyme assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and super oxide dismutase (SOD) kit. HUVEC behaviors were evaluated using flow cytometry, wound-healing test, and Transwell assay. The tube formation ability was assessed using in vitro tube formation assay. Results PE umbilical cord tissues exhibited increased Gadd45a expression, extent of p38 phosphorylation, 8-isoprostane and oxidatively modified low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) and decreased SOD levels. HUVECs treated with H/R or agonist + H/R showed similar expression tendencies of related genes, enhanced apoptosis and inhibited migration, invasion, and blood vessel formation. Gadd45a-siRNA conferred alleviation to OS with decreased apoptosis, greater cell migration, invasion and blood vessel, which appeared to be weakened by treatment of Gadd45a siRNA + P79350. Conclusion Over-expression of Gadd45a and activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway are associated with OS in PE. Furthermore, Gadd45a knockdown promotes cell migration and invasion, and the tube formation, thus alleviating OS in PE.
The quest for high glass transition temperature bioplastics

The field of biorenewable polymers is ever-expanding, aided by the interest of the general public to adopt more sustainable practices for natural resource utilization as well as waste generation. This review summarizes recent efforts to synthesize biobased thermoplastics with glass transition temperature (Tg) values exceeding that of polylactic acid (PLA), near 55 °C. A high Tg is essential for materials that aspire to replace any incumbent commodity plastics employed in the amorphous state. The first section focuses on commercial bioplastics and describes: approaches toward biorenewable polyethylene terephthalate (PET); efforts to improve the Tg of PLA; and advances toward polyethylene furanoate (PEF). The remaining sections catalogue a wide variety of novel, high Tg bioplastics categorized as: aromatic biopolymers, carbocyclic and heterocyclic biopolymers, and vinyl-type biopolymers synthesized via radical polymerization.
Equal channel angular extrusion for bulk processing of Fe-Co-2V soft magnetic alloys, part II: Texture analysis and magnetic properties

In Part I, equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) was demonstrated as a novel, simple-shear deformation process for producing bulk forms of the low ductility Fe–Co–2V (Hiperco 50A®) soft ferromagnetic alloy with refined grain sizes. Microstructures and mechanical properties were discussed. In this Part II contribution, the crystallographic textures and quasi-static magnetic properties of ECAE-processed Hiperco were characterized. The textures were of a simple-shear character defined by partial {110} and 〈111〉 fibers inclined relative to the extrusion direction, in agreement with the expectations for simple-shear deformation textures of BCC metals. These textures were observed throughout all processing conditions and only slightly reduced in intensity by subsequent recrystallization heat treatments. Characterization of the magnetic properties revealed a lower coercivity and higher permeability for ECAE-processed Hiperco specimens relative to the conventionally processed and annealed Hiperco bar. The effects of the resultant microstructure and texture on the coercivity and permeability magnetic properties are discussed.
Dynamic Updating of Navigation Meshes in Response to Changes in a Game World

We present a modified navigation mesh generation algorithm that allows the mesh to be dynamically altered at runtime. We accomplish this using an extension to the existing spatial decomposition algorithm ASFV (Adaptive Space Filling Volumes) that will allow the algorithm to dynamically adapt to changes to the underlying world geometry without having to rebuild the entire spatial decomposition. This is accomplished by providing two algorithms to deal with alterations to the world. The ability is provided to add arbitrary obstructions into what was negative space and then to build a new correct spatial decomposition around the new obstruction. Functionality is also provided to remove existing obstructions and then to build up new decompositions to fill in the newly created negative space. Finally, we show via an experiment that our dynamic extensions to ASFV reduces the cost of correcting an invalidated decomposition by 90% or more.
Inguinal Hernia Repair: Selecting a Repair

Numerous surgical approaches are at the disposal of the general surgeon in the treatment of the inguinal hernia. Surgeon preference and experience typically dictate the type of repair that is offered to patients, and in the current climate of fiscal constraint, economic factors play an increasing role in this decision-making. Patient-centered decision-making is facilitated by a broad knowledge of historical techniques utilized in hernia repair as well as working knowledge of current literature. An individualized approach should take into consideration patient factors and preferences along with the hernia characteristics, the level of contamination, and acuity.
Congenital Heart Surgical Admissions in Patients with Trisomy 13 and 18: Frequency, Morbidity, and Mortality

Congenital heart defects are common among patients with trisomy 13 and 18; surgical repair has been controversial and rarely studied. We aimed to assess the frequency of cardiac surgery among admissions with trisomy 13 and 18, and evaluate their associations with resource use, complications, and mortality compared to admissions without these diagnoses. We evaluated congenital heart surgery admissions of ages < 18 years in the 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database. Bivariate and multivariate analyses examined the adjusted association of trisomy 13 and 18 on resource use, complications, and inpatient death following congenital heart surgery. Among the 73,107 congenital heart surgery admissions, trisomy 13 represented 0.03% (n = 22) and trisomy 18 represented 0.08% (n = 58). Trisomy 13 and 18 admissions were longer; trisomy 13: 27 days vs. 8 days, p = 0.003; trisomy 18: 16 days vs. 8 days, p = 0.001. Hospital charges were higher for trisomy 13 and 18 admissions; trisomy 13: $160,890 vs. $87,007, p = 0.010; trisomy 18: $160,616 vs. $86,999, p < 0.001. Trisomy 18 had a higher complication rate: 52% vs. 34%, p < 0.006. For all cardiac surgery admissions, mortality was 4.5%; trisomy 13: 14% and trisomy 18: 12%. In multivariate analysis, trisomy 18 was an independent predictor of death: OR 4.16, 95% CI 1.35–12.82, p = 0.013. Patients with trisomy 13 and 18 represent 0.11% of pediatric congenital heart surgery admissions. These patients have a 2- to 3.4-fold longer hospital stay and double hospital charges. Patients with trisomy 18 have more complications and four times greater adjusted odds for inpatient death.
Review article: iron disturbances in chronic liver diseases other than haemochromatosis - pathogenic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications.

Background Disturbances in iron regulation have been described in diverse chronic liver diseases other than hereditary haemochromatosis, and iron toxicity may worsen liver injury and outcome. Aims To describe manifestations and consequences of iron dysregulation in chronic liver diseases apart from hereditary haemochromatosis and to encourage investigations that clarify pathogenic mechanisms, define risk thresholds for iron toxicity, and direct management METHODS: English abstracts were identified in PubMed by multiple search terms. Full length articles were selected for review, and secondary and tertiary bibliographies were developed. Results Hyperferritinemia is present in 4%-65% of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, chronic viral hepatitis, or alcoholic liver disease, and hepatic iron content is increased in 11%-52%. Heterozygosity for the C282Y mutation is present in 17%-48%, but this has not uniformly distinguished patients with adverse outcomes. An inappropriately low serum hepcidin level has characterised most chronic liver diseases with the exception of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and the finding has been associated mainly with suppression of transcriptional activity of the hepcidin gene. Iron overload has been associated with oxidative stress, advanced fibrosis and decreased survival, and promising therapies beyond phlebotomy and oral iron chelation have included hepcidin agonists. Conclusions Iron dysregulation is common in chronic liver diseases other than hereditary haemochromatosis, and has been associated with liver toxicity and poor prognosis. Further evaluation of iron overload as a co-morbid factor should identify the key pathogenic disturbances, establish the risk threshold for iron toxicity, and promote molecular interventions.
Structuring the Optimal Output Feedback Control Gain: A Soft Constraint Approach

This paper discusses the optimal output feedback control problem of linear time-invariant systems with additional restrictions on the structure of the optimal feedback control gain. These restrictions include setting individual elements of the optimal gain matrix to zero and making the sum of certain rows of the gain matrix equal to desired values. The paper proposes a method that modifies the standard quadratic cost function to include soft constraints ensuring the satisfaction of these restrictions on the structure of the optimal gain. Necessary conditions for optimality with these soft constraints are derived, and an algorithm to solve the resulting optimal output feedback control problem is given. Finally, a power systems example is presented to illustrate the usefulness of proposed approach.
Redox Signaling in Sickle Cell Disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by chronic hemolysis and repeated episodes of vascular occlusion leading to progressive organ injury. A dominant pathologic feature of SCD is the unbalanced, simultaneous pro-oxidant, and anti-oxidant processes at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels, with the majority of reactions tipped in favor of pro-oxidant pathways. In this brief review, we discuss new findings regarding how oxidized hemin, hemolysis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the innate immune system generate oxidative stress while hemopexin, haptoglobin, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) may provide protection in human and murine SCD. We will also describe recent clinical trials showing beneficial effects of antioxidant therapy in SCD.
Mental Health and the Brain

This chapter explores the connection between mental health disorders and trauma and substance use as their respective impacts on/in the developing brain are similar. To achieve optimal healing for youth (and really anyone with a history of trauma), an integrated understanding and approach that considers trauma, substance use, and mental health must be employed.
ACL Reconstruction In High School and College-aged Athletes: Does Autograft Choice Affect Recurrent ACL Revision Rates?:

Objectives:Physicians’ and patients’ decision-making process between bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) versus hamstring autografts for ACL reconstruction (ACLR) may be influenced by a patient’s gende...
Uncertainty-based modulation for lifelong learning

Abstract The creation of machine learning algorithms for intelligent agents capable of continuous, lifelong learning is a critical objective for algorithms being deployed on real-life systems in dynamic environments. Here we present an algorithm inspired by neuromodulatory mechanisms in the human brain that integrates and expands upon Stephen Grossberg’s ground-breaking Adaptive Resonance Theory proposals. Specifically, it builds on the concept of uncertainty, and employs a series of “neuromodulatory” mechanisms to enable continuous learning, including self-supervised and one-shot learning. Algorithm components were evaluated in a series of benchmark experiments that demonstrate stable learning without catastrophic forgetting. We also demonstrate the critical role of developing these systems in a closed-loop manner where the environment and the agent’s behaviors constrain and guide the learning process. To this end, we integrated the algorithm into an embodied simulated drone agent. The experiments show that the algorithm is capable of continuous learning of new tasks and under changed conditions with high classification accuracy (>94%) in a virtual environment, without catastrophic forgetting. The algorithm accepts high dimensional inputs from any state-of-the-art detection and feature extraction algorithms, making it a flexible addition to existing systems. We also describe future development efforts focused on imbuing the algorithm with mechanisms to seek out new knowledge as well as employ a broader range of neuromodulatory processes.
Characterization of Crude Oils through Alkyl Chain Based Separation by Gel Permeation Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

The complexity of petroleum crude oils requires a combination of analytical techniques to produce the in-depth compositional knowledge needed to enhance oil production or develop optimal refining s...
Proteomic Profiling of Plasma and Brain Tissue from Alzheimer's Disease Patients Reveals Candidate Network of Plasma Biomarkers

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia with two pathological hallmarks of tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid-β protein (Aβ)-containing neuritic plaques. Although Aβ and tau have been explored as potential biomarkers, levels of these pathological proteins in blood fail to distinguish AD from healthy control subjects. Objective We aim to discover potential plasma proteins associated with AD pathology by performing tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic analysis of proteins from peripheral and central nervous system compartments. Methods We performed comparative proteomic analyses of plasma collected from AD patients and cognitively normal subjects. In addition, proteomic profiles from the inferior frontal cortex, superior frontal cortex, and cerebellum of postmortem brain tissue from five AD patients and five non-AD controls were compared with plasma proteomic profiles to search for common biomarkers. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze plasma and brain tissue labeled with isobaric TMT for relative protein quantification. Results Our results showed that the proteins in complement coagulation cascade and interleukin-6 signaling were significantly altered in both plasma and brains of AD patients. Conclusion Our results demonstrate the relevance in immune responses between the peripheral and central nervous systems. Those differentially regulated plasma proteins are explored as candidate biomarker profiles that illustrate chronic neuroinflammation in brains of AD patients.
Minor Apocalypses: Italian Autonomia, Utopia, and Women

The essay discusses the tactics of the Italian Autonomia movement during the 1960s and 1970s as a form of realized utopia. The Autonomists rejected the reformism of the Left political parties and unions in the name of the refusal of work—work as it had been structured by capital—in order to reappropriate time to experiment with new forms of everyday existence. Women could not do the same. Therefore, when studied together with Autonomist feminism of the time, male Autonomism loses some of its radical edge. The women’s demand for wages for housework makes clear that the idea of utopia that male autonomists pursued could not be experienced in the same way by women, who continue to bear the burden of reproductive labor in the home, and whose autonomy is limited by the demands of patriarchal society.
Mitigation of the spectrum sensing data falsifying attack in cognitive radio networks

Cognitive radio networks (CRNs), which offer novel network architecture for utilising spectrums, have attracted significant attention in recent years. CRN users use spectrums opportunistically, whi...
Rooting Response of Seven Passion Fruit Species to Basal Application of Auxin

Production of passion fruit (Passiflora sp.) via cuttings is a way to eliminate genetic variation in the crop and also results in a faster establishment time. This could aid producers in increasing production efficiency while maintaining genetic lines. The objective of this research was to evaluate ease of rooting and determine the optimal auxin source for seven species of passion fruit. Semihardwood two-node cuttings were taken from the middle of the parent vine, and auxin treatments were applied to the basal end of the cutting. The cuttings were then stuck to a depth of 1 inch on 20 Aug. 2019. Treatments included three auxin sources and seven passion fruit species. Treatments were set up as a randomized complete block design blocking on species, with 10 single-plant replications per treatment. Data were collected 30 d after sticking cuttings and included percent rooted, total root number, average root length (of the three longest roots, measured in centimeters), root quality (0–5 scale, with 0 = dead and 5 = healthy, vigorous root system), root dry weight (measured in grams), and percent callus. Results showed that passion fruit cuttings receiving a hormone treatment had significantly positive effects on rooting responses, such as increased number, length, quality, and dry weight of roots. Blue passionflower (P. caerulea) was the only species in which hormone treatment did not increase rooting compared with the control. The use of hormone to aid in cutting propagation of passion fruit is recommended, depending on the species being propagated.
Potential implications of DMET ontogeny on the disposition of commonly prescribed drugs in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units

Introduction: Pediatric patients, especially neonates and infants, are more susceptible to adverse drug events as compared to adults. In particular, immature small molecule drug metabolism and excr...
How to Get from Soviet to Russian Studies

The end of major government funding for Russian studies offers a chance to start studying Russia properly.
Icu telehealth use and concern for workforce shortages among rural hospitals in Michigan at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Rationale: Though the United States has the highest number of ICU beds per capita in the world, the regional distribution of these beds is variable. Rural areas have 1% of American ICU beds despite having 16% of the country's population. Telehealth is frequently promoted as a tool that can augment care for the critically ill in rural communities. Yet, ICU telehealth still requires clinicians at the bedside who are able to provide critical care. We sought to examine telemedicine within rural ICUs in the context of potential workforce shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We identified all hospitals with ICUs in Michigan using the 2018 American Hospital Association annual survey database and internet searches. Within each hospital, an ICU physician or nurse leader was surveyed between April 6, 2020 and May 8, 2020. At that time, the state of Michigan had the fifth highest total of COVID-19 hospitalizations within the country. Participants were asked about current telehealth utilization in the ICU. Participants were also asked to rate their concern on a 4-point Likert scale regarding exceeding existing ICU capacity and ICU staffing capabilities due to the pandemic. Results: Of the 28 rural hospitals in Michigan, 14 were surveyed (response rate 50%). Among responding hospitals, 12 (86%) had fewer than 11 ICU beds and an average pre-COVID-19 census of fewer than 4 patients. At the time of the survey, ten hospitals (71%) reported using ICU telehealth support, of which two used telehealth providers exclusively overnight. Of the four hospitals without telehealth, two planned to add telehealth in response to the pandemic. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 11 hospitals (79%) reported concern about exceeding their ICU capacity, and 12 hospitals (86%) planned to create more ICU beds. The majority of rural hospitals worried about impending ICU workforce shortages, with 78% of hospitals concerned about having enough nurses, 64% about having enough respiratory therapists, and 50% about having enough physicians as a result of the pandemic. Conclusions: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most rural hospitals in Michigan utilized ICU telehealth support in some capacity. Despite broad use of telemedicine, rural hospitals remained concerned about exceeding ICU capacity and a lack of ICU nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians. Expansion of existing telehealth infrastructures within rural hospitals may improve access to critical care clinicians virtually but would not ease concerns related to capacity and workforce shortages, particularly among ICU-trained nurses.
Impact assessment of Covid-19 on the tourism sector in Andalusia: an economic approach

The goal of this study is to analyse with an economic approach the impact assessment of COVID-19 on Andalusian tourism through the input-output methodology using the social accounting matrix (SAM)....
Global health governance post-Covid-19: time for a hierarchical order?

The COVID-19 has renovated the debate about global health governance. Many scholars have proposed that the World Health Organization (WHO) should assume the position of a central coordinator with hierarchical powers. This article presents four main objections to this project: the problems with ‘one-size-fits-all’ policies, the heterogeneous distribution of power within multilateral institutions, the risks of crowding out parallel initiatives, and the democratic principle. Testing the WHO’s ability as a provider of technical information, an OLS regression, analyzing the first year of the coronavirus health crisis, from January 2020 to January 2021, in 37 countries reported in the World Values Survey Wave 7, shows a negative relationship between the population trust in the WHO and the number of cases of COVID-19. This indicates that there is a valid case for countries to strengthen the WHO’s mandate, but not to create a hierarchical global health structure.
Automation of a Hemagglutination-Inhibition Test for Parainfluenza 3 Antibodies in Bovine Sera

Abstract An automated hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test for the “shipping fever” strain (SF-4) of parainfluenza 3 antibody in bovine sera was developed and compared to manual tube and microtiter test procedures. The automated system operating at 60 samples per hr provided the most test results per specified time period, and the manual tube test provided the least. The manual microtiter test and the automated system at 40 samples per hr, falling between the two above procedures, were comparable in the number of sera that could be titrated in 1 day by one technician. There was little difference between automated and manual test reproducibility when measured at the twofold titer one-dilution difference level. However, the automated system titrated a higher number of sera at the same titer on repeat runs than either of the manual test procedures. The automated one-quartile difference reproducibility (each twofold dilution subdivided into 4 units—“quartiles”) was equal to the manual test one-dilution difference reproducibility. The standard deviation of the per cent variation from the mean of paired serum titers for 40-sample-per-hr runs ranged from ±3.49 to ±5.36%. The manual and automated systems were of comparable sensitivity in their detection of negative sera.
Optical free induction decay of the 4G52 ↔ 6H52 transition of LaF3:Sm3+

Abstract The population decay time (T1) and optical dephasing time (T2) of the 4 G 5 2 ↔ 6 H 5 2 transition LaF3:Sm3+ at 5598 A has been measured. At 1.6 K, T1 = 7.7 ms and T2 = 110 ns. The oscillator strength of this transition is 6 × 10-9. The dephasing time was measured by observing the optical free induction decay following intracavity laser frequency switching or intracavity phase switching.
A systematic review of validated methods for identifying cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack using administrative data.

Purpose To perform a systematic review of the validity of algorithms for identifying cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) using administrative and claims data. Methods PubMed and Iowa Drug Information Service searches of the English language literature were performed to identify studies published between 1990 and 2010 that evaluated the validity of algorithms for identifying CVAs (ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, intracranial hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage) and/or TIAs in administrative data. Two study investigators independently reviewed the abstracts and articles to determine relevant studies according to pre-specified criteria. Results A total of 35 articles met the criteria for evaluation. Of these, 26 articles provided data to evaluate the validity of stroke, seven reported the validity of TIA, five reported the validity of intracranial bleeds (intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage), and 10 studies reported the validity of algorithms to identify the composite endpoints of stroke/TIA or cerebrovascular disease. Positive predictive values (PPVs) varied depending on the specific outcomes and algorithms evaluated. Specific algorithms to evaluate the presence of stroke and intracranial bleeds were found to have high PPVs (80% or greater). Algorithms to evaluate TIAs in adult populations were generally found to have PPVs of 70% or greater. Conclusions The algorithms and definitions to identify CVAs and TIAs using administrative and claims data differ greatly in the published literature. The choice of the algorithm employed should be determined by the stroke subtype of interest. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee on the bed sediment geochemistry of U.S. Atlantic coastal rivers

Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, both of which made landfall in the U.S. between late August and early September 2011, generated record or near record water discharges in 41 coastal rivers between the North Carolina/South Carolina border and the U.S./Canadian border. Despite the discharge of substantial amounts of suspended sediment from many of these rivers, as well as the probable influx of substantial amounts of eroded material from the surrounding basins, the geochemical effects on the <63-µm fractions of the bed sediments appear relatively limited [<20% of the constituents determined (256 out of 1394)]. Based on surface area measurements, this lack of change occurred despite substantial alterations in both the grain size distribution and the composition of the bed sediments. The sediment-associated constituents which display both concentration increases and decreases include: total sulfur (TS), Hg, Ag, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), Zn, Se, Co, Cu, Pb, As, Cr, and total carbon (TC). As a group, these constituents tend to be associated either with urbanization/elevated population densities and/or wastewater/solid sludge. The limited number of significant sediment-associated chemical changes that were detected probably resulted from two potential processes: (1) the flushing of in-stream land-use affected sediments that were replaced by baseline material more representative of local geology and/or soils (declining concentrations), and/or (2) the inclusion of more heavily affected material as a result of urban nonpoint-source runoff and/or releases from flooded treatment facilities (increasing concentrations). Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
In-Flight Environmental Effects on Airplane Composite Vertical Fin Caps

The NASA-Langley Storm Hazards Program has given attention to the effects of severe in-flight weather environments on composite structures, using an instrumented F-106B in storm penetration experiments. The vertical fin cap was chosen for the study of lightning strike attachments on composite structures of four different types: (1) glass/epoxy with flame-sprayed aluminum; (2) Kevlar/epoxy with aluminized glass cloth; (3) graphite-epoxy without lightning protection; and (4) unprotected graphite-epoxy with electrical isolation from the rest of the aircraft structure. Flight test results are evaluated.
Verification of hybrid systems based on counterexample-guided abstraction refinement

Hybrid dynamic systems include both continuous and discrete state variables. Properties of hybrid systems, which have an infinite state space, can often be verified using ordinary model checking together with a finite-state abstraction. Model checking can be inconclusive, however, in which case the abstraction must be refined. This paper presents a new procedure to perform this refinement operation for abstractions of infinite-state systems, in particular of hybrid systems. Following an approach originally developed for finite-state systems [1, 2], the refinement procedure constructs a new abstraction that eliminates a counterexample generated by the model checker. For hybrid systems, analysis of the counterexample requires the computation of sets of reachable states in the continuous state space.We showhowsuch reachability computations with varying degrees of complexity can be used to refine hybrid system abstractions efficiently. A detailed example illustrates our counterexample-guided refinement procedure. Experimental results for a prototype implementation of the procedure indicate its advantages over existing methods.