cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of methods to communicate treatment preferences in nursing facilities: traditional practices versus the physician orders for life-sustaining treatment program.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between two methods to communicate treatment preferences (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program vs traditional practices) and documentation of life-sustaining treatment orders, symptom assessment and management, and use of life-sustaining treatments. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study conducted between June 2006 and April 2007. SETTING: A stratified, random sample of 90 Medicaideligible nursing facilities in Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred eleven living and deceased nursing facility residents aged 65 and older with a minimum 60-day stay. MEASUREMENTS: Life-sustaining treatment orders; pain, shortness of breath, and related treatments over a 7day period; and use of life-sustaining treatments over a 60day period. RESULTS: Residents with POLST forms were more likely to have orders about life-sustaining treatment preferences beyond cardiopulmonary resuscitation than residents without (98.0% vs 16.1%, Po.001). There were no differences between residents with and without POLST forms in symptom assessment or management. Residents with POLST forms indicating orders for comfort measures only were less likely to receive medical interventions (e.g., hospitalization) than residents with POLST full treatment orders (P 5.004), residents with traditional do-not-resuscitate orders (Po.001), or residents with traditional full code orders (Po.001). CONCLUSION: Residents with POLST forms were more likely to have treatment preferences documented as medical orders than those who did not, but there were no differences in symptom management or assessment. POLST orders restricting medical interventions were associated with less use of life-sustaining treatments. Findings suggest that the POLST program offers significant advantages over traditional methods to communicate preferences about life-sustaining treatments. J Am Geriatr Soc 58:1241–1248, 2010.
Synthesis and Properties of Tetrakis-Carborane-Carboxylate Esters of 2,4-BIS-(α,β-Dihydroxyethyl) Deuteroporphyrin IX

Porphyrins and other macrocyclic nitrogen heterocycles have long been known to accumulate in a wide variety of solid tumors, although the precise biochemical mechanism for the phenomenon remains unclear.(1)In this paper we report the synthesis of a new type of water-soluble boronated porphyrin (which we call BOPP) in which four closo-carborane cages are appended to the porphyrin macrocycle by acid-resistant ester linkages. Water solubility is achieved by selective deprotection of the dipropionic acid methyl esters followed by ion exchange to the dipotassium salt. The overall yield of BOPP starting from readily available protoporphyrin dimethyl ester is usually 90% or better. Spectroscopic evidence supporting a most novel structure for BOPP is presented. Octanol/water partition coefficients determined for BOPP over a range of near-physiologic pH’s suggest that the closo-carborane cages confer nearly ideal hydrophobiCity to BOPP while the two propionic acid side groups maintain exceptional aqueous solubility. Its ideal combination of high boron content, ease and yield of synthesis, and excellent physicochemical properties, together with its exceptional tumor localizing ability as discussed by others at this Symposium, make BOPP a strong candidate for human NCT localization studies.
Ureterocele Associated with Ureteral Duplication and a Nonfunctioning Upper Pole Segment: Management by Partial Nephroureterectomy Alone

AbstractWe reviewed the records of 87 patients with a ureterocele associated with duplication and a nonfunctioning upper pole segment. All patients involved in this study were treated by partial nephroureterectomy and observation. Additional surgery to correct vesicoureteral reflux became necessary in 54 cases (62 percent). A careful retrospective chart and radiographic review identified that the need for additional surgery was directly related to the number of renal moieties that had a ureterocele or vesicoureteral reflux present. In particular, when a ureterocele alone was present 21 of 21 patients (100 percent) did not require additional surgery. When low grade (less than 3/5) reflux was present into 1 ureter 8 of 15 patients (60 percent) did not require surgery. The presence of high grade reflux into 1 moiety or vesicoureteral reflux into more than 1 moiety, regardless of the grade of reflux, almost inevitably resulted in the need for further surgery with only 2 of 50 patients (4 percent) with these a...
Distributed video arrays for tracking, human identification, and activity analysis

In this paper we discuss the intelligent or smart camera based systems for capturing visual contextual information at multiple levels of information abstraction. A distributed video array, with multiple omnidirectional and rectilinear cameras, is used to acquire visual information. System architecture as well as 3D tracking and human identification modules are described. Examples of the use of distributed video arrays in indoor, outdoor, and mobile environments are presented.
Relations between Electrical Conductivity of a Mantle and Fluctuating Magnetic Fields

Summary It is shown that the ratio of the vertical field to the horizontal field gradient outside a geological body can often be used to measure the electrical conductivity at depth within it. The in-phase part of this ratio, at a given frequency, gives the penetration depth of the magnetic field, the out-of-phase component yields approximately the conductivity at the penetration depth. In this paper it will be shown that the electrical conductivity within an object can often be related to simple properties of fluctuating magnetic fields observed and generated outside of it. The specific question to which we address ourselves is the determination of the electrical conductivity as a function of depth into a geological body by observing the properties of fluctuating magnetic fields outside that body. In the case of the Earth, we are concerned with the fluctuating magnetic fields which are excited by electric currents flowing in the ionosphere, in the case of the Moon by magnetic fields which are convected by the solar wind. We shall mathematically analyse the interaction of an oscillating magnetic field which is slightly non-uniform in the horizontal plane with a laterally uniform body whose electrical conductivity increases with depth. It will be shown that, above and outside the body, the magnetic field has two simply interpretable properties whose importance for interpreting magnetic deep sounding data has not been realized heretofore. The ratio of the ' in phase ' part of the vertical field to the ' gradient ' of the oscillating horizontal field component is equal to an appropriately defined field penetration depth. The ratio of the out-of-phase part of the vertical field and the same horizontal field gradient is approximately equal to the field attenuation length associated with the electrical conductivity of the body evaluated at the field penetration depth. Chapman (1919) pointed out that the fluctuating magnetic fields observed at the surface of the Earth could be resolved into normal modes and that the part of each normal mode which is due to eddy currents flowing inside the body could be separated from that due to currents flowing externally. By noting that the internal currents were coupled to and excited by the external currents, he obtained an approximate value for the Earth's conductivity. Various combinations of the ' complex ' ratio of the internal current and the external current have subsequently been denoted as magnetic response functions. By studying these response functions as a function frequency means have been devised to generate conductivity profiles of the Earth and Moon from experimental data (Rikitake 1966). Most analyses have seriously utilized only the real part of this response function (e.g. Banks 1969), i.e. they have considered only the magnitude of the horizontal
Solvent induced transition from wrinkles to creases in thin film gels with depth-wise crosslinking gradients

We investigated solvent induced transition of surface instability from wrinkles to creases in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) gels with depth-wise crosslinking gradients. The mode of surface instability and morphology of surface patterns was found to be dependent on the equilibrium linear expansion, which was a function of crosslinker concentration and the solvent–polymer interaction. The maximum linear expansion was obtained when the PHEMA film was swollen in a good solvent, which had the Hildebrand solubility parameter (δs) close to that of PHEMA gels, 26.6 to 29.6 MPa1/2. In a relatively poor solvent (e.g. water), wrinkling patterns were obtained and the morphoplogy was determined by the concentration of the crosslinker, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). In a good solvent, such as alcohol and alcohol/water mixture, the equilibrium linear expansion ratio increased significantly, leading to the transition from wrinkling to creasing instability. In an ethanol/water mixture, we systematically varied the ratio between ethanol and water and observed the transition from wrinkling to creasing when gradually adding ethanol to water, and the reverse transition when adding water in ethanol. The onset of the linear expansion ratio for creasing (αc,c) was again found dependent on EGDMA concentration: αc,c ≈ 2.00 and 1.3, respectively, for gels with 1 and 3 wt% EGDMA. Finally, we demonstrated confinement of the creases by combining swelling and photopatterning.
Right-handers and Americans favor turning to the right.

We tested a finding by E. S. Robinson (1933) that people have a bias to turn right upon entering a building. We hypothesized that this bias is attributable to learning derived from traffic rules that specify driving on the right side of the road and that it also could be related to handedness. We tested participants in both the United States and England in a simple "T-maze" task in order to compare their directional preference. Handedness was the best predictor of participants' directional preference. However, U.S. participants also were statistically more likely to turn right than were English participants. The preference to turn right was not found to be significantly related to eye dominance or reading direction of the primary written language of the participant, although in the case of reading direction, the sample size of right-to-left readers was too small to be conclusive. The findings support that walking direction preference is an additive function of both learned driving patterns and genetic handedness. These findings have practical implications for the design of public spaces such as schools, businesses, and urban centers.
Rumination and Lifetime History of Suicide Attempts

The primary goal of the current study was to examine the link between rumination (brooding and reflective rumination) and the history of suicide attempts in adult psychiatric inpatients. As predicted, psychiatric inpatients reporting histories of suicide attempts exhibited higher current levels of brooding, but not reflective, rumination than did those with no prior suicide attempts. These results were maintained even after statistically controlling for patients’ current depressive symptom levels. These results support the hypothesis that rumination, particularly brooding rumination, may be a risk factor for suicide attempts.
Covalent and noncovalent modifiers of the p53 protein.

Despite the massive attention it has received, there is still much to learn about the p53 tumour suppressor protein. Given that it plays complex and multiple roles in cells, it is not surprising that p53 is subjected to an intricate array of regulatory processes. p53 receives signals from cells in multiple ways, leading to its stabilization and activation. The functions of the protein are altered by phosphorylation and other covalent modifications. However, a number of proteins can regulate p53 function dramatically by noncovalent means. p53 is thus subjected to numerous signalling and regulatory pathways which we have only begun to decipher.
Grain-Size Determinations

This study compares the grain sizes of dense, equiaxed gadolinia (Gd2O3) specimens as determined by light microscope/polished surface and by scanning electron microscope/fracture surface techniques. The average intercept lengths (AIL) as determined by the two techniques were found to differ only slightly. For Gd2O3 in the grain-size range studied, a factor of ∼1.10 converts the fracture-surface AIL to the polished-surface AIL.
Clinical and Histopathologic Features of Chordomas in Children and Young Adults

Abstract Chordoma is a tumor of the axial skeleton that is distinctly uncommon in children and adolescents. Previous observations have suggested that chordomas in pediatric patients differ from adult chordomas in presentation, morphology, and behavior. This study examines the clinical and histologic features of chordomas in young patients (≤25 years old). All cases from the Mayo Clinic files were graphed according to age and a bimodal distribution was observed. The 35 cases representing the youngest population were selected for review. Histopathology ranged from low cellularity tumors with lobulated architecture and abundant myxoid matrix (conventional chordoma), to those with varying amounts of chondroid matrix (chondroid chordoma), to more cellular tumors (atypical chordoma), and finally to neoplasms with high-grade spindle-cell differentiation (dedifferentiated chordoma). Over an average follow-up period of 129 months (range 1 to 501 months), there were 13 deaths (37%) and 3 patients with metastasis. T...
Transforming growth factor-β induces fibrosis in immune cell-depleted lungs

the study by Xu and colleagues, one of the current articles in focus (Ref. [30a][1], see [p. L527][2] in this issue), addresses the potential role of epithelial cell production of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β on fibrosis using immune cell-depleted lung tissue slices. This question is
DECREASING HOSPITAL UTILIZATION OF A HIGH RISK HEART FAILURE POPULATION IN A LARGE URBAN ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATION: THE USE OF A CLINICAL PHARMACIST, SERIAL BIOMARKERS, AND POINT OF CARE ULTRASOUND

We evaluated whether a team based outpatient heart failure (HF) program utilizing a clinical pharmacist, serial measurements of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and GE Vscan point of care (POC) ultrasound can reduce hospital utilization. The HF program included cardiologists and a specialty trained
Integrated all-optical infrared switchable plasmonic quantum cascade laser

We report a type of infrared switchable plasmonic quantum cascade laser, in which far field light in the midwave infrared (MWIR, 6.1 μm) is modulated by a near field interaction of light in the telecommunications wavelength (1.55 μm). To achieve this all-optical switch, we used cross-polarized bowtie antennas and a centrally located germanium nanoslab. The bowtie antenna squeezes the short wavelength light into the gap region, where the germanium is placed. The perturbation of refractive index of the germanium due to the free carrier absorption produced by short wavelength light changes the optical response of the antenna and the entire laser intensity at 6.1 μm significantly. This device shows a viable method to modulate the far field of a laser through a near field interaction.
Normal serum proteins in gastric juice. A preliminary report.

There has been considerable interest in the high molecular weight constituents of gastric juice, with reference to both their biochemi­ cal characteristics and physiologic signifi­ cance. It has been shown that gastric juice from normal subjects and patients with gastric disease is a complex solution of high molecular weight constituents with diverse biochemical, 1. 2 chromatographic,3-5 electro­ phoretic, 6 • 7 polarographic,8 and biologic 9 characteristics. It has also been demon­ strated that there are significant qualitative and quantitative differences between these components in health and disease.1° It is likely that the heterogeneity of gastric juice is even greater than is indicated by the above analytic techniques. One un evaluated technic for gastric juice analysis is the specific immunologic identification of these high molecular weight constituents. This preliminary report is concerned with the application of the immunologic tech­ niques of gel diffusion precipitin analysis and immunoelectrophoresis to the demon­ stration of normal serum proteins present in certain pathologic gastric juice specimens, and their potential clinical values as indica­ tors of gastric disease.
Democracy's Missing Meaning

The decision to abandon relative peace and prosperity for brutal war and instability may seem irrational. But young people, born and raised in democratic societies, have increasingly been yielding to the appeal of death-dealing groups like the Islamic State, leaving their homes and families to wage jihad in faraway places. Why has democracy lost the allegiance of these restless spirits, and how can it recapture the hearts and minds of others who would follow suit?
Analysis on Epidemiological Characteristics of Measles in Wuxi during 2004-2009

[Objective] To understand the epidemiological characteristics of measles in Wuxi during 2004-2009,provide the basis for making new control strategy.[Methods]The epidemic data of measles during 2004-2009 were analyzed with epidemiology.[Results]During 2004-2009,the annual average incidence of measles was 5.52/lakh,and the incidence rate of floating population was higher than that of local population.Most of the local cases are adults over 20 years old,and most of the floating cases are children aged 8 months~6 years.The majority of cases had no vaccination records.[Conclusion]The main cause of rising incidence of measle was blank immunization among floating population.In order to eliminate measlse in Wuxi,the management of floating population should be improved to avoid blank immunization.
Changing indications for liver transplantation

Improvement in liver transplantation over the past decade has resulted in questions regarding indications and contraindications, patient selection, timing, and cost.
Impact of Radical Prostatectomy on Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes in a Matched Cohort of Men with Pathological Node Positive Prostate Cancer Managed by Castration.

Purpose: Long-term data supporting the role of primary tumor resection in node positive prostate cancer are lacking. We evaluated the impact of adding radical retropubic prostatectomy to surgical castration on long-term oncologic outcomes in pathological node positive prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: We identified men who underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy and orchiectomy within 90 days for pathological node positive prostate cancer from 1966 to 1995. Men treated with radical retropubic prostatectomy in addition to orchiectomy were matched 1:1 to men who underwent orchiectomy alone based on age, year of surgery, clinical grade, clinical T stage, number of positive nodes and preoperative serum prostate specific antigen, the latter from 1987 and thereafter. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were done to compare cancer specific and overall survival.Results: The matched cohort included 158 men with 79 in each group. Of men who underwent orchiectomy alone 76 died, including 60 of prostate cancer. Of...
Abundances of isotopologues and calibration of CO 2 greenhouse gas measurements

Abstract. We have developed a method to calculate the fractional distribution of CO2 across all of its component isotopologues based on measured δ13C and δ18O values. The fractional distribution can be used with known total CO2 to calculate the amount of substance fraction (mole fraction) of each component isotopologue in air individually. The technique is applicable to any molecule where isotopologue-specific values are desired. We used it with a new CO2 calibration system to account for isotopic differences among the primary CO2 standards that define the WMO X2007 CO2-in-air calibration scale and between the primary standards and standards in subsequent levels of the calibration hierarchy. The new calibration system uses multiple laser spectroscopic techniques to measure mole fractions of the three major CO2 isotopologues (16O12C16O, 16O13C16O, and 16O12C18O) individually. The three measured values are then combined into total CO2 (accounting for the rare unmeasured isotopologues), δ13C, and δ18O values. The new calibration system significantly improves our ability to transfer the WMO CO2 calibration scale with low uncertainty through our role as the World Meteorological Organization Global Atmosphere Watch Central Calibration Laboratory for CO2. Our current estimates for reproducibility of the new calibration system are ±0.01 µmol mol−1 CO2, ±0.2 ‰ δ13C, and ±0.2 ‰ δ18O, all at 68 % confidence interval (CI).
A retrospective single institution review of 90 pancreatic adenosquamous cancer (PASC) patients (pts).

4125 Background: PASC is a rare and aggressive subset of pancreatic cancer. PASCs are more likely to have poorly differentiated histology and positive lymph nodes. No separate treatment guidelines ...
Tree-Ring Dating of Snow Avalanches in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Snow avalanches are major hazards to humans occupying or visiting mountain ranges around the world. Accurate dating of past high-magnitude snow avalanches is important for a better understanding of their frequency, extent, and climatic driving factors. As climates change, prediction of shifts in avalanche frequency and/or magnitude are better enabled when a thorough understanding of past avalanche occurrences exists.
Preliminary Experience Using Eye-Tracking Technology to Differentiate Novice and Expert Image Interpretation for Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia

Objectives Objective measures are needed to guide the novice's pathway to expertise. Within and outside medicine, eye tracking has been used for both training and assessment. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that eye tracking may differentiate novices from experts in static image interpretation for ultrasound (US)-guided regional anesthesia. Methods We recruited novice anesthesiology residents and regional anesthesiology experts. Participants wore eye-tracking glasses, were shown 5 sonograms of US-guided regional anesthesia, and were asked a series of anatomy-based questions related to each image while their eye movements were recorded. The answer to each question was a location on the sonogram, defined as the area of interest (AOI). The primary outcome was the total gaze time in the AOI (seconds). Secondary outcomes were the total gaze time outside the AOI (seconds), total time to answer (seconds), and time to first fixation on the AOI (seconds). Results Five novices and 5 experts completed the study. Although the gaze time (mean ± SD) in the AOI was not different between groups (7 ± 4 seconds for novices and 7 ± 3 seconds for experts; P = .150), the gaze time outside the AOI was greater for novices (75 ± 18 versus 44 ± 4 seconds for experts; P = .005). The total time to answer and total time to first fixation in the AOI were both shorter for experts. Conclusions Experts in US-guided regional anesthesia take less time to identify sonoanatomy and spend less unfocused time away from a target compared to novices. Eye tracking is a potentially useful tool to differentiate novices from experts in the domain of US image interpretation.
Accuracy and Safety of the Cytosponge for Assessing Histologic Activity in Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Two-Center Study.

Accuracy and Safety of the Cytosponge for Assessing Histologic Activity in Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Two-Center Study
Introduction to the 2017 Cardiovascular Surgery-Themed Issue of Circulation.

The past year in cardiac surgery has been particularly fertile from an academic point of view, with the results of 2 large clinical trials (NOBLE [Nordic-Baltic-British Left Main Revascularisation Study] and EXCEL [Evaluation of XIENCE versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization]) providing additional information about percutaneous coronary intervention versus bypass surgery for the treatment of left main …
Minimizing identity threat: Open work group identity, identity negotiation, and identity outlets

Identity threat is prevalent in the workplace and can have negative effects on employees such as increased antisocial and withdrawal behaviors and lower levels of job performance. There are multiple sources and types of identity threat, and organizations can benefit by implementing norms that minimize identity threat. Organizations can combat identity threat by reducing the frequency of the sources of identity threat, minimizing the likelihood of experiences being perceived as identity threats, and attenuating the negative effects of identity threat. I propose three organizational norms that can minimize identity threat: open work group identity, work group identity negotiation, and identity outlets. Theoretical and practical implications of my theoretical model are discussed.
Aging of Stem Cells: Intrinsic Changes and Environmental Influences

Publisher Summary The consideration of stem cells in the context of organismal aging and longevity requires an understanding of how stem cells themselves manifest the process of aging and how those changes contribute to the phenotypes of aged tissues and organs and the entire organism. To approach this chapter examines some key distinctions and characteristics of stem cells. Then it presents general issues of aging that are relevant to stem cells. Stem cells hold the promise of cure of many human diseases, in particular degenerative diseases and diseases of aging, whether by enhancement of endogenous stem cell function or transplantation of exogenous stem cells. In the context of aging, the success of any stem-cell-based therapy will be highly dependent on the status of the niche, appreciating the likelihood that age-related changes may render the niche less able to promote optimal stem cell function. Therefore, while enhancing the functionality of endogenous stem cells or optimizing the functionality of exogenous stem cells will be important for the success of such therapy, so will any treatments that may prime or prepare the niche to support those cells optimally, particularly in the aged host. The concept that stem cells may have applications to the delay of organismal aging requires the consideration of the universality of the aging process of both the proliferative and the nonproliferative tissues and the profound influence of the systemic milieu on cells within any tissue.
Creepiness Creeps In: Uncanny Valley Feelings Are Acquired in Childhood

The uncanny valley posits that very human-like robots are unsettling, a phenomenon amply demonstrated in adults but unexplored in children. Two hundred forty 3- to 18-year-olds viewed one of two robots (machine-like or very human-like) and rated their feelings toward (e.g., "Does the robot make you feel weird or happy?") and perceptions of the robot's capacities (e.g., "Does the robot think for itself?"). Like adults, children older than 9 judged the human-like robot as creepier than the machine-like robot-but younger children did not. Children's perceptions of robots' mental capacities predicted uncanny feelings: children judge robots to be creepy depending on whether they have human-like minds. The uncanny valley is therefore acquired over development and relates to changing conceptions about robot minds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The attentive and the careless: Examining the relationship between benevolent and malevolent personality traits with careless responding in online surveys

Abstract Careless responding, in which respondents put forth insufficient effort to properly complete a survey, is a problem for researchers hoping to obtain accurate data in online samples. Recent studies have indicated that Big Five personality traits (particularly agreeableness and conscientiousness) are systematically related to careless responding. We expand on this research by examining the relationship between careless responding and benevolent (i.e., HEXACO personality traits, self-esteem) and malevolent (i.e., psychopathy, Machiavellianism, right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and domain-specific risk taking) traits. Using a large sample of undergraduate students (N = 905), we found that both benevolent and malevolent traits were related to careless responding, with malevolent traits having a larger effect. These results show that careless responding is influenced by a participant's personality and self-interest motivation.
Iron transport kinetics through blood-brain barrier endothelial cells.

Abstract Background Transferrin and its receptors play an important role during the uptake and transcytosis of iron through blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells (ECs) to maintain iron homeostasis in BBB endothelium and brain. Any disruptions in the cell environment may change the distribution of transferrin receptors on the cell surface, which eventually alter the homeostasis and initiate neurodegenerative disorders. In this paper, we developed a comprehensive mathematical model that considers the necessary kinetics for holo-transferrin internalization and acidification, apo-transferrin recycling, and exocytosis of free iron and transferrin-bound iron through basolateral side of BBB ECs. Methods Ordinary differential equations are formulated based on the first order reaction kinetics to model the iron transport considering their interactions with transferrin and transferrin receptors. Unknown kinetics rate constants are determined from experimental data by applying a non-linear optimization technique. Results Using the estimated kinetic rate constants, the presented model can effectively reproduce the experimental data of iron transports through BBB ECs for many in-vitro studies. Model results also suggest that the BBB ECs can regulate the extent of the two possible iron transport pathways (free and transferrin-bound iron) by controlling the receptor expression, internalization of holo-transferrin-receptor complexes and acidification of holo-transferrin inside the cell endosomes. Conclusion The comprehensive mathematical model described here can predict the iron transport through BBB ECs considering various possible routes from blood side to brain side. The model can also predict the transferrin and iron transport behavior in iron-enriched and iron-depleted cells, which has not been addressed in previous work.
Phase Directing Ability of an Ionic Liquid Solvent for the Synthesis of HER-Active Ni2P Nanocrystals

An ionic liquid (IL) solvent was used to synthesize small, phase-pure nickel phosphide (Ni2P) nanocrystals. In contrast, under analogous reaction conditions, substitution of the IL for the common high-boiling organic solvent 1-octadecene (ODE) results in phase-impure nanocrystals. The 5 nm Ni2P nanocrystals prepared in IL were electrocatalytically active toward the hydrogen evolution reaction. The synthesis in IL was also extended to alloyed Ni2–xCoxP nanocrystals, where 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1.5.
Interferon-gamma drives programmed death-ligand 1 expression on islet β cells to limit T cell function during autoimmune diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is caused by autoreactive T cell-mediated β cell destruction. Even though co-inhibitory receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1) restrains autoimmunity, the expression and regulation of its cognate ligands on β cell remains unknown. Here, we interrogated β cell-intrinsic programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in mouse and human islets. We measured a significant increase in the level of PD-L1 surface expression and the frequency of PD-L1+ β cells as non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice aged and developed diabetes. Increased β cell PD-L1 expression was dependent on T cell infiltration, as β cells from Rag1-deficient mice lacked PD-L1. Using Rag1-deficient NOD mouse islets, we determined that IFN-γ promotes β cell PD-L1 expression. We performed analogous experiments using human samples, and found a significant increase in β cell PD-L1 expression in type 1 diabetic samples compared to type 2 diabetic, autoantibody positive, and non-diabetic samples. Among type 1 diabetic samples, β cell PD-L1 expression correlated with insulitis. In vitro experiments with human islets from non-diabetic individuals showed that IFN-γ promoted β cell PD-L1 expression. These results suggest that insulin-producing β cells respond to pancreatic inflammation and IFN-γ production by upregulating PD-L1 expression to limit self-reactive T cells.
Rancor and resilience in the Atlantic Political Order: the Obama years

Transatlantic relations reached a low point during the first Bush Administration, as U.S. and European partners fell out over the invasion of Iraq. Using a framework developed by G. John Ikenberry,...
Implications of HEAO A-1 and Einstein Satellite Observations of Clusters of Galaxies

Here we present a review of X-ray observations we have made over the past several years. This work is a survey of all rich clusters with the HEAO A-1 experiment, plus some follow-up work with the Einstein Observatory. For brevity, we touch on a few salient points. A full account of the HEAO A-1 work can be found in Johnson et al. 1983, Kowalski et al. 1983a, Kowalski et al. 1983b. In Figure 1, we show the clusters that were detected as X-ray sources. These were found by explicitly examining the X-ray data associated with each cluster in the Abell catalog (Abell 1958) and the southern sky catalog of Duus and Newell (1977). From this, we have derived two complete samples—one from Abell’s “statistical” sample (richness ≧1 clusters in a well defined area of the sky) and that from the southern clusters plus the, richness = 0 Abell clusters in the same portion of the sky as the statistical sample. The resulting luminosity functions are shown in Figures 2a and 2b. There are several points we would like to make based on these figures. First, it is clear that a simple exponential or power law function will not fit the data (2a).
Assessment of Sleep Duration, Sleep Habits, Napping, and Circadian Rhythms in the Patient Complaining of Fatigue

When a patient complains of job-related fatigue or chronic fatigue, a critical component of his or her evaluation is to determine if the fatigue is secondary to the patient’s sleep schedule, or to a sleep disorder, or to a circadian rhythm disorder. This chapter provides the reader with a description of how that evaluation should proceed and what tests, studies, and procedures to employ.
Fully Additively Manufactured Tunable Active Frequency Selective Surfaces with Integrated On-package Solar Cells for Smart Packaging Applications

A first-of-its-kind fully inkjet-printed electronically tunable active flexible frequency selective surface (FSS) using varactors with integrated on-package solar cells is presented in this paper. Each varactor is biased by a dedicated on-package inkjet-printed solar cell using a low-temperature fabrication process. The solar cell changes its output voltage with variation in light intensities that eventually leads to a change in capacitance of the varactor and overall frequency response of the FSS. The proposed design eliminates the use of labor intensive biasing network, bulky power supply and micro-controllers to tune the FSS frequency response. These structures presents an autonomous, ultra low cost on-package RF shielding mechanism for next-generation of system-on-chip packaging applications that can be tuned on-demand at different frequency bands by simple variation of incident light intensities. Thus making them useful for a wide range of terrestrial, outer-space and EMI shielding applications.
Sex-Related Differences in Photoplethysmography Signals Measured From Finger and Toe

Sex plays an important role in the normal cardiovascular system function including resting heart rate and arterial blood pressure. In addition, it has been reported that men and women are at different levels of risk for cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the temporal and morphological features of both finger and toe photoplethysmography (PPG), and anthropometric and biological parameters with respect to sex. A customized PPG and electrocardiography (ECG) combo device was developed to measure the signals of interest. ECG/PPG features in addition to subjects’ information were compared regarding finger and toe PPGs. Eighty-eight subjects participated in the study. Linear regression and Student’s t-test were used for statistical analysis. Our results revealed that pulse arrival time (PAT), pulse transit time (PTT), systolic pulse transit time (SPTT), and the ratio of areas under the PPG waveform from the onset to the inflection point and the inflection point to the end of the waveform (S2/S1), are dependent on sex. The highest dependence was shown for the finger PTT while the toe PTT did not indicate any significant dependence on sex. This is the first study that evaluates the effect of sex on cardiovascular system function using finger and toe PPG based features which can help to understand sex-based risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and to improve related disease management and treatments.
The cognitive connection: Software maintenance and documentation

With the goal of trying to understand what software maintainers do, talking aloud, video taped protocols with four expert maintainers were conducted as they were actively engaged in the process of enhancing a relatively small, interactive database program. The subjects exhibited a number of different types of information gathering strategies. Underlying these patterns of behavior, however, was the use of expectations about what should be seen in the program under examination. These expectations were generated on the basis of knowledge previously acquired as to the goals and programming plans that are typically employed in realizing interactive database programs. Thus, while the experts seemed to posses adequate programming knowledge, their actual code patches violated a basic principle of program structure. This failure by the programmers was attributed to ineffective program documentation. Suggestions for changes in the content of program documentation that should better facilitate software maintenance are presented.
Nonlinear Pricing: Evidence of Price Discrimination in the Fluid Milk Market

Firms may use nonlinear price schedules, possibly to the detriment of some consumers, to price discriminate and increase profits. However, it is possible that these nonlinear price schedules may also increase welfare from the consumer's perspective if they are able to serve portions of a market that firms may otherwise ignore. The more extensive theoretical literature on price discrimination shows how firms may use nonlinear price schedules to price discriminate by distorting product characteristics from their efficient levels given heterogeneous preferences among consumers. Additionally, the theoretical literature finds that whether or not this practice is welfare decreasing or increasing from the consumer's perspective depends on a number of factors, thus implying that the welfare implications of price discrimination from the consumer's perspective is an empirical question. Subsequently, some recent empirical papers have found this form of second-degree price discrimination to be welfare decreasing from the consumer's perspective whereas other papers, depending on the analyzed market, have found it to be welfare increasing. In this paper, I study the consumer welfare implications of nonlinear pricing in the market of fluid milk. Variation in the ratio between marginal price per ounce and marginal cost per ounce over the menu of options is evidence that firms are using nonlinear pricing schedules to price discriminate. Once this evidence is shown, I use counterfactual analysis to determine the welfare implications of this practice within the market for fluid milk from the consumer's perspective. I find that firms within this industry are using nonlinear pricing to price discriminate for private label products, of which conservative estimates show that approximately 7.20% of the markup differential between sizes can be explained by price discrimination. However, I find that very little of the markup on Regional branded products, approximately 0.32%, can be attributed to price discrimination. In my most compelling set of counterfactual analyses, I show that consumers are worse off due to price discrimination and my counterfactual analysis shows that households are on average anywhere between $0.0249 to $.0555 to worse off per shopping trip under a forced linear pricing, which corresponds to a total yearly welfare difference between $63 million to $140 million per year within my sample region due to the nonlinear pricing strategies used by firms in the marketplace. Additionally, I estimate and utilize models similar to the status quo in the literature on price discrimination thus far that do not have household demographic characteristics included and compare them my preferred specification which does, showing that ignoring the demographic makeup of the marketplace's individuals and actual consumer decisions leads to potentially biased parameter estimates.
Structure, phonons, and orbital degrees of freedom in Fe 2 Mo 3 O 8

We report on the structural and spectroscopic characterization of the multiferroic ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}{\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$. Synchrotron x-ray and neutron diffraction as well as thermal expansion measurements reveal a lattice anomaly at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}\ensuremath{\simeq}60\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ but do not show any symmetry lowering in the magnetically ordered state. The lattice parameter $c$ exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior with a pronounced minimum around 200 K, which is also reflected in an anomalous behavior of some of the observed infrared-active optical excitations and parallels the onset of short-range magnetic order. The infrared reflectivity spectra measured between 5 and 300 K in the frequency range of $100\text{--}8000\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ reveal most of the expected phonon modes in comparison with the eigenfrequencies obtained by density-functional calculations. The ${A}_{1}$ phonons show an overall hardening upon cooling, whereas a nonmonotonic behavior is observed for some of the ${E}_{1}$ modes. These modes also show a strongly increased phonon lifetime below ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$, which we associate with the quenched direction of the orbital moment in the magnetically ordered state. A similar increase is observed in the lifetime of the higher-lying $d\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ excitations of the tetrahedral ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ site that become clearly visible below ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ only.
Electrically Tunable Second Harmonic Generation Enhancement on a Parametrically Excited Metasurface

Leveraging the resonantly enhanced parametric excitation of amorphous silicon metasurface, we achieved second harmonic generation (SHG) with ultra-high ON/OFF ratio of 15000. It provides a compact and electrically tunable approach to boosting and dynamically controlling SHG.
Probabilistic Deep Learning Approach to Automate the Interpretation of Multi-phase Diffraction Spectra

Author(s): Szymanski, NJ; Bartel, CJ; Zeng, Y; Tu, Q; Ceder, G | Abstract: Autonomous synthesis and characterization of inorganic materials require the automatic and accurate analysis of X-ray diffraction spectra. For this task, we designed a probabilistic deep learning algorithm to identify complex multi-phase mixtures. At the core of this algorithm lies an ensemble convolutional neural network trained on simulated diffraction spectra, which are systematically augmented with physics-informed perturbations to account for artifacts that can arise during experimental sample preparation and synthesis. Larger perturbations associated with off-stoichiometry are also captured by supplementing the training set with hypothetical solid solutions. Spectra containing mixtures of materials are analyzed with a newly developed branching algorithm that utilizes the probabilistic nature of the neural network to explore suspected mixtures and identify the set of phases that maximize confidence in the prediction. Our model is benchmarked on simulated and experimentally measured diffraction spectra, showing exceptional performance with accuracies exceeding those given by previously reported methods based on profile matching and deep learning. We envision that the algorithm presented here may be integrated in experimental workflows to facilitate the high-throughput and autonomous discovery of inorganic materials.
Structure, function, and genetics of human class II molecules.

Publisher Summary The human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex is located on the short arm of chromosome 6. At least three classes of molecules are controlled by the HLA region, each functioning in a distinct way to perform immunologic tasks. The class I molecules, HLA-A, -B, and -C, are the classic transplantation antigens. The class II molecules, the HLA-D region antigens, are composed of two subunits, but unlike the class I molecules, both subunits are instrinsic membrane proteins and both subunits are encoded within in the MHC. To understand the way these HLA-D region molecules function in cellular collaboration and antigen presentation, it is important to elucidate the assortment of HLA-D region molecules found on the surface of immune response related cells. At least three structurally distinct HLA-D region molecules, DH, DQ, and DP, have been isolated from a single cell line. Coupled with information at the DNA level, this effectively divides the HLA-D region into at least three subregions encoding a minimum of six protein chains. Based on structural homology with the murine I-region antigens, the DR antigens appear to be related to the murine I-E antigens, while the DQ antigens are similar to the murine I-A antigens. As the basic understanding of major histocompatibility complex-controlled immune responsiveness broadens and hybridoma and gene cloning technology advances, the specific enhancement of desired immume responses and the suppression of deleterious ones will most likely become possible.
Using heuristic task analysis to create web-based instructional design theory.

The first purpose of this study was to identify procedural and heuristic knowledge used when creating web-based instruction. The second purpose of this study was to develop suggestions for improving the Heuristic Task Analysis process, a technique for eliciting, analyzing, and representing expertise in cognitively complex tasks. Three expert web-based instruction designers were identified and selected for interviews based on visibility, recommendations, knowledge, and availability. Each expert was asked to choose three web-based instruction cases and verbalize the steps, underlying thoughts, and guidelines used to create the instruction. The primary procedural steps identified include topic definition, task and content analysis, establishment of web-based instruction objectives, development of the instruction, and elicitation of feedback. The identified heuristic knowledge was mostly exclusive and reflected the contextual and personal history that helped to establish each expert's knowledge. The Heuristic Task Analysis process was instantiated multiple times which provided ample data for process improvement suggestions. The study findings were used to create a theory for web-based instruction and an updated version of the Heuristic Task Analysis. The web-based instruction theory includes six phases that contain the procedural and heuristic knowledge used by expert designers of web-based instruction. The categories of heuristic knowledge identified include instructional design guidelines, content capturing guidelines, interpersonal guidelines, and high-profile project guidelines.