cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemically Functionalized Clay Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites II - Vernonia Oil-based Surfactant

The primary objective of this study is to examine the role of reactive and nonreactive surfactants in exfoliation and dispersion of clay platelets in vinyl ester resin and evaluate the mechanical properties of final nanocomposites. The morphology of the nanocomposites was characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite were determined by performing tensile measurements. When the clay was ion-exchanged with a combination of reactive and nonreactive surfactants and mixed with vinyl ester resin, a partially exfoliated vinyl ester nanocomposite was formulated. The degree of dispersion of the clay platelets in vinyl ester matrix was found to be sensitive to the chemistry associated with clay platelet modification, reactive comonomer, and processing conditions. At montmorillonite clay content of only 2.5 wt%, the modulus improved by 20% in partially reactive organoclay dispersed nanocomposite, while the modulus improved by...
Decomposition responses to phosphorus enrichment in an Everglades (USA) slough

The effects of phosphorus (P) enrichment ondecomposition rates were measured in a Ploading experiment conducted in an oligotrophicmarsh in the northern Everglades, USA. In thisstudy, eighteen 2.5 m2 enclosures(mesocosms) were placed in a pristineopen-water (slough) wetland and subjectedweekly to 6 inorganic P loads; 0, 0.2, 0.4,0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 g·m−2g·yr−1. Phosphorus accumulated rapidly in the benthicperiphyton and unconsolidated detrital (benthicfloc) layer and significantly higher Pconcentrations were recorded after 1 yr of Paddition. In contrast, a significant increasein surface soil (0–3 cm) TP concentrations wasmeasured in the surface soil layer only after 3yr of loading at the highest dose. Plantlitter and benthic floc/soil decompositionrates were measured using litter bags,containing sawgrass (Cladium jamaicenseCrantz) leaves, and cotton (cellulose) strips,respectively. Litter bag weight losses weresimilar among treatments and averaged 30% atthe end of the 3 yr study period. Litter Nconcentrations increased over time by anaverage of 80% at P loads 120% at Ploads ≥ 1.6 g·m−2·yr−1.In contrast,litter P concentrations declined up to 50% inthe first 6 months in all P loads and onlysubsequently increased in the two highestP-loaded mesocosms. Cotton strip decaydemonstrated that benthic floc and soilmicrobial activity increased within 5 mo of Paddition with more significant treatmenteffects in the benthic than the soil layer. The influence of soil microbial transformationswas shown in porewater chemistry changes. While porewater P levels remained close tobackground concentrations throughout the study,porewater NH4+ and Ca2+increased in response to P enrichment,suggesting that one significant effect of Penrichment in this oligotrophic peat system isenhanced nutrient regeneration.
Single Payer as a Financing Mechanism

This article uses Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data to assess whether a single-payer health system delivers more care at less cost than do other universal coverage models. Single-payer plans are defined as those that rely on a limited number of revenue sources and systems in which financing is concentrated and private insurance for hospital and medical services is limited. Single-payer advocates argue that this organizational model is best able to reduce administrative costs, control provider payments, and limit the supply of services. This analysis shows that single-payer-like systems do not do a consistently better job of controlling physician incomes but do achieve some administrative cost savings compared to more fragmented systems. Overall, single-payer systems are modestly less costly than their peers and spend a slightly smaller share of the gross domestic product (GDP) on health. There are, however, substantial variations both over time and across countries in the performance of the single-payer-like nations, as well as among the nations in the other universal coverage model categories. Overall, the differences in system performance among the universal coverage OECD countries are very small, while the difference between the performance of any one of these countries and the United States is enormous and persistent.
Analyzing “real-world” anomalous data after experimentation with a virtual laboratory

Developing effective pedagogies to help students examine anomalous data is critical for the education of the next generation of scientists and engineers. By definition anomalous data do not concur with prior knowledge, theories and expectations. Such data are the common outcome of empirical investigation in hands-on laboratories (HOLs). These aberrations can be counter intuitive for students when they investigate real-world processes with technology tools, such as virtual laboratories (VRLs), that may project a simplified view of data. This study blended learning with a VRL and the examination of real-world data in two engineering classrooms. The results indicated that students developed new knowledge with the VRL and were able to apply this knowledge to evaluate anomalous data from an HOL. However, students continued to experience difficulties in transferring their newly constructed knowledge to reason about how anomalous data results may have come about. The results provide directions for continued research on students’ perceptions of anomalous data and also suggest the need for evidence-based instructional design decisions for the use of existing VRLs to prepare science and engineering students for real-world investigations.
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Moths in Pheromone Traps across Agricultural Landscapes in Arkansas

Pheromone trap captures of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (F.) from 2002 - 2005 were used to examine the distribution of these species across a multiple crop environment in southeast Arkansas. The greatest number of H. virescens moths was collected during 2003, but densities were low compared with H. zea throughout the study. Overall, fewer H. virescens moths were captured next to Bt corn and Bt cotton than next to nonBt cotton and early-maturing soybean. A significant relationship was not detected between pheromone trap captures of H. virescens and the percentage of these moths that fed on cotton as larvae. More H. zea moths were captured in traps located next to Bt corn and nonBt corn during the month of June than in traps located next to cotton, sorghum, or soybean, whereas traps located adjacent to early- and late-maturing varieties of soybean, Bt cotton, nonBt cotton, and grain sorghum captured greater numbers of moths than those traps located next to corn during July. Therefore, th...
Effects of fluoxetine on growth and behavior in the crayfish Orconectes rusticus

AbstractThis laboratory study examined the effects of the specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine on growth following molting and on a range of behaviors in the crayfish Orconectes rusticus. For growth experiments, male Form I and Form II crayfish were weighed and measured and placed individually in water containing 0–500 μg/L of fluoxetine. They were held in fluoxetine or control water until they molted and were reweighed two weeks post-molt. In behavior experiments, juvenile and adult animals were held individually in 0, 2, 200, or 500 μg/L of fluoxetine for 10 days and tested in an open field arena to assess locomotion, thigmotaxis, sheltering, and habituation to a novel environment. Under our laboratory conditions, crayfish exposed to fluoxetine at 500 μg/L showed significantly enhanced growth: post-molt Form I animals had greater body weight and post-molt Form II animals had greater carapace length, relative to controls. In open field tests, juvenile crayfish exposed to 2 and 500 μg/L fluoxe...
Marriage on Trial: Late Medieval German Couples at the Papal Court. By Ludwig Schmugge. Translated by Atria A. Larson. (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2012. Pp. vii, 389. $69.95.)

The increasing regulation of medieval marriage that began in the early thirteenth century produced a wealth of documentation that has allowed historians significant insights into medieval peoples’ ...
Interaction of in Atom Spin-Orbit States with Si(100) Surfaces

Scattering and desorption of In from Si(100) is investigated. Laser induced fluorescence is used to probe the desorbing and or scattered species. Auger Electron Spectroscopy is used to study the composition on the surface. The results show that at surface temperatures below 820 K a two dimensional layer of In desorbs by a half order mechanism. This is explained by assuming two dimensional In islands on the surface. Above 820 K, desorption takes place by a first order mechanism. The desorption para-meters appear to be spin-orbit state specific. The desorption energy for In 2P3/2 is 2.8 ± 0.4 eV and for In 2P½ 2.5 ± 0.2 eV. The difference is equal to the difference in the spin-orbit energy. So far no specular scattering of In is observed, suggesting that the sticking coefficients are unity.
Observations on the Abundance of Korean Mice

The description by Youngman (1956) of populations of mice in abandoned areas in Korea suggests that some previously collected data are worthy of comparison. This report describes some observations on the relative abundance of mice on the hills in which United Nations troops were camped in October and November of 1953. The captures were part of a study of haemorrhagic fever sponsored by the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board. The area had been more or less occupied by troops for several years and since July, 1953, a number of camps had been permanently located in the area. Before the Korean War the area had been intensively cultivated and several thousand people lived in the valley. The local inhabitants abandoned the area during hostilities and their small rice and grain fields developed a prolific growth of weeds. The following plants are abundant. Rosa multiflora and Quercus mongolica provide excellent shelter and food. Several shrubs ( Spirea salicifolia, Rhamnus davurica ) are also important. The legumes ( Lespedeza stipulacea and Glycine soja ) fruit prolifically. Many grasses ( Echinochloa crusgalli, Setaria faberii, Themeda japponica, Phragmites communis and Miscanihus sacchariflorus ) are widely distributed, as well as some sedges. The above list of plants indicates that a superb habitat in terms of food and shelter has developed in the abandoned areas. Methods .—Trap lines were placed at the base (I), on the side (II), and near the top (III) of a hill. Each line consisted of 20 stations placed at 50-foot intervals and having three traps. The lines were parallel and about 100 feet apart. The traps were “museum specials,” baited with plain peanut butter. The traps were visited each morning for three …
Proactive Multipath TCP for Seamless Handoff in Heterogeneous Wireless Access Networks

Multipath TCP (MPTCP) is a new evolution of TCP that enables a single MPTCP connection to use multiple TCP subflows transparently to applications. Each subflow runs independently allowing the connection to be maintained if endpoints change; essential in a dynamic network. Differentiating between congestion delay and delay due to handoffs is an important distinction overlooked by transport layer protocols. Protocol modifications are needed to alleviate handoff induced issues in a growing mobile culture. In this paper, findings are presented on transport layer handoff issues in currently deployed networks. MPTCP as a potential solution to addressing handoff- and mobility-related service continuity issues is discussed. Finally, a handoff-aware cross-layer-assisted MPTCP (CLA-MPTCP) congestion control algorithm is designed and evaluated.
Early catheterization after initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in children is associated with improved survival.

Objectives The study evaluated the institutional experience with cardiac catheterization on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Background There is scant literature on the outcomes of catheterization on ECMO. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all children who underwent catheterization on ECMO from 2003 to 2013. Patients were categorized as cardiomyopathy (CM) or congenital heart disease (CHD). Results During the study period, 215 children were placed on cardiac ECMO. Of these, 29.8% underwent 75 catheterization procedures while on ECMO support. The median age of the cohort was 1.5 months (range 0 days −16.7 years) and the median weight was 3.9 kg (2.2–63.1 kg). CM patients constituted 18.8% of the cohort and all of them underwent atrial septoplasty (an atrial septal stent in 7/12 and balloon atrial septoplasty or septostomy in 5). The survival to hospital discharge rate was 83% and the transplant-free survival rate was 58.3%. CHD patients constituted 81.2% of the cohort. In this group, transcatheter interventions were performed in 40.4% and subsequent surgical interventions in 40.4%. Survival to hospital discharge rate was 34.6% and transplant free survival rate was 32.7%. Overall, 76.7% underwent transcatheter or surgical interventions. The major catheterization complication rate was 6.7%. The mean ECMO-to-catheterization time was 1.6 days for survivors and 3.5 days for non-survivors (P = 0.034). Survival to discharge was better for the CM group compared to the CHD group (P = 0.01). Among CHD, survival was better with transcatheter interventions compared to no interventions or surgical interventions (P < 0.001). Conclusions Cardiac catheterization and transcatheter interventions on ECMO can be performed with low rate of complications. Catheterization was associated with high rate of interventions. Better survival to hospital discharge was associated with transcatheter interventions, earlier performance of catheterization after ECMO and diagnosis of CM. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stimulation of fetal hemoglobin production by short chain fatty acids

Butyrate, a four-carbon fatty acid, and its two-carbon metabolic product, acetate, are inducers of gamma-globin synthesis. To test whether other short-chain fatty acids share this property, we first examined whether propionic acid, a three-carbon fatty acid that is not catabolized to acetate, induces gamma-globin expression. Sodium propionate increased the frequency of fetal hemoglobin containing erythroblasts and the gamma/gamma + beta mRNA ratios in adult erythroid cell cultures and F reticulocyte production in a nonanemic juvenile baboon. Short-chain fatty acids containing five (pentanoic), six (hexanoic), seven (heptanoic), eight (octanoic), and nine (nonanoic) carbons induced gamma-globin expression (as measured by increase in gamma-positive erythroblasts and gamma/gamma + beta mRNA ratios) in adult erythroid burst-forming unit cultures. There was a clear-cut relationship between the concentration of fatty acids in culture and the degree of induction of gamma-globin expression. Three-, four-, and five-carbon fatty acids were better inducers of gamma globin in culture as compared with six- to nine-carbon fatty acids. These results suggest that all short-chain fatty acids share the property of gamma-globin gene inducibility. The fact that valproic acid, a derivative of pentanoic acid, also induces gamma-globin expression suggests that short-chain fatty acid derivatives that are already approved for human use may possess the property of gamma-globin inducibility and may be of therapeutic relevance to the beta-chain hemoglobinopathies.
The Needs of Evangelical Christian Leaders in the United States

An empirical investigation of the psychological difficulties experienced by Christian leaders was conducted by means of a needs survey. Results indicated that subjects considered their difficulties...
Implementation of NICHD diagnostic criteria for feature extraction and classification of fetal heart rate signals

We present a description of a computerized approach to interpretation of fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns that uses the 2008 Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring Guidelines published by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The study addresses accurate feature extraction that gives programmatic meaning to heretofore visually adjudged morphological changes in FHR that may be indicative of compromised fetal status. We develop methods for estimation of baseline heart rate, detection of morphological changes such as decelerations, and a novel method for assessing FHR variability. A strong motivation for this effort was to imitate physician judgement by following the standardized guidelines as closely as possible. We demonstrate the accuracy of this expert system on a database of 30 traces that had been originally labeled by two independent physicians.
Latin American Iron and Steel Institute

This article, written especially for Journal of Metals by ILAFA’s Secretary General, describes the events leading up to the formation of the Institute, its founding, and the problems of the Latin American steel industry which it is trying to solve.
Promising Directions for Treating Comorbid PTSD and Substance Use Disorder.

Although trauma focused (TF) psychotherapies are well established as the most effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; e.g., Institute of Medicine, 2007), questions remain about when a patient is “ready” for TF treatment. Providers can be hesitant to initiate TF treatment with patients with comorbidity (Cook et al., in press) and may offer patients non-TF options in place of, or in preparation for, TF psychotherapy (Hamblen et al., 2015). Unfortunately, there is no definitive way to determine readiness and providers may be unnecessarily delaying effective treatment. In fact, there is a growing body of literature showing that individuals who were previously considered too fragile for TF PTSD interventions because of a variety of comorbidities (e.g., psychosis, borderline personality disorder) are able to engage in and benefit from such treatment (e.g., Jongh et al., 2016). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Abstract 234: Mitofilin Directly Interacts With Cyclophilin D in the Inner Membrane of Heart Mitochondria

Introduction: We recently found that acute estrogen treatment delays the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening and reduces ROS production after ischemia/reperfusion, suggesting that estrogen promotes mitochondrial integrity. As mitochondrial inner membrane protein (mitofilin) has been found to control mitochondrial cristae morphology and function, and cyclophylin-D is a mitochondrial peptidyl-prolyl isomerase known to modulate the opening of the mPTP, we investigated whether a direct interaction between these two proteins exist in the inner membrane of mitochondria. Methods: Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation were performed in isolated heart mitochondrial fractions from male WT (C57BL/6NCrL) mice using mitofilin and cyclophilin-D monoclonal antibodies of. Mitofilin and cyclophylin-D distribution in isolated cardiomyocytes as well as in single mitochondria was also visualized using high resolution microscopy. Results: Western blot analysis shows that both mitofilin and cyclophilin-D proteins were abundantly expressed in the heart mitochondria. Immunoprecipitation with mitofilin antibody pulled down cyclophilin-D, which was detected by Western blot analysis. Co-immunoprecipitation with cyclophylin-D antibody confirms its direct association with mitofilin as mitofilin was detected by Western analysis in the immunoprecipitated product. High resolution microscopy revealed a higher degree of colocalization between mitofilin and cyclophylin-D in both cardiomyocytes and mitochondrial fractions. Conclusion: Together, these data indicate that mitofilin directly interacts with cyclophylin-D in the inner membrane of heart mitochondria. As mitofilin plays an important role in controlling mitochondrial cristae morphology and cyclophylin-D, known to modulate the opening of the mPTP, this interaction between mitofilin-cyclophilin-D may have an impact in the opening of the mPT pore.
Research Review: What have we learned about adolescent substance use?

Background Adolescence is a critical biological, psychological, and social developmental stage involving heightened risk for substance use and associated adverse consequences. This review, synthesizing emerging findings on this complex topic, is intended to inform research and clinical care focused on adolescents. Methods Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, yielding a cross-section of observational and interventional studies focused on adolescent substance use. Findings were organized and categorized to cover key areas of epidemiology, neurobiology, prevention, and treatment. Findings Adolescent substance-related attitudes and use patterns have evolved over time, informed by adult and peer behaviors, public policy, media messaging, substance availability, and other variables. A number of risk and resiliency factors contribute to individual differences in substance use and related consequences. Advances in observational techniques have provided enhanced understanding of adolescent brain development and its implications for substance use. Prevention efforts have yielded mixed results, and while a number of adolescent-targeted evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders have been developed, effect sizes are generally modest, indicating the need for further research to enhance prevention and treatment outcomes. Conclusions Substance use in adolescence is heterogeneous, ranging from normative to pathological, and can lead to significant acute and long-term morbidity and mortality. Understanding risk and resiliency factors, underlying neurobiology, and optimal developmentally sensitive interventions is critical in addressing substance-associated problems in adolescence.
Ethnic labels, pride, and challenges: A qualitative study of Latinx youth living in a new Latinx destination community

Most of the literature on Latinx youths’ ethnic identity development has been conducted in communities with a large Latinx population. Fewer studies have examined Latinx youths’ ethnic identity in communities with a smaller yet rapidly growing Latinx population (i.e., new Latinx destination communities). Twenty-five Latinx youth (10-15 years)living in a new Latinx destination community participated in semi-structured interviews to identify the ethnic labels they use to describe themselves (i.e., ethnic-identity self-identification) and explore their feelings about being Latinx (i.e., ethnic-identity affirmation). Using an existing coding scheme, we found that most immigrant youth used a national origin label alone, while U.S.-born youth used a pan-ethnic term alone or in combination with an American term. Results of the thematic analysis exploring youths’ ethnic identity affirmation indicated three themes among youths’ account of their ethnic affirmation: (a) pride; (b) communication difficulties; and (c) discrimination. Study findings have implications for examining Latinx youth ethnic identity development in new destination communities.
Improving diagnosis in health care: perspectives from the American College of Radiology

In September of 2014, the American College of Radiology joined a number of other organizations in sponsoring the 2015 National Academy of Medicine report, Improving Diagnosis In Health Care. Our presentation to the Academy emphasized that although diagnostic errors in imaging are commonly considered to result only from failures in disease detection or misinterpretation of a perceived abnormality, most errors in diagnosis result from failures in information gathering, aggregation, dissemination and ultimately integration of that information into our patients' clinical problems. Diagnostic errors can occur at any point on the continuum of imaging care from when imaging is first considered until results and recommendations are fully understood by our referring physicians and patients. We used the concept of the Imaging Value Chain and the ACR's Imaging 3.0 initiative to illustrate how better information gathering and integration at each step in imaging care can mitigate many of the causes of diagnostic errors. Radiologists are in a unique position to be the aggregators, brokers and disseminators of information critical to making an informed diagnosis, and if radiologists were empowered to use our expertise and informatics tools to manage the entire imaging chain, diagnostic errors would be reduced and patient outcomes improved. Heath care teams should take advantage of radiologists' ability to fully manage information related to medical imaging, and simultaneously, radiologists must be ready to meet these new challenges as health care evolves. The radiology community stands ready work with all stakeholders to design and implement solutions that minimize diagnostic errors.
Fundamental Rights Regimes in the European Union: Contouring Their Spheres

Various fundamental rights regimes are in operation within the European Union (EU), and frequently overlap: national regimes, the EU’s fundamental rights and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This raises the issue of how to determine their respective scope of application, which is not only a substantive question, but also a procedural one since different courts are entrusted with their protection, notably the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and national constitutional courts. Against this background, this paper explores the relevance of national fundamental rights for EU action. This paper also addresses the controversial question of the degree to which EU Member States are bound by EU fundamental rights, which in turn have finally been codified with the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.
Composition and Activity of Microbial Communities along the Redox Gradient of an Alkaline, Hypersaline, Lake.

We compared the composition of microbial communities obtained by sequencing 16S rRNA amplicons with taxonomy derived from metatranscriptomes from the same samples. Samples were collected from alkaline, hypersaline Mono Lake, California, USA at five depths that captured the major redox zones of the lake during the onset of meromixis. The prokaryotic community was dominated by bacteria from the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, while the picoeukaryotic chlorophyte Picocystis dominated the eukaryotes. Most (80%) of the abundant (>1% relative abundance) OTUs recovered as amplicons of 16S rRNA genes have been reported in previous surveys, indicating that Mono Lake's microbial community has remained stable over 12 years that have included periods of regular, annual overturn interspersed by episodes of prolonged meromixis that result in extremely reducing conditions in bottom water. Metatranscriptomic sequences binned predominately to the Gammaproteobacteria genera Thioalkalivibrio (4-13%) and Thioalkalimicrobium (0-14%); and to the Firmicutes genera Dethiobacter (0-5%) and Clostridium (1-4%), which were also abundant in the 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries. This study provides insight into the taxonomic affiliations of transcriptionally active communities of the lake’s water column under different redox conditions.
From Fort George to the Fields: The Public Space and Military Geography of Revolutionary New York City:

Drawing on the literature of public space and military geography, this article explores the martial and civilian places of New York City on the eve of the American Revolution. Whereas martial and c...
Mining Student Behavior Models in Learning-by-Teaching Environments

Abstract. This paper discusses our approach to building models and analyzing student behaviors in different versions of our learning by teaching environment where students learn by teaching a computer agent named Betty using a visual concept map representation. We have run studies in fifth grade classrooms to compare the different versions of the system. Students’ interactions on the system, captured in log files represent their performance in generating the causal concept map structures and their activities in using the different tools provided by the system. We discuss methods for analyzing student behaviors and linking them to student performance. At the core of this approach is a hidden Markov model methodology that builds students’ behavior models from data collected in the log files. We discuss our modeling algorithm and the interpretation of the models.
Food dyes should be banned

Considering the numerous studies conducted over the past 30 years, Kemp is right in urging physicians to routinely encourage patients with hyperactivity to avoid food dyes.1 However, considering the dyes’ lack of health benefit and the …
Analysis and Design of Regenerative Comparators for Low Offset and Noise

We make the case that in most comparators, offset and noise are determined by a dynamic preamplifier always embedded ahead of a regenerative latch. An analysis of this amplifier follows, from which simple expressions are obtained for input-referred offset and noise bandwidth. Practical circuit methods to compensate offset and lower noise become evident. We compare the StrongArm comparator with the double tail topology, and identify requirements for correct operation.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoscale Transition Metal Complex for Hydrogen Storage

The development of light weight hydrogen storage systems with high volumetric and gravimetric hydrogen densities is indeed essential for the on-board fuel cell vehicular applications [1]. Among the different hydrogen storage systems designed and developed so far, Ti- doped sodium aluminum hydrides exhibit potential promise of reversible hydrogen storage capacity (4-5 wt.%) at moderate temperatures [2,3]. However, the poor cyclic stability of these hydrides due to the partial reversibility of the two step reactions necessitates the development of exotic materials or tailoring the known hydride systems. On the other hand, transition metal complex hydrides, TMHx (T = Mg; M = Fe, Co, Ni) have also been identified as potential candidates for hydrogen storage [4-6] and/or analogous to alanates [7]. These hydrides especially Mg2FeH6, have shown excellent cyclic capacities (more than 500 cycles) even without a catalyst [8]. Besides, Mg2FeH6 possesses the highest volumetric and gravimetric hydrogen densities of 150 kg/m3 and 5.6 wt.% respectively [9]. However, at low temperatures, the rate of release of hydrogen and the effective reversible hydrogen capacity seems poor. Recent reports declared that the enhancement in the cycling kinetics and reduction in the operating temperature is very much possible by using a distorted nano-scale Mg structure [10, 11], doping the host lattice with Ti- species and/or lattice substitution [12]. Keeping these facts in view, the present investigation aims to improve the sorption kinetics and thermodynamics of Mg2FeH6, by 1) preparing nano-scale Mg-Fe-H system using mechano-chemical synthesis process, 2) surface localized catalyst (Ti- species) doping and 3) cationic substitution of Na+/Li+ for Mg2+ by incorporating NaH/LiH. The synergistic behavior of the tailored nano-scale transition metal complex for hydrogen storage is outlined.
[Ex vivo stem cell gene therapy of the skin : Ready for clinical use?]

Background Use of ex vivo stem cell gene therapy enables the correction of the genetic cause of a monogenetic skin disease. Objectives The procedure and choice of gene therapy method in the course of ex vivo gene therapy of the skin are presented. Materials and methods Current gene therapeutic applications focus on the addition or targeted correction of the respective gene within the genome. Results So far, gene replacement therapy has been successfully used in patients suffering from the blistering skin disease epidermolysis bullosa. Designer nuclease-based gene therapy approaches are at the preclinical stage. Conclusions The selection of the gene therapy method depends on its safety profile, the target genodermatoses and the genetic mutation to correct.
Machine Learning-Based Radar Perception for Autonomous Vehicles Using Full Physics Simulation

Safety critical systems in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) depend on multiple sensors to perceive the environment in which they operate. Radar sensors provide many advantages and complementary capabilities to other available sensors but are not without their own shortcomings. Performance of radar perception algorithms still pose many challenges, one of which is in object detection and classification. In order to increase redundancy in ADAS, the ability for a radar system to detect and classify objects independent of other sensors is desirable. In this paper, an investigation of a machine learning based radar perception algorithm for object detection is implemented, along with a novel, automated workflow for generating large-scale virtual datasets used for training and testing. Physics-based electromagnetic simulation of a complex scattering environment is used to create the virtual dataset. Objects are classified and localized within Doppler-Range results using a single channel 77 GHz FMCW radar system. Utilizing a fully convolutional network, the radar perception model is trained and tested. The training is performed using a wide range of environments and traffic scenarios. Model inference is tested on completely new environments and traffic scenarios. These simulated radar returns are highly scalable and offer an efficient method for dataset generation. These virtual datasets facilitate a simple method of introducing variability in training data, corner case evaluation and root cause analysis, amongst other advantages.
Survival Outcomes in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for High Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Nationally Representative Analysis

Abstract Objective To assess the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on survival outcomes in a contemporary cohort of patients with in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Methods The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2015 to identify subjects who underwent nephroureterectomy for UTUC. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was performed to compare all-cause mortality between patients who received preoperative chemotherapy to those who did not at each pathologic (p) TNM stage group: T1-4N0, N+, and M+ disease. Associations for all-cause mortality were identified using an adjusted Cox regression analysis. Results A total of 10,315 chemoeligible subjects were included in the analysis. A total of 296 (2.9%) of patients received NAC prior to NU. Kaplan-Meier survival curves of the entire cohort demonstrated an overall survival advantage associated with administration of NAC (P = .017). Stratified by clinical staging, subjects with nonorgan-confined tumors had improved overall survival outcomes with NAC administration (P = .012). On multivariate analysis there was a statistically significant improvement in overall survival between in patients who received NAC. Of patients in the preoperative chemotherapy group who had clinically nonorgan-confined disease, 27.1% had organ-confined disease at time of surgery compared to 1.4% of those who underwent surgery as initial therapy. Conclusion In a contemporary cohort of subjects who underwent nephroureterectomy for UTUC, administration of NAC in patients with high-grade nonorgan-confined disease led to higher rates of pathologic downstaging and was associated with improved overall survival.
"I'm going to stay young": Belief in anti-aging efficacy of menopausal hormone therapy drives prolonged use despite medical risks.

Background Over a third of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) prescriptions in the US are written for women over age 60. Use of HT more than 5 years is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease; breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers; thromboembolic stroke; gallbladder disease; dementia; and incontinence. Objectives To explore older women’s perceptions of the benefits and risks of long-term HT and examine factors influencing their decisions to use HT > 5 years despite medical risks. Methods A qualitative approach was selected to broadly explore thought processes and social phenomena underlying long-term users’ decisions not to discontinue HT. Interviews were conducted with 30 women over age 60 reporting use of systemic HT more than 5 years recruited from an urban area in California and a small city in the Rocky Mountain region. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using conventional grounded theory methods. Results Women reported using HT to preserve youthful physical and mental function and prevent disease. Gynecologists had reassured participants regarding risk, about which all 30 expressed little concern. Participants, rather than providers, were the principal drivers of long-term use. Conclusions Participants perceived estrogen to have anti-aging efficacy, and using HT imparted a sense of control over various aspects of aging. Maintaining this sense of control was prioritized over potential risk from prolonged use. Our findings provide an additional perspective on previous work suggesting the pharmaceutical industry has leveraged older women’s self-esteem, vanity, and fear of aging to sell hormones through marketing practices designed to shape the beliefs of both clinicians and patients. Efforts are needed to: 1) address misconceptions among patients and providers about medically supported uses and risks of prolonged HT, and 2) examine commercial influences, such as medical ghostwriting, that may lead to distorted views of HT efficacy and risk.
Long-range spin wave mediated control of defect qubits in nanodiamonds

Hybrid architectures that combine nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond with other materials and physical systems have been proposed to enhance the nitrogen-vacancy center’s capabilities in many quantum sensing and information applications. In particular, spin waves in ferromagnetic materials are a promising candidate to implement these platforms due to their strong magnetic fields, which could be used to efficiently interact with the nitrogen-vacancy centers. Here, we develop an yttrium iron garnet-nanodiamond hybrid architecture constructed with the help of directed assembly and transfer printing techniques. Operating at ambient conditions, we demonstrate that surface confined spin waves excited in the ferromagnet can strongly amplify the interactions between a microwave source and the nitrogen-vacancy centers by enhancing the local microwave magnetic field by several orders of magnitude. Crucially, we show the existence of a regime in which coherent interactions between spin waves and nitrogen-vacancy centers dominate over incoherent mechanisms associated with the broadband magnetic field noise generated by the ferromagnet. These accomplishments enable the spin wave mediated coherent control of spin qubits over distances larger than 200 μm, and allow low power operations for future spintronic technologies. Hybrid architectures that combine materials and devices with widely different properties promise to be at the forefront of scalable quantum systems by unlocking access to more than the simple sum of their parts. A team led by David Awschalom at the University of Chicago has now revealed the possibility of using collective spin oscillations in a ferromagnet to mediate long-range, coherent interactions between a microwave source and spin qubits confined in diamond nanoparticles. The strong surface confinement of the ferromagnet excitations and their slow decay result in an effective amplification of the source field over hundreds of micrometers at ambient conditions. This effect can extend the capabilities of solid state qubits for quantum information and nanoscale quantum sensing applications.
In reply: Is aspiration first-pass technique a better choice in mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusions?

The Authors' reply: We thank Sun and Meng for submitting their letter1 regarding our recent publication in JNIS , which described a single-center, single-operator study comparing radiographic outcomes between patients treated with stentriever-first versus aspiration-first approaches for mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke.2 We appreciate the opportunity to respond to this letter to frame our paper in the context of the ongoing debate regarding the choice of techniques for mechanical thrombectomy. Our study was initially conceived to compare angiographic reperfusion attained using various stentrievers used by the senior author in the 2018 calendar year. During the study period, we preferentially applied a stentriever-first approach, although in combination with local aspiration. This preference was due in part to the preponderance of class 1 data and corresponding American Heart Association guidelines supporting the use of stentrievers for the treatment of large vessel occlusion stroke. Indeed, the senior author used a stentriever-first approach in 78.5% of his mechanical thrombectomy cases in 2018. To incorporate all consecutive cases performed during the study period, we also included cases in which we performed manual aspiration as a …
The Impact of Bank Herding on Systemic Risk

We find that the level of bank herding in real estate loans during boom period is substantially higher than the level of bank herding in commercial and industrial loans or consumer loans. More importantly, we find that bank herding significantly increases systemic risk. In particular, herding in real estate loans by big banks contribute more to systemic risk. We find bank herding interacts with boom period to provide a stronger predictive power of systemic risk to next period beyond what is predicted by bank herding and boom period individually. We attribute these results to evidence of too-many-and-big-to-fail.
Internet of things-based functional near-infrared spectroscopy headband for mental workload assessment

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an optical brain imaging technique that maps brain function in terms of changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration (hemodynamic response) on the cortical surface of the brain. Wireless wearable fNIRS imaging is always preferable to study a brain in an unconstrained environment. However, an LED and photodetector based miniaturized fNIRS system suffers from several technical challenges to provide high fidelity fNIRS signal. This paper reports the design and development of an internet-of-things (IoT)-based wireless fNIRS headband to image hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex of the brain in naturalistic settings. The headband has four dual-wavelength LEDs and four silicon photodiode detectors arranged to provide 10 usable fNIRS channels. The designed IoT-based controller has dedicated digital and analog circuit and is operated by an embedded computing algorithm to facilitate source modulation, lock-in detection, onboard calibration, and basic signal processing to improve SNR of the optical measurements at 9 Hz. A graphical user interface (GUI) software on the host computer helps the users to visualize and record the fNIRS signal wirelessly. The experimental validation of the system was performed by imaging prefrontal cortex of the brain while the participants (n=16) performed cognitive tasks that induced four different levels of mental workload. The experimental results demonstrated that the fNIRS headband was capable of imaging hemodynamic activity of the brain. The experimental results also showed on average, four different stimulus-evoked hemodynamic responses due to the four difficulty levels of the tasks
Selective Unique Signs of Meniscus Tears as Visualized by Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

ABSTRACT The meniscus is an organized collection of fibrocartilaginous tissue that is located between the femoral condyles and the tibial plateau of the knee which primarily assists with load transmission. The complex composition of articulating soft-tissue structures in the knee causes the menisci to become a common source of injury, especially in the realm of athletic trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the imaging modality of choice for evaluating patients with suspected meniscal pathology because of its numerous advantages over plain radiographs. Most forms of meniscal tears have classic MRI findings and are used in correlation with physical examination findings to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. These imaging findings are referred to as signs and have been well studied, and the associated eponyms for each sign are well published throughout the literature. This article will review and describe a unique selection of meniscal pathology as visualized by MRI that is more commonly published in musculoskeletal radiology literature when compared with orthopedics and sports medicine literature.
Introduction to proteomics for chemical biology

Abstract This chapter presents a comprehensive introduction to the omics concept and application in modern biomedical and pharmaceutical research. The introduction mainly focuses on an overview of bottom-up proteomics for chemical biology. First, the discussion touches on multiple technical aspects of sample preparation, analytical instrumentation, chemical tools, analytical methodologies, and bioinformatics throughout a typical mass spectrometry-based bottom-up proteomics workflow. Second, the discussion extends to chemical proteomics involving the application of chemical tools and analytical approaches for studying the proteome-wide activity of small molecule compounds. The final discussion covers several challenges and their related prospects in the field of chemical proteomics.
Biosynthesis and Cellular Distribution of the Two Superoxide Dismutases of Dactylium dendroides

The synthesis and subcellular localization of the two superoxide dismutases of Dactylium dendroides were studied in relation to changes in copper and manganese availability. Cultures grew normally at all medium copper concentrations used (10 nM to 1 mM). In the presence of high (10 μM) copper, manganese was poorly absorbed in comparison to the other metals in the medium. However, cells grown at 10 nM copper exhibited a 3.5-fold increase in manganese content, while the concentration of the other metals remained constant. Cultures grown at 10 nM copper or more had 80% Cu/Zn enzyme and 20% mangani enzyme; the former was entirely in the cytosol, and the latter was mitochondrial. Removal of copper from the medium resulted in decreased Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase synthesis with a concomitant increase in the mangani enzyme such that total cellular superoxide dismutase activity remained constant. The mangani enzyme in excess of the 20% was present in the non-mitochondrial fraction. The mitochondria, therefore, show no variability with respect to superoxide dismutase content, whereas the soluble fraction varies from 100 to 13% Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. Copper-starved cells that were synthesizing predominantly mangani superoxide dismutase could be switched over to mostly Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase synthesis by supplementing the medium with copper during growth. Immunoprecipitation experiments suggest that the decrease in Cu/Zn activity at low copper concentration is a result of decreased synthesis of that protein rather than the production of an inactive apoprotein.