cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aluminum nitride pMUT based on a flexurally-suspended membrane

Piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) for air-coupled ultrasound applications were fabricated using aluminum nitride (AlN) as the active piezoelectric material. Earlier pMUTs based on a fully clamped membrane design suffer from high sensitivity to residual stress, causing large variations in the operating frequency, and have a reduced dynamic range due to nonlinearity at large drive voltages. Here we evaluate a new design based on a membrane that is supported by three flexures and a thin oxide layer, aimed to release residual stress, extend the mechanical dynamic range and improve the acoustic coupling. The acoustic performance of this flexurally suspended design is compared with a fully clamped one, showing a piston-like mode shape, which translates to improved output sound pressure.
Magnetic damping of steel sheet

Vibrations in a hot dip galvanizing process produces variations in zinc coating weight which are undesirable for automotive applications. A potential solution for decreasing the vibrations is the use of switching electromagnets. The nature of electromagnets as applied to thin steel strip is presented with a combination of experimental data and theoretical development. Parameters such as electromagnet placement, strip material, strip thickness, and estimated response are discussed.
Turbulent flame stabilization modes in premixed swirl combustion: Physical mechanism and Karlovitz number-based criterion

Abstract Modern low-emission, lean premixed gas turbine combustion systems often rely on confined swirling flows associated with sudden expansions to enhance flame anchoring. Through the establishment of multiple recirculation zones and shear layers, such complex reacting flows give rise to several possible average flame shapes or macrostructures. Among these, the single conical flame stabilized along the inner shear layer (ISL) and the double conical flame stabilized along both the inner as well as the outer shear layers (OSL) and the outer recirculation zone (ORZ) are of special interest. One of the reasons is that the transition between these two flames has been previously linked to the onset of thermo-acoustic instabilities under acoustically coupled conditions. In this study we investigate the mechanism underlying the flame transition to the ORZ/OSL and propose a criterion for its occurrence, in an acoustically uncoupled combustion system. To reach this goal, the effects of the fuel composition (CH 4 –H 2 ), Reynolds number, swirler blade angle and heat loss were experimentally analyzed. We find evidence that the transition starts with an intermittent inflammation of the ORZ caused by a flame kernel detaching from the ISL. Above a critical equivalence ratio, the flame kernel expands and spins along with the ORZ flow. Next, we explore the effect of the operating conditions on the onset of an ORZ flame. We propose a Strouhal number to describe the ORZ flame spinning frequency ( f ORZ ) also shown to be a predominately hydrodynamic quantity. Finally, we show that the flame transition to the ORZ is governed by a balance between a flame time to a flow time that can be expressed in a form of a Karlovitz number ( Ka ORZ ) defined as the ratio of the ORZ spinning frequency and extinction strain rate; the former is a surrogate for the bulk azimuthal strain rate in the ORZ.
Linking Heterotrophic Microbial Activities with Particle Characteristics in Waters of the Mississippi River Delta in the Aftermath of Hurricane Isaac

Riverine runoff often triggers microbial responses in coastal marine environments, including phytoplankton blooms and enhanced bacterial biomass production that drive the transformation of dissolved and particulate organic matter on its way from land to the deep ocean. We measured concentrations and characteristics of particulate organic matter (POM), concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and bacterial community abundance and activities in the water column at three sites near the Mississippi River Delta two weeks after Hurricane Isaac made landfall in late August 2012. River plumes had salinities of >30 PSU and high levels of DOC (210-380 µM), resulting from the storm surge that pushed large quantities of marine waters upstream. Relatively high concentrations of phytoplankton POM and low levels of microbial exopolymeric particles (TEP and CSP) suggested that storm-induced riverine discharge triggered the development of phytoplankton blooms that were in their initial stages at the time of sampling. Surface water POM had C/N ratios of 5-7 and strong protein-like fluorescence signals in the base-extracted POM (BEPOM) fraction at the two sites closer to the river mouth (Stns. TE and MSP). Freshly produced POM triggered a twofold increase in heterotrophic bacterial biomass production (3H-leucine incorporation) and a fourfold increase in bacterial peptide hydrolysis (activities of leucine-aminopeptidase). In contrast, elevated DOC concentrations coincided with only moderate bacterial community activity, suggesting that heterotrophic bacterial metabolism near the Mississippi River Delta in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac was more closely linked with autochthonous primary production.
Dynamics of Preimaginal Populations of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and Eretmocerus sp. (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) in Southern California Cotton

Immature populations of sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), were sampled in cotton fields in southern California; three fields were sampled in 1982; five fields were sampled in 1983. Population densities varied from 0 to 20 nymphs per mainstem node. Young nymphs represented approximately half the population early in the season, but the proportion of young nymphs decreased to zero late in the season. Populations were subject to little parasitism by Eretmocerus sp. in the first half of the season; parasitism increased to about 70% in the second half of the season.
Effect of Chain Length Distribution on the Tearing Energy of Silicone Elastomers

Abstract The tearing energies of two endlinked PDMS networks, one a monomodal distribution of chain lengths and the other a bimodal mixture of very short and rather long chains, at the same average molecular weight between crosslinks, were compared. The bimodal network exhibited higher tearing strengths than the monomodal network under the same experimental conditions. At threshold conditions, the bimodal network tearing energy was 70% higher than the threshold strength of the monomodal network. A rederivation of the Lake and Thomas theory for the threshold tearing strength which includes a bimodal probability distribution of chain lengths is shown to predict the observed behavior. The strength increase of these bimodal networks is attributed to the presence of the long chains which increases the energy required for fracture while maintaining the same number of chains crossing the fracture plane as in the monomodal network of the same crosslink density, by including a large number of short chains.
Loss of Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein delays early-onset severe retinal ciliopathy in Cep290rd16 mouse.

Purpose Mutations in the cilia-centrosomal protein of centrosomal protein of 290 kDa (CEP290) result in severe ciliopathies, including autosomal recessive early onset childhood blindness disorder Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). The Cep290(rd16) (retinal degeneration 16) mouse model of CEP290-LCA exhibits accumulation of CEP290-interacting protein Raf-1 kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) prior to onset of retinal degeneration (by postnatal day P14). We hypothesized that reducing RKIP levels in the Cep290(rd16) mouse will delay or improve retinal phenotype. Methods We generated double mutant mice by combining the Cep290(rd16) and Rkip(ko) alleles (Cep290(rd16):Rkip(+/ko) and Cep290(rd16):Rkip(ko/ko)). Retinal function was assessed by ERG and retinal morphology and protein trafficking were assessed by histology, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and immunofluorescence analysis. Cell death was examined by apoptosis. Results Prior to testing our hypothesis, we examined ERG and retinal morphology of Rkip(ko/ko) mice and did not find any detectable differences compared with wild-type mice. The Cep290(rd16):Rkip(+/ko) mice exhibited similar retinopathy as Cep290(rd16); however, Cep290(rd16): Rkip(ko/ko) double knockout mice demonstrated a substantial improvement (>9-fold) in photoreceptor function and structure at P18 as of Cep290(rd16) mice. We consistently detected transient preservation of photoreceptors at P18 and polarized trafficking of opsins to sensory cilia in the double mutant mice; however, retinal degeneration ensued by P30. Conclusions Our studies implicate CEP290-RKIP pathway in CEP290-retinal degeneration and suggest that targeting RKIP levels can delay photoreceptor degeneration, assisting in extending the time-window for treating such rapidly progressing blindness disorder.
CFD transition modeling: Blending classical methods with modern tools (invited)

There is a distinct need for laminar-turbulent transition modeling capabilities in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers. Classical methods for transition prediction, including local-correlation methods and linear-stability theory, are based on quantities normally associated with integral boundary-layer methods rather than considered in CFD calculations. Nevertheless, it is desirable to model transition using the same methods used to model turbulence so as to be compatible with available solution methods and parallelization. Several such transition models are described, including the amplification factor transport model that incorporates the well-known linear stability theory (e) method into a CFDcompatible model. Selected results of this model are included along with a brief discussion on the future outlook.
Atomic Resolution Imaging of Surfaces By Electron Microscopy

The electron microscope can be operated in several different modes to provide atomic-level detail about surfaces. The REM technique with glancing-angle incidence permits the topography of bulk surfaces to be characterized with a resolution of better than 10A, and atomic-step-height features are visible. The standard TEM bright- and dark-field modes can also be used with appropriate samples to provide monolayer sensitivity. The profile imaging technique is ideal for following real-time dynamic processes. Typical vacuum levels ( ∼10−7 torr), and the lack of facilities for surface cleaning, currently impose a restriction on the materials which can be usefully studied in most available microscopes. Clean and well-defined environments for the sample, without any compromise of the microscope performance, will become increasingly common in the near future.
Thyroid Metabolism of Chickens: 1. Estimation of Hormone Concentration by the Thyroxine Binding Globulin Technique

Abstract The thyroxine binding globulin technique was used to estimate T4 concentration in the plasma of chickens from 13 days of age to maturity. Average T4 values ranged from .69 to 1.21 μg. percent, not corrected for percent recovery. T4 recovery averaged 44 percent. T4 values were lowest for mature chickens. The optimum concentration of serum and T4 in the thyroxine binding globulin solution was 1.8 percent serum and 74 ng. percent T4. Excess serum or T4 caused a reduction in the sensitivity of the assay. These results are in reasonable agreement with a previous report of T4 concentration using the thyroxine binding globulin technique, but are substantially lower than the reported results obtained by cation exchange resin and thin-layer chromatography.
Abstract TP278: Complement Cascade Inhibition Abrogates tPA-mediated Hemorrhage and Brain Edema Following Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) remains the only approved pharmacologic treatment for patients with ischemic stroke. Although intravenous thrombolysis improves outcome in a subset of patients, tPA also increases symptomatic hemorrhage and worsens brain edema, thus limiting its clinical applicability. Among several putative mechanisms, plasmin-meditated complement cascade activation likely plays a critical role in the deleterious effects of tPA. Hypothesis: tPA administration promotes C3 cleavage and complement activation in ischemic brain, and pharmacologic inhibition of the C3a receptor abrogates tPA-mediated hemorrhage and brain edema following reperfused stroke. Methods: C3a concentrations were assessed using ELISA. Transient focal cerebral ischemia was induced in mice by 60 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), with tPA (10mg/kg) or saline injected intravenously at reperfusion. C3a receptor antagonist (1mg/kg) or vehicle was administered 45 minutes prior to MCAO. Infarct volume was determined at 24 hours by TTC staining, neurological function was assessed on a 5-point scale, and brain hemorrhage was quantified using a spectrophotometric assay. Cerebral edema was determined by calculating the difference in volume between ischemic and non-ischemic hemispheres and normalized to infarct volume. Results: The incubation of tPA with native C3 as well as plasma promotes the generation of C3a. Similarly, intravenous tPA administration dramatically increases cerebral C3a levels in the ischemic hemisphere following MCAO. Intravenous tPA significantly reduces infarct volume (p Conclusions: Intravenous tPA administration promotes complement activation through C3 cleavage in ischemic brain. Pharmacologic inhibition of the C3a receptor protects against the deleterious side effects of tPA and represents a promising therapeutic strategy for stroke patients.
Effects of intracellular calcium on proximal bicarbonate absorption

Using in vivo microperfusion in the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) of the Munich-Wistar rat, we assessed the impact of raising intracellular calcium concentration on bicarbonate transport and its regulation by angiotensin II. Luminal perfusion with the calcium ionophore A23187 caused a dose-dependent increase in S1 PCT bicarbonate absorption, with a maximal change of 60 peq.mm-1.min-1. Subsequent addition of phorbol ester (PMA) after A23187 further increased transport but to a level no higher than previously shown with PMA alone, and A23187 was nonstimulatory when added after PMA. These results suggest that intracellular calcium affects the same pathway as protein kinase C in stimulating proximal acidification. Pretreatment with A23187 (+/- PMA) attenuated by approximately one-third the bicarbonate absorptive response in the S1 PCT usually observed after angiotensin II administration. A23187 had similar actions, but of smaller magnitude, in the S2 PCT. In conclusion, a rise in intracellular calcium increases bicarbonate absorption in the S1 and S2 PCT in vivo.
Linking laboratory and hospital information systems: the modular approach.

Linking hospital nursing stations directly to the internal workflow of the clinical laboratory through an HIS/LIS system is a complex task. However, a successful system can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of processing test requests and the relevance of management reports.
Non-Linear Tidal Flows and Electric Analogs

Electrical model of proposed sea level Panama Canal was constructed and measurements of tidal elevations and discharges were made at midpoint and 2 ends of canal; mean velocities were computed and comparisons were made with results of hydraulic model studies; utilization of nonlinear elements in analog to obtain accurate descriptions of wave forms.
Mechanism of Molybdenum-Mediated Carbon Monoxide Deoxygenation and Coupling: Mono- and Dicarbyne Complexes Precede C–O Bond Cleavage and C–C Bond Formation

Deoxygenative coupling of CO to value-added C≥2 products is challenging and mechanistically poorly understood. Herein, we report a mechanistic investigation into the reductive coupling of CO, which provides new fundamental insights into a multielectron bond-breaking and bond-making transformation. In our studies, the formation of a bis(siloxycarbyne) complex precedes C–O bond cleavage. At −78 °C, over days, C–C coupling occurs without C–O cleavage. However, upon warming to 0 °C, C–O cleavage is observed from this bis(siloxycarbyne) complex. A siloxycarbyne/CO species undergoes C–O bond cleavage at lower temperatures, indicating that monosilylation, and a more electron-rich Mo center, favors deoxygenative pathways. From the bis(siloxycarbyne), isotopic labeling experiments and kinetics are consistent with a mechanism involving unimolecular silyl loss or C–O cleavage as rate-determining steps toward carbide formation. Reduction of Mo(IV) CO adducts of carbide and silylcarbyne species allowed for the spectro...
A Systems-Type Approach to Problems of Fracture

Fracture is a many-sided problem. It encompasses various elements of structure including the microstructure of material, complex loading, and stress and strain concentrations, as well as a competition among elastic response, plasticity, and numerous modes of cracking. These elements are brought together in the form of a systems-type analysis. The approach, which can be adapted for machine calculations, lends organization to the problem, and reveals strengths and weaknesses in our understanding. Finally, three examples of systems-type analyses are outlined to illustrate the kinds of solutions that may become routine in the future.
IS METABOLIC ACTIVATION OF TOPOISOMERASE II POISONS IMPORTANT IN THE MECHANISM OF CYTOTOXICITY

The antitumor drugs doxorubicin and etoposide, a phodophyllotoxin derivative, are clinically active for the treatment of human malignancies. Because of their extreme effectiveness in the clinic, their modes of actions have been the subject of intense research for over several decades both in the laboratory and in the clinic. It has been found that both doxorubicin and etoposide (VP-16) act on topoisomerase II, induce DNA cleavage, and form double-strand breaks, causing tumor cell death. However, both of these drugs also undergo extensive metabolism in tumor cells and in vivo to various reactive intermediates that bind covalently to cellular DNA and proteins. Moreover, both drugs are metabolized to reactive free radicals that induce lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. However, the role of drug activation in the mechanism of cytotoxicity remains poorly defined. In this review, we critically evaluate the significance of metabolic activation of doxorubicin and etoposide in the mechanism of tumor cytotoxicity.
Visualizing the social and geographical embeddedness of local food systems

Abstract Re-localizing food distribution is expected to geographically concentrate social and economic capital toward values that are beneficial to both consumers and producers. Yet, both the theory of how communities benefit from purchasing local food and the practice of promoting local food lack foundational empiric evidence that makes spatially explicit the procurement typologies and the communities that are connected. This research pilots a method for understanding the geographic patterns of local food supply chains in relation to the social networks formed through farm tours, byproduct sales, farm-to-farm collaboration, and donations to the local food bank. This method is expected to improve both the theory and practice of re-localizing food systems, thereby helping scholars and policymakers to identify and correct for inequities while also recognizing successful practices and opportunities in situ. Findings are based on a novel dataset from Chester County, Pennsylvania encompassing 1089 connections between 117 farms and 637 locations. Farms primarily engage with one marketing typology. The most common marketing practices are wholesale distribution and direct-marketing to consumers through farmers’ markets; both market typologies have an average reach of over 50 km. Central to the social network, is a third typology characterized by sales to restaurants, collaboration amongst farms and participation with local food bank programming. Interviews with policymakers and market managers ground-truth and relate findings to state and local regulations.
Metallosupramolecular Complexes Based on Pyrogallol[4]arenes

Abstract Novel metal-organic nanocapsules have shown great potential in various applications ranging from drug delivery, sensing, gas adsorption/separation, and catalysis. Herein, we provide a brief introduction of pyrogallol[4]arene-based dimeric (M7L2 and M8L2) and hexameric (M12L6 and M24L6) metal-organic nanocapsules. In addition, hierarchical assemblies using dimeric/hexameric nanocapsules as building blocks are introduced. The strategies of direct linking, addition of a bridging linker, and dual function of C-propan-3-ol-pyrogallol[4]arene have been employed to connect these nanocapsules into supramolecular superstructures. In addition, the solution-phase studies of metallopyrogallol[4]arene complexes showing solution-phase stability, rearrangement of nanoassemblies, and magnetic behavior of these nanocapsules are presented.
Convective helium cooling of grids in continuously operated neutral beam injectors

The grid wires in the accelerator region of neutral beam injectors can be subjected to high heat fluxes from charge-exchange ion impingement, electron impingement, and radiation. Since the actual values for these heat fluxes are not yet well known, it is useful to determine the limits on the allowable heat flux for various grid cooling schemes. The first example chosen for this parametric study is the potentially interesting case of helium-cooled TZM grid tubes. The results indicate that sputtering and thermal deflections are the two most severe limits on the heat flux that can be tolerated by the grids.
The Acute Scrotum

The “acute scrotum” describes a clinical scenario of recent onset scrotal pain with obvious local tenderness or discomfort. There are a number of possibilities and in no particular order, these include Torsion Testis Testicular appendages (e.g., hydatid of Morgagni) Infection Orchitis (e.g., mumpsvirus) Epididymo-orchitis (bacterial) Trauma (includes vaginal delivery and the effects of forceps!) Varicocele Inguinal hernia (either de novo or incarcerated) and acute hydrocele (including that of cord)(Chapter 4.14) Idiopathic scrotal edema Tumor – rare, orchidoblastoma (young), and teratoma (adolescent) Referred pain from loin pathology (testis and kidney − shared heritage)
Die Realisierung der Beschreibungskomponente

In diesem Kapitel wird die bisher vorgeschlagene und motivierte Vorgehensweise zur Generierung koharenter Beschreibungstexte formalisiert und zwar insofern, als Datenstrukturen und Algorithmen einer implementierten Beschreibungskomponente dargestellt werden. Die Implementation ist als Experiment zu verstehen, mithilfe dessen die Algorithmisierung der kognitiven Entscheidungsverfahren getestet werden kann. Ein solcher Test, der erst durch den Aufbau eines Systems ermoglicht wird, ist im Fall der Beschreibung zeitveranderlicher visueller Daten unerlaslich. Da die verwendeten Algorithmen zu einer dynamischen Veranderung des Systemverhaltens fuhren, z.B. aufgrund bereits generierter Auflerungen, konnen durch Handsimulation kaum Aussagen uber die Angemessenheit der Algorithmen getroffen werden. Ein weiteres Problem stellt auch der Umfang der zu verarbeitenden Daten dar. Von einem System konnen fur unterschiedliche Szenen Beschreibungstexte generiert werden, die einfach zu beurteilen sind. Gerade die Anwendung der Prozesse auf verschiedene Szenen zeigt deutlich ihre Leistungsfahigkeit aber auch ihre Grenzen und Erweiterungsmoglichkeiten. Einige der im folgenden vorgestellten Algorithmen konnten erst entwickelt werden, nachdem die Grenzen der Prototypimplementation deutlich wurden.
Monoclonal antibodies directed against basic fibroblast growth factor which inhibit its biological activity in vitro and in vivo

A panel of four murine monoclonal IgG1 antibodies (mAbs) to a recombinant form of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was produced using somatic cell fusion techniques. Non-linear regression analysis of radioimmunoassay data for each mAb yielded the following dissociation constants (nM) for their interactions with bFGF: DE6 (0.822); AF11 (2.0); FE8 (2.31); and DG2 (20.0). One of the mAbs, DG2, was identified as a bFGF neutralizing antibody on the basis of its ability to inhibit, in vitro, the binding of [125I]-bFGF to high and low affinity bFGF sites on cultured baby hamster kidney cells and bFGF-induced [3H]-thymidine incorporation in cultured 3T3 cells, and in vitro, the angiogenic response to bFGF in a rat kidney capsule model of angiogenesis. The other mAbs displayed varying inhibitory activities in these assays. These mAbs, particularly DG2, may be well suited for a number of applications in bFGF research including immunoassays, immunohistochemical studies, and as functional antagonists of bFGF for examining its role in physiological processes such as reproduction, growth, and development.
The Role of XSLT in Digital Libraries, Editions, and Cultural Exhibits

We offer a half day tutorial that will explore the role of XML and XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations, themselves XML documents) in digital library and digital humanities projects. Digital libraries ideally aim to provide both access and interaction. Digital libraries and digital humanities projects should foster edition building and curation. Therefore, this tutorial aims to teach librarians, scholars, and those involved in cultural heritage projects a scripting language that allows for easy manipulation of metadata, pictures, and text. The modules in this tutorial will help participants in planning for their own organizations digital efforts and scholarly communications as well as in facilitating their efforts at digitization and creating interoperability between document editions. In five instructional modules, including hands-on exercises, we will help participants gain experience and knowledge of the possibilities that XSLT offers in transforming documents from XML to HTML, from XML to text, and from one metadata schema to another.
Introduction to Process Innovation Cases

While it is clear that few Service Innovations are really ‘single category’, this section presents Case Studies that can be called ‘Process’ Innovations through being either Processes for ‘doing Innovation’, Innovations that changed processes, or Innovations whose key content turned out to be in the area of Process.
Criteria to define mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury in the mouse controlled cortical impact model

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health concern in the United States resulting in a substantial number of hospitalizations and in a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities. In the clinical setting, neurological responsiveness and structural imaging are used to classify mild, moderate and severe TBI. To evaluate the complex secondary and severity-specific injury response, investigators have relied on pre-clinical rodent models. The controlled cortical impact (CCI) model in mice is a widely used to study TBI. The CCI method has demonstrated consistent intra-laboratory outcomes due to precise control of cortical depth penetration, dwell time and speed of impact. While the CCI method results in control of injury severity, there is no consensus regarding the injury parameters or behavioral and histological endpoints that constitute a mild, moderate or severe TBI in this model. This discrepancy has resulted in considerable variability across laboratories in the outcomes of CCI-induced mild, moderate, and severe TBI. Inconsistent with clinical evaluation, injury severity in the CCI model has predominately relied on the extent of tissue damage. In the present review, we discuss variations in surgical parameters for injury induction as well as the criteria used to determine injury severity. Additionally, we propose guiding principles for the induction and defining of mild, moderate and severe TBI in the craniectomy-dependent experimental mouse CCI model.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Exposure, Assessed Using Serial LDL-c Measurements, is Associated with Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

Introduction Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a process of diffuse, circumferential intimal thickening felt to be secondary to both immune-mediated mechanisms and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Previous studies have shown that HMG CoA Reductase inhibitors, also known as statins, reduce the incidence of CAV. While statin use is associated with a reduction in LDL-c, the impact of LDL-c exposure over time on CAV severity is unknown. Hypothesis Higher LDL-c exposure after cardiac transplantation is associated with an increased risk of CAV. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study on patients 18 years of age and older who underwent cardiac transplantation at the University of Michigan between January 1, 2006 and October 17, 2017. Baseline comorbidities, medications, and lipid levels were extracted from the electronic medical record. Lipid exposure to time of CAV diagnosis or last follow-up was quantified using the LDL-c area under the curve (AUC) calculated using the trapezoidal rule. Cardiac catheterization reports were reviewed to determine CAV severity using the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) scoring system and dichotomized into ISHLT 0/1 versus 2/3 CAV, representing those individuals with insignificant versus significant disease respectively. The two groups were balanced on baseline characteristics using inverse propensity weighting. Adjusted Cox regression was used to determine the relationship between the dichotomized ISHLT classifications and AUC for LDL-c. Results One-hundred sixty-three of 311 patients underwent cardiac catheterization post-transplant of whom data was available for 153 patients across all relevant variables. Fourteen of 153 patients (9.2%) had ISHLT grade 2/3 CAV. Patients in the two groups were not statistically different in terms of age, demographic characteristics, and co-morbidities at the time of transplant or immunosuppression at year 1. There were no significant differences in baseline LDL-c between the two groups (p = 0.13) though the groups differed at baseline with respect to the ratio of high-density cholesterol to triglycerides (p = 0.02) and triglycerides (p = 0.04), the latter two of which were included in the inverse propensity model. Mean AUC LDL-c was 89.5 (SE 2.2) for those with ISHLT 0/1 CAV versus 101.5 (SE 6.6) for those with ISHLT 2/3 CAV. Higher LDL-c exposure was significantly associated with ISHLT 2/3 CAV with every 1 unit increase in LDL-c AUC associated with a 1% increased risk for development of ISHLT 2/3 CAV (HR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00-1.01; p = 0.01). Conclusions Higher LDL-c exposure was associated with increased risk of CAV. Further prospective studies are warranted looking at the impact of statin intensification on incidence of CAV and clinical outcomes following cardiac transplantation.
Variability of the f-cell ratio after treatment of traumatic hemorrhagic shock.

Abstract Purpose Measuring total blood volume (TBV) in critically ill patients, using isotope techniques to determine red cell volume (RBCV) and plasma volume (PV) is laborious. Recently, PV measurement using a single bolus dose of tracers has been validated, thus, allowing TBV calculation using large venous hematocrit (LVHCT). However, this technique relies on using a correlation factor, the f-cell ratio, to adjust for differences in LVHCT and total body hematocrit (TBHCT). The normal f-cell ratio is 0.9 but has never been studied in patients recovering from hemorrhagic shock (HS). This study assesses the f-cell ratio at different phases after HS to determine accuracy in calculating TBV. Methods 114 injured patients requiring immediate operation for HS were studied. All patients had measurements of PV and RBCV via isotope dilution enabling measurements of TBHCT. Correlation of LVHCT and TBHCT were used to calculate the f-cell ratio in the fluid sequestration (n = 81) and in the fluid mobilization period (n = 108). Results The f-cell ratio (mean ± SD) averaged 0.89 ± 0.15 and 0.90 ± 0.01 in the first and second halves of the fluid sequestration period versus 0.90 ± 0.2 and 0.80 ± 0.07 in the first and second 48 h of the fluid mobilization period. The f-cell ratio was significantly lower (p= Conclusions These data show for the first time that using PV and LVHCT to calculate TBV after HS is unreliable. The mechanisms causing this variation in f-cell ratio is unknown but likely related to capillary/interstitial dynamics and needs further scientific study.
Appearance Framing versus Health Framing of Health Advice: Assessing the Effects of a YouTube Channel for Adolescent Girls.

ABSTRACTThe present experimental study tested the effects of appearance framing of health advice on adolescent girls’ state self-objectification, appearance anxiety, and preference for appearance-e...
Online coders, open codebooks: New opportunities for content analysis of political communication

Analyzing audiovisual communication is challenging because its content is highly symbolic and less rule-governed than verbal material. But audiovisual messages are important to understand: they amplify, enrich, and complicate the meaning of textual information. We describe a fully-reproducible approach to analyzing video content using minimally—but systematically—trained online workers. By aggregating the work of multiple coders, we achieve reliability, validity, and costs that equal those of traditional, intensively trained research assistants, with much greater speed, transparency, and replicability. We argue that measurement strategies relying on the “wisdom of the crowd” provide unique advantages for researchers analyzing complex and intricate audiovisual political content.
Signatures of divergent anti-malarial treatment responses in peripheral blood from adults and young children in Malawi.

Heterogeneity in the immune response to parasite infection is mediated in part by differences in host genetics, gender, and age group. In infants and young children, ongoing immunological maturation often results in increased susceptibility to infection and variable responses to drug treatment, increasing the risk of complications. Even though significant age-associated effects on host cytokine responses to Plasmodium falciparum infection have been identified, age-associated effects on uncomplicated malaria infection and anti-malarial treatment remain poorly understood. In samples of whole blood from a cohort of naturally infected malaria-positive individuals with non-severe falciparum malaria in Malawi (n = 63 total; 34 infants and young children 18 years old), blood cytokine levels and monocyte and dendritic cell frequencies were assessed at two timepoints: acute infection, and 4 weeks post anti-malarial treatment. The effects of age group, gender, and timepoint were modeled, and the role of these factors on infection and treatment outcomes was evaluated. Regardless of treatment timepoint, in this population age was significantly associated with overall blood haemoglobin, which was higher in adults, and plasma nitric oxide metabolites, IL-10, and TNF levels, which were higher in young children. There was a significant effect of age on the haemoglobin treatment response, whereby after treatment, levels increased in young children and decreased in adults. Furthermore, there were significant age-associated effects on treatment response for overall parasite load, IFN-γ, and IL-12(p40), and these effects were gender-dependent. Significant age effects on the overall levels and treatment response of myeloid dendritic cell frequencies were observed. In addition, within each age group, results showed continuous age effects on gametocyte levels (Pfs16), TNF, and nitric oxide metabolites. In a clinical study of young children and adults experiencing natural falciparum malaria infection and receiving anti-malarial treatment, age-associated signatures of infection and treatment responses in peripheral blood were identified. This study describes host markers that may indicate, and potentially contribute to, differential post-treatment outcomes for malaria in young children versus adults.
Challenging Bioanalyses with Capillary Electrophoresis.

This report covers advances in capillary electrophoresis (CE) from January 2018 through September 2019. A summary of the literature during this time period is insightful. A search performed using the SciFinder Scholar database for journal reports (limited to English) using the term capillary electrophoresis returned approximately 1,800 publications. Further analysis of this list provided a snapshot of activity in biomolecular research. Classes of biomolecules most frequently associated with CE publications were proteins, drugs, DNA and metabolites. Another measure of the impact of CE is the translation of this technology into society. A search of patent activity illustrating this process of CE technology transfer returned 346 patents published in all languages, with a substantial contribution reported only in Chinese (198 patents) or English (98 patents). Established applications of CE continued to serve as the gold standard for molecular separations providing analytical assays, enantiomeric resolution a...
Decreasing Duplicative Imaging: Inpatient and Emergency Medicine Abdominal Ultrasound Within 72 Hours of Abdominal CT

Abstract Purpose The aim of this project was to reduce abdominal ultrasound examinations in patients who had undergone abdominal CT within 72 hours previously. Methods A best practice advisory (BPA) was created in the electronic medical record to advise against the use of abdominal ultrasound in adult inpatients and emergency department patients who had undergone abdominal CT within the preceding 72 hours. Acceptable acknowledgment reasons to proceed with the order were made available if providers chose to override. Frequency of BPA firing and subsequent ordering behavior were evaluated 6 months after integration of the BPA into the electronic medical record. Chart review was conducted for 100 patients whose orders were placed through an override of the alert to determine if the ultrasound study added value and for all patients whose ultrasound studies were canceled to confirm that patient care was not compromised by omitting the ultrasound study. Results In the first 6 months, a total of 614 inpatient and emergency department abdominal ultrasound orders triggered the BPA. A total of 16% of orders (n = 96) were canceled by the provider after the BPA, reflecting 518 overrides. The majority of retained orders were to evaluate the gallbladder (44% [227 of 518]). Chart review confirmed utility for gallbladder imaging and that the canceled ultrasound examinations would not have contributed value to patients’ care. Conclusions A recently performed abdominal CT scan may obviate the need for inpatient and emergency department abdominal ultrasound, particularly in the setting of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury. A BPA resulted in only 16% of orders’ being canceled, whereas chart review revealed a much larger opportunity to avoid duplicative imaging.
Kidney Disease, Intensive Hypertension Treatment, and Risk for Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial.

BACKGROUND Intensively treating hypertension may benefit cardiovascular disease and cognitive function, but at the short-term expense of reduced kidney function. METHODS We investigated markers of kidney function and the effect of intensive hypertension treatment on incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 9361 participants in the randomized Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial, which compared intensive versus standard systolic BP lowering (targeting <120 mm Hg versus <140 mm Hg, respectively). We categorized participants according to baseline and longitudinal changes in eGFR and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Primary outcomes were occurrence of adjudicated probable dementia and MCI. RESULTS Among 8563 participants who completed at least one cognitive assessment during follow-up (median 5.1 years), probable dementia occurred in 325 (3.8%) and MCI in 640 (7.6%) participants. In multivariable adjusted analyses, there was no significant association between baseline eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and risk for dementia or MCI. In time-varying analyses, eGFR decline ≥30% was associated with a higher risk for probable dementia. Incident eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 was associated with a higher risk for MCI and a composite of dementia or MCI. Although these kidney events occurred more frequently in the intensive treatment group, there was no evidence that they modified or attenuated the effect of intensive treatment on dementia and MCI incidence. Baseline and incident urinary ACR ≥30 mg/g were not associated with probable dementia or MCI, nor did the urinary ACR modify the effect of intensive treatment on cognitive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Among hypertensive adults, declining kidney function measured by eGFR is associated with increased risk for probable dementia and MCI, independent of the intensity of hypertension treatment.
The first impression matters: The art of male romantic communication in American media dating culture

The study investigates the communicative strategy ‘Making the first impression’ within the communicative style and tradition of Masculine Romantic Discourse at the stage ‘Initiation of Romantic Relationship’. The masculine communicative strategy ‘Making the first impression’ is aimed at achieving the communicative goal – to impress a female addressee for a limited time. The research demonstrates the potential of the complex approach to the study of interpersonal communicative effectiveness and the causes of communication failures. It comprises interdependent variables such as the objective and the subjective integrative features, as well as the strategic ways, namely what should be said (semantics) and how it should be said (discourse features via verbal means). The initial dyadic interaction was implemented by masculine communicative moves within pragmatic communication models. The masculine communicative moves were sourced from an American dating and relationship reality television series The Bachelorette US released from 2012 to 2018. The results revealed that the successful pragmatic communication model included relevant and variable masculine communicative moves, providing the pragmatic foundations of the relationship.
A cancellation problem in hybrid particle-in-cell schemes due to finite particle size

Abstract The quasi-neutral hybrid particle-in-cell algorithm with kinetic ions and fluid electrons is a popular model to study multi-scale problems in laboratory, space, and astrophysical plasmas. Here, it is shown that the different spatial discretizations of ions as finite-spatial-size particles and electrons as a grid-based fluid can lead to significant numerical wave dispersion errors in the long wavelength limit ( k d i ≪ 1 , where k is the wavenumber and d i is the ion skin-depth). The problem occurs when high-order particle-grid interpolations, or grid-based smoothing, spreads the electric field experienced by the ions across multiple spatial cells and leads to inexact cancellation of electric field terms in the total (ion + electron) momentum equation. Practical requirements on the mesh spacing Δ x / d i are suggested to bound these errors from above. The accuracy impact of not respecting these resolution constraints is shown for a non-linear shock problem.
Development and Evaluation of a School Readiness Curriculum for Pediatrics Residents.

Introduction The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that pediatricians promote school readiness with children and families. To our knowledge, no published resident-focused curricula ad...
Characterizing the transient response of knee cartilage to running: Decreases in cartilage T2 of female recreational runners

Cartilage transmits and redistributes biomechanical loads in the knee joint during exercise. Exercise-induced loading alters cartilage hydration and is detectable using quantitative MRI, where T2 relaxation time (T2 ) is influenced by cartilage collagen composition, fiber orientation, and changes in extracellular matrix. This study characterized short-term transient responses of healthy knee cartilage to running-induced loading using bilateral scans and image registration. Eleven healthy female recreational runners (33.73±4.22 years) and four healthy female controls (27.25±1.38 years) were scanned on a 3T GE MRI scanner with qDESS before running over-ground (runner group) or resting (control group) for 40 minutes. Subjects were scanned immediately post-activity at five-minute intervals for 60 minutes. T2 times were calculated for femoral, tibial, and patellar cartilage at each time point and analyzed using a mixed-effects model and Bonferroni post-hoc. There were immediate decreases in T2 (mean±SEM) post-run in superficial femoral cartilage of at least 3.3±0.3% (P=0.002) between baseline and Time 0 that remained for 25 minutes, a decrease in superficial tibial cartilage T2 of 2.9±0.4% (P=0.041) between baseline and Time 0, and a decrease in superficial patellar cartilage T2 of 3.6±0.3% (P=0.020) 15 minutes post-run. There were decreases in the medial posterior region of superficial femoral cartilage T2 of at least 5.3±0.2% (P=0.022) within five minutes post-run that remained at 60 minutes post-run. Clinical Significance: These results increase understanding of transient responses of healthy cartilage to repetitive, exercise-induced loading and establish preliminary recommendations for future definitive studies of cartilage response to running. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Supervised Statistical Learning for Cancer Detection in Dehydrated Excised Tissue with Terahertz Imaging

This paper proposes a new supervised image segmentation algorithm for the detection of breast cancer using terahertz (THz) imaging. Even though unsupervised learning algorithms have achieved promising results in THz image segmentation, reliable segmentation of tissues with three or more regions, such as cancer, fat and muscle, still remains a major challenge. We propose to tackle this challenge by developing a supervised statistical learning method based on multi-class Bayesian ordinal probit regression. The proposed algorithm utilizes a latent variable for the categorical classification of each pixel within the image. The model parameters are estimated through a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) process during the training phase. Experimental results in murine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast cancer samples demonstrated that the proposed supervised model outperforms alternative unsupervised methods.
Bargaining Strength and Property Class in the Office Market

This paper examines the influence of bargaining power and property class on the prices of heterogeneous goods. Specifically, it explores the impact of buyer and seller characteristics on the transaction prices of office properties. The empirical model is based on the work of Harding, Rosenthal, and Sirmans (2003), which developed a method to distinguish between the impact of buyer and seller attributes on bargaining power and the choice of otherwise unidentified price effects (i.e., property class) in the context of hedonic price models. The data set contains information on transaction prices of office properties in Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties, Illinois from 1995 to 1997. The results reveal systematic differences in bargaining power and property class for certain groups of buyers and sellers contained within the sample.