cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of sex and population density on dispersal and spatial genetic structure in brush mice

Natal dispersal, the process of moving between the natal site and the site of 1st reproduction, affects a variety of ecological and evolutionary processes. Multiple factors have been suggested to influence patterns of natal dispersal in vertebrates; sex and population density are 2 of the most frequently invoked. In mammals, males are typically expected to disperse farther or more frequently than females. In contrast, theoretical predictions about the effect of population density are less clear, and support exists for both positive and negative density-dependent dispersal. Here, I investigate the influences of sex and population density on dispersal distances and spatial genetic structure (SGS) in the brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii), using both intensive field surveys and spatial genetic autocorrelation methods. Neither density nor sex affected dispersal distances. I did detect increased genetic structure in females compared to males, a pattern consistent with male-biased dispersal. However, processes other than dispersal can generate SGS, and I suggest that in addition to sex-biased dispersal, these results also could reflect gene dispersal via mating excursions. No clear effect of population density on either dispersal distance or SGS emerged. These results highlight the importance of using multiple methodologies to investigate dispersal.
Control of transverse spatial modes in transient stimulated Raman amplification

We have studied the transverse modes of a transient stimulated Raman signal generated in unsaturated Raman amplifiers with Fresnel numbers from one to seven, both with and without a seed Stokes pulse. In the absence of a seed Stokes pulse and for a pump Fresnel number greater than 1.5, the spatial intensity pattern of the stimulated Stokes signal is highly variable from shot to shot, reflecting the random nature of the quantum-noise source. However, when a separately generated and sufficiently strong seed Stokes pulse with a Gaussian spatial profile is injected into the amplifier, the spatial mode of the output Stokes beam assumes a smooth Gaussian spatial pattern that is significantly smaller in diameter than either the pump or the seed Stokes beam. This spatial mode control, which is due to the injected Stokes signal, persists down to a level of approximately 300 seed Stokes photons per spatial mode and, surprisingly, is observed to suppress the noise-initiated signal by at least a factor of 10 in the outer regions of the amplified Stokes beam. We have also studied the Stokes pulse-energy statistics over a range of Fresnel numbers. Data taken with systems having Fresnel numbers between 4 and 7 follow the same pattern as the spatial-mode-control results in that the statistical character of the Stokes pulse energies changes rapidly from that characteristic of a quantum-noise-initiated process to one characteristic of a stable source as the level of the injected seed Stokes is increased. However, for interaction regions with Fresnel numbers of 1 or smaller, the Stokes pulse-energy statistics show a gradual change as the level of the seed Stokes signal is increased and do not become stabilized until the seed Stokes is more than 100 times the total level needed to control the spatial character of the output Stokes in the larger-Fresnel-number cases. This slow change in the statistics for the Fresnel 1 system, and the suppression of the quantum-noise-initiated signal in the larger-Fresnel-number systems, is not fully understood at this time.
Investigation of DNA Decorated Carbon Nanotube Chemical Sensors

We demonstrate a versatile class of nanoscale sensors based on single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) as the chemical recognition site and single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (swCN-FETs) as the electronic readout component. Coating swCN-FETs with ss-DNA causes a current change when exposed to gaseous analytes, whereas bare swCN-FETs show no detectable change. The responses differ in sign and magnitude depending both on the type of gaseous analyte and the sequence of DNA. Our results suggest that the conformation of ss-DNA on swCN-FET plays a role in determining the sensor response to gaseous analytes. The conformation depends not only on the base content of the oligomer, but also on the specific arrangement of the bases in the ss-DNA. We compare our results with the molecular dynamic simulations for understanding of the sensing mechanisms. SsDNA/swCN-FETs possess rapid recovery and self-regenerating ability, which could lead to realization of large arrays for sensitive electronic olfaction and disease diagnosis.
On chance in causal loops

A common line of argument for the impossibility of closed causal loops is that they would involve causal paradoxes. The usual reply is that such loops impose heavy consistency constraints on the nature of causal connections in them; constraints that are overlooked by the impossibility arguments. Hugh Mellor has maintained that arguments for the possibility of causal loops also overlook some constraints, which are related to the chances (single-case, objective probabilities) that causes give to their effects. And he argues that a consideration of these constraints demonstrates that causal loops are impossible. I consider Mellor's argument and more generally the nature of chance in causal loops. I argue that Mellor's line of reasoning is unwarranted since it is based on untenable premisses about the relation between chances and long-run frequencies in causal loops. Yet, this line of reasoning may still be of interest to those who maintain that causes determine the chances of their effects; for it raises some unresolved questions about the nature of chance in causal loops.
Identifying gene-disease associations using centrality on a literature mined gene-interaction network

Motivation: Understanding the role of genetics in diseases is one of the most important aims of the biological sciences. The completion of the Human Genome Project has led to a rapid increase in the number of publications in this area. However, the coverage of curated databases that provide information manually extracted from the literature is limited. Another challenge is that determining disease-related genes requires laborious experiments. Therefore, predicting good candidate genes before experimental analysis will save time and effort. We introduce an automatic approach based on text mining and network analysis to predict gene-disease associations. We collected an initial set of known disease-related genes and built an interaction network by automatic literature mining based on dependency parsing and support vector machines. Our hypothesis is that the central genes in this disease-specific network are likely to be related to the disease. We used the degree, eigenvector, betweenness and closeness centrality metrics to rank the genes in the network. Results: The proposed approach can be used to extract known and to infer unknown gene-disease associations. We evaluated the approach for prostate cancer. Eigenvector and degree centrality achieved high accuracy. A total of 95% of the top 20 genes ranked by these methods are confirmed to be related to prostate cancer. On the other hand, betweenness and closeness centrality predicted more genes whose relation to the disease is currently unknown and are candidates for experimental study. Availability: A web-based system for browsing the disease-specific gene-interaction networks is available at: http://gin.ncibi.org Contact: [email protected]
THE ROLE OF LARVAL DIET IN ANURAN METAMORPHOSIS

SYNOPSIS. Focus on tadpole diet and foraging behavior offers potential for integrating ecological and endocrinological approaches to understanding anuran metamorphosis. Natural larval diets vary widely in relative amounts of protein, carbohydrate and lipid, factors known to influence thyroid hormone function, which in turn is essential for metamorphosis to occur. Previous work has shown that tadpoles fed high protein diets grow and develop quickly. This pattern is consistent with findings from other classes of vertebrates that some aspects of thyroid function, e.g. , activity of 5′D monodeiodinase, an enzyme that converts thyroxine (T4) to the more potent metamorphosis-inducer 3,5,3′- triiodothyronine (T3), are proportional to availability of dietary protein. In field experiments at a northern California river, I found that nutritional variation among algal taxa routinely consumed by tadpoles (chlorophytes, diatoms, cyanobacteria, etc.) influenced metamorphosis several ways. Growth rate was positively correlated with percent protein content of a food type. Tadpoles fed filamentous green algae with epiphytic diatoms developed more quickly and metamorphosed at larger sizes than tadpoles raised on other diets. The dominant diatoms in this system are high in protein because they host nitrogen fixing cyanobacterial endosymbionts. Resource quality also mediated the effects of competition and predation. Changes in abundance of high quality algae caused by invading bullfrog ( R. catesbeiana ) tadpoles explained most of their competitive effects on metamorphosis of native tadpoles ( Hyla regilla and ( Rana boylii ). In choice experiments, tadpoles foraged selectively on the algal foods that promoted most rapid growth and development. In the presence of garter snake predators, however, tadpoles avoided such patches thus decreasing growth. Direct examination of thyroid hormone production in tadpoles consuming different diets may reveal a proximate mechanism linking diet quality to size at and time to metamorphosis.
Structure of human pro-chymase: a model for the activating transition of granule-associated proteases.

Human chymase is a protease involved in physiological processes ranging from inflammation to hypertension. As are all proteases of the trypsin fold, chymase is synthesized as an inactive "zymogen" with an N-terminal pro region that prevents the transition of the zymogen to an activated conformation. The 1.8 A structure of pro-chymase, reported here, is the first zymogen with a dipeptide pro region (glycine- glutamate) to be characterized at atomic resolution. Three segments of the pro-chymase structure differ from that of the activated enzyme: the N-terminus (Gly14-Gly19), the autolysis loop (Gly142-Thr154), and the 180s loop (Pro185A-Asp194). The four N-terminal residues (Gly14-Glu15-Ile16-Ile17) are disordered. The autolysis loop occupies a position up to 10 A closer to the active site than is seen in the activated enzyme, thereby forming a hydrogen bond with the catalytic residue Ser195 and occluding the S1' binding pocket. Nevertheless, the catalytic triad (Asp102-His57-Ser195) is arrayed in a geometry close to that seen in activated chymase (all atom rmsd of 0.52 A). The 180s loop of pro-chymase is, on average, 4 A removed from its conformation in the activated enzyme. This conformation disconnects the oxyanion hole (the amides of Gly193 and Ser195) from the active site and positions only ! 35% of the S1-S3 binding pockets in the active conformation. The backbone of residue Asp194 is rotated 180ϒ when compared to its conformation in the activated enzyme, allowing a hydrogen bond between the main- chain amide of residue Trp141 and the carboxylate of Asp194. The side chains of residues Phe191 and Lys192 of pro-chymase fill the Ile16 binding pocket and the base of the S1 binding pocket, respectively. The zymogen positioning of both the 180s and autolysis loops are synergistic structural elements that appear to prevent premature proteolysis by chymase and, quite possibly, by other dipeptide zymogens.
Revision of the Holarctic genus Novakia Strobl (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)

Two new species of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae), Novakia miloi and Novakia lisae spp. nov., are described and figured from California. Novakia distincta Fisher is transferred to Tetragoneura Winnertz and a replacement name, Tetragoneura fisherae Kerr, nom. nov., is given for this species. A diagnosis and description of the genus Novakia Strobl is presented and includes a key to species of the genus. The relationship of species within the genus Novakia is briefly discussed.
Review of Douglas R. Hofstadter's Book: I Am a Strange Loop

There is little science to be found in Hofstadter's analogical arguments. His book is mostly weak philosophy. He (page xvii) writes: "Although I hope to reach philosophers with this book's ideas, I don't think I write much like a philosopher". Then he writes (page 325): "Philosophers who believe that consciousness comes from something over and above physical law are dualists, etc., etc." Physical laws are found necessary, but Hofstadter's own strange loop implies that laws in isolation are insufficient to explain consciousness. There is only a leap of faith! Moreover, it is caricature mode thinking that is found dualistic. The strange loop can be better advanced by bringing it in line with philosophy, and in particular, the philosophies of C.S. Peirce and Edmund Husserl. It is the Trinitarian logic offered by Hegel that is non-dual, and it is Brouwer's intuitionist mathematics that is non-dual. You can find this book at Amazon: I Am a Strange Loop .
Clinical outcome in patients with endometrial papillary serous and endometrioid carcinomas as related to WT-1, Pax-2, and p16 immunohistochemical expression profiles

e16547 Background: Endometrial papillary serous carcinoma (EPS) can be difficult to differentiate histologically from high grade endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (EE). Both of these tumors often present with solid growth pattern with few papillary features. Recurrences have been found to be more frequent in EPS than high grade EE. These differences were found despite the same preoperative and postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy, indicating more aggressive tumor biology. To date, there are no well defined immunophenotypic or molecular methods to differentiate these two tumors or their clinical behavior. Methods: Eleven cases of EE and twenty-three cases of EPS were retrieved from our departmental archives and stained using Pax-2, WT-1 and p16 antibodies. For all three antibodies, a strong nuclear staining is considered positive. The intensity and proportion of cells positive are noted. Seven cases from each group were further examined for their staging and clinical outcome in terms of recurrence,...
Impact on disease-free survival of adjuvant erlotinib or gefitinib in patients with resected lung adenocarcinomas that harbor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations

7523 Background: Patients with stage IV adenocarcinoma whose tumors harbor EGFR mutations have high rates of response (∼ 75%) and prolonged progression free survival after EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. Adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy improves disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with resected stages IB-IIIA NSCLC. To see if adjuvant treatment with EGFR TKI (gefitinib or erlotinib) improves DFS in patients with EGFR mutation NSCLC, we conducted a retrospective review of patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR mutations, some of whom received EGFR TKIs postoperatively. Methods: With Institutional Review Board approval, clinical information was obtained on all patients with stage I-III lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR exon 19 or 21 mutations that underwent resection at MSKCC between May 2002 and August 2008. Age, gender, type of surgery, histology, EGFR mutation status (exon 19 deletions and exon 21 L858R), stage, perioperative therapy ...
A Note on Modeling Retweet Cascades on Twitter

Information cascades on social networks, such as retweet cascades on Twitter, have been often viewed as an epidemiological process, with the associated notion of virality to capture popular cascades that spread across the network. The notion of structural virality or average path length has been posited as a measure of global spread. In this paper, we argue that this simple epidemiological view, though analytically compelling, is not the entire story. We first show empirically that the classical SIR diffusion process on the Twitter graph, even with the best possible distribution of infectiousness parameter, cannot explain the nature of observed retweet cascades on Twitter. More specifically, rather than spreading further from the source as the SIR model would predict, many cascades that have several retweets from direct followers, die out quickly beyond that. We show that our empirical observations can be reconciled if we take interests of users and tweets into account. In particular, we consider a model where users have multi-dimensional interests, and connect to other users based on similarity in interests. Tweets are correspondingly labeled with interests, and propagate only in the subgraph of interested users via the SIR process. In this model, interests can be either narrow or broad, with the narrowest interest corresponding to a star graph on the interested users, with the root being the source of the tweet, and the broadest interest spanning the whole graph. We show that if tweets are generated using such a mix of interests, coupled with a varying infectiousness parameter, then we can qualitatively explain our observation that cascades die out much more quickly than is predicted by the SIR model. In the same breath, this model also explains how cascades can have large size, but low "structural virality" or average path length.
MicroRNA-30 inhibits antiapoptotic factor Mcl-1 in mouse and human hematopoietic cells after radiation exposure

We previously reported that microRNA-30 (miR-30) expression was initiated by radiation-induced proinflammatory factor IL-1β and NFkB activation in mouse and human hematopoietic cells. However, the downstream effectors of miR-30 and its specific role in radiation-induced cell death are not well understood. In the present study, we evaluated effects of radiation on miR-30 expression and activation of intrinsic apoptotic pathway Bcl-2 family factors in in vivo mouse and in vitro human hematopoietic cells. CD2F1 mice and human CD34+ cells were exposed to different doses of gamma-radiation. In addition to survival studies, mouse blood, bone marrow (BM) and spleen cells and human CD34+ cells were collected at 4 h, and 1, 3 and 4 days after irradiation to determine apoptotic and stress response signals. Our results showed that mouse serum miR-30, DNA damage marker γ-H2AX in BM, and Bim, Bax and Bak expression, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 and -7 activation in BM and/or spleen cells were upregulated in a radiation dose-dependent manner. Antiapoptotic factor Mcl-1 was significantly downregulated, whereas Bcl-2 was less changed or unaltered in the irradiated mouse cells and human CD34+ cells. Furthermore, a putative miR-30 binding site was found in the 3′ UTR of Mcl-1 mRNA. miR-30 directly inhibits the expression of Mcl-1 through binding to its target sequence, which was demonstrated by a luciferase reporter assay, and the finding that Mcl-1 was uninhibited by irradiation in miR-30 knockdown CD34+ cells. Bcl-2 expression was not affected by miR-30. Our data suggest miR-30 plays a key role in radiation-induced apoptosis through directly targeting Mcl-1in hematopoietic cells.
BLUNTED HEART RATE RESPONSE TO REGADENOSON IS AN INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR OF ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE: A SUBSTUDY OF THE ASSUAGE AND ASSUAGE-CKD TRIALS

Blunted heart rate response (HRR) to regadenoson has been shown to be predictive of poor outcome in patients undergoing SPECT myocardial perfusion Imaging (MPI). The predictive value of this marker has not been evaluated in high risk patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD patients
Purified bovine NF-kappa B recognizes regulatory sequences in multiple genes expressed during activation of T- and B-lymphocytes.

A crucial event in the differentiation of B-lymphocytes is the transcription of the immunoglobulin light-chain gene which leads to expression of immunoglobulin antigen receptor on the surface of the cell. In an apparently separately regulated arm of the immune response, antigenic stimulation causes proliferation of T-lymphocytes by transcriptional activation of the IL-2 gene and the IL-2 receptor gene. Previous studies have shown that a lymphoid-specific enhancer element plays an important role in achieving high-level transcription of the kappa light-chain gene [1-4]. Molecular genetic dissection of this enhancer has revealed that a DNA sequence which binds to a nuclear factor, NF-κB, is essential for its function [5-8]. NF-KB binding activity is constitutively present only in mature B-lymphocytes and exceptional T-lymphocyte lines [5, 13]. Its binding may be induced in cells early in the B-lymphoid lineage, T-lymphocytes, and in nonlymphoid cells by various treatments such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide, cycloheximide, lectins, and phorbol esters [9]. Previously we have shown that NF-κB binding is critical for the kappa enhancer activity that is constitutively present in mature B-lymphocytes and inducible by lipopolysaccharide or phorbol esters in pre-B cells [7].
The Interaction of Twin Boundaries with Grain Boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Twins in YBa2Cu3O7-δ may be “correlated” at [001] tilt grain boundaries (i.e. twin boundaries from one grain may meet twin boundaries from the other grain in quadruple junctions) and the twins may also be narrowed or “constricted” at the boundary. These effects are more pronounced in the regime of small angle grain boundaries. Based on TEM observations, a tentative threshold misorientation angle of approximately 15° is identified, below which there is a significant driving force reducing the system energy by correlation. The energies of various grain boundary domain structures associated with the twins were estimated on the basis of the dislocations they contain. Success has been obtained in explaining twin correlation in symmetrical tilt boundaries.
Networks, Hierarchies, and Hybrids

ABSTRACTClusters of organizations making at least modest efforts to collaborate on implementing joint solutions to public sector problems are often called “networks.” By directing attention away from the hierarchical aspects of these clusters, and towards the voluntaristic and egalitarian aspects, this nomenclature can undermine and distort our understanding of the phenomenon. Such organizational clusters can be more fruitfully thought of as “implementation hybrids,” a type of collective production arrangement that has its own distinctive strengths and weaknesses, which this article delineates.
Magnetic-free non-reciprocity based on staggered commutation

Lorentz reciprocity is a fundamental characteristic of the vast majority of electronic and photonic structures. However, non-reciprocal components such as isolators, circulators and gyrators enable new applications ranging from radio frequencies to optical frequencies, including full-duplex wireless communication and on-chip all-optical information processing. Such components today dominantly rely on the phenomenon of Faraday rotation in magneto-optic materials. However, they are typically bulky, expensive and not suitable for insertion in a conventional integrated circuit. Here we demonstrate magnetic-free linear passive non-reciprocity based on the concept of staggered commutation. Commutation is a form of parametric modulation with very high modulation ratio. We observe that staggered commutation enables time-reversal symmetry breaking within very small dimensions (λ/1,250 × λ/1,250 in our device), resulting in a miniature radio-frequency circulator that exhibits reduced implementation complexity, very low loss, strong non-reciprocity, significantly enhanced linearity and real-time reconfigurability, and is integrated in a conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integrated circuit for the first time.
Direct Methods for Linear Equations

We now begin the study of the solution of linear systems of equations by direct methods. In Sections 2.1 and 2.2 we assume that the coefficient matrix is full, and we study Gaussian elimination, Choleski factorization, and the orthogonal reduction methods of Givens and Householder. In Section 2.1, we deal only with vector computers and then consider the same basic algorithms for parallel computers in Section 2.2. In Section 2.3 we treat the same algorithms, as well as others, for banded systems.
General Purpose, Rapid Reliable Stain for Plastic-Embedded Tissue Sections

Celestine blue B can be combined with Biebrich scarlet-acid fuchsin to produce a rapid and reliable general histologic stain for plastic-embedded tissue. This method does not stain the plastic embedment or remove sections from glass slides, as commonly occurs with hematoxylin and eosin procedures and with basic stains such as toluidine blue and methylene blue. The stain yields excellent cellular detail with brilliant coloration.
"A Remarkable Case": A Surgeon's Letter to the Huntington County Globe

It would have taken an extraordinary set of wounds to surprise a Union surgeon four years into the bloody war. A remarkable letter buried in the pages of the Huntington County Globe in August 1865, however, details just such a case and gives us a glimpse into the rigors of life as a soldier and into the practice of medicine during the Civil War. Orderly Sergeant Michael Logan of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry had the misfortune of being treated for so many grievous battle injuries that in August 1865, a week after Logan’s company had mustered out in Richmond, Virginia, J. E. P., the surgeon of the ward at the York, Pennsylvania, hospital wrote a letter to Logan’s local newspaper describing the case.
The Šabdan Baatır Codex: epic and the writing of northern Kyrgyz history

In Central Asian studies, scholarly editions of texts are few and far between in all geographical and subject areas, excepting some well-known Middle Turkic and Ottoman manuscripts. Especially lack...
Abstract IA03: mTORC1/S6K1: Regulation of RNA biogenesis, protein synthesis, and cell metabolism

The mTOR Complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway has evolved to sense and respond to cellular energy status, nutrient availability and surrounding oxygen concentrations. In addition, mTORC1 signaling can be further activated by mitogen- and hormone-stimulated kinases including Akt, ERK and RSK, and suppressed by mTORC1 and its effector S6K1, via a variety of negative feedback loops. This incredible integration of extracellular and intracellular cues translates into carefully regulated outputs that control cell growth, motility and survival. A major mechanism through which mTOR regulates downstream processes is via the regulation of gene expression, mRNA processing, protein synthesis and protein degradation. In an mTOR phosphoproteomic screen, we and others identified SR Protein Kinase 2 (SRPK2) as a potential downstream effector of mTORC1. I will discuss a novel mechanism by which SRPK2 is regulated and contributes to mTORC1-dependent regulation of lipid metabolism via the regulation of mRNA processing. Citation Format: John Blenis, Gina Lee, Jamie Dempsey, Christina England. mTORC1/S6K1: Regulation of RNA biogenesis, protein synthesis, and cell metabolism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Translational Control of Cancer: A New Frontier in Cancer Biology and Therapy; 2016 Oct 27-30; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(6 Suppl):Abstract nr IA03.
The Facade of Transience: How Projects Become Strategic

While prior research recognizes the tension inherent between temporary and permanent institutions, less is understood of the underlying paths projects take in becoming strategic. This investigation...
Phase-Field Based Multiscale Modeling of Heterogeneous Solid Electrolytes: Applications to Nanoporous Li3PS4

Modeling the effective ion conductivities of heterogeneous solid electrolytes typically involves the use of a computer-generated microstructure consisting of randomly or uniformly oriented fillers in a matrix. However, the structural features of the filler/matrix interface, which critically determine the interface ion conductivity and the microstructure morphology, have not been considered during the microstructure generation. Using nanoporous β-Li3PS4 electrolyte as an example, we develop a phase-field model that enables generating nanoporous microstructures of different porosities and connectivity patterns based on the depth and the energy of the surface (pore/electrolyte interface), both of which are predicted through density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Room-temperature effective ion conductivities of the generated microstructures are then calculated numerically, using DFT-estimated surface Li-ion conductivity (3.14 × 10–3 S/cm) and experimentally measured bulk Li-ion conductivity (8.93 × 10–...
On “Queer Street”: Queer Masculinity and Financial Agents in Dickens

In both the modern sense of the word and in the more capacious, nineteenth-century meaning of the term, the capitalist society of Victorian England was “queer.” Since Michel Foucault's History of S...
On the Coexistence of Nano Networks: Sensing Techniques for Molecular Communications

Molecular communication is an emerging communication paradigm for biological nanomachines. The fast growth of molecular communication techniques in varieties of nanomedical applications can result in scenarios where there are more than one nanonetwork working in a biological environment. On the other hand, possible limitation on the type of molecules, used as information carriers, can result in coexistence problems in co-located molecular communication systems. This paper studies the coexistence problem of two nanonetworks, where one of the nanonetworks is able to intelligently sense the molecular channel and use the channel opportunistically for its own transmission. The sensing nanonetwork measures the concentration of molecules as a criterion to detect the channel white spaces by using a molecular energy detection scheme. When the molecular channel is available, the associated transmitter sends its information using the same carrier molecules. Depending on the availability of timing information at the sensing nanodevice, two synchronous and asynchronous sensing mechanisms are provided based on the likelihood ratio test as the optimal detection method. We also provide numerical simulations of the proposed sensing mechanisms to show that the coexistence of multiple molecular communications is feasible and can be efficiently implemented in nanonetworks.
Modeling microarchitecture and mechanical behavior of nacre using 3D finite element techniques Part I Elastic properties

Three dimensional finite element models of nacre were constructed based on reported microstructural studies on the 'brick and mortar' micro-architecture of nacre. 3D eight noded isoparametric brick elements were used to design the microarchitecture of nacre. Tensile tests were simulated using this model. The tests were conducted at low stresses of 2 MPa which occur well within the elastic regime of nacre and thus effects related to locus and extent of damage were ignored. Our simulations show that using the reported values of elastic moduli of organic (0.005 GPa) and aragonitic platelets (205 GPa), the displacements observed in nacre are extremely large and correspond to a very low modulus of 0.011 GPa. The reported elastic modulus of nacre is of the order of 50 GPa. The reason for this inconsistency may arise from two possibilities. Firstly, the organic layer due to its multilayered structure is possibly composed of distinct layers of different elastic moduli. The continuously changing elastic modulus within the organic layer may approach modulus of aragonite near the organic-inorganic interface. Simulations using variable elastic moduli for the organic phase suggest that an elastic modulus of 15 GPa is consistent with the observed elastic behavior of nacre. Another explanation for the observed higher elastic modulus may arise from localized platelet-platelet contact. Since the observed modulus of nacre lies within the above two extremes (i.e. 15 GPa and 205 GPa) it is suggested that a combination of the two possibilities, i.e. a higher modulus of the organic phase near the organic-inorganic interface and localized platelet-platelet contact can result in the observed elastic properties of nacre.
Forest ecosystem services as production inputs

Are we cutting down tropical forests too rapidly and too extensively? If so, why? Answers to both questions are obscured in some ways by insufficient and unreliable data on the economic worth of forest ecosystem services. It is clear, however, that rapid, excessive cutting of forests can irreversibly and substantively impair ecosystem functions, thereby endangering the flow of several socially valuable goods and services from standing forests. One reason for such excessive deforestation is failure to consider the full range of goods and services provided by the forests, particularly latent and complex ecosystem services.
Vibrational Relaxation in EDTA Is Ion-Dependent

Ion binding by carboxylate groups is common in biomolecules such as metalloproteins, but dynamical aspects of ion binding are not fully understood. We present ultrafast spectroscopic measurements of vibrational relaxation in the ion-coordinating carboxylate groups of EDTA, which we use as a model of carboxylate-mediated ion binding, as EDTA binds a series of divalent and trivalent metal ions with high affinity. The measurements are interpreted using a Redfield-based anharmonic model of vibrational relaxation that rationalizes trends in vibrational lifetimes in terms of vibrational energy transfer between EDTA’s asymmetric carboxylate stretching vibrational modes and lower-lying modes. Results show ion-dependent changes in complex structure and dynamics well outside the temporal and spatial resolution of common structural methods and demonstrate how vibrational relaxation measurements may contribute to exploration of ion-binding dynamics on ultrashort length and time scales.
Outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement for mixed aortic valve disease

Background: Mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD) is associated with a poorer natural history compared with isolated lesions. However, clinical and echocardiographic outcomes for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in mixed disease are less well understood. Methods: Retrospective review of AVRs (n=1,011) from 2000–2016. Isolated AVR, AVR + coronary bypass, and AVR + limited ascending aortic replacement were included. Predominant aortic stenosis (AS) group was stratified into group 1 (n=660) with concomitant mild or less aortic insufficiency (AI), and group 2 (n=197) with accompanying moderate or greater AI. Predominant AI group was stratified using the same schema for concomitant AS into groups 3 (n=143) and 4 (n=53). Median follow-up was 3.1 and 4.4 years respectively for AS and AI groups. Results: For the predominant AS group (n=857) preoperatively, group 2 had a larger preoperative left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVESD) (51.0±8.4 vs . 48.6±7.2, P=0.02) and lower preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (57.6% vs . 60.2%, P=0.043). No differences in left ventricular (LV) dimensions, LV or right ventricular (RV) function was evident at follow up (P>0.05). After propensity matching for age, operation, and comorbidities, there was no difference in survival (P=0.19). After propensity matching for the predominant AI group (n=196), survival was lower for group 4 compared to 3 (P=0.02). There were no differences in LV dimensions, LV or RV function preoperatively or on follow-up (P>0.05). Conclusions: Predominant AS associated with higher AI grades had larger LV dimensions and worse LV function preoperatively. These differences resolve after AVR with equivalent survival. However, predominant AI with more severe AS had reduced survival despite AVR.
Opioid Prescribing Limits for Acute Pain — Striking the Right Balance

Opioid Prescribing Limits for Acute Pain Although prescribing limits seem like a commonsense approach to restricting exposure to opioids, adoption of these policies is outpacing the evidence, and o...
Indium Phosphide Photonic Integrated Circuits: Technology and Applications

A summary of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platforms is provided with emphasis on indium phosphide (InP). Examples of InP PICs were fabricated and characterized for free space laser communications, Lidar, and microwave photonics. A novel high-performance hybrid integration technique for merging InP devices with silicon photonics is also discussed.
HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody Signatures and Application to Epitope-Targeted Vaccine Design

Eliciting HIV-1-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) remains a challenge for vaccine development, and the potential of passively delivered bNAbs for prophylaxis and therapeutics is being explored. We used neutralization data from four large virus panels to comprehensively map viral signatures associated with bNAb sensitivity, including amino acids, hypervariable region characteristics, and clade effects across four different classes of bNAbs. The bNAb signatures defined for the variable loop 2 (V2) epitope region of HIV-1 Env were then employed to inform immunogen design in a proof-of-concept exploration of signature-based epitope targeted (SET) vaccines. V2 bNAb signature-guided mutations were introduced into Env 459C to create a trivalent vaccine, and immunization of guinea pigs with V2-SET vaccines resulted in increased breadth of NAb responses compared with Env 459C alone. These data demonstrate that bNAb signatures can be utilized to engineer HIV-1 Env vaccine immunogens capable of eliciting antibody responses with greater neutralization breadth.
Direct Determination of Built-in Voltages in Asymmetric Single-Carrier Devices

Mobility measurements using single-carrier devices are one of the most common means for probing charge transport in intrinsic semiconductors; however, the built-in voltage must be known in advance, for precise analysis of the current-voltage curves obtained from measuring space-charge-limited current. The author presents an easy, direct analytical model for determining the built-in voltage of a single-carrier device directly from the $J\ensuremath{-}V$ curves, without any knowledge of the charge-carrier mobility. This approach is expected to be immediately and widely useful to the large community working on semiconductor physics and devices.
Improving Documentation of Pain and Constipation Management Within the Cancer Center of a Large Urban Academic Hospital

PURPOSE:Pain and constipation are common among patients with cancer and remain inadequately controlled in many. The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative assessment of pain and constipation at the G...
Crime-Terror Interactions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Interactions between criminal and terrorist networks in sub-Saharan Africa (and elsewhere) are frequently based on a complex mix of intentions, capabilities, opportunities and precipitant condition...
Clinical analysis of food serum specific IgE in children with allergic rhinitis in Tianjin

Objective: To define the common food allergens in children with allergic rhinitis in Tianjin with detection of serum specific immunoglobulin E(IgE) against foods and inhalation.Method:Mediwiss(Screen Allergy) was used to determine serum specific IgE. The relationships between food allergy and gender, age, season were also analyzed.Result:Most common food allergens in children with AR in Tianjin are milk(17.28%), followed by egg white(13.79%), crab(9.56%) and cashew nuts(8.64%). Children in food-related allergy group were significantly less than that in the inhalation-related allergy group, the difference was statistically significant（P 0.05）. The cashew and beef allergen sensitivity rates are different between male and female. The sensitivity rates of amaranth, egg, white milk, and crab are different among different age groups. The difference was statistically significant（P <0.05）.Conclusion: Milk, egg, crab, cashew nuts are the most common food allergens in children with AR in Tianjin area. Only food-related allergy is rare, food allergies are usually accompanied by inhalation-related allergy. Cashew allergen sensitivity rate was higher in male than female. Milk allergen sensitivity rate was higher in female than male. Sensitivity rate of amaranth allergen increased significantly, while that of egg milk and crab allergen decreased significantly with age.
Small Dollar Donors and the Evolving Democratic Party

Increasing grassroots, small dollar donations has long been appealing to campaign finance reformers. Still, important questions remain. Are small donors becoming more common, especially in the Democratic Party? Are small donors really different from larger donors? And what do they tell us about the makeup and direction of the two parties? We use financial records and survey data to track small donors over time and examine their demographic and ideological characteristics. We find that, in recent cycles, the Democratic Party has attracted a growing share of money from small dollar donors, driven at least in part by technological advantages and the changing composition of their supporters. These donors are more demographically representative of the American public but share similar levels of ideological extremism as large donors. Importantly, female and ideologically extreme candidates are most likely to benefit from small donor funding, providing mixed evidence regarding the efficacy of potential reforms.
The Safety and Efficacy of Extended TEVAR in Acute Type B Aortic Dissection

Background Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with endograft coverage from the left subclavian artery to the celiac artery has been hypothesized to increase spinal cord ischemia. This study analyzes the impact of extended coverage on adverse outcomes and aortic remodeling in patients with complicated acute type B aortic dissection (aTBAD). Methods From January 2012 to October 2018, 91 patients underwent TEVAR for aTBAD. Median follow-up was 3.1 (interquartile range, 1.2-4.9) years and was complete in 94% of patients. The extent of aortic endograft coverage was categorized as standard (n = 39) or extended (n = 52). Contrast-enhanced imaging scans were analyzed to determine length of coverage, maximum aortic diameters, and false lumen (FL) status. Results The mean age was 52.6 ± 13.9 years, and 66% were men. The most common indications for intervention were malperfusion (42%) and refractory pain (34%). Thirteen (14%) patients required a lumbar drain (preoperative: n = 3; postoperative: n = 10). Mean duration between scans was 2.0 ± 1.9 years. Length of aortic coverage was significantly longer in the extended group (241.7 ± 29.2 mm vs 180.8 ± 22.3 mm in the standard group; P Conclusions Extended TEVAR carries a low risk of spinal cord ischemia and improves FL remodeling of the descending thoracic aorta in patients with aTBAD. This strategy may decrease the need for reinterventions on the thoracic aorta in the chronic phase of TBAD.
“Grossly Material”: Catholic Things and the Jesuit Order in Villette

“Grossly material” is the description Lucy Snowe, heroine of Charlotte Bronte’s 1853 novel, Villette, ascribes to a Catholic mass. Yet her Christian name belongs to the martyr whose story epitomizes the lurid tales of saints Bronte’s heroine abhors. In some versions of the Saint Lucy narrative, her eyes were gouged out, and representations have portrayed Lucy holding a dish upon which rests her eyes—“grossly material” indeed and an example of how Bronte’s Lucy is separate from, but also bound up in, Catholic material culture. This chapter shows how Villette implicates itself in Jesuit deployments of objects and images which mediate Lucy Snowe’s experience and underline the author’s concerns with relationships between the intangible and the tangible and the significance of material culture in religion.
Data driven decision making to characterize clinical personas of parents of children with cystic fibrosis: a mixed methods study

Beginning at a young age, children with cystic fibrosis (CF) embark on demanding care regimens that pose challenges to parents. We examined the extent to which clinical, demographic and psychosocial features inform patterns of adherence to pulmonary therapies and how these patterns can be used to develop clinical personas, defined as aspects of adherence barriers that are presented by parents and/or perceived by clinicians, in order to enhance personalized CF care delivery. We undertook an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study consisting of i) multivariate clustering to create clusters corresponding to parental adherence patterns (quantitative phase); ii) parental participant interviews to create clinical personas interpreted from clustering (qualitative phase). Clinical, demographic and psychosocial features were used in supervised clustering against clinical endpoints, which included adherence to airway clearance and aerosolized medications and self-efficacy score, which was used as a feature for modeling adherence. Clinical implications were developed for each persona by combing quantitative and qualitative data (integration phase). The quantitative phase showed that the 87 parent participants were segmented into three distinct patterns of adherence based on use of aerosolized medication and practice of airway clearance. Patterns were primarily influenced by self-efficacy, distance to CF care center and child BMI percentile. The two key patterns that emerged for the self-efficacy model were most heavily influenced by distance to CF care center and child BMI percentile. Eight clinical personas were developed in the qualitative phase from parent and clinician participant feedback of latent components from these models. Findings from the integration phase include recommendations to overcome specific challenges with maintaining treatment regimens and increasing support from social networks. Adherence patterns from multivariate models and resulting parent personas with their corresponding clinical implications have utility as clinical decision support tools and capabilities for tailoring intervention study designs that promote adherence.
2-D Bi 2 O 2 Se Nanosheets for Nonenzymatic Electrochemical Detection of H 2 O 2

Bismuth oxyselenide (Bi2O2Se) has recently emerged as a promising 2-D material for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, its true potential is yet to be explored for chemical sensing applications. The present investigation highlights the first demonstration of a Bi2O2Se nanosheets-based sensor for nonenzymatic electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A solution-phase method is employed to synthesize Bi2O2Se nanosheets. Cyclic voltammetry is performed to study the quantitative detection of H2O2 with a reduction potential of –0.68 V versus Ag/AgCl in nitrogen-saturated 0.1 M PBS (pH 7.4). The Bi2O2Se nanosheets-based H2O2 sensor shows efficient detection of H2O2 in the range of 50–500 μM with a sensitivity of 100 μA mA−1 cm−2, and negligible interference was observed for most of the common interferents such as NaCl, ascorbic acid, uric acid, and dopamine. Furthermore, the applicability of this electrochemical approach for practical applications is confirmed by the observation of concentration-dependent effect of H2O2 on the reduction current in artificial sweat, making Bi2O2Se nanosheets a compelling electrocatalyst candidate for the development of new wearable glucose sensors.